update
Spring 2021 - news from, and for, Scotland’s farmer co-ops
SAOS Online Conference Focuses on the Positives Ahead The theme of January’s SAOS Conference was an A to Z for a Bright Future. Our vision was of an upbeat future for the Scottish agriculture and food producing sectors, and we looked at the key ingredients required to make that happen. Technology allowed us to cover our (rather ambitious) 26 topics in the afternoon, through speaker presentations and virtual ‘expo booths’ and we tried very hard to avoid any doom and gloom. Initally, and understandably, an unusually downbeat James Withers, CEO of Scotland Food & Drink, ‘kept it real’, but even he managed to look to a potentially more positive land of opportunity ahead.
SAOS Chief Executive Tim Bailey, showcased the need for open-minded and informed Government policy to underpin and incentivise change. Following up on his presentation, Tim reiterated: “We believe there are five key policy pillars that will enable positive change to happen, based around the industry working together more effectively: • • • • •
Continue to offer and operate successful agricultural innovation and development programmes, such as RISS and KTIF Modify the approach of Food Processing grant programmes, to align with industry priorities and incentivise the farmers and processors to co-operate more effectively Invest in a Future Farming programme, as Australia did, to provide structured support and advice to improve all forms of co-operation Embed the Producer Organisation approach within the fruit and vegetable sector and extend to all farming sectors Finally, let agriculture access the broadband voucher funding scheme as a single community to overcome the inherent business disadvantage from non-existent or grossly inadequate connectivity.”
Mark Clark, our Chairman, added: “The Scottish agricultural community has a very positive working partnership with the Scottish Government and SAOS would welcome the opportunity to work with them and all industry partners to make this upbeat future a reality for all farming businesses and the whole food supply chain.” These points above are key within SAOS’s manifesto, outlining our priorities for the next Scottish Parliament and Government. #workingtogether Holding the conference online presented a great opportunity to attract new delegates from different areas, especially those who may not be so likely to travel to attend on the day. Another plus, was that we could invite various other industry bodies we work with to showcase their ‘wares’ and our work together where appropriate. At the same time this highlighted SAOS’s ‘mantra’ of working together more effectively across the entire food and farming sector and supply chains, we know that this is now more vital than ever before. Once again, we were delighted to have the support of NFU Mutual as sponsors (more from them overleaf on why they value our relationship), and for the first time we were also supported by Ledingham Chalmers who made themselves very popular at tea break time! We’ve added a new section to our website and all the A-Z content from the conference is now hosted there, so that everyone who missed out, or who couldn’t get round all the expo booths, can still check those out. Thanks again to everyone for ‘coming along’, especially those who also filled in our conference survey. Catch up with what you missed (except for the tea break provisions, sorry!) : www.saos.coop/SAOSConference
Attendance was up by over 100 delegates on our 2020 Conference 40% of our conference attendees were women 87% of conf survey responses rated the conference as either excellent or v good
SAOS Team Walks to Dunblane to Help RSABI Help Others January saw the whole SAOS team ‘virtually walking’ from our homes to our usual conference venue at Dunblane Hydro, to raise money for RSABI. We walked well over our 1500-mile target in the end and, with added Gift Aid, doubled our target, raising £1255. Thanks to all our sponsors, and congratulations to BMR’s Michael Bayne, who won a night’s D,B&B at Dunblane Hydro in our draw. Nina Clancy, CEO of RSABI, thanked the whole team for our efforts and shared a case study giving an example of how our contribution helps: “This is what your money (sweat and tears too) pays for!” “‘Bob’ was struggling since the loss of his wife. He had no motivation to keep going on the farm. His son called RSABI when he noticed the state of the farm and the house. He got his Dad’s permission for us to call. We visited Bob on his own. He admitted he was struggling with his wife’s death and had fallen behind with the paperwork that she used to do. The house was cold and Bob was in a low mood. He was overwhelmed with grief and felt there was so much to do, and he wasn’t doing any of it. He hadn’t talked to his children as he didn’t want them to know he wasn’t coping. We chatted about the farm and how he wanted his future to be, and he admitted he did not want to spend the next 20 years farming now that his wife wasn’t there.
saos news and views
Bob also admitted he wasn’t sleeping but he wasn’t keen to see his GP. We talked about the business and options going forward. We talked about his wife and the chatted about life since she had died. Together, we looked at what needed done and broke it down into small chunks which he felt more able to deal with. We called Bob daily for the next couple of weeks to make sure he was okay and if he was managing to get some things done. We organised a business review to look at options for the farm to allow him more time for himself. We talked to the Land Matching service to see what opportunities were available too. A qualified counsellor called him to talk about his grief and he found that really helpful. We had a meeting with the business consultant and Bob and he is to think about his next steps now he has options. We call every month just to make sure he is doing ok and he is still seeing the counsellor. He has said he doesn’t know where he would be if we hadn’t been in touch and although he still misses his wife he has started to look at the future a bit more positively.” SAOS is delighted to be able to help RSABI support people like ‘Bob’ who are struggling to cope. For more info on RSABI’s work and how you can support them, go to rsabi.org.uk
In 1910, NFU Mutual set out as a farming insurer. We’ve come a long way since then, but farming and rural communities are still very close to our heart. NFU Mutual are committed to understanding the challenges of those living in the countryside and support organisations and initiatives that can make a difference in places where it matters. (Read evidence of this in the new partnership with SmartRural and the Aird Farming Group on page 5 ) Many of you may be aware through visiting our booth and watching our video presentation at the virtual conference, we are committed to ensuring we are supporting our customers, the communities in which they live, and the industry. NFU Mutual is an advocate for collaborative working and, as the country’s leading rural insurer, it is important for us to support SAOS both through financial contributions and by offering our expertise and services to members of the society and their networks. SAOS, like us, is an organisation run by and for our members and who champion people and businesses to work together more effectively and protect the interests of our communities, which is why we are delighted to have supported the conference, giving everyone a platform to come together and share. To find out more about us and our services or to find your local agency, visit: www.nfumutual.co.uk
A year on but it’s no easier - our tips for helping with work/life balance and wellbeing The past year has been immensely challenging for everyone, whatever our individual situations. As the time has gone on, it’s become all the more difficult for many of us. For those home working, that feeling of being ‘glued’ to a screen, coupled with restrictions on almost every aspect of our normal lives, and trying to balance work and life when they’re both in the same place almost all of the time for so many of us has been especially hard. If you’ve had home schooling added to that mix your recent whoops of joy have been heard nationwide! All the various worries and frustrations have caused stress and anxiety for many and at SAOS we’ve been doing our best to support each other. We had a good discussion on a recent team call, when we shared ideas and learnings to help with our work/life balance and wellbeing. We appreciate that jobs and priorities are very varied across our readership, but thought some of these may well be helpful, especially if you’re ‘office-based’ as we’re likely to be working from home for a few months yet. • If your home and office are ‘entwined’ it’s really important to be disciplined - have ‘sensible’ start and finish times - and stick to them! Don’t get into ‘work drift’ such as checking and responding to emails late in the evening. • Escape the screen regularly - take breaks, especially lunch, and get some exercise in whatever format - ideally, get some fresh air. • If you can, ‘chunk’ your work into 1-2 hours blocks, without any disruptions, to make the most effective use of time. • Prioritise, prioritise, prioritise - distinguish between what’s truly ‘urgent’ and what’s ‘important’ (ie needs done, but not right now). • Deadlines are stressors – unless it really is critical, don’t accept others’ deadlines if they’re unreasonable. Talk it over and offer an alternative, more realistic deadline that works for you - it will probably work just fine for the other person if they know you can stick to it. • Pick up the phone – it can be much more efficient than a long email/exchange and allows you to stand up and walk around, look out the window, or even get outside. • Avoid block booking your day with concurrent Zoom/Teams calls - ensure there’s a break between them - negotiate start and finish times with this in mind. • Emails are very disruptive – check just a few times per day, and try switching off notifications. If you’re sending emails - try to be brief. • If it’s possible, set up/suggest some fun team activities - book clubs, quizzes, team challenges - ‘official’ down time is great for the team. • Knowledge renewal is really important – schedule in time for things like reading, listening to podcasts (see opposite!), watching webinars and thinking. Wellbeing and creativity are inextricably linked, so being good to yourself is time well spent! • Finally, and most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. Colleagues and your line manager can support you if you have them - but if not, or if it feels easier, we’re here too - please do call if we can help in any way. And remember RSABI’s always there if you or someone you know is really struggling for whatever reason - their helpline number is 0300 111 4166.
Interest And Profile Ramps Up For CarbonPositive Platform
saos news and views
There was plenty of optimism around the (virtual) room when SAOS held its fourth CarbonPositive stakeholder meeting recently. Emma Patterson Taylor, SAOS’s lead on climate change, hosted the event, and welcomed over sixty participants from across the land-based sector. The event provided the opportunity to hear more about the platform and its progress to date, and Emma was joined by Martin Kennedy, recently-elected NFUS President, on the panel for the meeting. Martin highlighted the need for the industry to take a holistic approach and emphasised that, within the food production supply chain, climate change mitigation, environmental enhancement and biodiversity cannot be considered, nor improved, in isolation. He advised that the imperative is for industry to pull together and take ownership of farming and its ‘CarbonPositive contribution’. Some great work is already being done by farmers and Martin highlighted just some of the initiatives that are already making a difference on farm. He also acknowledged the CarbonPositive project work already done, and highlighted the fact that the platform provides a starting point for farmers and crofters and, essentially, the creation of a baseline - the sector needs to recognise where it is, to be able to relate to where it needs to go! Emma went on to discuss how the guiding principle SAOS; working together to create value, had meant that the SAOS team had taken time to listen to stakeholders and carefully consider what CarbonPositive could do to add towards the mitigation of climate change, without unduly burdening an already highly-regulated industry. She said it was clear from these early stakeholder consultations that CarbonPositive had to be industry led. On this basis, SAOS had taken advice from industry partners at each stage of the development. Emma said: “It’s been about building relationships and identifying experts up for the challenge of working with us to identify and access these key data sets; initially for soil, woodland, energy and livestock. These key inputs, have been incorporated into the CarbonPositive platform design. Emma explained that, in partnership with the ANM group, SAOS now also manages a similar but separate project, to scope the emissions performance of livestock. She added that CarbonPositive’s initial remit has been broadened further, to include public goods and natural capital. This wider perspective covers water quality, biodiversity and recreational value, and other related on-farm activities. Emma continued: “We will also move on to the educational side, to build a greater understanding, in farmers and the public, of the role farmers play in relation to climate change. Promoting this role and what’s being done is really what we are all about.” She concluded: “We know as an industry there’s a journey ahead and we need to be aware of and understand these natural assets that are under the industry’s stewardship. More importantly, we need to recognise that how these assets are managed on-farm has a direct impact on Scotland’s journey towards the 2045 Net Zero target.” CarbonPositive is a Scottish Government-funded project, designed to engage with farmers on issues of farm carbon management and to promote industry ownership of farming practices that will enhance the wide range of natural capital on their land. It is anticipated that the full CarbonPositive platform will be rolled out this Summer, subject to Covid 19 and related restrictions. For more information, please contact emma@saos.coop Follow CarbonPositive on Twitter: @_CarbonPositive.
Climate Change Podcast Series - Little Changes Can Make A Dramatic Difference We’ve mentioned in previous editions of the SAOS Update that we’ve taken part in a couple of OnFARM podcasts - many of you will be regularly followers of the series that covers a wide range of topics under the umbrella of ‘Farming And Rural Matters’. We’re particularly pleased with the series of podcasts we’ve been working on recently with Anna Davies and the team, looking at how, as individual farmers/co-ops, it’s possible to make a difference towards the huge challenge that is climate change. As we go to press, there are three episodes available, but April will see the completion of the series of five, and also a ‘super cut’/best bits edit, so do listen out for these. We’d like to thank everyone who has helped with the making of these. There have been some really great examples given through the different episodes of how it’s possible to make a difference and, as with the CarbonPositive platform report above, that there’s so much going on already that’s being going on ‘under the radar’. To listen to the SAOS ones, the quickest way is on our website www.saos.coop - go to ‘What’s New’, scroll down to ‘Latest News’ then click on the ‘Podcasts’ heading there. In May, Anna will be talking to the collaborative groups we’ve been working with, the Scottish Apple Producers and the Flowers Grown in Scotland group, as well as the Fine Cheesemakers of Scotland, so listen out for those to! We’re obviously slightly biased about the ones we’re involved in, but there truly is ‘something for everyone’ with lots of really great rural stories being told. Find them all/subscribe at www.on-farm.co.uk
Highlands (and Islands) Staff Goodbyes and Hellos
co-ops news
We hear from SAOS Council Members, Gary Catto MD of Highland Grain and Anne Rae Macdonald, Director of Highland Business Services, below, of the changes at their co-ops. “Maureen Munro retired from Highland Grain on the 31st of Dec 2020, having joined in January 1992. At that time Highland Grain Ltd had just formed with the amalgamation of The Black Isle Grain Group and Easter Ross Grain Ltd, and the storage capacity at the Tore site was in the process of being increased from 12,000 to almost 20,000 Tonnes with the completion of Highland Grains first flat store, which was ready in time for the 1992 harvest. After 29 harvests and the addition of 20,000 tonnes of storage, we bid farewell to a dearly-loved member of staff. Maureen (pictured right) has been well respected by our members (and occasionally feared) due to her no nonsense, methodical and precise way of working - exactly what’s required to keep farmers in check, not just during harvest but all year round! Her knowledge and experience will be missed at Highland Grain, and she played a huge part in making my transition into this co-op as smooth as it was, when I took over from Simon Barry. Maureen has also trained her replacement, Leanne MacPherson, who has worked alongside her for a number of years. I know I speak for the entire membership when I say that we truly wish her all the best in her retirement, and that she is welcome back here any time. We have not been able to mark the occasion properly yet, but when restrictions allow, we will be getting the membership together to say farewell with a few drams and some kind words.” “After 19 years as Managing Director of Highland Business Services Ltd, Alan McLean (left) retires at the end of March. This will be a huge change for the business as Alan, and indeed his wife Mary, who has also worked at HBS, have become synonymous with the co-op. Alan joined the Black Isle-based co-op in 2002 when the business was run from a portacabin at Highland Grain! The business was struggling for survival at the time, but under Alan’s leadership it has grown significantly, with membership having trebled; the co-op acquiring its own office space; resurrecting Highland Agricultural Labour Services (trading arm of the business) and amalgamating the Argyll and the Islands Ring. The growth has continued since, with a further store built in the last few years to enhance the supply and retailing of materials to members. HBS Ring Ltd is now a thriving co-op of 1200 farming and nonfarming members, with a turnover of some £7.5million. Key to this success has been Alan’s dedicated service; always looking for ways to make the small margins that are characteristic to this type of business, and really count. HBS will also say farewell to Louise Dodd (right), the ring’s Office Support Manager. Louise has been a stalwart of the business for 11 years. Her can-do attitude, welcoming and professional approach and commitment to making the business work for members have also played a key part in the co-op’s success. But in amongst these changes and challenges for members’ businesses, there will also be opportunities and we welcome Samantha Cribb who is picking up the baton from Alan and looking to drive the co-op forward into the next decade.“ And a ‘hot off the press’ announcement which added ‘the islands’ to our headline , we were delighted to hear that Orkney Auction Mart has appointed Erica Mather as the first female trainee manager of the island’s livestock market - and quite possibly the first in the UK. We wish each of them all the very best in their new endeavours.
First Milk Announces Further Investments First Milk has announced a further significant capital investment in its cheese and whey processing facilities for the forthcoming financial year. This includes £9m being invested at its Lake District Creamery in Aspatria, Cumbria, and a further £3.5m being invested at its Haverfordwest Creamery. The investment at the Lake District Creamery will see new high-capacity cheese blockformers installed, as well as new water, milk, cream and whey handling processes. This marks the fourth stage of a multi-year investment totalling around £14 million at the Lake District site since 2019, which has seen major upgrades, including a new rapid chill store and improvements to milk processing equipment. The investment at the Haverfordwest Creamery will see a new chilled-water plant delivered, as well as a significant upgrade to the whey process. This comes on the back of an £8 million investment in the Haverfordwest site, completed last year, which included a new cheese tower, separators, additional milk silos, as well as the installation of a combined heat and power plant. Overall, this £30m investment over the last three years will take processing capacity of both sites up by over 20%, ensuring First Milk is well placed to meet the growing requirements of customers in the UK and in export markets. Commenting on the developments, Shelagh Hancock, Chief Executive, said: “We are committed to investing in our processing facilities, continuously driving operational efficiency, product quality and sustainability. This investment programme will unlock additional capacity, whilst helping us further enhance our award-winning product quality. What’s more, this capital spend enables us to reduce energy and water use, helping us to meet our ambitious First4Milk environmental targets and reinforcing our commitment to sustainable “Including these new projects, we will have invested around £30m in our cheese production sites since 2018, ensuring our business is resilient and well-placed to meet the growing demand from our customers across the world, helping us to further improve the returns to our farmer members for the long-term.”
Digital Farming Webinar Draws Great Interest
technology & data
Smart sensor farming has the potential to transform farming, improving productivity, profitability and sustainability. Developments in the Internet of Things (IoT) technology mean that whole farms can now be digitally connected with a collection of sensors - allowing real-time monitoring of crops, livestock, machinery, soils, stores and people. SAOS, SmartRural, NatureScot and RSABI have been pioneering this exciting technology on a range of family farms across Scotland for the past year, and a recent webinar, updating their progress, proved to be a big online hit with hundreds of farmers registering to find out more. Jim Booth, SAOS’s Head of Co-op Development and project leader explains: “Although this technology is widely used around the world, we wanted to know if, and how, it can benefit Scottish farmers. This is only the start of the journey, but what we’ve achieved and learned in one year, has been amazing. The key message is that the technology works! Our webinar heard from the project team, but more importantly, directly from the farmers involved in the project.” Elaine Booth and Peter Robertson, Ednie Farms, Aberdeenshire, are always keen to embrace new technology to benefit their farm business - “We can see a lot of opportunities in data gathering and we were interested to see what would be most useful for our business.” Elaine felt that probably the key benefit for them, as they’re very conscious of farm safety, is the Lone Worker alarm “it provides peace of mind that help is on hand if anything happens.” She also commented on the dashboard, which shows the data from the various sensors live and over time. “We can build up a history of all the information gathered. In the future this would be really useful to provide more predictive information.” What surprised Neil and Debbie McGowan (pictured right) of Incheoch Farm, Alyth, most about the pilot project was “That it worked here!” The couple, who are on an upland farm, have very poor mobile phone signal and broadband connectivity. “We are not that tech savvy, so if it worked here it can work anywhere!” The quickest gain for them was the vaccine fridge sensor, which immediately gave assurance that up to £2,ooo-worth of vaccines remained within the correct temperature range. Russell and Robbie Brown, Inverdovat Farms, Fife, have three farm steadings with the Tay in between them. They found the weather monitoring app really useful to keep track of rain, especially for irrigating potatoes, “although it got a bit depressing when we were hitting 90mm of rain in a 48-hour period!” They were also impressed by the vehicle trackers on their tractors: “It’s good to know staff are safe and where they are in real time – this is easily checked on the SmartRural phone App. It’s also useful for farm security, to know if something is being moved off the farm.” They summed up the multiple benefits: “As margins get tighter and tighter, we see sensors as a key opportunity to improve our business in a host of ways.” The project has been part funded by the SRDP Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund, which is jointly funded by the Scottish Government and the European Union. The webinar is available on the SmartRural YouTube channel and is well worth a listen for more about what’s worked and other possible use cases - watch on the SmartRural channel on: www.youtube.com
SmartRural Profile and Understanding Grow Through Collaborative New Partnerships New digital farm pilot project launched, in partnership with NFU Mutual and the Aird Farming Group.
As with the digital farming pilots above, the project will use the LoRaWAN radio communication system to collect data from a variety of battery-powered sensors up to 15km away. The information is received by a base station on a farm building and then fed back into software to help farmers make more informed decisions in a wide variety of ways. The project sensors will monitor rainfall, river levels, soil temperature and moisture, PV battery bank condition, temperature and humidity in farm buildings, and the location of cattle and farm machinery. The data is received by a smartphone app, or a simple desktop dashboard, and can easily be shared with others, such as agronomists, as required. NFU Mutual’s AgriTech Specialist, Charlie Yorke, said: “Partnering with SmartRural is part of our work to support farmers in their understanding and use of technology to make farming more sustainable, profitable and safe. AgriTech is playing an increasingly important role in the future of farming, but connectivity continues to be a major barrier to innovation.” The pilot will be hosted on the Aird Farming Group’s Balgay Farm, a mixed arable and stock farm of 1,000 acres in the Carse of Gowrie. Iain Graham, the group’s owner, added: “We’re not only looking forward to measuring the efficiency improvements, but also the improvements to the quality of life of the people working on the farm.” SmartRural’s Paul Lindop explained: “Often farmers are initially concerned that this technology must be expensive, but in fact most sensors are low cost – particularly as battery life can last from two to ten years, meaning that sensors are essentially ‘fit and forget’. Once a base station is installed, the incremental costs of adding new sensors is minimal. It depends how much detail you want but for most the options are very cost-effective. We’re keen to explore different sensors and scenarios and we urge farmers to get in touch.”
SmartRural teams up with Angus Council, Rapier Systems and local agricultural community to support the highspeed broadband and IoT to rural Angus. Funded by the Tay Cities Deal, this project builds on Angus Council’s need to deliver gigabit broadband to its rural assets such as schools. The the core network will be made available to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to deliver high speed broadband to rural homes and businesses. Through the skills of contractor, Rapier Systems, the network will be deployed through fixed wireless access (FWA) technology using links located on local farms. Angus Council Leader, David Fairweather, said: “Being digitally-connected is essential, for businesses, working from home, and staying in touch with loved ones, so it’s great to see Angus Council, alongside SmartRural and Rapier Systems, making this investment to ensure superfast internet speed becomes a reality for Angus citizens. Thanks to the Tay Cities Deal, this opportunity can happen much more quickly. I know our rural communities, schools and businesses will be delighted to get the connectivity they need, but also much sooner than expected” Richard Watson, MD of Rapier Systems added: “Key to this project is the network of host farms that SmartRural has mobilised, where the cutting-edge equipment will be located. Making use of existing infrastructure keeps the cost down, and speeds up deployment and connectivity – in most cases we will be able to deliver around 10Gbps (10,000mbps) between farms and other backhaul locations, much more quickly than fibre and without the disruption and associated costs. The key to the success of the project is collaboration.”
Woodchip for Bedding Trials Webinar Shares Positive Results
innovation
The year-long Wood Chip Bedding trials project concluded in March with a webinar to report on the findings. This KTIF-funded project, co-ordinated by SAOS and linking with the Argyll Small woods co-operative and Earthcare Technical, has trialled chips and fines on four farms to understand the practical, economic and environmental elements of using this product. The attendees heard feedback from all four farm trials. Duncan Macalister of Glenbarr Farms in Kintyre shared his positive experience of using green sawdust for cattle bedding: ”We found the sawdust to be a cheaper to bring in than straw, and easier/quicker to use. It also keeps the cattle cleaner, and spreads more evenly to land than the straw equivalent.” Audrey Litterick of Earthcare Technical undertook analysis of soils (pictured right) before and after applications of the wood bedding farm yard manure and also analysed the manure itself to assess the nitrogen content. The resampling of the soil had to leave at least six months post application to allow the material time to be broken down in the soil. Earthcare Technical’s key findings: • None of the farmers in our study observed any problems with crops or soils when using wood-based farm yard manures (FYMs). • Wood-based FYMs are easy to make as all they require is turning with a loader a couple of times whilst they compost • They are excellent sources of organic matter, as well as being good slow-release fertilisers. • They typically have a high C:N (carbon to nitrogen) ratio and should always be tested prior to use, then crop N requirement calculated with care. • It is best to stack them for at least a year prior to use and turn them at least twice, to minimise potential problems with N lock up. • Wood-based FYMs will contain larger amounts of lignin than straw-based FYMs and this could help build soil organic matter (OM) faster in low OM soils. Project Manager Fergus Younger summed up: ”It was really positive that all the farms, whether using woodchip or green sawdust, found practical and economic benefits for their businesses. We weren’t sure whether the resultant manure would be beneficial to the soil and farmers are often concerned that applying woody material can lock up nitrogen as it breaks down, and therefore not be available to the grassland or crop. So finding that this wasn’t the case if the material is handled correctly, was an added plus.”
Collaborative Groups Get Social Various collaborative groups SAOS has been involved with recently have been busy building their online presence to help raise awareness of their aims and what they can offer consumers. The Flowers Grown in Scotland group conveys their personality brilliantly with a colourful new logo and website (right) as well as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts. As we reported in our Winter Update, the group, which was established initially with the help of SAOS through the RISS, includes Grampian Growers, and seven artisan growers who are determind to spread the word about the sector and its possibilities. As they say themselves on their website: “We want to promote Scottish Grown Flowers to the wider public, by using our platform as a ‘voice’. We will collectively inform the public, florists and retailers of where/what/when they can buy Flowers Grown In Scotland. We want to drive the Scottish Flower industry forward in terms of growth and reputation.” It’s great to see so much colour and such a positive message - we already know that flowers can grow perfectly well in Scotland, so we’re looking forward to finding out more about what’s available when and how we can support the group and the Scottish flower industry. Find out more on the website at: www.flowersgrowninscotland.co.uk Similarly, the Scottish Apple Producers have been developing an informative new website and a new brand marque - pictured right and below. Once again, the producers are building on a great story to raise awareness about the fact that delicious apples have been grown in Scotland for centuries, encouraging consumers to seek them out and enjoy local produce. Another former RISS project, led by SAOS’s Amanda Brown, the group is passionate about their produce and formed to share knowledge as well as raise awareness. Catherine Drummond-Herdman of Megginch Orchard, who initially came up with the idea for the group explains: “Research on apple growing is often from the south, and apple growing is so specific to what grows in your area that people might be disheartened if they don’t have the right local knowledge about what to grow. “Group information is better than trying to carry out this research on your own, and the sharing of ideas and information about different varieties is going to help everybody. Plus, if you’ve got an organised group, you can pool apples together where people are growing on a smaller scale. “The brand mark ensures customers can be confident they’re eating apples which have been locally grown and raises awareness of Scottish apples.” Check out the SAP (love it!) website for more information: www.scottishapples.co.uk (And listen out for more developments from both groups on the OnFARM podcasts coming soon!)
Refreshed and Relaunched Dairy Strategy Looks Forward Towards 2030
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The refreshed strategy for the Scottish Dairy sector was launched online at the beginning of March. ‘Scotland’s Dairy Sector – Rising to the Top 2030’, sets out a new vision for the sector and five key priority areas for sustainable growth. The work, led and championed by the Scottish Dairy Growth Board, has built on the lessons and the success of the previous activity ‘Ambition 2025’ which commenced in 2014. Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment, Ben Macpherson said:“We can be rightly proud of Scotland’s dairy industry which has some of the best milk fields in the world thanks to our ideal climate, good farming practices, investment in on-farm technology adoption and innovation. The launch of the refreshed dairy strategy marks an exciting new chapter of Scotland’s food and drink success story and will help us build on the already proven demand for added-value Scottish products, particularly in cheese. “We are looking to the future across farming and food production and last year we set up the Dairy Climate Group, chaired by Jackie McCreery. This group is focusing on how the dairy industry can become more sustainable, to reduce emissions and tackle climate change. We know there are particular challenges here for dairy farmers and the wider industry, but with a collective will to adapt and change, dairy farming can play its part in helping to reach our ambitious targets.” SAOS played a pivotal role in supporting the development and creation of the refreshed strategy, consulting widely with the whole supply chain. Amanda Brown, who led the work, explained: “The vision highlights that Scotland has the perfect natural environment for global dairy production, producing milk to meet the needs of the market. Driving sustainable productivity and efficiency on farms will be critical, as will ensuring minimal environmental impact and seeking a better return for farmers and those in the supply chain. “The key priority recommendations focus on driving international and UK market growth, underpinned with strong assured and authentic credentials of sustainable and conscientious production; encouraging new investment; realigning farming support and advice to sector needs; managing the sector’s response to climate change; and developing market-responsive supply chains. These are all characteristics that not only deliver a competitive quality milk product, but respond to demand by consumers for provenance and transparency in the supply chain.” Commenting on the new strategy, Paul Grant, Chairman of the Scottish Dairy Growth Board, said: “In 2014, the Scottish dairy sector became the first sector in the Scottish food and drink industry to launch its own plan setting out its ambition for growth. Since then, the world has changed, and if there is one common dominator in our future, it will be that constant state of flux, which will be driven by climate change, technology, data, insights, world demographics, global trading and how consumers shop. Our new strategy will help steer the sector towards those opportunities and create real sustainable growth for the future.” He added: “We know that bespoke, dedicated sector-championing works, and is critical to future success. We believe that, through our co-ordinated efforts, the dairy sector could be worth £1.4 billion to the Scottish food and drink industry by 2030 (up from £800 million in 2018). Most of this growth will be achieved through export activities and developing new product streams, not currently offered by Scotland for growing global markets. Continued and upweighted focus is also needed in the home market, where we know that demand is increasing for local produce.” The new strategy is available at www.scottishdairy.com/brochure and you can view the launch recording on SAOS’s YouTube channel: SAOS - working together in food and farming
Welcome Funding Boost to Help Promote Scottish Venison A package of £50k worth of funding support for the Scottish Venison Association was received from the Scottish Government towards the end of last year. The support, delivered through SAOS and Scotland Food & Drink, was to help maintain supply chains, raise awareness and increase visibility of Scottish venison products through a tactical campaign which started in December. It was the first project to come through the industry-led Food and Drink Recovery Plan for Scotland’s farming, fishing and food and drink sector and the funds were vital to support the wild venison sector, particularly through the hind cull period, from October to February. Over 100,000 deer are culled annually in Scotland of all species red, roe, sika and fallow, with the majority going into the human food chain. The cull is essential to manage wild deer and keep numbers in balance with the environment, habitat and biodiversity, and for deer welfare. The resultant venison, a lean protein and among the healthiest of all meats, has a loyal following and is becoming more widely available across the UK. Market data shows that venison sales through UK retail/grocery remain strong, increasing by 10 percent (year to September 2020) but the restaurant, catering and hospitality sector was obviously decimated by COVID-19 restrictions, with a consequential impact right back down the supply chain. Local sales and mail order have been growing, but not enough to compensate for lost restaurant and other food service sales.
Bill Bewsher, Chairman of the Scottish Venison Association, said:“We are grateful to the Scottish Government for this support. They have recognised that the damage from COVID potentially goes right back to our landscape, our hills and woods where, if the cull fails, the set-back for management and the environmental consequences would be very serious. “Our approach is one of encouraging new consumers to try it, and for occasional customers to buy more venison; to seek it out and hopefully commit, not just for now, but for the future. In that way this campaign works not just in response to the current crisis, but in moving ‘Beyond the Glen’, the strategy for the Scottish Venison sector to 2030, forward.” “It’s vital also that all in our sector up their game with regard to PR and engagement on social media to amplify the Scottish venison message. It isn’t a silver bullet, but we hope can assist in keeping supply chains moving for this season.” Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing added: “I’m pleased to be supporting this campaign, particularly as the main aim of Scotland’s first strategy for the wild and farmed venison sector is to improve supply chains. I recognise the difficulties that the sector has had to endure. The £50,000 grant - part of the wider £5 million food and drink recovery programme - will support the wild venison sector to mitigate the effects of COVID-19.”
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Recovery Plan Work Well Underway
The Scotland Food & Drink Partnership has been working on a series of workstreams from the Recovery Plan, supported by The Scottish Government, which was announced towards the end of last year, to help rebuild the industry and target growth. SAOS is involved in several different areas of the work and we will update on developments in more of these in the next issue. Regional Food Fund Most recently, SAOS has been administering the latest round of the Regional Food Fund, an initiative to help drive projects that celebrate and promote locally-sourced and produced food and drink. The Fund aims to support creative, innovative and collaborative projects across the regions of Scotland with grants of up to £5,000 available to applicants. As we go to press, just after the closing date, 191 applications have been received. The Academy Launched at the end of January, The Academy is the first major investment from the Partnership’s £5m Recovery Plan. It will run for two and a half years and aims to support over 200 Scottish businesses. The creation of a unique supplier development programme has been high on the agenda for the Partnership since launching its Home Advantage strategy in 2018 and is also integral to its Ambition 2030 plan. Open to food and drink businesses of all sizes and disciplines, The Academy is a series of three programmes being rolled out to help businesses sell themselves, build their brands, compete and thrive. The programme is being delivered by the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership along with food and drink consultants and training experts, Levercliff Associates. The training programmes; Seeding Growth, Accelerating Growth and Commercial Excellence, have each been designed to support companies at various stages of their growth ambitions. Seeding Growth, which starts in May, is aimed at companies whose primary focus is on maximising their local markets and beginning to move to broader Scottish and UK markets. Accelerating Growth is aimed at established businesses targeting advancement in the UK market and will start in the summer. The final course, Commercial Excellence, is an advanced programme in building excellence in sales and negotiation for established, highly ambitious businesses and sales leaders. Lucy Husband, Market Development and Business Engagement Director at Scotland Food & Drink, said: “The significant investment into The Academy means that we will be able to support over 200 businesses over the next two and half years, providing them with the practical tools for growth and success. It also aims to bring a renewed sense of positivity for businesses when it comes to growing their brand and will deliver real change that’s rooted in the here and now.” Fergus Ewing, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Tourism, added: “The Academy is one of the most significant pieces of work to come out of the Food & Drink Recovery Plan. It will help to build a sustainable and resilient supply chain ready to trade in UK and International markets.” Find more info/how to apply, go to: www.foodanddrink.scot/the-academy/ Greening Your Business A practical toolkit, ‘Greening Your Business’ looks to help businesses reduce their carbon footprint while improving their bottom line. Within the toolkit, businesses can find ideas for small changes to get started, longer term ideas for making processes more efficient, as well as sign posting for funding and one-to-one advice, and guidance on new legislation. Find out how ‘Greening Your Business’ could help you at: www.foodanddrink.scot/resources/toolkits/greening-your-business/ Skills for Resilience Many businesses have been forced to change the way they work and re-evaluate how they get the best out of the workforce they have. For many, skill development and Modern Apprenticeships have been key in adapting their businesses to the ‘new normal’. FDF Scotland and Skills Development Scotland, with support from the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership, have produced case studies of businesses who have used skill development and Modern Apprenticeships to respond to recent challenges and to build future resilience. Read these and find out more on the FDF Scotland website: www.fdfscotland.org.uk To find out more about the employer benefits from apprenticeships, go to Apprenticeships.Scot Elsewhere - Could the Women in Agriculture Practical Training Fund Help You or Someone You Know? The Scottish Government’s Women in Agriculture Practical Training Fund offers support to women resident in Scotland who are either already working in agriculture or studying it full-time or part-time, or who are keen to start work in this area and who are able to demonstrate how a training course will support the development of their business or employment options. Find out more/apply at: https://www.scotland.lantra.co.uk/women-agriculture-practical-training-fund
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