Scotland's Farm Advisory Service Podcast

You are listening to Agri Culture, a podcast that aims to explore the stories of the people that make up our agricultural industry and culture of farming, in Scotland and beyond.  On today’s episode Mary-Jane is joined by Barbara McLeod. Barbara owns and runs Cruciferous Croft in the Lochinver area of North West Scotland.  She took on a croft herself, renovating an old building to live in, and has since started growing vegetables, finding most success with cabbages.  This gave her the idea to start fermenting them into sauerkraut to add value.  She now sells her products at food festivals and fairs.  She tells us about what it was like getting started in crofting, and discusses heritage practices such as using seaweed for fertiliser, and following chemical free growing practices.  She also tells us about the various sources of funding and support she has used to get her business up and running.  If you’d like to get in touch or find out more about Cruciferous Croft, the Farm Advisory Service mentoring scheme, the HIE food and drink tech hub, or the other sources of support that Barbara mentioned, you can find links in the show notes.  This episode was presented by Mary-Jane Lawrie, produced by Kerry Hammond and edited by Cameron Waugh, in association with the Scottish Government.   Related ResourcesHome - Cruciferous Croft Website Food and drink TechHUB | HIE FAS Mentoring Support Available | Helping farmers in Scotland  For more information, visit  www.FAS.scot Twitter: @FASScot Facebook: @FASScot National Advice Hub Phone: 0300 323 0161 Email: advice@fas.scot 

Along with our regular monthly updates on policy, cereals, beef, sheep and milk, in this edition we also have a spotlight on dairy technology.  Show Notes  00:39 News in Brief 05:49 Policy Briefs – Future Farming Investment Scheme, Agri-environment Climate Scheme Update, June Agricultural Census 2025 Results, Rodenticides, Muirburn Licence Update, Ecological Focus Areas, Suckler Beef Support Scheme, Small Scale Woodlands, Key Dates. 16:58 Cereals – latest arable news and market update  25:23 Beef – Festive Demand, Consumer Demand, Price Rewards, Store Trade, Cull Cow Trade, Breeding Cattle.  34:02 Sheep – October Trade Round-Up, European and UK Lamb, Global Prices. 38:58 Milk – Milk Production Data, Farm-gate Prices, Dairy Commodities and Market Indicators, How Clean Is Your Water   46:03 Sector focus – Dairy Technology – Where can it benefit your business?  55:31 Further articles – Tech Savvy Dairy Farming, Slatted flooring for sheep, Greening changes, Arable Farm Finances, Upcoming deadlines, Herd Advance Stockman system, Making Succession a Success  Links and Resources: Newsletters - Business & Policy Edition - Farm Advisory Service   BASIS PROMPT BPCA 2(British Pest Control Association) Registered CRRU Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use) - Think Wildlife Lantra Awards Level 2 Award in Rodent Management - Lantra The Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill Delayed implementation of the muirburn provisions | Scottish Parliament Website The Rural Support (Improvement) (Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) (No. 2) Regulations 2025 Small woodlands | Scottish Forestry Pneumonitor - environment monitoring for your pen Farm-twin - Digital Dairy Chain  SRUC Major projects | Digital Dairy Chain Precision solutions to animal health & welfare: Dairy Calf  a...

Welcome to Stock Talk hosted by Kirsten Williams.  On today’s episode, Kirsten is joined by Ross Robertson, a Farm Technology Specialist at the UK Agri-Tech Centre. Ross collaborates with a network of farms to create practical solutions and demonstrate use of technology on farm to increase productivity. Ross draws on his practical farming experience and knowledge gained through visiting systems in other countries to bring about innovative change at a farm level here in the UK. Episode Timestamps  00.20 Introducing Ross Robertson, Farm Technology specialist and sheep farmer  04.34 Sector technology: dairy, arable robotics and precision farming, pig and chicken technology and animal health 09.00 Return on investment  10.36 Understanding how to handle and understand the data – the importance of training  13.32 Applying dairy technology to the beef sector  15.41 Main driver for introducing technology: labour, cost saving, health monitoring, increasing productivity  19.11 Ross’s background 24.28 Biodiversity sensors 27.42 LoRaWAN – Long Range Wide Area Network 30.15 Connectivity - a barrier to the uptake of technology?  32.01 ONE AgriTech survey – broadband, apps and expert help 43.30 What motivates Ross  Resources    The UK Agri-Tech Centre | farming & food innovation Ross Robertson contact: 07858309293, ross.robertson@ukagritechcentre.com  Opportunity North East (ONE) The University of Edinburgh - The Power of Data in Farm Animal Practice  For more information, visit www.FAS.scot Facebook: @FASScot  National Advice Hub Phone: 0300 323 0161 Email: advice@fas.scot 

Insurance for Crofters and Common Grazings. Welcome back to Crofting Matters! In this episode, Siobhan is joined by Jonathan Hogg, a rural insurance expert from NFU Mutual’s Dingwall branch.  Johnny has an agricultural background, works in a crofting area and understands the issues that crofters and grazing committees face with access, theft and weather-related incidents. We remove the ambiguity surrounding the need for Public and Employer’s liability cover, and what to do if the bull can outrun humans. We discuss: Whether a small crofting business needs insurance, and what kind? The need for Public Liability insurance. Livestock – minimising the risk. Wording on signs. When to cover machinery and livestock for theft and loss. Employer’s liability when you may not think of yourself as an employer! Common Grazings and Sheep Stock clubs – cover required. FAS Resources https://www.fas.scot/news/common-grazings-and-sheep-stock-clubs-liability/ 

In this episode of Natural Capital, Harry Fisher and Alex Pirie reflect on their time at Scotland’s first Nature Friendly Farming Summit. The summit explored how to scale nature-friendly farming to deliver for people, nature and climate and brought together farmers, policymakers, researchers, and environmental leaders to discuss how Scotland can build a resilient, nature-positive farming future. The summit addressed how nature and profitability are not opposites and showed how the path to a thriving, nature-friendly farming future is already taking shape. Harry and Alex explore the main themes from the day, from farmers as stewards of the land, how profitability and biodiversity can go hand in hand and set the scene on biodiversity loss, climate pressures, and the need to de-risk nature-based solutions. The episode also looks at the future of funding, how current and new payment systems can reward environmental outcomes and discusses some of the key messages and announcements made on the day. Host Harry Fisher, Producer Iain Boyd, Editor Kieron Sim, Executive Producers Kerry Hammond & Kirstyn Blackwood  Related FAS resources:   FAS Environment - https://www.fas.scot/environment/  NC LENs episode - https://www.fas.scot/podcast/natural-capital-landscape-enterprise-networks-leven-lens/  NC John and Louise Seed Woodend episode - https://www.fas.scot/podcast/arable/  Thrill of the Hill - https://www.fas.scot/sounds/thrill-of-the-hill/   Other Related Resources: Nature Friendly Farming Network - https://www.nffn.org.uk/  Minister for Agriculture speech - https://www.gov.scot/publications/minister-for-agriculture-speech-nature-friendly-farming-network-summit/  RSPB article on summit - https://www.rspb.org.uk/scotland/news/nature-friendly-farming-summit-scotland  AECS announcement - https://www.ruralpayments.org/news-events/ministers-have-confirmed-the-2026-round-of-the-agri-environment-climate-scheme--aecs-.html  Alex Pirie - https://www.sruc.ac.uk/all-unearthed-posts/meet-the-consultant-alex-pirie/  Timestamps: 0:56 – 6:10 Intro to summit, nature friendly farming and setting the scene 6:11 – 25:26 Range of different farmers, organisations and messages from speakers and exhibitors  25:27 – 29:10 Policy, government messages and funding announcements 29:10 – 35:04 Landscape scale initiatives and LENs 35:05 – end. Summing up and main takeaways. 

Welcome to Cropcast Conversations hosted by Mark Bowsher-Gibbs. On today’s episode Mark is joined by Julian South, Executive Director of The Maltsters’ Association of Great Britain (MAGB). MAGB are the trade association of the UK malting industry and represent over 98% of UK malt production, buying around 2 million tonnes of UK malting barley, to make about 1.6 million tonnes of malt. Mark and Julian discuss harvest 2025, barley varieties, tariffs and trade deals and opportunities for the industry. Episode Timestamps  01.38 Background and structure of MAGB 04.43 What is malt? 06.59 Distilling malts and brewing malts 07.50 Harvest 2025 round up  16.12 Evaluating and approving new barley varieties for malting  23.31 International Barley Hub 26.00 Biggest challenges for the malting barley industry  29.47 International trade 33.25 Tariffs and trade deals 35.04 Peat as a flavouring for malt  37.10 Finding out more: www.ukmalt.com 38.25 The malt industry in 10 years time  Resources    The Maltsters’ Association of Great Britain Malting Barley Committee - The Maltsters’ Association of Great Britain Contact: Julian South: 07967452838, julian@magb.org.uk SRUC - Soils & plants - Recommended lists  SAC Recommended Lists for Cereals 2025-26 International Barley Hub - The James Hutton Institute  Mycotoxins - The Maltsters’ Association of Great Britain  For more information, visit  www.FAS.scot Facebook: @FASScot  National Advice Hub Phone: 0300 323 0161 Email: advice@fas.scot 

In this episode George Chalmers is joined by SAC Senior Consultant and Chartered Accountant Andrew Coalter to discuss Arable Farm Finances, particularly cash flow challenges, investment and capital allowances for arable farms.  Welcome to Cropcast, your go to podcast for all the latest information on arable crops. Each month, SAC advisor, George Chalmers will be joined by a range of industry experts, bringing you timely updates to help you make decisions in the field. Producer George Gauley, Editor Cameron Waugh, Executive Producer Kirstyn Blackwood, in association with the Scottish Government. Related FAS Resources  Cash Flow Forecasting: https://www.fas.scot/article/building-good-financial-habits-with-cash-flow-forecasting/  Budgeting & Financial Planning https://www.fas.scot/rural-business/business-tools/budgeting-and-financial-planning/ Finance & Funding https://www.fas.scot/whats-stopping-you-finance-funding/ 

Thrill of the Hill is back for season 6! Armed with a new team, new ideas and a range of new speakers, Alex takes on the hot topics impacting the farmed upland environment. Bats are a defining—if often unseen—part of Scotland’s working landscapes. From the edges of upland pasture to lowland hedgerows, shelterbelts and farm ponds, these nocturnal insect-eaters weave through dusk and darkness, helping to regulate moths, midges and beetles while signalling the health of our wider environment.  Species like the common and soprano pipistrelle, brown long-eared bat and Daubenton’s bat use farms for roosting, commuting and feeding, linking woodlands, water and field margins into living networks. Yet changes in building use, loss of hedgerows, brighter yard lighting and reduced insect abundance can make life harder for these protected mammals and the benefits they bring. In this episode, ecologist and environmental consultant Harry Fisher from SAC Consulting Ltd walks us through practical, farm-ready actions: keeping and restoring hedgerows as flight corridors; creating or managing ponds and wetlands; planning yard lighting to reduce glare and skyglow; timing roofing and renovation work to protect roosts; and planning activities through the calendar year. We’ll also look at simple additions like bat boxes, how to spot signs of bat activity, where to find advice, and how agri-environment options and local projects can help with costs and guidance. Want to get in touch with Harry? Contact him via telephone at 01292 525090 for advice on surveys, roost considerations during building works, and habitat improvements suited to your farm.Related FAS ResourcesBats and Biodiversity | Helping farmers in ScotlandOther Related ResourcesHome - Bat Conservation Trust

Welcome back to the Rural Roundup. On today’s episode George Chalmers and Mary-Jane Lawrie discuss the aftermath of storm Amy, speak to Gilmour Lawrie ahead of the much-anticipated AgriScot 2025 and talk about upcoming deadlines including EFA green cover, PSF, SSBSS and SUSS. FAS Resources AgriScot 2025: https://agriscot.co.uk/ FAS Events: https://www.fas.scot/events/ Rural Payments, all scheme guidance https://www.ruralpayments.org/topics/all-schemes/ For more information, visit  www.FAS.scot Twitter: @FASScot Facebook: @FASScot National Advice Hub Phone: 0300 323 0161 Email: advice@fas.scot

You are listening to Agri Culture, a podcast that aims to explore the stories of the people that make up our agricultural industry and culture of farming, in Scotland and beyond.  On today’s episode Mary-Jane Lawrie is joined by Wallace Currie.  Wallace may be familiar to you as he runs his own podcast R2Kast as part of his brand Rural 2 Kitchen, which started during lockdown as a way to share his farming life.  Later he became a lecturer at SRUC and has since gone on to do a Nuffield Scholarship on pathways into agriculture through education, youth groups and consumer engagement.  He talks to us about his farming background, his thoughts on how agriculture should be woven into our education system, and his work with the Young Farmers and Farmstrong Scotland. Thanks for joining us for this episode of Agri Culture. If you’d like to get in touch or find out more about R2Kast, Young Farmers, Nuffield Scholarships, or Farmstrong Scotland you can find links in the show notes.  This episode was presented by Mary-Jane Lawrie, produced by Kerry Hammond and edited by Cameron Waugh, in association with the Scottish Government. Resources: Rural2Kitchen - YouTube R2Kast - People in Food and Farming/All In - Hosted by Wallace Currie Rural2Kitchen | Facebook Wallace Currie MSc (@rural2kitchen) • Instagram photos and videos The Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs | SAYFC Agricultural Studies | Nuffield Farming Scholarships Farmstrong Scotland - Live Well, Farm & Croft Well For more information, visit  www.FAS.scot Twitter: @FASScot Facebook: @FASScot National Advice Hub Phone: 0300 323 0161 Email: advice@fas.scot 

Along with our regular monthly updates on policy, cereals, beef, sheep and milk, in this edition we also have a spotlight on farm-scale renewables.  Show Notes  00:32 News in Brief  05:15 Policy Briefs – Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme, New rules for applying waste to land, Improving Biosecurity on Pig Farms, Compulsory Purchase Reform, Bluetongue BVT-3 - Changes to restrictions in Scotland, Muirburn Licence, Key dates 15:21 Cereals – latest arable news and market update  22:46 Beef – Finished beef prices, Store Cattle Trade, Dairy Beef calf numbers rising 28:44 Sheep – September Trade Round-Up, New Zealand Outlook 2025-26, Australian Lamb, Global Prices 32:56 Milk – Milk production data, Farm-gate prices, Dairy commodities and market indicators, UK sexed semen use, Global milk outlook   39:32 Sector focus – Viability and profitability of farm-scale renewables  45:06 Further articles – Renewable Energy, Sheep records and tagging, Benefits of whole milk for calves, New regulations for the application of waste to land, Talking Turkey, NFUS Policy Manager Lucy McGillvary   Links and Resources: Newsletters - Business & Policy Edition - Farm Advisory Service  Farming Profitability Review Cows painted with zebra-like striping can avoid biting fly attack  PF22 - Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme claim form Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme full guidance Soil improvement using waste | Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) Compulsory Purchase Reform in Scotland - Scottish Government consultations - Citizen Space Bluetongue Movement checker DEFRA - General licence for the movement of animals from a bluetongue restricted zone - General licence EXD662 (E) Bluetongue movement restrictions for animals - Bluetongue: how to spot and report the disease - gov.scot The Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill 

Welcome to Stock Talk hosted by Kirsten Williams.  On today’s episode Kirsten is joined by Jilly Duncan Grant, Founder & CEO of Herd Advance Ltd.  Jilly has a real love for agriculture and her varied career led to a focus on data driven decision making and developing Herd Advance with her husband to improve herd performance, profitability and wellbeing.   Episode Timestamps  00.42 Introducing Jilly Duncan Grant – a Jill of all trades! 09.18 What is Herd Advance? 23.49 The family farm – managing ‘boom and bust’ fluctuation in the marketplace 27.55 QMS board member role 31.03 What motivates Jilly to keep pushing forward  FAS Resources Data Driven Decision Making for Finishing Cattle | Helping farmers in Scotland Data Driven Decision Making for Suckler Herds | Helping farmers in Scotland FFBC_Case_Study_Improving_weight_data_capture_Glenkilrie_ Other Resources    Herd Advance   For more information, visit www.FAS.scot Facebook: @FASScot  National Advice Hub Phone: 0300 323 0161 Email: advice@fas.scot 

In this episode, we sit down with Angus Buchanan-Smith, Co-Founder and Director of The Free Company, an organic farm and restaurant guided by regenerative methods, at the foot of the Pentland Hills. We explore the history of the business, the transition to organic farming and the various complimentary enterprises they operate, from their onsite restaurant, to veg boxes, pigs and engaging with their local community.  With a deep respect for the land and experimenting with what works for them to ensure a resilient future, they share their ethos, the practices they use and how they are producing food that feeds both their local community and their on-site restaurant. We explore how they create meaningful links between food and place, and the challenges and benefits of transitioning to organic.    Whether you're a grower, eater, or someone curious about the future of food, this episode offers an honest, grounded look at how farming with nature can nourish people, planet, and community  Host Harry Fisher, Producer Iain Boyd, Editor Kieron Sim, Executive Producers Kerry Hammond & Kirstyn Blackwood Timestamps: 0:56 – 15:29 Intro to the Free Company, transitioning to organic farming and finding out what worked for them. 15:30 – 27:06 Getting the most out of the land, a regenerative approach and benefits to biodiversity, soil and carbon.  27:07 –40:24 Local food production, customer experiences and their various enterprises.  40:25 – end. Challenges, recommendations for others and future plans.  Related FAS resources:   Natural Capital: https://www.fas.scot/sounds/natural-capital/  Organics: https://www.fas.scot/organics/    Other Related Resources: The Free Company: https://www.the-free-company.com/  Pasture for Life: https://www.pastureforlife.org/  

Welcome back to Crofting Matters. On today’s episode, Siobhan is joined by Graham Fraser (SAC Lerwick) to discuss an often asked question – how to start up a croft, smallholding or farming business. The Farm Advisory Service has an Advice Line – free to call or email for advice.  Every year the team receives lots of questions about starting up a farming business.  It can be tricky to get a croft, but tenancies and purchases do come up so if you are looking for an opportunity, then this will help you understand the process when it happens.Graham and Siobhan talk about setting up an agricultural business with particular emphasis on crofting and chat through some of the questions they have received through the advice line.Timestamps: 01.07   Starting up in crofting – things to consider03.09   Owner occupier, tenancy and assignation explained 05.14  Land that goes with a croft08.39  Common grazing shares10.05    The 3 duties of a crofter12.39   Common grazing responsibilities13.45   Subsidies and grants that a new crofter could be eligible for 18.13   Preparing for Sustainable Farming (PSF)19.33  Applying for BPS (Basic payment Scheme) & LFASS (Less Favoured Area Support Scheme)20.31  Getting a BRN (Business Refence Number)27.36   Numbers of livestock on a common grazing 29.23  Keeping livestock for the first time30.56  Getting your own flock/herd number33.01   Getting registered and set up – the order of eventsFAS ResourcesFAS - New Entrants -Getting StartedFAS Introduction to crofting - Gaelic FAS -Introduction to crofting - English Other Resources Highlands and Islands Enterprise(business support)Scottish Enterprise(business support)  CroftingRegister Welcome| Crofting CommissionRuralPayments and ServicesAnimaland Plant Health Agency - GOV.UKPreparingfor Sustainable Farming For more information, visit www.FAS.scotFacebook: @FASScotNational Advice HubPhone: 0300 323 0161Email: advice@fas.scot

Thrill of the Hill is back for season 6! Armed with a new team, new ideas and a range of new speakers, Alex takes on the hot topics impacting the farmed upland environment. The water environment is one of the defining features of the Scottish landscape, shaping both its character and its ecological richness. Rivers, lochs, wetlands and coastal waters weave through glens and straths, carving valleys, feeding fertile soils and sustaining a remarkable variety of wildlife. They provide vital habitats for species such as salmon, trout and eels, which have long been part of Scotland’s natural and cultural heritage, while also supporting birds, mammals and plants that thrive in and around freshwater. But historic practices meant to improve productive activity and improve our management of water has proven detrimental some species, obstructive them from travel up and downstream, meaning that overtime, our rivers have become less dynamic and alive. In this episode Struan Candlish from the Ayrshire Rivers Trust talks us through the actions needed to restore our rivers and the benefits and incentives for farmers, crofters and land managers. Want to get in touch with Struan? He can be contacted at Ayrshire Rivers Trust via email enquiries at struan@ayrshireriverstrust.org.Related FAS ResourcesScotland's Priority Catchments | Helping farmers in ScotlandAlternative watering for field grazed livestock | Helping farmers in ScotlandWater Margins | Helping farmers in Scotland

Welcome back to the Rural Roundup. On today’s episode George Chalmers and Mary-Jane Lawrie highlight what’s happening in Scottish agriculture and are then joined by Peter Lang from SEPA to discuss new regulations for the application of waste to land, which will come into effect on 1st November 2025. FAS Resources Preparing For The Future | Helping farmers in Scotland Other Resources  Use of waste on land - changes to regulations | SEPA Contact us - SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme (Mainland and Islands) full guidance Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme full guidance  For more information, visit  www.FAS.scot Twitter: @FASScot Facebook: @FASScot National Advice Hub Phone: 0300 323 0161 Email: advice@fas.scot

In this episode Tiffany Stephenson is joined by Robert Meadley to discuss some of the considerations which should be made when deciding to replace or invest in a piece of machinery. Welcome to Cropcast, your go to podcast for all the latest information on arable crops. Each month, SAC advisor, Tiffany Stephenson will be joined by a range of industry experts, bringing you timely updates to help you make decisions in the field. Producer George Gauley, Editor Cameron Waugh, Executive Producer Kirstyn Blackwood, in association with the Scottish Government. Related FAS ResourcesGetting Started In Arable Agriculture - Machinery Appraisal | Information helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory ServiceOther Related ResourcesRobert Meadley LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-meadley-85652223/?originalSubdomain=uk Machinery costing calculator | AHDB

Content Warning: The following episode mentions pregnancy loss.  Mary-Jane Lawrie is joined by Eilidh Verstage from Arngask Home Farm. Eilidh and her husband Lloyd are new entrants, who purchased Arngask 4 years ago.  They have rare breed pigs and this year have just started growing chemical free vegetables to sell wholesale, at markets and locally in weekly veg boxes.  They have also branched out into running events with a neighbouring farm.  Community is at the heart of what they do, and this evident from the volunteers who support the veg enterprise, the local community, frequenting their honesty horse box, and the vibrant digital community that Arngask Home Farm have built on social media.  Thanks for joining us for this episode of Agri Culture. If you’d like to get in touch or find out more about Arngask Home Farm, the Oxford sandy and black pig foundation, or the rare breed survival trust, you can find links in the show notes.  This episode was presented by Mary-Jane Lawrie, produced by Kerry Hammond and edited by Cameron Waugh, in association with the Scottish Government. Resources: ABOUT | Arngask Home Farm Arngask Home Farm (@arngaskhomefarm) • Instagram photos and videos Arngask Home Farm - Facebook Oxford Sandy and Black Pigs - Oxford Sandy and Black Pig Foundation Charity Ooooby | Ecommerce for small farms, veg boxes, food hubs, CSA's and craft food.  For more information, visit  www.FAS.scot Twitter: @FASScot Facebook: @FASScot National Advice Hub Phone: 0300 323 0161 Email: advice@fas.scot 

Along with our regular monthly updates on policy, cereals, beef, sheep and milk, in this edition we also have a spotlight on the economic cost of infertile gimmers. Show Notes  00:34 News in Brief 04:05 Policy Briefs – Payment rates for BPS and Greening 2025, Sustainable and Regenerative Agricultural Practices amongst LFA Farmers and Crofters, Electronic Cattle Tagging Update, Building Climate Resilience, Organic Farming, Community Right to Buy, Key Dates. 13:36 Cereals – latest arable news and market update  19:41 Beef – Consumer demand, imported beef, finished prices, store cattle demand, Cull cow trade 25:27 Sheep – August trade roundup, global position, EU outlook 31:01 Milk – Milk production data, Farm-gate prices, Dairy commodities and market indicators, Great British Calf Week, Heat stress   36:42 Sector focus – The economic cost of infertile gimmers  41:16 Further articles – How are your cows coping in the warm weather? In the face of adversity, try diversity! Is organic farming in your future? Stock Talk - Livestock Health: Laying it All Out. FAS TV: Improving Efficiencies in Sheep Systems. FAS TV: Gaelic Culture, Tradition & Heritage on Uist.  FAS Resources: Newsletters - Business & Policy Edition - Farm Advisory Service   Other Links: LFA Farmers and Crofters - sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices - Report  Nature30 Nomination Form - Nature Scot Email nomination form to: 30x30@nature.scot Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016 Community right to buy: review - Scottish Government consultations - Citizen Space Community right to buy consultation – Gaelic version: Leriche’s air Còir-cheannaich Coimhearsnachd co-chomhairle AHDB - GB calf week Heat stress on fertility traits in dairy cows - Journal of Dairy Science Dairy cows - warm weather  Beef cows and heat stress  Reducing Heat Stress in Calves |...

Please note: We recorded this episode while out at an event, therefore the audio quality varies throughout.Interviewees:Prof Sally ShorthallKaris BeattieHaley ShepherdThe Grass Ceiling is an EU-funded project that helps rural women become leaders in innovation—especially in farming and sustainable rural development. It runs from 2023 to 2025 and supports women across Europe through ‘Living Labs’ where they test ideas, get training, and connect with others. The aim is to help women to drive real change in rural communities—whether it's through eco-tourism, smart farming, or green energy projects. In short: it’s about lifting the “grass ceiling” so women in rural areas can grow, lead, and shape the future. The Scotland Living Lab is based in the Highlands and Islands, working with eight rural women innovators connected to crofting communities. It’s a partnership led by NICRE (National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise) and the Centre for Rural Economy (Newcastle University), in collaboration with the Scottish Crofting Federation. The Lab officially launched with a workshop in Ullapool in June 2023, bringing together women from across the Highlands & Islands.  Women share practical rural innovations, such as livestock rearing, croft diversification, wildflower seed sales, water sports ventures, and creative uses for wool.  Related ResourcesWomen in Agriculture (FAS.scot)https://www.fas.scot/rural-business/women-in-agriculture/Glass Ceiling - The Living Labhttps://www.grassceiling.eu/living-labs/scotland/?utm_source=chatgpt.comDiversification on a Shoestringhttps://www.fas.scot/article/diversification-on-a-shoestring/ Croftworks podcastCroftwork Podcasts - Scottish Crofting FederationBusiness support from https://www.hie.co.uk/  and https://www.scottish-enterprise.com/