There are some well-known farms and farmers amongst the nine new Monitor Farms in a new knowledge transfer programme announced at AgriScot.

The farms include former NFUS president Andrew McCornick, in Dumfries-shire, and the Wilson family, from Cowbog, near Kelso. The four-year programme will be managed by Quality Meat Scotland, with support from AHDB and funded by the Scottish Government with an aim to ‘reach full economic, social and environmental sustainability, by optimising production’.

Announcing the Monitor Farms, Rural Affairs Cabinet Secretary, Mairi Gougeon, said: “This long-running programme is ideally placed to support the wider agriculture sector to optimise production, contributing to our food security while helping to meet out climate change and net zero targets.”

An in-house delivery team will manage the programme, headed up by QMS employee, Beth Alexander, who will be joined by Peter Beattie, Christine Cuthbertson and Maura Wilson, as regional advisors.

The nine farms are spread around the country and the first meetings are planned for the end of November and into December on each of the farms.

The farms are:

Malcom and Callum Smith, at Auchernack, Grantown on Spey.

Bruce and Vicky Irvine, Sauchentree Farm, New Aberdour, Fraserburgh.

Duncan and Claire Morrison, Meikle Maldron, Torphins, Aberdeenshire.

The Duncan family, Lands of Drumhead, Balfron Station, Stirlingshire.

The Archibald family, Craigens Farm, Gruinart, Islay.

The Andrew family, Rowanston, Mayboyle, South Ayrshire.

The McCornick family, Barnbackle Farm, Lochfoot, Dumfries.

The Wilson family, Cowbog, Morebattle, Kelso.

More details on all nine farms will be in a two-page special in next week’s edition of The Scottish Farmer (26th November 2022)