Episodios

  • Thrill of the Hill - Flying Blind: Conservation Management for Bats with Harry Fisher
    Oct 16 2025

    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 Resources

    Bats and Biodiversity | Helping farmers in Scotland

    Other Related Resources

    Home - Bat Conservation Trust

    Más Menos
    42 m
  • Rural Roundup - Storm Amy, AgriScot & Reminders
    Oct 15 2025

    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


    Más Menos
    38 m
  • Agri Culture - Wallace Currie: Rural 2 Kitchen
    Oct 8 2025

    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

    Más Menos
    52 m
  • Business and Policy News Audio October 2025: Policy, cereal, beef, sheep and milk updates and a spotlight on farm-scale renewables.
    Oct 7 2025

    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

    Más Menos
    50 m
  • Stock Talk - Herd Monitoring with Jilly Duncan Grant
    Sep 26 2025

    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

    Más Menos
    39 m
  • Natural Capital - The Free Company
    Sep 25 2025

    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/


    Más Menos
    55 m
  • Crofting Matters - Starting up in Crofting
    Sep 24 2025

    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 consider

    03.09 Owner occupier, tenancy and assignation explained

    05.14 Land that goes with a croft

    08.39 Common grazing shares

    10.05 The 3 duties of a crofter

    12.39 Common grazing responsibilities

    13.45 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 time

    30.56 Getting your own flock/herd number

    33.01 Getting registered and set up – the order of events

    FAS Resources

    FAS - New Entrants -Getting Started

    FAS Introduction to crofting - Gaelic

    FAS -Introduction to crofting - English

    Other Resources

    Highlands and Islands Enterprise(business support)

    Scottish Enterprise(business support)

    CroftingRegister

    Welcome| Crofting Commission

    RuralPayments and Services

    Animaland Plant Health Agency - GOV.UK

    Preparingfor Sustainable Farming

    For more information, visit www.FAS.scot

    Facebook: @FASScot

    National Advice Hub

    Phone: 0300 323 0161

    Email: advice@fas.scot

    Más Menos
    37 m
  • Thrill of the Hill - When the Rivers Run Free: Restoring Our Waterways with Struan Candlish
    Sep 18 2025

    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? She can be contacted at Ayrshire Rivers Trust via email enquiries at struan@ayrshireriverstrust.org.

    Related FAS Resources

    Scotland's Priority Catchments | Helping farmers in Scotland

    Alternative watering for field grazed livestock | Helping farmers in Scotland

    Water Margins | Helping farmers in Scotland

    Más Menos
    54 m