Monitor farm projects put back in the spotlight
While the country’s TV screens might currently be awash with reruns of the most popular episodes of the nation’s favourite shows and series, an online update on some old classics has been promised for Scotland’s highly successful monitor farm projects.
In what is being termed a “legacy initiative”, a selection of six of the most interesting monitor farm projects – the earliest of which first got under way back in 2003 – will be revisited to update not only the community groups involved at the time but, through the medium of internet, allow any interested parties to tune into the progress report.
Launched jointly by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), the initiative which is funded by the Scottish Government will deliver a series of events where six former Monitor Farms are revisited “virtually”, said head of industry development at QMS, Bruce Mcconachie.
Through a series of case studies, he said the events would reflect on the themes that were most relevant to the business involved - including herd and flock productivity, environmental management, diversification and succession. Mcconachie said that strategic, operational and management groups would be established to review and develop the key aims and objectives of the programme from setting out key performance indicators to conducting a six-monthly review of the legacy programme.
He said the former monitor farms that will take part in the legacy initiative would be selected over the coming weeks and will be announced shortly:
“Monitor Farms have established a strong track record in Scotland and the new programme will build on the success of the initiative, which was originally launched in 2003,” said Mcconachie.
“With farming often an isolating and lonely profession, one of the most profound effects of the initiative has been the bringing together of farming communities,” he said, adding that over 70 per cent of individuals who attended the Monitor Farm programme said it allowed them to form new networks and build relationships within their rural community.
Mcconachie also highlighted that three years could be a short time in the life of farm enterprises, during which the full results of any changes might not come into effect:
“The legacy programme will give stakeholders the opportunity to highlight the outcomes of changes made or trialled during the previous projects and the impact they have had on farm profitability, productivity, and sustainability.”
He added that a new Monitor Farm Hub would be developed to provide an online platform and to help deliver knowledge transfer which would continue to support farmers across Scotland.
The AHDB’S Claire Hodge, added: “The true value of the Monitor Farm programme is the fact that it is farmer led and farmer driven. The willingness of those involved to openly discuss ideas and challenge each other to think differently has had lasting benefits for all involved.
“The legacy programme will allow this approach to continue; building on the success achieved to date and offering individual farmers the support of the wider farming community.”