The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Organic farming paid dividends
Knock Farm extends to 1100 acres – 800 acres of which is farmed and 300 acres devoted to conservation, equestrian activities, amenity trees and woodlands – and has been farmed organically since 2006.
Half of the farmed area is arable and the other half rough grazing, and stocking comprises 70 Aberdeen-Angus and Simmental cross suckler cows and 400 ewes, comprising 250 Mules and 150 Blackface for breeding replacements. Both the herd and the flock are closed with only bulls and rams bought in.
A strict crop rotation is followed over seven or eight years with 130/140 acres ploughed each year, 70 acres barley, 35 acres arable silage and 30 acres carrots.
No artificial fertiliser is used, nor pesticides, and minimal use is made of animal medicines. Farmyard manure plays an important part in maintaining fertility and the inclusion of clover in the grass seed mixture compensates for nitrogen.
The farm won the competition for “Best Soil in Show” organised by the James Hutton Institute at the Royal Highland Show last year.
Dockens and thistles, a continual challenge to all farmers, are managed using a combination of grazing, cutting, cultivation and fallowing. The problems of livestock parasites are minimised by utilising clean grazing techniques, good biosecurity and the strategic use of
flukicides and anthelmintics. Chicory as a natural aid to controlling gut worms is being trialled this year for the first time.
Host farmers, Roger and Beth Polson, switched to organic farming after becoming disillusioned with conventional farming and the constant struggle to maximise output and maintain profitability.
“This was doing nothing for productivity,” Mr Polson says. “We were simply spending more and working harder to produce little financial reward and became increasingly concerned about the effect our management was having on the environment around us and the quality of food we were producing.
“Developing an organic system to work at Knock has been challenging but rewarding, both personally and financially.”
The decision to reduce inputs has not resulted in the loss of production expected and is compensated by the premium available for organic barley and cattle. Mr Polson makes the point that while his barley may yield two tonnes/acre compared with conventional production of three tonnes plus, the £130/tonne premium for organic barley delivers a higher return per acre at considerably less cost.
Finished cattle earn a premium of 70p to £1 per kilo deadweight but he says it is disappointing there is little premium available for organic lamb.