News from the field

Image courtesy of ORganic Rapeseed oil

Rural Britain is a wonderful assortment of farms, estates, hamlets, villages, forests and moors, lochs and valleys. Our stunning scenery, close communities and wonderful rural businesses provide an idyllic lifestyle for many, but rural life can also throw up some pretty unique challenges.

The Rural Scene (the Scene & Herd rural blog and news updates) looks at what’s new, what’s relevant, what’s tasty, what’s fun and what’s challenging about life in the Great British Countryside. We offer an insider insight into rural Britain, highlighting some of the exceptional people, businesses and innovations we believe that everybody should know about.

OnFARM Podcast: Gareth Baird, 2022 Ed Rainy Brown Memorial Award winner

Gareth Baird was visibly emotional on receiving the 2022 SAOS Ed Rainy Brown Memorial Award. He was given the honour after a career of exceptional service to co-operation and collaboration in farming, food, and rural Scotland. Moredun Foundation chairman Gareth has been described as “quite simply one of the greatest co-operators of our age". We find out why in this episode…

READ MORE

Micro-Marketing Tips

We've put together a list of easy to implement, free or low-cost 'micro-marketing' tips: Update your Email Signature - When did you last change your email signature? Your business email signature is perfect for promoting your website, social media, podcast or changes to opening hours. Make the most of your Google Business Profile - more than a business listing, your free Business Profile lets you easily connect with customers across Google Search and Maps.

READ MORE

OnFARM Podcast: Edinburgh days out with Go Rural Scotland

Our latest 'Days Out On Your Doorstep', takes in farm visitor experiences within easy reach of Edinburgh, with Go Rural Scotland. Go Rural encourage people in Scotland’s towns and cities to get out into nearby countryside for farm experiences, short breaks, and food and drink days out. 

READ MORE

Doing the Heavy Lifting

Regular listeners to our OnFARM podcast will be aware that we have regularly covered agri-tourism in recent months. An episode recorded at the Scottish Agritourism / GoRural Scotland conference emphasised that agri-tourism is, in many cases, not actually a diversification from farming, but rather can be looked at as simply marketing farm produce in a different way. We have subsequently produced an episode focussing on farm-based attractions as days-out around Dundee and today’s (Monday 25th April) looks at farm tourism around Edinburgh. Future episodes will focus on Glasgow and Inverness.I write this little blog, however, not solely as a means to highlight the podcast. Rather, I would like to share my thoughts on the importance of agri-tourism businesses to our wider farming industry.

READ MORE

#StandWithUkraine Caledonian Style

A special auction to raise funds for charities supporting people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine will be held this week by Caledonian Marts, Stirling. Restaurant vouchers, holidays, farming equipment, livestock sporting memorabilia and experience tickets will be auctioned live, and simultaneously online at caledonian.auctionmarts.com, when the sale gets underway at 11:00 this coming Saturday, 23rd April.

READ MORE