June 2023

At the time of writing, Scotland has experienced its hottest day of the year so far and has had just slightly more than half the normal amount of rainfall for the time of year.  

While the dry, warm weather will delight summer show organisers and festival attendees, it will undoubtedly cause problems for many of you.

Our OnFARM podcast is all about Food, Agriculture and Rural Matters and while we tend to focus on agriculture, many of our episodes will appeal to a much wider section of the community.  For example, in two recent episodes recorded at Braemar Castle, Monty met members of the local community who are leading a restoration project with architectural support from specialists at Bell Ingram.  We also heard from an expert Scottish thatcher who is using sheaves of heather on the roof of a folly in the castle grounds.

In advance of the 150th episode of OnFARM we are inviting people to send us a short selfie-style video message from their phone, that we can put online and use the audio in our actual 150th episode.

A scaled-up version of SKAi the ‘retrainable, smart-camera vision system’, developed by Forfar-based precision farming specialist SoilEssentials, will make its debut at the 2023 Royal Highland Show.  Read more.

Pick-ups for Peace reaches its first target of 100 vehicles for the Ukrainian Army.  Read more here.

Historic Environment Scotland has released a guide that describes retrofit measures which can be used to improve the energy efficiency of traditional buildings, whilst maintaining as much of their historic fabric and creating healthy indoor environments. Download the guide.

Do you use an abattoir service?  Would you like to use an abattoir service?  Do you struggle to gain access to abattoir and butchery services? The Abattoir Survey aims to understand the demand for abattoir and butchery services.  The survey will run throughout June and is being delivered by SAOS.  Take the survey here

Finally, we're always happy to share information that will be of interest to the rural community in Scotland - you don't have to be a Scene & Herd client to send us details of relevant news, job opportunities, funding pots, consultations etc.  Click on the button below to send us your news.

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July Diary Dates

Have you considered taking part in a month-long challenge such as Plastic Free July?  You can demonstrate your commitment to sustainable business practices and share your progress using #ChooseToRefuse.  July is also Independent Retailers Month. Use #indieretail to promote independent retail stores, unite your community and remind consumers of the benefits of shopping local.

1st July - International Day of Cooperatives  - We've said it before but we really believe that farmers can be the heroes of the climate change battle and working together is the key as set out in this Scotsman interview with Jim Booth, Head of Co-op Development at SAOS, Scotland’s farming and food industry collaboration experts. Share your stories about working collaboratively towards sustainable development goals by using the hashtags #CoopsDay and #coops4sdgs.

17th July - World Emoji Day - Use this frivolous observance to engage with your followers in a light-hearted way.  How about asking them to post about their day using only emojis?  Or have a 'Guess the Place' quiz?  And why isn't there a haggis emoji?!

17th - 21st July - Farm Safety Week 2023 - You’re 18 times more likely to lose your life farming than in the average UK workplace. Cutting out farm-related deaths and life-changing accidents has to be a priority for us all.  Please help by sharing our podcast episode which includes an interview with James Chapman who lost his left arm in a tractor accident.


Whatever you do during July, be sure to share on your social media, newsletters and websites - and if you need help, let us know.

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