October 2022

As we say farewell to the remaining swallows and welcome the sound of incoming geese, this time of year, with its lower light levels, unpredictable weather and less colour in the landscape can leave many people feeling tired and downbeat.  It is especially important to look after your well-being and the Scene and Herd Team members have some suggestions:

‍Monty:  "My tip is to ensure you get enough vitamin D.  From October to March when light levels are lower, we need to rely on dietary sources (such as oily fish, eggs & fortified breakfast cereals) to maintain good bone and muscle health."

‍Dave:  "Wrap up warm, get outside and look up at the night sky!  This time of year is peak meteor season with the Orionids, Taurids and Leonids all peaking over the coming weeks.  The Royal Observatory has some guidance on how to spot them here."

‍John: "I find light therapy useful in the darker months.  Consider sitting in front of a lightbox for an hour or using a dawn-simulating alarm clock which gradually gets brighter and can be particularly helpful if you find it hard to wake up on winter mornings!"

‍Anna: "As tempting as it is to go into 'hibernation mode', I find I always feel better after some exercise.  It is a real mood booster and any activity is better than none.  See some tips here."

‍Jan: "I'm a huge fan of Action for Happiness  - a movement of people committed to building a happier and more caring society. I particularly like their monthly calendars.  Why not join in with Optimistic October this week?"

With winners covering many parts of Scotland, from Skye to the South of Scotland and many places in between, the Helping It Happen Award 2022 have once again congratulated some of Scotland’s most innovative, diverse and imaginative rural businesses.  READ MORE

‍This month two new faces join the SOPA team based in Scotland. Jo Barron (Member Services Co-ordinator – Policy Lead) and Becky MacAngus (Member Services Co-ordinator- Comms Lead) have been appointed to boost the current team of Debs Roberts and Joanna Sinclair and work closely with the SOPA Membership.  READ MORE

A proposal for a Rural Visa Pilot Scheme for Scotland has been published.  This has been developed by the Scottish Government with local authorities and stakeholders based within remote and rural communities in response to their distinct needs.  Find out more at bit.ly/RuralVisaPilot

EssentialsNetRTK, the highly accurate signal correction network for tractor and implement guidance systems is being lauded by farming users as the most reliable system of its kind. Graham Ralston, a Director of Angus-based SoilEssentials, the firm behind EssentialsNetRTK explains more: “We are delighted with the feedback we received from a survey of users of our EssentialsNetRTK; 100% of them rated it as ‘Excellent’ or ‘Good’.”  READ MORE

Throughout the 2022/23 academic year, RHET will be producing a wide range of new learning content and offering exciting teacher training opportunities as part of its 'The Journey of Food - Seeds and Grains' project.  Do let your local school know about this valuable educational resource:  rhet.org.uk/teachers/the-journey-of-food-seeds-and-grains

Thank you for your positive feedback in response to our previous mailing "Creativity for Non-Creatives" and for the suggestion of Screen Machine (https://www.screenmachine.co.uk/) as a way of seeing films in rural locations.

Who Owns Scotland is a project designed to provide information about who owns land in Scotland.  The website is the result of over 21 years of research by Andy Wightman.  If you know that a change of ownership has taken place, or if you own land and the details are incorrect, you should contact admin@whoownsscotland.org.uk.

As we covered in the OnFARM podcast episode 'Planning for the agritourism boom',  Scotland’s tourism sector has a key role to play in tackling the climate crisis and achieving net zero while contributing significantly to the Scottish economy. There is growing recognition of the importance of responsible tourism and its benefits, which can be enjoyed by all without detriment to communities and the environment. Historic Environment Scotland has launched a public consultation to gather views on its draft Responsible Tourism Framework which closes on Wednesday 30 November.  READ MORE

‍In a moving OnFARMpodcast episode sponsored by Scottish law firm Gillespie Macadndrew, we heard how Rodney Blackhall and Emma Cheape organised rural tributes to Her Majesty the Queen as she was carried by cortège from Balmoral to Edinburgh. Rodney brought together over 40 tractors to stand guard as the convoy passed through Aberdeenshire. Down the road in Perthshire, Emma was standing by with over 30 riders on horseback. Helicopter images of both gatherings have since travelled around the world.  Listen: https://pod.fo/e/13f977

‍We created a special OnFARM 'Helps' episode to make sense of the sometimes intimidating world of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more.  In it, Anna is joined by social media expert and farmer's daughter Pam Newby who has heaps of advice for anyone looking to use social media to market their rural business.  Listen: https://pod.fo/e/1425d3

‍(If this has whetted your appetite for trying our OnFARM Academy's online marketing courses (which have been specifically tailored for rural businesses) you're in luck!  We have five codes for FREE access to the OnFARM Academy in exchange for your feedback on the courses (so that we can ensure we are always improving the user experience).   If you're interested, please email Anna.)

We plan to run a FREE online webinar in November to help rural businesses with their PR and marketing. What topic would you find most useful for us to cover?

Let us know here: Survey‍

Our most recent podcast episode, which was supported by Cefetra, involved a wander around the 2022 Tillage Live event at Dunbar, East Lothian organised by the Agricultural Engineers Association.  Monty and producer Dave met with exhibitors and visitors and saw some serious bits of kit.  Listen: https://pod.fo/e/144235

You can listen to all of the podcasts at podfollow.com/onfarm and if your organisation is interesting in sponsoring an episode, please get in touch.

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November dates for your Social Media Marketing

2   Día de Los Muertos (Mexican Day of the Dead)
3   Outdoor Classroom Day 2022 - a global movement to make time outdoors part of every child’s day
5   Guy Fawkes Day
7 - 13    British Game Week 2022
11  Armistice Day
13   World Kindness Day - a day to celebrate and encourage kindness in society
14 - 20    Book Week Scotland 2022 - an annual celebration of books and reading
17    Leonid Meteor Shower Peak
19    International Men’s Day
23    Doctor Who Day
25    Thanksgiving
26 - 4 Dec    National Tree Week 2022
30    St Andrew's Day

Get in touch if you need any assistance with your social media.