We look back at the Highland Society’s history all the way back to 1784, on a tour of Ingliston House with RHASS chairman Bill Gray. It's Bill's first visit to the Society's boardroom since the momentous decision to cancel the 2020 Royal Highland Show due to Coronavirus. For this episode, Monty also speaks to: Farming journalist and writer Andrew Arbuckle Ken Fletcher, editor of the Scottish Farmer There is a short clip of an episode of BBC Scotland's Landward, which is all about RHASS, and can ...
Jul 27, 2020•36 min
Equestrian events attract some of the biggest crowds at the Royal Highland Show, with top show jumpers, displays of Clydesdales, Shetlands and other breeds, as well as the frenetic and joyful activity of the Pony Club Games! In this episode of OnFARM with RHASS, Anna delves into all things equestrian, and hears from breeders, judges and competitors at the very top of their discipline. Contributors: RHASS director Anne Logan Catriona Willison from the Pony Club Welsh pony breeder Tom Best from th...
Jul 20, 2020•39 min
There is so much time, passion, and painstaking commitment that goes into getting a beast ready for the ring at the Royal Highland Show. It can be the culmination of a life's work and ambition. For those men and women who dedicate their lives to showing stock, there is no feeling to match your animal winning its class. This edition of OnFARM with RHASS hears what it is like firsthand, from some of Scotland's best stockmen and women. This episode features: Tracey Nicol from Balthayock Farms David...
Jul 13, 2020•32 min
The Countryside Area is the section of the Royal Highland Show reserved for heritage crafts and traditional skills. It is quieter, and slightly apart from the hustle and bustle of the main showground. You can stop to soak in the sights and experiences, and try your hand at some of the crafts. In this episode of OnFARM with RHASS, Anna meets some of the artisans that exhibit in the Countryside Area, and hears their passion for keeping traditional skills alive. This episode hears from: Martin Dare...
Jul 06, 2020•35 min
Ever since it got its Royal Charter in 1784, the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) has been committed to helping individuals and organisations that improve, encourage, benefit, or otherwise advance rural Scotland. It does this through grants, scholarships, awards and other support. This work is funded in large part from money raised at the Royal Highland Show, and through events and venue hire on the showground at Ingliston. In this episode of OnFARM, Monty explores the...
Jun 29, 2020•35 min
We are marking the start of what would have been the 2020 Royal Highland Show by hearing from Scotland's Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Tourism, Fergus Ewing MSP. In a wide ranging conversation with RHASS chief executive Alan Laidlaw, the Cabinet Secretary: - praises the Royal Highland Show as "the fulcrum of rural life in Scotland" - describes his pride in Scotland's rural communities for their response to Coronavirus, saying farmers "have risen to the occasion" - urges the UK governme...
Jun 18, 2020•31 min
It is Royal Highland Show week! Or it would be in more normal times. In The View From Town, OnFARM explores ways people not directly connected to agriculture still connect and relate to food, farming and the countryside. Anna also speaks with Marks and Spencer's head of agriculture Steven Maclean, and hears from a family of urban visitors to the Royal Highland Show. What draws them back to Ingliston year after year? ===================== #keeptalking is a national campaign from RSABI, supported ...
Jun 15, 2020•31 min
If you are looking for the very best in food and drink, from the finest Scottish producers, the Royal Highland Show is clearly the place to be. The food hall - more properly ‘Scotland’s Larder Live’ - is always one of the Show’s biggest draws. In the absence of a 2020 Show, we have the next best thing. We’ve brought together food and drink experts Wendy Barrie and Charlotte Maberly, with a host of top producers who exhibit and trade at the show. Why does it matter that the Highland Show exists a...
Jun 08, 2020•44 min
Is there any feeling quite like seeing the gates open on day one of the Royal Highland Show? As a visitor, you have so many trade stands, businesses and people you want to see and hear from. There are never enough hours in the day to get round all the attractions. This episode of OnFARM seeks to replicate that busy day. It's packed full of voices, including some very well known names in Scottish agriculture. We were keen to speak with as many businesses as possible, from machinery sales and esta...
Jun 01, 2020•33 min
Anna speaks with Katrina Barclay from the Royal Highland Education Trust. Since the start of COVID-19, RHET's work has quickly adapted, to focus on supporting parents, families and teachers to deliver lockdown home-schooling. But while the delivery method has changed, the charity's purpose is just as it has been for over 20 years: to help children and young people in Scotland to understand where the food on their plate comes from, as well as the importance of healthy eating. ====================...
May 25, 2020•38 min
For many, the Royal Highland Show is their one big chance each year to get together with friends, and to re-connect with people they don't otherwise manage to see. This time, OnFARM is exploring the importance of those 4 summer days at Ingliston for social connection and mental wellbeing. Anna is joined by Nina Clancy from RSABI, and Professor Sarah Skerratt, who has done lots of academic research on mental health in rural communities. This is episode 2 of an OnFARM series in partnership with th...
May 18, 2020•35 min
Have you got a Highland Show-shaped gap in your life? This summer, OnFARM are teaming up with the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) to bring you a celebration of rural Scotland, and all that we'll miss now that the show is sadly cancelled. In weeks to come, we'll hear from regular visitors, businesses, competitors, and many others. But in this first episode in the series, chairman Bill Gray and chief executive Alan Laidlaw re-live the difficult decision to cancel this y...
May 11, 2020•37 min
How do you help your rural business to survive – and even thrive – in these phenomenally difficult times? Julia Latto runs Scotland's Rural Leadership Programme, and spoke to #OnFARMHelps about how to adapt, innovate, and plan for a recovery. This episode is packed with great advice for helping Scottish rural businesses to adapt and innovate in the light of Covid-19. The Rural Leadership Programme is delivered by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. There is also support ava...
May 07, 2020•32 min
Much livestock feed is made with imported soya and palm oil. These ingredients, usually sourced from South America and countries like Indonesia, are blamed for rainforest deforestation and the destruction of orangutan habitat. Aberdeenshire feed producer Norvite have developed an exciting alternative livestock feed product called NEOLac. It is proven to be just as protein-rich as other brands, but is primarily made from locally-sourced and sustainable rapeseed oil. For this repeated edition of O...
May 04, 2020•36 min
With Coronavirus still impacting our lives and businesses, we need a massive injection of positivity. So we've re-published our episode with amazing Doddie Weir. Doddie is a Scotland and Lions rugby legend, a brave campaigner raising funds for Motor Neurone Disease, and a Borders farmer. In this edition, first published earlier this year, the big man welcomes OnFARM's Ross 'Monty' Montague to his home for a coffee and chat. The pair recall Doddie's early days in eventing and his time at the Scot...
Apr 27, 2020•31 min
Coronavirus lockdown and relentless bad news is taking its toll on all of our mental health. For this edition of #OnFARMHelps, Anna speaks to Jim Hume, Scottish Borders farmer, former MSP, and convenor of Scotland's National Rural Mental Health Forum ( https://ruralwellbeing.org ). Whether you are an individual in need of help, or you want resources to offer wellbeing support to your team or community, Jim is happy to hear from you. Email jhume@supportinmindscotland.org.uk or tweet @Rural_Wellbe...
Apr 21, 2020•19 min
“One toot and your order is oot”! Multi-award winning cheese-makers Connage Highland Dairy’s response to Coronavirus has been to ask customers to honk their horns to get their order brought out to their car. They’ve also put more of their products online, and are doing local doorstep deliveries. It's just one example of Scottish food and drink businesses innovating in response to difficulties posed by Covid-19. For this episode of OnFARM, Anna is with Connage's Jill Clark. Mentioned in this epis...
Apr 20, 2020•36 min
Coronavirus HR and management support for rural businesses. Since the start of Covid-19, there have been numerous and significant changes to how we operate businesses and manage staff. Gail Ellis from HR consultancy Greenburn talks to Anna about staffing questions, from furlough planning and managing holiday leave, to performance management during home-working, and much more. OnFARM Helps is here to support rural and food-based businesses to survive and even thrive during lockdown and beyond. Pl...
Apr 13, 2020•33 min
With the UK in continuing Covid-19 lockdown, The Batch Lady's methods are invaluable for making the most of your freezer and kitchen storage. Her social media videos and best-selling book show you how you can feed your household delicious and healthy meals, with just one hour-long cooking session each week. In this episode, Suzanne Mulholland also gets Anna to try some batching for herself. This is the second of two OnFARM editions recorded at Suzanne's Scottish Borders farmhouse. All episodes c...
Apr 06, 2020•23 min
Covid-19 support and information for your farm or rural business. This new mini-series is OnFARM's response to Coronavirus, and the uncertainty and upheaval it brings to all our lives and businesses. #OnFARMHelps offers tips and advice to help your rural enterprise cope and even thrive in these unprecedented times. In episode 1, OnFARM hosts Anna and Monty share some of their own PR, marketing, and resilience tips. Find all our podcasts at www.podfollow.com/onfarm Mentioned in this episode: Meet...
Apr 03, 2020•21 min
The Batch Lady, aka Suzanne Mulholland, is a global social media sensation, publishing regular videos sharing her method of modern batch cooking. Her recently published first book shows you how to "Shop Once, Cook Once, Eat Well All Week". She creates all her content in her Scottish Borders farmhouse. This episode was recorded at her home during lambing season for many Scottish farmers, and as Coronavirus was starting to become a serious UK issue. So it's a timely look at how to make the most of...
Mar 30, 2020•32 min
He's the upland Perthshire farmer who once described himself as VEGAN (V-ery E-nthusiastically G-rowing A-nimals N-aturally). Martin Kennedy is also NFU Scotland's vice-president, and has built a name for himself through widely-shared Facebook posts that debunk farming myths and take a common-sense approach to promoting the industry. In this episode, Anna visits Martin on his farm to talk about the future of farming, positive ways forward on climate change, and a shared love of social media. Men...
Mar 23, 2020•30 min
Farmer Jim, AKA Jim Smith the Stand-up Farmer, welcomes Anna back to his home in the Perthshire hills. This time, the pair take Jim's truck up to the sheep fields at the very top of his ground. There's chat about Jim's ambitions in both farming and comedy. (Hands up who wants to see Jim on 'Live At The Apollo'?!) There's also some decent footballing promise shown by Floss the dog, advice from Anna on Jim's impending parenthood, and a general blether about life and farming. This is part 2 of Jim'...
Mar 16, 2020•30 min
Perthshire's Jim Smith is well-known to comedy audiences as Farmer Jim the Stand-up Farmer. His Back to the Teuchter tour sold out to audiences across Scotland. His Farm Diaries have earned him worldwide social media fame - and no shortage of female admirers! He's also a regular on BBC Scotland's Breaking The News. But he says farming will always be his number one passion. He talks to Anna about his comedy roots, trying to relieve the boredom of roguing tatties, then writing pantomime scripts fo...
Mar 09, 2020•30 min
What can farmers do to reduce climate-changing emissions? What is the science around farming's impact on global warming? And how can Scottish agriculture better share its message that it is part of the solution on emissions, rather than the problem? For this OnFARM edition, Anna speaks indepth with Ruth Taylor, NFU Scotland's first ever Climate Change Policy Manager, as well as the two co-chairs of the 'Farming for 1.5 Degrees' group, Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) chief exec Mike Ro...
Mar 02, 2020•30 min
It's a rare visit to the big city this week for onFARM, with Anna in Glasgow for the NFU Scotland annual conference. There's an indepth interview with president Andrew McCornick. It was also an ideal chance to find out the different issues concerning farmers across Scotland and beyond. Topics include seasonal workers, climate change, veganism, problem geese in Shetland, and much more! Mentioned in this episode: Meet OnFARM sponsors SkyeSkyns SkyeSkyns is a traditional tannery, and luxury sheepsk...
Feb 24, 2020•45 min
One Scottish farmer didn't speak to anyone for 6 weeks, until RSABI arranged for him to get regular phone calls to alleviate his loneliness. Another was struggling with debt - but RSABI discovered he was owed £18,000 in unclaimed entitlements. These are just two examples of people in Scotland's agricultural sector who've been helped by the RSABI - Scotland's farming charity, providing emotional, practical and financial support to individuals and families. In this episode of onFARM, Anna hears ho...
Feb 17, 2020•31 min
Doddie Weir - Scotland and Lions rugby legend, MND campaigner, and Borders farmer - welcomes onFARM's Ross 'Monty' Montague to his home for a coffee and blether. The two men, who have long been friends and farming neighbours, recall Doddie's early days in eventing and his time at the SAC college (later renamed the SRUC). Doddie also hails the "unbelievable" support of Scotland's farming community for his MyName5Doddie fundraising campaign. We thought it was fitting to publish Doddie as episode 5...
Feb 10, 2020•31 min
AgriScot, held annually at Edinburgh's Royal Highland Centre, is one of the biggest events in Scottish farming's calendar - with visitors coming from all over Scotland and the world. This episode of onFARM was recorded at AgriScot back in November. Anna Davies spent the day exploring the show site, and finding out thousands of people love to attend the event. She also hears from AgriScot organiser Martin Dare. Mentioned in this episode: Meet OnFARM sponsors SkyeSkyns SkyeSkyns is a traditional t...
Feb 03, 2020•32 min
Anna is munching delicious broccoli crisps this week! She's in Cupar in Fife, at the headquarters of Growers Garden. They make crisps from vegetables that would otherwise not have made the grade for supermarket shelves. Growers Garden are part of a farmer-owner co-operative called East of Scotland Growers. It is a brilliant example of individual farmers working together to benefit each other as a group - under the larger Scottish umbrella group for co-operatives, the SAOS. Mentioned in this epis...
Jan 27, 2020•39 min
