Farming For a Better Climate Practical and profitable ideas to reduce the farm carbon footprint

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1 Farming For a Better Climate Practical and profitable ideas to reduce the farm carbon footprint Rebecca Audsley, Farming for a Better Climate Project Manager, SRUC Gillian Reid, Rural Business Consultant, SRUC Kairsty Topp, Agricultural Systems Modeller, SRUC

2 Presentation overview Background Key action areas Climate Change Focus Farms Results from Promoting practical measures 2

3 Agriculture and climate change Approximately 80% of Scotland is used for agricultural purposes Emissions from agriculture and related land use accounted for 20% of total Scottish emissions Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) Methane (CH 4 ) Nitrous oxide (N 2 O) Scottish Government need to demonstrate a reduction in emissions across all sectors Low Carbon Scotland: Meeting our Emissions Reduction Targets The Second Report on Proposals and Policies at 3

4 Challenge: Ambitious climate change legislation - need to demonstrate action across all sectors. Need to reduce emissions but still maintain a profitable and competitive agricultural sector. Variable climate/unseasonal weather conditions Increased demand for food production Requirement to demonstrate emissions reduction Voluntary rather than regulatory approach preferred Maintain a profitable farm business 4

5 Scottish Governments Farming for a Better Climate initiative Targeted communication strategy Focus farm network Workshops and demo events Dedicated website Aims to Help farmers to adapt to climate change Positive impact on business performance Encourage farmers to adopt efficiency measures and lower farm emissions Key to reducing emissions is Improved farm business efficiency within five key action areas 5

6 Five Key Action Areas: 1 Energy and Fuel 6

7 Five Key Action Areas: 2 Renewables 7

8 Five Key Action Areas: 3 Sequestration 8

9 Five Key Action Areas: 4 Nutrients 9

10 Five Key Action Areas: 5 Livestock 10

11 Climate Change Focus Farms Representative of major sectors Volunteer for three year term Work with agricultural adviser to identify practical measures Carry out before and after carbon footprints using SRUC AgRE Calc Explore/discuss findings with local farming discussion group Identify/implement practical measures 11

12 Five new focus farms 4 more to come Climate Change Focus Farms: First group New farms 12

13 First 4 Focus Farms 13 13

14 Nine new Focus Farms 14

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16 Climate change focus farmers

17 Glenkilrie, Nr Blairgowrie 17 17

18 Glenkilrie: What worked well (1)? Reducing energy use Feed mixer wagon 600l reduction in fuel/ 450 saving Desk study electric quad bike would save over 1,000 in fuel costs over 3,650 miles Renewables Biomass boiler with home produced wood chip Desk study showed a saving of 3,440 plus income of 6,350 Fertiliser and manures Soil sampling identified silage fields outwith target ph could be losing 30% of potential yield Rolling programme to bring all fields up to target status 18

19 Glenkilrie: What worked well (2)? Livestock Know pit silage value adjusted ration to save 3,000 in feed costs Calving batch at 24 months rather than 36 months 7,000 saving Switch from straw to wood chip bedding; around 1,000 saving in straw costs Condition scored and grouped; fed accordingly Herd fertility aiming for 95% calving percentage. Removing those with poor fertility. Easily saved 11,000 10% reduction in carbon footprint 19

20 Torr Farm, Nr Castle Douglas 20

21 Torr: What worked well (1)? Reducing energy use Tractor maintenance/matching right machine to job in hand Retrofitted a variable speed milk pump More care with hot water use in the dairy Actions contributed to 21% reduction in electricity saving 1,900 and 33% decrease in fuel use saving 6,600 Livestock More rotational grazing Condition scoring of cows; grouped and fed accordingly Forage analysis; 10,350 saving on feed costs Reduced age of calving Shed; increased cubicle space and altered ventilation Increase in milk production ~ 17,500 21

22 Torr: What worked well (2)? Farm soils Soil sampling Identification and alleviation of compaction est. 950 through better use of grass Identify and improve soil structure allows livestock to remain outside for longer Improved drainage better yields? Fertilisers and manure use Targeted nutrient application Increased slurry storage* Slurry application trailing shoe; 30% more grass? Easily saved 37,000 11% reduction in carbon footprint 22

23 Unpredictable weather Our changing weather makes the job harder to plan for Changing variability can be counter to the longer term trend 2 nd Warmest year on record 3 rd Warmest April Driest Jan to June since 1953 Warmest Spring Driest March Wettest July Highest Daily Rainfall in November Coldest December Wettest Summer Scotland Wind Storms Wettest April Wettest June North Sea Storms Coldest Spring for 50 years 2008: September floods 2007: June and July exceptionally wet 2006: Warmest July since records began (Slide G Kerr, 2014) 2 nd Wettest year on record 23

24 Workshops and demonstration events Additional FFBC meetings across Scotland Joint meetings with other organisations Soil Association Forestry Commissions Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) 24

25 Additional on farm meetings across Scotland (Climate change mitigation = more practical than you think). Identifying and rectifying field drainage problems Slurry and manure, soils and grassland mgmt Machinery choice, tyre pressures, fuel savings Energy management Woodland management and RHI opportunities Improving efficiencies in the sheep flock Improving livestock fertility Using Soil GIS analyses for improved nutrient application Renewables; opportunities and pitfalls Optimising use of slurry and manures, application methods and nutrient planning Renewables Micro hydro site visit Eradicating Johne's disease from the herd Getting the best out of fertiliser applications Soil structure; identifying and rectifying problems Improving efficiencies in the beef herd 25 25

26 No one size fits all I ve never really been interested in sitting in front of a computer at the end of the day. My wife does the bookkeeping and any of the other admin work, so I don t really have a reason to use the computer. I help the kids out with their homework but I don t want to sit in front of the thing for any longer than I have to Farmers are using satellites, laptops and smartphones in their tractors and turning them into mobile offices. They re tweeting with other farmers about plantings, crop yields and weather... (Stocks, 2011). 26

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28 Newsletters, case studies and Practical Guides 28

29 Social Media 29

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31 Press 31 31

32 Summary Practical measures to improve business efficiency and demonstrate actions to reduce GHG emissions Benchmarking/Carbon footprint highlights areas for action and measures improvements Working with new climate change focus farmers Something for everyone - even technically efficient farms can make savings and 32 reduce their carbon footprint

33 Acknowledgements Scottish Government Co-authors Climate Change Focus Farmers Farm Facilitators L R: Neil and Linsey Butler, Stewart Tower Nr Stanley, David Houstoun, Glenkilrie Nr Blairgowrie, Ross Paton, Torr, Nr Castle Douglas, Jac and Robert Neill, Upper Nisbet, Jedburgh

34 Find us on Facebook Follow us on Visit our webpages: Funded by Scottish Government as part of its Climate Change Advisory Activity 34