Organic farm walk Held on the 8 th June at Home Farm Cairness Courtesy of John and Gillian Moir

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1 Organic farm walk Held on the 8 th June at Home Farm Cairness Courtesy of John and Gillian Moir Home Farm Cairness 2009 winner of the Nature of Farming award. 1,650 ha farmed in total. There are: 200 ha at Cairness; 235 ha at Rattray (very sandy soil); and 235 ha of rough grazing, seasonal grazing, and land with RSPB involvement. 80 ha are in an arable rotation of: 1 year winter wheat > 2 years spring oats > 3 or 4 years of grass/clover. All land farmed by the Moirs is organic, other than some of the land in agrienvironmental schemes (e.g. unharvested crop) and some woodland. Some agri-environmental options under the SRDP cannot be funded on organic land as this would constitute double funding. The business began converting land in 2006 under the OAS. They are now applying for organic maintenance under the SRDP in The farm had separate RSS in 2001, 2002, 2003, and These were subsequently combined to make one agri-environmental proposal under the SRDP in Agri-environmental activities Weed seeds are dressed out of cereals and donated to the RSPB. These have been used to make birdseed fat balls, and are now used as a wild bird cover

2 seed mix. This is a low cost way of providing wild bird seed, saving the cost of putting costly brassica seed into the mix. A geese payment is received from SNH as a compensation for heavy grazing of grassland by geese. In the past the business had a big problem with geese damaging winter cereals. The business has addressed this in a proactive way and can now accommodate the geese populations. The RSPB have been monitoring corn bunting numbers, as well as trialling silage cutting dates in conjunction with the Moirs to determine the optimum cutting date. This has informed the prescriptions of the SRDP. Corn bunting numbers increased substantially following the conversion to organic management and the carrying out of agri-environmental schemes. Lapwings and oystercatchers have had big population increases following the management of areas of open grazed grassland and wetland. Other bird species, including birds of prey, have also had a large increase in population. The Moirs are trialling different crops in 15 plots next to the loch at Rattray in conjunction with the RSPB and several seed merchants. These plots will be monitored and wildlife benefits as well as yield will be measured. Roundels have also been planted by the Moirs at Cairness in conjunction with Historic Scotland as part of a designed landscape. Less productive sections of the farm have been planted in trees. This management (like the geese wintering) utilises available payments for less productive land while still delivering specific environmental objectives. Mown grassland for corn buntings in red clover This was originally sown in autumn 2008 and did not establish well. Red clover was subsequently stitched into an open and poorly tillered sward last spring, and established very successfully. Red clover is very good for birds nesting as it holds its structure for longer than a grass pasture. Under the mown grass for corn buntings agri-environment option grass must not be grazed, harrowed, or rolled from the 1 st May until mowing; and mowing must take place after the 1 st August. Under the mown grass for wildlife agrienvironment option grass must not be grazed, harrowed, or rolled from the 1 st April until mowing; and mowing must take place after the 1 st July. Silage quality will be better if it is cut in June, although the window for cutting a field with a high clover content is longer than a predominately grass silage, as clover holds its quality (digestibility) for longer than grass.

3 Grassland management At Rattray cocksfoot is the dominant species, as this does well a sandy soil. Cocksfoot can provide good quality grazing, provided that it does not get too stemmy. Specified cutting dates make grassland management more difficult. In some cases silage fields have been pulverised rather than silaged, and then grazed by sheep. Most of the cocksfoot-dominant grassland at Rattray is cut late because of the agri-environment schemes they are in. The silage is cut using a one-pass system with a mower at the front and a baler at the back, as well as using an additive (approved by their organic certification body). Creeping thistles are controlled by continually topping to try and exhaust them. Winter wheat This was in a field that was previously used as a calving park, but is now part of the crop rotation. The variety Paragon was sown in mid-march at a seed rate of 250 kg/ha. The crop has had a comb harrow and some trace elements applied to it since sowing. John uses a pane of glass to determine when the weeds are the optimum size (thumbnail) for comb harrowing. This is a cash crop that will be sold to the organic pig and poultry market. If the store cattle price drops then the wheat might be used to fatten cattle on the farm. The Moirs react to market signals where they can, within their organic system. John would like to follow the wheat with spring oats, and then with beans undersown with Italian ryegrass (as a catch crop). Kontu beans were grown at Cairness in 2007, one of the worst years to grow (organic or conventional) beans. The beans succumbed to chocolate spot.

4 Spring oats The oats the group looked at were grown on very sandy soil at Rattray. Farmyard manure (FYM) has been applied in the past to provide some soil structure, but has not been applied this year so that the crop can be comb harrowed. Applying FYM as a mulch (on this sandy soil) will prevent weed emergence without affecting crop emergence too much. It will also prevent the soil from blowing away. The crop rotation should have an effect on limiting weed populations. FYM may however spread dock seeds. The oats are sold on contract to Boyndie. Sheep The business has 400 ewes, and Texel and Cheviot tups. There is a lot of grass in the summer on the farm, so store lambs are bought from a known source and fattened on this grass. Labour is the limiting factor for livestock numbers as the business uses only family labour. This year lambing took 15 days in total. Cheviots are now being used to produce finishing lambs. The business is moving away from Lleyns as they do not have as good conformation as the Cheviots; however the Lleyns do lamb very easily and have excellent lamb survival rates. John Moir would like to grow beans to replace expensive ewe rolls to feed sheep in the winter using the snacker. Beans will provide 29 % crude protein and 13.3 MJ ME (on a dry matter basis). Cattle The business has 75 spring calving suckler cows, and is increasing numbers slightly. The business is going to buy a Hereford bull. It is currently using a Limousin and an Aberdeen Angus. All cattle are currently sold as forward stores, although this policy may change depending on the market. All cattle are in-wintered. Although the sand dunes would be dry over the winter, John prefers to have the cattle inside. Cattle are only turned out onto a clover fields with a short sward height. Bloat guard has been fed to cattle in the past if they were being turned out onto a clover field with a higher sward. Yearling steers are fed silage and straw ad-lib in the field.

5 Funded by the Scottish Government as part of its Organic Farming Advisory Activity.