Sustainable Systems: Ecosystem Functions
Find information about the ecosystem functions that occur naturally on your farm
How Healthy Dung Communities Help Your Farm
With the price of inorganic fertilisers escalating, dung is becoming increasingly valued as a rich source of nitrogen and phosphorus. Quite literally ‘Where there’s muck there’s brass!’ Within the dung,…
Select by an area of interest
Can we store more carbon in our soils?
December 19, 2024There is a lot of discussion around how we ‘lock up’ more carbon in our soils, however due to natural processes, this is more challenging...
Read more >
Farm Peatland Restoration At Leadloch Farm, A Case Study and Guide
December 19, 2024Peatland restoration projects can be complex, with many moving parts. This case study of a year-long peatland restoration project aims to give readers an overview...
Read more >
The Golden Hoof
December 16, 2024Welcome to In Conversation With… hosted this month by Mark Bowsher-Gibbs (Principal Consultant) and Kirsten Williams (Senior Sheep and Beef Consultant). On today’s episode Mark...
Read more >
Fungi: The forgotten kingdom?
November 28, 2024Fungi, the often-overlooked kingdom of life, runs mostly undetected under out feet, forming intricate networks that support ecosystems in extraordinary ways. Mycorrhiza, a symbiotic relationship...
Read more >
Restoring Nature Across Luing and Scarba
September 27, 2024The Island of Luing in Argyll has for centuries been a centre for agriculture and food production. Formerly referred to as the breadbasket of Argyll...
Read more >
Rewilding & Farming
August 22, 2024The practice of rewilding is gaining momentum in Scotland, with many options available for farmers and land managers to take rewilding actions. Different types of...
Read more >
LENs and Forth Rivers Trust
June 28, 2024Forth Rivers Trust leads the Leven LENs, a collaborative project that aims to match investors with local activities and projects, that preserve and enhance the...
Read more >
Bats and Biodiversity
April 26, 2024If you are out on the farm around dusk or dawn during the summer months, you might spot bats fluttering through the sky, when little...
Read more >
Water Scarcity Case Study: Alternative watering of livestock
March 25, 2024Background Following an AECS application in 2016 to fence off watercourses from grazing livestock, combined with a move to outwintering of cattle, Whitriggs Farm had...
Read more >
Natural Capital – Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS)
February 29, 2024Are you looking for funding for projects to promote conservation and tackle climate change? In this episode of Natural Capital we discuss Scotland’s Agri-Environment and...
Read more >
Outcome-based Agri-Environment and Climate Schemes
February 28, 2024The Agri-Environment and Climate Scheme (AECS) is designed to help farmers and crofters preserve or enhance the wider benefits that their land provides to society....
Read more >
Protecting Atlantic Salmon
January 10, 2024At COP28 the decision was taken by the International Union for Conservation of Nature to reassess the status of Atlantic salmon, moving it from a...
Read more >
Alternatives to Chemical Control of Bracken
October 27, 2023For the last 10 years, Asulam (also known as Asulox) has been granted special approval on an annual basis for use in the control of...
Read more >
Getting Your Soil Ready for Organic Farming
October 11, 2023Ensuring soil health is optimal is key to the success of any farming operation, but in an organic system, where there is no option to...
Read more >
Tree Relocation: Allargue Estate
September 26, 2023Allargue estate has been family owned for over 300 years and is positioned on roughly 2400 hectares (ha) of upland habitats, of which 115 ha...
Read more >
Natural Capital – Bees, Butterflies and Biodiversity
April 28, 2023We begin our second series of Natural Capital exploring Bees, Butterflies and Biodiversity with Dr Lorna Cole, an agricultural ecologist whose work addresses the challenge...
Read more >
Thrill of the Hill – A Damming Conclusion?
March 23, 2023Episode #12 – A Damming Conclusion? Beavers are a keystone species and their presence in Scotland could go a long way to achieving land landscape...
Read more >
Recognising Healthy Peatlands
February 7, 2023In this video, Dr Lorna Cole from SAC Consulting discusses how to recognise degraded peatlands with Laura Curtis-Moss from East Ayrshire Coalfield Environment Initiative. Related...
Read more >
Peatland Restoration
February 7, 2023In this video the SAC Consulting team up with peatland experts from East Ayrshire Coalfield Environment Initiative to help landowners navigate through a peatland restoration...
Read more >
Thrill of the Hill 9 – Digging Deep on Soil Carbon
January 31, 2023Episode #9 – Digging Deep on Soil Carbon. In this episode we hear from Senior Scientific Lead Rachael Ramsay about the scientific consensus around soil...
Read more >
Species-Rich Grasslands
January 18, 2023Species-rich grasslands are particularly valuable for wildlife and support a variety of rare species of plants and insects. Despite their value, we have lost approximately...
Read more >
Working Together to Improve Water Management: Greenloaning Project on the Allan Water
January 17, 2023Forth Fisheries Trust have been working with land managers to slow flow and improve water management on site throughout the Allan Water Project. This video...
Read more >
Ecosystem Markets and Green Commerce
January 11, 2023In our final episode of the series we are discussing the important financial topics which cover most natural capital projects, including ecosystem markets and green...
Read more >
Hedgerow Restoration and Management
December 21, 2022Healthy hedgerows are truly multifunctional. They capture and store carbon, stockproof fields and enhance biosecurity, provide shade and shelter for livestock and they slow and...
Read more >
Thrill of the Hill – Working for Waders Part 2
December 21, 2022Thrill of the Hill is back! Season 3 #8 – Working for Waders Part II. In this episode we hear from returning guest, Working for...
Read more >
Cross Compliance: Protecting Our Landscapes
December 13, 2022Landscape features such as dykes are a unique part of the Scottish landscape, find out what the rules are under Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions...
Read more >
Cross Compliance – Preventing Soil Erosion
December 13, 2022Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions 5 relates to limiting soil erosion. This short video explains why soil erosion is so important and your responsibilities relating...
Read more >
Water Management on Your Farm: Re-connection to Floodplain
December 9, 2022As climate conditions continue to change the sustainable management of water on farm is of great concern for many land managers around Scotland. From unprecedented...
Read more >
Resilient Technology Options for Water Management on Farm: Rainwater Harvesting
November 25, 2022As our climate changes and we experience more extreme weather patterns, becoming more resilient and efficient with water use on farm can be critical to...
Read more >
Water Management for Your Farm: Slowing the Flow
November 25, 2022As climate conditions continue to change the sustainable management of water on farm is of great concern for many land managers around Scotland. From unprecedented...
Read more >
Water Management on Your Farm: Resilience
November 25, 2022As climate conditions continue to change the sustainable management of water on farm is of great concern for many land managers around Scotland. From unprecedented...
Read more >
Water Management on Your Farm: Irrigation
November 25, 2022As climate conditions continue to change the sustainable management of water on farm is of great concern for many land managers around Scotland. From unprecedented...
Read more >
Grazing for Profit and Biodiversity: Grazing Strategies
October 28, 2022Equally important to both profit and biodiversity as pasture composition, is the way in which we graze the pasture with livestock. Grazing duration, intensity and...
Read more >
Grazing for Profit and Biodiversity at Peelham
October 25, 2022In this video, Denise and Angus Walton discuss how developing a rotational grazing system combined with deferred grazing for cattle wintering has seen a multitude...
Read more >
Grazing for Profit and Biodiversity: Multi-Species Swards
September 1, 2022This factsheet looks at the wide range of benefits multi-species swards can bring for farm profitability and biodiversity including improved stock and pasture productivity on...
Read more >
CropCast – Cover Crops & Green Manures
July 20, 2022Welcome to CropCast, your go to podcast for all the latest information on arable crops. Each month, SAC advisor, Tiffany Mactaggart will be joined by...
Read more >
Compost and Growing Media
December 13, 2021Do you have a horticultural enterprise on your croft or smallholding? Do you buy or make compost or growing media? Do you get variable results?!...
Read more >
Evaluating Soil Quality and Testing for Soil Health Status
December 9, 2021At grass roots level SAC consultants are noting a growing interest in soil health from farmers and increasing numbers of questions about what SRUC can...
Read more >
Tackling Soil Compaction to Reduce Fertiliser Costs
December 1, 2021Dairy farmers across Scotland often rely on fertiliser to ensure that they grow enough grass to meet the needs of their livestock. However, fertiliser prices...
Read more >
Women in Agriculture, Caithness: Confused about Carbon? Let’s Clear the Air!
October 10, 2021So much talk about reducing farm emissions, lowering your carbon footprint, carbon neutral, net zero and how to farm more efficiently…..confused by all this and...
Read more >
Trees and carbon capture – The Science
July 21, 2021Can trees really help combat climate change, and how? If you’ve ever wondered “what’s the evidence that tree planting targets will work?” watch the recording...
Read more >More in FAS Problem Solver
Select by an area of interest
Can we store more carbon in our soils?
December 19, 2024There is a lot of discussion around how we ‘lock up’ more carbon in our soils, however due to natural processes, this is more challenging...
Read more >
Farm Peatland Restoration At Leadloch Farm, A Case Study and Guide
December 19, 2024Peatland restoration projects can be complex, with many moving parts. This case study of a year-long peatland restoration project aims to give readers an overview...
Read more >
The Golden Hoof
December 16, 2024Welcome to In Conversation With… hosted this month by Mark Bowsher-Gibbs (Principal Consultant) and Kirsten Williams (Senior Sheep and Beef Consultant). On today’s episode Mark...
Read more >
Fungi: The forgotten kingdom?
November 28, 2024Fungi, the often-overlooked kingdom of life, runs mostly undetected under out feet, forming intricate networks that support ecosystems in extraordinary ways. Mycorrhiza, a symbiotic relationship...
Read more >
Restoring Nature Across Luing and Scarba
September 27, 2024The Island of Luing in Argyll has for centuries been a centre for agriculture and food production. Formerly referred to as the breadbasket of Argyll...
Read more >
Rewilding & Farming
August 22, 2024The practice of rewilding is gaining momentum in Scotland, with many options available for farmers and land managers to take rewilding actions. Different types of...
Read more >
LENs and Forth Rivers Trust
June 28, 2024Forth Rivers Trust leads the Leven LENs, a collaborative project that aims to match investors with local activities and projects, that preserve and enhance the...
Read more >
Bats and Biodiversity
April 26, 2024If you are out on the farm around dusk or dawn during the summer months, you might spot bats fluttering through the sky, when little...
Read more >
Water Scarcity Case Study: Alternative watering of livestock
March 25, 2024Background Following an AECS application in 2016 to fence off watercourses from grazing livestock, combined with a move to outwintering of cattle, Whitriggs Farm had...
Read more >
Natural Capital – Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS)
February 29, 2024Are you looking for funding for projects to promote conservation and tackle climate change? In this episode of Natural Capital we discuss Scotland’s Agri-Environment and...
Read more >
Outcome-based Agri-Environment and Climate Schemes
February 28, 2024The Agri-Environment and Climate Scheme (AECS) is designed to help farmers and crofters preserve or enhance the wider benefits that their land provides to society....
Read more >
Protecting Atlantic Salmon
January 10, 2024At COP28 the decision was taken by the International Union for Conservation of Nature to reassess the status of Atlantic salmon, moving it from a...
Read more >
Alternatives to Chemical Control of Bracken
October 27, 2023For the last 10 years, Asulam (also known as Asulox) has been granted special approval on an annual basis for use in the control of...
Read more >
Getting Your Soil Ready for Organic Farming
October 11, 2023Ensuring soil health is optimal is key to the success of any farming operation, but in an organic system, where there is no option to...
Read more >
Tree Relocation: Allargue Estate
September 26, 2023Allargue estate has been family owned for over 300 years and is positioned on roughly 2400 hectares (ha) of upland habitats, of which 115 ha...
Read more >
Natural Capital – Bees, Butterflies and Biodiversity
April 28, 2023We begin our second series of Natural Capital exploring Bees, Butterflies and Biodiversity with Dr Lorna Cole, an agricultural ecologist whose work addresses the challenge...
Read more >
Thrill of the Hill – A Damming Conclusion?
March 23, 2023Episode #12 – A Damming Conclusion? Beavers are a keystone species and their presence in Scotland could go a long way to achieving land landscape...
Read more >
Recognising Healthy Peatlands
February 7, 2023In this video, Dr Lorna Cole from SAC Consulting discusses how to recognise degraded peatlands with Laura Curtis-Moss from East Ayrshire Coalfield Environment Initiative. Related...
Read more >
Peatland Restoration
February 7, 2023In this video the SAC Consulting team up with peatland experts from East Ayrshire Coalfield Environment Initiative to help landowners navigate through a peatland restoration...
Read more >
Thrill of the Hill 9 – Digging Deep on Soil Carbon
January 31, 2023Episode #9 – Digging Deep on Soil Carbon. In this episode we hear from Senior Scientific Lead Rachael Ramsay about the scientific consensus around soil...
Read more >
Species-Rich Grasslands
January 18, 2023Species-rich grasslands are particularly valuable for wildlife and support a variety of rare species of plants and insects. Despite their value, we have lost approximately...
Read more >
Working Together to Improve Water Management: Greenloaning Project on the Allan Water
January 17, 2023Forth Fisheries Trust have been working with land managers to slow flow and improve water management on site throughout the Allan Water Project. This video...
Read more >
Ecosystem Markets and Green Commerce
January 11, 2023In our final episode of the series we are discussing the important financial topics which cover most natural capital projects, including ecosystem markets and green...
Read more >
Hedgerow Restoration and Management
December 21, 2022Healthy hedgerows are truly multifunctional. They capture and store carbon, stockproof fields and enhance biosecurity, provide shade and shelter for livestock and they slow and...
Read more >
Thrill of the Hill – Working for Waders Part 2
December 21, 2022Thrill of the Hill is back! Season 3 #8 – Working for Waders Part II. In this episode we hear from returning guest, Working for...
Read more >
Cross Compliance: Protecting Our Landscapes
December 13, 2022Landscape features such as dykes are a unique part of the Scottish landscape, find out what the rules are under Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions...
Read more >
Cross Compliance – Preventing Soil Erosion
December 13, 2022Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions 5 relates to limiting soil erosion. This short video explains why soil erosion is so important and your responsibilities relating...
Read more >
Water Management on Your Farm: Re-connection to Floodplain
December 9, 2022As climate conditions continue to change the sustainable management of water on farm is of great concern for many land managers around Scotland. From unprecedented...
Read more >
Resilient Technology Options for Water Management on Farm: Rainwater Harvesting
November 25, 2022As our climate changes and we experience more extreme weather patterns, becoming more resilient and efficient with water use on farm can be critical to...
Read more >
Water Management for Your Farm: Slowing the Flow
November 25, 2022As climate conditions continue to change the sustainable management of water on farm is of great concern for many land managers around Scotland. From unprecedented...
Read more >
Water Management on Your Farm: Resilience
November 25, 2022As climate conditions continue to change the sustainable management of water on farm is of great concern for many land managers around Scotland. From unprecedented...
Read more >
Water Management on Your Farm: Irrigation
November 25, 2022As climate conditions continue to change the sustainable management of water on farm is of great concern for many land managers around Scotland. From unprecedented...
Read more >
Grazing for Profit and Biodiversity: Grazing Strategies
October 28, 2022Equally important to both profit and biodiversity as pasture composition, is the way in which we graze the pasture with livestock. Grazing duration, intensity and...
Read more >
Grazing for Profit and Biodiversity at Peelham
October 25, 2022In this video, Denise and Angus Walton discuss how developing a rotational grazing system combined with deferred grazing for cattle wintering has seen a multitude...
Read more >
Grazing for Profit and Biodiversity: Multi-Species Swards
September 1, 2022This factsheet looks at the wide range of benefits multi-species swards can bring for farm profitability and biodiversity including improved stock and pasture productivity on...
Read more >
CropCast – Cover Crops & Green Manures
July 20, 2022Welcome to CropCast, your go to podcast for all the latest information on arable crops. Each month, SAC advisor, Tiffany Mactaggart will be joined by...
Read more >
Compost and Growing Media
December 13, 2021Do you have a horticultural enterprise on your croft or smallholding? Do you buy or make compost or growing media? Do you get variable results?!...
Read more >
Evaluating Soil Quality and Testing for Soil Health Status
December 9, 2021At grass roots level SAC consultants are noting a growing interest in soil health from farmers and increasing numbers of questions about what SRUC can...
Read more >
Tackling Soil Compaction to Reduce Fertiliser Costs
December 1, 2021Dairy farmers across Scotland often rely on fertiliser to ensure that they grow enough grass to meet the needs of their livestock. However, fertiliser prices...
Read more >
Women in Agriculture, Caithness: Confused about Carbon? Let’s Clear the Air!
October 10, 2021So much talk about reducing farm emissions, lowering your carbon footprint, carbon neutral, net zero and how to farm more efficiently…..confused by all this and...
Read more >
Trees and carbon capture – The Science
July 21, 2021Can trees really help combat climate change, and how? If you’ve ever wondered “what’s the evidence that tree planting targets will work?” watch the recording...
Read more >Something else on your mind?