Based at Fearn Farm in Ross-shire, the husband-and-wife team have also made full use of some solid New Zealand farm business advice, getting face-to-face input from Feilding consultant Trevor Cook while also employing a steady stream of kiwi workers on their 1200-hectare mixed farming enterprise, split between Ross-shire and Sutherland.
The Scotts are pedigree Texel and Beltex breerder also running flocks of NZ Suffolks and Aberfeilds. They use Southdown rams to produce prime lambs at a range of weights.
“Brexit will bring challenges, of course, but will also bring opportunities,” John Scott said.
“We’re pretty focused therefore on getting our business ready to handle the challenges that arise while also making the most of any opportunities that may follow.
“For a number of years, in fact, we’ve felt that support payments were going to reduce.
“As a result, we’ve been working hard to put measures in place to make our business less reliant on support payments.
“That has involved revolutionising our approach to grass and how we manage it, utilising far more forage crops than we ever did before while also working with cutting edge technology and the best genetics we can obtain.
“All the while, we’ve worked with Trevor to help us focus on being fit for farming in the future, whether that’s in or out of Europe and with or without subsidies.
“We’re concentrating, of course, on the factors we can influence, seeking all the time to make our business as streamlined and efficient at possible and learning what we can from others who are doing the same, irrespective of whether they’re based a few miles down the road in Ross-shire or on the other side of the world in NZ.”
Scott was speaking before hosting a Quality Meat Scotland grazing seminar with Cook as one of the keynote speakers.
