NEW BORDERS monitor farmers, Robert and Lesley Mitchell and their son Stuart, are looking forward to welcoming local farmers to their first open meeting this week.

Their launch event, which is being held this Wednesday, February 22, will start at Whitriggs Farm, Denholm, at 10am, before moving to the Auld Cross Keys Inn for lunch. The event should finish by 2.30pm. All are welcome and the event is free.

The Mitchell family currently farm 442 hectares of mainly semi-permanent and permanent grassland, and grow approximately 40 hectares of winter wheat and oats for feeding their stock – 140 suckler cows which are a combination of Beef Shorthorn cross and Aberdeen Angus cross, and 1000 Lleyn ewes.

The family are keen to both develop their farm business and safeguard it for future generations. One aspect of the business that the Mitchells are keen to look at are their calving and lambing percentages.

Lesley commented: “Although we are fairly happy with our current percentages, we think there is still room for improvement, so are looking forward to the input of the community group to suggest improvements we can make here at Whitriggs.”

This farmer-led learning is an important part of the monitor farm programme. Farmers who attend the meetings at Whitriggs can share ideas and suggest changes that the farm can make to improve its efficiency and then monitor the results on the farm over the three-year period of the monitor farm programme. Those who attend can also suggest topics and speakers for future meetings and discuss issues that are important to those who farm in the Borders.

Robert is excited about being part of the three-year monitor farm programme: “I believe that if you are not going forwards, you are going backwards. Standing still isn’t an option for us.”

Those interested in coming along to the launch should contact project facilitator Stephen Young on 07502 339613 or email stephen.young@saos.coop.