Farming on an island may have its advantages, but the higher costs to ship inputs on and outputs off comes at a considerable cost. Attendees at the first meeting of the new Argyllshire Monitor Farm, at Craigens Farm on Islay, heard how the business makes the most of what is locally available, as well as looking at options to develop the enterprise further.

The Monitor Farm hosts at Craigens Farm, the Archibald family, make best use of their 2000ha of ground, plus draff from Islay’s famous whisky production, but the meeting highlighted some areas for further focus to help reduce costs, including health and nutrition planning.

Despite a rare day of snow on Islay, almost 60 islanders and a good number from the mainland met at the farm, situated near the scenic Loch Gruinart on the north west of the island. During this first Argyllshire Monitor Farm meeting, attendees looked at the housed cows - who are kept in a cubicle system which is a remnant from the farm’s previous use as a dairy - stores, calves, and lambs.

The Archibald family - Craig and Petra, their children, Kieran, Niamh and Innes, and Craig’s father Tony – run a number of enterprises on their expansive tenanted farm. These include 220 Aberdeen-Angus cross suckler cows, 1050 mainly Blackface breeding ewes, and 20 hectares of barley for Bruichladdich distillery. Annually, 1200 fat lambs and 200 yearling calves are sold, and they have diversified into farmed oysters and just recently, an on-farm café.

Of the cows, 170 are put to Aberdeen-Angus bulls and 80 to Charolais bulls over a 12-week bulling period, with 150 of the fattest cows outwintered on deferred grazing. Calving is on straw from late March to the end of June, with calves weaned at six months. Calves are creep-fed for five to six weeks, the go on to a complete ration of 1.5kg barley and 0.25kg soya with readily available draff and silage.

The ewe flock are tupped on the hill and after scanning in February, single carriers remain on the hill with twin-bearers moved to the shore. The family said its sheep enterprise was “challenged by fluke resistance, geese, ticks, and a variety of other problems!”

Monitor Farm visitors were impressed with the farm management at the unit, and identified many good points at Craigens Farm; livestock were looking well and content, the business made good use of its sheds, and mixing its own feed was also seen as a positive.

Attendees suggested several areas to focus on:

Making health and nutrition planning a priority for the sheep and cattle enterprises;

Undertaking baseline soil and blood testing;

Implementing a health plan for fluke and worm management;

Investigating the link between cow nutrition and high twin rate of up to 10% vs high barren rate of 6-10 %, which could be down to cow fertility and nutrition with some of the cows being identified as being too well fed;

Getting a handle on lamb losses between scanning to number sold could drive more profit;

Using technology could help make record keeping easier and assist in taking a closer look at costings.

Craig is keen that the Monitor Farm Programme isn’t just about their business, but something for the farming community on Islay and Argyllshire. “By the end of the programme, I’d like to be better informed and the farm, more profitable. As the island goes – I hope it’ll attract interest from other farmers and inspire some of the younger generations.”

Farm businesses at the meeting were encouraged to sign up to be part of the Management Group of 10-12 businesses who will supply data, information and ideas that will lead to change and better resilience for the Monitor Farmer and themselves.

Over the next few months the Monitor Farm project will be collecting and collating data and information on Craigens Farm, establishing its Management Group and the wider Community Group, and collaborating with the two other cluster farms (Stirlingshire and South Ayrshire).