Cairngorms future farming

Farming in a changing climate presents many challenges. This project is supporting farmers to trial and adopt sustainable practices that reduce carbon emissions, benefit nature, and improve farm business resilience and profitability. 

• Dyfan on Auchnerran Farm Rupert Shanks

  

  
• Agricultural machinery Rupert Shanks

  

  
• Rhindu Farm Moya MacDonald

  

  

We’ve been working closely with a small number of farmers that reflect the different farm types across the National Park. These farmers have committed to trialling a range of farming practices and monitoring how they influence everything from carbon emissions to farm finances, livestock performance to habitat quality.  

Sustainable practices that have been trialled include better targeting medicine use in livestock to reduce harm to insects in the soil and save costs, to improving water quality by fencing livestock out of watercourses and installing solar-powered water pumps. Other practices trialed include planting pockets of rare tree species to connect habitats and provide shelter to mob grazing, where cattle are rotated around smaller patches of land for a shorter time, giving the soil a chance to rest and improving plant diversity, soil health and productivity. 

We are supporting more farmers across the National Park to try some of the sustainable practices that have been successful at benefiting nature, reducing carbon emissions, and improving business resilience. This support will include group training, bespoke advice and grants, alongside knowledge sharing events. Events and other opportunities will be advertised on our website, on our agricultural newsletter mailing list and elsewhere.  

By trying and evaluating different techniques, sharing learnings and supporting farmers to try things out, this project is helping farmers in the Cairngorms to remain profitable, increase business resilience and play their part in our shared journey to net zero.