Monitor Farm Projects
The Monitor Farm concept was imported from New Zealand and is now successfully established in Scotland. A Monitor Farm is a normal commercial farm, representative of a region, where the farmer opens up his business and decision-making to other local farmers. It is designed to give farmers a chance to improve the profitability of their businesses by sharing experiences, seeking out the best practices on real farms, trying out new techniques, improving business skills and generally improving their ability to farm successfully. The principal aim is to improve the profitability of farmers in the region.
SAOS have partnered with Peter Cook to facilitate two Monitor Farms. The joint facilitators of Jim Booth and Peter Cook have unrivalled experience in farm business management, and working with farmer groups.
A key part of the project’s success is the participation of local farmers who form the ‘Community Group’ to help decide the Monitor Farm’s priorities and the programme of activities. The emphasis is on practical farming methods and good business decisions, rather than theory.
Project Funders
The funders for the two projects are:
- Cairngorm Monitor Farm – QMS, Cairngorm National Park Authority, Scottish Enterprise, and Scottish Executive
- Arable Monitor Farm – HGCA, Scottish Enterprise, and Scottish Executive
Both projects commenced from 2007 and run for three years, with the group meeting six times a year
A key component of the project is the ability to extend the learning from the Group to the wider farming community – knowledge transfer. This section of the website provides regular reports from the two farms facilitated by SAOS;