Welcome to Stock Talk hosted by Beef and Sheep Consultant Kirsten Williams. On today’s episode Kirsten is joined by farmers Craig and Claire Grant who run a mixed farming enterprise across 1,300 acres arable and 400 acres grass (owned and rented) along with their team of 20 full and part time employees. The business has poultry across five sites with a total of 225,000 laying hens, in addition to 330 bulling heifers that are sold privately with high health off farm to producers throughout Scotland. Craig and Claire regularly engage with the public, sharing information about where food comes from.

Episode Timestamps

00.35 Introducing Craig and Claire Grant

04.30 Business components, systems and staff

07.44 Finding and retaining labour

11.20 Enriched colonies and free-range birds

14.50 Egg markets and Kindrought Egg Hoosie

19.03 Cooperation in farming

21.37 Audits

23.47 Cattle: marketing on farm, scoring charts, high health, certification packages

32.10 Buying young stock

35.57 Building relationships and trust

37.05 An award-winning business (Young Farmer of the Year, Mixed Farm of the Year, Overall Farm of the Year)

FAS Resources

Contract Farming Agreements Explained | Farm Advisory Service

Business planning and financial management: An introduction | Farm Advisory Service

Other Resources

C J Grant | Facebook

For more information, visit  www.FAS.scot

Facebook: @FASScot

National Advice Hub

Phone: 0300 323 0161

Email: advice@fas.scot

In this podcast we hear from Kirsten Williams who will be taking over Robert Ramsay’s role as the host on Stock Talk. Kirsten talks about her farming system at home as well as her interests at work. Robert mentions some of his favourite Stock Talk podcasts and how they can develop into something bigger (e.g. the deer farming podcast has now turned into a FAS Deer Farming Group). Kirsten wishes to continue Stock Talk with more farming stories as well as discussing more technical aspects.

Related FAS Resources

Kirsten Williams: Let your determination grow stronger | Information helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service

In this podcast we hear from Sam Parsons from Balcaskie. He talks about the organic farming system and the use of regenerative agriculture practices at Balcaskie and how it has helped reduce costs. He also talks about meat eating quality in their choice of cattle as they sell their beef direct to customers through the butchery. They are using Lincoln Red bulls across the herd. Sam talks about the challenges he has faced with changing his system from 6-7 months winter housing cattle to outwintering them most of the year. He also discussed with Robert the importance of young people coming into the industry.

You can contact Sam by emailing sparsons@balcaskie.com

Related FAS Resources

Stock Talk - James Biggar & Lorna Galloway | Information helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service