SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½

Sustainable Farm Networks project launches summer season at Scotland's Royal Highland Show

Posted 11 June

A scheme which brings together farm networks across the British Isles is set to start its summer event season at this year’s Royal Highland Show.

The  initiative was set up by the at SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ to enable better co-ordination between the UK’s farm networks.

Project Manager Lucy Bates will be among those on hand at the Royal Highland Show, held just outside Newbridge near Edinburgh, to talk about the SFN’s work.

Staff and students from Harper Adams will be at the show from June 19 to 22, with SFN colleagues joining them for the first two days.

Lucy said: “As summer truly gets going, the Sustainable Farm Networks (SFN) initiative is starting the show season in Scotland, joining Harper Adams colleagues at the Royal Highland Show on June 19 and 20.

“Of the 33 and counting SFN member networks, 19 have Scottish members, and four are made up exclusively of Scottish farms - making this an exciting opportunity to connect with demo farm network stewards and members who are a vital part of shaping the future of farming both sides of the border.”

Thousands of farms from all corners of the UK are now part of the SFN 'network of networks', with its members collaborating to boost education, skills, training, research and sustainable practices.

Lucy added: “In Scotland, a strong history of co-operative working - SFN Scottish member organisation was formed in 1905 - combines with a pivotal opportunity in land use and farming as the nation hammers out devolved post-EU agricultural policies.

“Peer to peer learning, scheme co-design and collaboration between experts and farmers to develop new, environmentally friendly and economically sustainable practices are all hot topics for our Scottish members.

“Enabling these- across the span of all four UK nations- is exactly what the SFN has been set up to do.”

Two days after the Royal Highland Show ends the SFN will be speaking at a second Scottish event, held at the James Hutton Institute, Dundee.

Delegates from Scottish agricultural organisations, research institutes and farm policy advice hubs will be hearing how demonstration farm networks are ‘learning together’ through the SFN, growing their collective evidence and reach to underpin a sustainable future for UK agriculture.

The SFN can be found at the Harper Adams stand, 2 (P) on Seventh Avenue, at the Royal Highland Show on Thursday 19 and Friday June.

Following that, they can be found at Stand MS25 at Groundswell in Hertfordshire on July 2 and 3, at the Royal Welsh Show in Builth Wells at the Harper Adams Pavillion, on Wednesday, July 23, and at the Fields Good festival in Glenarm, Northern Ireland on September 6.

For more details on the SFN, visit :