Learn about: benefits of integrating trees in productive livestock systems, deer monitoring and control, virtual fencing, funding and advice

Join us at Crannich Farm for a farm walk and discussions about all things Agroforestry. On the farm walk, we'll hear from the Sedgewick Family how they have integrated tree planting and habitat creation into a working livestock farm without compromising agricultural production.

The day will also feature presentations and dicussions on new approaches to deer monitoring and crontrol by Mull farmers collaborating with the Woodland Trust, latest Agroforestry reserach by SRUC, assisting cattle woodland grazing with virtual fencing and the Integrating Trees Network, a farmer-led initiative aimed at sharing practical knowledge and experience, advice on funding, and more.

Crannich is home to a fold of Highland cattle, a flock of Scottish Blackface sheep, and a tourism business that includes a campsite and holiday caravans. Over the past 25 years, the Sedgewick Family has been exploring how carefully planned tree planting and pond creation can strengthen the farm by providing shelter for livestock, improving biodiversity and making better use of naturally wet and less productive areas. Rather than reducing our productive agricultural land, the aim has been to make the farm work better for both livestock and wildlife.

On the farm walk we'll see:

Shelterbelt and windbreak planting

Riparian woodlands and wildlife corridors

Newly established woodlands

Pond and wetland habitats

Along the way, we'll discuss:

Why these locations were chosen and how they fit into the working livestock farm.

The practical benefits from shelter and habitat creation.

The realities of establishing trees on Mull, including what has worked, what hasn't, and the lessons learnt along the way.

Tree establishment, replacement planting and choosing the right places and right species for different sites.

Future plans for grazing livestock within and around these areas.

How habitat creation is balanced with productive land management, including improving grazing areas and silage fields.

This is an opportunity to see the projects for yourself, ask questions, and have an open discussion about the practicalities of integrating trees and habitats into a working family farm.

Presentations will include:

Lewis Pate (Woodland Trust) on deer management and control with the North West Mull Rainforest Collaboration using a thermal drone.

Lyn White (Integrating Trees Network) on farmers experience with integrating trees in their farming systems, advice and funding opportunities.

Sam Firth (Crofter in Morvern) on grazing as a conservation tool to manage the woodland and meadows, push back bracken and increase biodiversity.

John Holland (SRUC) on benefits of trees for livestock and recent agroforestry projects at the SRUC Kirkton Hill & Mountain Reserach Centre.

There is an opportunity to connect with speakers and ask individual questions after the official programme. Lunch and refreshments are provided. Liftshares can be organised on request.

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This event is part of the Farmer Cluster Connections project which aims to build a coordinated network of farmer clusters and facilitators across Scotland, to accelerate the exchange of knowledge, skills, and innovation in sustainable and regenerative agriculture. It is a collaborative project involving Southern Uplands Partnership, Carse of Stirling Partnership, Highland Good Food Partnership, East Lothian Climate Hub, and Propagate. It is funded by the Scottish Government's Knowledge Transfer Innovation Fund.

Description supplied by the event organiser.