The Farm Profit Programme is an ambitious new project delivered by the Farmers Journal and ANM Group with the support of the Scottish Government. The objective of the programme is to improve the technical performance and profitability of livestock farms across the north and northeast of Scotland. Read more

I farm in partnership with my wife Shona and our two young children at Greenvale Farm in Caithness, four miles from Dunnet Head, the most northerly point on the British Isles.

We run a herd of 160 suckler cows calving in two groups in the spring and summer. We don’t own any sheep, but do let winter grazing to a hill sheep flock for their ewe lambs from September to April.

The majority of the farm is Class 3.2, running up to our hill, which is Class 5.1.

The farm is mainly in grass, with around 15ha to 20ha of barley grown to give us feeding and bedding for the cattle.

Our cows are split fairly evenly between the spring (March/April) and summer (May/June) herds.

Housing is a limiting factor on the farm, so we house the spring cows and weaned calves at Greenvale, while the summer-calving cows overwinter on the hill ground.

We run a Simmental bull to give us replacement heifers and an Aberdeen Angus bull on the heifer replacements.

The rest of the herd goes to Charolais bulls, with calves sold at around one year old.

We are keen to look at soil fertility, as the farm probably needs lime, as well as P and K applied.

This will help increase the amount of grass we grow on the land not in environmental schemes.

As well as targeting soil fertility, we feel there is much to be gained from adopting a rotational grazing system on our improved grassland. If we can grow more grass and have better-quality swards, then cows will respond by weaning heavier calves.