Newsletter Vol.1 No. 4

Editor: Sam Eccles

Scottish Agriculture Bill:

Call to action for our readers in Scotland

The subsidy system for Scottish agriculture has been in a state of limbo for the past few years and many farmers and crofters are anxious to see what direction it will go in, so that they can commit to making changes on their land that will align with the new agricultural policies. The Scottish Government will soon be deciding on a new Agriculture Bill that will shape the future of farming and crofting in Scotland, and has opened a public consultation in preparation for this. It’s vital that we give our input to this consultation to ensure that stockfree farming is duly rewarded and incentivised in the future subsidy system, given that it offers so many benefits to people, animals and the biosphere.

While the consultation is quite long, most questions are optional, so you can focus on the sections you feel most passionate or knowledgeable about if you’re short on time. Plus, you can always complete the consultation in multiple sittings.

If you would like some ideas for how to respond, check out our recommendations to government starting on page 35 of our Farmers’ and Crofters’ Survey report Thriving Beyond the Protein Transition.

The deadline is 5^th December and you can access the consultation via this link:

Beyond the Possible: Still time to sign up!

A quick reminder that we still have 4 webinars left in our free webinar series

‘Beyond the Possible: Expanding the Boundaries of Farming and Crofting’.

If you were unable to attend the previous 4 webinars, remember you  can always watch the recordings at the link below. We still have lots of interesting topics to be covered including stockfree growing in Orkney, forestry and carbon credits, producing hemp, and natural methods of pest control and self-sufficient soil fertility. We hope to see you there!

Stockfree Farming is now a charitable trust!

We are pleased to announce that Stockfree Farming is now on the Scottish Charity Register! You can find us on the register here under our previous name Farmers For Stock-Free Farming (charity no. SC052128).

Lusan Veganic Co-operative

Lusan Co-op are seeking founding members to setup a new vegan land-based housing co-op in the Dumfries and Galloway area of Scotland. They aim to collectively grow most of their own fruit, vegetables and herbs using vegan-organic and nature friendly methods. You can read more about them on their website and they post regular updates on Facebook too. We’re excited to see how Lusan progresses!