This episode is all about pork, following the successful month of 'Porktober', during October, when QMS, and butchers all over Scotland, celebrated Scotland's pig farmers and Specially Selected Pork. Conversations are with Bruce McConachie from QMS who talks about disease surveillance and controlling Scotland's feral pigs, and with two butchers - Jordan McCaughan, a young butcher at Hugh Black & Sons and Gary Raeburn, who has a very successful butcher's shop in Huntly.  Here is a link to all episodes of QMS's podcast https://qmscotland.co.uk/news-media/qms-podcast ..read more

QMS Chief Executive, Sarah Millar and QMS board Chair, Kate Rowell, explain the three key pillars of QMS’s five-year strategy - provenance, profitability and productivity, planning and place, and what getting this right means to Scotland’s red meat sector.  ..read more

QMS Chief Executive, Sarah Millar and QMS board Chair, Kate Rowell, explain the three key pillars of QMS’s five-year strategy - provenance, profitability and productivity, planning and place, and what getting this right means to Scotland’s red meat sector.  ..read more

In this episode, the conversation focuses on meat eating quality. The discussions are with Bruce McConachie, QMS's Head of Industry Development and Dan Gilmour, a third generation butcher from East Lothian.   For the red meat sector to be able to meet the challenges of a global marketplace improving the eating quality and consistency of our red meat is essential. This podcast gives a great insight into QMS's Meat Eating Quality report, which is encouraging the red meat sector to discuss how Scotland might change its determining the consistency of how meat tastes, eats and cooks. The work ..read more

Farmers are having to look at all aspects of their business to try to control costs and one of the areas that they can do this is by focussing on the forage that they grow for their livestock. Tune in to this week’s podcast to hear from Andrew Houstoun, who farms Glenkilrie Farm near Blairgowrie and Charles Murray, seed merchant and agronomist, who runs Clyde Agriculture (Seeds) Ltd.  They discuss grazing and forage requirements and what can be done to extend the grazing season to in order to minimise winter feeding costs ..read more

Farmers and their workers are the most important asset on any farm. Now an initiative founded in the farming community in New Zealand has made it’s way to Scotland.  Farmstrong aims to help farmers and their workers live well, to farm well.  Tune in to this weeks podcast with John Scott of Fearn Farm and is leading FarmStrongs introduction to Scotland, Gerard Vaughan is Farmstrong’s project lead and spokesperson in NZ. He helped design and establish the programme in 2015 and oversees its research and education initiatives.  Listen in to hear how the Farmstrong Scotland program ..read more

Data is power. By collecting and measuring data it can help to make informed management decisions on farm. There are multiple platforms you can use to help gather this data, one of which is AgriWebb. Lawrence Martin, Farm Manager at Carbeth Home Farm in Stirlingshire, has a particular passion for technology and using it to drive sustainable and efficient business practices within the livestock industry.  Lawrence is joined on the podcast by John Fargher, who's background in farming and commercialising technology put him in a perfect position to be one of the founders of AgriWebb.  ..read more

As part of the post-covid engagement strategy, QMS staff have been out at shows and events to engage with members, levy payers and consumers.  In this episode Mark catches up with Sarah Millar, Chief Executive and Kate Rowell, Chair at Turriff Show. Have a listen to hear an update on QMS activity ..read more

Stuart Mitchell, Whitriggs Farm joins the podcast to discuss how they have dramatically reduced the winter feed bill by moving to outwintering. Through the Monitor Farm Scotland Programme the Mitchell's calculated the cost to feed a cow through the winter. Colin MacPhail of MacPhail Consulting was one of the facilitators for the Borders Monitor Farm at Whitriggs and was heavily involved in the discussions and changes which Stuart made to his farming business during the Monitor Farm Programme. Listen now to for insight into the changes which Stuart and the Mitchell family have made to the farmi ..read more

Beth Alexander, cattle and sheep specialist at QMS, is joined by quests at the QMS stand live from the 200th Royal Highland Show.  ..read more