Organic Producers Board in Berwickshire
The North East England and South East Scotland Organic Producers Board regional meeting at Peelham Farm, was kindly hosted by Angus, Denise and Chris Walton. The day brought together organic producers from both sides of the border for a day of learning, discussion and networking.
Farm walk
Peelham Farm, which is both Soil Association Organic and Pasture for Life certified, provided an excellent setting to explore organic livestock production, pasture-based farming, local processing and regional food supply chains. The morning farm walk covered a range of topics including bale grazing, standing hay, deferred mob grazing, pasture and clover management, water systems, pasture resilience and machine hedgerow planting.
David Cunningham from Dods of Haddington gave an independent overview of grass and herbal ley species mixes, discussing management considerations for building productive and resilient pastures. Attendees also learned about practical establishment techniques, including direct seeding using a Väderstad seeder.
Farm resilience
During the farm tour Angus and Denise explained their approach to wintering cattle using standing hay and flash grazing and how they have gradually improved their farm's resilience. Participants also visited the on-farm butchery and charcuterie operation, which processes Peelham's own organic beef as well as conventional pork, producing a range of sausages, bacon and charcuterie products sold through 12 farmers' markets each month and other local outlets.
During lunch, Colleen McCulloch, our Scotland Farming Lead, provided an update on the Scottish Organic Action Plan. The Action Plan is now in its second year of funded delivery, with Soil Association Scotland as a key delivery partner. Activity so far has included mapping organic supply chains and producing the first Scotland Organic Market Report, with year two activity to include boosting support for procurement. Denise also shared reflections on the farm's recent organic inspection.
Steven Lofthouse discussed the work of the Organic Producers Board and regional business, and attendees heard about collaborative initiatives including the Hunter's Moon Collective. There were discussions on the importance of local processing and robust regional supply chains.
OPB discussions
The discussion highlighted a range of challenges and opportunities for organic producers. Key themes included support for smaller farms, succession planning, improving routes into organic farming for new entrants, and exploring collaborative approaches such as certification clusters to reduce costs. There was strong demand for better access to information on approved products, suppliers and local sourcing opportunities, difficulty with sheep scab and calls for stronger regional networks to connect producers and markets. Participants also discussed livestock management issues, public procurement opportunities and the need for more organic learning events. Overall, attendees valued the opportunity for peer-to-peer learning and collaboration, with strong support for more regional meetings and interest in future initiatives such as the bracken management trials and learning network.
Find out more about our Organic Producer Board.
Elly Archer is our North of England farming advisor.