I farm: “Hill ground with 170 suckler cows and 70 acres of spring barley, some for malt and some for feed. The highest point on the farm is at 850ft.”

This week: “We baled silage off a reseed; the pits are full already. We’re also weaning calves and tubing cows to prevent mastitis.”

Breeding: “We’re moving away from Simmentals; the Charolais bull crossed with a Simmental cow were too big-boned. Now we have all Limousin bulls and Limousin Blue-type cows. Some are Irish, which we like as they’re quiet and a bit wider for calving. There’s no point producing a big calf as it’s too big for the market and lighter cows eat less as well.”

Grass: “We reseed each field every five years and everything is GPS soil-mapped. This helps the grass to yield better – there’s more leaf to it. It has been an exceptional grass season this year. We’ve put in higher phosphates on silage ground.”

Cattle prices: “It’s good to see prices rising but the costs are still high. I would say cattle are back up at where they were two years ago. Our store cattle are sold at Thainstone and the fat cattle in Scotbeef, Inverurie.”

Beef Efficiency Scheme: “We bought weighing scales at the Highland Show. We’re still in the scheme but not happy with how it’s being handled. I don’t see the payment happening in August and the carbon audit will add another cost.”

Straw: “We purchase a lot of straw but the anaerobic digestion plants are pushing up the price.”

Family: “There’s my son Eric and wife Linda helping out on the farm as well.”

Quotable quote: “Anything young has more vigour to it, be it grass or farmers. But the young find it difficult to start farming with the costs.”