Newsletter

SRUC newsletter archive

March 2025

View the full newsletter here

 

Newsletter stories:

• At SRUC, we're proud to #AccelerateAction for women in agriculture this International Women's Day and every day.
  
  
• This year, SRUC was granted a Bronze level Athena Swan Award for our commitment to advancing gender equality and inclusivity.
  
  
• The Women in Agriculture Practical Training fund offers up to 100% funding for women to enrol in training courses that will allow them to gain the skills they need to progress their careers and employment opportunities. 
  
  
• Senior Agricultural Consultant Tiffany Stephenson is a champion of sustainable farming and has been named as a winner of the prestigious Elrick Prize. How can she help make your farming business more sustainable?
  
  
• Onsite at our Easter Howgate Farm just outside Edinburgh, SRUC's Head of Research Eileen Wall helps BBC's CrowdScience podcast crew answer the question "which animal has the biggest carbon footprint?"
  
  
• Sarah Howard, Founder and Co-Owner of The Real Food Café, has been working with SAC's Principal Consultant Kerry Hammond for one-to-one business coaching support to build, grow, and diversify her business. 
  
  

February 2025

View the full newsletter here

 

Newsletter stories:

• We have strengthened our commitment to global and local food security by becoming the first higher education institution on Scotland to launch a commercial-sized vertical farm. Who officially opened our vertical farm in Edinburgh last week? Answer for your chance to win your choice of amazing prizes from SRUC alumni businesses!
  
  
• We're looking to appoint up to five Non-Executive Directors, including individuals with the expertise to chair our Fiance and Estates and Remuneration & Appointments committees. 
  
  
• Lambing season is here! You you have limited experience with sheep and would like to know more about lambing time, our 1-day course at SRUC Barony might be a perfect fit for you. 
  
  
• No matter if you manage a croft or a global multinational, if you work in the rural industries sector, our accredited Carbon Literacy Training, delivered in partnership with Keep Scotland Beautiful, is designed to equip you with the tools you need to help successfully transition your business towards Net Zero.
  
  
• We're excited to share the Scottish Alliance for Geoscience, Environment and Society's podcast, featuring SRUC alum Less Waste Laura. Tune in to discover how cutting-edge science, collaboration, and action are addressing the climate crisis, and what role you can play in shaping a better tomorrow. 
  
  
• Our Rural Policy Centre engages and collaborates with researchers, businesses, and communities to exchange ideas, share experience, and contribute evidence-based research to rural policy in Scotland. 
  
  
• The latest SRUC On the Hoof podcast episode for vets in practice addresses the issue of Schmallenberg virus (SMV), a respiratory disease that causes congenital malformations and stillbirths in cattle, sheep, and goats. 

January 2025

View the full newsletter here

 

Newsletter stories:

• Hilda, the first Langhill Herd calf to be born through IVF and a significant milestone for the future of sustainable farming, has made headlines around the world this month. But where was Hilda born? Answer for your chance to win your choice of prizes from SRUC alumni prizes! 
  
  
• Support the next generation and gain valuable benefits to your business! We're looking for farm or agri-businesses to host a final year BSc (Hons) student undertaking workplace learning as part of their course. 
  
  
• The Royal College of Veterinary Nursing now requires all approved veterinary practices to evidence their approaches to sustainability. Our new online micro-credentials course has been purposefully designed to help you do just that. 
  
  
• If you have a farm business in Scotland, please participate in this year's Farm Business Survey. Doing so is free and you'll get a number of perks designed to help you understand and improve your farm's financial performance. 
  
  
• Thinking of applying to study with us this year? Learn more about the courses and campuses you're interested in by booking yourself into one (or more) of our Open Days - there's plenty coming up for you to explore!

December 2024

View the full newsletter here

 

Newsletter stories:

• Thank you for being a part of the SRUC community - you've helped make 2024 something wonderful!
  
  
• Searching for a last-minute Christmas gift? Elmwood Golf is offering free and discounted membership rates for 2025!
  
  
• We're digging into the SRUC photo archives to share 12 amazing photos with you in 2025. Plus a chance to win some fabulous prizes from alumni businesses too! Stay tuned for more!
  
  
• Need some extra funding for your dairy business next year? The Digital Dairy Chain not only has its own funding programmes, they can signpost you to other funding opportunities, too.
  
  
• New year, new skills - all in your own time. Our new fully-accredited microcredentials courses are offered by SRUC experts in a range of subjects for you to study whenever and wherever is convenient to you.
  
  
• Are you a crofter or smallholder? Don't forget that to ensure the Basic Payment Scheme remains available to you, you must meet some initial Whole Farm Plan requirements in 2025. Need help? SAC Consulting is available for independent advice and solutions. 

November 2024

View the full newsletter here

 

Newsletter stories:

• A monumental moment in the history of SRUC: Gaining TDAP means we can design a future education system that's aligned to what a future workforce needs. 
  
  
• Just launched! HerdPlan is a dynamic new web application designed to help beef and sheep farmers enhance productivity and farm income. 
  
  
• Applications are now open for four new specialised business MSc programmes starting September 2025 at our Edinburgh and Aberdeen campuses.
  
  
• Craig Bothwell, ex-SRUC student and Senior Consultant with SAC Consulting's Agricultural Advisory team, has been named the Scottish Agricultural Awards' Advisor of the Year.
  
  
• This catchy song describes how our GreenSheep facilities and research programmes are paving the way for more sustainable, circular farming.
  
  
• Our new micro-credential offerings are short, accredited programmes across a range of subjects that you can study from anywhere and at your own pace.
  
  
• Who wouldn't want a huggable Highland Cow for Christmas? Lomond is still available to purchase with all proceeds going to charity. Order by 13 December for holiday delivery!
  
  
• Learn basic blacksmithing techniques and take home your own hand-made design in our evening blacksmithing course. Starts in February 2025 and numbers are limited - enrol today!

October 2024

View the full newsletter here

 

Newsletter stories:

• October 2024 marks a historical moment for SRUC and our future student cohorts as we become the first Scottish education provider in almost two decades to be granted Taught Degree Awarding Powers (TDAP).
  
  
• Communicating sustainability is key to keeping your business relevant and trusted. Our FREE business guide can help you craft impactful messaging that resonates with stakeholders and effectively highlights your eco-friendly initiatives.
  
  
• SAC Consulting will continue its partnership with the Scottish Government and offer its Farm Advisory Service (FAS) One to Many programme that supports farmers and crofters irrespective of their location, type, scale of farming, or how they like to engage with advice.
  
  
• Looking at life from a farmer's perspective and full of communication strategies and tips, this insightful On the Hoof Podcast for vets in practice looks at how to get the best out of client interactions on farm visits to help address livestock health issues.
  
  
• Attention dairy farmers! We're working to develop automated breath tests for calves to help early detection of Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD)  but your feedback is critical to ensure the technology meets your needs. Can you spare a minute to complete our survey?
  
  
• Animal scientists will have a vital role to play in meeting the future demands of our growing population in a time of climate change. Thinking of studying this important and fascinating subject? SRUC now ranks 5th in the UK to study animal sciences and agriculture.

September 2024

View the full newsletter here

 

Newsletter stories:

• Congratulations to Lauri Alana Corcoran (2023 graduate) who won our Lomond prize draw and to the 735 SRUC students who joined our alumni community this year. Ready to join them? We're now accepting applications for 2025 entry!
  
  
• Winter is coming and our vet services team are here to help! Our latest On the Hoof podcast episode is all about ruminant nutrition to help vets in practice support farmer clients as they prepare their livestock for autumn and winter.
  
  
• Did you know that our experts at SAC Consulting regularly publish a round up of issues affecting crops around Scotland, summaries on how crops are developing, and what weather and other issues are affecting them?
  
  
• Our award-winning GreenCow & now UltraGreenCow respiration chamber facility is open to requests for commissioned or collaborative research in ruminant, simulant slurry storage, & potentially monogastric studies.
  
  
• We're celebrating the opening of our GreenShed facility that's revolutionising the future of agriculture and farming by using state-of-the-art technology to reduce environmental impact while simultaneously improving farm profitability.
  
  
• Three members of the team at our new School of Veterinary Medicine have been named Fellows of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. Want to study our BVSci programme there next year? 

August 2024

View the full newsletter here

 

Newsletter stories:

• We've made finding and booking your next training or professional development course at SRUC easier with the launch of our new training course catalogue! What new skill will you study with us next?
  
  
• Can meat ever be environmentally friendly? Dr Gemma Miller joins an expert panel while John Farquhar talks to Tom Heap about our revolutionary GreenShed project on this episode of BBC Radio 4’s Rare Earth.
  
  
• Know someone about to graduate from SRUC? Why not gift them this adorable SRUC alumni for collection at their graduation ceremony or delivery to their home address? Meet Lomond, now available for just £20 with 100% of profits going to a charity of your choice.
  
  
• MI:RNA Diagnostics is pioneering animal disease diagnosis through the combination of a revolutionary biomarker technology and artificial intelligence platform. Funded just a few years ago, their ground-breaking work has already raised $4 million in Series A Funding.
  
  
• The Science of Food is a four-part mini-series podcast produced by Kerry Hammond of SAC Consulting's Food & Enterprise Team. Listen in to all four episode to hear exciting conversations that explore key topics of food science innovation and enterprise across Scotland's food and drink industry.
  
  
• The EUFRAS IALB SEASN 2024 conference we're hosting in Edinburgh next month will explore the Scottish agricultural system and how it builds and leverages relationships between people working in the rural economy (and those in research, education, and advisory) to enhance the sustainability of rural land-use in Scotland. 

July 2024

View the full newsletter here

 

Newsletter stories:

• Many thanks to you, our supporters and friends of SRUC, for a phenomenal Royal Highland Show 2024! Didn't make it there in person this year? That's ok! Check out our highlight reel on YouTube and we'll see you next year!
  
  
• Are you an SRUC alum that's started your own business? We'd love to give it the exposure it deserves (for free!) on our newly-launched Alumni Business Map. Follow the link below to learn how.
  
  
• From NC Agriculture to our new BSci in Veterinary Medicine at Scotland's first vet school in over a century, we're now open for Clearing applications! Discover all the opportunities still available on our dedicated Clearing 2024 page.
  
  
• We're proud to announce this year's winner of the Fordyce Maxwell Award for Agricultural Communications, an award we established last year in memory of the late Scotsman journalist, whose son is our Chief Communications Officer.
  
  
• More than half of all the sheep entries at this year's Royal Highland Show are accredited by our Veterinary Services' Premium Sheep and Goat Health Scheme (PSGHS), a cost-effective national programme of proactive disease testing and monitoring for your flocks. Thinking of joining our PSGHS? Get all the information you need to make a decision on our website.
  
  
• Did you know that Diageo (maker of Johnnie Walker, Guinness, & Smirnoff) is using regenerative agriculture at the heart of their sustainability efforts? In this article, SAC Consulting speaks with one of their Regenerative Agriculture Managers to find out more about their pioneering (and inspirational!) initiatives.

 

June 2024

View the full newsletter here

 

Newsletter stories:

• We have so much planned for this year's Royal Highland Show! Please stop by to say hello, grab a goodie or two and find out about some of the incredible things we're doing at SRUC!
  
  
• Interested in hearing first-hand experience and knowledge about transitioning from vet school to your first year in practice? Then this is definitely the podcast episode for you!
  
  
• Congratulations to Kirsty Young, Head of Department at SRUC who was elected to the RCVS Veterinary Nurses Council! Thinking of becoming a vet nurse yourself? SRUC can help you get there!
  
  
• A new study by researchers at the Rural Policy Centre explores Landownership, land use, and the influence of financial support mechanisms on land values, particularly the recent interest in carbon schemes.
  
  
• Live or work in the South of Scotland? Then you're invited to this one-day event that will look at integrating land management industries and highlighting future training and skills needs.
  
  
• Real-world help and advice for start-up businesses in the food and drink sector awaits at this upcoming online programme of events led by SRUC and Queen Margaret University.

 

May 2024

View the full newsletter here

 

Newsletter stories:

• Looking to re-train or even change your career entirely? Would a free £1,000 help you do it? Then you're a perfect candidate for our Change Your Path Bursary!
  
  
• Better cows lead to better grades. Our researchers, with the help of local and international breeders and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, are making it happen.
  
  
• Three new appointments to the SRUC Board mean greater equality, diversity of perspective and depth of expertise for our leadership team.
  
  
• Varroa or varrora mite is also known as verroa destructor for good reason: it's one of the most damaging honey bee pests in the world. Here's how to monitor for it. 
  
  
• Bats are more than just a protected species, they could very well be a farmer's best friend. This report from FAS details how protecting - or even encouraging bats on your farm - can be good for business.

• Our new collaboration with Highlands and Islands Enterprise aims to boost the local economy and contribute to regional economic growth by focusing on land and sea-based innovation.

April 2024

View the full newsletter here

 

Newsletter stories:

• The Rural and Veterinary Innovation Centre (RAVIC) was officially opened last week by HRH The Princess Royal. Click below to learn about how RAVIC has been designed to drive innovation and job creation in Scotland's health, agriculture and aquaculture sectors.
  
  
• With the Easter holidays bringing an increase in visitors to the countryside in the midst of the lambing season, and following a workshop with local experts and stakeholders, SRUC researchers are calling for changes to legislation around livestock worrying.
  
  
• In this podcast episode, Eneyi Oshi - Mastercard Scholar and SRUC student, talks about her experience of coming to Scotland to study, working with the SRUC Enterprise Academy and ultimately winning the Enterprise Challenge.
  
  
• The Spring issue of SAC Consulting's Perspectives magazine is now online and includes the latest industry-focused research, news, insights and projects that our consultants have been engaged with over the past few months. 
  
  
• If you're a vet in practice, book yourself into one of our veterinary CPD courses or free online webinars and help yourself stay ahead of the curve.

• Change is coming to the SRUC Edinburgh Campus thanks to an £8 million investment from the Scottish Funding Council. Click below to watch the video we created for details.

March 2024

View the full newsletter here

 

Newsletter stories:

• Yes, we're bragging. But we're quite proud of having been awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize in recognition of our world-class Veterinary Services network. It is, after all, the highest accolade that a UK university or college can receive as part of the nomination system.
  
  
• Eleven SRUC students and apprentices were shortlisted as finalists with seven taking home the top award in their category at this year's Awards for Land-based and Aquaculture Skills (ALBAS) ceremony earlier this month. Maybe it's time for you to consider employing an SRUC apprentice?
  
  
• Join us next month for the UK dairy industry's first career focused event! Free to attend and exhibit at, and free transportation provided to local secondary schools who register their attendance. 
  
  
• This ‘On the Hoof’ podcast provides a quick recap about Bovine Abortion Investigation for vets in practice including what information is needed at the lab, when and what samples to take and not forgetting to celebrate the negative results!
  
  
• Janette Sutherland has been named as a finalist for Agricultural Advisor of the Year in the first-ever National Women in Agriculture Awards. Feel free to ask for her by name when contacting SAC Consulting for farming or crofting support.

• Our Rural Business Management course now offers a tourism pathway, accredited by the Tourism Management Institute (TMI), providing SRUC with professional recognition and endorsement of our course and our students a host of benefits for their learning and their career
  
  
• The SRUC and Teagasc partnership stands as a testament to the power of working collectively to overcome global agricultural challenges and pave the way for a more sustainable future.
  
  
• We know that Elmwood holds a special place in the hearts of students, staff, and the wider community in Fife and it will continue to play a vital role in SRUC's future.

February 2024

View the full newsletter here

 

Newsletter stories:

• Could your dairy innovation project benefit from an additional £10k in funding? Apply for a Digital Dairy Chain Innovation Voucher! Read on for 5 tips for a successful application.
  
  
• Improved productivity and workforce motivation, new and relevant skills (and less skills gaps) for your business plus guided support, advice and training by SRUC - there's plenty of reasons to take on an SRUC apprentice!
  
  
• We're conducting research and gathering the views of island communities in Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides on the forthcoming agricultural and land use policy changes. Please let us know if you'd like to get involved and have your voice heard.
  
  
• Sign up for our dedicated vet services blogs to be first in the know about veterinary news, events, health schemes, and disease updates from our expert veterinary services team.
  
  
• We're encouraging kids to celebrate nature with a cash prize competition. Do you know anyone in P4-S6 who might be interested in taking part?
  
  
• FAS Connect is bringing farmers and crofters together to tackle big problems with shared experience, ideas and knowledge. Want to be a part of it?

January 2024

View the full newsletter here

 

Newsletter stories:

• We're very proud of winning a Green Gown Award for our SEEDABLE project, which embeds sustainability, enterprise, equality and diversity into the curriculum.
  
  
• Much to the excitement of our Horse Care and Equine students, SRUC's new £100k state-of-the-art robot horse - the first of its kind in Scotland, was unveiled last month.
  
  
• We're asking farmers across the country to contribute to the annual Scottish Farm Business Survey in exchange for a number of perks designed to help financial performance.
  
  
• Researchers from SRUC are leading five projects - and supporting a further three - to help address the challenge of reaching net zero through agri-food.
  
  
• Have a listen to our vet services 'On the Hoof' podcast episodes which cover a range of interesting and informative topics for vets in practice. 
  
  
• Many congratulations to Dr Mary Thomson, Vice Principal, Skills and Lifelong Learning at SRUC, who has been appointed as a new Board member of South of Scotland Enterprise.

December 2023

View the full newsletter here

 

Newsletter stories:

• The work of SRUC's Veterinary Services has been recognised with a Queen's Anniversary Prize.
  
  
• Interested in learning a new skill? Many of SRUC's training courses are eligible for funding.
  
  
• Through bespoke training delivered by SAC Consulting with Keep Scotland Beautiful, people operating in the agricultural, food and drink, and land-based sectors can now gain recognised certifications from the Carbon Literacy Project, designed to help future-proof local business and support Scotland's net-zero ambitions.
  
  
• Are you a vet in practice? If so, we know how busy you are! That's why we've created a page just for you that includes quick links to all our Premium Sheep and Goat Health Scheme (PSGHS) information, forms and guides you use most. 
  
  
• As part of a new centre announced by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, scientists from SRUC will carry out research into plant breeding and animal nutrition to increase the productivity of livestock systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. 
  
  
• SRUC's focus on place-based initiatives stems from a belief that innovation should be as diverse as the landscape of Scotland itself. Our entrepreneurial campuses and place-based initiatives are more than educational offerings; they are the engines of change for Scotland’s rural economy. 

November 2023

View the full newsletter here

 

Newsletter stories:

• We've just launched our inaugural PhD programme to help shape the future of agriculture, rural and environmental studies.
  
  
• Fast, easy, efficient! Veterinary Services' diagnostic test and price lists are now available online.
  
  
• Are you an agriculture professional working towards net-zero emissions? Agrecalc, the market-leading farm carbon calculator developed by SAC Consulting, can help.
  
  
• How can the dairy industry attract and retain workers? Lynne Somerville, newly-appointed Skills Lead for the Digital Dairy Chain, is working to find answers.
• Professor Nicola Holden, who leads SRUC's Food Security Challenge Centre, has been awarded a prestigious fellowship - one of only 44 academic fellows selected from across the UK. 
  
  
• Our students do incredible things! BSc Agriculture student Naomi Ramsay is named Agriculture Student of the Year at the British Farming Awards.

October 2023

View the full newsletter here

 

Newsletter stories:

• Studying at SRUC means studying at a college nominated for Technological or Digital Innovation of the Year by Time Higher Education -the "Oscars" of higher education
  
  
• Our new partnership with Eurofins Argo Testing means we can offer an even better soil, forage and plant pathology service - for viable, healthy and sustainable farming and growing. 
  
  
• Hemp has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it smothers weeds, doesn't suffer many diseases, and its oil might even have the potential to fight cancer. So why are so few farmers currently growing it in Scotland?
  
  
• In honour of GB Calf week, we published a podcast on the current dairy-bred calf research happening across Scotland and projects to keep an eye on for future results -a must for anyone interested in fine tuning calf health. 

September 2023

View the full newsletter here

 

Newsletter stories:

• Congratulations SRUC 2023 graduates! You're now eligible for exclusive SRUC alumni awards, discounts, and more.
  
  
• Brush up on your skills -just like these recent students from the US Army, with a veterinary training CPD course from SRUC.
  
  
• The Farm Advisory Service (FAS), delivered by SAC Consulting, part of SRUC, has published new resources to help farmers learn more about how to live alongside beavers and, if required, how to effectively mitigate their activity.
  
  
• On a recent visit to SRUC, Mairi McAllan MSP learned about some of our cutting-edge climate change research that's delivering resources, benefits, and opportunities to Scottish -and global- communities.