An enterprise stacking model where several micro farm businesses mutually support each other has been studied and could help to secure the future of a new agroecological demonstration farm.

Lochhill, in Galloway, south west Scotland, is a 26-hectare farm with a new succession plan as the owners look to step back from farming, while preserving the farm’s biodiversity and contributing to the local community. Run in partnership with Scottish sustainability collective Propagate, the vision for Lochhill Agroecological Farm is to maximise ecological diversity, support sustainable livelihoods and be a place for education around low impact farming.

With funding from the AFN Network+, the team has carried out extensive baselining of the farm’s soil health, wildlife and natural capital, as well as a roundtable event with experts in regenerative farming to crowdsource ways of raising income in addition to subsidies. In addition, the pilot study has been shared with other farmers and the local community, to help roll out actions more widely.

A micro dairy and beef herd, free range broilers, a market garden, wildflower seed supply and an education venue are all suggested as viable options for the site, which is primarily pasture with some woodland, good soil health and positive biodiversity. But while each business could provide ecological diversity, separately they wouldn’t offer community learning or sustainable livelihoods. In contrast, multiple individual enterprises on the same site could help all three aims to be realised. ‘Enterprise stacking’ is a growing trend for sustainable farms and estates across the UK, pioneered by Wakelyns Farm in Suffolk, which can allow new entrants to farming access to land, while increasing the diversity and productivity of the farm. 

To work out which micro business might suit the land at Lochhill, the project looked at provisional costs, income and local market demand. 

Firstly, data from Galloway Food Hub identified a gap for direct sales of pasture-fed and regeneratively farmed milk, cheese, butter and yoghurt. While dairy is a major part of the Dumfries and Galloway farming environment, there is no butter produced in the region. As such, an on-site creamery could add value, while a butchery could also service local farms. Ruminant livestock would remain a key part of the farm, raised on regenerative principles where cattle are rotated regularly and fed on forage or minimal supplement.

Thanks to media coverage of industrial chicken farm pollution and consumer interest in sustainably-produced meat, the project also identified a gap for free range chicken meat, which could be produced on the farm using moveable chicken sheds. This pastured poultry system is being trialled elsewhere on regenerative farms, including in Devon as another major cattle and dairy county, as a regenerative technique to maximise soil fertility and reduce external feed for poultry. 

The third farming enterprise suggested for the site is a one-acre market garden, to help plug the gap in local fruit and veg production. In Scotland, 80 per cent of fresh produce is imported from countries including Spain, Holland and South Africa. As climate change threatens growing conditions in these countries, a supply of locally-produced fruit and veg would be a valuable way of boosting food security for the local community. Data from the Galloway Food Hub found a desire for locally-produced fruit and veg, and local supply chains already exist in the region to help provide support, training and shared resources. 

The other two enterprises considered for the farm include a wildflower seed company, using the diverse flowers and plants growing in Lochhill’s hay meadows, and converting one of the farm’s many farm buildings into an education centre, which could host workshops and events for the local community.

A farm biodiversity review was carried out through an RSPB bird survey, the iNaturalist biodiversity app and a data trawl of wildlife sightings from the South West Scotland Environmental Information Centre (SWSEIC). Notable findings included red and amber bird species, including lapwing, reed bunting and dunnock, which nest in low vegetation or hedges. Malcolm Haddow, SWSEIC project officer, said the region is already well catered for in forest. “What the area needs more of is species rich grassland and semi-natural open habitats to cater for those species that are generally in decline at the moment due to the loss of these habitats, one of the current main culprits of which is ironically woodland creation,” he said. 

Abi Mordin, project coordinator at Propagate and Lochhill, said: “Support from the AFN Network+ to develop this work has been critical in our journey towards net zero on a small farm. We are confident that we have a robust plan of action to enhance biodiversity, facilitate resilient enterprise and deliver training and knowledge sharing.”