Soil health, organic matter and arable outlook to be debated at upcoming East Lothian Monitor Farm open meeting

Booking is open for the upcoming East Lothian Monitor Farm meeting discussing soil health, organic matter and the outlook for arable crops.

Running from 10am-3pm on Monday 19 January at Stenton Village Hall near Dunbar, the morning will focus on cover crops and green manures in a session termed ‘Grow it’. After lunch supplied by DRIFT, the East Lothian Monitor Farm’s cafe, the afternoon will focus on ‘Spread it’, discussing the availability and suitability of organic manures in the local area.

Stevie Gray from Scottish Agronomy will tackle the ‘Grow it’ session, discussing the risks and rewards of growing cover crops and green manures. This will include species selection, establishment, and termination of cover crops and green manures, as well as a practical species identification session.

The afternoon – ‘Spread it’ – will look at the range of organic manures available in East Lothian including mushroom compost, layer manure, thermally hydrolysed biosolids, food waste digestates, farm-based digestates and cattle manure. Within this session, Greg Dawson from Scottish Agronomy will look at nutrient management planning and valuing imported organic manures. He will also discuss key phytosanitary issues in rotations that include vegetables and potatoes.

Adrian James, AHDB’s knowledge exchange manager for cereals and oilseeds, will round off the meeting, discussing the outlook for 2026.

Iona Smith, regional adviser says: “It will be great to start the new year with a practical look at these key topics, specifically tailored for East Lothian. This meeting is open to all growers, and I look forward to welcoming everyone to discuss the issues with Stevie, Greg and Adrian.”

With lunch provided, booking is essential for catering purposes.

• Grow it or spread it? - East Lothian Monitor Farm open meeting on Monday 19 January 2026 from 10:00–15:00 at Stenton Village Hall, Dunbar, EH42 1TE. Lunch included. Book here: https://GrowItOrSpreadIt.eventbrite.co.uk