A Family Farming for the Future

Kirkfield Farm sits in the Scottish Highlands, at one of the most northerly points in mainland Britain. The 750-acre farm is a mixed sheep, beef and arable enterprise jointly managed by the Gunn family. The unique topography of the farm means that some fields sit right beside the North Sea, and others border some of the highest points in Caithness.

 

The Gunn family come from a deeply rooted agricultural background and have farmed at Kirkfield for just over 12 years. Securing a resilient future for the family and the farm business is an important motivation, and the Gunns have cultivated a thriving enterprise where the need to produce food and environmental stewardship go hand in hand. We caught up with John Gunn, who works the land with his wife and son to learn more about their work, and their experience of undertaking a holistic, whole-farm measurement at Kirkfield with Soil Association Exchange.

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“We’re quite progressive here. It's a bigger picture than just our generation.” Says John Gunn, “We need to get more young people into farming.”

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Shaped by the weather:

This is a wild and beautiful part of Scotland, but the exposed coastal location poses challenges that many farmers will sympathise with. The farm sits in a landscape that experiences a fickle climate; it’s not uncommon for all four seasons to pass through in a single day. In the years since entering farming, John and his family have sought to ease the impact of the weather by making changes including planting hedgerows to act as all-important shelter for livestock.

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At first, the enterprise was solely focused on sheep, which provided a starting point to get the farm operational. Over the years, the family have worked to diversify their enterprise to include cattle and most recently, arable crops. The decision to shift to a diverse way of farming was an easy one. Changing to a mixed enterprise here not only optimised land use, but provided security for unpredictable weather, allowing them to counter the challenge of balancing food production with promoting biodiversity on their farm. 
 

​Building resilience ​

John’s farming philosophy demonstrates a pragmatic and realistic balance between securing the commercial success of the farm business and environmental stewardship. 

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Bees, birds, and worms all play a role at Kirkfield, and John speaks of the benefits that a healthy ecosystem brings. Newly planted hedgerows have encouraged pollinators and other wildlife, and a reduction in chemical inputs has promoted soil health whilst reducing all-important input costs. The farm has actively engaged in various environmental schemes that enhance biodiversity. 

 

‘We need the ecosystem to be working right and it’s important that we are striking the right balance between caring for the land and ensuring the farm’s future.’​
 

Journey with Soil Association Exchange

The Gunns were approached by Lloyds Bank to get involved with Soil Association Exchange. They have been running their own soil analysis and monitoring yields for the past five years, so could easily recognise that the opportunity for a holistic whole-farm measurement at Kirkfield was not to be missed. 

Really knowing where they stand is the most important thing for John Gunn, and identifying the areas where work can be done is equally as important as seeing where they are doing well. After an in-depth sampling and survey of the farm, the data revealed areas where Kirkfield could improve, but also highlighted areas where successes could be seen.

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‘Like everyone else in the farming way of life, we are very busy people. What Exchange does is keep us focused. It has helped us see the bigger picture, in the results you see what you are doing well and what you could do better, it’s realistic, and that’s what’s really valuable’

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Soil Association Exchange exists to provide farmers with clear and data-driven insights into their environmental performance. The holistic measurement protocol provided John and his family with a deeper level of insight into the farm across the 40 different metrics. These results were created into a report, and bespoke advice provided by Rosa, the Gunn’s Advisor. ​​​​​

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Learnings