The Scottish Government

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Prepared for:
The Scottish Government

Prepared by:
ADASUK Ltd
Woodthorne
Wergs Road
Wolverhampton
WV6 8TQ

Date:
July 2008

ISBN 978 0 7559 1845 4 (Web only publication)

This document is also available in pdf format (2Mb)

Contents

Key Messages for Scottish Government Rural directorate

Executive Summary

1. Introduction
1.1 Background
1.2 Terms of Reference

2. Methodology
2.1 Desk Research
2.2 Stakeholder Research
2.3 Farm Visits
2.4 Focus Groups with Community Group Members
2.5 Financial Analysis of Focus Group Data
2.6 Quantitative Research with Non-group Members
2.7 Reporting

3. The Degree to Which Monitor Farms have been Effective in Delivering Changes in Farm Practice
3.1 The Programme as a Whole
3.2 Financial Impact of the Programme
3.3 Impact on Wider Farming Community Not Directly Involved
3.4 Management - Set Up, Facilitation, Community Group, Progress Monitoring

4. The Potential for a Monitor Farm Approach to Deliver Wider Benefits
4.1 Introduction
4.2 For Public Sector Objectives

5. Potential for Improving the Programme and its Monitoring
5.1 Set Up
5.2 Farm Choice
5.3 Facilitation
5.4 Monitoring for Measurement of Future Success
5.5 Opportunity to Promote Results More Widely
5.6 Relationship with Other KT Activity
5.7 Funding

6. Overall Conclusions and Recommendations
6.1 Effectiveness
6.2 Potential to Deliver Other Objectives
6.3 Potential for Improving the Programme

Appendix 1: Summary of Those Consulted and Farms Researched
Appendix 2: Bibliography
Appendix 3: Discussion Guides Used in the Study and Effectiveness of Scottish Monitor Farms
Appendix 4: Summary of Qualitative Research
Appendix 5: Summary of Qualitative Research - Facilitators, Monitor Farmers and Community Groups
Appendix 6: Comments on Financial Benefits from Community Group Workshops
Appendix 7: Summary of Quantitative Survey
Locations of All Monitor Farms
Locations of Individual Farms and Relation to Survey Respondents
Appendix 8: Survey Questionnaire
Appendix 9: Community Group Workshop Data Collection Forms

List of Tables
Table 1: Main ways farmers have obtained knowledge of the Monitor Farm programme
Table 2: Awareness of particular Monitor Farms
Table 3: Reasons given for not visiting Monitor Farms
Table 4: Subjects heard about through Monitor Farms

List of Figures
Figure 1: Understanding of the programme
Figure 2: Regional variation in understanding of the programme.
Figure 3: How farmers became aware of Monitor Farms
Figure 4: Topics read or heard about through Monitor Farms
Figure 5: What were the consequences for you and your business from learning from the MF results?
Figure 6: How farmers would like to receive information about the programme?
Figure 7: Further information farmers would like to receive?
Figure 8: Reasons for not visiting a Monitor Farm
Figure 9: The process of planning and implementation on monitor farms
Figure 10: Awareness of Monitor Farms by On the Ground Region
Figure 11: Rating of Understanding of the Monitor Farm Programme by On the Ground Region
Figure 12: Reasons for not wishing to know more about the Monitor Farms programme

Suggested citation for this report

ADAS 2008. An Investigation into the Role and Effectiveness of Scottish Monitor Farms in Improving the Sustainability and Profitability of Participating Farm Business and Disseminating the Results to Influence the Wider Farming Community. Report produced for the Scottish Government Rural Directorate.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all those who helped them in providing data and opinion: Monitor Farmers, Facilitators, Funders, Community Group Members, Survey Respondents Scottish Government Rural Directorate, and QMS.

The Team

The team who worked on this project were: Brian Angell, Steve Ford, Claire Chisholm, Nerys Davies, Susie Felix of ADASUK Ltd. and Richard Armitage of Buccleuch FBR Ltd……..

I declare that this report represents a true and accurate record of the results obtained/worked carried out.
(Author signature)	(Date) 6 August 2008
(Verifier signature)	(Date) 6 August 2008

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