Easter Howgate Farm
This unique site is valuable for research, teaching and demonstration purposes.
Easter Howgate farm lies eight miles south of the centre of Edinburgh, within the Pentland hills. Here's the exact location on Google Maps.
Land
The total farms area of 1,013ha (approx. 2,500 acres) consists of:
- 300 - 500 m - hill 656 ha (55 ha improved)
- 250- 300 m - upland 152 ha improved
- 150- 250 m - lowland 205 ha
This unique site is valuable for research, teaching and demonstration purposes, so that research, student practical’s and visits can be seen within the context of a range of realistic farming enterprises.
In terms of biodiversity, the farm has a wide range of habitats spanning heather and blueberry moorland to arable cropping.
The arable area, and lowland grass in rotation provides resources for crop trials work, and farm-scale arable production, much used by the beef enterprise for its main forage as whole crop silage.
The farm has a significant footpath and interpretative network, much run through the Pentland Hill Regional Park Ranger service.
Animals
- A total of ~400 suckler cows form the breeding herd at Easter Howgate Farm. These consists of both spring calving and autumn calving cows of three breed types - Aberdeen Angus cross, Limousin cross and pedigree Luings.
- 1200 breeding hill ewes kept on Castlelaw and Turnhouse hill. ( Blackface and Cheviot ewes)
- 120 lowland ewes (Suffolk and Dorset ewes).
Environmental management
Environmental management is a key area for SRUC. The farm has waste management plans, has a number of biodiversity based projects and undertakes annual carbon foot printing using the SAC "Agrecalc" calculator. There is an annual target to improve the food output per kg of carbon emitted.
The core aim of the farms is to provide resources for research and for knowledge exchange with students, the land-based sector and to the general public.
