A diversified farm on the coast

In the Southern Uplands of Scotland, pressed between hills and the Irish sea lies Mossyard Farm. There can be few farms quite like this one- with breathtaking sea views and it’s own sandy beach beside the 260 acres of farmland.  

In a spot like this, it’s no surprise that 113 years since the McConchie family first took over the tenancy, Mossyard remains in the family. A lot has changed in the four generations since the McConchies came to Mossyard. The years have seen the farm evolving from traditional tenant farming to a family-owned diversified business that integrates agriculture, tourism, and retail operations. 

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“My Dad was used to farming in a certain way but I think he secretly quite enjoys some of the changes that we are slowly implementing since taking on the running of the farm.” 

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Keeping it in the family 

At the helm now is Murray McConchie. Mossyard born and bred, Murray has returned to live in his childhood home with his wife, Amy, and their own young children. He is now bringing in practice changes to embed sustainability into the farm, making use of Soil Association Exchange to measure the environmental impact of operations at Mossyard and become more resilient.  
 
The last few years have been eventful, and the recent addition of a farm shop run by Amy has unlocked a retail opportunity to the beef, sheep, and pig enterprise. Holiday lets on the farm and a beach car park allow the public to enjoy this spectacular part of the world.    

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Community​

In Scotland, the right to roam gives the public access to fair enjoyment of land, which poses both a challenge and opportunity to farmers. Murray and his family have made clever use of their location, selling their meat, along with homemade snacks from their farm shop to passing walkers and visitors to their beach car park. Many years ago, Murray's forward-thinking grandparents set up a caravan park on the farm. Now run by one of Murray’s brothers, this brings trade right through the farm shop and allows tourists in this popular corner of Scotland to sample ultra-local food. 
 
Murray talks of being proud to share this corner of the world, and seeing people enjoy it. Allowing public access opens up a revenue stream but also means that the public are exposed to the workings of a farm. ‘It’s wonderful to share this sort of thing’ says Murray, reflecting on a shared moment with an awestruck walker who watched him lambing. Moments like these bridge the gap between food production and the public, strengthening a farms place in a community and educating people on where their food comes from.   

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​Challenges 
On the farm are around 70 cows and around 170 sheep. Farming this close to the sea is a challenge in itself, and runoff, soil erosion, and managing livestock are all to be contended with. A number of parcels of land at Mossyard are left to scrubland to act as a barrier between the sea and the pasture.  
 

Traditional dry-stone walls here are invaluable for providing shelter from the elements to livestock, and Murray ensures these are well and regularly maintained. This keeps a traditional craft alive, and retains the farms history in addition to preforming a vital function.  

The remote location poses practical challenges to rearing livestock, in the distance that must be covered when the time comes to slaughter. Murray is deeply connected to the welfare of his animals and takes great effort to ensure that these journeys are as comfortable as possible. More ready access to mobile abattoir units would be very helpful in this part of the country .  
 
 

 
 
Experience with Exchange 
When the Bank of Scotland first got in touch to offer Soil Association Exchange to the McConchies, Murray recognised the benefits right away, but as a busy farmer with a young family, held reservations about the time commitment required by the process. These reservations were swiftly quashed by the help provided by the Exchange team to map the farm during the onboarding process. 
 
“Clive just sat down and we chatted. I felt like he understood what we are trying to do here. It was really reassuring.” 
 
After an initial set up call, the farm was visited by a Soil Association Exchange technician, who sampled numerous metrics to provide a holistic measurement of the environmental impact of the farm. After lab testing, Murrays Advisor Clive visited to report on the findings and provide a number of practical solutions and actions that could help Mossyard become more sustainable, resilient, and profitable in the years to come. ​​​

Learnings

Mossyard Farm has always been more than just a business—it is deeply connected to the land and the environment. The impartial advice from Clive proved invaluable to Murray, and the results reveals key areas of improvement, particularly in increasing worm populations and ensuring nutrients are retained in the soil, especially given the farm's high rainfall levels.  
 
Murray is committed to ensuring that Mossyard Farm remains a resilient business. Actions relating to regenerative practices chime with the ambitions of a farm already adopting sustainable practices, but the advice offered Murray a new way of thinking and a roadmap towards resilience. Having a benchmark and clear data provided a richer understanding on what’s really happening on the farm.  ​

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Key recommendations and actions for Mossyard:

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• Rotational grazing: to improve soil health and the grazing regime. Rotational grazing, with strict rest times may fit with the aspiration for a more regenerative, fully pasture based system for the beef enterprise on the farm 

• Trial herbal leys: to develop alternative pasture options, improve plant diversity and build soil health. worth working with a seed company to develop a mix that is best suited to the farm’s soils and location 

• Plant new hedgerows including individual trees and riparian areas: Where 500+ trees are planted on at least half a hectare a local Trust will cover up to 75% of costs. 

• Develop the micro-enterprises on the farm: for direct selling and farm brand development