Planning for Change: Making the Most of Whole Farm Plans

We joined Robert Dale at Lochhouses Farm, near Tyninghame in East Lothian (in February 2025) for a farm walk and workshop exploring the upcoming Whole Farm Planning (WFP) requirements, and what these will mean for farmers and crofters in Scotland: how the Whole Farm Planning framework can be used to improve farm resilience, and potential benefits of reducing climate impacts of farming operations.

We looked at Lochhouses’ farming enterprises, and how data is used to inform decision making. We also considered how climate impacts can impact farming operations and forward planning, how this can be factored into the WFP approach, and how features such as margins, wetlands and woodlands can be used to boost whole farm resilience.

Farming with Nature at Lochhouses

The focus at Lochhouses Farm is mainly arable – Robert is growing wheat and barley, as well as various vegetable crops and potatoes with some land let for turf production on the lighter soil. In addition to this they have diversified with a leisure site for short break holidays and weddings.

Robert Dale works with nature on his 480ha East Lothian arable farm, with almost 40% of the farm committed to supporting nature and tackling climate change. Robert leaves a 6m grass and wildflower margin around his arable fields as well as several areas of wild bird cover which provide seeds and insects for birds and wildlife to eat (curlews, shell duck, barn owls, insects and hares are among several species which benefit). This is useful for improving soil structure as well as the biodiversity benefit.

The farm also includes six ponds, wetland, woodland, improved and increased hedges, coastal grassland, as well as hosting a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The biggest pond is multipurpose – providing irrigation in summer months, soaking up flood water in winter and providing a source of income from line fishing. Because it is fenced off from predators, it also provides a mix of habitats for biodiversity.

Robert manages the farm with the support of the Agri-Environment and Climate (AECS) Scheme which has been invaluable in funding key environmental benefits including grass margins, water margins, species rich grasslands, wild bird seed grass strips and over-wintering stubbles. Robert is advised by The Farm Environment and Farm Advisory Service (FAS). Farms and crofts which have had an AECS scheme in place from 2022 onwards will have a biodiversity audit as part of this, so will be covered for 2025.

The Key Elements of Whole Farm Planning

There are five key audits which make up a Whole Farm Plan – soil analysis, carbon audit, biodiversity audit, IPM plan, and animal health and welfare plan – which together give an overview of a farm or croft’s emissions, environmental condition, animal health and welfare, and use of fertilisers and pesticides.

Robert carries out four of these as part of his business plan:

• Soil analysis, including soil organic matter (SOM) – Robert, like a lot of farmers, was doing soil analysis already before it became a WFP requirement, but has recently added SOM to routine tests which is an important indicator of soil health.
• Carbon audit – this helps Robert work out the biggest sources of carbon emissions on farm: in the case of Lochhouses it is primarily in nitrogen fertiliser but also in diesel for tractors. As a result of recent audits, use of nitrogen fertiliser has been significantly reduced, as have the frequency of soil cultivations.
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan – the use of wildflower margins and longer crop rotations have allowed a reduction in pesticide use.
• Biodiversity audits through the Agri-Environment and Climate Scheme and Soil Association Exchange have provided a picture of the range of habitats and biodiversity on the farm and are starting to show an increase in biodiversity over time, linked to habits such as hedges, margins, bird cover and healthy soil.

Reducing inputs

Robert and his team are using the Whole Farm approach to reduce inputs where they can, particularly the use of nitrogen fertilisers and pesticides, while still increasing and maintaining their yields by having better quality soils and improving biodiversity and wildlife on the farm.

In addition to reducing the use of nitrogen fertilisers Robert is trialling ‘green’ nitrogen fertiliser on his spring barley which is produced using renewable energy and therefore reduces the carbon footprint.

Why adopt Whole Farm Planning? The importance of baselining

Doing the WFP has made Robert think more about soil health, and particularly cultivation – minimizing soil disturbance to reduce carbon loss, fuel use, and fertiliser.

Robert feels it is crucial to capture baseline measurements at the outset, in order to get an overview and identify opportunities for improvement or reductions, and to be able to demonstrate change over time. It is also extremely valuable for all farmers and crofters to know what the fertility is like in their fields in order to reduce fertiliser use and manage fertility more holistically through measures such as green manures and incorporating manure.

Challenges of Whole Farm Planning

Of course, with any change there can be challenges to navigate. Robert has found that in poor weather, reduced cultivations, especially on heavy land, can result in reduced yields, which can increase the carbon footprint per tonne of grain produced. Reduced cultivations can also result in increased weed problems in crops in some situations, so a comprehensive IPM plan becomes increasingly important to manage this holistically.

Getting started with Whole Farm Plans

Robert Dale advises that farmers wanting to get started with Whole Farm Planning should begin by getting their soil and organic matter analyses done, as well as a carbon audit. These are a great starting point and can provide an extremely useful and increasingly important baseline from which to work. And then, of course, the other audits follow on from that to give a fuller picture.

Because, as the saying goes, ‘you can’t manage what you don’t measure’.

Farmers and crofters can find more detail on WFP requirements on our project page.