So often I speak to people who say that their business social media takes up too much time, or that it falls down the priority list because they (or their superiors) don’t see it as important. Social media is perhaps the single most powerful form of advertising. And...
Last week, at the Oxford Farming Conference, I felt that I’d heard the first Westminster politician’s speech, in a very long time, that gave the farming industry a glimpse of a more certain future. Almost everyone, whatever their specialism, whether organic, or not,...
In the past thirty years, I’ve had several opportunities to travel the world… Scotland and England, France, Brazil and Argentina, Ukraine and Poland, New Zealand, South Africa and Namibia… but one of my best international experiences was 30 miles from home. When Jane...
Agricultural and rural business marketing specialist, Jane Craigie Marketing (JCM), has expanded its team with the appointment of two new positions in response to the growing demand for professional communications in the agricultural sector. JCM works with clients...
To attract more people, we need to better link up our farms to our food story; serve outstanding local food, of known provenance in more attractive places to eat – that stay open later….
Farm diversification is the single most prominent opportunity debated amongst farmers in developed farming nations. This is my recurring observation from agricultural journalism events I’ve attended in Australia, Germany, Italy, The Lebanon, South Africa, the UK and...
Four Scottish Enterprise Rural Leaders recently spoke at the International Leadership Alumni Conference (ILAC) in Kentucky. The event was run over four days, bringing together agricultural and rural leaders from the USA, Canada, Australia and Scotland.
Rural areas are home to one fifth of Scotland’s population and over one third (50,000) of the country’s SMEs*. Rural SMEs have been one of Scotland’s bastions of economic growth over recent years, making them very important to our overall economy. Yet, arguably, the...
Social media is now well established in our society and in the farming community, its use is growing apace. The most prominent channels are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat. For instant messaging, WhatsApp is also becoming a powerful tool, replacing...
In May 2017, whilst drinking very strong, sweet chai (tea) in a Palestinian refugee camp in the southern suburbs of Beirut, many of my perceptions about the Middle East were challenged. I went to The Lebanon to spend time with Kamal Mouzawak, an incredible man whose...