Save Doonies Farm

All the animals are native breeds and are classed as rare, minority or traditional by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, with the exception of the Highland cattle. The animals are all registered with individual breed societies and are bred pure. The Farm is a member of Quality Meat Scotland assurance schemes and in addition, all the cattle are in the Premium Cattle Health Scheme. We operate a closed herd/flock policy and all new male bloodlines are quarantined tested before joining their breeds.

The farm has the following breeds;
Clydesdale horses, Eriskay Ponies, Golden Guernsey goats, Tamworth Pigs, Large Black Pigs, White Park cattle, Gloucester cattle, Beef Shorthorn cattle, Longhorn cattle, Highland cattle, Oxford sheep, Southdown sheep, Norfolk Horn sheep, Kerry Hill sheep, Castlemilk Moorit sheep, Hebridean sheep, Portland sheep, Wenslaydale sheep, Whitefaced Woodland sheep and Balwen sheep. There is also a small collection of hens, geese, ducks and turkeys.

The total number of livestock, before this year’s births is 139 cattle, 6 horse, 2 goats, 8 pigs and 217 sheep.

Other Farms
David Durie Chairman of the federation of City Farms and community Gardens and also Manager of Gorgie farm in Edinburgh (0131 337 4202)

Mr Durie was surprised that Council entirely supports Doonies.
Gorgie is funded in a thirds system
1/3 council funding - 1/3 charitable trusts - 1/3 Self fundraising charity
Turn over £300,000 at Gorgie

Council Decision on 14/02/08
Based on the official figure of 14,000 visitors a year, the Council
considered the following three options:

1. Closure - saving £100K per annum (high risk strategy)
2. Increase charges saving £3K per annum (raise charges from £1 to
£1.50 and £2 to £3) (Medium risk strategy)
3. Develop a business case for capital investment and improvement of
facilities aligned to increase charges in 09/10 - no savings (Low risk
strategy)

Option (1) was adopted at the budget meeting on 14/02/08.
This information comes from the minutes of the city council meeting.
I can't see how this decision can be reversed. Based on this, the answer to staggered funding is: no.

Plan for the land
Doonies is entirely in and surrounded by Green Belt, but close to industrial-zoned land at Altens.
The Local Plan is at
http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/acci/web/site/Planning/SL/pla_LocalPlan_home.asp
The maps are at (please note there are modifications being considered
so you need to be sure you are consulting the relevant updated map):
http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/local_plan_web_pages/plan_index.asp
Here is a close up
http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/local_plan_web_pages/map_frame.htm?Proposals_02_207

The visitors paying for admission are accurate but the free admissions are estimates based on staff recording these visitors on “tick sheets”
A family can constitute up to five people, therefore if you allow for four people /ticket, then 2448 tickets sold equates to 9792 visitors.

Therefore for 2006/07 the total estimated figures are 13,825 visitors. Likewise so far this year the total estimated figures are 15,144 visitors.

Visitors are mainly local families from Aberdeen and the surrounding districts. There are some foreign tourists, as well as keepers of rare breeds of livestock.

Finances
There are three full time animal attendants and one manager employed at the farm. The total staff costs per annum are £82,921 for 2007/08.

There are no other major overheads involved at the farm.
A profit and loss system is not utilised. The expenditure is kept within the annual budget limits and the expected income figures are met, so that overall, the allocated budget is not exceeded.
No professional agricultural advisers are employed but we do subscribe to the Scottish Agricultural Farm Business Advisory Service.

The budget target for sales is £32,000 per year.

Surplus females are sold for breeding to other rare breeds keepers, both locally and nationally. The best males are also sold for breeding while the remainder is sold for fattening either locally or to specialist finishers.

All sales are recorded
Movement of location
Alternative sites for the farm were investigated several years ago but no suitable farm was found.

All were under agricultural tenancies and/or adjacent to housing estates. Doonies farm is situated far enough away from Cove, Kincorth and Torry that there are relatively few animal welfare issues involving either people or dogs.

There is no sponsorship scheme running at the farm. This idea has been considered in the past but it was decided that the administration involved in running a scheme properly would be too time consuming.

List of interested people in a rescue package
I have arranged for a meeting with the council in the afternoon, on 13 March.
Jim Arbuckle Royal Northern Agricultural Society
Quality Meat Scotland
Andrew Sleigh Representatives from NFU
David McClelland President of the Royal Northern Agricultural Society
Graham Lennox Countryside Facilities ManagerDoonies Farm
Graham Leith Chairman of the Aberdeen NFU
Paul Titley Chairman of Rare Breed Society
John Sleigh Save Doonies co-ordinator and constituency assistant to Nicol Stephen MSP
Mr A Finlayson Chairperson of Altens and Cove Community Council
From the council
Norrie Steed Head of Service
George Cruickshank Head of Service
David Forsyth Environmental Manager
Graham Lennox Countryside Facilities Manager
Mike Duncan Asset Policy Manager
Recent developments that require clarification
Mr Lennox reports that 10 acres has been zoned for housing and another 10 acres has been zoned for industrial use.
Mr Finlayson, Chairperson of Cove and Altens community council, believes this must be in an early stage as he has not been notified.
Clarification needed.
What certainties does the zoning give?
If £100,000 was raised would the farm remain open?
Suggested Outcome
There is significant ability to generate funds from the farm commercially. Coupling this with trust status giving additional sponsorship for educational services creates a viable future for Doonies.
People interested to join when possible
Bob Bull Acting as an educational farm consultant Glachbeg Croft Centre, North Kessock-http://www.glachbeg.org.uk/ (Mr Bull will be involved at a later stage)
Philip Sleigh Chairman of the NE branch of NFU
John MacIntosh Chairperson of Aberdeen Northern Marts
Robert Maitland Royal Highland Show
Jim McLaren President of the National Farmers Union
Brian Pack CE Aberdeen Northern Marts
Possible Proposals
Move animals to Lochinch Farm or Hazlehead Farm
-Too small
-Unrealistic
-Aberdeen City will be losing a great service

This entry was posted on Wednesday 26 March 2008 at 15:41. You can skip to the end and leave a response.