A pair of social media savvy first generation farmers from the north-east are being showcased in a Scottish land campaign.
James Reid and Rosa Bevan from Tap O’Noth farm, located at the foot of Tap O’Noth hill near Rhynie in Aberdeenshire, feature in the Scottish Land Commission’s MyLand.Scot campaign – designed to showcase the benefits land brings to communities across Scotland.
The couple use YouTube to document their life at the 8-acre farm, where they grow fruit and vegetables plus keep chickens, geese and a small herd of dairy goats.
They generate most of their income from operating a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) vegetable box business, and they also run farm tours and rent out a shepherd’s hut.
In addition the couple offers online permaculture – a method of sustainable farming used to create self-sufficient agricultural eco-systems – consultancy and residential courses.
“We want to inspire people about the life they can lead if they look at land a little bit differently,” said James.
“To have been able to work towards that for the past 10 years has been extremely rewarding.”
Rosa said the couple hasn’t looked back since starting their farming project at Tap O’ Noth a decade ago.
She said: “It’s been inspiring for us to see the benefits Tap O’ Noth farm has had on the environment, our local community and on our lives as well.”
Scottish Land Commission chief executive, Hamish Trench, praised the couple and said their work combining permaculture and land use with social media had created an “informative and interesting hotbed for inspiration”.
He added: “By developing the farm in the way they have, the couple are a great example of how land in Scotland can be transformed to benefit the environment, people’s livelihoods and communities.
“We hope by sharing their story and other important stories as part of the MyLand.Scot campaign, we can inspire people in Scotland to start thinking about land differently.”
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