News from the field

Image courtesy of ORganic Rapeseed oil

Rural Britain is a wonderful assortment of farms, estates, hamlets, villages, forests and moors, lochs and valleys. Our stunning scenery, close communities and wonderful rural businesses provide an idyllic lifestyle for many, but rural life can also throw up some pretty unique challenges.

The Rural Scene (the Scene & Herd rural blog and news updates) looks at what’s new, what’s relevant, what’s tasty, what’s fun and what’s challenging about life in the Great British Countryside. We offer an insider insight into rural Britain, highlighting some of the exceptional people, businesses and innovations we believe that everybody should know about.

Speak Up! Why Communicating Your Needs is Your Secret Weapon

Have you ever felt frustrated because someone didn't get the hint you were dropping? Does your partner double-book social engagements? Maybe a supplier keeps missing important deadlines...These situations often stem from a core issue: the inability to communicate needs effectively.

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OnFARM Podcast: Balgone Estate: sunflowers, pumpkins and more

At East Lothian's picturesque Balgone Estate, Anna meets David Grant-Suttie and Alex Humphreys, young entrepreneurs driving Balgone's diversification into pumpkins, sunflowers and events.

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Image Perfect: Sourcing Copyright Images for Your Marketing Materials

We know it is tempting to save an image from the Internet without checking that it is copyright-free, but it really isn't the right thing to do - creatives should be paid and acknowledged for their work. So, whether you are using an image for a commercial website or a children's party invitation, don't just pinch an image!

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Is it time to Ditch the Beanie? What Next for Creative Promotional Marketing in 2024?

Promotional items have long been a marketing staple, aiming to boost brand awareness and foster positive associations with your target audience. At Scene & Herd, we've experimented with various giveaways, from umbrellas and mugs to wildflower seeds and socks. While these efforts held merit, the reality is, that many branded items often end up forgotten in a tractor cab, collecting dust in drawers or worse, contributing to landfill waste.

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Why I suspect (sorry!) that you aren’t very good at DIY!

I don’t mean that I doubt your ability to put up a shelf, build a flatpack or repair a garden fence.Instead, I’m afraid I’m doubting your ability to create compelling marketing materials. In this era of fancy and user friendly apps and during a time when money is tight for almost all of us, it’s very tempting to have a go at DIY and tackle things that are outside of our skill set in order to save money and to ‘make life easier’.

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