Resilience is a popular goal for politicians, big business and also farming. The 2026 Oxford Farming Conference (OFC) had the title ‘Growing Resilience’ and was led by Jude McCann whose day job with the Farming Community Network gives him a ring-side seat at the problems of our industry. He has seen a procession of ministers …
The turmoil in international markets presents a golden opportunity for some and a costly experience for others. The actions of one man, Donald Trump, the US president and self-appointed leader of turmoil, has damaged not only the UK and other countries that export to the US but also the American businesses which he wants to …
How full was your grain store this harvest and how have your planting plans changed between 2021/2 and 2024/5? My guess is your 2024 harvest is 10 per cent below a 2022 baseline average and you’ll be planting as much as 10 per cent fewer acres for the next. The area planted will largely depend …
Written by Mike Donovan What will be the farming policy be for the new government? Keir Starmer promises pain before gain, yet so far the Defra budget has not been discussed in any detail. It’s the principle question in the minds of all 109,000 farmers and its 471,000 workforce today. Farming employs 1 per cent …
What happens to the fertiliser which is sown on or near the surface of No-till fields? After a decent shower we see it has gone, presumably disappearing to the root area. But what happens then? How far does it get into the soil profile? Have you got the answer? Marion Calmer from Illinois is a …
Stratified Soil Sampling: A New Look at Soil Testing Read More »
It looks like arable movers, shakers and advisors seem to be moving away from yield, costs and profits towards the birds, bees and ecology. They’re ‘following the money’ as Warren Buffett might say. Today they are making the choice between AHL1 (pollen and nectar flower mix) at £739 / ha/year or leaving their Sustainable Farming …
Farm risks rise as subsidies fall The competent and effective manager keeps a weather eye out for storms which threaten their organisation. The ‘threats’ can be sudden, coming out of nowhere or alternatively events which have been building up for some time. Threats are sufficiently important to be the T partof the highly regarded SWOT …
Written by MIke Donovan Many farmers experiment with seed varieties, fertiliser, chems, machinery, target dates… looking for ways to improve results. Some farmers post their results on The Farming Forum and other media so others can benefit. Others join groups such as AHDB’s Innovative Farmers Field Labs so specific problems can be answered. The Farm …
Written by Mike Donovan Downside pressures increase Every farming year has its ups and downs and in many ways 2022 didn’t perform too badly. The cost of inputs was certainly a real hit, but were to an extent balanced by the increase in crop values. Interest rates rose rapidly following inflation, but from an historic …
Written by Mike Donovan I have some sympathy for the new Defra Secretary Ranil Jayawardena. He got the job on Sept 6 and before the month was out was facing questions over ELMS – the greatest change in UK farming since the 1947 Agriculture Act. Ranil’s knowledge of farming is scant and he was surely …
