Farmer Focus – Philip Bradshaw
Retiring after 37 farming years
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Farmer Focus – Philip Bradshaw
Apr 2026 Our last year of farming seems to be racing past. To make life easier while we are moving house and clearing the farm, we only have some winter wheat planted as a cash crop, and all break crops are SFI 23 options, mainly AHL1 pollen and nectar crops. The wheat is looking good,
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Farmer Focus – Philip Bradshaw
June 2025 It doesn’t seem possible, but it is 10 months since my last article. I was at that point concerned whether our late summer drilled Pollen and Nectar mixes would be good enough for the year ahead, and indeed while some were good, a few areas unfortunately looked poor. In late October I drilled
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Farmer Focus – Philip Bradshaw
September 2024Â Â A year since my last article here and it has been an interesting period. With our 6m Weaving GD drill we acquired last summer we managed to plant all our planned autumn crops in 2023. The ones following catch crops were easiest travelling on the green, the ones after beans on stubble were
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Farmer Focus – Phil Bradshaw
Dec 2023 We have had a very busy few months since my last article, with non-farming activities sometimes compromising the day job of farming. The beans and mustard planted in the spring established well, and we also planted some home-made wild bird seed mix on the old stewardship plots. With a reduction in farmed area
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Farmer Focus – Philip Bradshaw
April 2023 I ended my previous article noting that the inflation in costs, including a recent substantial rent rise, was increasing the risks associated with farming. The ongoing volatility since has reinforced that point. With this in mind, it seemed more important than ever to have the highest quality of establishment for our autumn sown
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Farmer Focus – Philip Bradshaw
I ended my previous article noting the challenges ahead, but with some optimism for the season, and the forthcoming harvest. However, I had underestimated how exciting it was to get, and how much volatility we would come to enjoy! Our crops continued to look well through the spring and early summer. The spring beans established
Farmer Focus – Philip Bradshaw Read More »
Farmer Focus – Philip Bradshaw
I ended my previous article noting the challenges ahead, but with some optimism for the season, and the forthcoming harvest. However, I had underestimated how exciting it was to get, and how much volatility we would come to enjoy! Our crops continued to look well through the spring and early summer. The spring beans established
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Featured Farmer – Philip Bradshaw
I farm in partnership with my wife Jayne, in the Cambridgeshire Fens near Peterborough. We started farming together in 1989 when I left the family farm having gained our first tenancy on an 33ha County Council Farm. It is staggering to think that we equipped the farm for less than £10000, including a 15-yearold combine
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