Farmer Focus – Tom Martin
Reflections on Groundswell and community
Farmer Focus – Tom Martin
Holding Our Nerve There’s a certain satisfaction in early spring when the farm looks well, before the dreaded blackgrass rears its ugly head and takes the edge off my favourite month of May. Things aren’t perfect, but they’re alright. Crops are clean, gaps are few and far between, and though growth stages are hugely variable, …
Farmer Focus – Tom Martin
Jan 2026 Late winter is a natural pause point on our farm which grows predominantly combinable crops. Most of the decisions that mattered were made months ago, the crops are either in or they aren’t, and the consequences are starting to show themselves. It’s also when the background pressures feel loudest, because the work rate …
Farmer Focus – Tom Martin
I should begin with a declaration: I’m a fan of Groundswell. (I cheered the Cherry family when the event won the Food Innovation Award at the BBC Food & Farming Awards last December.) I’ve attended since it was little more than two blokes and a spaniel (OK, a few hundred people in year one), and over …
Farmer Focus – Tom Martin
Sharing Data, Growing Together: My Experience with AHDB Farmbench Groups “Hey Dad, let’s share all our performance and farm data with our neighbours!” For many farmers, that suggestion would sound like a nightmare rather than an opportunity. Yet, when I look at the farmers I most admire, those who run resilient, profitable, and forward-thinking businesses, …
Farmer Focus – Tom Martin
April 2025 I always say farming is the fourth industry I’ve worked in—but it’s the one that feels most like home. Before I found myself knee-deep in cover crops and grazing rotations, I was in offices negotiating film rights at Universal Pictures. From cinema releases to Blu-ray deals in Portugal, I had a foot in …