Written by Chris Fellows After the interruption of a General Election, Defra have been able to get back to answering farmers 2024. The delay, which has been frustrating for all, has now passed and on the 26th September Defra delivered a webinar in collaboration with the Farming Advice Service (FAS) and The Farming Forum (TFF). The webinar was lead …
Mycorrhiza and specifically ‘arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi’ (AMF) and Ectomycorrhiza (EcM) are important symbiotic fungi involved in the successful growth of the vast majority of plant species across the world. We have previously discussed their roles and strategies impacting their activities in an introductory article. The following article aims to expand on this by discussing the …
Registered Animal Medicines Advisor & Agricultural Sales Specialist at StowAg I’m not from an agricultural background, but I’ve always lived in the countryside and I grew up with a small holding. My sister and I started breeding bantams and we had a small herd of goats which got me hooked! I spent years helping everywhere …
Having started my career at Dalgety Agriculture too many years ago, I was hooked. Farming is so diverse, and there are many opportunities available from a nutritionist to an agronomist. I tried on a few different hats and was lucky enough to have support from some great people along the way. When I realised that I loved growing things and helping people do the best job possible, I decided to focus on agronomy.
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 …
Never fear, I’m not venturing into Shakespeare here. Not only are my writing skills lacking, but I can’t see Direct Driller ever making it to the stage either. However, I am questioning the desire to be labelled a “regenerative farmer”. Do you want or need to be labelled at all? This is not quite weighing …
March 2024 It feels like a very long time since my last ramblings in the October issue of Direct Driller magazine. I’m sure I’m not the only one that thought we’d never experience another winter like we had in 2019, the wettest on record at the time! While winter 2023/24 may not have seen the …
Since the start of 2024 it has become evident that farmers all over the world have been pushed to the point where rising costs, increasing legislation and governmental pressures have left them with little choice but to make their feelings known to politicians in no uncertain terms. As I write this, it seems as if farmers everywhere are protesting. In the UK, throughout Europe and as far afield as the USA, Canada and Australia, the slogan ‘No Farmers, No Food, No Future’ is being seen everywhere.
I’m not going to dwell on the weather but as it is a major factor in what we do, I will say, despite having constant downpours of around 40-50mm we have fared better than most. My rain gauge filled so many times I must admit I gave up emptying it. Colin McGregor, 4 miles away, …
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 …
