September 2024 Harvest 24 has been surprisingly good. We were blessed with fairly good weather conditions for cutting most crops and yields have been respectable ( Mostly around our 5 yr rolling average yields) Most pleasing crop was the Oilseed Rape; The whole 134 Ha was really even from day one and ripened so evenly …
Integrating Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) actions into Arable Contract Farming Agreements provides a number of challenges for agreements moving forward. Peter Roberts, Associate Partner in the Agribusiness team at leading property consultancy Fisher German, discusses the considerations ahead for farmers deciding on their best options now that Defra has launched SFI 24. With the decline …
We are the premier organisation, dedicated to promoting independent, farmer led, regenerative agricultural knowledge across the UK. Our mission is to enhance soil health, increase biodiversity, and support businesses by embracing sustainable farming practices that benefit both farmers and the environment. BASE-UK are pleased to announce the sponsorship of Joe Collins and the Harper Adams …
Senior Knowledge Transfer Manager Henny Lowth introduces the nitrogen trials at AHDB Strategic Cereal Farms, ahead of the release of this year’s results in November. How nitrogen behaves in farming systems is often variable and hard to pin down. With nitrogen prices stuck above pre-Ukraine-war and pre-energy-crisis levels, there is an emphasis on the nutrient …
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.
