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Cover by Amelia Woolford

ALLERTON PROJECT 08 25TH YEAR

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DOWN ON THE FARM WITH JB GILL (PAGE 32)

BEN EAGLE MEETS GWCT'S JIM EGAN TO TALK LIFE AND WORK AT ALLERTON

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•SMALLHOLDERS RM AD •ENERGY & ON FA •YOUR OPINIONS •NEWS

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FACED WITH A CHALLENGING DESCENT WHO DO YOU WANT IN CONTROL, YOU OR THE PROFESSIONAL?

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SUBARU RANGE Fuel consumption in mpg (lit/100km): Urban 25.2-41.5 (11.2-6.8); Extra Urban 40.4-61.4 (7.0-4.6); Combined 33.2-52.3 (8.5-5.4). CO2 Emissions 197-141g/km. MPG figures are official EU test figures for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. * Outback and Forester Lineartronic models only. Model shown is Outback 2.5i SE Premium Lineartronic priced at £32,995 plus special paint finish at £550.

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Conservation News from Conservation Editor Ben Eagle. Buzzing Devon with Cathy Horsley. GWCT's Jim Egan talks Allerton projects 25th anniversary.

Arable Welcoming new arable editor Heather Briggs. New slug control guide launched by MSG. Winning strategic black-grass battles. Page 16

Hello all.

On farm with Yara page 18

Smallholders Jack and David show us a practical guide to rain water, selling stock and managing the muck heap. Also, Choosing the right chooks with Sarah Mckenzie.

Farming Life Cesca Beswick shares the memoirs of a farmers daughter. Emma Lander gives her ten top survival tips. See Alma Jordan's advice for a farm safe summer. Plus Hannah Binns - mental health in the countryside.

WHAT else? 04. Farming News 07. Politics 14. Buzzing Devon 21. Electric fence 19. Jersey Royals 28. Young farmers 30. Giveaways 33. See you next time

Midsummer’s Day is upon us and we are truly in the heart of the British summer. It’s a particularly busy time but I hope you are able to enjoy the various wildlife spectacles as you go about your tasks this month. Hedgerows are bursting with growth, with hawthorn blossom fading and elderflowers playing their part as one of the stars of the show, their large snowy white blooms on display. In open grasslands there are ox eye daisies and vetches, as well as little orchids if you’re lucky. Bird breeding is in full swing, but if you are up at the crack of dawn you will still be treated to a wonderful cacophony of sound. Farmland birds to look out for this month include corn buntings, linnets, goldfinches and yellowhammers with their ‘little bit of bread and no cheese’ song. House martins and swifts ‘swift’ about, whilst swallows skirt low over the fields picking up flies as they go. You’ll also probably spot a host of butterflies this month, and at night the bats whizz around the evening skies. If you are considering making an application for mid-tier Countryside Stewardship you should be considering your options now. You can always contact a farm advisor at FWAG for more information or some specific advice. I was delighted to speak to Jim Egan of the Allerton Project for this month’s edition of Farmland Magazine. During our conversation we reflected on quite how far we have come in the last twenty years when it comes to both awareness of the need to conserve wildlife on farms and the increase in practical action being implemented on the ground. The Allerton Project is 25 years this year and Jim wants to invite you all to celebrate this occasion with him and the rest of the Allerton team at their farm in Loddington on 25th June. Don't miss Next month's issue where I’ll be speaking to Staffordshire arable farmer Andy Roberts.

Ben Ben Eagle, Conservation Editor Ben@farmlandmagazine.com

FARMING NEWS

7000 children to learn the farm to fork story

Interactive lesson to give youngsters a definitive understanding of how farmers produce their food

he Kids Country Food and Farming Day comes to the East of England Showground in Peterborough on 30 June. Organisers say the event has a very important role to play in educating children after it emerged in a recent report by the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) that a worrying number of them thought that bacon came from cows and fish fingers are made from chicken. Sandra Lauridsen, Kids Country Education Manager, said; “The BNF research just goes to show the amount of work that needs to be done to ensure children not only have a full and rounded view of what is in their food, but to know where it comes from and how it is produced." The event is backed by Baroness Byford, a member of the House of Lords who said “The event gives children the opportunity to

see how their food is produced – for many it will be the first opportunity to hear about the process food goes through and of the variety of skills involved along the way." “The day will be fun, full of surprises, but will also encourage them to think about job opportunities. Whether they love animals and would like to work with them or look to the excitement of engineering and future technologies, or whether scientific experiments and research might appeal or the challenge of diversity within land-based businesses, there is clearly so much to offer.” • For further information, or to find out how schools can book their place at the 2018 Kids Country Food and Farming Day visit www.eastofengland.org.uk/kids-country.

Joining up to tackle livestock worrying Police team up with union to highlight dangers NFU Scotland has been working with the Ranger Service in an effort to highlight the dangers of letting their pets run out of control. NFUS Regional Manager Kerry Clark said: “The number of incidents where dog owners have allowed their animals to run uncontrolled in these areas remains a huge worry." “Tragically, these regular incidents have resulted in the death and injury of sheep and lambs and have a huge impact on those farmers trying to raise their livestock safely. Livestock owners are provided with statutory defence if they are forced to injure a dog to prevent or end an attack, but must report this to the police within 48 hours." “The message is clear is that dogs must be kept under close control at all times when out in the country and especially when around vulnerable livestock. “There are no irresponsible dogs, only irresponsible dog owners.”

Harper Adams University strikes TEF gold rating Shropshire based Harper Adams has been given the award from the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). The TEF aims to recognise excellent learning and teaching in universities and colleges and help prospective students make more informed choices about their higher education. The University is one of only 59 Higher Education providers to have achieved Gold, the highest TEF outcome. Based on the evidence available, the TEF Panel judged that “Harper Adams University

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delivers consistently outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for its students. Harper Adams University Vice-Chancellor, Dr David Llewellyn said: "Our top rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework is the culmination of a remarkable year for the University, in which we were placed first in a national ranking of student experience, were awarded the WhatUni University of the Year title and were named the Modern University of the Year by the Sunday Times. We are thrilled to have achieved this TEF outcome."

Rural rebrand proves a hit

A LAND agency has undergone a complete rebrand after more than 100 years. Davidson & Robertson (D&R) Director Derek Bathgate said "We are an innovative, modern business and this rebrand will better reflect this".

Arla announce July price increase

Dairy giant Arla foods have announced it is to increase the milk price it pays to owners by 1.65p/litre. This comes after the June price was slashed by 0.4p. Irish processor Dale Farm have increased by 1p/litre.

Dairy industry champions honoured by award

uropean Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan and Simon Hoare MP have been announced this year’s winners of the Dairy UK Award. Commissioner Hogan was honoured with the award in recognition of his unwavering commitment to support dairy exports and ensuring the industry is of strategic importance within Europe. The award was presented by Dr David Dobbin, chairman of Dairy UK, during the Annual Dinner at the Royal Garden Hotel in London on 21 June. Simon Hoare most notably chairs the Dairy All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and is currently leading an inquiry into skills and labour in the British dairy industry. He also played an integral role in ensuring the exemption of milkbased drinks

Photographers back charity calendar Dr David Dobbin with EU Commissioner Hogan

from the soft drinks industry levy last year. His award was presented by former Conservative MP Gyles Brandreth. Commissioner Phil Hogan added: “I want to thank Dairy UK for this award - it is a real honour. As someone who grew up on a small dairy farm in Ireland, the

industry has always been an important part of my life. The Commission will stand by the sector and I will do anything in my power to support it as we move ahead.” Mr Hoare added: “It is a pleasure to speak up for, champion and encourage our vital dairy industry.”

A dozen of the UK’s top agricultural photographers have donated a selection of images to farming charity R.A.B.I to help raise funds for farming people in financial hardship. The calendar supported by NFU Mutual Charitable Trust combines a 'farm in focus' for 2018. •Priced at £7.50 available by calling the order hotline on 01268 888217

Seasonal worker shortage leaves farms short

he number of seasonal workers coming to work on British farms has dropped 17% leaving some farms critically short of people to harvest fruit and veg, a new survey by the NFU shows. It emerges that there were up to 1,500 unfilled vacancies on British farms in May alone. NFU horticulture and potatoes board chairman Ali Capper said: “A lack of clarity regarding the UK’s future relationship with the EU and a weakened sterling has contributed to the reduction

in workers on farm." “Farmers and growers need to know how the Government will deal with the need from industries that rely on seasonal workers and the NFU is calling

for reassurance farmers will be able to source a reliable and competent workforce both now and in the future." The proportion of returnees, which form a sizeable and dependable source of workers, has also dropped significantly throughout the first five months of the year, falling from 65% to 33%, a drop of nearly 50%. Mrs Capper added: “Returnees are absolutely vital. Their past experience and technical ability makes them so valuable.

British cheese flying the flag in India

n a bid to boost dairy exports, a selection of premium cheeses from Britain will be promoted in India for the first time ever. Shoppers in Delhi will be offered tastings in supermarkets over the next two months as part of a series of promotional events across the city. The tastings have been organised by an Indian dairy importer and supported by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB.)

Jean Pierre Garnier, Head of Exports for AHDB, said " The Indian dairy market is the world’s largest and, although India is not yet one of our major outlets for cheese, the objective of this promotion is to support the long-term development in this country which has a huge sales potential." He added "This promotion will also help to develop our image as a producer of tasty, high quality and sophisticated cheeses in the face of fierce competition from other European countries.”

Farm safety is a lifestyle, not a slogan NFU Scotland has warned farmers and crofters of the dangers of letting children play on farm during the summer. The warning comes ahead of Farm Safety Week, which takes place from 24 to 28 July when we will be urged to improve the Scotland’s safety record. NFU Scotland Vice President Martin Kennedy commented: “We need the help of Scotland’s farmers and crofters, and those working across the industry, to reduce death and injuries happening on our farms and crofts. @farmlanduk | FARMLAND MAGAZINE

POLITICAL Sturgeon has promised to 'seek to meet the new deadline'

Defra secretary "I'm backing British farmers"

ichael Gove, the new Defra Secretary of State, pledged to back British farming during the NFU’s Summer Reception at the House of Commons in June. He said that Brexit must be a success for British farming and that he wanted an open and frank dialogue with the NFU. NFU President Meurig Raymond said, “I welcome the Secretary of State’s comments on the importance of a successful Brexit for British farming. Farming is the bedrock of the food and drink industry, and it’s vital that it is recognized by Government the massive contribution it makes to the health and wealth of the nation. It contributes £109billion to the nation’s economy and employs 3.8 million people. Farming produces the essential raw ingredient to this sector, as well as managing 70% of the nation’s environment.” The event attracted 70 MP’s and 9 peers as well as Defra’s full ministerial team. It provided an opportunity for the NFU to stress the priority that must be given to farming and the food industry over the coming months and the need to achieve positive trade deals, access to a reliable workforce and an agricultural policy that works for Britain.

Farm payments extension request is unacceptable Scottish government could face £60million fines for late EU subsidy payments

he Scottish Government is facing fines of up to £60m for late payment of EU subsidies to Scottish farmers. Many of the farmers have already been waiting over 18 months for payment, causing them considerable hardship and an inability to make major business decisions. The EU has granted the Scottish Government another extension to its payment deadline, which has now moved to 15 October. Andrew McCormick, NFU Scotland President says “Some of the payments have been outstanding for 18 months. That is wholly unacceptable. Farmers and crofters are having to hold back on making business decisions and investment because of outstanding payments.”

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The problem arose in 2016 when it became necessary to set up a £178m IT system to deliver EU farm payments to farmer. The IT systems experienced constant problems processing applications. Attempts were made by the Scottish Government to improve the system’s strategic thinking and capacity but management time was still focused on short term risks. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has promised to seek to meet the new deadline. Ruth Davidson, Scottish Conservative leader commented that the latest failure indicates a ‘culture of secrecy and denial’ which is harming Scotland’s farming sector. ■ What do you think? Tweet us @FarmlandUK

POLITICAL Artwork by Sarah McKenzie

Farmers mixed feelings over Gove appointment The former Justice Secretary has sparked nationwide debate amongst farming groups

possible challenges with regard to Brexit. Most farmers rely on subsidies from the EU Common Agricultural Policy, and arrangements have to be made for a new system. In addition, there is the question of replacing the Common Fisheries Policy – which Gove has already blamed for the loss of his father’s fish processing business. Meurig Raymond, NFU president has written to and Gove congratulating him on his new appointment as well as underlining the importance of the agriculture, food and drink sectors The biggest questions is, how the economy and emphasizing will he survive given the weakness to that farmers needed “Future postBrexit trade arrangement that deof this govenment" livers the best possible access to the vital EU market, as well as continued A prominent Brexiteer, he is now in charge of access to a competent and reliable workforce.” a department that faces some of the toughest The biggest question now is how long he will survive, given the weakness of Theresa May’s government. Most industry and political observers anticipate that it will not be long before she faces a leadership challenge, regarding her as having become a caretaker prime minister, whose power has been seriously curbed, and her position in the Brexit negotiations weakened significantly. he appointment of Michael Gove as the new Environment Minister was the most unexpected result of the changes brought about by the General Election. Very few observers had expected him to re-enter the Cabinet. Known for his extremely controversial policies, Gove made enemies in his former roles in dealing with education and the prison system. The Guardian newspaper described him as practising ‘slash and burn politics’.

Angela Youngman Got a story? Contact the Press office mail@farmlandpress.com

What do you say? Louisa Oukil, East Midlands. "There’s been some scepticism around Gove’s appointment. Although he isn’t from a farming background, he’s aware that all eyes are on him to prove he’s up to the job. I’d like to see him mixing with farmers and smaller businesses as well as bigger producers, listening to their concerns. We have to remain positive and see this as an opportunity to shape a sustainable future for British farming and for a robust environmental plan. We need Government backing and the voice of a strong advocate." Dewi Jones, Llechwedd. "Even though he is an MP for a semi rural constituency he has no background in agriculture. In his previous role as education secretary, the teachers conference in 2013 gave him a vote of no confidence which says a lot about his ministerial style. Now that agriculture and food are absorbed into the department of the environment, it shows that they are a low government priority. Agriculture and food should be given the highest priority because UK food self sufficiency has fallen by 13% in 20 years to around 60% today." Steven Pass, Beef Farmer, Atherstone. "I'm not overly impressed with his appointment, I feel it should be someone with agricultural experience or a deep understanding of the industry, there is too much at stake for someone to come in and learn on the job. Agriculture seems to be treated as a second class department. The position should be given to whoever is best /most qualified for the job regardless of what political party they support. No large business would appoint someone to do a high ranking job with no qualifications or experience." @farmlanduk | FARMLAND MAGAZINE

INNOVATION Complete. The academy sits on the 180 hectare Rodbaston campus

London's first agri-tech startup for urban farming

ondon’s first incubator workspace for urban farming entrepreneurs has opened its doors in a bid to create a new city community for sustainable food innovators in the capital. Green Lab, based in Bermondsey, South London, offers a collaborative and affordable studio environment, wet lab facilities, bio lab, growing spaces, access to a making workshop, an event space – and access to a network of experienced mentors and investors. True to its mission, the lab itself has been designed and built using recycled salvage from a local theatre company, decomissioned biolabs and wood from art freight containers. Green Lab is a place is for individuals to design, prototype and pilot food production systems, processes and agricultural technologies that can be taken from a bench-scale trial to achieve local and even worldwide impact. Founder Andrew Green commented; "I wanted to create a new creative workspace in London that blended traditional agriculture principles with tech innovation, in a bid to help grow sustainable new food businesses." "Green Lab provides an opportunity to design sustainable food systems, with access to high-end technologies. We have designed a space that sits at the intersection of great design, technology, science and agriculture.” Find out more about the project by visiting www.greenlab.org/openday

■ Andrew Green "Barcelona was a turning point seeing the rural aspects of the project combined with technology and a 'diy' culture of building solutions using local materials - which I've adopted in the space in London."

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Doors open to £5.4million AGRIstem academy Unique learning facility set to play vital role in farming futures

outh Staffordshire College is bringing together the UK’s agricultural industry on to celebrate the launch of its brand new £5.4million AgriSTEM Academy. The facility, based at the South Staffordshire colleges 180 hectare Rodbaston campus offers a range of diplomas, apprenticeships and traineeships and will provide market-leading and innovative training opportunities for the agri-

“We will play a vital role in tackling the economic cliffedge facing agriculture” tech and Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME) industries and aims to address the fundamental economic and food security.

AgriSTEM will prepare students for a rapidly transforming agriculture industry. The offering to students will be discussed in the context of many of the major issues confronting agriculture in post-Brexit Britain, such as the potential termination of EU subsidies in 2019, and the need for increased efficiency in food production. Graham Morley, Chief Executive Principal of South Staffordshire College, said: “The unique combination of facilities and expertise on offer will place us right at the forefront of the national skills agenda. We will play a vital role in addressing the nation’s food security challenges, enable students to successfully pursue a career in the agri-tech or AME industries and be at the centre of the national conversation on the issues facing agriculture.

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CONSERVATION

@benjy_eagle Ben-Eagle

farmlandmagazine.com | thinkingcountry.com | @FarmlandUK

thinkingcountry.com Picture credit Amelia Woolford

Talking with Jim Egan

GWCT's project development manager meets Ben Eagle to discuss life and work the Allerton project

im Egan is the Training and Development Manager for the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust’s Allerton Project in Leicestershire. He has broad experience in engaging a wide audience about farmland conservation issues, from primary school children to DEFRA ministers and farmers and has been in his current role for six years. The Allerton Project, which aims to demonstrate that commercially viable farming can sit alongside a thriving farmland biodiversity, clean water and local community engagement, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. I spoke to Jim about life and work at Allerton, engaging people with conservation and GWCT’s plans for Allerton’s 25th birthday. Thanks for speaking to me Jim. You and the team at Allerton have quite a varied workload and there are lots of different projects going on. Can you describe a typical week in the life of the Allerton Project? This week is probably a good example of what we do. On Monday we hosted a school visit for thirty year 3 pupils from a school in inner city Leicester. We aim to deliver them a farm visit which covers core parts of the key stage 1 national curriculum. While they were on the farm we did maths, English, history, geography, science and art. We talked to them about identifying trees in the field, about

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pollination and seed dispersal. We had ninety seconds of silence during which the children are quiet and listened to their surroundings; they listened to birds. We spent the afternoon talking about the crops grown on the farm. So, that was Monday. On Tuesday I did a Farm Advice Framework Countryside Stewardship workshop on behalf of Natural England, which talked

“During the 25 years of the project, we have generated over 250 peer reviewed applied science research papers.” fifteen farmers through the Countryside Stewardship scheme. Then, on Wednesday we had sixteen game keeping students from Reaseheath College. We talked about how you can make farming and keeping work together, how you can use the financial opportunities of stewardship to benefit the farm, how you can use unproductive land effectively for the shoot, and the importance of responsible gamekeeping. We also spoke about our research and how important keeping is in the recovery of farmland birds. On Thursday we hosted the Country Trust and Warburtons, and passed on our experience of working with schoolchildren.

Then on Friday we hosted a land agency company who came to understand the research and practical work that we do. In the background we are organising Open Farm Sunday, there’s the research work and other events. There’s a lot going on! How and why did the Allerton Project begin? We were left the farm by Lord and Lady Allerton in 1992. They were very forward thinking. They didn’t have any heirs or successors and they left us with three key charitable objectives, second nature to us now, but radical at the time. The first was to demonstrate that productive farming and wildlife conservation can be done side by side. The second was to research the interaction between farming, wildlife conservation and resource management. During the twenty five years of the project, we have generated over 250 peer reviewed applied science research papers. Thirdly we were asked to disseminate the results of this research for the benefit of farmers, policy makers and others. We don’t lobby. We demonstrate what can be achieved. We have a fantastic visitor centre which was due to the foresight of our Trustees and Head of Project Alastair Leake. Since 2012 we’ve built our visitor numbers from 300 a year to 4000 year. Research is central to what you do. Can you give readers an example of current research? Long term research on songbirds is a key one for us. We’ve got records of what has been happening to them on the farm for a twenty five year period. In 1992 we implemented a full game bird management system and we doubled our songbird numbers. Then from 2001 to 2010 we dismantled the system to understand which part of the system had the biggest impact. We then started again with a game management system in 2011. We saw bird numbers go up initially, we then saw them decline by 60% (2001-2010), and today we are at 92% above 1992 levels. We’ve gone full circle and we are really starting to understand how our management can impact on wildlife on the farm.

Farmers interested in applying for the Mid-Tier scheme still have until 31st July to request an application pack. For advice / guidance contact FWAG visit www.fwagsw.org.uk – or call 01823 660684

Next time... I will be meeting South Staffordshire arable farmer Andy Roberts to discuss wildlife, notable species on farm and future conservation.

Farmers themselves really need to demonstrate the good work they are doing" How will your research help farmers and how will it help wildlife? Our research on soils will help farmers make better decisions because it’s applied and practical. Whatever system or project we undertake we are clear that the farm has to be profitable. Interestingly, we now understand that by doing more for wildlife we can actually make the farm more profitable, so, for example, by focusing on lower yielding and difficult areas and encouraging wildlife there, encouraging pollinators and beneficial insects, we can improve the services that those areas provide for other areas of the farm. You’re planning an open day on 25th June to celebrate your 25th anniversary. Can you tell me more about that? It’s a birthday party and there is an open invitation to whoever would like to come! We will be celebrating our successes with a range of key partners who have worked with us over the last 25 years and hopefully give people a taster of what we have done. Guests will see how we have developed our chemical and pesticide areas, by working with companies like Syngenta and BASF. They’ll see our new agroforestry project, and hear about how we are working with our partners at Agricology. They’ll see our game management and our wild bird management, working with partners like Kings. It’s a great opportunity for people to come to Allerton, share some food with us and talk with us and our partners about what we’ve achieved. Let’s talk about conservation generally. The (second) State of Nature report was published last year. It presented quite a mixed picture for farmland conservation. Did you find it a cause for concern or optimism? We found the State of Nature report didn’t sufficiently recognise the excellent work that is being done by a large number of farmers already. Some might see it as a divisive document, rather than one that can encourage collaboration. It is important that we act on science and true research, but we need to do it in a way that encourages rather than blames, and I think a lot of people in farming felt that they were being blamed for the declines. Unfortunately it switched a lot of farmers off who have done a lot of good conservation work in recent years.

Allerton exists partly to demonstrate that productive farming can sit alongside conservation.

Do you think that enough is done to profile conservation in a farming context? Sections such as yours in Farmland Mag are great for demonstrating the good work that is being done. Farmers themselves really need to demonstrate the good work they are doing and get this message out on social media. However, we also need all farmers to step up and take their responsibility seriously. It can’t be left to a minority to do the work. Conservation isn’t just something you can put at the side. It needs to be truly integrated into all farming businesses. For us it’s a big challenge but the industry needs to step up and accept its responsibilities. Should the politicians be using a stick or a carrot to encourage conservation on farms? I think it should be a combination of both, but primarily a carrot. You have to have an element of sensible regulation at the back of things. We shouldn’t underestimate the environmental value that’s already delivered by things like cross compliance. I think many people forget that. But, we need to do it in a proportionate way. Schemes need to provide value for money but we shouldn’t wave a huge stick all the time and hit farmers behind the back of the head, which is how it feels for a lot of people at the moment. Farmers should be encouraged and rewarded for doing good conservation work.

Why should farmers consider getting involved in the middle tier Countryside stewardship scheme? As I say when I open the Countryside Stewardship workshops on behalf of Natural England, middle tier won’t suit everybody, but it will suit a lot of people. It will help a lot of people deliver good work, and it does provide financial rewards. There is still a lot to be desired about the administration of the scheme, and we are working very hard to help Natural England and Defra improve that. We’ve now hosted nine workshops on the farm, bringing experienced advisors and farmers together. However, in essence the scheme is really good and has the potential to really improve the state of nature on farms. My advice to farmers would be to please look into it. Finally, how can people find out more about the Allerton Project and GWCT? They can visit our website. There’s also always the opportunity for farmer groups, discussion groups and focus groups to visit. Just get in touch and come and see us. Thank you very much Jim. My pleasure. @farmlanduk | FARMLAND MAGAZINE

CONSERVATION Picture by Suzanne McNally

30% of native sheep are in decline

Farm in Focus Loddington, Leicestershire GWCT's Allerton project farm shows that productive farming and conservation can work in harmony

he Allerton Project Farm at Loddington is a 333ha mixed arable and livestock farm on clay soils (Hanslope and Denchworth series). Cropping includes winter wheat, OSR, spring beans and winter oats, and the livestock include 280 mule ewes a South Devon suckler herd. Allerton is run by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust and exists partly to demonstrate that productive farming can sit alongside conservation. They have an active research team studying a host of issues from sustainable soil management to farmland bird conservation. They also have an engagement wing that focuses on education work and disseminating their research to farmers and policy makers. In 2013 the farm shifted towards a direct

drilling cultivation strategy, with tracks replacing tyres on the combine and a trash rake introduced to assist against weed germination, all part of the farm’s determination to conserve its soils. The Project is 25 years old this year and since the outset, in 1992, the farm has monitored songbirds and noted the trends over time in relation to management practices. Allerton undertakes a holistic approach to management with conservation at the heart of what they do. ■The farm holds occasional open days and anybody can book a half day group visit by contacting them directly by emailing allerton@gwct.org.uk find out more about the project by visiting www.gwct.org.uk/allerton

SRUC researchers recently facilitated a workshop hosted by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) to discuss the conservation of UK’s native livestock breeds which are at risk. Several UK native breeds are classified as at risk of extinction and Defra statistics suggest that 41% of cattle breeds; 30% of sheep breeds; 86% of equines and 64% of our native pig breeds are declining in population size. The workshop focused on the development of policy support tools to improve genetic conservation, such as the use of multiple indicators to help identify vulnerability and conservation status. Warwick Wainwright, PhD student at SRUC, said: “Native breeds make an important contribution to our cultural heritage, whilst also providing a range of future breeding options to retain an adaptable livestock sector.” Dr Bouda Vosough Ahmadi, Co-facilitator and SRUC Research Economist, said: “The workshop was an effective way to engage with a variety of stakeholders across the livestock sector on important issues concerning native breeds at risk management. These could become particularly important in the wake of Brexit.”

No. 1 for your Countryside Stewardship Applications Get a free quote today: Tel: 01823 660684 Email: info@fwagsw.org.uk 12

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Picture credit Steve Pollard

Find out more about SMALLHOLDERS the West Country buzz project at bumbleconservation.org

Pollinators on farmland

Devon based BBCT conservation officer Cathy Horsley joined the trust in 2016 and has a background in ecology & pollinators @BuzzingDevon

Beetor Farm at Dartmoor is a bumblebee haven. Cathy Horsley looks at how the habitats have been created.

umblebees and other pollinators are experiencing a dramatic decline. Farmland can offer a vital refuge for pollinators however, by providing flowers and nesting habitat. Across the south west, farmers have been working with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust (BBCT) on the West Country Buzz project to help save our pollinators. Pollinators are essential for productive and sustainable farming. They pollinate pasture, 75% of food crops, and wildflowers, as well as being of intrinsic value in their own right. Beetor Farm on Dartmoor, Devon, is a haven for bumblebees and other pollinators. Steve Pollard grew up on the farm and, after living in Australia for a few years, he returned to Devon to manage the farm as it entered into Higher Level Stewardship. It is a livestock farm of around 60 cows including Gelbvieh and Devons, and around 60 sheep including Suffolks. Steve runs a successful and profitable business whilst also supporting an abundance of wildlife. As well as bumblebees, the farm is home to Small pearl-bordered fritillary butterflies and Violet oil beetles, both of which are rarities. The rich variety of habitats supporting pollinators includes diverse permanent pasture, hedgerows and hedge banks, woodland, and Rhos pasture (a species rich rush pasture). Bumblebees need two things to survive â&#x20AC;&#x201C; food and shelter. Beetor Farm has achieved both. There are many different bumblebee food plants, such as Blackthorn, Hawthorn, Fox gloves, Bluebells and Catâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ear. Steve is currently restoring some pasture to hay meadows and this helps bumblebees

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by providing food through the spring and summer. Bumblebees need a continuous supply of food (pollen and nectar) throughout the colonies whole life cycle, which can range between February to September or October. A lack of continuity of forage can cause colonies to fail, so this is crucial. The wide range of flowers of different colours, depths and flowering times at the farm supports a wide range of pollinators. Shallow flowers such as Dandelions support shorttongued species like solitary bees and hoverflies. Deep flowers like Red clover and Birds foot trefoil support long-tongued bumblebees.

Pasture meadows provide food throughout spring and summer

The grazing regime at the farm also benefits pollinators. In harmony with the livestock, pollinators also need pastures to be grazed. This is because it gives wildflowers a chance to grow by keeping competitive grasses in check and preventing build-up of dead plant material. The rotational and low intensity grazing at the farm gives plants an opportunity to flower. This provides food for pollinators, as well as improving the nutritional quality for the livestock and soil structure by encouraging a diversity of plants in the sward. Bumblebees also need shelter to be able to survive, that is, somewhere to nest and hibernate. Nesting habitat are common in disused small mammal burrows in long tussocky grassland or underground. Hibernation sites are often found in north-facing banks, in leaf litter, or under trees. The hedge banks, woodland and the mosaic of small patches of scrub (gorse, bramble and long tussocky grass) at the farm are fantastic sheltering habitats. There are many easy, simple ways to help support pollinators on farmland. Steve says â&#x20AC;&#x153;I'm thrilled by how the farm is coming to life year-on-year just with a little later cutting here, a little less intensive grazing there, not being quite so "tidy". I'd be surprised if there were many farms that couldn't find corners in which to do something".

BEE FARMING 30 Days Wild... The UK's month-long nature challenge is truly under way. With Skippers in Scotland to Puffins near Portsmouth. Wildlife loving brits have been sharing their snaps all month long. Here are some of our favourites -

The first crop and raising new Queens

Day 13. Watching Bumblebees on raspberry and comfrey. Penny Green

The third in the beekeeping series with Kevin Horner. This month we look at the more challenging part of the operation.

or most Bee-farmers, the vivid yellow oilseed Rape flowers herald the beginning of the first honey crop, this coincides with many trees that flower early season. This year the Oil Seed Rape in the South of England was in flower three to four weeks earlier than usual, this brought forward the time at which we remove the filled supers and extract the honey. If the honey is not extracted quickly it will granulate and set inside the combs. This year the Hawthorne and Oil Seed Rape flowered simultaneously, we must remember that the bees do not collect nectar and turn it in to honey for our benefit but with the changing flowering and seasons it does give rise to a wonderful variance of flavours from our UK produce. I am speaking from my own experiences in the South of England, our colleagues further North do not have the issues with granulation of honey as little or no Oil Seed Rape is grown, it does however mean that their early season honey comes considerably later than ours and gives a more floral finish. Like all farmed creatures, Honeybees are reared for particular qualities, we all want bees that are prolific, good honey gatherers, gentle to handle with a good resistance to disease, these are just a few of the traits that Queen

Next time...Safety with bees

breeders work hard to maintain within their breeding operations. There are a number of bee farmers that rear queens for sale to both the hobby sector and to other bee farmers that choose not to rear queens for themselves. At this time of year it seems like a production line. The one difference between Honeybees and

"Queens will not fly unless the weather is warm, dry and with little wind" most other farmed creatures is that Queens actually mate on the wing, in flight, this makes good weather a very critical part of this process as Queens will not fly unless the weather is warm, dry and with little wind, we therefore watch the weather in as great a detail as all farmers. It also makes genetic control of the progeny a more challenging part of the operation. Like most things in bee farming the UK cannot supply enough Queens to meet demand, this leads to importation of Queens to supply the market, this is strictly controlled by the authorities for Biosecurity.

Close encounters of the red & furry kind #WildBrownsea by Brian Bleese

Grass Vetch "Exploring the meadows" by Mark Bradfield. #30dayswild

Day 19 'Damselfly snapped' by Kate Morris

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Heather Briggs

IN THE FIELD

@roseheather1 HB@farmlandmagazine.com

Winning strategic black-grass battles Explore the potential reduction in black-grass that can be achieved by integrating non-chemical methods

lanning ahead with an integrated approach to black-grass management and learning from experience with current crops is crucial to winning battles in the weed-war. Black-grass remains the biggest issue in wheat, oilseed rape and other crops and it may be getting worse each year; resistance to herbicides is increasing, too. As a result, growers are increasingly looking to place more emphasis on non-chemical methods of control such as rotations, delayed drilling, spring cropping, fallowing or grass ley breaks, competitive crops, and more effective use of rotational ploughing.

Paul Fogg, crop production technical lead at Frontier, says: “A high weed population can have real cost implications, as just 100 black-grass heads/m2 can create losses of one tonne per hectare.” Variety selection, rotation choices, cultivation strategy and drilling date all form part of a successful, Integrated Crop Management (ICM) strategy, he emphasises. Combined with a robust herbicide programme, this will help reduce the spread of black-grass and protect future crops. “Crop competition can be very effective, with high seed rates, narrow drill row spacing and more competitive varieties, for example hybrid

barley all proving beneficial,” says Dr Fogg. He emphasises the importance of mapping black-grass areas within the standing crop at this time of year to aid in decision making for next year’s crop. “Stale seed-bed management, use of higher seed rates in the worst affected areas and the targeting of herbicide inputs, can all be implemented as a result of mapping blackgrass. “I would also suggest that growers look at the condition of their soil. We know that black-grass thrives in heavy and poorly drained soil, so alleviating compaction and implementing an effective drainage system can all aid in reducing the risk of black-grass and increased seed return. Again, this is something which can be planned ahead of the autumn drilling window where rotations allow. “Last year, residual herbicide programmes worked very well, particularly when combined with delayed drilling, which generally afforded cool soil and good moisture levels. “Stacking residual herbicides, built on a foundation of triallate and flufenacet, such as System 50, has also proved to be the most effective option. “Flufenacet rates of 240 to 360 g/ha are now routine in bad black-grass situations, at pre-emergence or as a sequence, split between pre-em and post-em. Typically, flufenacet is co-applied with other residual actives such as pendimethalin and diflufenican, to add to the grass weed activity and widen the weed spectrum. “It is important to review what has previously worked best on the farm, as well as understanding industry trials data, to ensure that growers are implementing the most effective herbicide programme this autumn.”

“ "Black-grass thrives in

heavy, poorly drained soil" Paul Fogg

Measuring and monitoring profitable field areas

new agronomy decision support system was launched by Hutchinsons at Cereals 2017 to help growers monitor the best – and worst – profit-making areas of their fields. The multi-layer technology brings together yield potential maps with financial information for meaningful agronomic answers. Oliver Wood, precision technology manager at Hutchinsons, said: “This system will show trends for field performance, so you can see a range of things to assess areas which give consistent performance, both good and bad, and

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those which are inconsistent." The Omnia Precision Software system comes with default costs which can be edited for each particular farm. Additional layers, such as variable drilling rates can be added in and sensors on sprayer booms from the Plant Vision system can track crop development. “This cost-of-production mapping means growers can clearly see £/tonne of what they are producing and this will help them make more informed decisions of what to grow and where.”

Scotland's first vertical farm due in autumn Dundee based Intelligent Growth Solutions says it will make vertical farming commercially viable through reduced power and labour costs. Singapore is also considering a huge vertical farm on a new 250-acre agricultural district.

Target Black-grass early for best results in OSR Growers of autumn-sown oilseed rape can improve Black-grass control with an early season application of carbetamide. David Roberts, herbicide specialist for Adama recommends hitting Blackgrass seedlings when they're small and more susceptible.

An integrated approach to slug control is more effective than relying solely on pellets

New slug control guide

he Metaldehyde Stewardship Group has launched a practical guide on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and slug control 2017. This is to help farmers comply with enhanced stewardship and the requirement for heightened protection to the environment, says Simon McMunn, spokesman for the Metaldehyde Stewardship Group (MSG). Mr McMunn says: “One of the four key stewardship steps for this year’s campaign focuses on the role of IPM and growers must only use metaldehdye slug pellets as part of a wider slug control programme. “What this means is that cultural control techniques, such as ploughing to bury surface trash, and rolling after drilling to create a firm fine seedbed, should be implemented to help reduce slug activity and reduce the requirement for chemical treatment.”

An integrated approach to slug control is more effective than relying solely on pellets and will help ensure maximum protection to water, birds and small mammals, he emphasises. Moreover, IPM can be an effective tool to boost crop productivity. Many growers, with support from their advisers, are already implementing IPM on their farms so integrated slug control is already becoming common practice, he notes.

“The guide will be a key tool for growers throughout the year and if you have any further questions about IPM and slug control I would urge you to speak to your agronomist.” Voluntary Initiative (VI) chairman Richard Butler says: “The VI is fully supportive of these new stewardship guidelines; it is crucial that farmers follow them to ensure the continued availability of this important active ingredient. “The loss of metaldehyde slug pellets would present significant difficulties to UK agriculture, for example, a wet Autumn would pose a serious threat to crop establishment as it is unlikely that there would be enough ferric phosphate to meet demand.”

What's in the guide? →→ Farm appraisals →→ Soil and stubble management →→ Planting methods →→ Trapping →→ Thresholds →→ Treatment →→ Record keeping →→ Monitoring and evaluation →→ Forward planning @farmlanduk | FARMLAND MAGAZINE

IN THE FIELD

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Treating key threats in oilseed rape New OSR herbicide fills the gap between drilling and late season applications.

dama has launched a new and unique contact herbicide for use as an early season post-emergence treatment against a range of key weed threats in oilseed rape. Parish contains 320g/l phenmedipham and can be applied to OSR when the crop has two true leaves and before nine leaves are unfolded. It should be applied to weeds from cotyledon to two true leaves and can be applied at maximum total and individual doses of 1.1 l/ha, with a seven day interval between applications. Phenmedipham has a proven and reliable track record in sugar beet and has been developed by Adama for use in oilseed rape to provide an effective, non-metazachlor option for controlling key weeds including Common Chickweed, Red Deadnettle, Mayweed, Groundsel, Small Nettle, Common Field Speedwell and Field Pansy,” explains David Roberts, Herbicide Technical Specialist.

“There has been a significant decline in the use of pre-emergence herbicides in OSR in recent years,”

"Parish is unaffected by soil type, is not an ALS-inhibitor herbicide and, crucially, does not limit following crop options in the event of OSR failure." “There has been a significant decline in the use of pre-emergence herbicides in OSR in recent years,” David continues. “This has largely been due to increased grower reticence towards spending on

Philip Cosgrave, Grassland Agronomist

crops which may not survive. Subsequent cropping restrictions and the efficacy of later season herbicide options have also fueled the move away from early season treatments. “Parish redresses this balance by providing an effective solution to hit vigorous young weeds when they are small and susceptible without any potential knock-on risk for following crops.

Parish therefore fills the gap between the August/September drilling window and the application of post-emergence treatments in November.” Trials have shown that Parish outperforms other Chickweed and Groundsel herbicides and, at the full recommended rate, offers comparable and more cost-effective control compared to the current dimethanamid-P plus metazachlor-based market leader. Parish has the added advantage of being a non-metazachlor option. “With metazachlor firmly on the radar of regulatory and environmental authorities due to its prevalence as one of the main pollutants of ‘at risk’ drinking water supplies, anything growers can do to limit this vital active ingredient’s entry into water will be advantageous in terms of ensuring its long-term commercial viability. Parish provides the ideal solution by giving growers the option to remove metazachlor from their OSR programme and replacing it with a cost-effective alternative.” ■Learn more at adama.com

On Farm with Yara

THE NUTRITIONAL QUALITY OF GRAZED GRASS Grass is made up of approximately 83% water and 17% dry matter. This dry matter is made of cell walls (fibre portion) and the content of these cells is made up of sugar, protein, fats, minerals and other compounds. ENERGY The majority of energy in grass is provided by the fibre and sugar, with a smaller portion provided by oil and protein. The proportion of leaf to stem influences the overall energy content of grass. The higher the leaf portion the more energy the grass will contain. This is because grass leaf contains more sugar and digestible fibre than stem. As grass becomes stemmy the digestibility of fibre decreases, lowering the energy content. If we provide grass with over 80% leaf to grazing dairy cows we maximise animal performance. If we maintain a high proportion of perennial ryegrasses in swards and manage them by avoiding grazing heavy covers and grazing tightly (4cm), we can maintain leafy swards throughout the grazing season. Quality grass is sufficient to meet a cow’s energy requirement for most of the year, with shortfalls usually occurring in early spring and late autumn. Fibre in grass - a healthy rumen is fundamental for health and good performance. Ruminants can digest fibre from grass and other forages and it is this fibre that maintains a stable, healthy rumen. When a cow’s fibre requirements is not met, the rumen pH becomes unstable and animal performance declines. You need to get the balance right; too much fibre reduces dry matter intake, and thus energy intake. The knock on consequences is reduced body condition gain and production losses. Dairy cows need a minimum of 30% fibre (NDF) to maintain a healthy rumen, while beef cattle can reach high levels of performance on much lower levels of fibre in the diet. We describe the fibre levels in grass using a term called NDF% (neutral detergent fibre). Usually leafy grazed grass contains around 35% NDF while stemmy grass

Yara UK 18

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could contain upwards of 50%. Generally, there is adequate fibre contained in grazed grass. Even though rumen pH may be slightly lower than the optimum in grazed grass diets, there is no evidence to suggest supplementing a grazed grass diet with extra roughage (fibre) will improve animal performance. PROTEIN Protein quantity in grass is typically between 16 – 28%, and the factors that influence this are sward type, the growth stage, time of year, plant stress (drought) and how the grass is fertilized. We should always look at both the quantity and quality of protein supply to the animal as not all protein is equal in its nutritional value. Protein is necessary for appetite, milk production, reproduction and growth. Young, growing cattle and lactating cows need most protein. Young stock need 13-15% Crude Protein (CP) in the diet, lactating cows 14-17%, depending on yield and finishing cattle need 11-12% CP. In many cases the protein supply from grass is over and above the animals requirements. This has a drawback in that excess dietary protein must be excreted in the urine, and can reduce the energy available for production. Therefore, supplementary feeding at grass needs to be carefully considered to avoid over feeding protein. Grazed grass protein quality is not an issue for young stock, suckler cows or finishing cattle. Freshly calved cows in early spring need some quality protein from supplementary feed for the first 6 weeks of lactation. Autumn grass has adequate protein for late lactation spring calving cows, but freshly calved autumn calving cows need some supplemented quality protein to meet their dietary requirements. Find out more about yara by visiting www.yara.co.uk

@YaraUK

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The sea plays an important part in the taste. The fields are fertislised with a type of seaweed called vraic

SMALLHOLDERS

Council looking to inspire next generation of researchers to investigate the benefits of

Bumper harvest for the Jersey Royal This has been a fantastic season for the Jersey Royal, with over 20,000 tonnes being exported from the Channel island

ew crop Jersey Royals are always highly sought after by UK consumers. Their superb taste and easy cooking mean appeal to everyone from chefs to the general public. According to William Church, Sales Manager for the Jersey Royal Co, this year looks set to be a bumper crop. It is expected to be in the region of 20,000 tonnes over the season, which equals around 400,000,000 potatoes. He says “Planting went really well, and into a nigh on perfect seed bed, helped by the fact that we had a dry November and December. January was slightly cooler than normal, but in general the growing season has been really good with sunshine and rain all the right times. Harvest in terms of tonnes is ahead of last year, driven by really good demand in May.” They aim to get the new potatoes to customers quickly, shipping out overnight on the same day the potatoes are harvested, allowing them to be on sale within two days. Preparation for the new crop starts immediately once a crop is lifted. Many fields are only used to produce Jersey Royal new potatoes, so building fertility by

cover cropping with mustard and phacelia is important. These cover crops are flailed at the end of the year and then ploughed back in ahead of planting. Other fields are rented on a short term/land swap basis with local dairy farmers allowing a crop of potatoes to be followed by grass or maize for making silage. In total, each year around 3,500 acres (8,300 vergées) are sown with Jersey Royals. The unique flavour and texture is the result of their location just as much as the variety. The sea too plays a part as many of the fields

are still fertilized with vraic (seaweed). It is this unique quality which has enabled the potatoes to gain protected status. The Jersey Royal new potato holds a ‘Protected designation of origin’ and no variations are allowed, as part of the Protected Status requirements mean that all seed has to be generated on the island itself.. Jersey Royals always kickstart retail summer seasons, as it is the first truly British seasonal product. All the produce is sold in the UK, so great is the demand.. “Every year I receive enquiries from expats, but this is nigh on impossible to service – too few kg for too many miles and you need a distribution network at the other end. Mr Church believes that “the future is bright. Whilst overall potato consumption may be down and the NSB sector has at times struggled over the last couple of years in the face of competition, the demand for Jersey Royals remains strong.” ■Follow the journey of the humble spud at www.jerseyroyal.co.uk

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SPONSORED "Along with the thousands of sheep, hundreds of dogs are killed each year as a result of attacks"

Operation Countryside

Sheep worrying reaches 'epidemic' levels SheepWatch UK reports that around 15,000 sheep are killed annually across the UK.

n March 2016, one sheep worrying incident left 116 sheep dead. The attack, which police believe was almost certainly brought on by dogs, was branded the worst in living memory, leaving farmer Gordon Wyeth with a £17,000 livestock loss, plus the £2,000 cost of disposing of his lifeless flock. In December that same year, young farmer Tom Hadley had his hard work “wiped out” in one afternoon, after two dogs decimated his 56-strong herd, with a total of 31 animals killed. Whilst sheep “worrying” describes an incident whereby sheep are directly attacked by a dog, or suffer injuries or abortions as a result of being chased, in Mr Wyeth’s case, many of the sheep were crushed in a panic. With cases on the rise, Police forces in rural areas across the country are seeking tougher penalties as Chief Constable Dave Jones of North Yorkshire Police, the national policing lead for rural and wildlife crime, explains: “Our experience of dealing with dog attacks suggests there are some areas of the current legislation that could be improved”, he said. Suggestions include broadening the definition of “livestock” so that dogs involved in previous attacks on other animals can be seized to prevent a future attack on sheep. Forces also want to see an increase in the

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maximum fine, which is currently £1,000. Mr Hadley estimated costs of £10,000 following the attack on his herd. Owners or those in charge of dogs worrying sheep on agricultural land are guilty of an offence under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act of 1953. Under the Animals Act of 1971, land and livestock owners are provided with statutory defence if they are forced to injure a dog to prevent or end an attack, but must report this to the police within 48 hours. SheepWatch reported that along with the thousands of sheep, hundreds of dogs are killed each year as a result of attacks on livestock.

rural crime fighting force has swung into action across Scarborough and Rydedale in a bid to stop cross-border criminals. Operation Countryside is a joint effort involving local officers and specialist skills using intelligence reports and live-time automatic number plate recognition to track suspicious vehicles. Livestock theft, vehicle theft, fly tipping, sheep worrying, poaching, arson, vandalism and fraud are becoming a major problem for UK farmers. Many offenders travel from urban areas into the countryside to steal machinery. North Yorkshire police Inspector Jon Grainge says “Operation Countryside will see specialist police resources deployed proactively across Scarborough and Rydedale’s road networks, dealing with road traffic offences, targeting suspicious vehicles and creating a hostile environment for cross-border criminals. Criminals who travel to the Scarborough and Rydale areas will find it very difficult to get in and out again without being spotted, stopped and challenged.” The taskforce will be active throughout the

Our Range of

Dog Fences & Enclosures

This issue we will devote entirely to dog fences. Electric dog fence If you don’t wish to keep your dog indoors all the time, but would like to provide him with an area to run about in the garden, you will find a dog fence useful. An electric fence is a simple and highly effective option for keeping the animals in or out. Fences can be put up quickly even by non-professionals. The electrical pulse ensures that the animals respect the fence and recognise the boundary. The short pulse is harmless to people and animals and acts solely as a deterrent. Our online shop has a range of affordable electric dog fences that are also suitable for small animals: dogs, cats, rabbits and hares, martens, raccoons and herons, etc. These fences are recommended for: • • • •

enclosing gardens, plots of land, flower beds and vegetable patches protecting garden ponds from herons protection against unknown dogs, cats and other small animals avoiding accidents from animals escaping.

Complete kits All our complete kits are fully customisable and can be further extended. Should you require a longer fence, or wish to exchange one of the items for something else, our customer advisors will be happy to do so. Sets for short, vegetation-free fencing: Art: 44770, 44771. With this dog fence kit, you can set up secure fencing for your dog very easily and economically. Your dog can enjoy his run in the fresh air, while you don‘t have to worry about your animal running onto the road. You can also protect your property from unwelcome wild animals such as martens, racoons or stray cats. You can rely on the „Easy“ complete kit to keep your flower beds, fish ponds or fruit trees safe. For longer fences with vegetation or animals with long / thick fur: Art: 44803, 44804. These sets come with a stronger energiser, thus making it very suitable for longer fences, fences liable to discharges (e.g. through vegetation, tall grasses, shrubs, etc.), and animals with long/dense fur. Even insensitive animals will treat this electric fence with respect. Complete system with protective netting: Art: 44809, 44810, 44815. By using the protective net, it‘s possible to assemble and dismantle the mobile dog fence very quickly and easily. With the net you can be very flexible – you can even relocate it afterwards without any problems. It goes without saying that you can also use this fence kit for protection against stray dogs and cats or wild animals such as martens, raccoons or roe deer. Individual areas of land such as flower beds, hedges or garden ponds can be fenced off extremely effectively with these kits. Invisible fence One other option to consider is an invisible or wireless fence. This electric dog fence is not just invisible; it is also effective and easy to use. An invisible dog fence is suitable for both large and small dogs and for larger and smaller plots of land, and also offers many advantages. However, you should choose such a fence carefully to make sure it suits your needs and matches your expectations. To really benefit from electronic pet fencing, a few criteria need to be observed, as explained below. Keeping dogs out of doors Why do so many people opt for an invisible electronic dog fence? One, of course, they find an electric fence too complicated and maybe not very pleasant to look at. Two, it can be used for an unlimited number of dogs. Three, the dog maybe untrained or young and impetuous, and is constantly escaping the garden boundaries.

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Our Range of

Dog Fences & Enclosures

This can cause arguments with the neighbours or one may even run the risk of their four-legged friend roaming far from the house or getting lost. Four, there is also the risk that the dog will run onto the road and cause an accident, bark at or attack people, or get into a fight with other dogs. In such cases, an ordinary fence would appear to be a good solution, however it is not always sufficient. In this case, we recommend invisible pet fencing, which reliably fulfils its job while not looking unsightly. How does an invisible dog fence work? The principle behind the invisible fence for dogs is considerably easy and yet at the same time sophisticated: you need cables or wire for the electricity to flow through. This is laid on the edge of the plot of land to be enclosed, forming a continuous, uninterrupted circle. Additional cables can be connected together and are available in the online shop. The wire is either laid on the ground, or buried beneath it. If you bury the cables under the ground, the advantage is that there is nothing to be seen at all. In addition, in the event of wind, bad weather or other external influences, the electric conductors do not run the risk of being displaced or damaged. What else is needed to use an invisible dog fence? The electronic dog fence only operates if the dog wears a corresponding ollar. The electric fence operates as a transmitter and a receiver is integrated into the dog collar. If the dog approaches the fence, the receiver collar registers the invisible fence and emits a single warning beep. If the dog is well trained, as a result, it will stop because of the clearly audible unpleasant warning beep. If the animal is still unused to the invisible dog fence or has a strong desire to escape through it, he will keep going, despite the warning beep. He will then receive an electric shock from the collar, and shy away. The short, sharp electric shock is harmless yet strong enough to keep even excited, temperamental four-legged friends in check. As dogs are capable of learning, a few experiences with the electronic pet fencing should generally be sufficient. The animal then understands that an electric shock will follow the warning acoustic signal and so stops just in time. Therefore, an electronic dog fence does not constantly release a shock, but acts as one element of dog training and after a few times, emits just a useful warning beep instead of releasing a deterring shock. Small red flags can be placed along the cable as markers as optical guides and serve as initial warning signals for the dog. Which invisible electronic dog fence is the right one for me? Two renowned manufacturers have proven their worth with their invisible dog fences that ensure customer satisfaction. When looking for dog and cat training products, you will often come across the PetSafe and DogTrace brands. In addition to the electric fence, these companies produce items such as anti-bark collars, remote trainers and static correction trainers. Incidentally, these two product categories cannot be combined with each other.

If you opt for a DogTrace dog fence, several models are available to choose from. Standard products are suitable both for large and small breeds of dog and can be repeatedly programmed. Customers wishing to be on the safe side, while placing high demands on the transmitter and receiver, will find just what they need with a DogTrace dog fence. The latest technology and high-quality components guarantee a safe area for your dog to exercise in. This type of invisible dog fence also performs a reliable service on large plots of land.

The PetSafe dog fence offers an even wider choice. If your four-legged friend weighs less than 20kg and is rather difficult to train, or has already grown accustomed to being trained with the electric shock, high-performance devices are available with various corrective steps, sounds and vibrations. Alternatives, such as deluxe versions with extended functions, are available in the online shop in different price categories. Rather than relying on a complete kit, you can purchase the receiver and dog collar separately. We recommend this, for instance, if you wish to use the PetSafe dog fence for more than one dog. Accessories such as antenna cables, cable connectors and additional receiver collars should not be forgotten, of course. Contacts available in various lengths and dog collars are available in bright colours for all those wishing to use a remote trainer or static correction trainer.

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Dog Fences & Enclosures

Invisible dog and cat fence installation tips We have been selling our invisible dog fences for many years providing us with significant experience in this area. We have summarised the most important information for you on this page. 1. Installation The antenna cable must be laid in an unbroken loop, i.e. start laying the cable from the transmission unit and come around to finish in the same place. 2. The magnetic field A circular magnetic field is created around the antenna cable which is divided into warning and stimulation areas. The size of the field can be adjusted at the transmission unit. The cable can be laid above or below ground or attached to an existing fence. 3. Twisting Twisting the wires neutralises the magnetic fields giving you the option of protecting a diverse range of additional areas. By twisting the outward wire with the return wire, the warning signal and impulse is neutralised. This allows the animal to pass freely. 4. Parallel laying It is also possible to secure just individual sides of a property. The cable simply needs to be laid parallel. To avoid any interference, a distance of 1–2 metres should be maintained between the cables.

Should you require any assistance with planning your fence please do not hesitate to contact us. The alternative: the wireless dog fence Those who, for whatever reason, don’t like the idea of an invisible dog fence, can find a desirable alternative in the Wireless / Mobile dog fence section. For example, PetSafe offers the wireless Instant Fence dog fence. This wireless dog fence is suitable for mobile use if necessary, and is even more practical to use. Fast assembly and a range of up to 20 or 30 m characterise this mobile dog fence. A wireless dog fence guarantees a safe area for dogs to exercise in, and operates by emitting a warning acoustic signal. How does a mobile electric dog fence work? The transmitter generates a magnetic field within a specific range. If the dog wearing the receiving collar leaves this area, a warning acoustic signal is emitted. This is followed by an electric shock correction if the dog disobeys. While on holiday, camping or just on days when you want your dog to get some exercise, this type of mobile dog fence is really handy. A wireless dog fence can be installed in record time. As it operates wirelessly, effort is minimised while safety is increased. The plot of land remains completely unchanged. A wireless invisible dog fence is advisable, above all, if you can’t or don’t want to put up a garden fence, but nevertheless wish to let your dog run free. Regardless of the size of your plot of land, breed of dog or the weight of the animal, the electronic dog fence will fulfil its purpose.

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Our Range of

Dog Fences & Enclosures 32

Just a few experiences with the device will produce a learning effect so that the dog is not repeatedly exposed to the corrective action, and understands that the warning acoustic signal means that he must stay inside the enclosure. Unlike ordinary fences, it’s not possible for a dog to jump over, dig under, destroy or get round an invisible dog fence. Signal flags can be used to indicate the presence of the fence, if required. How does the wireless dog fence work? Using a wireless dog fence such as the Petsafe Instant Fence (PIF) will enable you to keep your dog on your property without needing any fixed fencing. The PIF consists of a transmitter and an electric dog collar. The transmitter gives out3a2 mradio signal that spreads out to define a circular area in which your dog is allowed to stay. The range can be set between 5 m and 32 m. The dog or cat can move freely within the defined area. A warning signal sounds if your pet approthe boundary of the defined 32 area. If the animal ignores this and crosses over the boundary, the m collar emits a stimulus. Marking out the boundaries of the allowed area with flags will help your animal by giving them cue. Your animal will more quickly work out the allowed area with this visual assistance.––

aches electric a visual 32

Positioning the PIF transmitter station

The ideal location for the transmitter is at the centre of the permitted area. Please note the following points when positioning: • • • •

The transmitter should be placed at least 60 cm above the ground. The brackets on the back of the transmitter station allow it to be easily attached to a wall. 16m The location should be dry, ventilated and protected. The temperature should not drop below freezing.

Securing larger areas

You can expand the permitted area as much as you want by using several Petsafe free-zone devices. To achieve this, you need to set up an additional wireless transmitter. The warning areas should overlap by at least 2–3 m.

m 32

If you have two devices with a range of 32 m, then an area of 64 m in2 mlength can be covered. device

The wireless dog fence is also portable signal area Due to being simple to set up, the Petsafe Instant Fence wireless dog fence is easily portable. As the dog fence is completely invisible, it is also limit

-3m

16m

free-zone great for places where it would not be possible to erect a normal fence. This allows you to take your pet with you anywhere you go without having to worry about them running away!

In the next issue we will discuss other animal fences and their requirements. device

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signal area

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limit

SAFETY Kildare native, Alma Jordan believes her engaging approach to farm safety will empower children to be safer farmers in the future.

Glow does mean slow 9 ways to make your children’s summer farm safe Staying safe on farm with Agrimammy Alma Jordan

am a reluctant farmer’s wife. I had no natural want to learn the culinary skills of brown bread baking. If ‘himself ’ needs a few emergency sandwiches for the lads in the field, I’m pretty sure I’m not the first one he calls. Does this bother me? Of course not, but it does bother my mammy, the quintessential farmer’s wife. However, I did grow up on a farm and I appreciate the love a farmer has for his land and livestock. Not many would willingly enter an occupation where the losses frequently outweigh the gains. It is a true love, but it is a love that can be deadly. The HSE reported in 2016 that 29 people died in farming related accidents in the UK. The summer months mean more farming activity and children visiting farms, so here are some top tips to help you, your family and everyone to be 'Farm Safe and Stay Farm Safe', all year round. Through engagement and education, we can empower our children to be farm safety ambassadors, creating dialogue directly in the home and encouraging farm safety practice.

1. Make sure children are never alone on the farm. 2. When specific work is planned, tell your family to stay away (and why). 3. Use farm visits as an opportunity to explain various dangers. 4. Set out age-appropriate ground rules. 5. Explain animal behaviour warning signs 6. Explain what the various symbols mean on toxic materials. 7. Set up a dedicated play area - farmyards are not playgrounds. 8. Keep the first aid kid stocked and accessible.

Learn more about Alma's AgriKids initiative at agrikids.co.uk

9. Show your children how you prevent accidents.

Online campaign to protect horse and rider

rural safety initiative set up in February to educate road users on the dangers uncourteous driving can create and bring home how important it is for riders to sport a high viz jacket when riding is gaining traction. "I started the campaign through a bug bear I had about seeing riders riding their horses around the roads and rural lanes with No HiViz on. The danger that this can cause is frightening. Riders are putting themselves, their horses and even worse other road users at risk of not standing out." says campaign founder and equestrian Sarah Johnson, who has recently joined forces with Wills Law for Horses campaign in a bid to get the iniatiative into section 215 of the highway code.

Risks "A horse is a natural flight animal and unfortunately they cannot see directly infront or behind them, for example if a speeding vehicle comes flying up behind them or directly infront of them their natural instinct will be is to react. With this reaction the horse will either take off with the rider on its back in the opposite direction or react in such a way that it puts everyone in danger. As equestrians we sometimes don't have any other option but to use the rural lanes. Some of the altercations that have occurred when using the rural lanes especially is unacceptable." The campaign has gained support from police forces, military groups, and clothing companies across the country. Join in the conversation @GlowMeansSlow @farmlanduk | FARMLAND MAGAZINE

SMALLHOLDING

@Jackatrelaxed Relaxed Smallholding relaxed.org.uk

With Jack Smellie and David Chidgey.

Let's focus on Water

It is important if you collect water to be able to direct it where you want.

Practical and time saving ideas for rainwater collection

hen it comes to water on a smallholding, there is usually too much or not enough: the trick is to get rid of what you don’t want before it creates a problem (flooding and mud) but to always have enough for when you do want it. For livestock owners, the main reason you need water is of course for your animals to drink. Cows can get through 200-250 litres a day in hot weather, sheep nearly 18 litres. Lactating animals need more than non-lactating ones. Pigs need a wet wallow as well as fresh water to drink and though not a legal requirement, it’s great to give your waterfowl enough water to have a full body wash and a good splash about. Hopefully, you will have access to water via mains, springs, a borehole etc as well as what falls from the sky. It is useful to be able to harness both sources, if possible. The following explores a few ideas → ACCESS getting your water to where you want it safely and easily. Water is VERY heavy, you don’t want to be carrying it great distances. Water bowsers or similar are perfect EXCEPT when you have to drive them across a seriously muddy field but if land access is okay, they are just the job!! Before we got a bit more organised we even put a water butt on our land trailer, filled it up with a hosepipe and then drove it out to the cows to bucket it out. PIPING You can bury piping in the ground and get piped water to some key places. On our one-acre back in Cornwall, we had water pipe around the entire perimeter with taps/ water troughs placed at regular intervals.

Heavy duty hosepipes will cope with being left lying on top the ground (for a while) and some of them are surprisingly long, up to 60 metres, so allowing you to fill up water containers ‘away’ from the entrance to your fields and so avoid poaching. CONTAINERS If you are using movable water containers/ troughs, DO actually move them, don’t allow the grass to die back and/ or the ground to become too poached. If you have larger troughs, consider putting woodchip or scalpings around them to help soak up some of the spillage and avoid poaching there too. ROOFS They collect a lot of water and it will be wondrously fresh. However, on a dark, damp winter’s day, a couple of hours of torrential rain could see a tank being filled. We have IBC tanks by our field shelters with overflow piping taking any excess into ditches and hedges. It is important if you collect water to be able to direct it where you want. Natural water sources are great but again need management. We have an old well fed by a spring in one field that keeps a trough filled up but we also have a land drain taking away the excess. We still have some wet land because water will of course find the point of least

resistance and not conveniently all head for the piping you have just laid. CLEANING It is important to have at least one place where you can stand and wash wellies and/or rinse containers/feeders etc. This usually means having a tap and hosepipe and either an area of concrete (with a drain) or a soakaway. Such an area must not become a quagmire or a place where dirty water can collect and so encourage disease. All the above ideas are designed to aid efficiency, maximise your time and protect your land, BUT if you do have to stand with a hosepipe and fill a container, this gives you a perfect opportunity to do a bit of stock watching - and that, is never time wasted. ■ Enjoyed this post? Tweet it #Farmland

When it comes to water. You do the maths

ust how much water are we able to collect from rainfall? The following calculations are based on data from World Weather Online for 21st Dec and 21st June from 2009 to 2016. Adding together the daily amounts of rainfall over this 8-year period, for 21st Dec we get 27.5mm and for 21st June we get 27.3mm. Dividing by eight, we then get an average daily rainfall for these two dates of 3.44mm and 3.41mm respectively.

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One of our field shelters is 9m by 4m, giving us a roof area of 36 sq m. If we times 36 by 0.00341 (3.41mm) for June we get 0.12276 mm, or a potential 122.76 litres of rain. For 21st Dec the average daily ‘collection’ would be 123.75 litres, not even half of what a cow might need but easily enough for six sheep. It’s a good job we have four of these field shelters.

Kim Brook to host pig masterclass. Prize winning breeder Kim Brook will be showcasing various rare to native pigs at this years North Devon Show on August 2nd. Visitors are set to be mesmorised.

Coming up next time...SMALLHOLDERS Dealing with livestock deaths; smallholding buildings; breeding poultry & keeping on top of your numbers.

TIP

July on the smallholding As July gets under way, Jack Smellie discusses the importance of livestock husbandry and keeping vigilant

y July, those who run any kind of breeding programme on their smallholding will probably be at their maximum numbers. We certainly are. In the winter we had a total of 23 4-legged animals and just under 40 of the 2-legged variety. We now have 49 and 80 respectively so we have to be extra vigilant. Once the actual birthing/ hatching is done and dusted, it can be easy to get complacent, especially if all has gone well and losses have been low. There are however all sorts of hazards and dangers lurking in the shadows and some actively seek out the younger animals. So, in no particular order, these are some of our July ‘keeping vigilant’ tips.

Top Tips ☑Keep on top of your faecal egg counts, get that poo tested regularly and worm accordingly – DON’T give animals a wormer ‘in case’ they have worms, it is wasteful, you will have no idea what is actually happening in your animals’ guts and you will encourage resistance.

Managing the muck heap

ith daily poultry and goat house cleaning, our muck heaps carry on growing even in the summer months. Here are a few tips on being ‘Compost Canny’.

☑ Check water containers at least twice a day, in really hot weather even animals that are still suckling will drink from the water troughs plus, if the troughs get contaminated with poo, some stock will go thirsty rather than carry on drinking from them.

→ Site your heaps carefully, you need access to

☑ Keep an eye on all those creepy crawlies, you may want to use preventative measures to keep them at bay such as spot ons and sprays, every so often we pick up a random chicken and make sure they are lice-free, similarly we may have a really good look though the fur of one of our goats.

possible just to get a bit of air in there

☑ As part of your twice daily checking look out for poo that is off ‘normal’, animals that may be apart from the others, animals that don’t come up to say hello that normally do so. It is also worth walking through stock and ‘making’ them get up if they are lying down just to check there's no lameness or wounds. Hopefully all will be well but time checking and finding nothing is never time wasted.

add to them but also, at some stage, to remove them, possibly mechanically with a large vehicle

→Be careful of run-off, ideally any effluent should be able to head for a ditch or if there is not much, to naturally soak into the ground

→A bit of levelling and turning is a good thing if →Try to keep them as mixed up as possible to

aid decomposition, if you have a lot of straw one day, try covering it with ‘raw’ poo the next

→Try to be systematic and build it up in sec-

tions rather than chuck new stuff anywhere, that way it can be removed in sections according to which is the most decomposed

→Chuck any garden waste in there to add to the variety

→Putting it back on your own land is great if possible but be aware of bio-security if someone does this for you using un-cleaned equipment Tonnes more tips online at relaxed.org.uk

Selling our stock - how much is enough?

any smallholders like to sell their stock privately rather than through markets but this can make pricing really tricky. Using social media and checking breed society websites are great places to start to find out how much might be the going rate for a particular breed or age of animal.

At the end of the day though, YOU need to decide how much that particular animal is worth and price accordingly. Keeping them ‘high’ puts a value on an animal that hopefully will attract quality, potential new owners. You should not really ever sell your animals at a loss, after all, why should someone else

benefit from your hard work? Similarly advertising the fact you have to ‘get rid’ of stock is probably going to open you up to some less than scrupulous enquires. Each animal you sell is an individual life that deserves to be re-homed well. Jack

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SMALLHOLDERS

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weeding is

also reduced as vegetables can be grown closer together and, if you are using a planter, access couldn't be any easier" *Want to find out more? Keep updated with our latest blog posts, handy hints, tips and much more by visiting farmlandmagazine.com/gardensite or tweet us @Gardensite

The Benefits of Using Raised Beds & Planters On the allotment with Martin Loach

alk around any allotment and you'll realise just how popular raised beds have become. It's no wonder, since they have several advantages over other methods of growing vegetables. Practically any vegetable varieties can be grown in a raised bed or planter and the latter may be more appropriate in situations where the grower's mobility may have to be taken into consideration. So what are the advantages of raised bed or planter growing? Soil management is one of the most important, most vegetables prefer a pH of around 6.5, however many berries, most notably blueberries and vegetables such as radishes and sweet potatoes, like more acidic conditions. In an area where alkaline soil is prevalent, ericaceous compost can

be used to fill a planter in addition to an organic mulch, and this will lower the pH. Where the soil is too acidic, lime can be applied at regular intervals. Drainage is improved as you are growing above the natural level of the surrounding ground. Sharp sand, grit and similar material can also be easily added to the compost in a planter, or when you are preparing a raised bed, to encourage drainage. During hot weather you have to make sure that a planter doesn't dry out, and one of the best ways of avoiding this pitfall is an automatic watering system. However, remember that, if you are maintaining an acid soil, use rain water that you have collected in a butt not tap water. Better drainage will naturally lead to higher soil temperatures and a growing season that starts earlier.

The temperature can also be more effectively managed as it is easy to cover a raised bed or planter with fleece or a similar material. A good depth of high quality, well fertilized top soil or compost is the perfect medium for healthy root growth, and this is exactly what you will be providing. This environment will also benefit root vegetables that can be grown in deep planters.

Mobility was mentioned earlier, and it is certainly true that gardeners with this kind of issue will find raised beds with their smaller area surrounded by paths, far more simple to manage. Weeding is also reduced as vegetables can be grown closer together and, if you are using a planter, access can't be any easier as there is no need to kneel on the ground or bend over to any great extent. Planters and raised beds can provide solutions to many gardening problems, and they can be constructed quite cheaply with very little DIY expertise, readily purchased online or from garden centres. That's why it's a good bet that their popularity will show no sign of diminishing for the foreseeable future.

Join us next month for a practical guide to poultry housing @farmlanduk | FARMLAND MAGAZINE

At the Vets with... Katie Goodfellow BVSc MRCVS (Towcester Vets)

@Towfarmvets Towcester Farm Vets towcester-vets.co.uk

“ Pregnant female flies can

Farmers are advised to discuss their circumstances with their veterinary surgeon.

travel several kilometres in search of a host and can lay up to 3,000 eggs" Katie Goodfellow

Summer is here, and so are the flies

Sunshine means a whole lot of flies. Veterinary expert Katie Goodfellow looks at the main health problems they can cause

s ever they bring with them a few health concerns and a bag full of irritation for stock and humans alike. These are the big three we deal with each year. Summer mastitis Often called August bag and happens in cows and heifers at pasture. Spread by flies but caused by a number of different bacteria it is easily spread between quarters and to other girls in the group. Symptoms are a swollen, painful teat or quarter - sometimes a cow will present lame as she walks awkwardly to avoid a painful udder - and can be confirmed by drawing off a thick nasty smelling discharge. If left untreated bacterial toxins will result in irreversible udder damage and severely affected stock may die. Treatment relies on stripping out affected quarters,

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injectable antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. New Forest Eye, aka Pink Eye, aka IBK - a highly contagious condition caused by the Moraxella bovis bacteria, more common in youngstock than adults. The first signs are usually tear staining with or without pus matting the hair below the eye but will progress to a very painful eye with an ulcer that can lead to a ruptured eyeball if left untreated. Flies spread the bacteria, but dust, grass seeds and close contact will help spread amongst the group. Outbreaks can occur following introduction of clinically normal but carrier animals into a naïve group, and recommended treatment is by long acting antibiotic injection - tear staining should resolve quickly but any lesion on the eye may take longer to resolve.

Blowfly strike - the worst call in farm vet practice - maggots! Occurs when larvae of greenbottle, bluebottle or black blowflies blowflies infest animal tissues. Pregnant female flies travel many

kilometres in search of a host and can lay up to 3,000 eggs, attracted by the smell of sweat or fleece contaminated with decaying organic matter, urine or faeces – the first wave leaves eggs on damaged or soiled areas. The eggs hatch within 10-12 hours and over three days larvae enter the skin using enzymes to digest the flesh. More flies are attracted by the primary lesion and secondary bacterial infection. The initial lesion is a foul smelling area of moist brown wool or fibre with maggots visible, perhaps unsurprisingly affected animals are distressed and depressed. Good husbandry will reduce the risks of a fatality - twice daily examination during fly season will allow for early detection; shearing and dagging, ensuring good parasite control and minimising digestive upsets will reducing faecal contamination. Dispose of carcases quickly and treat footrot immediately as both will attract blowflies. Treat any animal suspected of being struck immediately with a suitable plunge dip or pour-on treatment.

Strike is a very serious condition and can lead to death if left untreated.

CHICKENS

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What chooks to choose? Not sure where to start when buying new chickens? Sarah McKenzie is on hand to help

hen people come and see me with a view to buying chickens, the first thing they usually say is 'we would like some chickens, we are new to chickens, so which breeds do you suggest?'My reply is simple 'choose some hybrids! There are lots of different colours to choose from. They are at point of lay so you'll be getting eggs within weeks and they're really easy to look after.' We keep over 12 varieties of hybrid in stock at SGP, with the choice of hens to give you a mixed

coloured egg box and a wonderful coloured flock, what more could you want? Some hens lay white eggs, some light brown, some lay cream tinted eggs and some lay blue, but all these different varieties obviously have different character traits. The calmest hens are our most popular hybrids these are the Red Ranger, also known as Goldlines, Isa Browns or Warrens. These hens lay at least 300 eggs a year, are very docile and easy to handle. They are what I refer to as the 'perfect starter chicken'. This

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Your classic hybrid- the Red Ranger.Highly productive & gentle in nature variety is what people normally picture as a hybrid hen. With her gold plumage, white neck and tail feathers she looks like your classic egg producer. The Blacktail hen is very similar in looks to the Ranger. She is all red with a black tip to her tail feathers, she also lays over 300 eggs a year and she's got a very calm nature with wonderful cream tinted eggs. A little red hen is a must in any flock. For families with young children, Red Ranger and Blacktail are my no 1 choice, with their super personalities and super egg laying abilities you can't go far wrong. Want to add a touch of colour to your flock? Why not think about the Light Sussex hen, easily trained this pretty white hen with striking black neck feathers will lay you around 270 cream tinted eggs every year. Plus, there is nothing more pleasing than watching this pretty hen free ranging about. The Copper Maran or Maran Cuvrier is my choice for the darker tinted egg. These super hens with their dark gold collars and

their iridescent plumage are steady gentle birds. Laying you the darkest eggs of all the hybrids, they have an easy-going temperament. The very pretty Bluebell is always a firm favourite. This matriarchal hen with her beautiful dark lavender plumage lays a cream tinted egg. She tends to be the boss as she's a bigger hen than her flock mates and with this commands respect, but she makes a wonderful pet. The Speckledy hen or the Cuckoo Maran adds another visual element to the flock, her stunning black and white plumage make a pretty addition to your hen house. Some Speckledy hens even lay Speckledy eggs, around 260 mid brown coloured eggs a year. These 8 varieties of hybrids will not only give you a visually pleasing mix of hens but also a wonderful variety of egg colours. As with any pet what you put in is what you get back, with time and patience, they are all easily tamed and make wonderful pets for people or families of all ages. Light Sussex Pretty hens layi

ng lots of cr eam tinted eg

Copper maran. dy nature Dark tinted eggs & a stea

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SMALLHOLDERS

Down on the farm! "If we want to sustain the current volume of home-grown food production in the UK, we cannot afford to place restrictions on anyone considering a career in ag." Interview with JB Gill

What has been the most difficult part of this journey? Work life balance! Learning how to stick to my strengths and not just run off and try to do what everyone else is doing. I have come to realise that you cannot buy time and there is a reason why farming is one of the world's oldest industries.

tar of BAFTA nominated CBeebies series 'Down on the Farm' and owner of a 10 acre smallholding in the Kent countryside, Jonathan Benjamin 'JB' Gill farms 200 Kellybronze turkeys, Tamworth pigs and a handful of chickens. Alongside his wife Chloe and 2 year old son Ace, JB says he is the happiest he has ever been living the country life. We caught up with the former JLS singer at one of the busiest times of his year, where, amongst the Christmas poultry preparations, he is penning new material for a children's book series, filming and working on extending the farm. JB, Thanks so much for talking with me. I guess the obvious first question is, why farming? You're very welcome! It was something that happened totally organically, excuse the pun. There was no plan to go into farming but I have always been someone who believes that resourcefulness is important and I happened to become the owner of 10 acres of glorious Kentish countryside when I left my family home at 24 years old. I knew that the land had been farmed historically and it gave me the idea to explore different farming types to reintroduce to the land and everything grew from there. Has your celebrity status helped you get things off the ground? It was a platform I could never have dreamed to have and it's made my venture into the relatively unknown so much easier. People like Adam Henson and Jimmy Doherty have given some excellent farming gems of wisdom! Do people see you as JB the singer or JB the farmer? Both! It's funny because depending on the age, you can almost predict which type of person you'll meet. That said, because the farm story is so unique, most people will either ask about a TV show they've seen me on and then ask how the farm is going, or they'll congratulate me on what I'm doing with the farm, then ask if I am still doing any music. It's a great ice breaker. What are you doing in July? This is one of the busiest times of the year for us, as we receive our Turkey poults in July. We spend about a week moving their shelter, preparing and setting up the electric

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What's the best thing about farming? It's being able to share the experience with my family. My son, Ace, is able to grow up in an incredible environment, I'm able to rescue animals that might otherwise be put to slaughter and give them a fulfilling life again and, I'm also able to contribute to my local community with food that has been lovingly reared. It's a joy to see my family's faces when we have a roast loin of pork for dinner, or a full English farm breakfast!

Smitten. JB says he is in love with the Countryside

fencing, installing their irrigation system and making sure when they arrive on site they have everything they need! Christmas begins in July for us! The Kelly Bronze has quite a reputation, what drew you to the breed? I knew absolutely nothing about Turkey farming before Paul [Kelly, Kelly's Turkeys] approached me. In fact, I had only ever eaten Turkey once or twice in my life and certainly never for Christmas! I sampled their produce and was hooked instantly. I think the breed is brilliant and the taste is second to none, it's certainly the centrepiece of our Christmas dinners now. Where do you sell your finished produce? Everything I produce, I sell directly to the local community from the farm. What is your biggest achievement? Our biggest achievement was rearing 170 Turkeys without a single fatality. Needless to say, we sold out our stock that year and achieved double our previous year's sales!

He is ridiculously cute. Is Ace loving the country life? Ha-ha, Ace literally lives outside! He spends all his time wanting to go on the farm and when he's out there with me, he has his most prolific protests because he doesn't want to go back home! It's a bit early to call but I think he is a shoe-in as a successor! On a serious note, I've been blown away by how much the country lifestyle has helped Chloe and I to raise him and he really has gained a sense of purpose and understanding of the relationship between humans and nature because of it. We are well and truly blessed. Would you like him to follow in your footsteps? Judging by his character at the moment, I can't really see him being happy doing anything which doesn't involve him being physical or outside! We'll have to wait and see what he wants to do, but for now, I'm thoroughly enjoying showing him the ropes. You're currently working on some farm children's books, can you tell me more about those? I can't go in to too much detail at this stage but since working with children on 'Down On The Farm', developing a book series has been one of my top priorities. I think books are still an excellent tool for learning and it's one way I can be creative with my farming. Who says it all has to take place in a field?!

Family Farming, JB, wife Chloe and son Ace at the smallholding near Orpington

You're a fantastic ambassador for the industry already, how important is it for you to educate inner city children about food and farming? I believe it's extremely important to bring the farm to those who are arguably unable to experience it themselves. Inner city children simply must know about how their food gets to their plates. However, the whole journey our food takes is increasingly becoming lost on all generations within the UK. We shy away from hard topics such as culling and processing? We must see more education amongst both children and adults if we are wanting to evidence major changes in our attitude towards food and farming. Have you got any other projects on the horizon? We are just in the process of expanding the farm at the moment, so that is taking up most of my time. I'm also creating a couple of TV shows, which I hope to have commissioned within the next year so watch this space.

The Farm Were you always interested in the organic option over conventional? As a family, we were always interested in the organic process over conventional methods. Eleven years back we were lambing 250 -300 yowes but decided to sell the sheep and started really concentrating on dairy cows. Twelve months after that we looked at the organic route, I think it was the right decision, a big decision, but the right one. We had to make the choice and go with it and like everyone, make the best out of what we have got. What other key differences are there compared to before? At the time it was a big and difficult step to take, but in hindsight, it wasn't as big a deal as we thought. The whole idea with organic is that you're farming within your own scope, you can't buy in other muck, you're limited to the amount of nitrates that can be used, it's quite similar to being in a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) but when you start reaching the nitrogen limit allowance you see then that it's a nice cycle everything plateaus nicely. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not overproducing, your ground is healthy, the animals are happy and delivering quality produce, everything isâ&#x20AC;ŚWhatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the opposite of a vicious circle? [A happy circle?] Yes! Everything goes in a happy circle.

Where do you find is the best place to go for advice and support? Other than my wife, the NFU are a brilliant base for support in rural and agricultural affairs. I'm lucky in the sense that I also have access to a number of experienced and knowledgeable farmers and entrepreneurs who are all so generous with their time, expertise and wisdom. Lastly, what single piece of advice can you give to anyone looking to make the move in Agriculture who doesn't come from that background? Someone has to do it, why can't it be you? The biggest myth in farming is that you have to own the land in order to farm it! There are so many farmers operating farms with generational tenancies and the opportunities in a growing, yet underpopulated industry are endless! In a time of so much political uncertainty, if we want to sustain the current volume of home-grown food production in the UK, we cannot afford to place restrictions on anyone considering a career in Ag. Thank you for your time JB. It's my pleasure

Tune in to Down on the Farm' on BBC iPlayer

@farmlanduk | FARMLAND MAGAZINE

Farmers suffering from mental health issues will recognise the feeling of giving up when faced with daily chores.

YOUR VIEWS

We want to hear your opinions. To feature here contact kirsty@farmlandpress.com ABOUT Young Farmer Cup winner Hannah Binns studies at Leeds University while helping at her families 650 hectare farm on pendle hill.

There's an incredible support network in farming

Depression can be a difficult subject to talk about. Lancashire young farmer Hannah Binns shares her views and tips for overcoming it.

he horrific tragedies that unfolded recently in Manchester and London have touched everyone, especially those in rural areas following the tragic loss of Knutsford YFC member Nell Jones. Yet, these terrible events saw our industry come together, with Young Farmer Clubs across the country rallying around offering their support and condolences for the victims. It certainly put things into perspective and highlighted the incredible support system that exists within our farming community. Moving forward, I feel it is vital

FARMLAND MAGAZINE | @farmlanduk

that we utilise this support system when dealing with stigmatised issues in our industry such as mental health. Statistically, agriculture is a high-risk industry for suicide with farmers less likely to seek help. With May hosting ‘Mental Health Week’ aided by farmers discussing their experience on social media, it is clearly a pressing issue that needs addressing. As someone who has battled mental health diseases in a rural environment, I have come up with three top tips to help those still fighting. First, it is incredibly hard to discuss your mental health battle

with family and friends. It is never easy admitting you are struggling to cope. My advice is just talk to someone. Whilst I know how isolating the countryside can be, there will always be someone to talk to; for instance, your best friend at YFC, the Auction Mart Café waitress, an amazing charity such as RABI, professionals and strangers alike, or even your beloved sheepdog! After all, farmers LOVE to talk and are always up for helping someone. It is an industry with a strong community vibe, as shown by the Manchester Bombings, and expressing your feelings to

someone can offer a relieving sensation which will aid your recovery. Next it is tough to keep on going whilst fighting your mental health. I certainly found it draining: I was just disengaged with everything. Farmers suffering from mental health will recognise this feeling of giving up when faced with daily chores. Attitudes like ‘‘there is no point mucking out the cattle shed today, it’ll be covered in crap again tomorrow’ can develop quickly into ‘whatever I do is pointless and will make no difference’. It is important to ignore this negativity by getting stuck in. The farmyard offers a great distraction from destructive thoughts, making you rationalise the initial issue (big or small) once you have had some time to rethink. Finally, be yourself. Constantly comparing yourself to others is a fruitless exercise. Yes, others may be successful farmers, have the latest machinery, popular in the YFC scene, or have fantastic stock, but being envious won’t make you feel any better – infact it can make you feel worse! Chances are that they also have something in their life that they would do anything to change. So, the solution is simple. Just be you and do your own thing – being an individual is far better than a sheep! Talk, Keep Going and Be Yourself are my three top tips and I hope they are helpful. To break this stigma surrounding mental health it is vital we normalise talking about it. Farmers may be a stubborn bred but they should not be afraid to speak up if feeling vulnerable – help after all will always be available.

YOUR VIEWS

Vegan Battle by Katie Smith

10 ways to survive... Being with a farmer Celebrating your golden jubilee or just starting life as a new farm wife? Lifestyle blogger and popular farmers wife and mummy Emma Lander shares her top ten survival tips. It is Hubster and I’s anniversary this month. We met 11 years ago on a wall outside a night club-how romantic is that? So, due to my vast experience, here are the top ten things I have learnt about surviving being with a farmer. 1. 1. Cook. The way to a man’s heart may well be through his stomach and this can never be better highlighted than with a farmer. Beans on toast will NOT cut it. Ever. Meat and two veg is always a winner and don’t try veering off the traditional path-the cous cous night is etched on my memory forever more. 2. Keep the windows up in your car when you get out or, if you brave it, do check before you drive off. Our farm cat has been on a great many adventures including trips to the village with workmen who haven't noticed her curled up on the passenger seat. I've found her in the infant car seat. She can fit through a two inch gap. She's even nestled on the pram when I opened the boot. 3. Rethink your footwear options. Suede, heels, flip flops, white shoes. The list can be added to forever more. Certain things just do not mix with mud, dust, straw and slurry. 4. Like shoes, there are also clothing limitations-anything white is a no-no and in winter, it is all about the layers to keep warm.

5. Check your wellies before you put your feet in them. Best case scenario would be nothing in there. Worst case a spider, slug or mouse. Someone told me their kids had to take their wellies into school for something and a mouse ran out of them in the class room. Always worth checking. 6. If you happen to go somewhere, try and make sure you drive. If you are in the passenger seat, you will be required to get out and open gates. 7. If you do go through a closed gate, do not leave it open. You've seen the signs. We don't want sheep or cows escaping and, if they do and it’s your fault the gate was left open, expect to have to chase the animals yourself. 8. Prepare for the unexpected. If something happens, you will be roped in. Never rounded up sheep before? No problem. Orders will be barked at you. The air maybe blue but no one escapes helping out when it is needed. 9. Don’t make plans. Day trips will no longer be booked in advance. Everything happens spontaneously on the farm! 10. Lower your cleanliness expectations. You could mop the kitchen floor 100 times a day but muddy foot and paw prints will still find their way onto it. You learn to live with it.

rganisations such as PETA and recently Go Vegan World have been projecting the message that the treatment of animals in agriculture is unacceptable. One of the things that PETA has targeted in the past is sheep shearing. The blatant lack of knowledge of what sheep farming is, is apparent, one quote reads: “Within weeks of birth, lambs’ ears are holepunched, their tails are chopped off, and the males are castrated without anaesthetics.” Anyone who works with sheep will know these claims are wholly inaccurate. To suggest that shearing a sheep is cruel is ridiculous in my opinion! Not shearing a sheep is far more detrimental to its well-being than if you did… “Dairy takes babies from their mothers” is another public statement. In dairy, cows are not bred for maternal ability and in some cases, calves are neglected by their mothers. At least in dairy systems, the Young farmer and calves are given the aspiring all important nutrivet Katie ents and antibodies as a standard and are Smith cared for sufficiently! In my experience, all the cows and calves I have worked with have been happy and healthy on the farm. The battle between vegans and livestock farming is an ongoing one, but by choosing Red Tractor certified products and by using British Wool accredited shearers with a seal you are doing what's best by farmers and their animals. Tweet me @Woesofwellies @farmlanduk | FARMLAND MAGAZINE

YOUR VIEWS

Supporting women in dairy to achieve and celebrate success

Women in Dairy annual conference

What is Women in Dairy? • Women in Dairy is designed to bring women working in our industry together through regional discussion groups for training, networking and to promote dairy farming. The project is run by RABDF and Promar International (a Genus Company) and supported by AHDB Dairy. • Each group is run by a facilitator who ensures that the topics you cover are relevant to you and your business for example TB, calf rearing and succession planning. • Meetings are held approximately four times per year depending on the need of the group.

20 september 2017 Sixways Stadium, Worcester,

10:00am to 3:30pm

Speakers from across the industry covering topics including: • The retail market and how it affects your business • Succession planning

• Everyone is welcome to attend the meetings regardless of your background, experience or whether you work on a farm or not.

• Financing change • Balancing work and life • Communication on farm • Speaking to the public about dairy

How can I get involved? • Visit the website www.rabdf.co.uk/women-in-dairy to see where your nearest group is. If there isn’t one near you just contact us and we can see if one can be set up.

How do I join as a member? • Membership of Women in Dairy as part of RABDF costs just £45 per year and includes benefits such as 25% discount on tickets for the conference and free entry to Dairy-Tech.

• Tickets start from £37.50 +VAT for Women in Dairy

Members

Details and full programme available at:

www.rabdf.co.uk/women-in-dairy NEW FOR 2017 - PRESENTATION OF THE DAIRY WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD

• Visit the website to join.

Connect • Share • Inspire Organisers Contact Emily Egan, RABDF for more information: web: www.rabdf.co.uk/women-in-dairy tel: 02476 639317 email: womenindairy@rabdf.co.uk @WomeninDairy 36

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LORNA'S CORNER by Lorna Sixsmith

The Memoirs of a farmers Daughter

The Irish Farmerette

Love thy neighbour. @Irishfarmerette

f there is anything that I absolutely love about my life, it’s my farming heritage. If I were to write an autobiography it would be called ‘The Memoirs of a Farmer’s Daughter’. There’s a reason there are songs written about us, it’s because we are graceful, memorable and resilient to name a few. Any bio that you see of me will probably start with ‘Dairy Farmers Daughter’, this is a part of my life which is etched into every inch of myself. When I’m not farming, I’m thinking about the farm and all the hopes and dreams that I have around it. It hit home recently when a fellow farmer’s daughter said she would never marry a farmer, she said all she recalls of her parents when she was younger was them out on the farm every day. Whilst I recall the same experiences, it’s almost as if I just skim over these memories as being negative but see them as being the most positive and life changing things. I’ve been brought up with an amazing work ethic, whilst it is known I enjoy time off when I can, I am almost too enthusiastic to spend my days doing my marketing manager role, and getting home to either go milk the cows or tend to my flock of sheep’s needs. On my weekends? You’re most likely to find me working alongside my other (better) half. I know that as much as he enjoys me bustling about with him, he finds it strange that I genuinely wouldn’t spend my weekends any other way than milking his cows and tending to any other jobs he throws my way! Working with your family is a whole different experience especially when you live together too. There isn’t really any space to escape, and learning to get over annoyances quickly is key. My mum has the patience of a saint, moving cattle with my step-dad means you need to be a mind reader to know where he wants you to stand and getting it wrong just isn’t acceptable. Though, always amusing for me, my mum and little sister. Farmers daughters are a resilient breed, and we are able to fit into so many different roles. We’re never afraid of learning new skills and go at a new challenge like a bull in a china shop. Cattle AI, foot trimming, finances, new enterprises, tipping 70kg ewes, understanding where you have livestock you have deadstock, caring for younger siblings/nephews/ nieces, putting meals on the table last minute, throwing tyres around at silaging time. I’m sure you’ll agree, we are a good bunch. If my family and friends were to say anything about me, they’d say I’m an optimist and an eternal positive thinker. Reading this column back, I’m beginning to think that I am.

Lorna

Cesca X

live a fairly isolated life in the spring. Calving season is so busy I tend to shun most social engagements as the stress of rushing to get somewhere outweighs the pleasure of an evening out. Although we live near many small towns, the positioning of the farm is fairly remote. It’s about 500 metres from the road and as it’s up a steep incline, we don’t get too many people dropping in. We planted more trees and hedging around the house and farmyard in the last ten years and almost without realising it, we have created a little cocoon. I love it. I can see for miles so I never feel lonely and yet enjoy perfect solitude. Although we live too far from town to ever get a takeaway delivery, we are very lucky with local amenities: there’s an athletics club and running track two miles away (not that I frequent it), and within a mile are a church, two shops, a post office and a farm store. Despite this proximity to the local shops, I’ll do without something rather than make a special journey. As long as we have essentials like flour, milk and eggs, I can manage to create something for meals until I’m passing the shop on another errand and will pop in for a few groceries. As you might be guessing, I always end up having to do lots of different tasks when I eventually do go to town and end up racing around trying to fit everything in and inevitably forgetting something. I never go to town just to do a grocery shop or to buy clothes. Last Saturday, I had to get bread, chocolate, petrol for the lawnmower and a few things from the farm store. Shopping that would normally take ten minutes. I was gone for over an hour. I met three farming neighbours in the feed merchants so we caught up on the successes and failures of the calving season, the breeding season and the silage harvesting. One neighbour wants to buy two of our bull calves as future breeding bulls so I suppose I could claim I was also working. On going to the shop, I met two more neighbours I hadn’t seen in months and we exchanged updates on our children’s progress and other news. I did exactly what my husband would have done. I came home and complained about being delayed – even though I had enjoyed the conversations. The local shops and farm store provide many essentials but as a bonus, on this sunny Saturday (and it happens on lots of other days too), farmers metamorphosed from tired busy people to relaxed chatty individuals. It was just a pity we didn’t have the beautifully coloured wings of a butterfly to replace the chubby wobbly caterpillar bodies.

@Cesca_Beswick | cescaonthefarm.com @farmlanduk | FARMLAND MAGAZINE

CLASSIFIEDS - To advertise here call 017683 411 71

YOUR VIEWS Dumfries Mart, Huntingdon Road, Dumfries, DG1 1NF

Monday 10th July Calves and Stirks - 10.15am Store Cattle - 11.00am followed by Summer Sale of Breeding Cattle of all Classes Wednesday 5th July Show & Sale of Prime Lambs Young Handlers Competition Weekly Primestock Sale - Every Wednesday Prime Cattle 10am followed by OTM Cattle; Cast Ewes, Prime Lambs & Hoggs at noon Please contact our office or website for information and entry forms Tel. 01387 279495 Fax. 01387-251456 Email – dumfries@cdauctionmarts.co.uk Website - www.dumfriesmart.co.uk Find us on Facebook ‘Dumfries Auction Mart’

SKIPTON AUCTION MART Gargrave Road, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 1UD

Tel: 01756 792375 www.ccmauctions.com

Auctioneers: Jeremy Eaton - General Manager 07747 780481 Ted Ogden - Farmstock Sales 07855 958211 & Sam Bradley – Auctioneer 07538 539077





Weekly Monday Sales of:Primestock, Cast Cattle & Sheep, Rearing Calves & Crop Fortnightly Sales of:Beef Breeding Cattle, Young Feeding Bulls & Store Cattle Pedigree & Commercial Newly Calven & In-Calf Dairy Cattle & Dairy Young Stock Major Seasonal Sales of:Breeding Sheep and Store Lambs Inc: NEMSA Mule Gimmer Lambs & MSBA Masham Gimmer Lambs Swaledale Gimmer Lambs & Dales Mule Gimmer Lambs Mule & Continental Gimmer Shearlings & Ewes Swaledale Draft Ewes & Shearlings Pedigree Sheep & Cattle Specialist Sales inc:Poultry & Waterfowl, Working Sheep Dogs, Agri Trader inc 4x4, Tractors, Vintage, Reclamation etc. Farm & Flock Books, Border Fine Arts On-Farm Stock Sales, Dispersals & Valuations Undertaken

www.ccmauctions.com 38

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SOUTH EAST MARTS Ardingly Showground Sussex JOB OPPORTUNITY at South East Marts Livestock & Machinery Auctioneers Operators of Hailsham Market in East Sussex with exciting future expansion plans seek SENIOR AUCTIONEER To work alongside existing team with a view to helping to shape the future and in due course taking charge of the overall business. Experience, enthusiasm and commitment to livestock marketing and interest in supporting the local rural community essential. An excellent opportunity for the right person. Apply in writing in strictest confidence to RR Waters, FRICS, FAAV, South East Marts, Hailsham Market, Market Street, East Sussex, BN27 2AG. www.southeastmarts.co.uk Tel: (01323) 844874 or Email us - info@southeastmarts.co.uk

Clitheroe Auction Mart Lincoln Way, Clitheroe, Lancs BB7 1QD www.auctionmart.co.uk

2017 Plant, Diggers, Tractors, Farm Machinery & Equipment Sales Saturday 28th January* Saturday 25th February Saturday 29th April Saturday 25th March* Saturday 24th June Saturday 27th May* Saturday 26th August Saturday 29th July* rd Saturday 23 September* Saturday 21st October Saturday 25th November* No Sale in December Sale commences 9am in the Bottom Shed with tools etc, followed by Machinery & Plant outside at approx 10.45am. *also this day Rural & Domestic Bygones, 10am

A fast, friendly & efficient service PLUS.... Low commission rates • Un-loading ramp Loadall facility • New look website Catalogue listings • Large compound/storage facility Extensive pre sale text alerts to over 5000 customers Collection service by arrangement

Vintage Tractors & Associated Parts Saturdays 13th May & 16th September Sale commences at 9.30am in the shed with Parts, followed by Associated Machinery & Tractors Find us on

Facebook T: 01200 423325 • Joe: 07970 221354 • Jeremy: 07815 727993

CLASSIFIEDS - To advertise here call 017683 411 71

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FEATURED The perfect fit for your farm?

A real family affair, the team have been at the heart of the agricultural industry for over 12 years.

Unique full service approach set to take the market by storm

armfit, a new and innovative company launched their range of agricultural building internals at this year’s Royal Highland Show. A real family affair, the team have been at the heart of the agricultural industry for over 12 years. Originally part of Robinsons Scotland; the team who were at the forefront of the business working with farmers, saw a gap in the market for a reliable and innovative agricultural internals manufacturer who could design a product range that would overcome some of the challenges that farmers were facing on a daily basis with their agricultural products. After 2 years researching the market and working with farmers to understand their needs, they determined that a one size fits all model would not work to fix the issues that they were seeing on a day to day basis. They have created two very different ranges to meet their customers unique requirements. Their Market Range is an economical solution that will enhance the operating procedures of a farm as a result of the unique design features incorporated into their products. Some of these features include strengthened hinges on their extendable gates and a higher than average field gate. This range is specifically designed for beef, dairy, and sheep housing. The Pedigree Range, which is fabricated with larger steel sizes has been designed to

withstand the considerable demands placed on modern farms and is a range that will stand the test of time. However, it still boasts all of the innovative special features of the Market Range. The heavier and more durable range is specifically designed for beef herds and larger continental breeds. Not only do Farmfit design and manufacture all of their own equipment, they are able to provide a full fitting and installation service and undertake any additional works such as concrete and ground works and install any additional equipment to enhance your building such as water drinkers, mats etc, which hasn’t been seen before in the industry. Ryan Brown, MD “We’ve been working with the agricultural industry for over 12 years now and we saw a gap in the market for a company that could supply high quality agricultural internals but also fit the products and deliver the

full service. Our team have been heavily involved in the design process and have been instrumental in creating our range of innovative and high quality products. They really have been a strong driving force behind this launch and their knowledge of our customers operations has enabled us to create a range that will really make a difference to our customers.”

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ENERGY

The bond purchase will give all landowners and farmers the opportunity to make three times their investment

Capitalise on Government Energy Strategy

leading renewable energy developer has launched a bond which gives landowners and farmers the opportunity to get involved in what will be one of the countries largest development projects which will provide up to 1.2 gigawatts of clean renewable energy to the grid and construct up to 5000 energy efficient homes at various locations throughout the country. The ILI Group of companies have worked with landowners and the farming community for the past fourteen years and have built up a strong reputation for attaining successful planning applications for renewable energy projects throughout the country. Sister company ILI (Renewable Energy) was set up in 2009 to exclusively deal with single wind turbine developments and achieved 96 successful planning consents, more than any other company in the UK. Intelligent Land Investments set up in 2004 dealt mainly with residential projects and has two in North Lanarkshire in the final stages of the planning process and expect to deliver to over 550 houses this year.

Energy Future However with the single wind turbine market slowing down, Mark Wilson, CEO of the group has created an opportunity for landowners and farmers to share in the returns that Energy storage and residential can achieve. Mr Wilson said “Energy storage will be the next step in achieving full energy security. The Scottish Government’s consultation on our energy future highlights the need for effective and reliable energy storage solutions throughout the country. We believe that pumped storage hydro offers the best solution as it is the most advanced and most proven of all storage options.

“Our plan is to include a renewable heat source as well as the latest energy efficiency technologies in all our residential developments.”

MARK WILSON

“It works by having two large bodies of water, with one set above the other. During peak times when a large amount of energy is required, water drops from the higher reservoir to the lower through a series of turbines generating the necessary electricity. Then during off peak times, most likely at night, renewable energy surplus mainly from onshore wind is used to pump the water back up to the top reservoir essentially creating a massive battery. “The technology is well proven and can last for over 100 years. We are working closely with a number of landowners in Scotland plus have support from industry leaders such as SSE, Scottish Water, Aecom and many others. “At the same time we are expanding our residential arm and have secured new sites with high potential for development as well as continuing to source others. The UK’s need for new homes has been well documented and with the focus now on energy efficiency our plans for new developments fall very much into that category. He continued “We have worked with many landowners over the years, providing income to those on whose land our projects were developed however unfortunately not all sites were suitable for development. In our view too many missed out on this welcome income due to unsuitable land so for this new project we are offering landowners and farmers exclusive access to a bond issue which will part fund the project and give them a share in the profits.” “With onshore wind we created over £61M of construction work and over £234 million of future revenue. The majority of these projected

were funded by big corporate companies. This time we are giving all the landowners and farmers the opportunity to reap these big returns” “We are extremely proud of what have achieved and what we have planned for the future. The bond purchase will give all landowners and farmers the opportunity to make three times their investment which is fantastic but the norm for big London funds. The response has gone beyond our expectations which shows the foresight of the farming community.”

Top tweets @JASloan_Farm -To work like a bitch to get a half day at the @ScotlandRHShow or not.... @KateBeavan - We produce our own animal feed here on the farm. Growing beans this year to use as sustainable protein. Happy with the sun & rain! #FCfarm @georgielmgm - A Saturday night revising crop production. Truly what more could I need.

Want to follow us? Find us on twitter @FarmlandUK - We're on Facebook, just search Farmland Magazine or Pin us on Pinterest @FarmlandUK

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ADBA staff discuss ENERGY best practice with farmer and AD plant operator Dr Stephen Temple

UK leaves the EU, and devise a ‘new agrienvironment system’, and the DUP manifesto is even more vague. The fact that so much of the detail on these broad-brush policy goals still needs to be fleshed out means there is a huge opportunity for the UK farming community to help shape them. What is certain is that AD will need to play a key role in the Government’s farming policy programme in order for these goals to be met.

“There is a huge opportunity for the farming community to help shape policy goals”

New government and on-farm AD AD after Brexit by ADBA Chief Executive Charlotte Morton

ust when you thought British politics couldn't throw up any more surprises, this month's general election results have blown everything right open again. We now have a Conservative minority government backed by the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), and with Brexit talks already underway, the stakes for British farming have never been higher.

In order to lock in the progress that on-farm AD has made over recent years, ADBA is calling for the new Government to support UK farmers by restoring viable tariffs to the Feedin-Tariff scheme and removing the AD capacity cap. It’s also critical that the delayed legislation on the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is passed as soon as possible to enable new biogas and biomethane plants to be built.

How AD can help farmers?

Policy prospects

We’ve witnessed a long, hard-fought general election campaign, and what is needed now is action to reassure and support the on-farm anaerobic digestion (AD) sector. AD has a crucial role to play in supporting farmers, particularly in a post-CAP world: integrating AD into a farming business to treat farm waste, food waste, or purpose-grown crops can provide a lucrative additional revenue stream and save farmers money on energy generation, fertiliser production, and waste management. The Anaerobic Digestion & Bioresources Association (ADBA) has called for swift action from the new Government to overcome uncertainty in the AD industry so it can boost the rural economy, create 35,000 rural jobs, and ensure security of energy supply at a time when a third of the UK’s

But what should we expect in terms of farming policy from the new Government? The Conservative manifesto makes high-level promises to ‘bring sustainable growth to the rural economy’, ‘provide stability to farmers’ as the

natural gas imports come from troubled Qatar.

"The stakes for British farming have never been higher" @adbioresources 42

FARMLAND MAGAZINE | @farmlanduk

That’s why we’re calling for AD to be a key part of a bespoke agri-tech sector deal within BEIS’s Industrial Strategy – our proposal for this sets out the value of AD’s energy and non-energy benefits and how it is able to help reduce current agricultural payments under the CAP by up to £1.5bn.

Show and tell On-farm AD will be a key theme of ADBA’s UK AD & Biogas tradeshow, which takes place in just a few weeks’ time (5-6 July) at the NEC in Birmingham. This year UK AD & Biogas is joining with the World Biogas Expo to create the #1 global tradeshow for biogas, inviting farmers and agricultural experts from around the world to share knowledge and best practice. You can register for free to attend the show at adbioresources.org/biogastradeshow.

ENERGY "Farm businesses need account management more than ever, there is no other choice".

Energy - more means less T

Do more suppliers equal more choice?

he increase in the number of energy suppliers doesn’t mean that there’s more choice for the customer. There is certainly more choice of who can bill you, but they are all selling the same limited products. For example, if you are billed monthly (half hourly meter), you are charged on a two rate tariff, day and night. The price may differ from supplier to supplier, but you are still charged from 7am to 12 midnight on the day rate and 12 midnight to 7am on the night rate. Again, if you are billed quarterly (profiles 03 & 04), you have a choice of 3 tariffs at most, those being single rate, two rate and three rate,

RECOVERING ENERGY OVERCHARGES Do you think you’ve been overcharged? - Have you ever had an audit of your energy invoices? - Do you trust your energy supplier to bill you correctly? - Have you ever queried your energy charges? - Do you know what you should be charged?

eg-group.co.uk

@egaudit

which are also charged to fixed time periods. So there are lots of energy suppliers selling a limited range of energy tariffs. If you go back 20 years it was the complete opposite. Prior to deregulation, there was a wide range of tariffs, but only one supplier of choice. When looking at the published tariff rates from the time, one supplier in particular offered 9 quarterly billing tariffs and 10 monthly billing tariffs, all aimed at offering a cheaper rate based on how and when the business operated. On top of this, there were tariffs specifically associated with a business sector. So if you ran a farm, there was a tariff available that included a cheaper

price during the summer months to coincide with harvesting. There were price structures for places of worship, schools, even football floodlights and seaside illuminations. In other words there was a wide variety of choice. Tariffs were a product used for encouraging and rewarding businesses to consume supply at off peak times, but not anymore. In many instances, the price difference between day and night has reduced so much that the benefits of being on a multi rate tariff are nominal. Energy suppliers know more than ever before how businesses use energy due to the introduction of smart and half hourly metering. So, why has the number of tariffs reduced when there is a glut of information available to introduce new tariffs to assist businesses? The answer is, energy suppliers billing systems aren’t designed to support complex tariffs, it’s that simple. They are designed to generate invoices and by limiting the range of tariffs they need to support, reduces the cost. Although, from first-hand experience, the simplification of the tariffs on offer hasn’t prevented overcharges being incurred by business. Something that is acknowledged when an energy supplier is fined by the regulator. The emphasis appears to be on businesses reviewing when they use supply and nothing more. The onus is therefore on the customer to reduce costs by monitoring their own usage, and there is clear evidence that businesses need to do so, as billing validation has been greatly reduced. • Eg have recovered of £258,000 of energy overcharges this year alone. Contact us to see how we can help. Stay updated with our blog on twitter @EGAudit

Practical energy management and consultancy services for farm businesses • We have been recovering overcharges and over payments from energy supply companies since 2002’ • This year we’ve already identified and recovered £258,000+ of overcharges • To many of our customers we operate as an additional department within their organisation • Contact us to today to find out how much you could be owed

01244 399399

EG | 3 Chapel Court Wervin Road, Chester CH2 4BT @farmlanduk | FARMLAND MAGAZINE

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