A RECORD ATTENDANCE AS GROUNDSWELL TACKLES SOME OF FARMING'S THORNIEST QUESTIONS
• A soft fruit farm is pioneering a new model by selling premium berries via vending machines
• Innovation was a common theme at Fruit Focus 2025
• Forma aims to make life easy for busy farmers
Passionate about what you do and keen to share your skills and knowledge? We’re looking for land sector professionals ready to make a difference to people coming into the sector.
To find out more and to apply: recruitment@plumpton.ac.uk www.plumpton.ac.uk/we-are/vacancies/
Plumpton College is more than just a place of learning – it’s a thriving hub of innovation, sustainability, and opportunity in land and environmental education. As our agricultural programmes continue to grow in scope and ambition, we’re seeking passionate professionals from the farming and rural industries to inspire the next generation of agriculturalists.
Whether you're an experienced educator or an industry expert ready to make the leap into teaching, now is the time to join a college that’s deeply rooted in farming heritage and actively shaping the future of British Agriculture. We celebrate 100 years of Plumpton College in 2026 – now is the time to join us for the next chapter of our journey.
If this wasn’t enough to tempt you, the College has recently invested £11m and created first class resources and teaching facilities including:
• The introduction of Lely A5 Robots for our high-yielding dairy cows
• A brand-new state of the art high welfare sow breeding to finishing pig unit
• A fully functional industry endorsed bio-secure system
• A new state of the art agri-food centre with a training development kitchen and bakery
• A new butchery department, fully furnished with the latest equipment and teaching resources.
We can demonstrate the best farming practices to our students through increased productivity, a drive towards more regenerative practices, exposure to the latest cuttingedge technologies, and reducing our carbon footprint.
SOUTH EAST FARMER
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06 SHOW RESULTS
Kent County Show.
10 FRUIT FOCUS REVIEW
The use of innovation to help tackle issues around food security, changing weather patterns and labour availability was a common thread running through Fruit Focus 2025.
14 GROUNDSWELL
A rich mix of panel discussions, keynote talks and impromptu catch ups as Nigel Akehurst visits Groundswell, farming’s very own Glastonbury.
18 FORMA
Forma aims to make life easy for busy farmers by taking on the whole project.
40 NEWS FROM THE VINEYARD
www.kelsey.co.uk
Cover picture: Groundswell ©Nigel Akehurst
Hattingley Valley is exceptional. For over a decade this family owned vineyard and winery has produced wines with a singular focus on quality.
Nature-friendly farming boosts biodiversity and yields but may require new subsidies.
A four-year, peer-reviewed study into nature-friendly farming has found that while it improves both biodiversity and crop yields, it is likely to need increased government subsidies if it is to become as profitable as conventional intensive agriculture.
The study, based on comprehensive on-farm trials and led by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and Rothamsted Research, not only trialled various agroecological methods but also, for the first time, looked at the financial viability for businesses.
The study was based on trial results from 17 conventional, commercial farms in southern England, including holdings in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and West Sussex.
It showed that incorporating naturefriendly practices within farming increased biodiversity, pollination by bees, natural pest control and numbers of earthworms.
While the approach boosted crop yield, the study found that the cost of creating the habitats and the loss of productive land needed for them affected the profitability, prompting the authors to suggest that new subsidies may be required to help farms transition to sustainable agriculture.
Scientists at UKCEH and Rothamsted worked with farmers to co-develop the trials using simple management practices within three different agricultural systems:
1. Business-as-usual – typical intensive agriculture and no nature-friendly farming.
2. An ’enhanced ecological farming system’ with wildflower field margins to provide
habitat for bees, beetles and spiders, and overwinter cover crops to capture carbon and retain nutrients in the soil.
3. A ‘maximised ecological system’ which also included in-field strips of wildflowers to provide ‘runways’ for beneficial insects to get further into crops, and the addition of organic matter in the form of farmyard manure to improve soil health.
The study found that the enhanced and maximised ecological systems showed increased populations of earthworms, pollinators such as bees and hoverflies, and natural crop pest predators such as ladybirds, lacewings and spiders. This reduced populations of aphids and snails and increased the seed numbers and yield of flowering crops like oilseed rape.
There was also higher soil carbon and overall increased crop yields on the farmed area due to healthier soils, greater pollination and natural pest control. The study found the enhanced ecological system was as profitable as intensive farming, but only due to agrienvironmental subsidies.
While the benefits for biodiversity, soil carbon and yield were greater in the maximised ecological system, the study found that the average farm would require increased subsidies to make it as profitable as intensive farming, though certain factors, such as free access to manure on a mixed farm, could offset the extra cost.
UKCEH ecologist Dr Ben Woodcock, who led the study, published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, explained: “Without the introduction
of new financial incentives, many farmers will be deterred from adopting agroecological farming practices and systems. This could leave them locked into high input, intensive farming systems and more exposed to the impacts of pesticide resistance, declining soil health and climate change.
“While farmers run businesses that need to be profitable, there is an increasing awareness that more sustainable systems can help ‘future-proof’ their farms in terms of soil health and less reliance on pesticides and climate change.
“Agroecological methods are good for biodiversity, food security and, in the longterm, provide more secure farm incomes, but habitats can take several years to establish, so agri-environment subsidies are essential to help farmers transition to these more sustainable systems.”
Professor Jonathan Storkey, an ecologist at Rothamsted Research, said: “This study confirmed that managing land on farms for wildlife is not in direct conflict with food security but can support sustainable production by increasing yields and reducing pest pressure. These ‘ecosystem services’ could potentially substitute for chemical fertilisers and pesticides which negatively impact the environment.
“However, our analysis has shown that realising these benefits will require additional support for farm businesses that currently operate on very narrow profit margins. As input costs increase, however, these agroecological approaches may become more attractive.”
Draft Finance Bill legislation published at the end of July was met swiftly by restated opposition to planned changes in inheritance tax from both the NFU and the Country Land and Business Association (CLA).
Both organisations urged the Government to look again at the ‘clawback’ proposal that would see farmers only pay any inheritance tax due when they sold or gave away their farm to people outside their family within a given number of years following the owner’s death.
CLA President Victoria Vyvyan was quick to warn: “This Government is incapable of listening. The ending of vital inheritance tax reliefs will crush farming and family businesses, but the Treasury remains deaf, blind and indifferent to the damage to the economy.”
NFU East Sussex Chair Martin Hole said the proposals “threaten the future of many small and medium-sized family farm businesses who have fed the nation for generations, and will severely damage the entire rural economy”.
He went on: “They do nothing to stop people who buy land for tax avoidance and unfairly and cruelly penalise elderly farmers, who have dedicated their entire lives to feeding the nation.
“The current proposals also threaten national food security and could remove a great deal of work that farmers do to support the environment.
“The clawback proposal has been put together with tax experts and would raise significant income for the government, tackle tax avoidance, protect national food security and the rural economy and avoid all this unnecessary damage, pain and heartache.”
The NFU has pointed out that even the Office for Budget Responsibility and the government’s own Environment, Food and Rural Affairs committee have highlighted the impact the reforms would have on vulnerable elderly farmers, while more than 276,000 people have signed the NFU’s petition to stop what it has labelled the “family farm tax”.
Both the NFU and CLA took issue with government claims that the proposed changes to business property and agricultural property reliefs would not have "any significant macroeconomic impacts”.
Strongly rejecting an impact assessment of the changes, published alongside the draft legislation, Victoria Vyvyan said: “It reads like an amateur note from an arrogant government setting and marking its own homework and simply not understanding businesses and food security.”
She added: “To be clear, this is a tax burden on businesses, not wealth, delivered without consultation and with derisory engagement. Farmers and family businesses are the backbone of the economy and deserve to be heard by a government that seems hell-bent on pressing ahead, indifferent to the slow but inevitable train crash.”
It’s becoming increasingly clear that if Chancellor Rachel Reeves and her Labour Party colleagues thought farmers would eventually cave in and pay what’s been dubbed the ‘family farm tax’, they have had a rude awakening.
Less than a day after the Government published the Finance Bill 2025-26, the first step on the road to new taxation legislation being signed into law, two of the foremost campaigners against the punitive changes to agricultural property relief and business property relief were back on the campaign trail.
Farmers should, indeed, be grateful for the leadership of the NFU and the CLA, both of which – though not uniquely – have loudly, consistently and sensibly opposed the changes to those reliefs and their potentially devastating impact on the inheritance tax bills facing some family farms.
What’s more, farming organisations have avoided the normal trap of objecting to a plan without putting forward an alternative. The ‘clawback’ option proposed as being fairer than the current plans has been carefully thought through, and despite dismissing it, the Treasury has yet to reveal any evidence that it wouldn’t work at least as well as the proposed new legislation.
There are so many objections to the proposed tax changes, not least the pre-election promise not to do such a thing, that this seems to be one campaign that has a chance of succeeding. The Office for Budget Responsibility and the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs committee have both expressed doubts, and more than 276,000 people have signed the NFU’s petition opposing it.
This Government has already shown itself about as resilient as a summer afternoon’s sea mist, having backtracked on winter fuel payments and benefit changes, to the point where one could even begin to have some sympathy with the chancellor as she attempts to build a solid economic base while her backbenchers dream of a money tree in the basement of 11 Downing Street.
In this case, though, the evidence suggests that the chancellor could keep her party’s manifesto promise by working with the NFU and CLA on their ‘clawback’ option and, if those organisations’ experts are to be believed, make about the same amount of money with none of the grief she is currently facing.
And just imagine the benefits that would accrue to the country if the farming industry decided to come on board and work in partnership with a government that had listened, learned and changed direction. The environment, the economy, food security, employment – all would benefit in what would surely be a true win-win situation.
EMAIL YOUR VIEWS, LETTERS OR OPINIONS TO: sef.ed@kelsey.co.uk or write to the address on page 3
® MALCOLM TRIGGS - EDITOR
A royal visit, camels in the main ring and a new ‘festival of food’ were just some of the highlights of this year’s Kent County Show, which took place at the beginning of July.
Over three days, livestock, horses, vintage vehicles, retail stands and much more offered visitors to the showground a festival celebrating the best of Kent, along with the opportunity to discover fascinating aspects of rural life within the show’s educational and interactive sections.
Nikki Dorkings, general manager of show organisers the Kent County Agricultural Society, described it as “a hugely successful event” and said there had been “increased footfall and a fantastic atmosphere around the showground across all three days”.
She added: “It was an honour to host a
visit from Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh on the first day of the show. The three-day showcase featured local farmers and food producers, countryside pursuits, rural life and even camels.”
At the closing ceremony, society chairman Matthew Cullen said the show was “a prime opportunity for local farmers, producers and the rural community to come together and show the general public from Kent and beyond what we do”. He added: “There’s been a real buzz around the showground all weekend and we’re delighted to have received loads of really positive feedback.”
Livestock remained a core part of the show, and a favourite amongst visitors. Hundreds of cows, sheep and goats of all sizes, shapes and colours took to the showground from across
the South East and beyond with their handlers, competing to be named ‘Best in Show’.
After an intense, three-day schedule of competitions, the judges of the Interbreed Championships named the winners as:
• Interbreed Sheep Champion: Messrs Sargent, Wakeham-Dawson & Harmer with their Southdown Shearling Ewe
• Interbreed Beef Champion: E Bishop with their Limousin heifer, Bishket Unique
• Interbreed Dairy Champion: M Howie with their Ayrshire first-calving heifer, Ridley Hill Drifter Buddy
• Champion Young Handlers: S Bunkall (sheep), J Ludgate (beef cattle) and J Hayles (dairy cattle).
�� www.kcas.org.uk/kent-county-show/
Opposite the cattle rings, the living land village offered everyone an opportunity to learn more about food, farming and the environment. Visitors discovered how food is produced in the Garden of England and enjoyed daily performances from the famous dancing sheep in The Sheep Show, which was back by popular demand.
The equine village put on a stunning display of horses and riders competing in classes ranging from showjumping to in-hand showing, alongside some incredible carriage driving in the double harness scurry. Other attractions included the gentle giants in the heavy horse village and entertainment from exhibitors including The Bravo Show.
The Kent Young Farmers’ Clubs section saw hundreds of young people aged from 10 to 28 show off the results of their hard work as they went head-to-head in livestock classes to demonstrate their knowledge, handling skills and passion for what they do.
The garden life section, housed in the Maidstone Exhibition Hall, saw spectacular exhibits in bloom, showcasing the talent of local schools, organisations, hobbyists and professionals alike.
The countryside village featured longstanding favourites such as the dog agility demonstrations and hosted an array of displays and businesses offering a taste of rural pursuits, including fly fishing demonstrations and countryside talks.
A snapshot of the society’s Heritage Transport Show in April, the heritage section featured an impressive array of vintage cars and motorbikes, commercial vehicles, heritage tractors, steam engines and more, with the Kent Youth Trials Club team returning once again to put on their usual spectacular display of tricks.
The woodland area showcased the skills and crafts of the woodland and forestry industry and allowed visitors to learn more about the county’s woodlands and the work needed to maintain and conserve them.
Produced In Kent offered visitors the opportunity to sample some of Kent’s finest produce and show their support for local makers and growers, while the new ‘festival of food’ provided a feast for the senses.
The John D Wood & Co. Astor Ring hosted the grand parade of livestock and was also home to spectacular displays across the three days by Joseph’s Amazing Camels.
Farmers across the South East are being urged to play their part in supporting innovation by taking part in DEFRAfunded, on-farm trials.
The British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN), founded by Oxfordshire farmer Tom Allen-Stevens to represent farmers who carry out their own on-farm trials, is behind the call for farmers to be at “the forefront of innovation”.
BOFIN wants farmers to take part in four trials which the organisation believes “will give them a hands-on role in shaping the future of UK agriculture while being paid for their contribution”.
The projects include PROBITY, which is bringing precision-bred crops onto farms for the first time in Europe and will involve growing varieties produced through a process known as TILLING (Targeting Induced Local Lesions in Genomes) to test traits also being introduced by gene editing.
With two of the three TILLING varieties resulting in deeper rooting, the project team is particularly interested in hearing from growers in drought-prone areas to test these varieties.
Andrew Newby, who drafted the guidelines for the trials, pointed out that there were important stipulations for growers interested in taking part, including a requirement for separate storage for the PROBITY grain and the ability to clean down all farm equipment
used in the trial after use. “We will also need them to be meticulous with their recordkeeping and happy to share their experiences with other farmers,” he added.
Other opportunities include becoming a ‘pulse pioneer’ or joining the SLIMERS project as a ‘slug sleuth’, which in 2025/26 will involve patch-treating against the pest this autumn, guided by novel, risk-prediction maps.
BOFIN is also interested in hearing from farmers intending to grow spring wheat in 2026 who would like to join the TRUTH project as a ‘root ranger’ to explore soil and root health.
Tom Allen-Stevens, whose network currently has more than 3,500 members, including 700-plus farmers, commented: “The future of farming is being shaped right now. BOFIN trialists have the opportunity to lead the field – taking part in vital research and driving agricultural innovation – while getting paid for their time.
“Our on-farm trials are opening doors for forward-thinking growers to test cuttingedge innovations, influence research and directly benefit from the results as well as from collaboration with leading scientists.”
Dear sir,
As a charity focused on the countryside, the CPRE has been reflecting on the Labour Government's first year in office, and notes that it has made encouraging steps toward addressing our housing crisis. This has included a welcome commitment to building 180,000 social homes and a 'brownfield first' approach that prioritises previously developed land.
However, significant concerns remain. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill threatens local democracy by reducing planning committees' powers, while the Government's solar strategy risks needlessly sacrificing our best farmland for mega solar farms while rooftop solar remains neglected.
The sequencing is all wrong. The ambition for a crossdepartmental land use framework is great, but by the time it arrives we will have homes and infrastructure built in the wrong place.
Our countryside faces unprecedented pressure to deliver homes, energy infrastructure and environmental restoration simultaneously. None of this will be possible without a properly joined-up approach to land use.
The government still has time to deliver a planning vision that serves the planet and people now and into the future. We urge ministers to think strategically about balancing the competing demands on our finite countryside, ensuring environmental protection isn't sacrificed for speed – or political expediency.
Roger Mortlock
Chief Executive, CPRE, the countryside charity
Great to be notified by @SouthEastFarmer of another new farm offering therapeutic services in #Buckinghamshire – that makes eight in that county.
862992 sales@englishwoodlands.com www.englishwoodlands.com
The use of innovation to help tackle issues around food security, changing weather patterns and labour availability was a common thread running through Fruit Focus 2025, which attracted more than 1,500 visitors from the fresh fruit and wine-making sectors.
Hosted once again at the East Malling Research Station, where Niab delivers its programme of horticultural innovation with the support of the East Malling Trust, the annual event again served as a key meeting point for growers, researchers and suppliers looking for an opportunity to explore the innovations, insights and strategies shaping UK horticulture.
NFU Horticulture Board Chair Martin Emmett told a seminar audience that food security had never been more important, particularly in the face of climate change. “I want to highlight the opportunity brought to us by the Government’s food strategy,” he said. “We would hope this is our big opportunity to get the level of government support we know our sector needs, but it’s not a simple shoe-in – we have to fight our corner.
“This current heatwave is yet another opportunity to assert the value of what we do. If we start to see temperatures up to 30°C again, people will start to realise what impact that has on our entire food infrastructure. But, how much worse is it going to be in Europe? How much does that highlight the need for food security based on UK food production?”
Growers were told by Nick Marston, Chair of British Berry Growers, that they had “a massive opportunity to export fresh berries to Europe”, but that that opportunity was being “stopped dead by border friction”.
He went on: “Everything requires a phytosanitary certificate. In England, it takes four to five days to get one; that’s longer than the shelf life and order cycle. In the EU and Scotland, you can get a phytosanitary certificate in less than 24 hours; this is purely resource. We just don’t have enough inspectors, or a system that works properly.”
As always, Fruit Focus included a wide range of suppliers highlighting innovative new ways of tackling current problems, including the need for sustainable irrigation in the face of rising temperatures and increasing pressure on water resources.
Agri Management Solutions (AMS) was one such supplier, highlighting its Nettuno Diesel Pump Model 3, designed to help farmers manage water usage more efficiently.
“This pump is remote controlled via your phone, pumps 108 cubic metres per hour at 16.6 bar and suits both small and large farms,” explained Archie Hawkins, the company’s irrigation manager.
Dogtooth Technologies was on site demonstrating its latest answer to the issue of staff recruitment. The Dogtooth Gen 5 is an advanced robotic strawberry picker designed and built entirely in the UK and engineered to analyse crops and predict yields with precision.
“It ensures each punnet weighs similarly and fills [a tray load of punnets] at the same time, providing consistency and quality,” said the firm’s Daniel Stockhill. “What’s more, one human can oversee 12 robots, massively improving labour efficiency and addressing workforce challenges.”
Aurélie Bovi, innovation sector lead at UK Agritech Centre, highlighted the amount of research currently happening in horticulture, showcasing projects improving strawberry quality and crop protection.
One demonstrated how monitoring and guiding bee activity boosted pollination and nutrition in strawberries, while another, using Polybee drones, creates pollen troughs to enhance fruit quality. Visitors also learned about a Newcastle University project using spore detection technology to identify pathogens early in soft fruit and vineyards.
With 125 projects worldwide, including strawberries in the US and Japan, GyroPlant has developed reusable plug systems that replace traditional substrate. Founder Marcus Comahsi told visitors: “We create custom solutions for growers aiming to develop resilient farms and reduce carbon emissions and waste from the substrate sector.”
Visitors were also able to join Niab-led research tours across the site, with the strawberry vertical farming research facility proving particularly popular and attracting over 100 attendees.
“I was delighted so see so many key players from the fresh produce industry at East Malling for Fruit Focus,” said Niab chief executive Mario Caccamo. “This is a sector that is thirsty for
innovation and can set up global standards for environmentally aware horticulture and high quality produce.
“The challenges are significant, and it is clear that we will need support from progressive government policies for the sector to be successful. I was, however, very encouraged by the quality and diversity of the solutions on display at this year’s event. The future is bright.”
Event Director Alli McEntyre agreed: “From buzzing exhibitor stands to packed talks on technology, sustainability and the future, the energy and appetite for progress was clear. Fruit Focus continues to be the place where the fruit industry connects, collaborates and looks ahead. With so much innovation and drive, it’s clear there’s a bright future ahead.”
West Sussex grower and NFU National Horticulture and Potatoes Board chair Martin Emmett used Fruit Focus to highlight the potentially damaging impact of transferring employment costs for seasonal workers to growers.
Martin highlighted a recent report into shifting costs such as visa and travel fees, currently carried by seasonal workers, onto employers which pointed out that it could force some growers out of business, given that many are currently operating at profit margins as low as 2%.
He said: "It is already illegal to charge workers fees to secure jobs in the UK, but this latest report, conducted by Alma Economics, demonstrates the significant financial impact to producers, the supply chain and consumers, of covering all other associated worker costs.
“It is further evidence that the approach Sedex took last year to embed these requirements within the Sedex Members
Ethical Trade Audit (SMETA) scheme was ill thought through and lacked any accountability for the consequences."
The NFU has highlighted that grower employers care deeply about worker welfare and are already working closely across the supply chain to improve experiences. It has pledged to work with the Seasonal Worker Taskforce to consider the report findings and agree next steps without putting the future of British farming and the country’s food supply at risk.
The union this year launched a revised horticulture growth strategy which calls on the government to unlock barriers to growth and deliver confidence back into the sector.
The original strategy, launched in 2023 and revised in 2024, secured several important commitments in the No 10 Farm to Fork summits each year.
Now the NFU believes that, under the Labour government, there is “a renewed opportunity for policy makers to deliver on
this ambition for growth by unlocking the 10 building blocks outlined in this strategy”.
These include providing longer-term access to labour, delivering access to affordable and sustainable energy supplies, providing access to crop protection, investing in infrastructure to enable guaranteed access to water in dry periods and ensuring government environmental incentive schemes are accessible to horticulture businesses.
Martin said: “Horticulture stands ready to unlock its growth potential and deliver against the Government’s ambition to grow the economy and improve public diets but cannot do so unless we see policy blockers removed.
“An exemption for protected structures from biodiversity net gain regulations, a faster, more efficient planning system, a fair and functioning supply chain, longer term certainty of seasonal workers and a productivity scheme open for all growers to draw down funding are all key pillars that would drive growth in our sector.”
This country’s third heatwave of the year has meant our combine went rolling into our homegrown winter wheat on 12 July, the earliest we have ever started. We will have less spring barley to combine as we have already whole-cropped some to fill our clamps as the dry weather prevented all the usual decent second and third cuts on most of our grassland.
Turnips have been drilled into wheat and barley stubble and we have all fingers crossed that the rain forecast in mid July arrives. We have also been harvesting homebred cattle and lambs. They have thrived this year, and with strong demand and prices our team’s hard work is being rewarded.
On the last Sunday in June, our Arun to Adur Cluster Group held this year’s annual Open Farm Sunday at Park Farm, Arundel by kind permission of James and Helen Sellers. All the group’s stakeholders were involved, with excellent hands-on informative displays from South Downs National Park, Southern Water and S Woodley Crop Services.
We were pleased to welcome West Sussex County Council Leader Paul Marshall and his wife to the event. Paul has been supportive of the county’s farmers and its fragile food
By Caroline Harriott.
infrastructure so he will be visiting our one remaining abattoir in August, having allocated funding towards its survival.
Technology was also to the fore, with a drone showing what farming might look like in the future. The trailer rides, as always, were a great success, taking in both farmland and woodland Chichester Young Farmers were also involved, manning the car park, running a stand and assisting the sheep shearing. We were also delighted to raise over £1,000 for the Young Lives Vs Cancer charity.
There has been much going on with the NFU; County Chairman Andrew Strong and I were kept busy at the South of England Show with media interviews, meeting MPs and catching up with farmers. We have met constituency MPs from all parties out on farm and highlighted all our main issues. A West Sussex pre-harvest health and safety event at Westons Farm was well attended. The NFU will be responding to the South Downs National Park Management Plan consultation on behalf of Sussex farmers, and a postharvest county farm walk is being planned as I write.
My take home plea is for readers to write to and engage with their local MPs. Our voice needs to be heard. No farmers, no food. Help MPs understand the impact of the planned changes on you and your family of business property relief (BPR), the proposed family farm tax, the sustainable farming incentive withdrawal and the effect of trade deals (which do not allow us to compete on a level playing field).
The list of issues we are facing is endless, but if we don’t communicate with our constituency MPs they don’t understand the problems or their consequences. Happy harvest and, most importantly, make sure you and your team take five minutes to do your farm safety checks: Take Five, Stay Alive.
Set against the familiar backdrop of the Cherry family’s Hertfordshire farm, this year’s regenerative farming festival brought together a vibrant community of thinkers, doers, growers and storytellers to tackle some of the thorniest questions in food, farming and agriculture.
Across two packed days with a record attendance of over 10,000 revellers, I dipped into a rich mix of panel discussions, keynote talks and impromptu catch ups in the margins, the places where some of the most surprising and inspiring exchanges seem to happen at Groundswell.
Kicking off Groundswell 2025 with Gabe Brown felt like catching the headline act on the first night of Glastonbury. Brown, a North Dakota farmer and one of the pioneers of the regenerative movement, delivered a typically punchy and unapologetic talk on soil health, nutrient density and the need to return to nature’s operating system.
What struck me most wasn’t just his storytelling, excellent though it was, but the data showing the transformation of his own farm business. His six soil health principles might not all be directly transferable to a Sussex pasture, but the mindset certainly is: observe, experiment, trust biology – a timely reminder that regenerative agriculture isn’t a blueprint, but a lens.
Nigel Akehurst visits Groundswell, farming’s very own Glastonbury.
This provocatively titled panel, chaired by Henry Dimbleby, brought together former DEFRA secretary George Eustice and ex-Sainsbury’s CEO Justin King. Dimbleby opened with a stark warning: the UK food system, while delivering affordability, has driven ecological decline, missed climate targets and fuelled a health crisis, with 2.8 million people now economically inactive due to diet-related illness.
Eustice made the case for a messier, more nature-rich landscape, supported by ecosystem service payments and long-term policy commitments. King pushed back, insisting that consumers drive the system and that change must begin with them. One of the
most compelling ideas was Dimbleby’s call for a levy on ultra-processed foods to fund better marketing of healthy food, a reminder that policy, pricing, and storytelling must work together to shift the system.
What role can communities play in nature restoration? This powerful session explored that question with speakers from community farms, finance and land justice movements. Charlotte Hollins of Fordhall Farm shared how 8,000 people helped buy back her family farm after an eviction threat, turning it into one of England’s first communityowned farms.
Helen Avery of the Green Finance Institute explained how investors are now seeking projects with community involvement, which can actually de-risk funding. Mark Walton of Shared Assets laid out the legal and structural barriers facing community access to land, but also new collaborative models between farmers and landless groups. Ben Goldsmith closed with stories of bottom-up landscape restoration in Somerset, where neighbours came together to rewild, host NHS green prescribing projects and monitor moths.
The message was clear: communities aren’t an obstacle, but the key.
This session felt especially close to home. As someone raising native cattle and lambs for direct sale, I found it both sobering and galvanising. We heard from inspiring projects like Street Goat (Bristol), Swillington Organic Farm (Yorkshire), and Fernhill Farm (Somerset), who shared practical models
blending conservation grazing, community supported agriculture, fibre, events and food production. But the big issue? Infrastructure. With only one small abattoir left in Sussex, and many regions with none, kill-andreturn services are critically limited. Andy Gray, from MC Kelly Ltd, shared updates on political lobbying for mobile abattoirs and small processor support. The panel made clear that local meat won’t survive on goodwill alone. It needs serious investment, enabling policy and joined-up logistics, but the appetite is there.
Hosted by cook, writer and restauranteur Thomasina Miers, this session offered a hopeful glimpse into the future of regenerative food brands. Imogen Royall from Northern Pasta and Sam and Elliott Day from Field Goods shared how they’re challenging supermarket norms with joyful, values-led products that don’t compromise on flavour.
The conversation covered everything from scaling ethically to greenwashing risks. One big tension was whether regen brands should meet people “where they shop” or build new paths entirely. What stood out was their optimism, honesty, and belief in storytelling.
One of my favourite sessions of the festival and one which drew a large crowd, with several well-known faces from the world of farming and conservation in the audience, this panel, chaired by Sue Pritchard of the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission, took a clear-eyed look at the gap between the optimism of events like Groundswell and the everyday reality facing many farmers.
Emily Norton (AHDB) and Joe Evans (Vice President of the CLA) both highlighted the confusion and distress caused by poor communication around schemes like the Sustainable Farming Incentive. Their message was clear: we need more confident, joined-up leadership in the landbased sector and a better understanding of how to communicate change.
Lee Cain, former Downing Street comms strategist, brought a bracing dose of political reality. If farming wants to influence government policy, he argued, it must speak to the public’s top concerns: the NHS, cost of living, jobs. That means building simple, emotionally resonant narratives that link food and farming to better health, climate resilience and national wellbeing and delivering those stories through the media channels people actually use, from local news to Instagram reels.
Picking up the baton perfectly, this inspiring panel explored how those better stories might be told. Featuring Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall, Farmerama co-founder Abby Rose, Clarkson’s Farm
producer Vicky Boyton and Instagram-savvy farmer Ben Andrews, the conversation delved into the emotional power of narrative to shift hearts and minds.
The shared thread was a belief in authenticity and emotion, and in the power of letting farmers speak for themselves. There were calls for better food education, more space for new entrant voices and a braver use of platforms like Instagram and TikTok to reach beyond the farming bubble and connect with a wider, more diverse audience.
My final session dug into the often-complicated world of working across boundaries; ecological, political and social. From rewetting peatlands to restoring floodplains and wildflower corridors, the scale and ambition of the work is impressive. But as the panelists made clear, it’s the relationships between neighbours, farmers, scientists and citizens that truly make it possible.
Gareth Williams, project lead for Weald to Waves, a 100-mile nature recovery corridor in Sussex, spoke about the importance of long-term, joined-up thinking, highlighting the need for strong partnerships, holistic approaches and robust financial mechanisms to support landscape-scale restoration.
As a farmer, co-facilitator and member of the Pevensey Farmers’ Cluster, which is currently looking beyond the end of its Countryside Stewardship facilitation funding, I found this session particularly pertinent. It offered valuable insights on governance models, sustaining momentum when grants dry up and the wider challenge that many farm clusters are now facing as their agreements come to an end.
Groundswell 2025 reaffirmed my sense that we’re living through a profound shift, not just in farming practices, but in how we relate to land, food and each other. It also reminded me of the joy of learning collectively, whether in a marquee, around a fire or queuing for a regenerative pale ale in the blazing July sun.
If regeneration is as much about people as it is about soil, then events like Groundswell are vital infrastructure. Here’s to the conversations still echoing in the head, and the ones still to come.
Abi Brown, a PhD student at the University of Oxford, studying how fungicide resistance may shape the future of arable and vegetable farming in England, was a first-time visitor to Groundswell.
As a newcomer at Groundswell, it is immediately clear that the festival is a hub of community – an event as much about joy, hope, and connection as it is about sharing knowledge, challenges, and progress.
Picnic areas buzz with friendly chatter, and camp site neighbours are eager to ask: “What’s brought you to Groundswell?” For many, the answer is as much about the festival’s genuine sense of optimism and togetherness as it is about their profession. As pop-up tents appear and caravans roll into rows to host over 10,000 attendees, Groundswell makes it clear that regenerative agriculture is far from a fringe movement.
Festival-goers who’ve been coming since year one are proud to say they’ve witnessed the growth first-hand, from a gathering of 500 attendees in 2016 to the bustling event it is today.
What may have sparked this growth is that Groundswell really does offer something for everyone.
Alongside the DEFRA workshops and agronomy stands where farmers may find valuable insights, there’s an incredible range of experiences for anyone interested in food, farming, or the environment.
Throughout the grounds, there’s no shortage of activity – from early morning bird walks, impressive drill demonstrations and dung beetle safaris to panel discussions on political change and the burgeoning promise of AI.
If panels don’t appeal, foodies will be thrilled with the colourful array of regeneratively sourced food and drink on
offer. From tart, farm-pressed apple cider to award-winning spelt pasta, Groundswell’s culinary offerings prove that sustainability certainly doesn’t mean a lack of variety or flavour. Quite the opposite. Meanwhile the produce, delicious in its own right, becomes only more enjoyable when paired with the knowledge of where it comes from.
At Groundswell, food comes with stories – and attendees are surrounded by those stories at every turn. The love and care that regenerative farmers have for the soil, their land and the wildlife surrounding it shines through in the produce available and at the talks where farmers share their journeys.
Perhaps what’s most remarkable about Groundswell is the diversity of those drawn to it. Farmers and growers, yes, but also chefs, academics, teachers, wine merchants and food enthusiasts.
At Groundswell, over a pint or at a panel, they can speak united in a passion for land, for food, and for farming in a way that restores nature, rather than depleting it.
As part of her PhD research, Abi is looking to speak with farmers in England about their experiences using (or choosing not to use) fungicides. She’s interested in how farmers make decisions about crop protection, and about their interactions with agronomists, agrochemical companies and agricultural schemes. Abi is keen to hear from a range of farmers, whether they use fungicides regularly, occasionally, or not at all. To contribute, get in touch:
✉ sjoh6006@ox.ac.uk
A recurring theme at the festival this year was how, exactly, to get this regenerative message across to the everyday consumer. Groundswell itself may be part of the answer. As it grows, the event can continue to reach beyond the agricultural world, drawing in more of those who may never have set foot on a farm.
Whether they come for a truffle-hunting workshop, to hear from the people behind their weekly food shop or simply to raise a glass of regeneratively sourced whisky, Groundswell offers a warm invitation into a world where farming can work with nature, instead of against it.
If repeat business is the goal of most companies, then Keith Stoner must be one of the steel-framed building industry’s top scorers.
Such is the attention to detail and level of service offered by his company, Sussex-based Forma, that he regularly returns to carry out a second or third project for satisfied customers.
As he arrived to meet South East Farmer at one of Forma’s current projects, Henners Vineyard at Herstmonceux, he revealed that he had just finished a sign-off meeting for a general purpose and livestock barn and another general-purpose barn, complete with all the groundworks, at Honeywood Farm, near Burgess Hill in Sussex.
“As soon as we had finished signing off that project, the landowner started talking about another new building that he needed us to erect,” he added.
It’s a familiar story for Forma, which builds everything from grain stores and storage buildings to wineries, classic vehicle
storage buildings and cold stores to a high standard that reflect Keith’s several decades of building experience.
Forma’s fully galvanised, steel-framed buildings are just part of the story. “We aim to make life easy for busy farmers by taking on the whole project, from groundworks through to the electrical fit out, drainage, driveways and power-floated floors – and anything else that might be required,” said Keith.
Another recent project at Park Farm, Aldingbourne, near Chichester, saw Forma complete a 36m by 18m grain shed, six metres to the eaves, complete with four-metre concrete walling and a powerfloated floor.
In another example of repeat business, Keith outlined his close working relationship with the Whitebread family at Wybournes
Farm, High Halstow, near Gravesend. “We erected a general-purpose building to house Richard Whitebread’s collection of vintage tractors and were then called in by Richard’s son Nick and asked to build a new grain store for the family farm,” he said. “Now we have been called back again to build a generalpurpose machinery store.”
Keith’s approach is straightforward. “We like follow-on work, so we always make sure we do a first-class job. We have a transparent pricing structure, we only take on two or three jobs at a time so that we can give them the attention they deserve, and we never compromise on materials.
“We promise to provide a quotation for work within seven days of being briefed and we provide elevation drawings free of charge.
That’s usually all a planning department will need in the case of a 28-day permitted development application and it saves the farmer an extra expense.”
Forma has also developed an enviable reputation amongst vineyards and has built a number of wineries and ancillary buildings for growers across the South East.
The project at Henners again represents repeat business. “Four years ago, we built a winery at the top of the site, including a mezzanine, a tasting room, staff facilities and a shop,” Keith explained. “We also built an outside seating area for tastings, along with a pond, parking and drainage.”
Now Forma has returned to build a second winery on the lower part of the site, complete with storage and office space and trackways that will link the two buildings within the site.
The galvanised steel frame, 30m by 18m and 6.5m to the eaves, is being clad with composite insulated panels to help keep the building’s temperature constant. White on the inside, the panels’ olive green box profile exterior will help the building blend with the landscape.
Forma is also delivering the drainage, electrical fit out, doors, windows and insulated roller shutter doors, while a new terrace and tarmac paths will complete the project. The company is also installing a self-
contained klargester septic tank.
Always looking for ways to add efficiencies, Forma has installed an innovative diverter system into the drainage so that any acidic washoff during the harvest period can be safely stored in a 20,000-litre storage tank and then pumped out and disposed of safely. At other times, the relatively clean wash off water is allowed to go into the drainage system.
“Erecting buildings is just the start of what we do,” Keith explained. “Our ultimate aim is to make life easier for the customer, whether that’s by project managing the whole development or coming up with new ways of solving problems.”
Hadlow College has made a strong start to the summer show season, returning to the prestigious Kent County Show with a prizewinning presence in the livestock rings and a standout trade stand display.
Held in early July, the event is the region’s premier showcase for farming, agriculture and countryside life, and marked the first time in several years that Hadlow has entered the show’s livestock competitions.
And what a return it was, with the college’s animals performing admirably in the judging rings. The Romney pair of yearling ewes took first place in class, was named Reserve Champion and won the Alfred Day Challenge Cup for best novice Romney exhibitor. In the cattle section, Bertie (aka Baby Bully) placed second in the Hereford junior bull class, while Princess, a commercial native beef heifer, also secured second place in her category.
In addition to success in the ring, the college was awarded a Certificate of Recognition for Best Agricultural Trade Stand, celebrating the range and quality of experiences on offer in the marquee.
Visitors were able to enjoy a variety of interactive activities, including plant sales, floristry displays, live animal first aid demonstrations and a showcase of reptiles from the National Centre for Reptile Welfare (NCRW). Produce grown at Hadlow, including freshly harvested tomatoes and bottles of the college’s own apple juice, was available to sample and take home.
Next stop on the show calendar is the Edenbridge & Oxted Show, taking place on 24 and 25 August at the Edenbridge and Oxted Showground in Lingfield. Hadlow will once again be showcasing its specialist focus in land-based education – so do come and say hello!
For those who may be thinking about their next steps in education, the college is holding an open event on Saturday 15 November, from 10am to 1pm, offering a great chance to explore the facilities, meet the college’s industry-trained lecturers and chat with current students.
To find out more about studying at Hadlow College, come along to our open morning on 15 November or visit www.hadlow.ac.uk
Apple and pear growing in the UK faces a critical decline, in-depth research by British Apples & Pears Limited (BAPL) has revealed.
The top fruit grower organisation, which has conducted two in-depth studies of current and future UK apple and pear orchard infrastructure, is calling on supermarkets to commit to the industry to halt the decline.
BAPL has said the surveys “reveal a level of planned planting that, if it continues, will lead to the gradual decline of apple and pear growing in the UK”.
While British apple and pear orchard hectarage has been stable for almost 10 years, with 5,577 hectares in 2016 and 5,532 hectares in 2025, the research shows that 2023 and 2024 were two of the three lowest hectarage years over that decade.
BAPL added: “Furthermore, in the past five years, an average of 213 hectares of apple orchards were planted each year. In the next three years, only 145 hectares are planned to be planted with new trees – a 32% drop compared with the five-year average. This is not because growers already have lots of young, productive trees. In fact, 12% of all British apple orchards and 55% of all British pear orchards are more than 21 years old.”
To maintain the current hectarage of apple orchards, BAPL said UK growers would need to plant 369 hectares of new orchards each year. They are planning less than half that (145 hectares). “At that rate, we would have half the orchards we have today in just 12 years.” BAPL warned.
The organisation added: “At a time when climate change affects import availability and price, and when healthy eating and UK food security should be top of the agenda, growers are holding back on orchard expansion. Without a strong business case to invest in new trees, the sector will decline, reducing the availability of fresh British apples and pears.”
Executive chair Ali Capper commented: “Supermarkets must commit to the British top fruit industry now, before it’s too late. They can’t rely on imports when climate change and geopolitical events will undoubtedly lead to scarcity. With long-term retailer commitments, growers can invest and ensure the future of British orchards and fruit supply. But it needs to happen now, before we start to lose our wonderful British apples and pears.”
• Survey responders have 4,120 hectares of apple orchards, with more than nine million trees or 2,231 trees per hectare. With survey responders representing 92% of the picked crop of British apples and pears, it is estimated that commercial orchards hold over 10 million trees.
• More than 70 apple varieties are being grown in British commercial orchards, with 36 different varieties planted in the past five years alone.
• Gala is grown in 30% of all apple orchards and Braeburn in 11%. These are the most dominant varieties, but they are in decline as a result of their declining profitability.
• Planting within the past five years has seen big investment in Jazz, (139 hectares), Pink Lady (100 hectares), Magic Star (80 hectares) and Cameo (43 hectares).
• There were 38 hectares of Cox, one of the oldest UK apple varieties, planted in the past five years.
• Survey responders have 702 hectares of pear orchards with just over one million trees or 1,438 trees per hectare.
• While Conference accounts for 93% of all pear orchard hectares, there are 10 different varieties being grown commercially in the UK.
• More than half (55%) of all Conference pear orchards are over 21 years old.
• In the past five years an average of just 20 hectares of pear orchards were planted per year.
• No growers surveyed are planning to plant new pear trees in the UK in 2026 or 2027. BAPL believes pears are “simply not profitable for UK growers due to low returns”.
Ali Capper concluded: “This is the most detailed picture we’ve ever had of the UK’s commercial apple and pear orchards - and it’s both inspiring and concerning.
“While we now have clear evidence that we have the potential to expand British apple and pear production, confidence among growers is being seriously undermined. We urgently need a policy and retail environment that supports long-term investment and growth, or we risk losing a vital part of British farming.”
BAPL has called on government to increase the annual investment allowance from £1m to £10m, include apple growers, stores and packhouses in the energy discounts planned for the manufacturing sector, ensure there are enough seasonal workers to hand pick top fruit in British orchards, ensure continuity of funding for members of producer organisation schemes and provide clear direction on how the end of the schemes will be managed.
If you’ve cut grass for hay or you’re in the thick of harvest, you’re probably hoping the rain holds off. But if, like me, you’re out checking stock and surveying the scorched pasture they’re surviving on, you’re probably wishing the skies would open soon.
We’ve cut our usual acreage of grass and it’s yielded less than half the normal number of bales. The weather will ultimately decide whether or not we will have enough forage to see our animals through the winter. I’m holding on to optimism, hoping nature will balance itself out and keep all of us farmers going in our role as food producers.
I hear supermarkets aren’t always sympathetic when their suppliers fall short due to poor growing conditions. What we want and what we get can vary enormously; a truth usually learned young, though for some this concept is hard to grasp. Whether we like it or not, reality is unescapable, in farming, as in life. We all have to live with the consequences of the weather.
The forecast looked fine and, since Nigel is such a strong advocate for Groundswell, I decided this year I’d finally give it a go,
including two nights camping on site. Recently I have become less enthusiastic about agricultural shows. While they have grown in size, I feel they have lost some of their connection to the land and real farming, replaced instead by glitz and commercialism. But Groundswell, billed as The Regenerative Agriculture Festival, turned out to be exactly what I’d been missing – and I loved it.
There was a genuinely friendly atmosphere and a refreshing, positive attitude toward farming. So much information was shared in thought-provoking talks, with space for questions and open discussion. Choosing which sessions to attend was a challenge; they all sounded fascinating. The trade stands were properly agricultural and there were machinery demos (though I ran out of time to see them). The food and drink on offer was excellent, and the clean toilets and hot showers were an unexpected bonus. Happy days.
We spent most of the journey home (which took far longer than it should have, thanks to the Dartford bridge closure) deep in conversation, dissecting the talks and
discussing regenerative practices, politics, and food production and its link to health.
Gabe Brown, author of Dirt to Soil, was a standout speaker, inspiring and grounded. He encouraged everyone to begin their regenerative journey with practical steps and by observing nature. I particularly applauded his blunt dismissal of bureaucracy, tick-box culture and subsidydependence. His enthusiasm was infectious and his data-backed arguments compelling.
In contrast, Steve Reed’s talk left me completely cold. It felt like pure rhetoric; all about how generous the Labour government was being towards farmers. He told us that, with 15 years of business experience, he understood the need for profit. But it was clear he had little grasp of what it takes to run a farm; the practicalities, the land or the nature of food production. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t stay to answer questions.
The panel discussion Inside the Room: Can British Farming Be Saved?, featuring Henry Dimbleby, Justin King and George Eustice, offered valuable insights. If it's on the Groundswell YouTube channel, it’s well worth a watch.
Demonstration of using bale unwrappers
So many interesting talks to choose between
My eldest daughter, a healthcare professional, and my youngest, a senior commercial manager for a grower, attended Measuring Food Quality, Nutrition and Health Dr. David Unwin advocated prescribing regenerative food to improve human health. Apparently, he claimed it’s better to eat bacon and eggs for breakfast than cereal, which is often packed with sugar, even bran flakes, which surprised me. This news delighted my other half, though he cheekily remarked that I’d now have to get up ten minutes earlier to cook breakfast. I told him he was living dangerously.
Exercise is also essential for good health. When I retired from nursing 11 years ago, I awarded myself a springer spaniel, Tilley, so I could go beating, in case farming didn’t keep me active enough.
Tilley is a strong character, full of mischief and utterly stubborn. She loves pottering about the farm. One spring morning, I went to let the chickens out and found an egg in
their water bucket. I was puzzling over how it got there when Tilley turned up, looking like someone had cracked an egg over her head. I was stunned, until I realised it wasn’t egg but colostrum. She’d clearly been nosing about in the calving shed. She completely ignored my muttered insults and carried on in her usual brisk, no-nonsense way.
They say sleep is vital for health, too. In our house, the rule is: collies in the kennels, spaniels downstairs and us upstairs. But Tilley believes she should be promoted. One night during lambing and calving season, when we were both utterly exhausted, we inadvertently failed to latch the door properly. Tilley is an opportunist. Once the lights were out, we heard the soft pad of paws, heavy breathing and a tail thumping with excitement. Neither of us had the strength to move.
At first, she lay on the floor beside the bed. Then we felt her settle across our feet. Eventually, I became aware of gentle snoring from a head now sharing my pillow.
George and Angus are generous when feeding hens – happy chickens
Out of the darkness, a voice said, “You’re not the best bed partner.” After nearly 50 years of marriage, I thought that feedback was a bit late coming, I fervently hoped the comment was aimed at the dog.
Eventually, I found the energy to take her downstairs and explain (again) that our home has boundaries – and hers was the downstairs. I made a cup of tea and went back to bed, hoping for peace, at least until morning.
Recently we asked a family member to check the cattle on the marsh. In hot, fly-infested weather, cattle tend to group together in a tight bunch, which makes accurate counting difficult. They returned in no time, announcing they’d put a drone up, taken pictures and would count cattle on the computer later. In the evening, I received a call; they could only count 19 animals when there should be 33. Oh dear.
Luckily, next day the missing cattle were found safe and well, ‘Lookering’ is not always a quick job.
There is much mumbling about the cost of veterinary care, which has taken the spotlight off our beleaguered NHS for a while. Costs can run into thousands of pounds, with questionable additions. Cost is critical for farmers, who cannot afford elaborate therapy for marginal gain. They would opt to kill the animal humanely and so farm vets treat accordingly.
What is happening? Knowledge has exploded in my lifetime and what can now be diagnosed and treated effectively, for both humans and other animals, has expanded hugely. But all the enhanced facilities, investigations, sophisticated therapies, labour and changes to the business model are costly.
Many vets now have CT and MRI scanners, usually recycled from hospitals but still very expensive. Feline thyrotoxicosis can be treated and cured with radioactive iodine therapy that requires special facilities. Most vets also have modern endoscopes, and the list goes on and on.
Delivering modern veterinary care
is therefore expensive and, like that for humans in the USA, it is a business increasingly delivered by large corporate companies, some US owned, that have the financial muscle to invest in kit. This trend is also growing in private health care delivery in the UK, but with a larger US presence. These companies actively bid for NHS contracts, picking the low-hanging fruit.
Britons have benefitted hugely from living with a national health system, free at the point of delivery, for over 70 years. Funded from taxes, it has delivered the tremendous advances we have all come to expect. But we have been cushioned from the real costs and sheltered from the risks of illness and limitations of treatment.
Here's an example; all families wishing to have a baby expect conception, pregnancy and delivery to be straightforward, risk free and totally safe.
Every farmer knows all too well that even with good care few get 100% success with calving or lambing, for all sorts of reasons. Our
own results with calving this year were only 90%. We suffered a mid-term abortion (cause unknown), an in-utero death during a difficult vet-assisted delivery and another calf dying on day four after a prompt assisted delivery, colostrum tube feeding and antibiotics at 48 hours. For humans this would be scandalous!
The risks around pregnancy today are low, but still some 13 women die from childbirth per 100,000 deliveries and 0.3% is stillbirths. A similar percentage of live births fail to survive 28 days, mostly the tiny premature babies that require high-level specialist care to survive, and a similar small percentage of infants don’t make their first birthday, usually because of severe genetic or developmental abnormalities.
So what we now tend to consider a matter of routine is not only damned hard work but is not, and never can be, totally risk free, despite the best medical advances. The statistics in Sudan today sadly would mirror, or worse, those on most livestock farms, but these gains come with huge costs!
Farming is widely recognized as a dangerous, stressful occupation, as I know to my cost. But having spent my employed career in NHS clinical practice and now as a client, I am concerned at its state. I have received expert and kind care, but staff morale is low and the public is increasingly voicing dissatisfaction fanned by parts of the mainstream media. Is a state-run health service fit to deliver modern medicine? My answer is, sadly, no.
The Covid-19 pandemic clearly showed that politicians and civil servants had neither the experience nor the expertise to anticipate or deal with it efficiently or effectively. Boris’s government panicked and laid itself open to corruption, for example in sourcing protective equipment. Nor did it have the scientific understanding to heed advice. The politics of health is that of the broad brush and macro finance.
The electoral cycle is too short to run what are in effect large numbers of ‘not for profit’ businesses. Each minister of health seeks to reorganize and revitalise the NHS and yet is in post for as little as a year and seldom for the full electoral cycle. It takes time to grasp the magnitude of the task. Nor should we expect civil servants to run the show. Their job is to administer policy, not run hospitals and clinics.
So what lessons can we take from today’s veterinary practice and the USA health model? A fully privatised system would be a disaster, simply because it is driven by profit first and service second. Regulation must be maintained to catch malpractice, albeit rare.
The very best of US health care is excellent, such as the Mayo and Lahey Clinics, not-forprofit institutions founded on clinical research and ethical excellence and linked to universities. This contrasts with municipal, state and federal-run services that are too often poor.
Here in the UK, private care is still largely an individual matter for both patient and provider. Clinicians use the facilities of a private hospital that employs the nursing and ancillary staff but not them. Such hospitals have no remit towards the nation’s health or to advance medical knowledge. Neither are they geared to cater for complex clinical problems needing multidisciplinary clinical teams. Another unfortunate current coursing through the political blood stream is that
of immigration. There is little doubt we are clannish and suspicious of ‘others’, but, equally, agriculture and the care sector would be in trouble without immigrants filling vital jobs Brits won’t do.
Without immigrants, harvesting veg, fruit and flowers would be impossible, while hospitals and community care would collapse. We must also acknowledge that many of today’s excellent leaders in health delivery are Brits born to immigrants.
Both farming and health care are at significant risk if the country lurches towards the populist promoters of simplistic solutions.
My view is that we must be prepared to pay more for our health service through tax or insurance. Farmers already face that for labour and vet services.
The NHS is currently geared to deliver a service at the lowest cost to serve everyone, which is unique in the developed world. Perhaps it is now time to have a more nuanced approach and use some market methods, with safeguards. It is a difficult problem to solve and while a political dimension is inescapable, government or its departments, focusing on targets and not outcomes, should no longer run the service.
Tucked away on a modest parcel of land that was once part of an old Land Settlement Association scheme, the Evans family has built something quietly radical. What began as a high-yield operation supplying strawberries and berries to major supermarkets has, over time, evolved into a hyper-local, ethical and tech-savvy business focused on quality and on direct customer relationships, all from a vending machine.
I met Kathy at the entrance to the farm, beside their impressive-looking vending machine housed inside a converted shipping container. Customers were already stopping to buy fresh punnets of berries, grown just 20 metres away in their glasshouse.
As we walked over to meet her son Archie, who manages the farm, Kathy began to explain the history of the business she and her husband Nick started in 1991. At its peak, the farm produced over 300 tonnes of fruit each year, supplying supermarkets and high-end restaurants, she said. They employed 20 permanent staff and more than 130 seasonal workers.
“We grew quality produce and were quite innovative in what we did,” she told me. “But after years of squeezed margins and supply chain pressures, it just wasn’t viable anymore.”
This month Nigel Akehurst visits Berries on Tap, a small, family run soft fruit farm near Selsey in West Sussex that is pioneering a new model by selling premium berries directly to consumers via vending machines. He met mother and son Kathy and Archie Evans to learn how and why they transformed their business – and what might
Their final commercial season was in 2019.
“It was probably the most awful time of our lives, jacking that in,” she admitted. “But we knew something had to change.”
The turning point came when Archie returned from travelling and working on large arable farms in New Zealand. He was keen to get involved, but only if the farm could adopt a more sustainable and futurefacing model.
Inside the glasshouse, Archie was
come next.
testing the brix (sugar) levels of some ripe strawberries using a refractometer. He handed me one to try; it was incredibly sweet and juicy. “That’s a (brix value of) 12,” he said proudly, explaining that the very best supermarket fruit usually scores around nine.
Returning to our previous topic of conversation, he chimed in: “We were all pretty adamant that we didn’t want to go back to supermarkets, so we needed a different solution. The first thing we had to solve was: where are we going to sell the stuff?”
That answer came in the form of a refrigerated vending machine installed inside a custom-fitted shipping container, positioned just off the main road. Customers could now buy freshly picked strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, along with other local products such as organic milk, cheese, sorbet and more, without tills or shop staff.
“It’s kind of a juxtaposition,” he pointed out. “You’re buying from a machine, but it’s got a real connection to the farm. We’re always here restocking, doing videos, chatting with people. The community’s totally bought into it.”
When it came to sustainability, Archie explained that they had switched to growing everbearing varieties in unheated glasshouses and polytunnels. “None of our crops are heated, only frost protected,” he said. They had consciously moved away from using fossil fuels, unlike many commercial growers who use energy to extend the season and improve margins, he said.
The main vending machine is now powered by solar panels, with about 80% of its energy needs met by renewables. Archie told me they planned to triple the size of the array and install a battery to make the setup fully self-sufficient.
They are also rigorous about their sourcing. “Everything we sell is local, within ten miles, and either grown or made with the same ethos as us,” Archie said. “And we’re super honest about it, because in my generation you can
The business had also become impressively resilient by embracing seasonality and minimising waste. “All our class two fruit gets frozen, either for winter sales or to supply collaborations like sorbet with Gelato Gusto or fig ketchup with Squished,” Archie explained. They even stock frozen fruit in the vending machine when fresh is unavailable, and customers love it. “We’ve found that our customers are now really in tune with seasonality,” he said. “They get it. If there
• Grow strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, tayberries, blueberries and figs in approximately 10 acres of glasshouses and polytunnels
• Produce around 20 tons of fruit per year (relatively small numbers for a commercial fruit farm)
• 15 tonnes strawberries
• 3 tonnes raspberries
• 1 tonne blackberries
• 300 to 400kg tayberries
• 1 tonne blueberries
• 300 to 400kg figs
• Sell all their fruit through their onsite vending machines either as fresh or frozen (second class fruit)
• Grow their own, high value, mushrooms
• Employ three full time and nine seasonal workers
are no strawberries one week, they’ll pick raspberries or wait till next week.”
Labour remained one of their biggest challenges. “To grow good strawberries, you need a lot of attention to detail,” Archie told me. “And that takes people. Dad always says it’s easy to grow strawberries, it’s just really hard to grow good ones.”
Still, they had managed to set a price that reflected the quality of their fruit, around 15 to 25% more than the supermarket standard lines (roughly in line with premium lines), without alienating their customer base. “They know exactly what they’re getting and who they’re supporting,” he said.
In terms of the business, Kathy explained that they were now in year three of the new venture, with turnover up 58% and profit up 65% on last year, when they just about broke even.
“It’s been a good year for fruit, which helps, but we also know footfall has increased because we’ve processed over 3,000 more transactions so far this year.”
As Archie and his team got back to work, Kathy continued our tour of the glasshouse. Eager to help me take some photos of the beautiful fruit, she showed me rows of delicious strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and tayberries. We then headed into their cold room, where the fruit is chilled and packed in punnets ready for sale.
Before heading back outside, Kathy took me to see one of Archie’s latest ventures, a mushroom lab, tucked away inside part of their << old packhouse. Spotting a good commercial opportunity, he has started growing high-value varieties like Lion’s Mane on recycled coir, a substrate first used for strawberries before being pasteurised and reused for mushrooms.
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“It’s this type of constant innovation and thinking outside the box that’s key to making a direct-to-consumer model work,” she said.
Back outside by the vending machine, business was picking up. Several regulars stopped to chat, some commenting on the shiny new organic milk vending machine, a recent addition to the lineup. With a steady stream of local residents, tourists, cyclists and even horse riders, Berries on Tap has become something of a community hub. Weekends can be especially busy, said Kathy, often requiring at least one staff member just to keep pace with restocking the machines.
Pointing to their pop-up stall between the two shipping containers, she added that they invited local florists, cheesemakers and artisan producers to sell their goods each Saturday. “It’s an affordable space for others and a value-add for our customers. Win-win,” she said.
Looking ahead, Kathy said that Archie was keen to replicate their vending model elsewhere. He now has a standardised container design with electrics and all the internal fittings, and was exploring ways to build and ship them to other farms.
“It’s not a cheap solution,” she admitted. “But can be a game changer for a small farm business like ours.”
She gave me a quick demo of their main vending machine, which retails for around £40,000. It is Italian-made, with a touchscreen interface that uses Dutch software. Once payment is taken, a small door pops open to allow the customer to collect their fresh punnet of fruit; simple and efficient.
Next to it stands a second vending machine containing frozen products, including ice cream, sorbet and frozen berries. This machine plays a vital role in the business’ winter offering, keeping the business active all year around.
As well as having a modern website at www.berriesontap.com, most of the family’s marketing is carried out by Kathy, who manages the Berries on Tap social media channels, posting regular updates on what’s in stock and any offers. With nearly 3,000 engaged followers on Instagram (@BerriesOnTap) and over 5,800 on Facebook, it has become a key part of the business, helping drive footfall and foster community.
In addition to daily product updates, Kathy also shares educational videos, including clips of her husband Nick explaining more about the seasonality and growing conditions of each fruit. Our conversation turned to the broader food system and the dominance of supermarkets. Kathy admitted that supermarkets are good for consumers, helping to keep food prices low, but said the long-term impact on farms had been damaging.
“It’s hard to make this pay. It’s long hours and very little money, and that has been driven by the supermarket pricing structure,” she said. “The balance of power is just so unequal. Once you’re in that system with 400 or 500 tonnes of fruit to sell, you can’t sell that at your farm gate; it would crash the market. You have to supply the supermarket.”
She was not optimistic about political change, either. “I don’t think
any government will take it on, because nobody wants food prices to go up,” she said. Still, she felt a cultural shift was underway, one being led by younger generations.
“There’s a kind of Arts and Crafts movement happening among 25 to 35-year-olds. They really care about where their food comes from,” she said. “How long-lasting that’ll be, I don’t know, but it’s a real opportunity for more farmers and growers to redress the balance of power.” She also pointed to the growing number of young people buying their fruit and milk direct and stories of local children trading Berries On Tap fruit instead of sweets in the school playground.
As I headed home, I reflected on what I’d seen and heard. The Evans family has successfully rebuilt their business from the ground up and is no longer at the mercy of the supermarkets. Berries on Tap might be small in acreage, around 10 acres in total, but it punches well above its weight in terms of creativity, sustainability and community connection. With simple, scalable solutions like vending machines gaining traction, it feels like only a matter of time before more growers follow their lead.
Last year, most farms weren't cutting wheat until August. This season, however, it's likely that most wheat will be harvested before the end of July. This earlier harvest gives farmers a valuable opportunity to establish oilseed rape (OSR) under optimal conditions and get crops off to a successful start.
While challenges such as cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB) and disease pressure have made OSR more demanding to grow, these issues are far from insurmountable. With wide rotations, thoughtful variety selection and a strong focus on uniform establishment, oilseed rape can still be a profitable break crop.
Rotation is a cornerstone of OSR success. Ideally, the crop should only be grown once every six years. Tighter rotations increase the risk of soil-borne diseases such as clubroot and verticillium wilt, as well as greater CSFB pressure. Where closer rotations are unavoidable, or where OSR follows brassicabased cover crops, growers should opt for varieties with resistance to verticillium and, if necessary, clubroot.
Key traits to consider when selecting a variety include:
• Autumn and spring vigour
• Resistance to phoma and light leaf spot
• Disease resistances (verticillium, clubroot if applicable).
Many growers sow early at high seed rates to reduce CSFB risk, but this often backfires, encouraging pests like cabbage stem weevil and CSFB larvae and increasing verticillium risk. Conversely, sowing too late can result in poor establishment and slow growth, leaving crops vulnerable to pigeons.
The optimum sowing date should be determined by field conditions. On lighter or poorer soils, or where pigeons and pheasants are a concern, earlier sowing is advised. On more fertile land, sowing up to mid-September can avoid the main CSFB migration and maintain high yields.
Whatever the date, moisture is critical for uniform establishment.
Seed rates should generally be kept low unless poor seedbed conditions are expected. The target should be a spring plant population of 25 to 35 plants/m². Trends in recent years show that lower plant populations often lead to higher yields, likely due to improved light interception and less intra-crop competition.
Early nutrition plays a key role in successful establishment. Applying nitrogen and phosphate in the seedbed, preferably through organic manures, helps deter slugs and CSFB. If using ammonium nitrate or diammonium phosphate, apply it before or at drilling to ensure nutrients are immediately available.
Chichester Crop Consultancy is a farmer member run co-operative agronomy service that aims to deliver truly independent, research/ science-led agronomy advice with no commercial bias and now covers the South of England.
CCC works closely with Crop Advisors, which supplies independent group purchasing on crop inputs as well as sourcing cover crop/environmental scheme seed mixes.
Although recent dry conditions have kept slug pressure low, a shift to wetter weather could quickly change that. Stay alert and monitor slug activity closely.
Companion crops may offer some CSFB deterrent effects, although evidence remains largely anecdotal. However, within sustainable farming incentive (SFI) schemes, companion crops can boost gross margins and deliver environmental benefits.
Stubble management post-harvest is another valuable tool. Cultivating OSR stubbles soon after harvest can kill up to 90% of CSFB pupae, reducing migration into newly sown crops.
While oilseed rape production comes with its challenges, success is achievable through a fully integrated approach and it can remain a profitable break crop for many years to come.
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IF YOUR VEHICLE TOUCHES A POWER LINE:
• IF SAFE, STAY IN THE CAB
• CALL 105
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Hutchinsons agronomist James Short answers some of the key questions about Terramap and how it offers an improved insight and understanding of soil performance, allowing for targeted management and putting resources where needed.
TerraMap is Hutchinsons’ revolutionary, high-definition soil mapping service which provides unprecedented insight into soil health and performance.
Using cutting-edge passive gamma-ray detection, emitted by a scanner carried on an all-terrain vehicle, TerraMap measures naturally occurring isotopes to create highly detailed soil maps.
Unlike traditional soil sampling alone, TerraMap combines these advanced scans with reference soil samples to produce high-resolution maps of both nutrient and physical soil properties. With up to 48 soil characteristics mapped at 800 data points per hectare, TerraMap helps a farmer truly understand the soil – and its potential.
TerraMap offers a flexible scanning window unmatched by other systems. While many opt to scan after harvest, when fields are easiest to access, TerraMap can be used at almost any time of year, making it highly convenient for farm planning.
If ground conditions allow, scanning is unaffected by soil moisture, stone content, compaction, crop cover or cultivation state. If the vehicle carrying the scanner can access the field, it can be mapped. Hutchinsons has 24 scanners based around the country and around 80 hectares per day can be mapped.
No. A member of the digital services team is able to deliver the results and go through them. The data created by Terramap is compatible with other software programmes.
TerraMap delivers more accurate and detailed soil maps than any other system. This greater definition provides a clearer picture of soil variability across your fields, enabling:
• Smarter, more precise input planning through variable rate applications
• Improved understanding of field performance
• Identification of problem areas for targeted action
• Reliable carbon baseline measurements.
JAMES SHORT
Depending on the businesses needs, TerraMap offers six service levels with up to 48 layers of soil data including carbon, designed to suit different budgets and requirements:
1. Standard – Maps Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K) and Magnesium (Mg), pH, soil texture and elevation, and meets the requirements for Farming Rules for Water
2. Standard & OM – as above plus organic matter (OM)
3. Premium – everything in Standard & OM plus cation exchange capacity, elevation, plant available water index and eight additional nutrients.
4. Standard Carbon – standard service + OM + organic carbon (percentage and tonnes per hectare)
5. Premium Carbon Plus –everything in Premium plus organic carbon and active carbon (both as a percentage and tonnes per hectare)
6. Gold – The most detailed option, covering all soil, nutrient, physical and carbon properties. This service measures soil’s ‘plant available’ and ‘non-readily available’ nutrients, allowing greater understanding of soil dynamics.
As I write this, we’ve yet to start the combine, but I’m not optimistic. The crops look short and thin, thanks to a series of spring and summer heat waves and a general shortage of rain. My basic payments have been cut to shreds this year, and my arable acres are not entered into a sustainable farming incentive scheme. New crop wheat off the combine is disastrous at £155 per tonne. Reasons to be cheerful about being an arable farmer at the moment? None.
Things would have been worse without two vital rains in May and June, but this is just another reminder of how vulnerable arable farming is becoming because of climate change. The Met Office now says the UK is warming by 0.25°C per decade. This is why we now hardly ever get frost, hardly ever get a summer without a series of heat waves, and why, when it does start to rain in the autumn, it hardly knows when to stop.
I am not the only arable farmer currently feeling the pressure from a combination of unfavourable weather and economics. Farm business consultant Andersons’ 600-hectare virtual ‘Regen Farm’ is also experiencing hard times.
Like my farm, it has one full-time worker and a bit of help at harvest. Like my farm, Regen Farm is on grade three soil and doing its best to keep cultivations to a minimum to improve soil structure and moisture retention. And, yes, like my farm, it will likely experience a negative margin (£95 p/ha) from its farming activities this year unless there is a sudden improvement in arable commodity prices.
Speaking at Groundswell, Sebastian Graff-Baker, a partner at Andersons, said that arable farming prospects were the “most negative since the early 2000s”.
So, what to do? Apart from sell up (Andersons predict a lot of farmers will do just that in the next five years), one of the few short-term economies available to arable farmers is to postpone machinery purchases. And that, it seems, is exactly what many growers are doing. New tractor registrations hit a 26-year low in 2024, with only 10,241 units sold for the whole of the UK. This alarming trend has continued apace in the first half of 2025, with sales of tractors over 240hp – which are mostly sold to arable farmers – down a whopping 33%.
So, yes, there is, after all, a reason to be cheerful about being an arable farmer at the moment. At least, I’m not a tractor salesman.
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With the exceptionally warm weather at the end of June and into July, the beef trade matched the temperature, with prime cattle continuing to sell at record levels for the time of year and at prices some 30% to 35% higher than 12 months before, equating on average weight beasts to over £1,000 a head. This is a remarkable trade; numbers were easily absorbed and many more could be sold to advantage.
Despite dead weight prices dropping, the live trade remained consistent throughout the period.
One big problem for cattle finishers was the shortage of store cattle and the exceptionally high prices being made for those available, and the issue that may arise if the trade does not continue at the current levels. Best cattle were regularly seen at over 400p/kg and up to 427.5p/kg.
Over 30-month cattle, cull cows and bulls also remained at high levels, with a strong demand for processing meat as has been reported for many months. Numbers again are totally inadequate.
As stated previously, the store cattle trade has been at exceptionally high levels, indeed at levels not seen before.
The benefit of cheaper feed corn, that is barley and wheat, is helping to maintain profits for cattle finishers and, as has been stated many times at the market, producers are asking why they should sell grain at a loss when they can turn it into money in the live beast.
In the sheep section, new season lambs were at similar levels to the previous year, while there was a complete change around in the demand for heavy lambs, which suddenly became the flavour of the
month, having been very difficult to sell during the spring, when heavy old season lambs were flooding the market.
The cull ewe trade is at good levels, regularly up to £200 a head and above for exceptional ewes, but with even lean grazing ewes meeting a strong demand.
Store lambs are just coming through on the market. With the best trading around £100 a head, it will be interesting to see how that trade develops, with the drought conditions meaning stubble turnips are going to be difficult to set and indeed grow, and no grass available in the eastern area to graze sheep. The quite exceptional weather conditions, probably the driest since 1976, are proving that farmers have to meet all obstacles when trying to make a living. The weather breaking in the middle of July has given hope for growing conditions for stubble crops and oil seed rape.
The pig trade continues at the previous months’ levels. with supply equating to demand. As with the feeding of cattle, the cheaper inputs for feed are a big benefit to pig producers.
By early July, the majority of winter barleys in the eastern area had been cut, as had vast areas of the winter wheat. Yields have been mixed, with crops growing on heavy land benefiting from that soil structure and light land crops difficult, with low yields reported. One of the better crops grown this year, as far as farmers were concerned, was winter oil seed rape where it was possible to establish it, with exceptional yields reported.
Another issue reported regularly was a large carry over of corn in store from the 2024 harvest, negatively impacting sale values.
Just when things have quietened down for a few weeks, and some of us have enjoyed a bit of holiday on the green side of the country, it is time to start the new farming and marketing year.
Our first seasonal sale of store lambs will now have been completed, with many lambs travelling freely to the west country as England sensibly sits together in a united bluetongue zone allowing freedom of movement.
The Welsh and Scottish ministries have a different view, which will put stresses on their commercial farmers, particularly along the borders. With the South East properly dry, store lamb producers will be grateful to have the release valve open to trade freely and will welcome buyers from the west to whom we were unable to sell in 2024.
Our quieter midsummer period gave us a chance to reflect on the first half of 2025, and to take a good look at prospects for the rest of the year.
While the trade for all areas of the cattle industry has been superb, a declining national herd over the past decade continues to cause issues, with the beef herd down a further 4.3%. Dairy cow numbers are holding steady, but the complexion of that herd continues to change, with so many more herds now following a New Zealand style in terms of management and breeding.
Their calves are less well suited to beef production, with a higher proportion slaughtered as calves, and if reared will produce a carcase some 100kg lighter. This puts fewer cattle through farms, markets, lorries, abattoirs and processors. Lower supply means higher prices and a danger that beef becomes too dear for some customers.
Supermarkets appear not to be worried about this prospect as they concentrate on mince, accompanied by seasonal festival ventures into heavily discounted joints to act
as a magnet to consumers to get the shopper through their sliding doors.
Retail butchers in high streets and farm shops, not forgetting their significant involvement in the proportion going to pubs and restaurants, must be recognised, congratulated and supported for adding value to the raw product by their skilful butchery. Let us drive prices up, not pull them back.
We are pleased with throughputs at Ashford and thank all our customers for their support. A bluetongue factor particularly helped store cattle numbers, which were 18% higher than in 2024, while finished and cull cattle were almost identical.
Finished sheep were up by 23%, helped by bluetongue and trade conditions, while ewes were a handful ahead despite falling national flock numbers.
Sheep prices never escalated to the rates many had hoped for, but 2024 was a flash in the pan and rates since have been satisfactory in the 300p/kg to 350p/kg average range, with the best bred and fed finding significant additional premium. A better lambing this year might help numbers a little, but the national flock continues to decline and issues around environmental scheme conditions are making it harder for bigger flockmasters to find extra acres in winter periods.
The balance in price between the store lamb in the autumn and the finished lamb in the spring is always a touchy subject amongst farmers, but both need each other and both have their fair share of production problems and risks.
The product is in a good place, with Europe producing so much less than in the past while having a far stronger domestic demand for prime and processing sheep meat. Australia and New Zealand are further away than ever and simply have bigger, closer markets in the far East and China.
For all of us in farming, and its accompanying interests, the ‘elephant in the room’ is how quickly power is being taken away from those of us actually in the field.
Working Britain was always regarded as strongly commercial, a ‘nation of shopkeepers’, where decisions taken impacted directly on the decision maker, for better or for worse, taking into account all the factors that impact on individual businesses.
Farming is the most diverse business in the country, affected by weather and climate, soil and topography, breeds and buildings – all factors that the farmer in the field knows best about on his/her patch. Of course government will have its role, and always has, in setting the main parameters, but ministers know nothing of the hard reality of day-to-day farming, and their apparent support for ‘big business’, with standard models and formulae, seriously threatens a proven method of individual, often family, farm businesses feeding the country, built generation upon generation right back to the times of medieval enclosure.
Taking the right decision at the right time is brought about by the conditions in your head and your business, and the last thing you want is someone telling you what you can or cannot do to suit their circumstances and not yours.
None of us gets it right all the time. The good ones get it right more often; the poor ones must learn from their mistakes, and quickly. The marketplace is a collection of those conditions and those decisions, each day, up and down the country, spread over a range of businesses.
It works and it must continue to work to support all those businesses that, in effect, rely on one another for their success and future.
In all my 70-plus years I cannot recall a spring and early summer quite like the one that we are currently experiencing.
The closest recollection I have is the summer of ’76, when even wild swimming in mountain lakes in North Wales was quite pleasant rather than the usual bone-chilling experience; I have vivid memories of being delayed for 24 hours at Heathrow waiting to fly back out to a university research farm in Saudi Arabia when the front pages of most newspapers were covered with headlines bemoaning a temperature of close to 90°F (as it was then, 32°C now) on the centre court at Wimbledon. It was almost a relief to get back to the dry, 50°C of the desert rather than the humid, 30°C of the UK.
The Azores High has, since March, persistently and successfully blocked the majority of rain-bearing systems from reaching the south and east of the UK.
Our average rainfall from March to June (inclusive) is about 160mm; this season we have struggled to reach 40mm, and even that in smallish doses that were simply sucked up by the scorching sun almost as soon as they fell. A decent drop of rain, 30mm, over 6-7 July was most welcome (it wouldn’t quite be the Kent County Show without a drop of rain), but the heat wave that followed limited its benefits somewhat; it’s a sign of how bad things have become when people were getting excited about one 36-hour rainy spell that only produced some 75% of the total rainfall over the previous four months. Being all permanent pasture, largely on rather poor shallow soils, we were almost devoid of grass by the end of May except for the rams and ewe tegs who, being on a bit of better ground with rather more grass in front of them, have done well, the ewe tegs in particular. We have been feeding hay to much of the flock since mid-June. Weaning early took a bit of pressure off the ewes and the introduction of a bit of creep feed has kept the lambs moving forwards; it would have been nice to have had a bit more
condition on the lambs for the Kent County Show, but I have never been one to stuff show animals. My view has always been that, although being pedigree, they should reflect good commercial practice. That said, we still managed to do reasonably well, coming home with a good assortment of rosettes. In spite of the challenges the flock have faced this season, I have constantly been surprised by how well the sheep have performed. I thought the ewes looked particularly well at shearing and they looked just as good at weaning, apart from a few plainer sorts, those generally for a reason. I am convinced that when they have been challenged, sheep switch up a gear in terms of efficiency. Logically, from what they have faced this season, the flock should not look as good as it does. It’s not that they haven’t done their lambs justice; the lambs were strong, well grown and looked very much the part at weaning. The ewes went, I am sure, into survival mode and dug deep this year, performing surprisingly well off rather poor pickings, but they (whoever they are) always say “better a roast lamb than a boiled one”,
As I am sitting writing this in a 31°C office, all fans blazing and trying to remember why I decided to work outside in waterproofs voluntarily (a question I also ask myself in the depths of winter), many of our clients will be out in tractors harvesting, our block calving dairies drying the cows off and gearing up for calving. As a practice we are working our way through the annual herd and flock health plans, pregnancy scanning and health scheme bloods, as well as the emergency visits, trying to catch up after a busy spring.
The summer months don’t bring total peace and quiet, though. With the ever-extreme weather comes new challenges and change in seasonality of disease. We've performed an unfortunate number of post-mortems examinations recently, with varying causes of death.
The expected cases of haemonchus have been seen. This is a topical subject discussed by fellow vet Nanja in July’s South East Farmer article and at our recent talk held at the practice in Laughton. Other diagnoses have included chronic liver fluke in sheep that had grazed wet ground over the winter and been moved to dry ground for spring with no testing or treatment for fluke, and a case of pneumonia in bull beef which had an initial viral cause and a secondary bacterial component.
On a brighter note, I was lucky enough recently to attend a local event organised by relief and contract milking staff supplier LKL and speak to people from varying farming backgrounds.
My talk centred on integrating supply chains between dairy farms and calf rearing units. Discussion focused on the major risk factors for calf rearing units and how they aren’t in control of so many important factors such as colostrum intake and therefore early immunity.
Getting dairy farms to value the beef calves and vaccinate the calves on the dairy before the stress of travel, whether this is done by the calf rearer, a vet, or as a cost to be passed on by the dairy, can give rise to a healthier and more valuable calf. It was great to see how the two different farms and systems working together can make for a much smoother and more efficient supply chain.
the hot, dry environment taking them back to their roots in prehistory in the Near and Middle East.
I really dislike appearing anthropomorphic, but one clear example of a sheep digging deep and coming up with the goods when required has been demonstrated by one of our ewes who was quite badly injured in the dog attack, way back in February. At the time it was touch and go as to whether she should be shot, but the vet thought that she would make a recovery, so we persevered, although with one badly injured leg; sadly she has never fully regained the use of that leg but has coped well on the other three for almost five months, producing a lovely pair of lambs, which she did well, and which were indistinguishable from the rest of the cohort at weaning. She also managed her condition reasonably well, that is up until weaning; once her lambs were weaned, she just began to melt quite dramatically, to the point where, within a matter of two weeks, I felt obliged
to do the fair thing by her and called in the knackers to shoot her and take her away. I was certainly not going to put her through the travails of the market, even though Trading Standards had said that, as there was a good reason for her not being weight bearing on all four feet, it would be OK to take her in. That ewe knew that she had achieved what she needed to do in rearing her lambs and, once done, simply gave up.
Hopefully this will be the final chapter in February’s dog worrying incident, although I do wonder if some of the ewes that had stillborn lambs this season as a result of the attack will produce next year. They probably need separating from the rest of the flock to slim them off a bit if they are going to breed successfully. They would make lovely culls but it’s not really fair to cull them through no fault of their own, so they will all get another chance. Lamb prices have been rather disappointing recently, due, I suspect, in part to some poorer finished lambs, with a clear
two-tier system evolving between those lambs that have been fed and those that have been grass finished, with the former making significantly better prices. As producers see grass supplies dwindling and are keen to sell anything that is close to being finished in order to both take some of the pressure off diminishing grass stocks and move lambs on before they begin to go back, some poorer finished lambs are finding their way into the market. Hopefully some decent rains in the West Country will help to lift demand and prices for store lambs.
Sadly, we have now entered a period when high pressure is more likely to continue to dominate. This is not a bad thing for arable producers and harvest, although the dry weather will undoubtedly have an impact on both yields and quality, but the chances of getting some summer grass look increasingly slim; all we can hope for now is a decent autumn flush of grass to see ewes, hopefully, into a successful and productive tupping.
Jack Balkham, Clinical Director and Senior Veterinary Surgeon at Westpoint Farm Vets Ashford looks at the economic and performance benefits of genomic testing.
Genomic testing has become an essential tool for progressive dairy farmers seeking to improve the profitability, efficiency and sustainability of their Holstein herds. While we still await the technology that allow for the implementation of genomic testing in crossbred herds, we are assured that this is not too far away.
For herds in the South East, where land, labour and feed costs are high, strategic genetic management and improvements to a herd can directly enhance economic returns. By incorporating genomic testing into routine herd management, dairy producers can make smarter breeding decisions that lead to healthier cows, better yields and a stronger bottom line.
Genomic testing involves testing an animal's DNA, typically from a tissue sample, to predict its genetic potential with a high degree of accuracy. Unlike traditional progeny testing, which requires years of performance data from offspring, genomic evaluations can predict performance as soon as a calf is born. The test evaluates thousands of genetic markers across the animal’s genome and compares them to reference populations, providing estimated breeding values (EBVs) for a wide range of traits.
• Milk yield (Kg of milk, fat and protein)
• Fertility index (conception rates, non-return rates)
• Somatic cell count (health indicator linked to mastitis resistance)
• Lifespan (longevity of productive life)
• Daughter calving ease
• Lameness advantage (mobility and hoof health indicators)
These EBVs allow farmers to select animals with superior genetic potential for productivity, health and efficiency. Historically there has been a focus on yield and milk constituents, but moving forwards there will be much greater gains to be achieved through improvements in longevity and health parameters (including resistance to bovine tuberculosis).
Genomic testing typically costs £30 to £45 per animal, but the return on investment is significant. By identifying the top 10% to 20% of heifer calves early, farmers can prioritise rearing only the best replacements, avoiding the costs of raising lower-performing animals.
With rearing costs estimated at between £2,400 and £3,000, the savings here alone can be huge. On top of this, by building up an in-depth knowledge of both the genotypic profile and phenotypic profile (herd performance numbers), farmers are better able to make herd management decisions, be that around breeding, selection or culling to improve the herd’s genetic standings and economic performance. Through more intense selection of the best animals, and reduction in the average generation interval, the rate of genetic improvement can be improved.
Once genomic test results are in, farmers can:
1. Select replacement heifers: Retain the top genomically tested heifers based on indexes like the UK £PLI (profitable lifetime index) or specific herd goals.
2. Breeding decisions: Reduce level of inbreeding, correct specific weaknesses in the herd and match cows with sires that complement their genetic profile. Many farms use software such as Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board herd genetic reports or thirdparty breeding services for this purpose.
3. Strategic use of sexed and beef semen: Breed the best heifers to sexed dairy semen to create high-value replacements, while lower genetic merit cows can be bred to beef sires to maximise calf value without compromising the dairy herd’s future.
For Holstein herds in South East England, genomic testing is not just a tool for genetic improvement, but a strategic business decision. By incorporating genomic testing into breeding plans, farmers can enhance herd health, improve milk production efficiency and secure long-term profitability in an increasingly competitive market.
Harvest 2025 started approximately two weeks earlier than we would normally have started, but is now full steam ahead. Combine wheels are turning, baling, carting and stacking are now resembling the norm and the dreaded packed lunchmaking is under way.
Flaming June was a blessing in disguise, although many people were praying for rain. I think we would take a dry year any time rather than the sodden mess that we appeared to have a couple of years ago.
June’s hot and sunny weather produced a bumper strawberry crop and accelerated the corn. While the quality/quantity of straw is variable the corn volume appears to be good. With the price of fertiliser on the increase, many dairy/arable farm collaborations are emerging. Many straw-for-muck deals are being completed around the country.
Farmers working together for a mutual benefit is something that should become common place in society.
The price of milk has remained stable for a few months, although farmers continue to exit the farming industry at an alarming rate. Between April 2024 and April 2025, 540 dairy farmers in the UK sold all their cows. This now leaves fewer than 10,000 dairy farmers in the UK.
The water companies have started putting hose pipe bans in place. Maybe if they concentrated on fixing the leakages in the system and restoring the water storage systems in place, this could be avoided. Reservoir levels are allegedly at the lowest in a decade.
I am sure the amount of ragwort that is growing in fields, hedgerows, roadsides and environmental schemes won’t have escaped
people’s notice. Ragwort is a notifiable plant that should be reported. A great friend told me the other day that she tried to report a field adjacent to her and was advised to report it on the DEFRA website. This directed her to Natural England and upon filling out a form she learned that they have been inundated with reports and are no longer accepting any more. In my younger days many hours were spent pulling ragwort - and they still are. Maybe it’s time for community service offenders to learn a new skill.
We finally managed a few days away at the beginning of July before the swing of harvest commenced. A lovely time in the South of France at my sister’s house, canoeing, swimming and the like. The boys stayed at home to hold the fort as it was the first time away since pre-Covid. Now back to the grindstone. Until next time, stay safe.
Hattingley Valley is exceptional. For over a decade this family owned vineyard and winery located near the Georgian Town of Alresford has produced wines with a singular focus on quality. In celebration of English Wine week, Hattingley Valley invited Rebecca Farmer, editor of our sister publication, Vineyard Magazine and other members of the wine press to an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the vineyard and winery.
Most vineyards in the UK are in a rural location, including Hattingley Valley. With collection at the local train station by Hattingley partner company global chaffeur service Blacklane, it was possible to travel effortlessly to the vineyard without once thinking about having to drive. Hattingley and Blacklane have teamed up to offer bespoke transport solutions for all those wishing to experience the detailed tour and tasting experience, with door-to-door service available through the Hattingley Valley website.
Opening the proceedings, Simon Robinson, the owner of Hattingley Valley, explained how vines first came to be planted at the Hampshire site. Simon candidly explained some of the reasons behind the choice of vines and wines as a diversification enterprise for the mixed farming enterprise that comprises more than 1,000 acres. “It is a new and growing area within the agricultural sector and for a farmer it was different to a normal diversification project. Wine is also a product that keeps, which is an attractive proposition within the agricultural sector, and finally there are various routes
to market for wine, including export.” According to Simon, it was a conversation with Oz Clarke that really put vines in focus at Hattingley Valley.
There is a strong focus on sparkling wines at Hattingley Valley. “We want to maintain focus on what we are good at,” said Simon. Speaking about the price of English sparkling wines, Simon highlighted that yields are much lower in the UK than other parts of the world, with three tonnes an acre a respectable yield in England compared with figures of 6.7 tonnes in Provence and possibly more than 13 tonnes in Australia, but he was quick to point out that “English sparkling wines made in the traditional method are very good value for money with a very high quality premium product”.
Vines were planted at Hattingley Valley in 2008 and there are 7.2 hectares at the site, but Hattingley is also supplied with fruit from contract growers across Suffolk, Essex, Kent, Oxfordshire and, of course, Hampshire. By forging close relationships with growers in different regions using long term contract growing agreements, Hattingley Valley is able to protect against regional variations.
With 10 different vineyards supplying fruit, Hattingley Valley is well placed to build complexity into the award-winning wines. This starts with the 100 stainless steel tanks that allow the juice to be kept separate and allows a huge variety of options
For example, 2022 has been seen as a bumper year for many producers, but some vineyards in Essex and Suffolk suffered drought in 2022 which decreased yields significantly. Some parts of Suffolk had as little as 4mm of rain in August 2022. Hattingley Valley has worked hard to mitigate for such vintage variations and to ensure that quality is always exceptionally high. “The best marketing tool we have is what is in the bottle,” said Simon, with a confidence that was inspiring.
There are four presses at Hattingley able to take 13.7 tonnes of fruit in one load, allowing the winery to process a maximum of 39 tonnes a day at harvest. Since fruit is coming in from multiple locations, and as Hattingley is also the contract winemaker for a small number of like-minded vineyards, this raised questions about the logistics of how it all worked. “With a great deal of diplomacy and a lot of constant communication,” was the pragmatic answer from Rob MacCulloch MW, head winemaker at Hattingley Valley.
With 10 different vineyards supplying fruit, Hattingley Valley is well placed to build complexity into the award-winning wines. This starts with the 100 stainless steel tanks that allow the juice to be kept separate and allows a huge variety of options for the winemaker. Rob, who has made wine in Australia and New Zealand as well as Europe, explained that acidity is the biggest factor in winemaking in England and Wales. “The acidity levels we see are well beyond what would be experienced in places like Australia and New Zealand,” he said.
“For example, the Chardonnay comes into the winery with 16g of titratable acidity, which is double what would be found in Sauvingnon Blanc in New Zealand. After full malolactic conversion we could still finish with 11g and a pH of 2.8.
“We have a philosophy to master the blend,” said Simon. With this philosophy in mind every year, each harvest is examined in detail to find the best way to treat the specific grapes. The use of malolactic conversion is a perfect example of this adaptable winemaking.
“In 2023 we had a wet summer which produced soft flavours and soft acids,” said Rob. As a result, only 5% of the wine went through the process of malolactic conversion in order to prevent the fruit flavours being overpowered, but in 2024, 70% of the wine went through the process. Rob was willing to talk about other winemaking choices, such as the use of red wine yeast for the chardonnay grapes, with Burgundian yeast the choice for the Pinot Noir. “Blend theory takes one month at Hattingley Valley,” said Rob with pride. All the wines in the Hattingley Valley portfolio benefit from the same level
In another example of imaginative winemaking the Hattingley portfolio also includes Entice, a dessert wine that involves the grapes being hand harvested and then frozen before pressing
of dedication. “Our hallmark wine is the Hattingley Reserve, but just because it is our most available wine that does not mean it is any less cared for,” Rob explained.
Winemaking in England and Wales is still a new industry, and while the wines produced are consistently winning awards and gaining in prestige, the area in production is small compared to the global industry. Rob pointed out that this can cause issues for wineries in sourcing equipment, because some companies are not set up to supply the smaller market of England and Wales.
There are also positives. Entice is a unique dessert wine with a balanced flavour profile offering notes of honeysuckle and citrus; the suggested pairings include blue cheese and summer pudding. It is an incredibly popular wine and is often sold out; one of those wines that has a dedicated following of admirers. “We support employees who want to go overseas to experience different techniques and harvests,” said Simon. One such trip
working in New Zealand was the initial inspiration for the Entice dessert wine. In the vineyard Rob explained that the vines sit 40cm above the chalk seam for which Hampshire sparkling wines have become famous. There is also a significant flint content in the soil. Not only is the flint a problem in cultivation using machines but these so called 'Hampshire Diamonds' have even caused a stubble fire on the farm. The ever-prepared team at Hattingley has therefore undertaken a smoke tank test just in case lightning does strike twice.
The vineyard sits 190m above sea level with a cool breeze, and has suffered little from frost damage. There has not been any significant predation of grapes from badgers, but in 2023 and 2024 the later Chardonnay grapes suffered some bird damage “probably because the wet weather had affected the natural food sources for the birds and they turned to the grapes; we will wait and see if the birds return to the hedgerows in 2025.”
Hattingley is surrounded by fruitful hedgerows and Rob has a working theory that this may be acting as a reservoir for fungal infection in the vineyard. One of the ways the vineyard measures the disease pressure in the vineyard is by looking at a part of the site that suffered bomb damage. During World War II it was common for bombs to be offloaded over areas that were close to the coast before aircraft returned to base. One of these craters sits in the vineyard and “where the lower lying land is slightly more sheltered it is a good place to monitor disease”, said Simon.
Rob has been at Hattingley three years and said Chardonnay had been “the highlight each year”. There are four clones of Chardonnay at Hattingley Valley. 131 has a citrus flavour profile, with clone 76 lime acid-driven in contrast. The 2025 flowering has been good, but due to poor carry over from the 2024 the inflorescence has not been large. “Next year looks very promising,” said Rob.
Rob explained that the best performing Chardonnay clone on the site in Hampshire is 121, but the clone 95 on 125 rootstock in the free draining sandy/clay soil in Kent outperforms the 95 Clone on SO4 rootstock in Hampshire. In Hampshire the Chardonnay is picked in late October and is the last fruit into the winery. In a rare glimpse into the mind of a winemaker, Rob explained that his first taste of a tank is done blind so that he can really experience what is happening and then he looks to the numbers behind that initial first taste.
The Chardonnay has peak fermentation at 16 degrees and Rob explained that he feels the taille can be a valuable blending element for English wine. Rob is clearly passionate about English wines, describing their texture as “dancing over the tongue”, and clearly emphasises that wines from England require winemakers to work differently and with different varieties.
Pinot Meunier was a new variety for Rob to work with. With a peak ferment of 17 degrees, Rob explained that the Meunier adds an earthy flavour to the blend and that the wine is lees stirred before blending which adds complexity to the wine.
“The UK is globally a big market for wine, so we have a big domestic market,” said Simon. Hattingley is also a brand with a growing international presence. The export market was
one of the original reasons Simon looked to vines and wines as a diversification project. “About 8% of our total crush is exported,” said Chris Ungar, sales and marketing director at Hattingley Valley.
According to figures shared by Yvette Van Der Merwe, President of the OIV, global sparkling wine consumption has increased by 108% since 2002, with consumers willing to pay more for a premium product. Hattingley Valley is perfectly placed to capitalise on these global trends. “Norway is one of our markets and our brand is becoming more recognisable in other overseas markets,” said Chris. “We are the largest UK exporter to Norway, and the USA and Japan will be big export markets,” added Simon. This ever-increasing brand awareness means that opportunities are constantly evolving for Hattingley Valley.
Chris is also part of the board at WineGB and chair of the Wines of Great Britain Export Council. This group consists of eight producers of different sizes. “We are a working group for anyone who shows interest in the export market and we are really conscious of new producers who may want to venture into the export market,” he said with a warm smile. Chris pointed out that while attending the 2025 Prowein event in Germany there was significant awareness of English sparkling wine. “The event was good for active development but there was also incoming interest and enquiries,” he said.
John Oldham, the 17th Century poet, once said: “All your future lies beneath your hat.” Beneath the numerous awards and accolades that the Hattingley Valley wines have received over the years lies a place of passion where there is a confidence that every bottle produced is representative of the hardest work and the utmost effort. From the vineyard and the winery through to the marketing team, there is also a sense that the Hattingley Valley story is an open book. A book which the team at Hattingley Valley wants to share.
Hattingley has actively worked to invite everyone to join in the story of wine by dispelling any sense that wine is a mystery to be understood only by the elite. There is a desire to impress every single person who opens a bottle, be it the Hattingley Reserve, King’s Cuveé or dessert wine Entice. The ethos is quite literally enticing.
Call us today or visit our website: 01227 763939 furleypage.co.uk
With subsidies shifting after Brexit, more landowners and managers are considering long-term agreements under biodiversity net gain (BNG) and carbon trading schemes. These initiatives offer opportunities to generate additional income but also bring complex legal implications that require careful consideration.
Agreements under the Environmental Land Management scheme (ELMS), which includes the sustainable farming incentive (SFI), countryside stewardship (CS) and landscape recovery (LR), often run for 10 to 30 years, which is a significant commitment. These agreements can restrict how land is used, for example by limiting ploughing, applying pesticides or altering woodland cover. While these restrictions may support positive environmental outcomes, they could also reduce flexibility for future land management decisions.
Landowners are usually entitled to generate and sell BNG or carbon credits, but this is not always straightforward. Tenant farmers need to proceed with caution. Some tenancy agreements do not permit environmental schemes without the landlord’s consent. Entering into a scheme without checking these details could create serious legal and financial complications. Establishing who holds the rights at the outset is essential.
Signing up to a long-term scheme can also affect the value and marketability of land. Land tied into environmental obligations may appeal to some buyers but deter others, particularly if agreements limit future development or require ongoing monitoring. In some cases, these factors could reduce the sale price of the land.
These agreements require regular inspections, reporting and verification by independent third parties. If targets are
Tim Logan, Senior Partner,
at
looks at what you need to know.
not achieved, whether because of weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances, there may be a risk of financial clawbacks or penalties. Disputes can also arise over valuations or environmental performance, so it is important that contracts include clear mechanisms for resolving disagreements efficiently.
Environmental law and government policy are evolving quickly. Over the life of a 30-year agreement, legislative or policy changes could make a contract more difficult to fulfil or reduce the expected benefits. A well-drafted agreement should anticipate
these possibilities and build in flexibility to adapt to future changes.
Specialist legal advice is essential before signing. A robust agreement can confirm who has the right to trade credits, allow for future policy changes and ensure disputes are resolved through expert determination or arbitration rather than the courts.
BNG and carbon trading schemes can provide long-term rewards, but they are not without risk. Taking professional advice at the outset is the best way to safeguard your interests and the future of your land.
Rural living offers space, tranquillity, and a connection to nature – but it also comes with unique legal challenges. Sara Smith, a partner at Brachers specialising in rural and agricultural property, shares five common problems homeowners face, and how to avoid them.
In the countryside, boundaries are often marked by hedgerows, ditches or fences that may not match the legal title. This can lead to disputes, especially when new fencing, extensions or access tracks are introduced.
Tip: It’s important to review the title plan carefully and, where needed, seek a professional boundary survey. If a dispute arises, early legal advice can prevent escalation and costly litigation.
Public footpaths and bridleways often cross rural land, and historic rights of way can be recorded after being used for 20 years. Blocking or altering these paths without consent can lead to enforcement action.
Tip: Review your title and local authority records for any registered rights of way. If a path is wrongly recorded, a modification order may be possible, but it’s a long road, so legal support is essential.
Regulations updated in 2023 require domestic septic tanks and small sewage treatment plants to meet updated discharge standards. The rules vary depending on where you release (“discharge”) sewage and when the discharge started. Non-compliant systems may need to be upgraded or replaced or require a permit. Your enjoyment of the property and its future saleability may be affected.
Tip: If you’re unsure whether or not your system complies, arrange an inspection by a private drainage company and ensure documentation is in place to avoid delays or renegotiations later.
Some rural homes, especially former farm cottages or converted barns, are subject to agricultural occupancy conditions, which restrict who can live in the property. They typically require the occupant to be employed in agriculture or forestry. Breaching these conditions can lead to enforcement action or complications when selling. These conditions can affect the marketability and value of the property. You may need a specialist lender and will have to demonstrate that you meet the condition.
Tip: As a specialist in this area, I always check for planning conditions. If the tie is outdated or no longer relevant, I can advise on applying for its removal or modification.
Many rural homes rely on private water supplies; wells, boreholes or shared springs. These systems are subject to quality regulations and maintenance obligations, especially if shared with neighbours.
Tip: Ensure there’s a clear legal agreement covering access, maintenance and cost-sharing. If you’re buying, ask for recent water quality test results and confirm compliance with current standards.
Rural homes offer a unique lifestyle, but they come with challenges. As a conveyancer with experience in agricultural and countryside property, I can help clients navigate these challenges with confidence. If you’re looking to avoid a legal headache, feel free to get in touch for tailored advice.
Butser House and Rookery Farm in the village of Ramsdean, near Petersfield, has come to the market through Savills.
The property includes an unlisted four-bedroom house, a purpose-built annexe for multi-generational living, commercial yard and farm buildings with potential, and about 145 acres.
The house and farm enjoy dramatic scenery, with views towards Butser Hill and the South Downs National Landscape. The family house, with two-bedroom annexe, is privately positioned, set back from a single lane which connects the villages of Ramsdean and Stroud.
The range of modern and traditional farm buildings is away from the house, with separate road access. Some have been converted for commercial use and currently generate significant income, with scope for further development, subject to planning permission.
The farmland is a ringfenced block of permanent pasture interspersed with pockets of mixed deciduous woodland with an attractive, man-made, freshwater lake at its centre. Split into well-sized fields with stockproof fencing, the land has good road access at multiple points, suitable for modern machinery. The land is classified as grade 3 and gently undulates from east to west, with a valley to the south.
Geoff Jones, of Savills rural agency team, said: “Butser House and Rookery Farm present an outstanding opportunity for an incoming buyer to own an attractive, ringfenced farm with income generation opportunities in a highly sought-after part of Hampshire.”
Butser House and Rookery Farm is available as a whole, for a guide price of £4,000,000, or in two lots.
For more information contact Savills rural agency team in Winchester on 01962 857428
We are pleased to announce the opening of our new Surrey Hills office, a significant step in the growth of our firm.
This new base enhances our regional presence and enables us to better deliver expert services including valuations, land and development consultancy, planning and estate management to new and existing clients.
Contact our team today or visit the office.
Edward Cheevers
MRICS
Partner e.cheevers@batchellermonkhouse.com
Harry Broadbent-Combe
MRICS FAVV
Parnter
h.broadbent-combe@batchellermonkhouse.com
A: Unit 2, Albury Village Hall, Albury, Guildford, GU5 9AD T: 01483 617697
E: surreyhills@batchellermonkhouse.com
An opportunity to purchase a range of agricultural buildings and land in the heart of the Kent Downs National Landscape with significant potential for conversion into residential or commercial subject to the necessary planning consents.
Approximately 10.39 acres Guide Price OIEO £495,000
A well roaded parcel of level, Grade III arable land situated in the heart of the Kent Downs between the villages of Charing and Throwley. Five large field enclosures suitable for modern arable farming and very little wastage. FOR SALE BY
Approximately 256.58 acres Guide Price OIRO £2,500,000
A single block of Grade III pasture and woodland divided into a variety of enclosures. Previously used by the landlord’s sheep business. Significant range of buildings and good sized yard.
Approximately 104.46 acres TENDER DETAILS AVAILABLE
A ring fenced parcel of predominantly Grade III pastureland with about half the area interspersed with woodland, streams and ponds offering BNG opportunities, road frontage, access and a building. Available as a whole or in 2 lots.
Approximately 198 acres Guide Price OIEO £1,100,000
A complete organic farm in a unique location adjacent to Steyning with farmhouse, cottage, agricultural buildings, battery storage, land and generous river frontage is on the market with Batcheller Monkhouse. It consists of approximately 249.31 acres.
The farm includes a five-bedroom farmhouse (Barn Croft), a one-bedroom cottage (Stable Cottage), mainly pasture farmland and incredible access to the River Adur.
Built in the 1980s, Barn Croft is a detached five-bedroom house with mature gardens, greenhouse, shed, enclosed pool and pond. This would benefit from some modernisation or full refurbishment if required.
Stable Cottage provides extra accommodation with the benefit of open plan living/dining/kitchen area, bathroom and stairs to a bedroom space. This currently provides a rental income.
Near the farmhouse there is a former kennel building and beyond this a range of outbuildings.
These include a circa 1960s Ascot cattle yard
and straw shed, circa 1970s steel-framed cattle yard and steel-framed small workshop with adjoining cattle yard, a timber-framed building used as a machinery shed and a couple of older buildings. In total approximately 20,000 sq ft (not measured or surveyed) and these may be suitable for development (subject to planning permission).
To the north of the farmyard and buildings there is a battery storage building generating an annual income. The farm is
also next to a large electrical sub-station which might bring more solar or battery storage options in the future.
The farm has been organic for about 20 years and is mostly grass land with some arable, with stewardship including organic entry level stewardship and higher level stewardship. It also has the benefit of significant biodiversity net gain credit potential. The farm has just over two miles of access to the River Adur.
A commercial and lifestyle opportunity in a woodland setting within the Kent Downs National Landscape has come to the market through Savills.
Colinette Farm is a spacious family home with a substantial range of outbuildings and grounds of about 55 acres.
The outbuildings include a range of buildings, stables and former boarding kennels, along with a variety of storage units. All of the outbuildings benefit from certificates of lawfulness, issued by Sevenoaks District Council, confirming that commercial operations have previously been run from the site and can do so in the future.
The property offers potential for further business development, with full planning permission already granted for five safari-style glamping tents. There is also excellent equestrian opportunity, with
stabling and a former indoor and outdoor sand school, which is in need of refurbishment.
Colinette Farm is in an idyllic and secluded location, with ancient woodland known as The Great Wood at the heart of the property, where the main house and outbuildings are positioned. The surrounding fields rise gently to offer panoramic views over the North Downs. Despite its secluded position, the farm is well located for local amenities and travel connections.
David Johnston, of Savills Sevenoaks, said: “The sale of Colinette Farm offers an exciting opportunity, particularly for an incoming buyer seeking a lifestyle business with a wealth of potential in a beautiful setting.” Colinette Farm is being marketed by Savills for a guide price of £3.25m.
Approx. 6,000 sq ft - office & light industrial
The Law Commission recently held a consultation on business tenants’ statutory right to renew their lease at the end of a fixed term. This right to renew is a common challenge encountered by our Estate Management team when advising on commercial lettings, which have become a widespread and successful form of diversification for many clients. SOLD CHARING, KENT
■ To briefly explain; the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 (LTA 1954), which governs the occupation of property by a business, automatically provides business tenants with a statutory right to renew their lease at the end of the contractual term.
This right to renew can be excluded by an agreement between the parties prior to the grant of a lease, colloquially known as a ‘contracted out lease’, but a strict notice procedure must be followed. If a lease is not contracted out, the landlord can only recover possession on limited grounds, such as; following a tenant breach of the lease terms, the landlord requiring the property for his or her own business, or if the landlord has a settled intention to redevelop.
The protection that is afforded to tenant’s by the LTA 1954 has far reaching consequences for landlords. It applies equally whether it be a formal lease of an established commercial premises, or an informal unwritten arrangement for occupation of part of a farmyard. On-farm commercial lettings will often evolve from a handshake arrangement, but a simple lease or licence agreement can protect the landlord from inadvertently providing tenants with security of tenure.
The Law Commission’s interim statement outlining its response to the aforementioned consultation states:
• that the existing contracting out model is still the most appropriate, although modifications to the process may be considered in a further consultation;
• that the list of types of tenure that are excluded from the scope of the LTA 1954 Act, such as agricultural tenancies, would not change and would not be expanded;
• a proposal to see the current exclusion of agreements with a term of 6 months be increased to 2 years, with this to form part of a further consultation.
While there was hope that the consultation would lead to a change requiring parties to ‘opt in’ for lease renewal protection, this now appears unlikely. However, it is reassuring to note that short-term arrangements are expected to remain outside the scope. If you would like assistance or wish to review your portfolio of let commercial property to better understand your position, please contact a member of the Lambert & Foster Estate Management Team.
We’re thrilled to have played a key role in the exciting return of curling to Kent! What began as a bold and unique diversification by one of our farming clients in 2004 led to the creation of Fenton’s Rink – England’s only dedicated curling rink at the time. For nearly 20 years, it served the local curling community until the pandemic sadly forced its closure, leaving both the building empty and curlers travelling as far as Belgium to play.
After a period of use for classic car storage, Lambert & Foster were instructed once again to re-market the site – this time anticipating interest for storage or light industrial use. What we didn’t expect was a passionate consortium of curling enthusiasts coming forward with a vision to bring the sport back to its Kentish roots. Their proposal? To revive the rink under a brand-new banner: Tunbridge Wells Curling Club. After swift and positive negotiations, a deal was struck and the ice is once again alive with the sound of stones sliding and brooms sweeping!
We’re proud to have helped breathe new life into this unique facility and support the return of a much-loved sport to the region.
Here’s to a bright future for Tunbridge Wells Curling Club – good luck and happy curling!
While selling to an aggregator at a premium can be an effective way to raise a considerable sum as a one-off payment, landowners should take professional advice to make sure they are getting the best deal while protecting their own interests.
Aggregators are infrastructure investment companies that set out to build a portfolio of mobile phone mast leases, paying the landowner a one-off sum for a leasehold – or occasionally the freehold – of the site. Once they control the site, they can offer the mast to other network operators in order to boost their rental income.
They pay the present value of future rent under a typical lease of 30 years and this is often more than the landowners would have received over the length of the existing contract, which can make it a tempting option and provide useful capital for other projects.
There are downsides, though, and it is important to make sure that there are safeguards in place to ensure future operations at the site will not hamper the day-to-day running of the wider farm or estate.
It is also important to remember that the aggregator making the approach may not be the most generous of the several companies out there. Batcheller Monkhouse has the contacts to set up a competitive bidding process to make sure that the landowner receives the best possible price.
• The landowner receives a relatively large upfront payment compared to a low annual Telecoms Code-based rent
• The agreement unlocks the future value of the lease on day one
• The landowner is protected against the possibility of the rent ceasing should the existing operator terminate the lease.
It can be tempting to sell the long-term rights to the income from a telecoms mast to a third party ‘aggregator’, but the advice from Batcheller Monkhouse telecoms expert Rob Hepworth is to proceed with caution.
• There is no clear valuation process (offers range from seven to 20 times the annual rent)
• The landowner may not be able to exercise a redevelopment break when required
• A loss of control over who has access over adjoining land to the site
• The agreement can adversely affect the value of the retained land
• The agreement can adversely affect the landowner’s liability insurance
• In the case of buildings, there is a risk of losing control should the operator want to upgrade the site, which could have an adverse effect on the structure.
Batcheller Monkhouse has a huge amount of experience in dealing with telecoms operators and can help ensure the landowner’s interests are protected while getting the best possible return on the asset. The telecoms team can:
• Approach all aggregators in the market to achieve the best value on the best terms in open competition
• Negotiate Heads of Terms providing as much protection as possible to the landowner
• Liaise with a solicitor to ensure that appropriate terms protect the landowner and that all necessary indemnities and insurances are in place
• Liaise with the landowner’s accountant/ tax planner so that tax implications can be fully considered.
ROB HEPWORTH MRICS Partner
Steel frame buildings.
Sheeting, cladding and oversheeting.
Gutter replacement, repairs and lining.
Steel frame, concrete frame alterations and repairs.
Asbestos removal.
Roof light and sheet changes.
Refurbishments and usage changes.
24
Demolition, groundworks and site clearance.
Roller shutters, sliding and personnel doors.
Condition reports and dilapidation work
before solar panel installation
Mezzanine floors
Insurance and repair work
On
Straining
A mixed box of our 500ml sparkling ciders including four bottles of Biddies 5, Red Love cider and Biddies 8
ACROSS
1 Liveliness, high spirits (9)
5 Large group of flying insects (5)
8 Not placed centrally (9)
9 Erroneous, incorrect, untrue (5)
11 Sea bird (4)
12 Bombardment (7)
14 Thoughtless (13)
16 Twine (6)
18 Bracelet (6)
21 Cut of meat (7)
24 Rotate (4)
26 Machine that converts mechanical energy into electricity (9)
27 -------- coral (8)
27 Ruminant mammal (4) DOWN
1 Awake (5)
2 Become liable for debt (5)
3 Female relative (4)
4 To have noticeable effects on a problem (7)
6 Marine mammal (5)
7 Renovate (7)
10 An animal that is unable to walk (4)
13 Metal used as money (4)
14 A shy and retiring person (9)
15 Band worn to signify marriage (4)
17 Writing fluid (3)
18 Farm machinery (5)
19 Part of the mouth (3)
20 Complete (6)
22 Compass point (5)
23 Provide food to a group of people (5)
24 Inflicted by a wasp or bee (5) To
Email your replies with your name, address and phone number to sef.ed@kelsey.co.uk
Correct entries will be entered into a draw which will take place on 19 August. The winner will be announced in the September edition.
We are offering readers the chance to win a mixed box of our 500ml sparkling ciders including four bottles of Biddies 5, Red Love cider and Biddies 8.
For more information about the vineyards, please visit www.biddendenvineyards.com or call 01580 291726.
*Subject to availability
Knowledge
Specialists in controlled atmosphere stores
Rapid chilling systems for soft fruit and fresh produce
Secondary cooling systems with energy efficient defrosting using air source heat pump technology
Retrofitting of existing high cost electrical defrost heaters with air source heat pumps
Electrical engineers and contracting
Refrigeration and Electrical service, maintenance, and breakdown cover
Testing and certification to NICEIC
Mains power solutions for distribution and installations
Temperature controlled wine storage solutions using DX or Secondary refrigeration with heating options
Qualified to install EV chargers
Refrigeration gas leak detection systems
F-gas compliance and record keeping
Refrigeration system controls with remote monitoring