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AGRI-ENVIRONMENT SCHEME ROLL OVER SECURED
Farming groups have welcomed the roll over of Countryside Stewardship Mid-Tier agreements for thousands of farmers following several months of campaigning.
The news, confirmed in a meeting between DEFRA Secretary of State Emma Reynolds and NFU President Tom Bradshaw, will allow more than 5,000 farmers to continue delivering environmental benefits for the nation.
The NFU had campaigned to ensure the scheme, which had been due to expire at the end of the year, would be extended.
Deputy president David Exwood said: “We’re really pleased that DEFRA has listened and given certainty to so many farmers about the future of their environmental work for the year ahead. It recognises the valuable environmental work they have been delivering for many years.
“This result is a culmination of months of campaigning by the NFU. In reality it means that agreement holders will be able to continue delivering everything from wildflower corridors and habitats for farmland birds to nurturing species-rich grassland.”
NFU campaigning included submitting a Freedom of Information request to DEFRA on the number of agreements expiring, meeting Emma Reynolds on her first day in the job to highight the issue, tabling questions in parliament and lobbying delegates at the Labour Party Conference.
Mr. Exwood continued: “To ensure that farmers can continue to undertake these vital environmental projects as part of profitable, resilient businesses, transparency over budgets and timelines for the rollout of the new Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme is key. We will work with DEFRA on a long-term, strategic plan for all agrienvironment schemes.”
The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) also stressed the need for the Government to move swiftly on setting out the details on the new SFI, promised for next year.
Welcoming the extension of the Countryside Stewardship scheme following DEFRA’s “one-off investment of up to £70m”, which she said followed “intense lobbying by the CLA”, president Victoria Vyvyan went on: “This decision is overdue, but it means farmers who’ve spent years restoring nature can keep going – protecting the wildlife and landscapes we all know and cherish. But it can’t end here.
“It is now urgent that Labour sets out the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme to the end of this parliament. Without this, thousands of farmers will continue to face a funding gap that puts livelihoods and years of environmental progress at risk.
“These are world-leading schemes that could transform British farming – if only government gives them the backing they deserve.”
The Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN) also welcomed the one-year extension
to mid-tier agreements in a move that it said “directly responds to NFFN’s calls for action and provides much-needed certainty for thousands of farmers across England”.
The group went on: “The decision follows NFFN’s campaign urging ministers to prevent a gap in environmental support as farmers transition to new schemes under the Environmental Land Management framework.
“Without this action, many farmers faced losing vital income and could have been forced to abandon environmental measures that restore biodiversity and strengthen climate resilience."
Chief executive Martin Lines described the announcement as “a big win for naturefriendly farmers”, adding: “It’s encouraging to see the minister recognise the need for certainty and continuity for farmers leading the way in delivering food security, nature recovery and climate resilience.”
He went on: “It’s a strong signal that the Government remains committed to a farming transition that works for people, nature and the climate. We now look forward to working closely with ministers to ensure that future schemes, including the Sustainable Farming Incentive, continue to support and reward farmers for taking ambitious action for our environment.”
For The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, director of policy Dr Alastair Leake said: “This provides breathing space, not just for farmers who had been facing an uncertain future and some tough decisions, had funding ended after Christmas, but also for nature as farmers now have a chance to avoid taking destructive measures simply to make ends meet.
“This decision directly affects the research work we carry out at The Allerton Project, our demonstration farm in Leicestershire, where the extension of the scheme will enable us to protect some long-established areas of habitat across the farm, giving us the opportunity to retain and manage them while we wait for the SFI scheme to re-open in 2026.”
NFU SECURES INCREASED SEASONAL WORKER FLEXIBILITY
Campaigners have been celebrating a change to the seasonal worker scheme (SWS) which will boost the flexibility of the non-domestic labour force by allowing workers to re-enter the country sooner than previously.
After several years of campaigning, the NFU has persuaded the Government to allow horticulture workers to work in the UK for up to six months within any 10-month period, rather than six months in 12.
The rules, which come into effect this month, will provide greater flexibility and will, the NFU has pointed out, allow workers “to move seamlessly across the growing seasons, from harvesting daffodils and asparagus to strawberries and plums”.
The change, which was set out as a key pillar in the NFU’s horticulture growth strategy, has been welcomed across the industry as a boost to both workers and growers.
Reducing the required gap between visas is expected significantly to increase the availability of seasonal workers, especially for early crops in the following season, when the old rule has caused labour shortages.
The NFU has said it would also like to see more flexibility for seasonal poultry workers to help meet the demands of the sector.
NFU Horticulture and Potatoes Board chair Martin Emmett said: “This is a significant achievement and something we’ve long been campaigning for. It gives workers and employers the flexibility needed for the unpredictability that can often come with farming and growing.
“This will also help workers, who are a vital part of our industry, to maximise their earning opportunities, as well as boosting confidence among farmers and growers.
“To strengthen this further, it’s essential the Government confirms the SWS 2026 visa allocation as soon as possible, giving growers the certainty they need that enough workers will be available for next year’s harvest.”
There is good news out there OPINION
The Chinese seem to be good at proverbs. One that seems appropriate as farmers continue to deal with the slings and arrows of outrageous government is: “When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills”.
It’s an interesting thought, although it has to be said that building a windmill takes time, capital and planning permission, and there is always a risk that the Government would tax the wind out of existence and switch to solar power in the meantime.
Building a wall, though, is clearly not the right option either. In the proverb it clearly equates to putting one’s head in the sand rather than looking for a new opportunity, and that’s not in anyone’s interest.
While rumours continue to circulate regarding the chancellor easing the burden on farmers in the upcoming budget by tweaking the planned rule changes around inheritance tax, they have been roundly squashed, and it would be folly to assume that things will turn out all right in the end following a Damascene conversion on the part of Ms Reeves.
Professional advice and a careful study of the options is what’s needed – and if the chancellor comes good against the odds, we can all celebrate Christmas coming early.
There is good news out there, though, particularly for those who rely on overseas workers to ensure the South East’s fruit, vegetable and flower harvests are safely gathered in. Allowing seasonal workers to spend six months in ten over here, rather than six in 12, is a win for both grower and worker and reflects sterling work on the part of the NFU.
Meanwhile in another win-win decision which has seen numerous farming groups claim at least a share of the credit, DEFRA has agreed to extend the Countryside Stewardship Mid-Tier agreements into 2026, allowing farmers to continue to be paid for protecting and enhancing the environment while the new sustainable farming incentive details are finalised.
Two bits of good news are not to be sniffed at, but it will take more than a revival of government support for agriculture to see any farmer achieve American industrialist J Paul Getty’s level of wealth.
It was billionaire Getty who perhaps summed up the thrill of the chase when he commented: “Without the element of uncertainty, the bringing off of even the greatest business triumph would be dull, routine, and eminently unsatisfying”.
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® MALCOLM TRIGGS - EDITOR
EMPLOYEES ACTIVELY INVESTED IN FUTURE SUCCESS
A major change has seen chartered surveyors, estate agents and planners Batcheller Monkhouse become an employee-owned business which is now held in trust for all employees.
As part of the transition, which took place on 1 October, the business now operates as Batcheller Monkhouse Ltd.
A statement from the company said “This exciting change means our business is now owned and run for the benefit of our team – the people who serve our clients every day. While our name and leadership remain the same, our structure now ensures that every member of our team has a direct stake in the continued success of the business.
“Becoming employee-owned reflects our commitment to long-term
stability, exceptional service and ensuring our people are actively invested in the future success of Batcheller Monkhouse.
“This transformation strengthens our collaborative culture and reinforces our shared goal, to deliver the very best for our clients, every day.”
Chairman and director Leo Hickish commented: “This is a defining moment for our firm. Becoming employee-owned is not just a structural change, it is a cultural commitment to the people who make our business what it is. We believe this transition will strengthen our collaborative spirit, enhance innovation and secure the legacy of our firm for generations to come.”
DETERMINATION AND STAMINA
A nine year-old farmer's son from Essex is preparing to climb the UK’s tallest mountain, Ben Nevis, to raise vital funds for charity The Farming Community Network (FCN).
Young James Matthews will be accompanied by father Ian when he sets out on his impressive half-term holiday challenge at the end of October.
Although scaling the 1,345m Highland peak will take considerable determination and stamina, James is used to facing challenges, having been born without an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee.
In 2021, aged just 5, James underwent
surgery to create an artificial ACL using tissue from his thigh, an operation that was followed by a further two years of physiotherapy to get his knee up to full strength,
Two years later, as soon as he was fit enough, James made it his mission to conquer Snowdon before reaching the top of Scafell Pike in 2024 and setting his sights set on Ben Nevis. When not training, he enjoys feeding the cows, especially rolling out the hay bales.
Mum Mary-anne said: “At the summit of Scotland’s most demanding mountain, he'll have climbed through unpredictable weather, navigated treacherous rocky terrain and pushed his physical limits to the max - all on
a knee that doctors rebuilt from scratch. His father Ian and I couldn’t be prouder that he wants to help fellow farmers.”
James is the fifth generation to live on the family farm near Battlesbridge, Essex, and is already aware that farmers are facing uncertain and challenging times. “I want to raise money for FCN, to help farmers in need,” he said.
Mary-anne said she hoped anyone who saw James training, or on the big day itself, would cheer him on. “His resilience mirrors the levels of resilience required to be a farmer. He’s always cheerful, and he sees the good in everything,” she commented.
AUTUMN IS SILLY SEASON
By NFU West Sussex council representative Caroline Harriott, who is also an NFU Farmers for Schools ambassador, a director of Arun to Adur (A2) farm cluster group, chair of Chichester Young Farmers’ Club advisory group and A2A group representative on the South Downs National Park Farming in Protected Landscapes panel. The family farming business, based at Arundel, consists of a 180-cow dairy unit and beef, sheep and arable enterprises on mainly tenanted land.
Autumn is silly season in our farming calendar with so much work and so many social events to cram in. The weather has been kind and at the time of writing most of the wheat is drilled, the turnips are thriving and the newly sown grass leys are well established. All have benefited from the ‘Indian summer’.
The rams have gone in with the March lambers who have been flushed on lush, herbal leys, while at the dairy the autumn calvers have been popping their calves out in the calving paddock close to the buildings. The herd is enjoying having plenty of grass, something they lacked in the summer.
We had a milk price increase of 2p per litre for October which has been dramatically offset by a 6p per litre price decrease from November onwards. ‘They’ say “what goes up must come down”, but this drop is hard to swallow and does not give us confidence to invest for the future.
Luckily, we have several different enterprises, and we try to take the rough with the smooth while wearing several different hats.
Every weekend in October and during the school half term I am Farmer Caroline at Sompting Pumpkins. This year we have grown eight acres, and considering we survived four heatwaves we have a halfdecent crop of 20 different varieties of all shapes, colours and sizes.
We have grown a strip of environmental sunflowers alongside the pumpkin field, which is surrounded by trees, hedges, chalk grassland, cattle, sheep and crops, so we do charity trailer rides from the pumpkin field to showcase all that is good about farming from field to fork.
We explain how our pumpkins are part of the farm rotation and are great for decoration and for carving but are also delicious and nutritious to eat.
Hundreds of families go on the trailer rides every year and it is a great way to get across that farmers are needed at least three times a day every day.
We also provided trailer rides at the local ploughing match at the beautiful Applesham Farm, which is another great example of food production and looking after the environment working together in harmony.
When time has allowed, West Sussex NFU office holders have continued engaging with MPs, inviting them to ploughing matches, dinners, pumpkin fields, on farm discussions and farming summits.
Our hope is that the change of farming ministers and all the evidence that proves the
proposed tax changes, SFI uncertainty and lack of a level playing field, to name but a few issues, will have a massive effect on small to medium farming businesses and allied industries, will inspire some positive changes in November’s budget, so that we can not just survive but thrive.
“THE HARDEST YEAR”
With many farmers across the country hit badly by this year’s extreme drought conditions, South East Farmer spoke to the Countryside Regeneration Trust about the impact of drought and how farms can boost their resilience.
The Environment Agency has warned that drought conditions will continue into autumn, despite bursts of heavy rain in recent weeks. Five areas of England remain officially in drought, and for many farmers, the damage is already done. Meanwhile many are worried about the winter ahead and the possibility of another dry spring.
For Surrey dairy farmer Matt Elphick, who farms at Brays Farm, Nutfield, owned by the Countryside Regeneration Trust (CRT), the year has been financially and emotionally draining. “It's definitely the hardest year I have ever had,” he said.
With silage and straw in short supply and prices doubled since last year, Matt has just 25 to 30 bales left, barely enough for a month’s feed, when he would normally have stores to see him through the winter.
“I am worried I won’t find enough feed, and we might have to travel a long way to get it, which costs more,” he said. “At some points in the summer, the cows were pretty much on a winter ration. Milk yields have held up because we’ve been feeding the cattle, but the cost is huge.
“It’s going to be a £6,000 to £7,000 bill to get yet more silage and straw, and that wasn’t in the budget.”
With grass yields poor, Matt, who sells his produce direct to the consumer from a converted milk float, is looking at how to improve the drought resistance of pasture.
“It has been one extreme to the other, months of dry and then plenty of rain, which is okay as it is making the grass grow again. That means we can slow down on feeding them as the grass in the field is better,” he said.
“But if there is too much rain, we will have to bring the cows in early,
which will be a double whammy with an expensive summer of feeding and then a long winter inside, which costs in straw and feed.”
Matt is going to sell most of his replacement heifers to pay for the additional silage, which will also mean he’ll have fewer animals to feed over the winter months. “I’ve never been in the situation where there’s not enough straw and silage in the middle of September,” he noted.
At Pierrepont Farm in Frensham, Surrey, the CRT’s 200-acre heathland working regenerative dairy farm, Kayleigh Robb is worried that it will be “a dicey winter buying in quality feed”.
She explained: “The weather this year has massively impacted the farm. I’m going to have to buy in all my winter cattle feed, which is going to be an expense that wasn’t in the budget, with prices creeping up and up as we head into winter. The plan was to do a second cut, or a third, but because of the sandy soils, it just didn’t grow.”
The sandy soils at Pierrepont meant grass burned off quickly in the summer heat, leaving Kayleigh in a ‘use it or lose it’ position.
“What little grass we had, I left for standing hay for the dry cows, which worked well and saved me having to buy in hay. It’s a game of nerves, and thinking outside the box,” she said.
Kayleigh was able to keep the cattle cool in the heatwave as many of the fields are sheltered by big oak trees, and when the weather hit 25 degrees Celsius and above – it even reached 36 degrees – she opened the sheds to allow access to the sprinklers.
“It makes the summer more labour intensive, having to shift the cows around more frequently and making sure the fields with the best shelter also have feed and plenty of water in them for the cattle and sheep,” she said.
Kayleigh Robb at Pierrepont
Looking ahead, Kayleigh plans to introduce more drought resilient herbal leys and legumes next spring, supported by the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), to improve resilience against future dry spells.
“A large percentage of people are in the same boat this winter in the south and will struggle to get hold of good quality winter feed and straw, with prices being higher than I’ve ever seen them. It’s making sure I have a plan in place for winter feeding so it doesn’t impact milk quality and fertility. It’s going to be a dicey winter,” she said.
While the CRT's tenants and graziers are far from immune from the impacts of drought, including a variety of nature friendly farming techniques should improve resilience, explained head of estates Kerriann McLackland.
Pointing out that healthier soils had a better structure for retaining water during dry seasons, she added: “If you have less bare soil due to lower stocking rates and a greater abundance of broadleaved weeds, it reduces evaporation from the soil and also reduces soil erosion. More trees and bushier hedges also help provide shelter for livestock in high temperatures.
“Nature-friendly farming also means lower input costs in terms of chemical fertilisers and sprays, which helps reduce farm costs and therefore losses during seasons in which there are crop failures.”
or straw?
To build up an area to prevent flooding
To fill in an old lagoon?
Kayleigh Robb
PLOUGHING MATCH RESULTS
Sussex tricky task in separating them. The event brought the area vintage finals and the county qualifiers together.
Wet and windy weather ahead of Storm Amy failed to prevent the Sussex Ploughing Championships from taking place, although some of the trade stands were unable to attend. Organiser Jim Braiden praised the “incredible” response of hosts F&J Grantham at Old Eringham Farm, near Shoreham-by-Sea, to make sure the day was a success.
A total of 49 ploughmen and women took part on somewhat difficult ground comprising fluffy, chalky soil, but most completed their cants, giving the judges a
RESULTS
• Sussex Ploughing Champion: Matt Butler
• Reserve Champion: Simon Tingley
• Best Under-21 Trophy (conventional) (The Brian Parsons Memorial Trophy): Harry O’Neil
• Best Finish (The Dick Theobald Memorial Shield): Matt Butler
• Best Turned-Out Tractor, Plough and Operator (The Brian Clement Award): Samuel Curd.
Laura Dyke Veltom has been appointed as the new regional support officer (South East) for The Farming Community Network (FCN) across Hampshire, Sussex, Surrey and Kent.
The FCN is a UK-wide voluntary organisation and charity which works to improve the health and wellbeing of people in farming and support them at times of difficulty and change. It helps around 10,000 people a year deal with a variety of issues, including financial difficulties, animal disease, mental ill-health and family disputes.
Laura grew up on a dairy farm and studied at Harper Adams in Shropshire where she met husband Phil. “We live on his family arable farm in the beautiful South Downs National Park where we’re lucky to be raising three children,” Laura explained.
As well as running a business from the farm and facilitating a farming cluster, the Two Harbours Farmers Group, Laura describes herself as “passionate about the
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
people that work in the farming community” and plans to use this new role “to really make a difference”.
She added: “FCN volunteers provide free and confidential support to anyone who seeks help, regardless of whether the issue is personal or business-related. Those who would like to help deliver the charity’s aims can learn more about volunteering with FCN at www.fcn.org.uk/volunteering.”
FCN, which relies solely on donations and grants, also runs a confidential national helpline on 03000 111 999 which is open from 7am to 11pm every day of the year, and an e-helpline at help@fcn.org.uk “Our volunteers will ‘walk with’ anyone who seeks support and help them find a positive way through their problems,” Laura said.
The FCN’s FarmWell platform at farmwell.
org.uk offers a one-stop shop for information aimed at supporting farm businesses and helping those working in the industry develop personal resilience.
Laura is available at laura@fcn.org.uk
The East Sussex Ploughing Match Society held its 59th ploughing match at Blackbarn farm, Lower Ficker, by kind permission of Mark and Richard Thomas, who selected St Wilfrid’s Hospice as this year’s charity.
The society brought together 48 ploughmen and women to compete for the title of champion plough person, with competition as always strong but good humoured. “This is also very much a social event where people come together and discuss an amazing variety of topics,” commented show chairman Jim Braiden.
The event included not just tractor ploughing but horse and steamdriven ploughing, as well as an extremely well-supported domestic section, featuring an amazing display of produce, crafting and flower arrangements by and for both young and old, and a well-supported fun dog show.
PLOUGHING RESULTS
• Horse ploughing: Ray Dorkins with Alfie & Arthur
• Conventional Champion: Chris Fryer
• Conventional Reserve Champion: Ian Linch
• Reversible Champion: Don Ellis
• Reversible Reserve Champion: Graham Butler “Thanks as always to Hailsham Young Farmers for giving the society
a large amount of support,” said Jim Braiden. “The overall winner of the domestic section was Janet Smith, and as always the dog show was organised by Debbie Felsted and was a great success.
“The society would like to thank the sponsors, trade stands and stalls for supporting us and give a special mention to Mark Cleverdon for manning the public address system all day. All these components are pulled together by an amazing committee.
“We are always looking for sites for future events. We require around 50 acres plus a bit of parking, if anyone can accommodate the society next year, please get in touch.”
Photos: Andrew Brook
East Sussex
of how farming can survive and thrive in an era defined by volatility and change. With pre- and post-event refreshments and networking for those attending in person. Wednesday 12 6pm-10pm in person (7pm-9pm online)
To find your local Bespoke home insurance specialist, email: winegb@nfumutual.co.uk or search NFU Mutual Bespoke
Charlotte Smith: Presenter on
and BBC1’s Countryfile
Helen Browning OBE: Chief Executive of the Soil Association and a pioneering organic farmer. Her work focuses on healthy soils and landscapes and championing high standards of animal welfare, such as developing organic pig systems.
John Gregson: UK General Manager at Regenified where he accelerates regenerative practices across farming and supply chains. Previously he spent 25 years at Waitrose and helped develop their farming and sustainability strategy. His upbringing on a 100 acre tenant farm shaped his commitment to the role of smaller and family farms.
Richard Means: Managing Partner at Ceres Rural Richard advises farms on productivity, sustainability and resilience, alongside managing his own 650 hectare farm in West Norfolk, where he has pioneered trials of various concepts and technologies.
CHALLENGING CONVENTION
Top speakers have been lined up to consider the future of farming at an event organisers have promised will “not be a comfortable conversation”.
This year’s South of England Agricultural Society Farming Conference, being held on Wednesday 12 November, will explore the theme: Adapting with Purpose: Farming in a Changing World.
Taking place at the South of England Showground in Ardingly, West Sussex, while also being broadcast online to allow the widest possible audience to take part, the conference will bring together leading voices in agriculture.
They will consider what the society describes as “one of the most urgent questions of our time” – the survival of farming in an era defined by volatility and change.
Led once again by the highly respected Charlotte Smith, broadcaster and presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today, the conference will hear from Soil Association chief executive Helen Browning OBE, Regenified UK general manager John Gregson and Ceres Rural managing partner Richard Means.
The society has set the scene for what promises to be a fascinating evening. “The familiar pillars that have underpinned British agriculture for generations are shifting,” it points out.
“Subsidies are fading into history. Global markets are in flux. Extreme weather is no longer an occasional disruption but an escalating threat. Farmers today stand at the frontline of these converging pressures, forced to navigate a landscape where certainty is scarce and resilience is paramount.
“Yet with challenge comes opportunity. New technologies, fresh thinking and alternative business models are emerging that could transform not just how we farm, but how we define success itself.
“In this conference, we will ask: ‘Which farming models are truly fit for purpose in this unpredictable world? What does resilience look like when the old certainties have gone? And can the industry afford to cling to tradition, or is it time to back bolder, more radical alternatives?’”
Alongside her role at the Soil Association, Helen Browning is a pioneering organic farmer with decades of experience, including that gained running the organic family farm in Wiltshire. She also has national food and farming policy experience as a member of the Curry Commission on the Future of Farming. Her work has focused on healthy soils and landscapes and championing high standards of animal welfare, particularly developing innovative organic pig systems.
John Gregson is a passionate advocate for regenerative agriculture whose career has spanned journalism, commodity trading and senior roles at Waitrose, including communication, agriculture, public affairs, ethics and sustainability. John’s upbringing on a 100-acre tenant farm in West Lancashire has shaped his lifelong commitment to the vital role smaller and family farms play in the food system and the transition to regenerative agriculture.
Norfolk farmer Richard Means advises farms on productivity, sustainability and resilience alongside running his own 650-hectare business. He’s a Fellow of the Institute of Agricultural Management and qualified in BASIS, FACTS, BETA and FAAV.
Richard is actively involved in national farming trials including ADAS YEN and Kellogg’s Origins, and brings governance experience from roles with the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers, the
Institute of Agricultural Management and the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust as well as from his chairmanship of Fengrain during its financial restructure and sale.
The society warns: “This will not be a comfortable conversation. Expect challenges to convention, critical reflection on received wisdom and an exploration of ideas that push beyond the familiar. The goal: to inspire and provoke farmers, landowners, advisors, policymakers and the wider food system to think differently.”
Duncan Rawson, a Nuffield Scholar sponsored by the Society and chair of the conference organising committee, said: “At a time when so many forces are conspiring to make farming harder, it has never been more important to create spaces for honest reflection, constructive debate and shared learning.
“This conference will provide an opportunity to step back, ask searching questions and reimagine what farming could and should be in a world where change is the only constant. We look forward to an energising and essential discussion. Together, let us chart a course toward a farming future that is adaptive, innovative and purposeful.”
The conference itself runs from 7pm to 9pm, but the event begins at 6pm with refreshments for those attending in person, and ends at 10pm after more refreshments and networking.
MONICA AKEHURST AT THE KITCHEN TABLE
THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING CORRECT ATV TYRE PRESSURE
“I’m glad I’m a farmer,” I thought, while sitting in queuing traffic, stopstart, nose-to-tail, with some drivers attempting five-point turns in a bid to find a better route. Meanwhile Google Maps announced: “Accident ahead, but you are on the best route”.
Still, it gave me a chance to catch up on farming podcasts while gazing over hedges to study the adjoining land. Autumn cultivations were in full swing, getting the winter crops into the ground. Despite the Government’s ineptitude, farmers continue to work the land, producing food.
No way I’m going to attempt turning around with a trailer attached, towing an ATV. I was en route to an EASI (European ATV Safety Institute) safety training course held in Henfield, East Sussex.
Quad bikes are invaluable tools for farmers. It’s easy to get engrossed in the job at hand –electric fencing, rounding up stock, and so on – and it can be tempting to push them to their limits. Sadly, accidents do happen, and not always to other people, so it’s good to refresh one’s awareness of the dangers.
The importance of maintaining correct
tyre pressure was drilled into us. I was given a small pressure gauge to attach to my keyring, making it easy to check my tyres regularly. Wearing a safety helmet was a requirement to attend the workshop, so I bought one. I now keep it on the quad and sometimes forget I’m even wearing it.
I particularly like the visor, which keeps insects and rain off my face. Some may scoff, but it’s a sensible precaution; ATV fatality statistics make frightening reading. The course tested both our practical skills and theoretical knowledge, and I was pleased to gain a certificate.
Recently, our local rural police team visited the farm and supplied us with a SelectaDNA forensic marking system, designed to deter theft by coding valuable possessions with unique synthetic DNA. Warning labels alert would-be thieves that property is protected.
The kit consists of a small bottle of fluid, an applicator and labels, which can be applied to any item you consider at risk. Registering these on a secure, Home Office-compliant and police-approved database means that if they are ever found after being stolen or lost, they can be quickly identified and returned.
The last weekend in September was a busy one. I checked in at the Saturday Ram Sale held at Hailsham Market. I didn’t need to buy, but it’s always good to see what’s available. I was accompanied by my grandchildren, so we quickly moved on to the East Sussex Ploughing Match. What a lovely day for it; it was teeming with spectators, tractors, ploughmen, and a special well-done to the ploughwomen.
As always, I was full of admiration for the horses pulling the ploughs. It’s not an easy task at the best of times, but after our dry summer, it looked particularly hard work.
The grandchildren enjoyed their ride in
Ray Dawkins (ploughman) taking an ice cream break
the trailer, which gave them a good view of the various tractors and ploughs in action. The dog show proved popular and there were plenty of trade stands to browse. The domestic and children’s sections featured some inspiring entries; I must get organised and enter something next year. Money raised at this year’s match went to the hosts’ chosen charity, St Wilfrid’s Hospice. Sunday I spent watching sheepdogs at the South East Double Gather and Novice Championship Trials. The dogs were truly tested on their skills; such a wonderful sight. Well done to all participants, especially Wendy Cole with Moss and Kevin Reed with Thistledown Greg, who won the trophies. October brought another nightmare journey, this time to the Knepp Estate, which I was keen to see. The Pevensey Levels Cluster had arranged the visit, which was both informative and thought-provoking. We witnessed white storks nesting high in majestic oaks; around 20 breeding pairs producing 40 or more chicks each year. Many migrate as far as Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa, while some adults remain at Knepp all year round.
A herd of around 300 longhorn cattle,
enclosure
usually roaming free, were confined to a field under a derogation allowing supplementary feeding. This was to protect them from acorn poisoning.
Finished cattle are processed locally at about 30 months, and the meat is sold through Knepp’s own shop. A couple of the herd’s matriarchs wear GPS collars to help track their whereabouts. We didn’t see any pigs, which were no doubt sleeping off the excesses of their acorn feast.
Next, we visited the beaver enclosure, covering approximately six acres and home to one breeding pair and six cohorts (eight beavers is the enclosure’s capacity). In three and a half years, they have built three dams, increasing the wetland area and biodiversity.
Kingfishers, water rails, egrets, turtle doves and flycatchers have all been spotted. Beavers are herbivores, feeding on plants, aquatic vegetation, grasses, bark and leaves. Natural England is no longer issuing licences for beaver enclosures, instead shifting towards wild releases. When I asked what their predators were, the answer surprised me: “Beavers”. Territorial fights are common, with individuals killing each
other, especially in overcrowded conditions.
Although it was fascinating to see their work, we didn’t actually see any beavers; they are nocturnal. Some trees had been gnawed so extensively that a health and safety officer would be horrified. Only time will tell whether or not beavers truly are the solution to flooding, as some claim.
While the white storks look spectacular, the claim that they are native is open to debate, and their diet could seriously impact groundnesting species such as lapwing and curlew, as well as water voles and newts. A great deal of effort has gone into protecting these creatures – the same ones the storks will happily eat. I’m not convinced the introduction of this species was a sensible move.
Walking back to the car seeing vast areas of land covered in brambles felt in conflict with the farmer in me. I’m all for conservation and creating wildlife corridors, but seeing it on this scale was something else. A quick alfresco snack from the restaurant and a tour of the shop was enjoyable, and I loved the dog washing station. My spaniels could do with one of those for after beating duties. We’re looking forward to being part of that team again.
Beaver work
Grandchildren enjoying the ploughing match
White stork, high in its nest
Beaver work within the
Looking towards Beaver Lodge, well disguised
Beautiful sunsets
CONTENTED STOCK MEANS A GOOD STOCKPERSON
A good farmer really knows his animals; when we see excellent contented stock grazing, we can be sure they have a good stockman. This is, perhaps, even truer for stockwomen, so perhaps to be politically correct, I should revert to stockperson and the plural pronoun ‘their’. Let us hope that now the Anglican communion has its first female Archbishop in its history, its flock of followers will be peaceful, contented and charitable. I wish.
Back to those who keep animals and enjoy them. They all get to know their animals and their individual traits, provided the numbers are not too great. Read any of Monica Akehurst’s articles in South East Farmer for an obvious demonstration of enjoyment and affection for all hers. Love might not even be
Chew a stick if you are the gooseberry
too strong a word get to.
A teacher will quickly know his or her class and know them all well by the end of term, but again there is this proviso on numbers. A class of 20 is manageable and 15 or fewer is better, but at 30 teaching falls off demonstrably and anything above that is an exercise in futility.
Much the same applies to stock keeping.
A shepherd dealing with 1,000 will know the ringleaders and the rebellious mavericks, while the rest are lost in the crowd. The same must also occur in mega dairies, something made worse by the work being at the tail end, with little or no contact with the front, and where rations are delivered from a machine triggered by an ID tag or collar.
My train of thought was prompted by
the recent death of Dame Jane Goodall, that remarkable person who revolutionised ethology, the study of animal behaviour. Ethology’s principal credo was that no other animal perceives the world as humans do. They do not have emotions or feelings, and surely their behaviours are simply responses to defined stimuli.
We humans were thought to be entirely different and unique in this respect. When my brother-in-law, Richard Dawkins, was working for his DPhil in Oxford in the early sixties, under the supervision of Nico Tinbergen, it was obligatory to avoid, in seminars or paper presentations, any words suggesting human emotions or behaviour. It was termed anthropomorphism and was a first order scientific sin.
What's that thing?
On the other hand, most farmers were quite comfortable recognising human-like characteristics in their animals. We have just weaned this crop of calves, an event accompanied by a great cacophony from both cows and offspring. But within all the noise there is great variation in the level of reaction on both sides of the fence. One or two calves have bawled themselves hoarse, becoming mute. Can there be any doubt that emotional distress is demonstrated by both cows and calves? Yes, they settle in a few days to get on with life, but for me it is a distant reminder of going away to boarding school in Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) aged seven with no exeats until term’s end.
In the cold light of day, this seems to have been a very odd stance for academics to take, since we share so much anatomy and physiology with all other mammals and primates in particular. The probability was surely that our brains, anatomically similar, would work in similar ways and that behaviours could be taught and learned. Therefore, what were the real differences and why? What was common and how far would that commonality stretch? Pretty far is the reality, when one considers what an octopus can do with its entirely dispersed nervous system; almost like computers and the ‘cloud’.
Jane Goodall’s lone, long and detailed study of chimpanzees was truly groundbreaking and turned scientific dogma on its head. She was the first to reveal that
From one young primate to another
these primates are flesh eaters and tool makers. She also documented, in great detail, their social interactions, hierarchies, idiosyncrasies and territorial battles. The latter were often ferocious, and hunting their preferred prey, colobus monkeys, among the tree tops was always well co-ordinated, noisy and brutal, but effective.
She observed and recorded mature members of the troop trimming thin twigs into smooth probes to ‘fish’ for termites though holes in their tall mounds. The bigger soldier termites would attack the twig and hold fast. The twig, now loaded with termites, is pulled out and drawn across the teeth to strip off a mouthful of quality protein. Stones were used to break nuts and branches trimmed for warfare. Tool making and ‘fishing’ was learned behaviour passed down the generations, as were the troop’s hunting techniques. Like our own children, some learned faster than others.
Dr Goodall also detailed the subtleties of the troop’s social behaviours, some being obvious expressions of affection. As the troop became accustomed to her ever presence, she also received and reciprocated affection. It is now accepted within science that we share most of the chemistry of pleasure and reward with other mammals. So now we can all rest comfortably, attributing personalities to the animals with which we share our lives, but we must be wary of our own emotions remaining too close to those that share our evolutionary ancestry. The daily paper and
television news is a dreadful reminder of just how awful we can be and how close our behaviour is to other species, amplified enormously by the power of our accumulated transmittable knowledge.
So where does farming sit in all this, for surely farmers are all great citizens and kind to kittens? Yes, mostly, but none of us is immune from the business principle of maximising gain by exploiting someone or something. This is particularly true when they or it are distanced. In the business world this is all too common, with examples such as individuals fleecing taxpayers by supplying useless Covid PPE via the VIP lane, or water company owners loading their business with debt to cream off large dividends, again at our expense. In farming, we have those corporate few who pursue margins aggressively by reducing unit costs at the expense of animal or environmental welfare.
Jane Goodall became a renowned and much-loved environmental activist moulded by insights gained through years of research. Her arguments are persuasive, and we would all be wise to fulfil the widest remit of farming, not only to provide food, a rewarding life and a reasonable income, but the wider horizon of ethical animal husbandry and care of our environment. There is greater contentment to be had working on farm in harmony with nature than there is in being burdened by the pursuit of monstrous yachts or personal aircraft via mega dairies and their like.
On a bright October morning in Kent, I arrived at Amsbury Farm, home of awardwinning fruit growers J L Baxter & Son. The drive wound through neat hedgerows and oast houses before opening onto gentle, south-facing slopes, home to a mixture of mainly top fruit orchards and neat rows of vines catching the autumn light.
Outside the modern office, managing director Clive Baxter greeted me with a firm handshake and ushered me inside for coffee and chat. Sitting at the boardroom table looking out over the extensive orchards stretching into the valley below, Clive spoke with the calm assurance of someone who had seen the industry’s highs and lows yet still loved it.
“My passion has always been growing things,” he said. “I like being out there among the trees. I’m not a great lover of packhouses and spreadsheets — I’d much rather be on a tractor at five in the morning doing a bit of mowing. Doesn’t make me any money, but I love it.”
FROM LEICESTER TO LINTON –AND A WARTIME HANDSHAKE
Asking about the origins of the business, Clive explained that it all began in 1943, when his grandfather Jack Baxter and his wife,
A PASSION FOR TOP FRUIT
This month Nigel Akehurst visits J L Baxter & Son in Kent to meet third-generation grower and managing director Clive Baxter and learn more about their award-winning, fruit growing enterprise.
Gwen, left Leicester in search of a new life in the countryside.
“He had no farming background at all,” Clive said. “They looked at three farms and my grandmother insisted on the one that had running water and electricity; she wasn’t having anything too primitive.”
The chosen farm at Linton went to auction, where it was snapped up by a London wholesaler. But fate intervened. “The wholesaler approached my grandfather afterwards and said: ‘I only want the fruit, not the farm. If you supply all the fruit to my stand
for the duration of the war, you can have the farm.’ They shook hands on it – no contract –and that was that.”
Clive’s father Gordon followed in the same unlikely path, swapping city life for orchard work. The early decades saw modest acreage and a focus on top fruit – mainly apples and pears – before Clive joined in 1984 with bigger ambitions. “We doubled in size by 1989,” he recalled. “Bought the farm where we’re sitting now, invested in cold stores and a packhouse, and started supplying the supermarkets. Once you’ve got a packhouse, you have to feed it.”
Clive Baxter
GROWTH, ROBOTICS AND A LESSON IN OVERHEADS
By the mid-2000s, J L Baxter & Son had become a serious operation, supplying multiple retailers year-round from hundreds of acres. But with growth came rising costs, particularly in labour.
"By 2016 I could see the packhouse labour bill was unsustainable,” he said. “So we started looking at robotic graders. The idea was to halve the workforce, from 80 down to around 40.”
A grower cooperative offered to co-invest in the new technology on condition they managed the facility. “It sounded perfect –I’m a grower, not a packhouse manager,” he added. “But it didn’t go well. Within 18 months its losses were unsustainable. They went from 80 staff to 100, and office staff from three to 20. The whole point of robotics is to shed labour, not add it.”
Baxter withdrew, selling part of the complex to a neighbouring business while keeping half the cold-store space. “It was painful but liberating. I realised my real passion was growing things, not running an office block," Clive said.
A LEANER, SMARTER BUSINESS
Today the business farms around 200 acres of fruit, including apples, pears, 45 acres of vines, plums, cherries and quince, plus another 50 acres farmed under contract for local landowners.
Freed from supermarket dictates, Clive now sells most fruit through agents, negotiating prices and specifications in midsummer. “For years we were price-takers,” he said. “This year, because the industry’s contracted so much, we’ve actually been price-setters. It’s a nice feeling.” >>
FARM FACTS
• 63 acres of apples
• 38 acres of pears
• 44 acres of grapes
• 14 acres of apricots, cherries and plums
• 20 acres in environmental schemes
• 15 acres fallow
• 6 acres of woodland, yards and roads
• 40 seasonal workers
• Small team (eight full time employees).
NIGEL AKEHURST VISITS: J.L. BAXTER & SON
The shift to wholesaling has also reduced waste and stress. “We set the spec together. If it changes later, that’s their problem, not mine. With supermarkets, you could meet the spec one week and have it rewritten the next.”
WHEN ROBOTS MEET REALITY – AND VINES TAKE ROOT
The exit from the packhouse coincided with another turning point. The nearby Balfour Winery was looking for new grape-growing partners. “They asked if we’d plant vines,” said Clive. “After years of chasing supermarket margins, the idea of 25 acres of vines sounded refreshing.”
The first plantings went in in 2019; today there are 45 acres under vine, mostly under contract to Balfour but with a small batch of fruit kept back for the family’s own label, Four Daughters. Their debut Albarino vintage, made at Defined Wine, won a gold medal at the 2022 Independent English Wine Awards.
“I can grow good grapes,” Clive grins, “but 90% of that medal belongs to the winemaker. They’re magicians. I tried making 20 litres myself with the same grapes and yeast – my wife said it was only fit for cooking!”
Vineyards, he said, have their own rhythm. “They’re like hops; they grow like weeds. There’s always something happening. Labourintensive, yes, but incredibly satisfying when you pour a glass from your own fruit.”
THE FRUIT SHOW CONNECTION AND TOUR OF THE ORCHARD
The National Fruit Show has long been part of the Baxter calendar. “We started entering after talking to Betty Bardsley, who used to win everything,” Clive recalled. “She taught me a few tricks; don’t polish the fruit, make sure one box is better than the other two, and put it on the stand in the right order. Back then that mattered.”
Today the rules have changed, but the camaraderie remains. “It’s not about winning every year. It’s about supporting the show and seeing different growers do well. When it was all wholesalers, winning really meant something; your trade took notice. I’d love to see the show evolve a bit, maybe day one for trade, day two for the public. A Chelsea-style showcase for British fruit.”
The show, he added, had always been an important social anchor for growers. “When you’re out in the fields most days on your own, you forget how valuable it is to meet others facing the same challenges. That’s what keeps the industry alive.”
Eager to see some of the orchards up close and get some harvesting photos, we jump in Clive’s old Landrover and take a short drive down to a block of Jazz, where farm manager Anna Kovlachuk is carefully selecting apples for the fruit show. Meeting Anna, she explains how each apple is graded for size and blemishes, before being put into her tray of show-worthy fruit. “If we win, great,” said Clive. “If not, we’ve still supported the industry that’s supported us.”
NIGEL AKEHURST VISITS: J.L. BAXTER &
A DISEASE, A RESCUE – AND PROOF OF PERSEVERANCE
As I get some shots of Anna picking fruit, Clive stops to inspect some of the trees and laughs. “These are the bad ones,” he said. The block had suffered a Phytophthora infection traced back to a nursery batch. “All of the trees were written off. The nursery agreed to replace them, but I couldn’t bear to waste the originals,” Clive said. “I cut them off below the infection, stuck the stumps in a corner like a nursery, and they grew healthily. Everyone said I was mad. But look at them now.”
The rejuvenated trees are thriving. “They weren’t exactly free,” he smiles, “but I only lost a year – and I proved the advisers wrong.”
CODLING, CROPS AND QUALITY
The 2025 harvest has been generous – five to ten per cent above estimate – but not without headaches. “The only real disappointment has been codling moth,” Clive admitted. “We used a virus product that killed the larvae but not before they marked the fruit, so it’s unsaleable for Class 1. The label said full-rate, but the advice was to
half-rate the later doses. Lesson learned.”
Still, yields are strong and sugar levels high. “Some years the Jazz need a month in store before they eat well,” he said, biting into one. “Not this year – straight off the tree they’re superb.”
LABOUR: RESILIENCE OVER NUMBERS
A few rows over, Anna introduced me to a group of seasonal workers who were busy picking and were more than willing to have their photo taken. “We rely on about 40 seasonal workers,” Clive explained later. “Most come from Kyrgyzstan, hard-working people who know what they’re doing, who return year after year.”
Local labour has proved trickier. “We’ve tried apprenticeships through local agricultural colleges. Three this year; all English. One lasted three days, one never came back after induction, the third did a week then vanished. They just weren’t ready for real work. It’s worrying. We need young people coming in, but they’ve got to stick at it.”
Anna Kovlachuk
FARMING AND ENVIRONMENT FOCUSED CONTENT CREATION
Storytelling through interviews, features, case studies, photography and short films. For enquiries contact Nigel Akehurst via email on nigel@indiefarmer.com
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NIGEL AKEHURST VISITS: J.L. BAXTER & SON
SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE QUINCE REVIVAL
One bright spot has been the rediscovery of quince, an old-fashioned fruit that’s found new fans online. “About 10 years ago, Waitrose asked us to plant more quinces,” said Clive. “Then they dropped them overnight for imports. We were left with three or four tonnes and no buyer.”
His administration manager decided to try something new. “She put them on Facebook Marketplace,” Clive laughed. “A week later they were gone – all four tonnes, double the Waitrose price. People were buying them for jam-making and distilling. Now we sell out every year, two tonnes to one customer alone. Social media’s done more for quinces than any retailer ever did.”
MARKETS, MARGINS AND MAKING SENSE OF IT ALL
Asked about supermarkets, Clive is blunt. “They’re not villains, just victims of their own scale. Their overheads are huge. The smaller guys like Aldi and Lidl take a smaller margin and use more of the bin, so they can pay growers better.”
On pricing: “I don’t think the public realise how little of the retail price comes back to the grower. I just work per tonne. I know my costs, my yields, and my break-even point. That’s the only way to stay sane.”
Rising wages and costs worry him. “We’ve made the country expensive to live in. Minimum wage keeps going up, but people aren’t better off. When coffee costs £3.50, something’s wrong.”
THE NEXT GENERATION –AND A FOUR-DAUGHTER FUTURE
The Four Daughters label reflects both family and continuity. “My wife Carol and I and our four daughters have spent time visiting wineries around the world,” said Clive. “Most of the good ones took 15 years before making their own wine. We’re doing it the sensible way – grow good grapes, make small batches with professionals, then think about the next step.”
His eldest daughter, Lucy, has begun running vineyard tours and tastings. “It’s great seeing that side develop; wine tourism, local pride. The public love coming out and hearing the story.”
As for succession, Clive is pragmatic. “None of them has quite the same passion for growing as I do – yet,” he smiles. “But that’s fine. We’ve built something solid they can take forward if they choose.”
GOVERNMENT, POLICY AND THE BIGGER PICTURE
On politics, Clive is measured but forthright. “The rhetoric’s great – food security, supporting farmers – but policies don’t follow. The new inheritance-tax talk misses the mark completely. It will hurt professional growers with machinery and staff, not the wealthy land speculators they think they’re targeting.”
He worries that too few MPs understand business. “They talk about growing the economy through public-sector investment. That’s not growth; that’s a bigger tax bill. They mean well, but most have never run anything.”
David Gosling (left) and Roger Birchell (right), who are both tractor/sprayer operators/coldstore technicians. David has been with Clive since 2001 and Roger joined in 2006
LOOKING AHEAD
Despite frustrations, Clive remains optimistic. “This year’s been a good crop. If prices hold, people might start reinvesting again. The key is getting young growers in –people willing to take risks. When you’re 30 you can make mistakes and bounce back. At my age, you protect what you’ve got.” And will the vines one day outweigh the apples? He shakes his head. “Top fruit is still 80% of what we do. I might enjoy the vines more, but apples built this farm.”
Anna Kovlachuk
VISITS: J.L.
FROM KENT ORCHARDS TO GOLD-MEDAL WINE
A NEW CHAPTER AT AMSBURY FARM
In 2019, Kent fruit grower Clive Baxter decided to plant vines.
After decades of growing apples and pears at J L Baxter & Son, the idea of producing wine on the family’s gently south-facing slopes near Maidstone offered both a challenge and an opportunity.
“I could see the fruit industry was under pressure,” he explained. “Labour costs, market consolidation – it made sense to diversify. When Balfour Winery approached us about planting vines, I thought, ‘why not?’”
Five years later, the Baxters’ wine label, Four Daughters, named after Clive and his wife Carol’s four girls, has already made its mark, winning gold for its debut Albariño at the 2022 Independent English Wine Awards.
LEARNING THE CRAFT
The first vines, mainly Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, followed by Albariño, went into the ground in 2019, with the first crop
harvested in 2022. Most grapes are still sold under contract to Balfour, but a small batch is vinified separately by Defined Wine in Canterbury.
“I made 20 litres myself one year,” said Clive with a grin. “Same grapes, same yeast. My wife said it was only fit for cooking. The winemakers at Defined turned the same fruit into gold-medal wine. They’re magicians.”
He’s quick to credit the professionals. “Making great wine is 90 per cent about the winemaker. Growing good grapes is the starting point, but what happens next is alchemy.”
On the vineyard side, the Baxters work closely with local contractors VineWorks, who have carried out vine planting and provide regular advice and guidance through their Viti-Scout package.
MEASURED GROWTH AND FAMILY INVOLVEMENT
The vineyard now spans around 45 acres, and Clive takes a cautious, long-term approach. “We’ve seen people plant without a business plan. It’s not just about romance. You need a clear route to market.”
All four of his daughters play an active role in the business, from managing social media accounts (@fourdaughters.wine on instagram and tiktok) to running vineyard tours and tastings. “It’s added a lovely social side,” said Clive. “People enjoy hearing the story; it’s a working farm, not a manicured estate.”
BALANCING VINES AND APPLES
While the vines are flourishing, top fruit remains the backbone of the business. “Apples still pay the bills,” Clive smiled. “The vineyard complements what we do; it doesn’t replace it.”
With most of the grapes under contract, the enterprise provides both income stability and scope for creativity. “We’ve just broken even on the initial capital investment,” he said. “Now it’s onwards and upwards, though we’ve planted more, so perhaps sideways, too.”
LOOKING AHEAD
The next phase may include expanding their own-label wines and developing a small cellar-door experience at Amsbury Farm. “We’ve visited wineries all over the world,” said Clive. “The best advice we heard was: grow the grapes, make small batches, learn the craft and take your time.”
Four Daughters has already achieved what many new entrants only dream of; a medal-winning English wine rooted in genuine farming heritage.
As Clive puts it: “I still love growing things, whether it’s apples or vines. Work’s never felt like a chore. When it’s your passion, it’s just life.”
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COMPOST IS PARAMOUNT IN FARMING
Farmers are, almost by definition, passionate people. It takes a special sort of person to continue to put in long hours, in all kinds of weather, against a backdrop of a changing climate, disappearing subsidies, lacklustre government support, rising input prices, unhelpful tax changes and falling global prices.
But while it’s not surprising to find that Rupert Phillips shares that industry wide passion for his chosen career, the topic that makes him most animated is slightly more eye-opening.
While he clearly loves the horses he breeds with wife Caroline at Shelvin Farm, just outside Canterbury, where they trade as TheFriendlyFarmers.co.uk and StudUKeuro.com, it is something less sentient that gets him really excited.
“Compost is paramount in farming,” he announces, his hands deep in a rich, black sample of the product he creates on farm and
sells under the Agrimagic brand.
Creating the perfect compost is so important to Rupert that he works closely with scientist Melissa Thompson, whose microscope is as important to the process as his Gujer Innotec compost turner.
The compost and the show jumping horses are just two of a diverse range of businesses based at Shelvin Farm and reflecting the entrepreneurial drive of the man who, by his own admission, “only lasted two terms at Harper Adams”, where he had signed on to complete a higher national diploma in agriculture.
“I was a bit of a rebel, to be honest. I like to do, rather than study, and academia really didn’t suit me,” he recalled.
While that may have been true during Rupert’s short-lived university career, he has done plenty of studying since then, researching the best way to create the ultimate soil improver he is
Rupert Phillips handling the finished product, Agrimagic
determined to create alongside Melissa, whose Instagram handle is @farming_with_microbes.
Much of the compost created at Shelvin Farm – with the addition of biochar, wood shavings, sour milk and fish amino acid – goes back on to the land to improve the grassland and support the straw, hay and haylage businesses he runs, as well as providing grazing for the horses, which in turn provide the manure that is fundamental to the compost.
The self-supporting businesses have helped create a sustainably circular operation at the farm, which Rupert and Caroline have built up steadily over the years by patiently adding land to the operation as opportunities and funding have allowed. >>
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FEATURED COMPANY:
<< couple bought six acres and Shelvin Farm yard, converting a pig shed to an office for the print company and later for the farm businesses that followed.
It’s a remarkable story, particularly as Rupert, despite growing up on a farm and having “an idyllic life as a child”, was not fortunate enough to inherit any land as a starting point for his own business.
His father, Tim Phillips, managed 1,800 acres of mixed livestock, potatoes and arable crops at Goodnestone Park and later set up Goodnestone Engineering. It was seeing his father made redundant from that position aged just 53 that inspired Rupert to “do my own thing” rather than work for someone else. “My entrepreneurial zest and philosophy were positively impacted by that experience,” he revealed.
After a year of farm work followed by his short spell at university, Rupert worked as an operator, following a similar path to his brother Simon, who had already set himself up as a contractor.
Already harbouring ambitions that went beyond operating machinery, Rupert went to the Alps to wash dishes in his early twenties, later setting up a ski company and returning to do casual work on farms in the summer. After a number of snow-free years in the late 1980s, though, the business failed, leaving Rupert with a painful lesson learnt.
By the 1990s, now in his thirties, Rupert was back in the UK and working in the computer industry. He bought into a wholesale print supply business selling the image setting film and printing plates that dominated the industry before modern desktop publishing methods took over. “I was prepared to sit in an office for ten years to earn money,” he recalled.
In 1995 he married Caroline, the fourth child of a farming family in Sandwich who was running her own farm shop, and in 2000 he and his younger brother Joe bought the remaining shares to become the owners of UK Euroconnect Ltd.
The business needed a home with storage facilities and so the
Rupert rebuilt and converted a number of dilapidated barns and buildings, created stabling for Caroline’s beloved horses and built a 45m by 45m sand school.
“Caroline had always said she wouldn’t marry me if I was going to become a farmer, but when we started to farm horses, she decided that was different,” he joked.
The equestrian business developed from buying and selling horses to breeding show jumpers using stud horses including the impressive field stallion Chan Chan Z by Cicero Z. Shelvin Farm now offers livery as well as breeding, schooling and selling close to 150 horses. >>
Rupert Phillips
Livery horse Fendt
Steam at 60°-70° Haylage
HAY AND HAYLAGE SUPPLIERS FEATURED COMPANY:
Scientist Melissa Thompson, Farming With Microbes
Loading the log processor
On-farm organic materials added to the wormery
An elixir of microbes, fungi and nutrients deliver positive results from Agrimagic
Agrimagic in the making and stored in windrows
<< he added. An adaptive grazing system sees the horses moved to fresh grass at regular intervals.
The printing supply company, now UK Graphics Supplies, is still in operation, selling image-setting film, plates and inks to developing countries in West Africa and the Middle East, while Shelvin Farm is now home to three other businesses, Stud UKEuro LLP, Warm Blood Sales LLP and R&CR Phillips, trading as The Friendly Farmers.
As the equestrian business grew, the couple needed more land, renting 18 more acres and buying another 10, on which they built a new barn. In 2006 they bought a further 130 acres, a move Rupert described as “a big decision but one that paid off”. They used the new acreage as grassland, initially using contractors before buying their own baler.
With the farming business expanding steadily to its current size of close to 700 acres, 150 owned and the rest rented in a variety of formats, Will Greenwood is now employed as farm manager. Rupert is proud of the fact that half a dozen of the farm’s 10 employees live locally.
The Friendly Farmers currently supply 15,000 conventional and 1,000 round bales along with 6,000 straw bales and 4,000 hay bales. Any bales that deteriorate before being sold are put into the compost windrows along with manure and straw.
The farm is regenerative, with fertiliser and chemical inputs drastically reduced in recent years. Rupert has monitored bird species at the farm and has seen the number rise from 22 to 55 since 2010. “Not only are there more species, but there are also more of each species,”
Rupert’s fascination with soil quality and with the wildlife around the farm is supported by Vidacycle’s Soilmentor app, which he described as “invaluable”. He also grows a herbal mix which includes lucerne, which is nitrogen fixing, and sainfoin, a high protein plant which is ideal for horses as it doesn’t cause colic.
Increasing the health of his soil is a priority for Rupert. “Soil with organic matter and rich in biology leads to improved rainfall infiltration rates and general resilience,” he pointed out.
Rupert’s Agrimagic soil improver is sold to community gardens and garden clubs and is also available on the Friendly Farmers website, along with a variety of straws, hay, logs, rabbit food, haylage and more. The company also supplies raw wool for mulching, lining nesting boxes and other projects. “Marketed properly as raw wool, a fleece is suddenly worth around £18 instead of 50p,” Rupert pointed out. Social media is a vital part of the operation via @thefriendlyfarmers and @studukeuro on Instagram.
While the farm’s diverse activities and circular approach contribute to its growth and success, Rupert is clear that attention to detail when it comes to boosting soil health through carefully created compost plays a major part. After all, he stressed: “Microbial and mycorrhizal activity is crucial to the future of the planet.”
Hakki Pilke chopping logs
HELPING FARMERS DIVERSIFY THEIR BUSINESS
At Whitehead Monckton, we understand that farming today is about much more than traditional agriculture. Rising costs, fluctuating commodity prices and changes to subsidy regimes mean that many farmers continue to look for opportunities to diversify, whether by repurposing land and buildings, exploring renewable energy projects or restructuring their business for greater tax efficiency.
We’re proud to have worked closely with The Friendly Farmers at Shelvin Farm, supporting them through their diversification journey.
With a long history of working closely with farming families and rural businesses across Kent and beyond, we have several multi-generational clients. Our focus on building long-term relationships allows us to anticipate our clients’ needs, helping them unlock opportunities while protecting their long term interests and preserving farming legacies for future generations.
UNLOCKING NEW USES FOR LAND AND BUILDINGS
Diversification often begins with making better use of existing assets. This might involve:
• converting redundant barns into residential or holiday accommodation
• developing farm shops, cafés, or visitor attractions
• leasing land for solar, wind or battery storage projects
• creating equestrian or leisure facilities. Each of these ventures requires careful legal consideration. Our team advises on planning permissions, restrictive covenants, rights of way and environmental regulations. We also draft and negotiate leases, licences and contracts to ensure farmers retain control of their land and safeguard its future value.
STRUCTURING FOR TAX EFFICIENCY
Diversification can alter the way a farming business is taxed. Income from holiday lets or commercial leases, for example, may not qualify for the same reliefs as agricultural activity. Working alongside our tax and succession specialists, we help clients restructure ownership of land and buildings to maximise available reliefs.
This is particularly important given recent changes to inheritance tax (IHT), capping both agricultural property relief (APR) and business property relief (BPR) from April 2026 and including pension funds and death benefits payable from pensions for IHT purposes from April 2027.
For farming families, these reforms are significant. Land and business assets that previously passed free of IHT may now attract a substantial tax charge. Early planning is essential, particularly as many IHT strategies, such as gifting, involve a seven-year clock before full relief applies. Our lawyers can advise on restructuring, trusts and succession planning to mitigate exposure and protect family wealth.
NAVIGATING THE PLANNING PROCESS
consuming. Our real estate team guides clients through every stage, from feasibility studies to applications and appeals, liaising with local authorities and stakeholders to smooth the process.
LONG-TERM PROTECTION AND RISK MANAGEMENT
Diversification projects often involve significant investment. We ensure that contracts, leases and joint venture agreements are watertight and advise on issues such as overage clauses, development rights and future saleability. By anticipating risks, we give farmers the confidence to innovate without jeopardising the core farming business.
HOW WE CAN HELP
Securing planning permission for change of use, new developments or renewable energy projects can be complex and timeWe’ll sort the wheat from the chaff.
Protecting your land, legacy and family with practical legal advice.
Diversification is no longer optional for many UK farmers; it is a necessity. At Whitehead Monckton, we combine deep expertise in real estate, tax and succession planning to help farming families adapt, diversify and thrive. Our advice ensures that diversification projects are not only viable today but also resilient in the face of tomorrow’s tax and regulatory landscape.
Business sales & restructuring • Commercial & residential property • Tax planning Planning & environmental law • Contracts & employment • Wills, trusts & probate Call 01622 698000 or visit whitehead-monckton.co.uk. Email enquiries@wmlaw.uk, or visit us in Tenterden, Maidstone, Canterbury or Ramsgate.
Marsha Marriner is a director of the commercial real estate team at Whitehead Monckton, one of Kent’s largest law firms. She brings a wealth of experience in commercial property, and specialises in agricultural property and managing the property needs of large estates.
If you are considering diversification, restructuring or succession planning, our specialist team is here to guide you every step of the way.
MARSHA MARRINER Director,
Whitehead Monckton Limited (no. 08366029), registered in England & Wales. Registered office 5 Eclipse Park, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 3EN. Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under no. 608279.
GROWING THE NEXT GENERATION
Interested in a land-based career?
Changing career? We’re committed to helping you make the right choice and upskilling you to reach your goals.
Choosing where to study is one of the most exciting and important decisions anyone can make. It can help to shape your career and open all kinds of opportunities. The college is gearing up to welcome hundreds of visitors in November to a fantastic open event where potential students can see if Hadlow is the right fit for them.
WHAT PATH IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
Hadlow College is Kent’s only rural and land-based college, offering a wide range of courses designed to suit many interests and career goals. These include agricultural engineering, agriculture, animal management, equine management, fisheries management, floristry, and horticulture and garden design.
Newly added is our raptor award for animal management students; this nationally recognised falconry qualification equips students with the theoretical knowledge and practical experience needed to work confidently with birds of prey, reflecting the college’s dedication to innovation and to meeting emerging industry needs.
START THE JOURNEY
Gain the land-based skills you need at Hadlow College.
Hadlow College continues to demonstrate its commitment to pioneering education in the land-based sector, partnering with Willows Birds of Prey to deliver what is believed to be the first raptor award offered by a college in the UK.
In addition, carpentry and joinery courses are run in a dedicated workshop and the college has a fully functioning garage, diagnostic centre and workshop for motor vehicle courses.
All full-time courses incorporate valuable work experience, helping students gain real-world skills. For those who prefer learning on the job, Hadlow College apprenticeships offer a perfect blend of training and workplace experience, covering sectors from horticulture to golf course management. Typically, apprentices spend 20% of their time in training and 80% applying their skills in a professional environment.
For those looking to continue into higher education, Hadlow’s leafy campus offers degree courses and comfortable residential accommodation. Find out more at www.hadlow.ac.uk/courses.
To find out more about studying at Hadlow College, come along to our open morning on 15 November or visit www.hadlow.ac.uk
WHY CHOOSE HADLOW COLLEGE?
Set on a beautiful, expansive estate with 265 acres of farmland, woodland, commercial farms, show gardens, glasshouses and natural habitats, Hadlow offers an inspiring learning environment.
It boasts a host of cutting-edge facilities, including the UK’s first centre of excellence in greenhouse growing, the Thanet Earth Centre of Excellence @ Hadlow College, a ‘concept orchard and vineyard’ showcasing the latest technology, and more.
An Ofsted inspection resulted in North Kent College (which includes Hadlow) rated ‘good’ overall and ‘outstanding’ for behaviours and attitudes. Inspectors praised the welcoming, inclusive atmosphere and industry standard resources that prepare learners to become confident, responsible professionals.
And for those looking to live on site, the college has some literally ‘outstanding’ residential accommodation, judged as such across all categories by Ofsted.
READY TO MAKE A CHANGE?
For those looking to start at the college in September 2026, there is an open event on Saturday 15 November, from 10am to 1pm, where anyone interested can explore the facilities and speak to Hadlow’s industry trained lecturers and current students.
FOCUS ON FRUIT SARAH CALCUTT
SARAH CALCUTT ARA g S Chair, Fruiterers Awards Council
EMBRACE THE OPPORTUNITIES OF A NUFFIELD SCHOLARSHIP
“Keep an open mind and embrace every opportunity...” to quote Chris Newnham, managing director of jam manufacturer Tiptree, upper warden of the Fruiterers’ Company and a Nuffield scholar in the 1990s.
My column this month is a call to action to embrace the opportunities that come from a Nuffield scholarship. My own Nuffield, in 2008, changed my life immeasurably, from the vote of confidence in my potential by the sponsors (The Fruiterers’ awards council and Bayer CropScience) to the self-assurance that travelling by myself for three months gave me.
I'd been very ‘England-centric' to that point, and the opportunity to learn from the really big international fruit companies changed my perspective and ultimately my career trajectory.
The 2026 cohort has just been announced. On behalf of the Fruiterers I interviewed some candidates, but ultimately we did not opt to fund this year. Brilliant proposals were placed in front of the panel, really worthwhile study outlines, but in the end I felt that they would be a better fit with the strategic goals of other funders.
The Fruiterers are looking to fund scholars who bring back insight, new technologies
and knowledge that will translate into the wider commercial industry. While our budget is small, I'm beginning a piece of work that will hopefully lead to shared scholarship funding, enabling those fruit farmers who are diversifying their businesses, or looking to pivot entirely, to benefit from the support of multiple organisations, their knowledge and networks. So, what do you need to do to become a Nuffield scholar?
1. You need to be between 25 and 45
2. You need to be working within the wider food and farming industry and to be in a position to influence your sector.
3. You need to be fairly well established in your career and in a position to be able to take three months away from your business.
What might your study be about? Well, what bothers you? Do you want to find out more about the potential to integrate technology from another farming sector? Would you like time to analyse and investigate what other nations do to address a particular issue in your sector? Would you like to increase your knowledge on a policy issue, learning from other nations to influence British farming policy discussions? There is a great team at Nuffield which is only
too willing to help you. Applications close on 31 July 2026, so you have time this winter to work on a few ideas and get some guidance. If your application is a good one, interviews will be in September or October next year, with a late November conference at which you will meet your peers. There are pre-interview preparation session to help you get your study proposal across to the panel in the most effective way.
While I'm really interested in future Fruiterers/fruit industry scholars, don't forget that there are sponsors from across every farming sector, making this the most amazing opportunity available to everyone in the industry.
The South East has not been well represented in the past few years. Given the strength of our Young Farmers and the NextGen fruit group in the region, we know that there are some brilliant people rising up in the industry.
I'd love to hear complaints of a 'southerncentric' clutch of scholars next year. Who wouldn’t like a fully funded opportunity to travel the world, meet with innovative, likeminded people in other nations and bring back brilliant ideas to support the incredible farming industry we have in this country?
Liz Cresswell overlooking J Freestone Farm
SEQUENCES NOT STACKS FOR EFFECTIVE AUTUMN WEED CONTROL
With cereal drilling well underway, growers are urged to think carefully about how best to tackle changing grassweed threats with herbicides this autumn.
Hutchinsons agronomist James Boswell believes that in most cases, sequencing carefully chosen actives through autumn into winter will be far more effective than relying on big ‘stacks’ of chemistry.
James highlighted several reasons for this, one being the changes in black-grass emergence patterns seen at Hutchinsons' Cambourne black-grass demonstration site and elsewhere in recent years.
“Where growers have focused on cultural controls and spring cropping over the past eight to 10 years, this has done a terrific job in reducing overall populations, and we are finding black-grass is now emerging in smaller numbers, but it’s extending far longer into the autumn,” said James. “In many situations the population is now below 50 plants/m2 but their tillering potential is significant.”
JAMES BOSWELL
Agronomist
T: 07721 888382
E: james.boswell@hlhltd.co.uk
Canterbury: 01227 830064
www.hlhltd.co.uk
Stale seedbeds during September and early October are still valuable, particularly for controlling volunteers, but in many areas they are generating far fewer numbers of emerged black-grass plants than in the past.
Sequencing herbicides is therefore far more effective at covering this protracted emergence than relying on single, big, stacked applications, said James.
The case for sequencing treatments is further strengthened where growers have drilled early, thus widening the gap between pre-em applications and October grassweed emergence and where warm, dry conditions have reduced the residual activity of pre-ems.
LOOK BEYOND BLACK-GRASS
Another reason for sequencing chemistry is to help tackle the mix of other grassweed species that are creeping into more fields, such as mixed populations of sterile and rye, soft or meadow brome.
This increases the risk of spring-emerging elements in the weed population, making it necessary to use later season residuals to extend control into the new year.
The choice of active ingredient may not be exclusively black-grass focused and, increasingly, the control of other weeds should be factored into product decisions.
Many leading herbicides offer good control of a range of grassweeds and often bring additional activity against difficult broadleaved weeds such as groundsel, poppy and bur chervil.
GETTING THE MOST FROM PRE-EMS
1. Weed emergence – grassweeds need to germinate within the herbicide active zone in the 10 to 14 days following a pre-em application. Also consider whether or not initial cultivations have moved grassweeds to a depth where germination into the herbicide zone will occur.
2. Soil moisture – sufficient moisture is needed for weed germination, to facilitate uptake of residual herbicides and to move herbicide into the soil to prevent rapid degradation at the surface. Soil moisture conditions are highly variable across the country, so react appropriately to individual situations.
3. Application – use sufficient water for good efficacy (ideally 200 l/ha), keep forward speed and boom height low and use the correct nozzle
4. Crop safety – this is driven by seedbed quality and drilling depth. Avoid cloddy seedbeds, which, by definition, are likely to be too dry for residual activity and will mean variable seed depth. Heavy rainfall can exacerbate the crop safety risk to shallow-sown seed for some chemistry.
CALLING IN THE CAVALRY STEPHEN CARR
Had the weather forecast not worsened unexpectedly, my plan was to plough and sow a 20-hectare field with wheat using my own kit. This, though, would have been a drawn-out affair as I only have one plough, and, as this is not a field to mess about with if it looks like rain, I called in the cavalry in the form of a local contractor with his two ploughs and his all-singing, alldancing power harrow/drill combination.
My sole employee’s role was now to rush on the P&K in advance of the cultivations, haul the seed to the field to load the contractor’s drill hopper and drag a ring roller over the freshly sown tilth before the contractor’s crop sprayer appeared to apply a pre-emergent herbicide.
All this activity gathered an unusually high density of men and machines in one field. I calculated that I was looking at close to £1 million worth of kit, the tractors resembling a choreographed dance troupe, gliding past each other but never quite touching.
While I was helping load the drill with seed, the contractor jumped out of his cab to have a chat. Like me, it had struck him how nice it was to have so many workers in one place. I couldn’t help but reflect how this field had once borne witness to a confrontation between my late father and his head carter, 80 years earlier. The row led to massive permanent reductions in the farm’s workforce.
It was 1944 and all the farm’s draught work was still done by horses. The management of them, and of the men and land army women, was under the undisputed jurisdiction of the head carter, Alf Packham. It had been a wet harvest and, although the wheat had been cut by the binder and tied up, the sheaves were still awaiting collection from the field to be put into stacks, which would then be thatched for threshing later.
One sunny afternoon, my father decided that the sheaves, standing in little pyramid formations called stooks, had dried just enough to be collected up. He instructed Alf to get the horses out of their stables, hitched to wagons and into the field as quickly as possible. Rain was on its way.
Along with most of his three dozen workers (the farm ran to 220 hectares), dad began pitchforking the sheaves onto the wagons, but they were barely half loaded with their first haul when Alf raised his arm. This was the signal for the horses to be unhitched from the wagons and returned to their stables for their evening routine.
My father was enraged. None of the six wagons had been more than half loaded and here was Alf ordering everyone back to the yard. He threw his tweed cap to the ground and trampled it into the mud with frustration. He put his name down to buy a tractor the very next day.
Within a year the first tractor appeared on the farm, and within five, Alf was gone and so were the horses.
My contractor was right; it was nice to see so many men in the field. But if my father had been there, he would have completely disagreed. A high density of men would only have reminded him of Alf.
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STEPHEN CARR
Stephen farms near Eastbourne in East Sussex in partnership with his wife and four of his daughters. The farm has a pub, the Sussex Ox at Milton Street, which serves the farm's pedigree Sussex beef, Southdown-cross lamb and fruit and vegetables from the farmhouse kitchen-garden.
JOHN ROSSITER
Reporting on the market at Ashford
T: 01233 502222
www.hobbsparker.co.uk
FARM DISPERSAL DRAWS STRONG CROWDS AND CONFIDENT BIDDING
The on-farm dispersal sale of Nonington Farms in East Kent in September proved a highlight in this autumn’s sale calendar. It attracted large crowds from Kent, Sussex, East Anglia and beyond, with solid online participation from all over the UK and Europe complementing the very brisk ringside trade.
Nonington Farms has long been recognised as a well-run arable and contract farming enterprise, noted for its focus on efficiency but with sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices at the core. With the restructuring of the business, the decision was taken to hold a complete dispersal of the principal machinery fleet, creating a strong opportunity for purchasers seeking well-maintained equipment from a respected farming business.
In total, over 350 lots went under the hammer, including tractors, a combine, cultivation and drilling equipment, grain handling kit, trailers and an array of workshop items. The catalogue was rounded out with several supplementary entries from neighbouring farms, adding breadth and variety to the sale and attracting interest from the livestock farmers of Kent as one consignment included some high-quality livestock handling equipment.
Buyers arrived early and there was a palpable sense of anticipation as the gates
opened. The lots had been prepared to a high standard, with all major items washed, serviced and well displayed. Such presentation always inspires confidence, and this was reflected in active bidding throughout the day.
While 2025 has seen a more cautious tone across the used machinery market, particularly for older or specialised equipment, clean, well looked after machines remain in keen demand. Nonington Farms’ dispersal clearly demonstrated this, and bidders were selective but prepared to pay strong money for quality. The current cost of new equipment of a similar scale has also driven buyers to go down the clean, secondhand route when upgrading machinery.
Earlier sections of the sale, featuring smaller implements, spares and workshop items, provided a good atmosphere and allowed plenty of buyers to participate. These lots often tell the story of a working farm and many fetched strong prices relative to their scale; a testament to both condition and presentation. One lot of note in this section was a curious looking chest of drawers, found in the grain store, which was sold with all proceeds going to the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance. The lot achieved a final total of £1,360 after being re-offered numerous times.
From the outset, the Nonington Farms dispersal sale was a pleasure to conduct. The
vendors’ attention to detail in the preparation and organisation made a real difference. It’s always encouraging to see such a positive turnout, particularly in a market where buyers are weighing up their options carefully. Well-maintained, modern, and ‘fashionable’ machinery will always find its level, and that was certainly the case on the day.
The use of MartEye online bidding once again extended the sale’s reach, enabling participation from buyers across the UK and further afield. The combination of an active ring and a lively online platform provides the ideal balance for an efficient, transparent sale where fair sale prices are achieved every time.
Favourable autumn weather added to the success of the day and the sense of community was strong; old acquaintances meeting again, advice being shared and plenty of conversation around the current challenges and opportunities in farming over a bacon roll and cup of tea.
As the final lot was knocked down, it was clear that the Nonington Farms dispersal sale had achieved exactly what any vendor hopes for; a fair reflection of market value, satisfied purchasers and a well-attended day that ran smoothly from start to finish.
Thanks go to the vendors, the Nonington Farms team, all purchasers and attendees and the many staff who contributed to the smooth running of the event.
CAN WE CONSIGN BEEF COW LAMENESS TO HISTORY?
Most of us pride ourselves on spotting a lame animal promptly. The trouble is that by the time it’s visible, that animal may have been affected sub-clinically for days, sometimes longer. Early lameness isn’t always the one hobbling behind; it can be the one whose gait is just slightly shorter, or who lies down a bit more. Catching those cases earlier has always been easier said than done, but some interesting new technology might soon make that possible.
In the dairy world, researchers have been strapping sensors to cows for years. Accelerometers, step counters, leg-mounted gyroscopes and cameras all measure movement patterns, detecting subtle changes before any limp is visible. That has always felt a bit remote from life on a beef farm, yet several recent studies have focused on bringing this technology into practical use. Trials show that small, low-cost accelerometers can predict lameness days ahead of clinical signs using simple machine learning.
What could this look like for beef herds? While dairy systems have the luxury of cows regularly walking through race systems, beef monitoring will need to fit existing management. Work has already explored using accelerometers and GPS to monitor beef behaviour, and now studies are using standard video cameras with AI to flag changes in stride and weight-bearing – all in real time, outdoors and under variable light. It’s not pie in the sky anymore, and commercial options may not be far away. Camera systems such as HerdVision are already being employed in beef farms and have the added advantage of being able to monitor body condition and even monitor daily live weight gain at pasture. Why bother? Because even mild lameness costs. Studies on slaughtered beef cattle this year found over a quarter had painful hoof lesions never recognised on farm. Every step that hurts knocks feed intake, growth and
Ian Roper, BVetMed MRCVS, looks at some interesting new technology that could catch lameness earlier.
fertility. If we can shorten the time between the first signs of discomfort and treatment, we can reduce chronic damage and culling rates, improve fertility and ultimately increase kilos of beef produced.
Being able to make changes to feeding supplementation and grazing rotation before the cows get fat or thin will also massively improve fertility and calving success. The economics stack up fast when you consider regained performance as well as treatment costs.
That said, none of this replaces good stockmanship. Sensors and cameras won’t tell you whether it’s foul-in-the-foot or a bruised sole (yet) – but they raise the alarm. We still need regular handling, prompt treatment and proper trimming where appropriate, but these systems could help us get there sooner. As they become more userfriendly, affordable and adaptable to beef
farms, you will be able to pull out the cow for treatment before the lesion is too far gone for effective recovery.
It’s worth keeping an eye on this field.
Used wisely, early-warning tools could mean fewer long-term lame animals, better welfare, improved fertility and a little less frustration for everyone involved. Maybe soon, we’ll be able to say we spotted them before they limped.
STRONG TRADE FOR BEEF CATTLE
With autumn now here, September and early October saw a strong trade for beef cattle in livestock markets, particularly for the better quality. There was some resistance to O+ and O- grade cattle, and this was reflecting the quoted dead weight returns.
Prices are still well above 12 months ago and this is no change from the past two months’ reports. Numbers are still short and more could be sold to advantage.
Best prime cattle are still trading above 400p/kg live weight, particularly on the handier weight cattle. Some resistance was seen to the very heavy cattle, but they are still selling to over £3,000 a head.
With Christmas fast approaching, it is likely that the beef cattle trade will firm as wholesalers and butchers put aside beef for Christmas. With numbers not likely to increase, it is very much a supply and demand situation.
The cull cow trade remains strong for processing beef, as has been the case for many years, exerting a strong influence on the beef trade. It is certainly not worth farmers keeping old cows which have served their use, and these should be cashed. With cheaper food about, it is not to say that the cows should not be fed, but the decision appears to be simple; cash in while you can.
The store cattle trade remains at exceptionally good levels, with numbers increasing throughout the period as would be expected. Many cattle are being sold at over £2,000 a head at 18 months of age, a remarkable return for store cattle producers.
It is vital that this trade continues, as more producers are still looking to leave the industry than join. It is to be hoped that the beef trade continues at the levels above and indeed firms throughout the next two months as Christmas approaches.
With the sheep trade, it has been a more difficult period of selling. Many producers have been disappointed by the returns, but it should be remembered these are still in line with 12
GRAHAM ELLIS FRICS FAAV FLAA For and on behalf of Stanfords T: 01206 842156 E: info@stanfords-colchester.co.uk
months ago and above 24 months ago.
While it is understood that all producers need more income, sheep meat is still a premium product and, when compared with chicken, pork and indeed beef, is at a premium price.
Best new season lambs are still trading at over £170 a head in many cases, but many lean lambs being sold in the finished market would be just as well sold as stores. While the trade is down to what it was two months ago, it may be that we have to accept the levels now obtained for a few months.
In contrast to the finished lambs, the store sheep trade remains exceptionally good throughout, with many forward stores being taken for short-term keep and early clearance.
The best stores are regularly £120 to £130 a head and above. Longer-keep lambs are trading from £70 to £95 a head and all prices between.
It was welcome to see some rain at long last in the period just gone, with stubble turnips at last showing some growth, although the concern is that if frost comes the turnips will not have much bulb, which is the main part that sheep feed on. Let us hope that we have a mild and wetter period, although as this report was being written in the second week in October, there was no sign of that in the forecast.
The cull ewe trade remains at good levels, although slightly lower than the past three months as many producers were clearing any badly performing sheep and those with bad bags and teeth. This is not unusual for the time of year. Well-meated ewes are still meeting a strong trade. Ewes still look a realistic return considering it’s the end of their life and the price of replacement sheep.
The dead weight pig trade continues at recent months’ levels, with supply again appearing to equate to demand. As with the beef trade, it is possible the trade will increase as we get nearer Christmas, particularly for heavier-breaking pigs with hams being put to one side. The cull sow trade became more difficult in the period, so let us hope that trade increases.
Given the dry weather, drilling of winter wheat and winter barley was going well, although into dry seed beds. It is a common sight to see clouds of dust behind drills. Rain will be needed, but at least the grain will be in the ground.
With the sugar beet season having started in East Anglia as this report was being written, yields are variable and mixed sugar content returns are being notified.
It is disappointing to hear that grain is difficult to move on the market, with low prices being quoted which are not sustainable for the arable farmer. It is disappointing to hear of massive imports of grain into the country when we have well-produced and farmassured grain to sell in this country.
An interesting time for all in the agricultural industry; some positive news would be good.
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR SUCKLER HERD?
Over the summer we have been catching up on our health reviews, and one challenge I’ve found is that valuable farm data is often not collected.
How many cows wean a calf each year in your herd? The target has been set at 94 calves per 100 cows, but the UK suckler herd weans 85 to 89 calves per 100 cows. In a world facing a climate crisis, improving production efficiency is a good way to reduce the greenhouse gases emitted when producing the food we eat.
When we measure where these calves are lost, we can take action to improve. Tim Geraghty and SRUC Vet Services recorded calf losses between breeding and weaning from 2,000 suckler cows in Scotland for two years. The major factor identified was poor fertility and how many potential calves are lost even before calving. This study found almost 10 calves lost per 100 cows, which is huge.
We have done a lot of scanning for beef herds so far this autumn and it is always a good opportunity to discuss problems if the result is not as hoped. A common issue I have encountered is that a bull went lame because the ground was so hard. What a difference between 2024 and 2025!
Some basic information to record includes:
• Number of cows scanned pregnant
• Number of calves born alive and the number stillborn
• Number of calves that died in the first week of life
• Number of calves weaned per cow per year.
At Cliffe Farm Vets we offer a post-mortem service which provides a great insight into why a calf might have died. Have you had any post-mortem examinations performed on your stock? Did you find the information useful? Knowledge of when and why you might be losing calves gives you the power to make changes in the herd.
When you collect data like this, it makes it easier to have meaningful discussions with both vets and other farmers. I look forward to seeing the data in future. If we know where the problems are, we can start making improvements and futureproofing British beef.
Research Proven by Newcastle University to: Improve scanning by up to 11%
Alan Collett, Sheep Farmer
Take Back Control of Supplementation
Improves forage intake by 15% Increases scanning percentages Lasts up to 3x longer versus other blocks
SO MUCH MORE THAN A PAIR OF TESTICLES
With tupping rapidly approaching (probably almost completed by the time this drops through letterboxes), I was hoping to see a decent autumn flush of grass following the rain in the middle of September. The grass did start to grow to
ALAN WEST Sheep farmer
the sheep, but with a bit less than 3mm of rain in the second half of September, this was rather short lived.
The ewes always provide a good barometer of grazing availability. As the grass grew, they largely ignored the half a big bale of hay that they still had in front of them for a short while; by the last week of the month, as grass growth began to slow, they started on it again. I strongly suspect the chances of a good autumn flush have quite literally evaporated, although I do hope that I am wrong.
This year has, for us, certainly been a challenge for all sorts of reasons, a season that the ewes have met with rather more fortitude than the rams; the latter, in spite of a bit of supplementary feed, have struggled to get into condition for tupping. The older stud rams are just about right, although another half a condition score would help, but the shearlings, with having to cope with improving condition on top
of growing and rising hormone levels, have not fared quite so well; they are correct, the genetics are there, but the packaging has let them down. Genetics are important, but you do have to be happy with what you are looking at on a daily basis, and I have not exactly found
my shearlings to be easy on the eye this season.
I have already entered a couple into the Ashford Ram Sale, in spite of not really being happy with them, I did take two along half expecting that they would both be on a return ticket. The sale was largely about terminal sire breeds and I knew that ewe breeds would be at a bit of a disadvantage. I soon realised that although the genetics were there, the presentation was sadly lacking. Ordinarily I would not sell a sheep that I wouldn’t consider buying myself, a conviction that I should have adhered to; so with little interest at the sale they returned to the ram paddock that evening. Lesson learnt.
The lack of any meaningful interest in my rams did, however, provide plenty of time and opportunity to observe other breeders at the sale, and what really struck me was how few of the potential buyers actually got into a pen and handled rams on offer. Personally, I wouldn’t consider purchasing any ram without first checking it out; getting in the pen to inspect, at the very least, teeth and testicles. Condition and some consideration of type also come in there somewhere. If possible, I will get a ram out to see it walk up and down a passageway, although that’s not always easy in a busy market. A chat with the breeder obviously helps get some idea of breeding, but this should always be tempered with the knowledge that he or she is there to sell rams.
Teeth, feet, testicles and condition are all important factors in a ram; factors that cannot be properly assessed by simply standing outside a pen looking at rams. Sadly, poor teeth do seem to be an increasing issue and one that some breeders seem to choose to overlook; I learnt the hard way when, in my early days of pedigree breeding, I took what I thought was a smart ram into a sale, only for a breeder, for whom I had a great deal of respect, to tell me quite emphatically “it’s wrong in the mouth” - only marginal, but still not as it should have been. From that day on I will not keep a sheep for breeding that is “wrong in the mouth”, starting with checking all lambs’ teeth at lambing time.
Nevertheless, bad mouths are creeping in; I judged at quite a large regional show earlier this season; in an AOB shearling ram class (17 forward) rosettes were on offer to six places, but I only awarded three. I was not going to award a rosette to a sheep that was wrong in the mouth; some had other reasons for not being in the final line up, but rather too many had poor teeth. At another, smaller show, panel judging the championship, one ‘class champion’ was at the bottom of my list, simply because it was wrong in the mouth. Maybe I’m just
becoming a bit too pernickety in my old age, but teeth are important for any sheep that is expected to perform off grass; it’s a really essential element of any sustainable and resilient sheep production system.
Testicles really should not need any explanation; the obvious point is that any ram needs a pair (I have come across rams with less in the show ring), but even that is not always easily checked visually. Quite apart from the number, they also need to be a good size (15.5 inch collar size; the pair that is) and in good order. Neither feet nor body condition should require further explanation; a ram presented with a group of 50 or more ewes needs to be mobile and working hard, activity that will often result in him needing to draw upon stored body reserves.
But the most crucial aspect is the one that we cannot see, genetics. Performance recording data may help, with the proviso that you do need to like what you’re looking at 365 days of the year, and even a high-index ram can look like a bag of spanners; that said, any meaningful information about breeding should provide some useful guidance.
One thing that is almost 100% guaranteed is that waiting for the last ram sale of the season hoping to acquire a real bargain, just as long as it has a leg in each corner and a pair of testicles, will not provide the best genetics or the best results; potentially the difference between selling 80% of lambs finished or 80% as stores. A ram is so much more than a pair of testicles on four legs.
ADVERTISER'S ANNOUNCEMENT
TAKE CONTROL OF SUPPLEMENTATION
Having ewes and tups in optimal condition for tupping forms the basis of profitability for both lowland and hill sheep farmers. Ewes in better condition at tupping go on to scan better, milk better and rear heavier lambs. They also bounce back more quickly for the next cycle, making flock management smoother and more productive.
Priority in achieving ewe efficiency is supplying energy and protein in the right amounts and at the right time to achieve good condition. Start monitoring target body condition scores (BCS) early, splitting thin and over-fat ewes and feeding energy and protein accordingly.
Recognised BCS targets to work to are:
• Lowland sheep: 3.5
• Upland sheep: 2.5 to 3
Managing BCS through grazing is the most cost-effective method, but can be a challenge so late in the growing season when grass quality and growth start declining.
Minerals, trace elements and vitamins are critical to all body functions. In most cases, grass and forage will be short in one or more of these key nutrients, all collectively vital at tupping time.
Some key elements include:
• Cobalt – for foetal production and lamb vigour after birth
• Copper – for development of the foetal lamb
• Iodine – for normal foetal growth and development
• Selenium – for foetal growth and immunity.
Correct supplementation from tupping and through pregnancy will have a definite positive impact on lambing rates, lamb survival and lamb weaning weight.
Crystalyx Extra High Energy is suitable for all grazing situations; its controlled intake levels provide increased digestibility of forage.
Independent research has shown that ewes fed Crystalyx Extra High Energy at grass throughout the flushing and tupping period:
• gain condition and liveweight faster than on good grass alone (+2kg extra liveweight in six weeks)
• conceive faster to the ram, significantly shortening the lambing period (22 vs 49 days in a Crystalyx Research Study conducted by Aberystwyth University).
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IN CONJUNCTION WITH
SEEDBEDS HAVE BEEN FANTASTIC
By Brett Pointing, Agronomist and Director – Dorset.
What a difference a year makes. Only around 10% to 20% of cereals had been drilled by the middle of October last year, whereas we are at 80% to 90% this season. Additionally, the seedbeds have been fantastic, and even wet areas of fields are coming up the best they have in years, a much-needed boost in an economically tricky time.
Earlier drilling has meant that pre-emergence herbicides have been applied in good time, and with a bit of moisture around seem to be doing a reasonable job so far. So now efforts turn to top-up sprays where needed, along with aphicide applications.
The pre-em used will determine what will be used at the top-up timing. With early drilling, persistence is needed, and so a lot will have gone down the Flufenacet (FFT) + DFF + Aclonifen route as Aclonifen is a very persistent active. However, it can be hard on the crop, so going on early drilled crops when rainfall was low is the safest option rather than later drilled crops.
This will then likely be followed by a Cinmethylin + Pendimethalin (PDM)
application. Cinmethylin is the market leader for control of blackgrass and ryegrass and has the flexibility to be applied later (up to GS30). In trials it also seems to work well if not better at the peri-emergence timing, and with good persistence it will then last well into the late autumn/winter, reducing the later flushes.
The new product Fundatis (Bixlozone + Beflubutamid) may also be an option at this stage; from what we have seen it seems to work better at the peri-emergence timing than at the pre-emergence timing. It is stronger on ryegrass than blackgrass, however, so use it cautiously as it is a new product, but it’s very welcome, especially as it’s bringing in a new mode of action to cereals.
Where grassweeds are less of a concern, most programmes will have been built around Flufenacet/DFF/Pendimethalin with, potentially, products like Tower (PDM + DFF + Chlorotoluron) or Alternator Met (FFT + DFF + Metribuzin) to bring increased broad-leaved weed control, especially on weeds such as groundsel, which seems to be becoming a tricker weed to control in the spring.
CCC AGRONOMY
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.
With lots of early drilling, aphids are of real concern and we are finding plenty about on emerging crops. It is important to check before applying any aphicide and to use the day degree calculations to apply once winged aphids start to reproduce and then cause an issue. We are also finding a lot of gout fly eggs on the earliest crops drilled. We had severe issues with gout fly last year in the few September crops that were drilled, so it is important to keep an eye out.
Oilseed rape has, overall, come through relatively unscathed. By being late drilled because of the drought, it has been much less affected by cabbage stem flea beetle and slug damage. With most graminicides now applied, focus turns to broad-leaved weed control. Belkar (Halauxifen-methyl + Picloram) at half rate does a good job on a lot of the common weeds, but where larger weeds are present the new product LaDiva (Aminopyralid + Halauxifen-methyl + Picloram) may be a better option.
Winter has arrived. The evenings are dark and horrible, fireworks have been pinging for what seems like weeks and Hallowe’en will soon have been and gone (thank goodness).
Fireworks should be saved for 5 November, and if I could control it they would be set off at organised displays only. The latest fireworks we heard were being lit at 2am. Most livestock are not concerned with the loud bangs and cracks but occasionally some are. Fortunately, all our livestock seem to deal with these relatively well, but we have a good friend whose dog is a nervous wreck whenever it nears 5 November. It becomes quite a sorry sight to see.
Drilling is complete for 2025, and for the first time in many years every acre has been drilled, either with a winter or cover crop, and so the cycle begins again. While the weather has been mild for this time of year, I fear we may well be in for a long, cold winter. The heating is now on, much to Mr Grumpy’s disgust.
Britain is facing yet more safety concerns over the illegal importation of meat into the UK, raising fears about biosecurity and the potential introduction of diseases that could threaten livestock and public health.
Authorities are increasing checks at borders
ORGANISED CHAOS ANITA HICKSON
BRITAIN IS FACING YET MORE SAFETY CONCERNS
and urging vigilance among consumers and businesses to ensure food safety standards are maintained. The criminal smuggling operations responsible are bringing in some of the products with the greatest risk to sell on the black market.
This should be stopped with immediate effect, but the border forces seem to be so under-resourced that they are letting issues like this go unnoticed. Bluetongue seems to be gaining traction again, according to DEFRA.
In addition, there are new welfare recommendations to phase out the use of CO2 stunning for pigs. Animal welfare organisations and scientific advisers have highlighted that this method can cause distress to animals, prompting calls for the industry to adopt more humane alternatives. The Government is now reviewing guidance and considering a timeline for the gradual transition to improved stunning techniques in slaughterhouses. Pigs are not an area that I am familiar with, but as with anything to do with
farming they are under intense scrutiny for everything and anything.
Many thanks to our milk purchaser for yet another cut to the milk price this month. After years of trying to encourage milk production in the autumn and the run up to Christmas with various seasonality schemes aimed at encouraging producers to produce more milk in the “trough period”, as they call it, the first year that they have more milk they cut the milk price, with some producers receiving cuts of up to 8p per litre. Does this not seem a little bizarre? Especially as it doesn’t appear to have been reflected in the supermarkets.
CHAMPIONING INNOVATION
A former chief executive of the British Texel Sheep Society has been named as the chief executive of the UK Agri-Tech Centre, a role he will take up at the end of January.
Steve McLean, who left the society to join Marks & Spencer as head of agriculture and fisheries sourcing, has built a distinguished career championing innovation and supply chain excellence across the agricultural and retail sectors.
Steve, who also helps his wife Bec run the Fordwell flock of Texels in Oxfordshire, said he was “honoured to be joining the UK Agri-Tech Centre at such a pivotal time for British agriculture”, adding: “The sector is undergoing rapid transformation and the organisation plays a vital role supporting the development of agri-tech innovation, which helps farmers and food producers meet the challenges of sustainability, productivity and resilience.”
Current Texel Society chief executive John Yates described the appointment as “fantastic news for UK agriculture”. He went on: “Steve’s strategic understanding of both farming and retail supply chains, coupled with his passion for innovation, will be a huge asset to the UK Agri-Tech Centre. Everyone at the society congratulates him and wishes him continued success in this exciting new chapter.”
ANITA HICKSON Farmer
Legal services for farmers & rural businesses
Call us today or visit our website: 01227 763939 furleypage.co.uk
PIVOTAL MOMENT FOR UK HIGHER EDUCATION
Abigail Trencher, Partner and Head of Education at Birketts LLP asks is the Kent/Greenwich merger a turning point for agri-education in the UK?
The planned merger between the University of Kent and the University of Greenwich, set to form the London and South East University Group by autumn 2026, marks a pivotal moment for UK higher education. While the move is largely driven by financial pressures, its ripple effects could be particularly significant for universities offering agricultural degrees, especially as demand for such programmes continues to rise.
Land-based, agricultural and horticultural education is undergoing a renaissance. Driven by global concerns around food security, sustainability and technological innovation, modern agriculture degrees have evolved far beyond traditional farming. They now encompass interdisciplinary subjects such as agribusiness, environmental management and agri-tech, attracting a broader and more diverse student base. In this context, mergers across the sector present valuable opportunities for the future of the courses in the agricultural and horticultural industries.
As the UK higher education sector faces intensifying financial pressures, university mergers are increasingly seen as a pragmatic solution to ensuring institutional sustainability. For landbased universities – those specialising in agriculture, horticulture, animal science and environmental management – mergers may offer a lifeline amid declining graduate numbers, funding challenges and a widening skills gap in the workforce. At the same time, the rising popularity of
agriculture-related degrees presents a unique opportunity for urban universities to increase and diversify their education offering and reposition land-based education as a cornerstone of national resilience.
ADDRESSING STRUCTURAL CHALLENGES
Land-based institutions are grappling with a complex set of issues:
• Declining graduate numbers: a shortage of skilled professionals in agriculture and environmental sectors is threatening the UK’s ability to meet food security and sustainability goals.
• Weak industry/education links: employers often report a disconnect between academic training and realworld needs, leading to mismatches in skills and job readiness.
• Limited workforce training: Many workers in the sector have received only basic education, with few opportunities for upskilling or professional development.
• Funding pressures: falling per-student funding and limited access to research grants have constrained innovation and growth in land-based education.
• Lack of national strategy: without a clear roadmap for land-based skills development, colleges and universities struggle to plan effectively or attract investment.
Mergers could help mitigate these challenges by creating larger, more resilient institutions with the capacity to invest in
specialist programmes, modern facilities and industry partnerships.
UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF AGRI-EDUCATION
Despite ongoing challenges, agrieducation is capable of making a strong comeback. As concerns grow about food supply, climate change and new technologies, more students from different backgrounds are choosing agriculturerelated degrees. Several key trends are driving this renewed interest:
• Use of modern technology: courses now include cutting-edge tools like robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) and data analysis. These prepare students for careers in high-tech farming and agricultural innovation.
• Mix of subjects: agriculture degrees now combine science with business, environmental studies and policy. This opens up career options in areas like consulting, marketing and engineering –not just traditional farming.
• Focus on sustainability: topics like climate-friendly farming, ethical food production and protecting nature are central to today’s courses. These align with global efforts to tackle environmental challenges.
University mergers could help strengthen these benefits by allowing institutions to share resources, offer a wider range of courses and attract more students from diverse backgrounds and regions. This could make land-based careers more visible, appealing and relevant in today’s fast-changing world.
WHAT EMPLOYERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WORKFORCE CHANGE
THE RISE OF AGRI-TECH AND THE CHANGING WORKFORCE
From robotic harvesters to AI-driven crop monitoring, automation is reshaping how farms operate. While these technologies offer solutions to long-standing labour shortages, they also raise questions about the rural workforce’s future.
DEFRA’s 2022 review into automation in horticulture acknowledged that while innovation is progressing, the sector remains heavily reliant on seasonal labour. A follow-up review in 2023 reinforced this, calling for a longer-term seasonal workers scheme and greater investment in domestic skills.
Alongside this, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has taken a leading role in supporting the sector’s transition by funding innovation, promoting knowledge exchange and helping businesses prepare for a more tech-enabled future. For employers, this shift isn’t just about machinery; it’s about people, and so employment law must be part of the conversation from the outset.
REDUNDANCY, RETRAINING AND RISK: LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS
Where automation leads to reduced headcount or changes in job roles, employers must follow fair redundancy procedures. This includes meaningful consultation, objective selection criteria and appropriate notice periods.
Abigail Brightwell, Employment Partner at Brachers LLP, explores the employment law implications of automation in agriculture and what farm businesses should be thinking about now.
Even where roles aren’t disappearing entirely, significant changes to duties may require contract updates or employee agreement.
Employers also have a duty to consider alternatives to redundancy, including retraining or redeploying staff into new roles. As agri-tech evolves, there may be opportunities to upskill existing workers to operate or maintain new systems. This helps retain valuable experience and can reduce legal risk and support smoother transitions. At some farms, AI tools now analyse hundreds of thousands of data points daily to monitor crop health, while semi-autonomous robots patrol rows at night to reduce fungicide use. Elsewhere, barcode-linked systems track picker performance and robotic trolleys transport fruit to cooling tunnels. These innovations are changing the nature of work; not eliminating it, but shifting it toward more technical, data-driven roles.
Health and safety is another key area. Introducing robotics and AI brings new risks that
At Brachers, we’re helping clients navigate this transition, combining employment law advice with sector insight to support long-term resilience.
must be assessed and managed. Employers are responsible for ensuring automated systems are safe to use, staff are properly trained and liability is clearly understood, particularly where AI decision-making is involved.
PLANNING AHEAD: CONTRACTS, CULTURE AND COMPLIANCE
As the sector modernises, employment contracts may need to evolve, too. Employers should review job descriptions, working patterns and expectations to ensure they reflect a more automated environment. Where larger restructures are planned, collective consultation obligations may apply. Looking ahead, the most resilient businesses will be those that engage early, not just with technology, but with the legal and cultural implications of change. With AHDB and DEFRA both signalling a long-term shift toward automation, now is the time to plan for a workforce that’s smaller, more skilled and more tech-enabled.
Hartfield, East Sussex. Hartfield: 1.5 miles East Grinstead: 8.5 miles Tunbridge Wells: 9.5 miles
Approximately 165.12 acres in total. Mixture of arable land and permanent pasture with about 18 acres of woodland and shaws. Amenity and sporting appeal and environmental stewardship scope.
Guide £1.28 million For sale as a whole or in 3 lots
Chris Spofforth
+44 (0) 78 1296 5379 cspofforth@savills.com
+44 (0) 79 6755 5724 hriches@savills.com
Hannah Riches
305 ACRES OF ORGANIC GRASSLAND TO RENT
On behalf of the Hascombe Estate, Savills is marketing 305 acres of organic grassland in Hascombe, Surrey, available on a grazing licence from February 2026.
Located a few miles from Godalming, the block comprises predominantly grade 3 land, with some areas classified as grade 4, with the soil mainly sandy and loamy.
The land is available as a whole or in up to three separate lots and is to be let by informal tender. Lot 1 includes a general purpose farm building. The land is currently managed under an organic Countryside Stewardship Higher-Tier agreement.
Dan Kendall, of Savills food and farming team, said: “This is an excellent opportunity to rent a substantial block of organic grassland in
Surrey. The estate is seeking the right farming business or individuals to form a long-term relationship and work closely with them to
For
graze and manage the land.”
Offers are invited, with tender applications to be submitted by Friday 12 December, 2025.
New modelling shows impact of IHT reforms on profitability
The window is narrowing for farms and estate businesses to prepare for forthcoming inheritance tax (IHT) reforms, with new analysis highlighting the impact on farm profitability for farms of different sizes and performance levels.
The draft Finance Bill confirmed changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR), due to take effect from April 2026 (see summary below).
Speculation is also growing that the Autumn Budget on 26 November may bring further reforms, possibly including adjustments to Potentially Exempt Transfers (often referred to as PETs) and allowances.
Modelling the impact
Strutt & Parker has produced new analysis which highlights that many farms are already under financial pressure, squeezed by the effects of climate change and the loss of Basic Payments. Even with the option to spread IHT liabilities over ten years, affordability remains a live question.
Looking at Farm Business Survey data, we find that around half of English farms are currently operating at economically unsustainable levels. We set the benchmark at a £34,500 annual profit for a 140ha farm – equivalent to the UK’s median household income, or around £250/ha. This figure represents the minimum needed to support owners and reinvest in the business. Of course, for some, more may be required, while others may manage with less.
Our modelling assumes farmers will use some of the most straightforward taxplanning steps – such as dividing assets between spouses, restructuring wills to secure APR/BPR relief, and making lifetime gifts. Yet even with these measures, annual IHT liabilities for farms making typical amounts of profit (ie. in the middle 50% of performance) could still range from 44% to 124% of annual profits.
The analysis also indicates that while larger farms may face higher liabilities – since allowances have a smaller relative impact –affordability is strongly influenced by overall business performance. For instance, a very large farm performing around the industry average could face an IHT liability equivalent to 124% of profits, whereas a similarly sized farm in the top 25% might see a liability closer to 33% of profits.
What this means for you
The priority is gaining a clear understanding of your current position. This starts with obtaining a comprehensive, accurate valuation of your land, machinery, livestock, and other assets from a RICS-registered valuer. While stocktaking valuations were often relied upon in the past, because the value of those assets would be covered entirely by the BPR relief, that may no longer be the case. Knowing the accurate market value is more important than ever. Working alongside your accountant and legal advisers, it is then possible to explore a range of strategies. This could involve restructuring businesses or trusts, making lifetime gifts, reviewing insurance options, or taking advantage of reliefs such as the Conditional Exemption Tax Incentive.
IHT liability and affordability for different sized farms
IHT liability and affordability for different sized farms and by farm performance
Succession planning is about more than tax alone. Affordability and the long-term resilience of the business are equally crucial. A farm business review can help benchmark performance, challenge assumptions, and identify a realistic path forward for improving financial performance and achieving growth. Our experience is that higher-performing farmers don’t always have the best soils or the largest farm. What sets them apart is their attitude and management style. Common traits include:
• A willingness to adapt and embrace change
• Attention to detail in monitoring and decision-making
• Clear communication and alignment across the business team
• A continuous focus on improvement and efficiency
• An accurate and up-to-date understanding of the running costs within their business
Ultimately, the most important question is: what does success look like for you and your family in five years’ time? Decisions will be shaped by practical factors, including workload, skills, experience, family dynamics, and quality of life.
The goal is to find solutions that address both tax and profitability challenges without creating unintended complications elsewhere – ensuring your farm or estate business is well-positioned for the future.
If you’d like to discuss how we can help you prepare for the future, contact the following offices:
• Canterbury – 01227 473715
• Chelmsford – 01245 254623
• Guildford – 01483 400770
• Lewes – 01273 407714
• Newbury – 01635 576924
• Oxford – 01865 366640
• Salisbury – 01722 344006
Summary of IHT reforms
From 6 April 2026, only the first £1m of qualifying property (per individual or trust) will attract 100% APR and/or BPR.
Anything above will be eligible for 50% relief (equating to an effective tax rate of 20%), with any chargeable transfers made within seven years of death counting towards the £1m cap.
• The £1m allowance will rise in line with the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), but not before April 2030.
• An option to pay IHT in 10 equal annual, interest-free instalments.
• A limit of one £1m trust relief allowance across property settled into trusts by the same person on or after 30 October 2024.
• BPR on shares traded on recognised but unlisted markets (such as AIM) reduced from 100% to 50%.
• From April 2027, pensions will be included as part of an estate for IHT purposes.
LAND AND FARMS
FARMLAND MARKET PROVING HIGHLY
VARIABLE AS AUTUMN BUDGET APPROACHES
Conditions in the farmland market are proving highly variable, with some exceptional prices still being paid for land but average values softening.
Analysis of Strutt & Parker’s farmland database shows the average price of arable land in the first nine months of the year was £10,400/acre, which is 8% down on the average for the whole of 2024 (£11,300/acre).
The average price of pasture land was £8,500/acre, which is 7% down on 2024 levels (£9,100/acre).
Sam Holt, head of estates and farm agency for Strutt & Parker, said: “It is proving to be a market of contrasts, with some farms attracting strong competition while others are finding it hard to find a buyer because of a wide range of variables. Even within the same county we are seeing values ranging from £7,000 to £17,000/acre for comparable
quality arable land.”
The average value of arable land has dropped because of an increase in the amount selling in the £8,000 to £10,000/acre band and a contraction in the amount selling for more than £12,000/acre.
“Despite this softening, values do remain high by historic standards. If we look back at the five years to 2020, only about 30% of arable land sold each year achieved more than £10,000/acre. In 2025, that figure still remains close to 60%.”
Sam said that while there was still a perception that a large amount of land had been brought to the open market this year, the data told a slightly different story.
Around 83,000 acres were publicly launched in the first three quarters of 2025, slightly ahead of the five-year average but down just over 10% on the same period in
2024. The number of farms marketed also fell, from 255 in the first three quarters of 2024 to 225 in the equivalent period in 2025.
“Despite surveys showing farmer confidence is low, we have not seen this result in an increase in supply of farms to the market and we anticipate the rest of the year will be quiet in terms of new launches,” said Sam.
“As is typical in times of uncertainty, many landowners are taking a ‘wait and see’ approach. We know of several vendors who were preparing to sell this autumn but have delayed until early 2026, preferring to first find out what the autumn budget brings.
“The Government appears to have a range of revenue-generating ideas on the table, but there is no clarity yet on which, if any, will be put forward, and people want more certainty.”
HASCOMBE ESTATE
305 acres
GODALMING, SURREY, GU8 4BD Letting of land by informal tender
The Hascombe Estate are seeking the right farming business, or individuals, to build a long term relationship with and work collaboratively to enhance, develop and graze the organic grassland on the estate managed through Countryside Stewardship.
305 acres (123 hectares) of organic grassland is offered on a grazing licence as a whole or in up to three lots, including one general purpose farm building. Grazing licences will be issued annually for the period 1 February to 31 December, but with the intent to create a long term grazing relationship with the right Applicant(s). st st
Tender applications must be received by 12 noon on Friday 12 December. th
For further information and to request a tender pack please contact:
Dan Kendall
+44 (0) 7800 912 487 dan.kendall@savills.com
For more information, contact Chris Spofforth or Hannah Riches at Savills on 01732 789700.
ATTRACTIVE FARMLAND NEAR WINNIE THE POOH’S HUNDRED ACRE WOOD
An attractive block of 165 acres of farmland close to the Ashdown Forest in East Sussex has come to the market through Savills.
Bolebroke Farm is about 1.5 miles to the north of the village of Hartfield, famous for being the home of AA Milne, author of the Winnie the Pooh books.
Available as a whole or in three lots, the farmland is classified as grade 3 and comprises a mix of arable and pasture land, with about 18 acres of woodland and shaws.
Chris Spofforth, of Savills' rural agency team in the South East, said: “The sale of Bolebroke Farm offers the chance for farmers, growers, amenity buyers and investors alike to buy a block of commercial land in an area where such opportunities rarely come to the market.
“There are fine views over quintessential Wealden countryside, yet the farmland is only about 35 miles from central London.”
Bolebroke Farm is being marketed by Savills for a guide price of £1,280,000 for the whole or available in three lots from £210,000.
WINTER
GRAZING
FOR EWES AND LAMBS WANTED Grass,
NAVIGATING HEADWINDS
As we enter the final quarter of 2025, farmers across arable, dairy and fruit enterprises are facing a convergence of pressures that demand strategic foresight and financial agility facing issues from volatile weather patterns and rising input costs to policy shifts and labour constraints, the region’s producers must now plan with precision to safeguard profitability and resilience over the next 12 months.
Arable farmers are grappling with the multiple impacts of climate volatility, input inflation, high machinery costs and, most concerningly, stubbornly low cereal prices. We have seen very variable crop yields in 2025 alongside this, although, positively, this has been a kind autumn – at least at the point of writing this – which brings welcome optimism. Margins remain extremely tight, and with no clarity on what the replacement or extension of stewardship schemes and the 2026 Sustainable Farming Incentive may look like, we can anticipate farmers needing a laser-like focus on managing operating and overhead costs.
Dairy producers are contending with labour shortages, energy price increases and, in many cases, less than ideal winter feed availability. As I write this we have seen announcements of material milk price reductions across the spectrum of milk processors. Ongoing tightening of slurry management regulations which are adding compliance costs also means many farms now require infrastructure investment to meet new standards.
Our fruit sector has also seen mixed fortunes. While demand for local produce is strong, growers face acute labour constraints, with seasonal worker availability still below required levels and a need to drive ever more efficiency gains into already tight operating models.
Justin Ellis, senior director for agriculture and large estates South East, Virgin Money, looks at strategic cashflow planning.
Weather extremes continue to impact yields, and the cost of protected cropping (glasshouses and tunnels) has risen due to energy inflation. And this is without considering the challenges in the supply chain. Succession planning is of course front of mind, with changes to agricultural property relief and business property relief prompting families to reassess ownership structures and long-term viability. With all these factors, and hence more pressure on profitability, cashflow planning is no longer optional but essential. With a clear plan, you’ll be able to make fully informed decisions, balancing cash availability and maximising profits.
FIVE SIMPLE ACTIONS
Here are five simple actions to consider over the coming weeks and months.
1. Build a rolling 12-month cashflow forecast. This doesn’t need to be a complex spreadsheet, but somewhere you capture your key assumptions. Think about seasonal peaks and you can then model different scenarios, and don’t be afraid to use free resources such as AI to assist you. Consider if additional funding is required for the short terms or if there is a longer-term financing need.
2. Have a close look at your financing structures. Items like machinery purchases are often financed at an apparent low/zero interest cost but on short two- or threeyear terms, which are much shorter than the useful life of the asset. A more standard longer-term agreement can often improve cashflow. Be aware also that just because funding from alternate lenders is available, using a number of short-term funders
can often snowball into something more difficult to manage.
3. Open and maintain a dialogue with your bank. Keeping all your working capital and core funding with one lender will ensure you leverage the best relationship and transaction costs. Alongside this, if one funder has security over your assets then that will also ensure they have sufficient collateral to offer the most flexibility.
4. As someone with 20-plus years’ experience supporting farmers, I don’t mind bad news, but I don’t like nasty surprises; put another way, talk to your bank and do it in good time. If there is an issue coming that could see overdraft limits being breached, then get this sorted early.
5. With inheritance tax reforms looming, now is the time to engage with advisors on succession strategies. This may involve restructuring ownership, gifting assets, or setting up trusts to protect family wealth and ensure continuity.
TRUSTED PARTNER
In a year defined by complexity and change, Virgin Money’s agriculture team is a trusted partner for the UK’s farming community. With in-depth knowledge of the sector and a heritage rooted in agricultural banking, the team brings hands-on farming experience and strategic insight that can deliver financial solutions tailored to your business.
Whether you’re seeking working capital, navigating succession discussions, investing in sustainability or planning for growth, Virgin Money offers more than funding. It offers partnership, perspective and proactive support. In farming, timing is everything. Let’s plan ahead – together.
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
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www.gjelgarconstruction.co.uk For more information contact
t: 01233 623739
e: enquiries@gjelgarconstruction.co.uk
FENCING
CWP fencing
Cleft post and rail
Standing Sweet Chestnut Wanted
Standing Sweet Chestnut Wanted
Standing Sweet Chestnut Wanted
Cleft post and rail
Cleft post and rail
Cleft field gates
Cleft field gates
Cleft field gates
Fencing stakes
Fencing stakes
Fencing stakes
Straining posts
Straining posts
Straining posts
Chestnut fencing
Chestnut fencing
Chestnut fencing
Tel: 07985 298221 colin@cwpfencing.co.uk
Tel: 07985298221 colin@cwpfencing.co.uk
Tel: 07985298221 colin@cwpfencing.co.uk
COMPLETE OUR CROSSWORD TO WIN
One bottle of Pinot Reserve and one bottle of Ortega
ACROSS
1 Summer fruit (9)
5 Earliest (5)
8 An animal born without siblings (9)
9 The pace at which a vehicle moves (5)
10 Compass point (4)
11 Round bread product served toasted (7)
14 How fairy stories begin (4,4,1,4)
16 The -------, animation based on a picture book by Raymond Briggs (7)
18 Building used for housing vehicles (7)
21 Badly behaved (7)
23 Move a spoon round in tea (4)
24 Bird with repetitive sing (4,6)
26 Reading material for children (5,4)
27 Adhesive (4) DOWN
1 Egremont ------ (6)
2 Makes vocal melody (5)
3 A bundle of hay (4)
4 Used to catch rodents (3,4)
6 Resource used to produce crops (5)
7 Mark with small spots of colour (7)
12 Edible green seed (3)
13 Group working together (4)
14 Very unpleasant (9)
15 Sea bird (4)
17 Gain victory (3)
18 Entry or exit points (5)
19 Acquire, obtain, gain (3)
20 Cox's ------ Pippin (6)
22 Flowering perennial (5)
23 Wound inflicted by bees, wasps, scorpions etc (5)
25 Curved bone (7)
As we edge closer to winter, we are offering readers the chance to win one bottle of Pinot Reserve and one bottle of Ortega. For more information about the vineyards, please visit www.biddendenvineyards.com or call 01580 291726.
