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Published by Agriconnect
It
Midgley, Editor – olivia.midgley@agriconnect.com
is
to bring the real experts around the table
GOVERNMENTS are often criticised for wasting time on consultations, but in the case of the seismic tax regime changes brought by the Budget, it would have saved a lot of time and, ironically, money, to do some due diligence first.
people who are experts in their field, who can impart their knowledge and insights.
potentially resulting in a £1.25 billion
A new study by Family Business UK and CBI Economics shows just how damaging the Chancellor’s plans could be for the economy, with the changes to Business Property Relief alone potentially resulting in a £1.25 billion net fiscal loss to the Exchequer.
When you add in the potential loss of 125,000 jobs and reduced business turnover totalling an eye watering £9.4bn over the course of the Parliament, the holes in the Government’s woolly plans get bigger and more damaging.
Yes, business confidence has taken a hammer blow, approval ratings for the Prime Minister and his Government have sunk to Boris Johnson levels, but it is not too late.
After all, agriculture holds the keys to many of the solutions the Government is trying to find. Without doubt the last eight weeks have brought another layer of stress to contend with, but the demand for quality British produce continues to accelerate as shoppers fill their baskets ahead of Christmas celebrations.
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Calls for a consultation are sensible and should be heeded. Together, the business community can work with Government to offer solutions that, rather than bring a wrecking ball to businesses across the land, can actually do the opposite and encourage growth.
At the farm level, Rachel Reeves and her advisers would do well to go out and talk to the
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baskets ahead of Christmas celebrations. I was amused to see a lively exchange on social media, as 25. your Christmas dinner, I hope you’ll
I was amused to see a lively exchange on social media, as butchers piled in to vent about their annual nemesis – pigs in blankets.
The ‘blanketeers’ as they are known, prepare more than 130 million of the intricate, time-consuming delicacies, with most eaten on December 25.
thinking about all of our beloved blanketeers – just the
So when you are tucking into your Christmas dinner, I hope you’ll eat yours with a smile when thinking about all of our beloved blanketeers – just some of the many food heroes of Christmas.
From all of us at Farmers Guardian, we wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Low-input farming key to success of the mixed farm which produces meat for the Carden Arms in Tilston, Cheshire. See p68-69.
‘Has
Plight of rural firms takes centre stage
l
Farmers pleads with Reeves to listen
OPPOSITION leader Kemi Badenoch has once again confirmed she would reverse not only changes to Inheritance Tax and Agricultural Property Relief (APR) should she be elected, but also Business Property Relief (BPR).
Addressing farmers and business owners at a rural summit to consider the implications of the recent tax changes outlined in Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Budget at the London Palladium this week, the West Essex MP told attendees the
Kemi Badenoch addressed farmers at a rural summit to consider the implications of the changes to recent taxes.
Shadow Cabinet, unlike the Labour front benches, was made up of sympathetic supporters of the industry.
“As the Conservative Party leader and representative for a constituency with many small businesses, I understand what you are dealing with,” she said.
‘We get it’
“I am here to let you know that we get it. We have experienced much of what you are seeing as we have business backgrounds as well [...] We understand how important it is to keep all of your enterprises going.”
The conference was organised
PM TO GO HEAD TO HEAD WITH EFRA CHAIR ON POLICIES
PRIME Minister Sir Keir Starmer is to face questioning by Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) Committee Select Committee chair Alistair Carmichael as part of the first Liaison Committee public session of the new Parliament.
The Liaison Committee, consisting of the Chairs of the House of Commons select committees and chaired by Meg Hillier MP, is intended to provide direct scrutiny of the Prime Minister and Government policy, with Mr Carmichael to speak in the section
of the session on ‘Growth and the Economy’.
Scrutiny
Speaking ahead of the session, the Orkney and Shetland MP said following six months of a Labour Government, there had been no shortage of political decisions made which deserve proper scrutiny.
“That is particularly true in the area of food and farming which the Efra Select Committee, which I
Light the night
IN a bid to keep farmers’ plight in the spotlight, north-west-based farmer and YouTuber Olly Harrison suggested farmers should light beacons on farms across the UK on December 31.
Mr Harrison said: “Light a fire as a beacon of hope. I think it would be good to see 75,000 beacons burning across the country.”
He also encouraged people to write to their MP and to ‘fill their mailboxes’ to share and reshare their experience.
by the team behind the November 19 Westminster event, farmers Olly Harrison, Andrew Ward, Martin Williams and Clive Bailye, and featured panel appearances and speeches from key farming sectors, as well as members of wider industries all impacted by the recent changes.
Organiser Olly Harrison said: “We wanted to bring everyone together to tell their stories and to build an army of people who are not happy with the Budget. More will be done, whether that is another rally in the spring, but it will not be 40,000 farmers in Westminster it will be 250,000 people.”
CLA president Victoria Vyvyan told the 200-strong audience the Government’s approach had left many in the rural community con-
chair, has at the heart of its remit. I am sure that farmers and their representative organisations will be watching this session closely.
“The opportunity to question the Prime Minister directly with colleagues – and in a more sober atmosphere than is seen in the weekly Prime Minister’s Questions –is one that has to be taken seriously and used to its full advantage. I look forward to working with the other Select Committee chairs to ensure that we do exactly that.”
TRACTOR RUNS BRING CHRISTMAS CHEER
FARMERS have raised thousands of pounds for charity and brought Christmas cheer to communities across the UK as annual tractor runs take place.
Crowds have lined the streets to see the vehicles lit up with festive decorations in events around the country.
The Banbury tractor run (pictured), organised by R.C Baker, was hailed as the town’s biggest event of the year, with around £10,000 raised on the event’s JustGiving page on top of in-person donations on the night.
sidering whether to continue with their business.
She extended a plea to Ms Reeves and the Treasury, imploring them to ‘swallow their misplaced pride’ and listen to those affected.
Humility
“This is a cock-up. It is a mess and they need to have the humility to say they got this wrong. When did you last see Rachel Reeves on a farm? Stop hiding. Do not crash our economy when we can be part of the answer,” she said.
Liberal Democrat rural affairs spokesperson Tim Farron spoke of his fears of ‘land clearance’ policies which sought to undermine farming’s way of life and that of producers who are the ‘best in the world’.
“Changes to the tax system are
not only morally wrong, but they are cruel, short-sighted and foolish.”
It comes as 32 trade associations, representing a range of businesses including builders, retailers and hospitality firms, wrote an open letter urging Ms Reeves to come to the table and consult with farmers.
The letter called for the Chancellor to undertake a full and formal consultation on the impact of removing APR and BPR.
Independent economic modelling commissioned by Family Business UK and conducted by CBI Economics has also suggested the changes to BPR alone could result in a £1.25 billion net fiscal loss to the Exchequer, leading to more than 125,000 job losses and reducing economic activity (GVA) by £9.4bn over the course of the Parliament.
NFU HOLDS BIG BANNER DAY
BANNERS were unveiled at farms across the country as part of the NFU’s ‘huge banner campaign’, in its bid to stop the changes to Inheritance Tax announced in the Autumn Budget.
December 19 saw roadside banners in prominent locations across the whole of the UK in a joint campaign with the four UK farming unions.
In January, NFU members and the public will also be able to order more campaign materials – banners and car stickers –through its online shop at cost price.
NFU president Tom Bradshaw said it was a ‘powerful visual
reminder’ the fight was far from over.
Flawed data
“These tax changes are unjust, based on flawed data and risk destroying the very backbone of British agriculture,” he said. He added the changes threatened not only individual farming families, but the future of the heritage and traditions of an entire way of life.
“Only a combination of public support and political pressure will lead to a change in this damaging policy,” he said, adding it was a fight the union would not abandon.
● Favourable year for Brussels sprouts
A CHALLENGING year in farming has placed a heavy burden on the shoulders of farmers producing Christmas staples as they contended with worries over political headwinds alongside weather challenges and high costs of production.
Despite contending with flooding, crop failure, waking up at the crack of dawn to work seven days a week, while taking pride in their work and maintaining the beauty of the British countryside, farmers felt the value of their efforts have not been met with the respect it deserves from the Government and the public.
Notwithstanding the difficulty of having farm subsidies taken away over the next few years, Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Autumn Budget was at the top of farmers’ minds.
It has been a difficult time for turkey producers, with Kent-based farmer John Howe, from Tenterden, who is also chair of the Traditional Farm-fresh Turkey Association, saying a lot of turkey farmers had packed up business this year due to ‘soaring costs’ of production.
One of those farmers, John Wright, from Hull in East Yorkshire, had given
Soaring costs have caused some turkey farmers to pack up business this year.
Following a challenging year, Chris Brayford spoke to farmers producing Christmas staples about the impact of 2024.
Mental health in focus during festive season
up his turkey business earlier this year after being ‘squeezed out’ by supermarkets.
He said: “Customers are not prepared to spend £100 on a premium quality turkey when you can spend less
than £20 for a frozen crown at the supermarket. It was costing us up to £6,000 a month to run a chiller, so we could not carry on.”
Challenging
work and taxation which is forcing farmers to retire earlier and give up.
“No farmer should ever be alone at Christmas and we must reach out to those who need us the most.”
And the Budget has seemingly dominated most of the frustration and angst among the farming community.
Andrew Bebb, who was formerly chair of Shropshire Rural Support before moving to farm in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, said mental health at Christmas was a challenging prospect for many.
He added: “It has been an awful year for farmers. There is such a big problem of mental health in farming with rural isolation, endless paper-
Where to get help
■ RABI: 0808 281 9490
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■ Samaritans: 116 123
■ You Are Not Alone: 0300 323 0400
Brussels sprout grower Peter Thorold, from Spalding in Lincolnshire, said farmers have had to deal with what could be one of the ‘biggest blows’ to the industry with the end of tax reliefs.
“No-one understands how difficult our jobs are,” he added.
“We have had favourable growing conditions which has made a significant difference to the quality of our crop, but it does nothing to overshadow the blow of Inheritance Tax on the farming community.
“It has placed a huge toll on farmers’ mental health, especially at a time when they should be enjoying time with their families.”
Avian influenza prevention zones
AVIAN influenza has been found in poultry, wild and captive birds across the East Riding of Yorkshire, Hull, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, with the UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss now declaring an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) across the regions to ‘mitigate the risk of further outbreaks of the disease’.
It is now a legal requirement for all birdkeepers within the zone to follow ‘strict biosecurity measures’ to help protect their flocks, of whatever type or size.
Defra said the current risk to human health ‘remains very low and properly
cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, ‘are safe to eat’.
The UK Health and Security Agency remains vigilant for any evidence of changing levels of risk and are keeping this under constant review.
Defra said the AIPZ now in force does not include a requirement to house birds, unless you are also in a 3km Protection Zone. But it said this would be kept under ‘constant review’.
Ms Middlemiss said birdkeepers must remain alert of any signs of disease and report immediately to the Animal and Plant Health Agency.
A map of the AIPZ is available on the Government website.
PICTURE: MARCELLO GARBAGNOLI
Approval from society key for Bovaer
l Importance of engagement highlighted
By Rachael Brown
THE methane-reducing feed additive Bovaer is safe and has gone through all the safety mechanisms, but that scientific rigour may not translate into the ‘social licence’ UK society needs to accept it.
That was the message from Prof Elizabeth Magowan, the former president of the British Society of Animal Science (BSAS), after the recent ‘pushback’ following Arla’s decision to trial Bovaer on 30 of its farms.
She said the fallout from the debate
had ‘surprised’ her given the ‘rigour’ of research carried out and showed the importance of ‘engaging with society’ and facilitating conversation that considers the ‘social licence’ aspect in the adoption and development of science and innovation.
Communication
Prof Magowan said: “This has highlighted the need for the supply chain to be on the front foot of communication, with the fact that approved feed additives have passed thorough safety testing and are needed to maximise the reduction in the carbon footprint of meat and milk. But society must decide then whether that it is something they find acceptable or not.”
She said that the messaging could potentially be considered as confusing and conflicting.
“Society at large wants low carbon, low methane milk. But when solutions are presented, to achieve those principles – there is massive pushback.”
She added that the focus of BSAS was to give farmers and society the confidence that science underpinned solutions such as feed additives and their safety, including their approval from the European Food Safety Authority and Food Standards Agency.
“It has been approved and we should have confidence to trust that. The bigger question is the social licence
to use it and that is where we have to take the conversation,” she said.
Prof Magowan said the use of ‘trial’ around the announcement may not have helped, adding it had been trialled and tested already.
Instead, it referred to Bovaer being tested on farms to understand how easy or difficult it was to implement and the cost implications, to try and drive uptake, rather than test the effectiveness.
She added it should not be on only Arla or DSM-Firmenich, which developed Bovaer, to ‘shoulder’ all the responsibility, adding scientists, retailers and Government all have a role in getting the message out there.
Prof Elizabeth Magowan has pointed out that despite Bovaer’s effectiveness, the societal questions surrounding its use are still a potential for debate.
National planning policy ‘threatens the countryside’
● Labour says policy is ‘common sense’
By Jane Thynne
THERE are fears that farms and swathes of green belt land might be at risk following the Government’s unveiling of its National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner said that while the Labour Party remained committed to a brownfield-first attitude, the changes would mean councils would be free to review their green belt boundaries to meet targets, identifying and prioritising lower-quality ‘grey belt’ land.
Ms Rayner described this as a ‘new common-sense approach’ to house building.
There will also be strict requirements for developers, ensuring they provide necessary infrastructure for local communities such as nurseries, GP surgeries and transport, as well
Developers will have strict requirements to provide necessary infastructure for local communities such as nurseries, GP surgeries and transport.
as a premium level of social and affordable housing.
Roger Mortlock, chief executive of the rural campaign group CPRE, welcomed the Government’s commitment to creating affordable homes but warned raising targets would put the countryside at risk.
“Local authorities responsible
Malpas Tractors enters administration
MALPAS Tractors, which provided machinery across the North West of England and Wales, has entered administration after experiencing cashflow difficulties on Monday (December 16).
It follows the death of managing director Paul Reeves on August 7 at the age of 52 years old.
* BOUNDARY & TITLE
* ACCESS PROBLEMS
* EASEMENTS
* LAND REGISTRY
* PARTNERSHIP& INHERITANCE PROBLEMS
* DIVORCE & SEPARATION
Patrick Lannagan and Richard Hough, of Forvis Mazars, have been appointed as joint administrators of the company.
On December 18, 43 redundancies were made, with the business operating with a reduced workforce while administrators explore any interest.
for delivering new homes will be swamped with speculative applications on high-quality green belt and farmland. Inevitably, many of these will be approved to meet nationally imposed targets,” he said.
“The grey belt policy needs to be much more clearly defined and exclude working farms. It will undermine the green belt, one of this country’s most successful spatial protections with huge potential to help address the climate and nature emergencies.”
Problematic
Michael Harrison, strategic land and planning lead at town planning consultancy Asteer, said that while immediately unlocking housing land supply, stimulating Local Plan making and catalysing housing delivery was
a significant positive of the NPPF, the question of the grey and green belts could be problematic.
“Ultimately, this update to the NPPF will have a major impact on greenfield and farmland around settlement boundaries, as these locations provide the only realistic option for significantly boosting housing delivery,” he said.
Mr Mortlock added: “There is some hope ahead, with plans for a strategy that covers all our use of land. Longer-term commitments to build genuinely affordable and better designed homes are welcome too. Until then, our countryside will remain needlessly under threat.”
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government was contacted for comment.
Government defends borders after six-tonne illegal meat haul
THE Government has said protecting UK biosecurity is one of its key priorities, after it emerged that six tonnes of illegal meat had been seized in just 14 hours on the Kent coast.
Dover Port Health Authority took to social media to display the weekend haul and said a further 31t had been prevented from entering the UK food supply chain during October and November.
In September, Defra announced a ban on all pork and pork products that could not be visibly shown to be produced to EU commercial standards in an attempt to stop African
swine fever entering the UK as cases surged across Europe. A spokesperson for the Government said it was working with Border Control Posts to ensure ‘our robust border controls are enforced’.
“We are unequivocal that importing illegal meat products is unacceptable, which is why suspected products are routinely checked at the border to ensure they do not reach our shores.
“The UK has never had an outbreak of African swine fever, but we are not complacent and have strict import controls in place to manage its risk,” added the spokesperson.
PICTURE: GETTY
Appeal on ‘fast-growing chickens’ dismissed
● RSPCA says it could result in ‘seismic change’
By Alex Black
THE High Court has dismissed an appeal by activist group, The Humane League, following its previous dismissal of the group’s claims that the Defra Secretary was acting unlawfully in allowing so-called ‘fast-growing chickens’.
The poultry sector has welcomed the move, stating it was an important acknowledgement for both the British poultrymeat industry and the Government ‘that their expertise is key in the science and application of welfare’.
British Poultry Council chief executive Richard Griffiths said the decision underscored the ‘crucial role’ the industry played in ensuring UK food security ‘through responsible and efficient practices’.
Conventional poultrymeat production makes up 75% of the market, driven by consumer demand for efficient, low-impact production which is both affordable and upholds good welfare standards.
Mr Griffiths added: “No alternatives can match the balance of innovation and productivity that British poultry production strikes.”
The Humane League had appealed a 2023 ruling, which found Defra was not breaking the law by allowing ‘fast-growing’ 35-day production.
Mr Griffiths added claims producers did not uphold world-class standards undermined ‘the decades of innovation and investment’.
He said open and transparent discussion was at the heart of continual progress in bird welfare.
“But spurious claims serve to undermine consumer confidence.
People should be able to trust that the food they purchase is produced with the utmost responsibility.”
However, the RSPCA said despite the appeal being dismissed on ‘technical grounds’, it could result in seismic change.
Clarity
Emma Slawinski, director of policy, advocacy and campaigns at the RSPCA, said: “We believe that for the first time, we have clarity that the keeping of fast-growing chickens is very likely to be unlawful where they suffer from significant health and welfare problems – which the weight of evidence clearly shows they do.”
She called it a ‘vital step’ in improving the lives of fast-growing meat chickens, which it suggested accounted for around 95% of chickens on supermarket shelves.
Vietnam
South America
New Zealand
A Taste of India
Japan
Republic of Ireland
Tulip River Cruise
Lake Garda
Peru
Costa Rica
Portugal
Jersey
9th to 25th Jan
19th Jan to 12th Feb
6th Feb to 2nd Mar
20th Feb to 8th Mar
16th to 30th March
7th to 14th April
American Rockies 14th to 23rd April
24th Apr to 3rd May
25th Apr to 10th May
28th Apr to 11th May
7th to 15th May
17th to 23rd May
28th May to 12th June
Austria
Lincolnshire
Sweden
Czech Republic
Calgary Stampede
Germany & Black Forest
Rhine Castles & Swiss Alps
Perthshire
Atlantic Canada
Heart of Africa
South Africa
Cyprus
South America
New Zealand
6th to 16th June
8th to 13th June
9th to 17th June
16th to 14th June
24th Jun to 8th Jul
6th to 15th Sept
7th to 16th Sept 21st to 26th Sept
26th Sept to 11th Oct 9th to 21st Oct
24th Oct to 14th Nov 29th Oct to 5th Nov 2nd to 26th November 6th to
With us you will see the wonders of the world from an agricultural perspective, while travelling with likeminded people. Connecting you with farmers all over the world, each tour is created with exactly the right mix of agriculture, sightseeing and recreation for a one of a kind travel experience.
The poultry sector has welcomed the dismissal of The Humane League’s appeal on ‘fast-growing chickens’.
Waiting game for Higher Tier Stewardship access continues
● New scheme will have rolling start dates
By Rachael Brown
THERE is still no new information from Defra on how existing Higher Level Stewardship agreement holders can switch to the new scheme without a penalty, leaving many farmers, especially those in the uplands, trapped in poorly paid legacy schemes.
New actions
■ Manage medium or highdensity agro-forestry
PAYMENT: £595-£849/hectare
■ Manage species-rich floodplain meadows
PAYMENT: £1,070/ha
■ Connect river and floodplain habitats
PAYMENT: £1,242/ha
■ Permissive open access
PAYMENT: £92/ha
■ Permissive footpaths and bridleways
PAYMENT: £77 to £221 per 100 metres
That was the message from environment and conservation manager David Morley, of H&H Land and Estates, who said, with a dwindling Basic Payment Scheme and no means of making up this lost income, it was farmers who have demonstrated a ‘long-term commitment to delivering environmental enhancement who are being unfairly penalised’ through restricted access to the updated Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier scheme.
The last CS Higher Tier application window closed 20 months ago and now Defra has announced its future plans for the scheme with new Higher Tier applications not open until ‘the summer’ of 2025, and by invitation only.
Mr Morley said it was down to Natural England, not the farmer, to decide when individual applications can be submitted.
He added this was the latest in a ‘sequence of dispiriting policy decisions by Government’ with the accelerated cuts to delinked payments and suspension of the CS Capital Grants.
Mr Morley said the re-vamped Higher Tier scheme will include ‘99 revenue action plus 33 supple-
ments’, and capital items designed to support the Higher Tier agreements.
He said there were some new actions, but many of the payments were ‘largely unchanged’, and questioned why the original scheme could not have been allowed to run for another year.
He added an area of ‘significant’ change was moorland management.
“While the general moorland management payment remains the same at £55 per hectare, this can
now be stacked with payments for specific stocking rates [£20-£66/ha] and combined shepherding and off-wintering actions [£33-£48/ha]. For most moorland and common land with ‘priority’ habitats, it should be possible to attract a combined payment/ha of at least £108.”
He said moorland agreement holders will now want to switch to the new scheme ‘at the earliest opportunity’.
Although applications cannot be submitted until summer, Natural England said it will be providing pre-application advice from January to those farmers that are being invited to submit an application.
Anyone wishing to apply for Higher Tier that does not fall into any of the priority categories will have to wait ‘until at least February 2025, before there is any guidance as to how they will be able to access the scheme’.
Mr Morley added on a ‘positive note’, once open, the scheme will have ‘a rolling application window and rolling start dates’.
“This means agreements can start every month and not just on January 1, as under the old scheme.”
Defra was approached for comment.
The last CS Higher Tier application window closed 20 months ago and the new application will not open until ‘the summer’ of 2025, by invitation only.
www.abpfoodgroup.com ABP Food Group would like to thank our colleagues, customers and suppliers, nationally and internationally, for their valued support over the past 70 years.
Letters
A letter to Rachel Reeves
PLEASE find below a letter sent to Chancellor Rachel Reeves:
‘As we live here in Newport West and Islwyn, an urban area. Sadly, concrete gardens and flooding. Bees need flowers, where sometimes there are no bees. Urban food is in danger, because local Government has grassed over flower beds which were once feeding grounds for bees.
‘Dear Rachel Reeves, actions have consequences. If the soil is not fed, the world is not fed. If the seed is not sown, there is no harvest (hunger for all).
A third of our food relies on bees.
We are people, not pawns for politicians. Sadly, when national and local Government makes money, they are God. The people suffer. What can you buy for a million pounds today?
It was said at a recent coffee
morning: we can live without coal, but not food. Awaiting your reply with great interest.’
P.C. Williams, Llanfach, Gwent.
When farming was respected
MY grandfather farmed Old Vicarage Farm during the war years, but also acted as an area co-ordinator for The War Ag.
Although this was not entirely popular at the beginning of the war, principally because of the Government’s lack of engagement, and support for British farming had, during the 1930s, left its mark, by the end of the war the effects were evident as food production reached what was previously considered unachievable heights.
The value of local input and understanding was understood alongside strong Government support.
After the war, my grandfather was
instrumental in developing the Young Farmers’ Clubs in our area – the club he was a founder member of, Anstey YFC, is still active, raising more than £13,500 for local charities last year.
My father was a schoolboy message runner for the fire service at that time, with incendiaries dropped on Exmoor to guide German bombers to South Wales. He then continued my grandfather’s enthusiasm for agricultural development alongside good and benevolent land management.
How times have changed, with Government disengagement with farmers and food production and a lack of understanding of a truly sustainable rural economy that provides quality food alongside great environmental land management.
My son is now the ninth generation farming in West Anstey – I wonder if his son will be able to be the 10th?
Robin Milton, Exmoor.
I back British family farming
WE are custodians of the land
The past, the present, the future, Generations have carefully planned.
Inheritance Tax you now ask me to pay?
I’m not sure how to make you see, This land never truly belonged to me.
I nurtured and cared for it blood, sweat and tears,
Long days, longer nights
Throughout the years.
But you see it’s not a job, It’s a way of life, Driven by passion, determination and strife,
Better caretakers of the land you will not find
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A letter of thanks from the Minister of Agriculture for the wartime service of Robin Milton’s grandfather.
Than those called to farming, Their families and kind.
Flip the narrative and you will see
The answer to it all lies with me.
Invest in British family farms
And you will too begin to see their charm.
Sustainable food is already being produced It doesn’t come with air miles
Your carbon footprint already reduced
Ultra processed foods they say Is the enemy of people today. Ill health, NHS struggles.
Eating fresh produce will help to ease these troubles.
Our mental health can’t take much more,
The cost of which is through the floor.
See us as your greatest asset
And your biggest return you’ll see hard set.
We do it all for the love of the job
And when we are older and can’t do it any more
We pass on the reigns like those who came before.
Nothing from it do I take with me, I have the memories, the passion, It didn’t all come for free, Inheritance Tax you ask me to pay?
But do you now begin to see
That this land never belonged to me.
Laura Thompson, Workington.
Chris Brayford News and Business Reporter – chris.brayford@agriconnect.com
Christmas is a time for reaching out and reflection Leader
THE week before Christmas offers a poignant moment to reflect on what has been a difficult year for farming. Flooding, rising production costs, challenging price returns and crop failures make the job even harder.
These factors alone should be a reminder of the difficulty farmers face every day in producing the food which plays a prominent role at Christmas, as families celebrate a time of thanksgiving and celebration.
It never gets any easier being a farmer either.
Arguably, the Budget has dominated the last couple of months and placed the industry in an even more challenging place than it was previously. However, demonstrations and protests across the UK – with even more planned over the festive season – have shown the level of discontent emanating from the family farm tax.
But the challenges of the past few months have also revealed the fighting spirit of an industry which refuses to be beaten or give up. Farmers
continue to find hope in the darkest of places for their families, their businesses and their futures.
To the farmers who are working tirelessly and spending time alone this Christmas, try to find the courage to reach out – no farmer should be alone at Christmas. And those who know farmers who may be alone, please reach out to them.
Next year could be extremely important to push the Government to change its mind on Agricultural Property Relief, Business Property Relief and Inheritance Tax. It is never too late for change.
If you would like to be featured, email chris.brayford@agriconnect.com
Jessica Stewart
Ferryhill, Co Durham
Jessica Stewart, 26, is a rural solicitor and an NFU Student and Young Farmer Ambassador.
Jessica Stewart
PICTURE: GETTY
Edited by Alex Black – 07880 490 486 – alex.black@agriconnect.com
● Pound reaches eight-year high
By Alex Black
STERLING hit an eight-year high against the euro last week, bringing challenges for wheat price potential.
UK feed wheat futures for May 2025 ended Monday’s (December 16) session at £192.20/tonne, up £3.20/t from Friday’s (December 13) close, with domestic wheat prices following Paris milling prices higher.
Support came from the news that Saudi Arabia’s agency bought 804,000t of wheat in a tender, which was more than expected, with the main supplies expected to be from Romania, Bulgaria and South America, plus a small volume from Russia, according to AHDB.
Yuriy Ruban, AHDB senior cereals and oilseeds specialist, said: “Since August 2024, sterling has tended to strengthen against the euro.
“During this period, from the low in August to the high last week, sterling has appreciated by 4.5% against the euro to £1=€1.2134.
Sterling strength challenges wheat price
“For UK farmers, this means that imports of EU cereals and oilseeds are more competitive and exports from the UK are not stimulated.
“The current sterling-euro exchange rate is at its highest level for eight-and-a-half years, since the day after the UK’s referendum on EU membership, and is putting additional pressure on commodity prices.
Cheaper
“On the other hand, for UK farmers, inputs imported from eurozone countries may be cheaper due to a stronger sterling.”
Simon Ingle, head of grain pool marketing at Frontier, also highlighted the rally in the price of sterling, saying: ‘wheat price potential has been
ULTRA LOW COST
UK feed wheat futures for May 2025 ended Monday’s (December 16) session at £192.20/tonne.
challenged’. He said: “Renewed inflationary pressure and doubt that the Bank of England will cut interest rates in the near-term leaves sterling attractive to investors.
“With domestic wheat prices reflecting full import costs, the trend in sterling strength is not helping UK domestic prices.”
As Farmers Guardian went to press, the next interest rate decision
from the Bank of England was expected on December 19.
Mr Ruban added: “Data for the last five calendar years show that sterling tends to strengthen from September to November.
“This is being seen in 2024 and puts some pressure on grain and oilseed prices. The strength of sterling in 2025 could keep or lessen this pressure on UK prices.”
Arable farmers face cost squeeze
ARABLE farmers in Scotland have claimed they are facing a multitude of challenges, which is having an impact on the future viability of their businesses.
“Farmers are doing so much to meet environmental and nature targets along the way, but they need to be paid for this.
“Motivation to stay in the sector is wearing thin. Farmers may just decide to walk away or stop growing that product if they do not get a fair price.”
NFU Scotland said the arable sector faced a ‘strain’ to growers’ profitability from ongoing financial challenges which had culminated in low crop prices, rising production costs on-farm and competition from imported wheat.
Andrew Connon, vice-president of NFUS, said the sector was ‘hurting’ from poor trading conditions for farmers, and that he hoped big business recognised the value and contribution of premium products, such as winter barley, which he felt should provide a premium price for producers.
Mr Connon said: “Scottish farmers are feeling a squeeze on their finances due to the overwhelming challenges they face.
“The sector is hurting as it deals with rising production costs and such poor returns for what should be a premium product in malting barley that so many people enjoy.
Farmers are doing so much to meet environmental and nature targets along the way, but they need to be paid for this ANDREW CONNON
With retailers preparing for a festive cheese sales drive, Alex Black spoke to Kevin Beer, of Millbrook Dairy Company, about what consumers were looking for.
Cheese in demand for Christmas centrepiece
● Flavours, textures and colours key
CREATING the perfect cheeseboard will lift any festive celebration, with supermarkets and farm shops gearing up for an increase in cheese sales as the big day approaches.
According to AHDB research, around 38% of consumers think that a cheeseboard is key to festive celebrations.
And creating the perfect combination of flavours, textures and colours to please every palate will make the festive cheeseboard a ‘delightful centrepiece for any Christmas gathering’, according to Kevin Beer, director and co-founder of Millbrook Dairy Company.
“First, you need to choose your cheeses and we advise you aim for a variety to cater to everyone’s tastes. Extra mature Cheddar would be per-
fect on any cheeseboard, but you will also want to add some soft cheeses.
“For example, Brie or Camembert for creamy indulgence, maybe Red Fox for a sharp bite, blue cheeses such as Stilton for bold, tangy notes and a cambozola for a creamy addition, Wensleydale with mango and ginger for a sweet option and some fresh cheeses such as goat’s cheese for a mild and tangy option.”
Accompaniments are also vital to a fabulous festive cheeseboard.
Sides
Mr Beer advises complementing the selection with an ‘array of sides including crackers and bread where you can offer an assortment of seeded crackers, baguette slices or crostini’.
“Then add fruits including grapes, apple slices, dried apricots or figs, all of which will add sweetness and visual appeal,” he said.
“Next add nuts, including almonds,
walnuts or candied pecans which provide crunch. Lastly, add condiments including jams, honey or chutneys for an extra layer of flavour.
“As it is a seasonal cheeseboard why not incorporate seasonal elements to highlight the festive theme by adding pomegranate seeds or cranberries for a pop of red or rosemary sprigs or pinecones for a touch of green and natural charm.”
Cheeses should be arranged evenly across the board, alternating textures
Supermarkets and farm shops are gearing up for an increase in cheese sales in the run-up to Christmas.
and colours and fill any gaps with accompaniments to create a luxurious and abundant look.
“Use small bowls for runny items like honey or olives and garnish with fresh herbs for a polished finish,” he added. It should then be served ‘with style’.
“Make sure you allow your cheeses to come to room temperature before serving, as this enhances their flavours. Label each type of cheese for an informative touch, and provide appropriate knives for easy cutting.”
With many dairy farms grazing sheep to tidy up silage swards over the winter, this two-year study by AFBI in Northern Ireland was set up to examine the impact of tack grazing on silage quality and subsequent cow performance.
Allowing sheep to graze the swards during December resulted in a reduction in 1st cut yields of 0.8 and 1.0 t of DM/ha in year 1 and year 2, respectively. Year 1 was a milder winter, while year 2 had a number of frosts which likely delayed sward recovery. The nutritional value of both treatments were similar, except for metabolizable energy. The ME of the ‘grazed’ treatment silage was 0.2 MJ/kg DM higher than the ‘un-grazed’ treatment in year 1, while in year 2 the difference was 0.5 MJ/kg DM.
In year 1 silage DM intakes were unaffected by winter grazing management, however cows offered silage from ‘grazed’ swards produced 0.8 kg more milk per day or an increase of 0.3%. In year 2, DM intake increased by 1.5 kg per cow in the group offered silage from ‘grazed’ swards, which did not result in an increase in milk yield but did increase milk fat con-tent by 10%.
The benefits or otherwise of removing autumn growth by grazing sheep will likely be influ-enced by weather conditions over the winter and spring, and the impact this will have on sward growth and/or die-off. Whether you graze or not, heavy autumn covers should be grazed off by mid-December, but not too tightly as this could dramatically slow spring growth.
with Philip Cosgrave Agronomist, Yara UK Ltd.
After years of Covid-19, soaring costs and challenging weather, festive staple suppliers are looking forward to a more peaceful Christmas this year. Cedric Porter reports.
Some reason for Christmas cheer around the dining table
l Kinder weather for growers this year
IN the last couple of years, soaring inflation and avian flu have hit turkey demand, but Kerry Maxwell, communications manager at the British Poultry Council, was happy to report a return to some sort of normality.
“It has been a relatively good season, with avian flu causing very little disruption to supplies, which will be welcomed by shoppers as well as producers who rear around eight million turkeys a year in the UK,” she said.
“It looks like bigger gatherings are back around the table, with slightly more people opting for a whole turkey over a crown.
“Demand for smaller cuts such as breast joints is still small but consistent.”
She added that keeping avian flu under control had taken vigilance and robust biosecurity measures, but it would take further
investment and collaboration from the Government and the Animal and Plant Health Agency to safeguard future turkey and other poultry supplies.
The weather was kinder to vegetable growers this year than last and there should be enough supply of seasonal favourites, according to Jack Ward, the outgoing chief executive of sector association British Growers.
Vegetables
He said: “It has been a much better growing season, although there were lots of fears of a repeat of last year following a wet spring. Sprouts did suffer from heavy rain in July and may be smaller than normal, but there will be enough of them. Carrots and parsnips have had a good year, with a reasonable one for peas.”
Aldi was the first supermarket to launch the now traditional packs of discounted Christmas veg, with carrots selling for only 15p/kg. Mr Ward contrasted this with non-promoted
Christmas tree facts
n About five million real Christmas trees were sold in 2023
n Of those with a real Christmas tree, most had a cut tree (73%), while 25% had a pot-grown tree, 2% rented a pot-grown tree, and 2% had a mini/tabletop tree
n Early December is the most common time for people to obtain their real cut tree (28%) or real pot-grown tree (26%)
carrots that were selling in Aldi in France for €1.98/kg (£1.64/kg).
“The problems we have seen for fresh produce growers in Spain and elsewhere highlights the importance of British-grown fruit and vegetables,” said Mr Ward.
Like all other employers, vegetable growers are facing higher employment costs.
Mr Ward estimated that the increase in National Insurance would add 10% to employment costs, with the 6% increase in na -
GREAT BRITAIN GROCERY MARKET SHARE (12 WEEKS ENDING)
n Three in 10 (31%) of those with a real Christmas tree said they disposed, or planned to dispose, of their tree via a council collection and recycle scheme.
Another 18% planned to replant it, with a similar proportion planning to compost. A further 15% said they would use a charity collection and recycle scheme.
tional living wage also having an impact.
He said: “On a positive note, the seasonal labour scheme does seem to have worked well, but growers now have to pay the travel and visa costs of overseas labour, which is adding at least £1,000 to employing each worker, and in some cases much more.”
Christmas trees
Despite continued pressure on consumer spending, Christmas tree sales have been relatively strong,
SHOPPING HABITS
FARM shops are hoping for better sales this Christmas after the easing of the cost of living crisis.
Emma Mosey, of Minskip Farm Shop in North Yorkshire, who is also chair of the Farm Retail Association, said: “We are hopeful that shoppers will push the boat out a little more as they celebrate and look to buy delicious local produce.
“Food retail sales have been more positive this year, but Christmas is a key time for us with double our normal monthly sales in December and most of that coming in the week before the big day.”
However, not everything is rosy in the farm shop. The increase in employer National Insurance and the abandoning of the 30% business rate relief in the recent Budget will hit margins and recruitment plans. Farm shops will also be affected by the changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief.
The cost of a Christmas dinner will fall by 1.6% to £31.66 this year, according to market researchers Associa.
according to Oliver Combe, of York Christmas Trees, who is a British Christmas Tree Grower Association committee member.
“Customers are still very keen on
Ms Mosey said: “Along with others, as an association we continue to voice our concerns about the changes in the Budget and hope there will be more consultation before final changes are made.
“They have certainly meant that we have had to change our business plans. But we have learnt over the years that you always have to be innovative if you are to build more sales and there does seem to be more awareness among the public about the importance of supporting farmers, their shops and markets.”
For shoppers visiting the supermarket for their festive goodies, more are likely to buy from discounters this year, while Asda continues to struggle to win its share of the nation’s shopping basket.
rise this year, with lower value trees increasing the most to cover the cost of production, which has risen by up to 25% in the last three years,” he added.
Mr Combe sells a third of his trees from the farm and the rest wholesale. He has seen a longer selling period this year, which has put some pressure on supplies.
FALLING COST OF CHRISTMAS DINNER
THE cost of a Christmas dinner will fall by 1.6% to £31.66 this year, according to market researchers Associa in a survey for the BBC. Frozen turkey prices were down 5.9% to £19.08 for a 4.55kg bird. Brussels sprouts, gravy, pigs-in-blankets and stuffing retail prices were also down, but potato
prices were up 26.2%, with carrots up 13.4%. Mince pie prices were also up.
The survey was based on pre-promotion prices in Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi and Lidl. Average prices ranged from £24.30 for the dinner in Aldi to £36.51 in Tesco.
COST OF CHRISTMAS DINNER 2024
Global Ag View
Australia hails big year for exports
● Year of recovery for sheep sector
By Alex Black
BEEF exports were set to reach all-time highs, with lamb, mutton and goat exports already having set new benchmarks in what Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) described as a ‘big year for exports’.
With short domestic beef supply, the United States has seen a significant lift in shipments from Australia, and there has also been notable strong growth in Japan, South Korea and the Middle East for sheepmeat. Indonesia and other South-East Asian markets have also grown strongly.
MLA general manager for international markets Andrew Cox said: “The impressive export numbers
deserve recognition, particularly as significant challenges in the broader landscape remain.
“Global economic pressures, high living costs and ongoing political and trade uncertainties continue to affect consumer confidence and profitability for many supply chain participants.”
Recovery
For the Australian sheep sector, 2024 has been a year of ‘recovery, nervousness and record production’.
MLA said the sector entered the New Year in 2024 in seeming recovery.
Mr Cox said: “Driven by a positive summer across much of the east coast, markets reflected a move beyond the confidence- and climate-impacted 2023.
“The market, however, did not remain in recovery, and instead fell more dramatically than the previous year.”
New Zealand announces carbon farm sales changes
THE New Zealand Government has announced rules to limit whole-farm to forestry conversions entering the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).
It follows concerns about the number of productive beef and sheep farms being lost to carbon farming.
Beef and Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) chair Kate Acland said she was delighted to finally see concrete action to address this issue after calls by industry groups.
She said: “The regular independent research B+LNZ has commissioned on the number of whole-farm sales has led the conversation, making the scale of the problem all too clear.
“We have lost so much productive land to carbon farming – more than 260,000 hectares between 2017 and June 30, 2024 – and that means stock number losses and ultimately negative impacts on rural communities and New Zealand’s export earnings.”
Estimates showed for every 100,000ha planted, close to one
million stock units were lost. This has been driven by the carbon price and lack of limits on offsetting fossil fuel emissions, inflating the price carbon farming interests could pay.
She added that while she believed the changes should slow whole-farm sales, B+LNZ would monitor the situation.
Annual cap
The changes include a moratorium on exotic forestry registrations for Land Use Classifications (LUC) 1-5 and an annual cap of 15,000ha for exotic forestry conversions on LUC 6 farmland.
She said: “The limits around LUC 6 are very important as this represents the highest proportion of land sold for conversion and is the main class of land used by sheep and beef farmers.”
B+LNZ also supported the flexibility within the new rules for farmers to enter up to 25% of their farm into the ETS regardless of land class.
Meat and Livestock Australia said that without any extreme climatic conditions, elevated levels of sheep and lamb were expected to continue.
Cautiousness remained from producers throughout the year, with prices lifting in the autumn.
Quality had the largest impact on price, in contrast to recent history where liquidation and rebuild have driven supply and demand.
Strong supply, partnered with solid international and domestic demand, led to the record export volumes.
Trends were also regional, with South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales experiencing tough conditions.
Western Australia began the year on a low base, with a surplus of stock caused by turn-off and destocking.
This meant prices did not see the same recovery as the eastern market and more animals were turned off at times than could be absorbed by domestic processors.
Looking to 2025, MLA said without any extreme climatic conditions, elevated levels of sheep and lamb were expected to continue.
It also highlighted growing international markets, including the
emerging UK and India free trade agreement opportunities, US protein demand and the growth of shedding sheep and a move away from merinos and wool.
Driven by a positive summer across much of the east coast, markets reflected a move beyond the confidenceand climateimpacted 2023
ANDREW COX
Officials investigate links to raw milk in bird flu case
CALIFORNIA health officials are investigating a possible case of bird flu in a child who became ill after drinking raw milk, according to Marin County Public Health (MCPH).
The child went to a local emergency department in November with fever and vomiting after drinking raw milk and tested positive for influenza A, the county said.
It is understood the milk was sold under the Raw Farm brand. MCPH said it was working with the California Department of Public Health and the Center for Disease Control on additional testing to confirm if the infection was bird flu or seasonal flu.
The child has recovered and no other family members became sick, indicating no person-to-person transmission.
Farm Profile
Edited by Angela Calvert – 07768 796 492 – angela.calvert@agriconnect.com
For more features, go to farmersguardian.com/farm-life
The lead up to the festive period are, of course, peak times for Martin Noble and the team at Woolley Edge Christmas Tree Farm, near Wakefield, which means it fits in well with their arable farming enterprise, but management of the trees follows a year-long cycle.
Martin, who farms with his wife Cheryl and son Harry, and brother Peter and his wife Karen, first started selling bought-in Christmas trees from the farm more than 20 years ago, but in 2009 they planted the first of their own trees and they now sell up to 4,000 every year.
Martin says: “We first planted 400 trees on a small area of unproductive land, but soon realised that was not the way to go, as they really need decent soil on free-draining land.
“The following year, we planted another 1,000 trees and 2,000 the year after, and the year after that we
Farm
facts
■ 405 hectares (1,000 acres) across two farms on the Fitzwilliam and Pilkington Estates, some of which is on a share farming agreement
■ Mainly arable growing wheat, barley, oats and oilseed rape with some grass for haylage for own use and other clients including South Yorkshire Police horses
For most people, thoughts only turn to Christmas trees in the run-up to the festive season, but for the Noble family, they are a year-round occupation. Angela Calvert finds out more.
Arable farm targets Christmas niche with festive attractions
planted 25,000 to help out a friend in Scotland, Slav Mindrin, who had had a problem with his own trees, and he still has a financial interest in the tree business now.
■ DIY livery yard of 25 horses
■ 40,000 Christmas trees growing on 7.5ha (16 acres)
■ 4,000 Christmas trees sold each year and 400 fresh wreaths
■ Prices range from £10 to £250 depending on size and variety
■ A number of very big trees are supplied to councils and hotels
“He was very helpful to us, particularly when we first started, as he had been growing trees for many years, and even now brings down a team of staff during the summer to help with some of the work which needs doing with them.
“We work on a 10-year cycle and plant 4,000 to 5,000 trees every year.”
The farm now has 7.5 hectares (16 acres) dedicated to the Christmas trees, with 40,000 growing at any one time. The majority of the trees are Nordmann Fir, which is the most popular tree, but other varieties are grown, including Fraser Fir, Norway Spruce and Scots Pine.
Customers can either choose their own tree from the plantation and see it cut down for them or can buy a pre-cut tree. There are also potted trees available which can be planted out at a later stage.
Choose a tree
The farm opens for sales in late November, but for the two previous weekends it is open for visitors to come and choose a tree, have it tagged, and then return another time for it to be cut down and taken home.
Martin says: “We started the choosing your own tree and having it cut down in 2019, but it really
Martin Noble and family sell up to 4,000 Christmas trees every year at Woolley Edge Farm.
The whole process of selling trees has really evolved over time from just people coming to buy a tree to becoming a destination for a family outing
MARTIN NOBLE
West Yorkshire
took off during Covid-19 when people just wanted to get out and go somewhere.
“The whole process of selling trees has really evolved over time from just people coming to buy a tree to becoming a destination for a family outing, which is why we have added other attractions.”
They started selling decorations from two table tops 10 years ago and this has now grown into a huge shop stocked with every kind of Christmas accessory you can imagine, including lights and decorations, tree stands and wreaths which have been made on-site.
Other attractions include the opportunity to have a photograph taken with Father Christmas on his sleigh and on weekends, see
him feed the three reindeer which are in a pen next to his sleigh. They can also take the tree train for a ride around the plantation, with drinks and hot sandwiches available from Seasons Eatings.
Reindeer
Martin says: “The reindeer are a big attraction. We bought them a few years ago from Northumberland and they are relatively easy to manage, although we do buy in specialist concentrate feed for them while they are inside. The rest of the year they are turned out at grass.
“All the extra attractions are free and we just ask for donations to charity, and over the years have raised more than £10,000 for
the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice.
The Christmas trees for cutting are managed in rotation around the plantation as they reach the appropriate stage of growth.
Martin says: “We cut from one area at a time in rotation and offer a £10 discount on the areas we specifically want to clear to help reduce waste.”
The top 25% of trees are retailed, with some of the lesser grades sold wholesale. Any damaged or unsuitable trees are used for wreaths.
“Once the trees have been cut the stumps are ground down and any trees that are left over are mulched.
“We then plant the area where the trees have been in spring with clover which improves the soil structure
Fresh wreaths are made on-site from any damaged or unsuitable trees.
The reindeer are a big attraction for those visiting the farm.
and helps to keep the weeds down, and then plant the next lot of trees into the clover in the autumn.
“We used to plant them in spring but now plant them in autumn as we cannot rely on getting enough moisture in spring.
“They are planted on a square so that we can top between them both up and down and across using a narrow tractor.”
But getting trees to the point of sale is a long process. The trees take two years to grow from seed and then spend two years in a bed before being planted out. It then takes another four to eight years before they are ready to cut, depending on the variety, and during that time they need careful management.
Labour intensive
Martin says: “Initially, we planted them by hand using a single subsoiler, but now we use a tworow planter which has two people sitting on it, so it is still fairly labour intensive.”
Starting four years after planting out, every tree is trimmed each year with hand shears during spring to ensure they keep to a good shape, and a branch adjuster is used to pull branches into shape. The middle bud at the end of branches also needs to be taken out to ensure a more even growth.
Each year in the spring when the trees have had a flush of growth, a special tool is used to break the bark at the top of the tree to stop all the nutrients shooting up, which would result in a tall, thin tree.
In year five, a basal pruner is used to take the bottom branches
off the tree to enable it to fit into a stand.
While managing the trees keeps the team busy all year round, undoubtedly the weeks running up to Christmas are the most intense.
Martin says: “We used to just rely on family and friends to help, but now we will need about 25 casual
The family started selling decorations from two table tops 10 years ago and this has now grown into a huge shop stocked with every kind of Christmas accessory you can imagine.
members of staff at Christmas. Peak time is from the end of November to mid-December, but Christmas seems to get earlier every year, with people starting to buy sooner.
“The big challenge is trying to predict which species are going to be most popular. In recent years
it has been the non-drop varieties, but the traditional Norway Spruce which has a lovely smell and a good shape is seeing something of a resurgence.
“The best advice I can give to anyone buying a fresh tree is water it, keep it cool and do not buy it until December.”
The Nobles plant 4,000-5,000 trees on-farm each year.
Arable
Edited by Alice Dyer – 07966 445 458 – alice.dyer@agriconnect.com
For more arable content, go to farmersguardian.com/arable-news-hub
Growing everything from cereals to fruit to mistletoe, Eastham Court Farm, in Worcestershire, is adopting a number of environmental initiatives to improve its resilience. Farmers Guardian reports.
Balancing tradition with environmental innovations
Mark Adams manages his family’s 140-hectare mixed farm near Tenbury Wells, in Worcestershire, in partnership with his parents Michael and Cecilia.
Like many other producers in the region, Mr Adams sees his farming operation span multiple avenues; while running arable, beef and sheep, he turns his hand to managing the traditional orchards planted by his grandfather.
Capitalising on the concentration of fruit trees on the Herefordshire and Worcestershire border, Mr Adams has also built an income stream from selling the mistletoe that grows among his orchards.
He says: “Tenbury Wells is known as the mistletoe capital of England, and we have been fortunate enough to sell our produce at the local holly and mistletoe auction for a long time now.”
For the last 150 years, the auction has taken place in the run-up to Christmas, providing a local outlet for Mr Adams’ bumper crop.
He also supplies the fruits of his labour to organic markets in London.
Mistletoe is a hemi-parasitic plant grown on host trees, Mr Adams says, and the rough bark of apple trees allows mistletoe seeds to easily lodge and germinate.
“Hemi-parasitic means the plant sources a lot of its nutrients and water from the host tree while also
synthesising to produce its own food,” he adds.
“Our local area is a hotspot for birds such as mistle thrushes and blackcaps, responsible for spreading the majority of the mistletoe berries, which eat the white berries and spread the seeds on nearby branches.”
The 12ha of traditional orchards
It makes more financial sense to keep back the flooded land for herbal leys than drill it with cereals, says Mr Adams.
have been organic since 2001, with the family supplying apples locally to Robinsons cider.
Mr Adams says: “The traditional orchards are less intensively managed than the more large-scale operations you see around here, which also helps mistletoe thrive.
“There is less maintenance involved, no chemical inputs, and with the trees being more mature and slower growing, it is a stable environment for the plant to establish and flourish.”
Mr Adams adds that by managing the mistletoe’s growth, it can grow with the trees without outcompeting the main crop of apples.
“It is a good secondary product to have and an additional income stream at this time of year,” he says.
“If the mistletoe can co-exist with no harm to the trees, then we are happy.”
Environmental initiatives
Mr Adams’ ongoing ambitions to improve all-round business efficiency are also set to improve Eastham Court Farm’s environmental sustainability.
With the River Teme running through the middle of the farm, Mr
Arable
from environmental initiatives and supported the family with funding applications since 2019.
Part of the farm is very partial to waterlogging in the winter, so we looked into how herbal leys could benefit the most vulnerable fields
MARK ADAMS
Adams has taken advantage of grant funding through the Severn Trent Environmental Protection Scheme (STEPS) and technical support from his local Severn Trent agricultural adviser.
He says: “I have worked with Severn Trent for five years and really valued the support from our adviser, Jess.”
Jess Nott has helped identify areas on the farm that could benefit
Mr Adams adds: “Part of the farm is very partial to waterlogging in the winter, so we looked into how herbal leys could benefit the most vulnerable fields used to graze our 600 sheep.
“The herbal ley STEPS grant process was flexible, and I could choose bespoke mixes that were tailored to each field.
“I worked with Jess to choose varieties that improved water infiltration and would not outcompete other species under waterlogged conditions and cause an overpopulation of a single variety.”
Inputs
The farm has also reduced inputs due to the nitrogen-fixing benefits of the herbal leys, and the inclusion of chicory has helped manage the worm burden for grazing pastures.
Mr Adams says: “It makes more financial sense to keep back the flooded land for herbal leys than drill it with cereals that could be easily damaged in wet conditions.”
Severn Trent also recommended grant options to support grass or wildflower margins on arable fields
as an environmentally friendly way of enhancing nutrient management.
“Allowing for a buffer strip of six metres along arable field boundaries helps capture run-off from fertilisers, preventing them from reaching the river and affecting water quality,” adds Mr Adams.
“These margins also act as a physical barrier to prevent soil erosion, helping keep valuable nutrients in the field.”
Supported by STEPS funding, Mr Adams has also invested in weed wiper equipment for the conventional grassland on the farm, which helps farmers spray more efficiently than when taking a blanket approach.
He says: “I wanted to add a weed wiper to our operation because it would allow us to target herbicide applications and control weeds without affecting surrounding plants, like the clover in our grass leys.
“The applicator glides across the top of the crop and only comes into contact with the taller weeds, sparing the grass beneath.
“Since using the wiper, it has helped cut costs of inputs too as you are really only applying the bare minimum, in a much more precise way than broadcast spraying.”
This precise application also minimises run-off and leaching of herbicides into waterways.
Mark Adams has built an income stream from selling mistletoe which grows among the orchards on his family’s 140-hectare mixed farm.
The farm has reduced inputs due to the nitrogen-fixing benefits of herbal leys.
The STEPS grant process has allowed Mr Adams to choose a bespoke herbal ley mix suited to the field.
Changes to Inheritance Tax, rising costs or a looming retirement age have left some farming enterprises wondering ‘what next’? Alice Dyer explores how joint ventures are benefiting businesses.
Benefiting from a joined up approach
If a good agreement can be put in place, joint ventures have the ability to reduce costs, give access to better kit, free up time and take the hassle away from the day-to-day running of a farm.
Joint ventures have increased in popularity in recent years as a way for farmers to share the cost of machinery items that require high levels of capital. This set-up means the landowner or tenant still retains 100% control of the farm, but labour and machinery are outsourced to gain an economy of scale.
However, within a joint venture you can still be taking a very active role in the operations, which can be a positive, for example if someone wants to retire, but not do nothing, says George Badger, partner at Ceres Rural.
“Neither is profiting from the
IN THE FIELD WINDMILL FARMING, WARWICKSHIRE
ESTABLISHED in 2022, Warwickshire-based joint venture, Windmill Farming, currently scales around 720 hectares. It is made up of two farming businesses – C.H. Warhurst, a 120ha owned arable farm, and T.I. Evans and Sons, a 600ha enterprise of both owned and tenanted land, with a variety of agreements from Farm Business Tenancies and contract farming agreements with small landlords to large companies including Jaguar Land Rover.
It is this varied approach to land ownership and agreements that highlights how well joint ventures can work for both large and small arable farms, says Windmill Farming manager Martin Downes.
He sees joint ventures like this one as a way of taking on the challenges farming faces including rising fuel, labour, inputs and machinery costs by bringing together like-minded farmers and combining their strengths, expertise and resources.
Mr Downes says: “We hold regular meetings throughout the year, and members are given regular, sometimes daily, operational updates on a WhatsApp group. It also means there is less admin for things like farm assurance schemes because it is all centralised on Gatekeeper.”
Business decisions
they wish, also provide a proportion of machinery in relation to the share of the acreage.
other. Unlike a stubble-to-stubble agreement where the contractor is coming in and charging with a view to making an element of profit, here the whole point of a joint venture is you are all in it together but you are only paying what the actual cost is.”
Key factors
However, whether a joint venture is right for your farming business depends on a number of key factors, Mr Badger adds.
“Cash and appetite to risk is a primary driver – and tax is also important. We may start to see changes to different farming models following the new Inheritance Tax announcements, as to be eligible for Business Property Relief, landowners had to be actively farming.
“Another aspect which cannot be
Meanwhile, members of the joint venture retain all independent business decisions, all of their harvested crop and also own a percentage of the joint venture machinery.
Members share all machinery and labour costs on a per hectare basis which is paid quarterly. This includes fuel, servicing, maintenance, interest and insurance. Each member can, if
underestimated is your amenity and heritage value of the farm. Whether it is your shooting hobby or wanting to see the farm managed in a certain way, such as following regenerative principles.
“Joint ventures bring collaboration and economies of scale, with neither party profiting from one another. It is most akin to an in-hand farming situation,” says Mr Badger.
“In terms of risk, if grain prices go up you get all the upside, if they go down you see all the downside.”
Machinery management, maintenance and servicing are all controlled by the manager, as is management of the crops, plus all full-time and harvest labour and agronomy fees. Fuel is bought through Windmill Farming and charged out on a per hectare basis. The joint venture also gives them access to a full-time manager, a full-time operator and two-three harvest staff without any of the ‘HR hassle’, says Mr Downes.
He adds: “Members get access to a full-time manager for a fraction of the cost. Any members helping with labour are reimbursed on a land percentage basis. For example, if you provide £100 worth of labour and you own 20% of the joint venture acreage, you will be paid £100 by Windmill Farming for that labour. Then when the quarterly bill
This tends to be a more costeffective way of being able to use more modern machinery and technology and get higher outputs.
Farms in joint ventures are no different to in-hand farming, so can still purchase machinery and benefit from capital allowances in high profit years. This also means some working capital is required, but because it is shared at scale, it may well be less than an in-hand farm. However, unlike contract farming agreements, the risk of commodity
George Badger (left) with Martin Downes (right).
Decisions, such as combine logistics, are made by sitting round the table and coming to mutual agreements, says Martin Downes.
comes, you will be asked to pay your share which would be £20.”
Combine logistics is always one of the first questions Mr Downes is asked.
“The group has tried to simplify the rules as much as possible. All decisions like this were made by sitting round the table and coming to mutual agreements. We decided, why do we not just share the drying fuel? So all drying fuel goes into the pot and you pay the drying charge based on how much land is in the joint venture regardless of if you dried any grain or not.
“So even if you do not dry a single piece of your grain, if you have got 20% of the land in the joint venture you end up paying 20% of the bill, but on the flipside if all your grain was dried, you would only pay 20% of that.
“We had one member that was all milling wheat, which we did try and get in first. But generally it is all
markets and extreme weather is not shared.
Professional approach
Mr Badger adds: “With the many challenges the industry faces, it is very clear we need a professional approach to farming in order to make a success of it.
“Joint ventures require very clear communication and alignment of objectives. Key to success is the communication between the people you are working with. Trust
planted in an order and harvested in an order.
“We have had two challenging seasons in a row, and this year we were even able to help someone else with combining, and we got all winter crops drilled ahead of the rain this autumn,” says Mr Downes.
External work
In years like this, T.I. Evans carries out external contracting work using the joint venture machinery, with the contracting income then shared between members.
Always on the search for new members, scaling the joint venture up will be Mr Downes’ next challenge. He thinks they could comfortably travel to land within 15 miles without issues.
“As you get bigger you do not necessarily need two of everything machinery wise. All of our tractors are 60k gearboxes and machinery runs on a tyre inflation system, so
is probably the key word – do I trust this person to essentially be treating my farm like it is their own? Will they come and drill my farm at the right time? Will they combine when it is sunny because I do not have drying facilities? It all comes down to trust in making these things work.
“Anything can work on paper but if it does not work sitting round a kitchen table, looking eye to eye and having that trust then it will not work.”
We hold regular meetings throughout the year, and members are given regular, sometimes daily, operational updates on a WhatsApp group
MARTIN DOWNES
we can pump up and let down tyres for road work.”
Only the combinable cropping area is included within the joint venture, so responsibilities such
as hedgecutting, grain loading and storage is down to the individual farm still. All stewardship payments also belong 100% to the individual farm.
Joint ventures compared to Farm Business Tenancies
PROS
n Control of the farm decisionmaking and active role in operations
n Economy of scale gained at cost
n Neither party profiting from other
n Full upside retained in high performing years
n Qualifies for Agricultural Property Relief after two years
n Tax treatment as a trading business (VAT registered, Capital
Gains Tax reliefs, Business Property Relief, capital allowances, etc.)
CONS
n Risk not shared, income is not fixed
n Full working capital required (albeit shared at scale)
n Requires clear communication and alignment of objectives
Source: Ceres Rural
Edited by Angela Calvert – 07768
Unique, from L.J. White, Bamford, which sold for the day’s top price of 18,000gns to Messrs Campbell, Lochgoilhead.
Red Ladies sell to 18,000gns
l Overall champion realises 12,000gns
LEADING the trade at 18,000gns at the Red Ladies sale of pedigree Limousin females at Carlisle was the maiden heifer, January 2023-born Ladybowers Unique. The daughter of Ladybowers Ohio out of the Ampertaine Foreman-sired Grahams Majorie, from L.J. White, Bamford, sold to Messrs Campbell, Lochgoilhead. Making 14,000gns was the first prize winner, July 2023-born Hollowdene Ulay by Claddagh McCabe
out of Norman Lacey. Bred by William Gabbie and consigned by Mark Cormack, Hereford, it was knocked down to Messrs Perkins, Radstock.
The overall champion, Mereside Unicorn, a January 2023-born daughter of Jalex Superman out of Mereside Oliva from R.M. Hazard and Sons, Grantham, made 12,000gns. The buyer was Messrs Cairns, Tollerton, who also paid 8,500gns for June 2023-born Grahams Undine by Burnbank Officer out of Grahams Coffee from R. and J. Graham, Bridge of Allan.
Goldies Tinsel, a December 2022-
born heifer by Woodmarsh Regent, consigned by Bruce Goldie, Mouswald, sold for 8,000gns to Messrs Bowe and Sons, Northallerton.
Reserve
At the same money was the reserve overall champion, Goldies Uhazel by Goldies Hazel also from Messrs Goldie. The buyer was Messrs Nichol, Seascale.
Weaned heifer calves topped at 15,000gns for the first prize winner, January 2024-born Glenrock Vesuvius by Powerful Irish out of Eagleside Lafayette from S. and T. Illingworth,
Strong dairy trade at Shrewsbury
THE Millenheath herd from the Hares family, Millenheath Farms, Whitchurch, topped the Christmas dairy sale at Shrewsbury at £3,280 with second prize winner, Millenheath Topshot Lexine VG86.
They also took the championship, winning the Bryan Challenor Cup, with Millenheath Topshot Avery GP84 which sold for £3,200. Third placed cow, Meldamar Kimball Lady 86 from J.M. and D.
Shepherd and Son, Bakewell, sold for £2,750.
Overall reserve
Top heifer and overall reserve champion was Penwell Twinkle 287 by Seagull Bay Applejax, from E.E. and M. Williams and Son, Mold, which sold for £3,200. Second was Overton Alcove Cheri from M.J.E. Hughes, Criggion, which made £3,120, and third was Dilandy Luster Marie,
from D. and A.C. Shakeshaft, Ellesmere, which sold for £3,080.
A third lactation commercial cow from H. Davies and Partners, Puddington, made £2,000.
Six heifer calves sold for £200/head for Messrs Cookson, Berriew, and two in-calf heifers sold for £1,050/head.
THE sale of the 2023 crop of Texel gimmers from the Roxburgh flock of John Elliot, Kelso, and the Greenarch flock, from the Hodge family, Kelso, topped at 4,000gns. This was for a Greenarch gimmer by Campsie Drambuie out of a Greenarch Watchman daughter in-lamb to Wellingley Ego, which sold to Messrs Hodgson and Son, Darlington.
Next, at 3,200gns, was a Roxburgh gimmer by Wellingley Ego out of a Greenarch Bodacious-sired dam in-lamb to Greenarch Figaro. It was knocked down to Messrs Smith, Dunblane, who also paid 3,000gns for a Greenarch gimmer, also by Ego and in-lamb to Caron Fire Fly.
Messrs Hodgson then paid
2,500gns for a Roxburgh gimmer by Campsie Drambuie in-lamb to Fimber Elysium.
AVERAGES
Roxburgh flock – 42 gimmers, £1,372.50; Greenarch flock – 34 gimmers, £1,162.72. Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.
Lockerbie, which was knocked down to Messrs Wilson, Corby Hill. Hightown Volvo, a February 2024-born son of Huntershall Romanus out of Garnedd Model from John Smith-Jackson, Haydon Bridge, topped the bull calves at 8,000gns when selling to Messrs Hardisty, Ennerdale.
AVERAGES
Red Ladies – 33 maiden heifers, £5,902.27; weaned calves – 7 bull calves, £3,870; 40 heifer calves, £3,382.50. Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.
Welshpool sees 1,350gns high
THE Merry Belles sale of Blue Texels at Welshpool topped at 1,350gns for Top-Bank Heidi by Ettrick Firefly from R. Francis Abergorlech. It sold in-lamb to Cairnrock Fully Loaded to C.A. Jessop and Sons, Coalville. Next, at 1,120gns, was the pre-sale show champion, Pistyll Hazel, also by Ettrick Firefly and in-lamb to Cairnrock Fully Loaded from G.A. and H.M. Francis, Abergorlech, which went home with S. Griffiths, Kidwelly. D.R. and E.W. Jones, Corwen, bought the third prize shearling ewe, Top-Bank Haf by Firefly and bred from Ettrick Ebony Rosa, from the same home as the sale leader, for 850gns and also paid 750gns for TopBank Heather from the same flush.
Glenrock Vesuvius, from S. and T. Illingworth, Lockerbie, which sold for 15,000gns to Messrs Wilson, Corby Hill.
Champion lambs to £500 top at Bentham
● Commercials sell for 320-340p/kg
THE Christmas show and sale of short-woolled lambs at Bentham was judged by John Naylor, Halton, who was retiring after 26 years of service to the market. He chose as champions a pen of five 46kg Beltex from Ian, Mary and Richard Lancaster, Clitheroe, which went on to sell for the top price of £500/ head (1,036p/kg) to Saj Shan on behalf of Shans Group, Ossett.
Second prize and reserve champion went to R.A. Cowperthwaite, Malham Moor, whose pen sold for £220/head. The third prize pen from A.L. Thompson, Foulridge, sold for £270/head.
Best bred
Away from the show, lambs were in demand with the best bred lambs
From left: Vendors Ian and Richard Lancaster, and buyer Saj Shan, of Shans Group, with the champion pen of lambs, which sold for £500/head.
either side of 400p/kg with a run from T. Hill and R. Wright, Wadsworth, to 444.4p/kg. Commercial lambs were 320-340p/kg.
The best heavy lambs were £180-
£205, with a single from Messrs Thompson to £222. The better pens of heavy Mules were £136-£142, with handy weights at 295-305p/kg. Auctioneers: R. Turner and Son.
Kerry Hills to 2,000gns high at Carlisle
AT the Christmas Cracker sale of Kerry Hills at Carlisle, the championship went to the Owens family, Leominster, with a shearling ewe by Dalwyne Avici out of a home-bred ewe from their Woodhouse 2 flock. It went on to sell in-lamb to Pentrenant Dary-
dd for the top price of 2,000gns to M. Cater, Macclesfield.
Three more shearling ewes from the Woodhouse flock, two by Dalwyne Zeus and one by a Downwood ram and all in-lamb to Pentrenant Darydd, sold for 1,600gns apiece to Messrs
Overall champion, a shearling ewe, from the Owens family, Leominster, which sold for 2,000gns to M. Cater, Macclesfield.
J.G. and E.S. Amphlett, Leominster, also sold a ewe lamb from their Woodhouse Farm flock for 1,600gns to S. Jones for the Fronarth flock, Ceredigion.
Two more in-lamb shearling gimmers from the Woodhouse 2 flock sold for 1,400gns each to Messrs Gwynne, Llandeilo, and Kinsey Court Farm, respectively.
Making 1,300gns was a shearling ewe by Whitcastles Angus from Jack Graham’s Birsca flock, Lockerbie, which was knocked down to Messrs Macgill and A. Jones, Isle of Islay.
THE 257 store cattle and suckled calves at Barnard Castle topped at £2,150 for a Limousin steer from W.K., M.M. and S.J. Lamb, Cotherstone. The top priced heifer at £2,030 was a British Blue from N.R. and C.S. Hodgson, Ravenstonedale.
Feeding bulls sold to £1,805 for two
British Blondes consigned by T. and D.I. Allen and Son, Wolsingham.
The suckled calf champion was an 11-month-old Limousin steer from B. and S. Teasdale and Son, Copley, which sold for £1,740 to Messrs Robshaw, Tadcaster.
Reserve champion was a 10-month-
Sedgemoor sees dairies to £3,465
THE Christmas Cracker dairy show and sale at Sedgemoor topped at £3,465 for the winning calved heifer and reserve champion, home-bred Treetop Artisan Kimo VG86 from Geoff Morgan, Gloucester.
Other calved heifers sold to £2,782.50 for an Amanda by Davici from R.K. and S.G. Miller and Sons’ Moorshard herd, Bridgwater.
Freshly-calved second lactation cows sold to £2,887.50 for Dorset Dandy Celicia from Dimond Farming, Sherbourne.
The sale included the second consignment for Paul and Anna Brunt, Bridport, to disperse their flying herd which had the top priced cow at £3,045, a commercial third calver bought from the Vortex herd of the King family, Dorset. Other cows sold to £2,835 for the second calver, Haydon Kimball Bess.
Home-bred
In-calf heifers sold to £1,785 for the home-bred heifer by Progenesis Wimbledon from P.D. and J.L. Biss, Somerton. Organic heifers from both Billingsmoor Farm, Cullompton, and Waldergrave Farms, Wells, sold to £1,701.
THE Pistyll Dapper daughter, Beacons Eye Catcher, from Angharad Francis, Abergorlech, Carmarthen, topped the Merry Belles sale of Badger Face Texels at Welshpool at 1,300gns.
The shearling ewe bred from dam Sunnybank Boss Bitch and in-lamb to Bonny and Bold El Equinox, was reserve champion in the pre-sale show before selling to David Leedham, Lutterworth.
The overall champion was the ewe lamb, Banc Foxy Lady, a Hackney YesMan daughter from Huw and Kate Williams, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, which sold to I.E. Williams, Bryncir, at 1,000gns.
old British Blue steer from F. and M.P. Allinson, West Briscoe, which made £1,960.
Auctioneers: Barnard Castle and Teesdale Farmers Auction Mart Co.
Matching this bid was L.C. Martin, Corscombe, Dorchester, for Margwen Eva, a Llwyn Derw Chopsy-sired shearling ewe from Gareth Rowland, Ynys Mon, which had been running with Knockmult Finley.
AVERAGES
7 in-lamb shearlings, £727.50 (+£15.50
l First prize pen tops the ewes at £228/head
TOPPING the Christmas show and sale of prime lambs at Kirkby Stephen at £400/head (784.3p/kg) were the overall champions and winning heavyweight Beltex, 51kg lambs from Messrs Askwith, Crook. They sold to Mr Alam, of Lancashire Direct Halal Meat, Blackburn.
The reserve champion pair of lambs were the winning lightweight Beltex crosses, 41kg lambs from Messrs Dinsdale, Morland, which sold for £230/head (561p/kg).
Outwith the show, Messrs Fell, Keswick, sold five pens of Rouge and Dutch Texel lambs over £5/kg. Firstly, for 39kg lambs which made £211 (541p/kg), 42kg lambs at £205 (488.1p/kg), 38kg lambs at £200 (526.3p/kg), a pen of five 38kg lambs at £196 (515p/kg) and a pen of five 38kg lambs at £193 (507.9p/
Champions set new record at Lancaster
AT the Christmas prize show and sale of store cattle at Lancaster the championship rosette was won by D.E. and S.M. Moorhouse, Kendal, with a pair of 20-month-old Limousin cross steers, which later sold for a new market record of £2,500/ head to R.T. Owen, Bold. The reserve champions from the same vendor sold for £2,380/head.
A special prize award for the best pen of home-bred cattle went to R. Capstick and Son, Ingleton, with a pen of 22-month-old Limousin cross steers, which sold for £2,140/head to R.F. Towers, Wray.
Limousin cross steers from Pilling Hall, Pilling, sold for £2,080/ head, as did British Blue steers from J. Lamb, Lancaster.
Aberdeen-Angus
The sale of over-30-month and cull cows saw a top price of 304p/kg for Aberdeen-Angus cross steers from O. Butler, Kirkham, with cows to £2,154 for a Limousin from R.H. and C. Ayrton, Abbeystead.
Rearing calves sold to £630 for a Charolais cross bull from Drinkall Bros, Over Wyredale, with a British Blue cross to £575 for A.D. and R. Milner, Claughton-on-Brock. The champion, a British Blue cross bull from Wallbank Farms, Over Wyresdale, made £550 to J. Townson, Blackburn.
AVERAGES
Steers, £1,641; heifers, £1,381. Auctioneers: North West Auctions.
Beltex to £400/head at Kirkby Stephen
kg). The consignment of 20 averaged £193.25 (504.6p/kg).
Mule lambs topped at £158/ head for the first prize pen of 10, 55kg lambs from Messrs Wharton, Murton.
Overall average
The SQQ was 349.4p/kg with an overall average of 331p/kg (£148.67/head) which included more than 500 Mule and horned lambs.
Topping the ewes at £228/head was the first prize pen of five lowland sheep, Blue Texels from Ellen Elliot, Penrith.
The first prize pen of hill ewes was a pen of five Swaledales from Messrs Lawson, Wigton, which made £124/head.
Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.
Willsbro herd leads Exeter sale at £4,500
THE Christmas Stocking Filler dairy show and sale at Exeter included a consignment of 60 head from Willsbro, Wadebridge. They topped at £4,500 twice, firstly for Willsbro Arrow Sara 3334 VG88, a second calver giving more than 50kg, which went to Baltier Farming Company, Newton Stewart.
Also at £4,500 was Willsbro Ranger Raven 4493 VG86, a fresh heifer by 3star Oh Ranger-Red, which sold to E. and M. Jones and Sons, Pembrokeshire.
At £4,200 was the first prize cow and overall champion, Willsbro Sidekick Dolly 128 EX90, a fresh third calver which also sold to Baltier Farming.
The first prize heifer and reserve champion, Willsbro Parfect Sharon 4747 ET GP83, a Siemers Rengd Parfect daughter, made £3,900 to
Messrs Jones. The consignment of 21 milkers averaged £3,145.
Fresh cows and heifers
A consignment of 21 fresh cows and heifers from J.S. Bird and Son, Axminster, topped at £2,900 three times. First was Bartonwood Haniko Pamela GP83, a second calver by Siemers Lambda Haniko, which went to Messrs Jones, who also bought the other two at the same money.
These were Bartonwood Apps Hazel 55 VG86, a third calver by Linenright Apps and Bartonwood Delta Lambda Honey VG86, a second calver by Farnear Delta Lambda. The consignment averaged £2,223.
A pure Brown Swiss heifer from the Davis family, Tiverton, sold at £2,500 and its month-old heifer calf made £600.
Four fresh British Friesian heifers from Chris Partridge, Broadclyst, sold to £2,350 averaging £2,150. A large entry of calves included 45 head from Wills Bros which topped at £1,600 twice for Willbro Zoar Roxy 6614 by Claynook Zoar which sold to John Pyne, Exeter.
At the same money was Willsbro Camaro Whiskey 6703, a Kings-Ransom H Camaro daughter which went to Richard Gay, Axminster.
Seven pedigree Jersey heifer calves from the Davis family, topped at £1,000 for Rivermead Addicted To Roses, a daughter of Rivermead Casino Addiction which sold to Baltier Farming, which also paid £750 for Rivermead Victor Lily, the first daughter by Elite Victor to be sold in the UK.
Auctioneers: Kivells.
Harestone flock Suffolk females realise
THE sale of Suffolk females from R. and N. Barclay’s Harestone flock, Insch, Aberdeenshire, at Carlisle, peaked at 3,000gns for a 2021-born ewe by Landale Controversial out of a Brijon dam. It sold, in-lamb to Jalex Eldiablo, to Messrs Jewitt, Barnard Castle. Making 2,000gns was a 2022-
born daughter of Landale Controversial, also in-lamb to Eldiablo. It sold to Messrs Illingworth, Lockerbie, who also paid 2,000gns for a shearling gimmer by Harestone Evolution, in-lamb to Eldiablo.
A 2022-born Oakbridge-bred ewe by Forkins Masterplan and
in-lamb to Evolution also sold for 2,000gns to Messrs Wainwright, York.
AVERAGES 11 flock ewes, £1,307.72; 8 shearling gimmers, £1,286.25. Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.
From left: Judge James Blenkhorn, auctioneer Mark Richardson and vendor Harry Askwith with his overall champions, 51kg Beltex.
Thirsk champion lambs sell for £445/head high
JOJO Andrews, Boscar Flatts, claimed both champion and reserve at Thirsk’s Christmas show and sale of prime lambs, judged by Kevin Kelly, Leeds.
The champions were 45kg Beltex which went on to sell for £445/head (989p/kg) to Philip Marley Butchers, Ripon. In reserve was a single 55kg Beltex cross lamb which made £280/ head (509p/kg) to Charles Ashbridge, of Taste Tradition, Hutton Conyers.
Prime cattle were judged by Andrew Radford, of Radford’s Butchers, Sleights, who chose as champion a 672kg Limousin cross heifer from Andrew and Jen Dyson, Masham, which went on to sell for 540p/kg (£3,629) to Mr Ashbridge.
Reserve champion went to Matthew Keel, Bagby, with his halter-led Limousin cross bullock which made 445p/kg (£2,750) to the Franks family, Thirsk.
Prime bulls and cull cows were
● Hilltop gimmers average £13,650
A NEW female Texel record of 52,000gns was set at the Christmas Stars sale at Carlisle for a gimmer from Kenny Pratt’s Hilltop flock, Aberdeen. The Plasucha Fireball daughter out of a Sportsmans Cannon Ball-sired dam and carrying twins to Drumbreddan Hard Ass was knocked down to Bruce Renwick, Legers, Kelso, for the Castlecairn flock.
Next, at 15,000gns, was a gimmer from Jim Innes’ Strathbogie flock, Huntly. By Auldhouseburn Fancy
judged by Mr Kelly who awarded the championship to John Hall, Aldborough, with a 692kg British Blue cross, which made 368p/kg (£2,547) to Robert Pearson, of Ralph Pearson and Son, Bradford. In reserve was a 790kg Limousin cross bull from Ian Woodhead, Felixkirk, which sold for 340p/ kg (£2,686), also to Messrs Pearson.
Pigs
The Tinsel Trotters show and sale of store pigs, the first of its kind in the country, was judged by Matthew Keel, who awarded the championship to Daniel Thackery, Fewston, with his first prize pen of store pigs weighing over 50kg which went onto sell for a record-breaking £200/head.
Reserve champions from the same home were the second prize store pigs weighing over 50kg which sold for £180/head, with both pens bought by the judge.
Top price of the day outside of the show was £142/head for a pair of gilts from Mr Thackery. Young breeding sows sold to
£100 and £92 for E. Staveley, North Stainley.
Texel female record smashed at Carlisle
Pants out of a dam by Mullan Armani and also in-lamb to Drumbreddan Hard Ass, it sold in a two-way split to Alan Blackwood, Muirkirk, and Boden and Davies, Stockport.
Mr Blackwood then bought a pair at 10,000gns each. The first from James
Christmas Cracker Texels to 6,000gns
TOPPING the Christmas Cracker sale of Texel females at Carlisle at 6,000gns was a ewe lamb from Claybury Texels, Shrewsbury. By Haddo Fabio out of a Claybury Delta Forcesired dam, it sold to Messrs Blackwood, Muirkirk.
Next, at 3,800gns, from D. and S. MacPherson’s Hexel flock, Berwick-upon-Tweed, was a ewe lamb by Strathbogie Gladiator out of a Rhaeadr Entrepreneur daughter which was knocked down to Messrs Williams, Lampeter.
Messrs McKerrow and Sons, Ellon, paid 3,000gns for a shearling gimmer by Garngour First Class out of a Sportsmans Double Diamond daughter in-lamb to Tillycairn Hamish from Messrs Teward, Staindrop.
At 2,000gns was a gimmer by Stain-
ton Foundation from D. Kerr Jarvie’s Duncryne flock, Dunblane, which went to Messrs Forster, Hexham.
A ewe lamb by Haddo Goliath from Ben Vernon’s Charben flock, Rocester, also made 2,000gns to Messrs Titmus, Gamlingay.
Theyer’s Clanfield flock, Oxfordshire, was a daughter of 160,000gns Rhaeadr First Choice in-lamb to Holtridge Honky Tonk. The other, from Boden and Davies’ Sportsmans flock, was by Haymount Fan Dabi Dozi carrying triplets to Milnbank Hunter.
A GIMMER by 350,000gns Sportsmans Double Diamond from Alan Blackwood’s Auldhouseburn flock, Muirkirk, topped the Select Seven sale of in-lamb Texel gimmers and empty ewe lambs at Lanark at 20,000gns. Out of a Garngour-bred daughter of Knock Yardsman, it sold in-lamb to Mellor Vale Hercules, to Stuart Barclay’s Harestone flock, Insch. Next, at 6,500gns and from the same home, was a gimmer by Haymount Fan Dabi Dozi out of a Corbo-bred dam by Tullagh Dragon. Also in-lamb to Mellor Vale Hercules, it was knocked down to James Porter, Saltcotes flock, Penrith.
Making 5,000gns was another from Auldhouseburn, also by Fan Dabi Dozi and this time out of a dam by Sportsmans Double Diamond. It sold in-lamb to Milnbank High Voltage to Kirsty Cameron, Gorebridge. At the same money from Andrew Clark’s Teiglum flock, Carluke, was a daughter of Tullnasoo Funtime out of a Procters Chumba Wumba-sired dam and in-lamb to Duncryne Houdini. The buyer was Graham Morrison, Deveronvale.
- Online Catalogue available fromMonday 27th of January 2025 atfarmersmarts.auctionmarts.com
- Bidding to start on Monday 3rd of February 2025
- Bidding closes 5th of February 2025
Key Figures from the 13th November Sale
Top Price: £10,200
22 Lots sold over £4,000
Trained Average - £3842
Partly Trained Average £2100
Pups Average - £862
Sale Average - £2,407
Overall Clearance - 81%
Foinaven Ellie £9,000 Cefnethin Roxy £9,100
Saturday 18th January 2025 - 11am Start
On Behalf of Apley Estate to be held at Apley Home Farm, Shifnal, Shropshire TF11 9EL
NEW YEAR DEADLINE
160 In Calf Cows, 2 Cows and Calves and 4 Stock bulls. Prolific and well managed mainly Continental x Cows calving from 1st March 2025 within 12 weeks to British Blue and Limousin X Bulls Fully Vaccinated, Farm Assured, TB Free since 2021, 70% calved in march and only 6 assisted calvings total in 2024. Last Years bull calves averaged 613kg at 431days and averaged 390kg Deadweight, a 63.6% Killing out percentage, including 14% E Grade, 62% U Grade and 24% R Grades. Download the full catalogue from our website.
From everyone at Halls, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2025.
Friday 3rd January 2025Copy deadline: Monday 30th Dec 11am
PL E ASE N OTE
The Farmers Guardian office will be closed from Friday 20th December, will re-open for one day on Monday 30th December and will remain closed until Thursday 2nd January 2025
Farming has had a challenging year View
Zanna Dennis looks ahead to 2025
With the festive season well and truly here, Christmas prime stock shows and sales are in full swing in our auction marts up and down the country. We have seen record-breaking prices that once again prove the value of the live auction ring, while creating space to come together to celebrate each other’s achievements and showcase the best in British livestock.
As we wrap up the year, farming in 2024 has certainly not been without its challenges. Spring brought us extreme weather conditions and disease outbreaks, making lambing and calving difficult for many.
The election of a new Government brought uncertainty, but recently sent shockwaves through our industry following the Budget announcement by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, including changes to Agricultural Property Relief.
On top of that, the bluetongue dis-
ease outbreak has placed large parts of England within a Restricted Zone, which has had significant implications on business operations and trading for farmers and livestock markets.
However, it is not all doom and gloom. In response to the Autumn Budget announcement, we have seen our industry stand together strong, with spectacular displays of passion, unity and respect at the recent rallies across the country, that show what makes our industry so special.
As a child I was taught that it requires humility to admit when you have got it wrong, and courage to make change. I can only hope that our Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, and
the Labour Party can find the strength of character to listen and show our industry the respect, value and support it deserves.
In times of uncertainty, our livestock markets have continued to provide a vital community and social hub and the liveweight trade has continued to be the good news story for the livestock producer.
While the prime lamb trade has been strong throughout autumn, we have seen the seasonal jump in the run up to Christmas, realising an SQQ of 309.3p, with lightweight lambs in strong demand.
The prime cattle trade continues to exceed expectations and appears to be getting dearer by the week, last week reaching an average of 306.6p/ kg. Where cull cows have usually dipped in price in the approach to Christmas, demand has remained strong right through.
The strength of trade seen in the prime ring is being carried through into the store cattle and store lamb ring. Once again, the live auction ring is driving the trade and rewarding producers.
At the Livestock Auctioneers As-
sociation (LAA), 2024 saw the launch of a new venture, our LAA Market Prices platform reporting store, breeding and primestock prices for cattle, sheep and pigs sold through livestock markets in England and Wales. We have been listening to your feedback throughout the year and look forward to sharing an update with you in early 2025.
Throughout the year, the LAA has continued to represent the interest of livestock markets and British farmers in policy negotiations with Defra and Welsh Government. You can be assured that in 2025 we will continue to do so, to make sure your voice is heard. We know the incredible and vital contributions both our British farmers and livestock markets make.
Thank you to all who support our live auction rings throughout the year, and to our auctioneers and market staff. On behalf of all at the LAA, may we wish you a Merry Christmas and the very best for 2025.
Zanna Dennis is development officer at the Livestock Auctioneers Association. Call 07930 115 838, or email zanna.dennis@laa.co.uk
Zanna Dennis
Tatoo Shakira sells at Spotlight then takes
“BORDER BEAUTIES”
BORDERWAY MART, CARLISLE
Tel: 01228 406200
The Directors & Staff of Harrison&HetheringtonLtd, would like to thank you all for your custom during 2024 and Wish you All a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year
Annual Christmas sale of ROUGH PLUCKED and DRESSED POULTRY
Monday 23rd December – 12.00noon Present entries - 150 turkeys and 10 geese
CHRISTMAS SALE ARRANGEMENTS
Monday 23rd December
Sale of PRIME & CAST SHEEP – 9.30am STORE LAMBS – 11.00am
NO SALE of PRIME CATTLE, BULLS or CAST /FEEDING COWS
Tuesday 24th – Thursday 26th December NO SALESMART and OFFICES CLOSED
Monday 30th December
Sale of PRIME & CAST SHEEP
NO SALE of PRIME CATTLE, BULLS or CAST /FEEEDING COWS or STORE SHEEP
Tuesday 31st December – Wednesday 1st January NO SALESMART and OFFICES CLOSED
Sale of the entire female portion of the CARRY HOUSE flock of 127 BLUEFACED LEICESTERS
On behalf of Messrs RD Archer & Son, Carry House, Wark
(This sale was incorrectly advertised last week – it is NOT a dispersal sale)
Saturday 28th December - 12.00noon
Comprising 43 flock ewes, 30 shearling gimmers and 54 ewe lambs and 40 lots semen
Major Reduction Sale of the DUHONW flock of 235 PEDIGREE FEMALES
Saturday 28th December – 10.30am
On behalf of Messes JE & SJL James, Neuadd-Blaendohow, Powys
“Herd for the Holidays Sale” Timed online sale of 65 INCALF HEIFERS
Bidding starts 1pm Thursday 26th December
finishing from 7pm Monday 30th December
Viewing date Saturday 28th December
FRIDAY 20TH DECEMBER
DRESSED POULTRY SALE 5PM Turkeys, Chickens,
SALE
SALE OF
Contact Office for Details
THE 96th MIDSHIRES PRODUCE AUCTION. Approx 5,000 Tonnes on Farms and Estates in the Central Midland Counties. To include a comprehensive selection of HAY, STRAW, HAYLAGE & SILAGE in all sizes, easily accessible to towns in the midlands including: Banbury, Burton Overy, Coventry, Daventry, Henley-in-Arden, Husbands Bosworth, Kenilworth, Leicester, Lutterworth, Market Harborough, Northampton, Nuneaton, Rugby, Towcester and Warwick. Together with:
Clamped and Baled Silage easily accessible to Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands and Rugeley in Staffordshire. Plus:
400 Tonnes Maize Silage at Henley-in-Arden (Dry Matter: 24.2, D Value: 64, ME: 10.4, Protein: 7.9, Starch: 36.4),
300 Tonnes Maize Silage at Sapcote, Leicester (Dry Matter: 34.2, D Value: 73.4, ME: 11.8, Protein: 5.9, Starch: 37.5),
York Auction Centre, Murton, York, YO19 5GF T 01904 489731 • E enquiries@yams.uk.com
Monday 23rd December
Usual Sale of Fatstock Inc Young Handlers Show of Lambs For the Linda Croft Memorial Trophy Dressed Christmas Poultry at 5pm
Monday 30th December
Usual Sale of Fatstock Calves at 11.30am
Friday 3rd January 2025 @11am
CATTLE, SHEEP & PIGS
MART OFFICE: 01757 703347
Contact Office for Details
MART OFFICE: 01757 703347
RICHARD HAIGH: 07768 594535 www.selbymart.co.uk ...Yorkshire’s Friendly Mart
Opening Store/Breeding of 2025 Inc New Year Show of Store Cattle Sponsored by Martin Ellis Feed Solutions & Nigel Slater of Laverton Finance Calves at 11.30am
We would like to wish you all a Happy Christmas & a Prosperous New Year!!
RICHARD HAIGH 07768 594535
Ian Smith - Mart Manager 07738043771 Office 01943 462172 wfam @auctionmarts.com
200 Tonnes Maize Silage at Marston, Sutton Coldfield, 200 Tonnes Maize Silage at Church Lawford, Rugby, 200 Tonnes Grass Silage at Rowington, Warwick. Also included: Hay & Straw for delivery. And:
2004 JCB 8052 5-Tonne Excavator (to be sold at 4pm).
TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION ON Tuesday 7th January 2025 at 2.30pm. Lutterworth Rugby Football Club, Ashby Lane, Bitteswell, Lutterworth, Leicestershire LE17 4LW (3 Miles from Junction 20 of the M1 Motorway) What3words: ///facelift.testing.prevented.
Jeremy Eaton - 07747 780481 Ted Ogden - 07855 958211 Kyle Hawksworth - 07538 539077 Matthew Middleton – 07860 659803
Monday 23rd December
SALE OF PRIME LAMBS - Sale 12.30pm followed by CAST EWES, RAMS & GOATS
Sale of 300 OVEN READY POULTRY Pre-Entered
COWS, STORE & BREEDING CATTLE (Entries close Monday 23rd December) Wednesday 15th January
SALE OF STORE HOGGS & BREEDING SHEEP (Entries close Monday 6th January)
Rachel Capstick 07713075659 Jack Pickup 07710708326 Eleanor O’Neill 07706347505 Eli Tattersall 07955288800
Saturday 21st December
9:30am Weekly CAST SHEEP & PRIME LAMB FESTIVE DRESSED & LONG LEGGED POULTRY
Annual auction of 150+ Turkeys, Geese, Ducks and Capons. Held in the main ring at 12:30pm
Thurdsay 26th December - NO SALES Offices closed from Monday 23rd – Friday 27th Dec For urgent enquiries please email info@gisburnauctions.com
WE WISH YOU ALL A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Saturday 28th December
9:30am Weekly CAST SHEEP & PRIME LAMBS
2nd January
10:30am PRIME CATTLE followed by CAST CATTLE
10:30am REARING CALVES
11:00am MASSEY FEEDS with LELY LONGTOWN show & sale of DAIRY CATTLE - Entries to Eleanor
Saturday 4th January
9:30am WEEKLY CAST SHEEP & PRIME HOGGS
11:00am NEW YEAR SALE OF STORE HOGGS
- Entries to the office Thurs 2nd Jan, 12noon
Saturday 11th January
OPENING SALE OF BREEDING & STORE CATTLE
HAWES, NORTH YORKSHIRE, DL8 3NP 01969 667207 www.hawesmart.co.uk
THE
Our Directors & Staff would like to wish all our customers a Merry
Friday 20th December 10:30am
Catalogued Sale of 1000 Store Lambs
Tuesday 24th December
(Earlier Start Time 9:30am)
1500 Prime Lambs
400 Cast Ewes & Rams
Tuesday 31st December
(Earlier Start Time 9:30am)
1500 Prime Lambs
400 Cast Ewes & Rams
Saturday 11th January
100 Store Cattle, Beef Breeding Cattle & Cull Cows. Catalogue closes Tuesday 31st December
Saturday 18th January 2025
Show & Sale of Individual Registered Ewes & Gimmer Lambs on behalf of the Bluefaced Leicester Sheep Breeders Assoc and on behalf of the Swaledale Sheep Breeders Assoc, also Sale of other Individual Pedigree Females Entries close 30th December.
Ian Atkinson 07957 256337 Kenton Foster 07711 469280.
www.nwauctions.co.uk info@nwauctions.co.uk
Saturday 4th January PEDIGREE SHEEP DAY
Show & Sale of 59 Pedigree Texel Females On behalf of North West Texel Breeders Club Featuring the Beautry Flock Dispersal Show & Sale of 18 Pedigree Beltex Females On behalf of Beltex Sheep Society Society Sales of Pedigree Females also for 18 Dutch Spotted & 7 Badger Face Texels
Thursday 9th January ‘NEW YEAR SHOW’ REARING CALVES & WEANLINGS
CAST/OTM CATTLE, STIRKS & STORE CATTLE Catalogue Entries Close Thursday 2nd January
Saturday 25th January ‘DIAMOND DELIGHTS’ Rough Fell Females on behalf of the RFSBA Swaledale & Bluefaced Leicester Females Also this day Multi-Breed Sale of Individual In-Lamb Breeding & Commercial In-Lamb Sheep Entries Close Friday 3rd January
Saturday 25th January Farm Machinery Dispersal Sale On behalf of S & J France, Over Wyresdale.
Monday 27th January Milking Herd Reduction of 50/60 Cow & Heifers (due to change in farming policy) on behalf of MH&SJ Morris, Wraysholme Tower We would like to wish all our customers a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year.
BENTHAM AUCTION MART
015242 61444 -
Saturday 21st December at 10.30am
DRESSED POULTRY Turkeys, Geese, Ducks, Capons
Saturday 28th December at 9.30am
CAST SHEEP & PRIME LAMBS ONLY YFC Singles Competition
Prizes for Best Single Prime Lamb (Lowland & Hill Breeds) & Best Presented Prime Lambs & Vendor shown by a Young Farmer (Under 27yo). Judging at 10.30am
Tuesday 7th January at 10.30am
Feeding & Cast Cows & OTM Cattle
SUCKLER BREEDING CATTLE
Entries inc. Pure Lim Cow IC due March, 6 Here/Lim Cows due April & May, 2 Here x Cows w/Calves (RWB) 200 STORE CATTLE
inc. Annual Consignment from G Haygarth of 7 Blue Grey Hfrs 16-17m
Wednesday 8th January
Fortnightly Sale of Dairy Cattle
Weekly Sale of Calves, Cast Ewes & Prime Lambs
Tuesday 14th January
Fortnightly Sale of Store Hoggs
RTS
Turner & Son
Stirling Sunday 2 - Monday 3 February
Dungannon Farmers Mart
Tuesday 11 February
Dungannon Farmers Mart
Friday 18 April
Shrewsbury Auction Centre
Saturday 19 April
Borderway, Carlisle
Friday 16 May
Shrewsbury Auction Centre
Saturday 18 October
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a highly motivated operator to join our team based near York. We farm 2000 Ha of arable land and 400 Ha of carrots using modern techniques and equipment.
Our team cover all farm tasks including cultivations, drilling, fertiliser spreading, spraying, combining, irrigation and a range of specialist operations on the carrot crop. This wide variety of jobs plus year-round carrot harvesting ensures an interesting and fulfilling role.
You will be our ideal candidate if you:
• Have experience of operating farm machinery and GPS technology
• Have a passion for agriculture and a desire to learn
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We will offer the successful candidate a full time contract with 24 days holiday (plus bank holidays), best in class rate of pay and ongoing training and development.
Apply in strictest confidence – send your cv and covering letter to
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Agricultural, Construction, Drainage and Groundworks
Contractors based in the North West
• Slurry tanking
• Muck spreading
• Muck shifts
• All size excavators
• Tractors and dump trailers
• Bailing
• Bale wrapping
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• Covering all areas of UK
“We have available a wide range of modern agricultural, construction equipment and together with skilled and experienced operators.”
J.P WHITTER (WATER WELL ENGINEERS) LTD
• BOREHOLE DRILLING FOR DOMESTIC AND COMMERCIAL PURPOSES
• WORK CARRIED OUT TO A VERY HIGH STANDARD
• WATER SYSTEMS INSTALLED
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Pasture land extending circa 126 acres to be let on a two year rolling FBT
Viewing date 21St January 2025
Please contact the agents for further information
Property Landscape
Implications of long-term FBTs need attention
Considerations for structure changes
As many professionals are no doubt being contacted following the Budget, creative ideas start to be questioned.
I have been told more than once in the last two weeks ‘we are going to do a long-term Farm Business Tenancy (FBT)’, and my response is always: “Have you spoken to your accountant?”
The changing of the structure of any business will have implications and consequences to think through and, as rural surveyors, we need to know and understand the legislation. An accountant will know the wider detail.
Some see the option of entering into a long-term FBT as the answer to possibly decreasing the value of the agricultural holding and, depending on the terms granted, it may do this.
It is, however, worth considering what other implications there could be if you went down that route.
Firstly, it would have to be an arm’s length transaction. You cannot be the landlord and the tenant at the same time, but a limited company or a formal partnership could be the tenant if the property was owned by the family (the landlord).
The terms of that tenancy would have to be ‘commercial terms’ – market rent with monies paid by the tenant to the landlord, thus a cost then to that trading business and then an income to the landlord.
Market rent
Another tax consideration has been created. The market rent for an equipped farm holding could be significant, depending on the infrastructure in place.
In some circumstances, the repairing obligations of the tenancy could be put on the tenant, known as a ‘full, repairing and insuring basis’, and in this case, the tenant is then liable for everything.
Tom Selby
Depending on the term of the agreement and the rent being paid over that period, Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) could be payable (another tax consideration). For example, a 20-year tenancy at £7,500/annum would give rise to a SDLT bill.
Agreement
There is also then the issue that if family members were perhaps to fall out with one another during the tenancy, legally that agreement is in place until it terminates or is surrendered by agreement.
If there are break clauses then technically the agreement can be terminated earlier and therefore is not as long as it says on the first page of the tenancy.
The transferring of land to a non-farming family member and then renting it back could be another option and may be eligible for Agricultural Property Relief once it is held for seven years. However, with all of this, taking advice from a specialist agricultural accountant is key.
Tom Selby is a rural chartered surveyor and founder of Selby Rural. Call 01829 423 183, or email tom@selbyrural.co.uk
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Machinery
Edited by Toby Whatley – 07583 054 831 – toby.whatley@agriconnect.com
For more machinery content, go to farmersguardian.com/machinery-news-hub
Demand for wholesale Christmas trees from retailers across the UK has created a year-round specialist business for Herefordshire-based Festive Forestry Services. Toby Whatley reports.
Growing Christmas perfectly
Bucolic images of hand-cutting a tree and its precarious attachment to the family car roof are colourful scenes for Christmas cards, but the process of planting, managing, harvesting and distributing Christmas trees is a full-time business for Herefordshire-based Festive Forestry Services. Owned and operated by Sam Brown, the business was established in 1999 by his father David as a tree contracting business.
Sam says: “The business went from strength to strength with a good demand for outsourcing the very labour-intensive job of growing Christmas trees. After a few years, we were able to take on a couple of workers on a full-time basis to keep up with the workload, until eventually in 2002 we were able to take on our first area of land to plant our own trees.”
Beginning with 1.2 hectares of trees in 2002, the business has expanded to oversee production on over 80ha in 2024. The tree production process is a long-term investment, with trees typically grown for eight years before they have reached the ideal economic height of between 1,750–2,250mm (six to seven foot) and harvesting can begin.
“The early days of Festive were very
much focused on contracting, which involved undertaking the growing and management of trees for other growers,” says Sam.
Sales
“As Festive began to plant its own trees, some of our efforts moved towards tree sales, which began very small but the demand for trees grew.
As time went on, we started to run into land issues – mainly not having enough land to grow the trees we needed.”
With contracting still the main focus, Festive set about in search for land to increase its tree production, finding success in share farming and some rental agreements.
With land in demand locally for potato production, maize establishment
Despite cheaper imports being available, we still maintain our high standards and good prices which our customers are happy with
SAM BROWN
for dairy, anaerobic digestion units and general arable cropping, the eight-year payback presented challenges for Festive to continue to plant and oversee land itself, so the business focus has remained on its contracting services to other tree growers across the UK.
Throughout the year, the business will provide a range of services to other growers including planting, pruning, spraying, leader control, crop walks, harvesting and wholesale retailing.
Contracting
Sam says: “Within our contracting and management service, we maintain approximately 480,000 trees across the country. Planting can be carried out during the spring and autumn and will see us plant anywhere between 100,000 and 150,000 trees, mainly as a contracting service with a small percentage for our own production.
“We employ five staff members fulltime and rely on self-employed staff for the busy seasons, with sometimes up to 15 additional members of staff.
“Our current area of trees in our own production is about seven acres, with a further 25 acres set aside for planting over the next eight years. The area within our management for other growers is working towards 200 acres.”
Supplying plants has become an increasingly large part of the business, with Festive supplying over 300,000
Sam Brown
Trees are cut using an Egedal E9H hydraulic shear.
For larger areas, trees are netted and palletised using a Compac tree palletiser.
Inset: The Compac unit nets the tree before moving onto a conveyor to load pallets at the rear of the unit.
plants per year. These are predominately produced in Denmark before being bareroot-lifted and supplied to the UK for distribution to its customers. Changes since Brexit have introduced challenges, but Sam says Brexit has also brought some benefits.
“Bringing plants into the UK from Denmark since Brexit was initially quite challenging, but as a result, our sales grew extensively. Nowadays it is easier, but many growers still trust us with supplying and handling their plants,” he says.
Planting
Planting of trees takes place in the spring and autumn, with 90% being Nordmann Fir, which Sam says provide better needle retention – a key requirement for many of his customers.
New planting land is typically ploughed and power harrowed, however Festive has been trialling direct planting into grassland and arable stubbles.
Trees are transplanted using a guidance integrated tractor to improve plant accuracy and planting efficiency.
“We use GPS guidance now on the tree planter to help maximise the trees on any given area of land, but this also allows us to use precise spacing measures to ensure trees have the most room to grow, but not too much that land is wasted,” says Sam.
“Our planter is an Egedal Hydromatic paired with our Valtra G125 using a Trimble RTX guidance system. With this set-up, we can plant about 15,000 trees per day.”
Following planting, Festive generally does not carry out any further work on the trees until four years into their
growth, apart from some weed control to prevent grass and weeds smothering the crops.
Sam says: “We do not really touch the tree until year four and this is when the work really begins.
“The first job is basal pruning, which involves trimming the bottom 300/400mm of the tree branches off to encourage airflow in the crop, which is beneficial for air-assisted spraying later.
“It also helps the inter-row machinery pass through, as well as giving the tree a clean handle, which helps the harvesting process.”
Once the trees are clean with a uniform base, shaping to make the perfect Christmas tree shape can begin.
Since the trees are sold wrapped, the business works to produce a uniform crop which is all identical and matches the customer’s expectations.
“We start the process with knife shearing after base pruning; this is what we call the ‘hard shear’. We can get away with some rough treatment on the trees at this age because they have plenty of time to recover, so we aim to give them their hardest treatment early on to achieve the shape we need,” says Sam.
Shaping
“As the trees grow, the remaining shaping process is not as hard on the trees and we will often remove new, soft growth by hand, simply snapping them off with our fingers or with secateurs if done in winter.”
Naturally, the trees do not want to grow into the traditional profile and shape of a Christmas tree, so the business manually treats each tree to
Smaller harvests are manually loaded into an Egedal netting machine.
Machinery
Growth regulator is manually applied to reduce tree height and encourage bushing out.
reduce the plant growth, which encourages it to bush out.
Sam says: “Leader control is probably one of the most important jobs we do as Christmas tree growers.
“This involves reducing sap flow to the top of the tree in early May using pliers which cut the cambium layer and allow sap to flow from the tree for up to a week. Once the tree recovers and begins to grow again, we use various growth regulators to slow the leader growth throughout the summer.”
Fertiliser is also applied to the crops to encourage tree growth and improve the final appearance when cut, with the business applying both foliar feeds and granular NPK to achieve a healthy, dark green tree.
Once the trees have reached the target height, they are tagged prior to harvest. The tags include barcodes for retailers and to identify the variety. The trees are also tagged depending on the finished quality, with three typical grades given.
“We grade trees across different specifications of ‘premium’, ‘standard’
Palletised units of trees are loaded for UK-wide distribution.
and ‘classic’. As wholesale growers, we all aim for the highest percentage of premium grade trees as possible in a crop, however we are realistic in our process. We will tag our trees in these grades to ensure we sell enough of the crop to give the rest space for the following season,” says Sam.
Harvesting
Harvesting the trees begins in mid-November and typically continues until the first week of December. As predominately wholesale growers, Festive will deliver the majority of its crop to its retail customers to match the peak demand in early December.
With the quantity of trees required, harvesting – much like planting – is a fully mechanised process.
Trees are cut using an Egedal E9H tree cutter, which uses hydraulic shears to cut the trees before they are manually collected. Using a shear removes any of the challenges associated with chainsaw cutting and expands the use of a hydraulic powerpack, which
operates the cutters for other tasks.
“The E9H can also be used for spraying, mowing and spreading fertiliser. We have a tractor-mounted Egedal fertiliser spreader for the larger trees,” adds Sam.
Cut trees are passed through Egedal netting machines on smaller sites, with larger areas using tractor-mounted netting and loading machinery.
Sam says: “For our larger-scale harvest we use Compac Tree palletisers. These have revolutionised our harvest, meaning we can net and palletise the trees in one pass across the field. Palletising means we can transport larger volumes of trees and only need one man to load an entire lorry.”
Alongside wholesale tree growing and contracting, Festive has built on its experience with mechanising the process and operates as a dealer of some of the machinery it uses.
“We have spent a long time looking into specialist equipment and became dealers for Egedal some years ago now, and continue to use its products to maintain and grow our trees as well
as selling its equipment in the UK,” adds Sam.
According to the British Christmas Tree Growers Association, the UK demand for real Christmas trees was almost 5 million in 2023, with 80% supplied domestically and the remainder predominately shipped from Denmark, with smaller quantities sourced from Germany and Poland.
Demand
Since 1999, Festive has seen a consistent growth in demand for quality and quantity of trees, with demand often consuming supply a long time ahead of the main purchasing season.
“The UK market has seen a huge demand for our premium grade stock and this was really amplified this season when we sold out totally by the end of September, across our own trees, contract trees and purchased trees.
“Demand in the UK is still strong, and despite cheaper imports being available, we still maintain our high standards and good prices which our customers are happy with,” says Sam.
Tree planting is carried out in spring and autumn with a Valtra G125 and Egedal Hydromatic planter.
● Second industry award for team
THE Turney Group has recently been awarded the coveted Farm Machinery Dealer of the year award at the Service Dealer Awards event.
The Crowne Plaza, Stratford Upon Avon, played host to a number of industry accolades on the night, including categories covering grounds care, forestry, ATV and technicians.
Building upon previous success, the accolade is not the only award the Turney Group has picked up this year, with the business also winning New Holland’s Customer Service Champion award.
Franchises
Established 75 years ago by the late Peter Turney, then known as PA Turney, the now Turney Group, based in Bicester, Oxfordshire, holds a number of leading agricultural and horticultural franchises, including New Holland, Kuhn, Vaderstad, Honda, Stihl and Ransomes Jacobson.
Over the years, the firm has grown into a multi-million pound, family-run business.
However, nurturing the next generation remains key to the business’ success, with judges from the Service Dealer Awards praising the business for a highly regarded apprenticeship programme.
It is also well known for its best-
Dealership success for Turney Group
in-class workshop operations, community involvement, team morale and strong industry and supplier relations.
Merlo announces new dealer for North East and West
ITALIAN handler manufacturer
Merlo has strengthened its foothold in the UK with the appointment of Carr’s Billington as dealers in Cumbria and the North East. Merlo franchises will be run from Carr’s Billington’s Carlisle, Hexham and Morpeth branches in a new partnership between the two agricultural brands.
Owen Buttle, national sales manager at Merlo UK, said: “Carr’s Billington is a trusted supplier of leading agricultural brands and this partnership represents Merlo’s continued commitment to strengthening its dealer network and providing agricultural customers across the North of England with strong and comprehensive coverage.”
Carr’s Billington’s move to become a Merlo franchise has been effective since December 9, with an aim to build upon the dealer’s existing service, sales, repairs and support to new and existing customers.
Tom Jobling, machinery director at Carr’s Billington, said: “Following a thorough evaluation of suppliers and key brands, we are excited to add the Merlo product range to fill a gap and strengthen our portfolio.
“The Merlo agreement is a significant addition to our range and presents exciting opportunities for our customers.
“We look forward to expanding our offering and forging a successful partnership with Merlo.”
sible without such great staff, and
is much-deserved recognition of an excellent team effort by the whole business.”
Following the awards, Phil Bush, Turney Group dealer principal, said: “It is a great achievement, which would not have been pos-
it
Left to right: Owen Buttle, Tom Jobling, Ian Gate, Dale Shaw, Shaun Groom and Euan Thomson.
Left to right: Jeremy Turney, Sammy Denne, Peter McFerran, Phil Bush, Dan Coates and Anthony Shepherd.
Billed as Northern Europe’s largest agricultural machinery show, Agromek is settling nicely into its biennial slot, with all of the major global brands represented by their Danish dealers or importers.
The Danish Government has recently introduced precise measures to tackle climate change, including a new CO2 tax for farming, specific nitrogen reduction targets and land transformation, with lowland areas to be converted to natural habitats and forests.
Some of the revenue from taxes is to be diverted to funding technology for the green transition.
Existing regulations have led to high levels of innovation to develop equipment to reduce nitrate leach-
Forthcoming legislation shines the spotlight on environmental innovation at Agromek. Jane Carley reports.
Denmark gearing up for change
ing, for example, and Agromek’s Star Awards Scheme heavily featured products with environmental benefits.
CMN MASINTEC DISC SEEDER
DESIGNED for work in maize crops, the Disc Seeder uses three double-disc opener seeding units between each row to plant cover
VREDO
VREDO introduced a 36-metre trailing hose system from its application partner Bomech, which offers section control using air valve shut-off for every hose. This gives variable working widths without folding the outer sections. It can also be used to avoid overlaps in wedge-shaped fields
crops – traditionally grass, but with increasing interest in other crops, such as barley –underneath the growing maize. Individual depth control per 12mm spacing row, with additional pressurisation for tractor wheelings and camera steering, increases accuracy and is said to save 10-15% on seed, while fertiliser can also be placed. Models of six metres, 9m and 12m are available to plant up to 16 rows and the seeder is said to be capable of planting 60 hectares per day. The minimal disturbance of the disc system is said to reduce weed pressure, and can be an advantage with restrictions on maize herbicides.
SAMSON’S TSB2 skidding boom is designed to offer effective application of slurry on grass, stubble, bare soil and between crop rows, using a specially designed slurry nozzle for even distribution even at high volumes.
Spacing between the skid shoes is 25mm with 43mm diameter hoses on the boom following the movement of the
boom without overloading. The boom uses Samson’s proven vertical distributor for durability, and features stabilising wheels and anti-drip technology. It is available in widths from 18-24 metres, with folding wing extensions on the widest model for versatility. A universal fitting allows attachment to existing or new tankers.
and on headlands. Hose spacing of 25cm offers even slurry application and the system is suitable for slurry tankers and self-propelled machines, using height sensors for precise boom control. Application is IsoBus-controlled from the tractor or machine cab.
MSR MECHANICAL WEEDER
DESIGNED for use where herbicides are restricted or for hard to tackle grass weeds in potatoes, MSR’s Opti Weeder uses a variable frame so that sixrow versions can follow ridges in crops established by a four-row planter.
Weeding intensity can be varied via spring pressure according to the size of the weed, and the tools
are effective up to 10mm from the crop. Spray nozzles can also be fitted if required for a combined chemical and mechanical pass. Working speeds are 10-25km/h depending on conditions, and the Opti Weeder can also be combined with the company’s crown crusher for weed removal with non-chemical haulm control, reducing tares at harvest.
IMPORTER of Pottinger and other machinery brands to Denmark, Hammerum Service Center has developed its own weed puller for tall weeds above sugar beet and other crops.
The Weed Terminator is available in four-, five- and 12-row
versions, with 500mm or 750mm row spacings. The hydraulically driven wheels rotate to pull the weeds out by the roots. Front- and rear-mounted versions are available with the arms folding vertically for transport.
For more livestock content, go to farmersguardian.com/livestock-news-hub
Fluctuations in mineral supply and antagonists within crops can affect the availability of minerals in out-wintering and grazing systems. Katie Fallon reports.
reduce
Minerals are vital for most functions carried out within a cow’s body and are crucial to overall cow health and the immune system. However, mineral nutrition is a balance which should be considered within all production systems, particularly when out-wintering cattle.
Independent mineral consultant, Dr Annie Williams, says mineral requirements in out-wintered cattle need to be thought about differently than those in a housed system due to the reduced ability to control the amount of minerals in front of animals when grazing.
She adds fluctuations in grazing systems caused by grass growth and weather conditions can also influence the amount of mineral available within the grass. As a result, Dr Williams advises assessing whether fluctuations in mineral supply within the grass, coincide with fluctuations in
Consider mineral requirements when out-wintering cattle
mineral demand from the animal during different production stages.
Dr Williams says: “Other situations we can face when grazing is antagonism in the diet, which can come from minerals that block or prevent the absorption of other minerals. Or it can come from goitrogens which are chemical compounds in the crop that act as antagonists within the animal’s bloodstream.”
A lot of the antagonists within a grazing system come from the soil, adds Dr Williams, with the potential for very high levels of soil intake also being a risk in out-wintering systems. She advises strip grazing and moving animals onto new grazing pastures quickly as ways to reduce the risk of high soil intakes.
Weather conditions can also affect an animal’s mineral demand, with
cold temperatures requiring animals to increase their metabolic rate to maintain body temperature. Consequently, the demand for minerals such as iodine will increase.
Key minerals
Some of the minerals which farmers should be aware of when out-wintering cattle or feeding forage crops include copper, iodine and selenium,
PICTURE: JOHN EVESON
To
high soil intakes, Dr Annie Williams advises strip grazing and moving animals onto new grazing pastures quickly.
Cold temperatures require animals to increase their metabolic rate, which increases the demand for certain minerals.
It can be quite complex deciding on whether to supplement or not and I would say if in any doubt we do not want to tip cattle into toxicity
DR ANNIE WILLIAMS
says Dr Williams. She adds not only is copper involved in more than 300 key enzymes within the body, but it is also critical for fertility, growth and the immune system.
However, copper is subject to specific antagonism from molybdenum, sulfur and iron.
Dr Williams says: “Those trace elements will bind with the copper and essentially make it unavailable to the cow. Particularly if we are trying to breed from animals, we must get their copper status balanced to be successful in that.”
Copper
Dr Williams adds copper is trickier to manage than other minerals as it accumulates in the liver and can build up over time. She says farmers need to think about copper over the lifetime of an animal, particularly if sourcing calves from dairy cows.
“We know that in this country a lot of dairy cows are over supplemented with copper, therefore, potentially calves are born with a higher copper status than we would like.
“The opposite might be true in beef systems, and we suspect that calves born from beef cows should have a lower copper status than calves born from dairy. Obviously, that is a massive sweeping generalisation and it would be dependent on the farm.”
If calves are then out-wintered in their first winter, Dr Williams says it
is important to consider how susceptible cattle will be in terms of copper supply and the copper they have already accumulated in their liver.
She says: “It can be quite complex deciding on whether to supplement or not and I would say if in any doubt we do not want to tip cattle into toxicity, and I would test before supplementation.”
Iodine
Another important mineral in outwintered cattle is iodine, which Dr Williams says is vital for the development of the thyroid gland and production of thyroid hormones which control energy metabolism.
“Iodine is really important for thinking about how your animals use the energy we put in front of them. We quite often think about transitioning cattle onto a fodder beet system this time of year, which is a great energy and protein source, but we have to get the transition right.”
For cattle to access all of the energy that is available within a forage crop their thyroid status needs to be good and therefore they need to have been supplied with enough iodine.
Dr Williams says one of the chal-
lenges with brassica crops is that they contain goitrogens which are naturally occurring compounds within brassica crops that will affect the animal’s ability to use iodine and get it into the thyroid.
Pregnant cattle need to send some of their iodine supply to their unborn calf, therefore, if a cow is short of iodine themselves, it will be unable to pass as much onto the calf as necessary, which can result in major issues, including death, at calving.
“The way we avoid that is by supplementing with iodine and supply more iodine to the animal so that some is bound by goitrogens, but some gets into the thyroid.”
Dr Williams adds in the most antagonistic situations the requirement for iodine can be quadruple the normal requirement of the cow.
She says: “It is really important if you are turning cows out to breed, to think about how it might impact their fertility, if you are turning cows out that are pregnant think about how that might impact the calf and what we are going to put in place to make sure that does not happen.”
Ideally, Dr Williams advises in-calf cows should come off forage crops a
few weeks before calving to lower the risk of low iodine supply on the unborn calf, however, this is not always possible. Antagonism can also come from soil intake, with minerals in the soil acting as antagonists and in some cases significantly reducing intakes of iron, aluminum and lead.
Selenium
Vital for growth, muscle development and correct liver function, selenium is another important mineral to consider when out-wintering cattle. Dr Williams says selenium has a very strong antioxidant function within the body and partners with vitamin E, as well as being important for the immune system and fertility.
With fluctuations of selenium sometimes seen in grazing systems, ensuring animals are getting enough selenium to meet their requirements is something to look-out for when outwintering cattle, says Dr Williams.
“It has a knock-on effect if we do not get all of these things right. Selenium and iodine are also slightly interlinked in terms of their role with the thyroid hormone, so consider both in tandem to check one is not interlinked with the other,” she adds.
Warnings of higher risk liver fluke season
THE number of positive liver fluke cases is beginning to rise, in line with the statement made by the Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) and Control of Worms Sustainably (COWS) groups in October that, after a wet, mild summer and autumn, livestock farmers could be facing a high challenge for some areas.
Results of testing and post-mortem examinations in recent weeks suggest liver fluke activity in early autumn was still quite low, but the number of positive cases is now beginning to rise and SCOPS and COWS are urging farmers to keep up with testing to avoid being caught out.
Dr John Graham-Brown, of the University of Liverpool and National Animal Disease Information Service
(NADIS), says the recently updated NADIS forecast confirms the provisional autumn forecast, which predicted a medium to high risk on the west coast, all the way from North Wales up to northern Scotland.
Unpredictable weather
However, unpredictable weather patterns mean it is likely snail habitats, and therefore liver fluke, will be more widespread – and the window for infection more prolonged – than in previous dry summers. Therefore, farmers must stay on their guard and keep testing.
Speaking on behalf of SCOPS, independent sheep consultant Lesley Stubbings says: “We are particularly concerned about those farmers who
have treated sheep already. Flukicides do not have any residual effect, which means a dose given too early offers no protection if sheep have been put back onto infected pastures.
“It is vital to establish if fluke is present – so treatment can be given at the right time.”
Highlighting the importance of testing for cattle and sheep, Dr Philip Skuce, of Moredun, says the coproantigen test can detect the presence of liver fluke a little earlier than faecal egg detection.
He adds: “This is particularly useful when the risk is considered high on a farm. But as we head into December, faecal egg count testing methods are likely to be most appropriate, particularly post-housing.”
By combining an ‘old-fashioned village pub’ and an ‘unmodernised mixed livestock farm’, Didy Morgan is attempting to honour the past in a fast-moving world. Katie Jones finds out more.
Native breeds form important part of traditional pub menu
Farming the traditional way is how Didy Morgan would describe the system she runs on 80 hectares (200 acres) near the rural village of Tilston in Cheshire.
And she adds there is no better sight than seeing her herd of Traditional Herefords grazing the ancient meadows that she is so dedicated to preserving.
Didy has owned Bank Farm on the outskirts of Tilston for 15 years and, eight years ago, took on neighbouring Cliffe Bank Farm.
Over time, Didy and her team have been focused on establishing a lowinput system, which relies on native breeds finished solely off grass, with all the meat produced going to the Carden Arms pub she also owns, which is located less than a mile from the farms.
She explains: “The pub had closed and was in need of total renovation when I bought it eight years ago.
“I thought it would add value to the meat we were producing on the farm as I had begun to realise that I needed an outlet for this meat.”
Now all the beef, lamb and pork served in the pub comes from the farms, with Didy keen to communicate with the pub patrons and the wider community about exactly how the animals are reared.
She says: “This is very much a case of ‘from our farm to your fork’.”
Didy and her partner Paddy Fives, alongside full-time member of staff Alan Phillips, carry out the day-to-day running of the farm which carries 70 head of cattle, 45 head of sheep and four to six pigs at a time.
She says the native breeds; in this case Traditional Herefords, Balwen and Ryeland cross sheep, and Large Black and Oxford Sandy and Black pigs are key to the success of their ‘slow-finishing, nutrient-dense meat’.
“What sets us apart and what makes us different is that we are low-input,” she says.
The land itself had few inputs before Didy took it on and she says this, along with the current system, means that the land has a huge diversity of wildlife.
She says: “I would love for someone
to come and do a study on the wildlife we have here.
“It really is incredible, and in the summer months when I see the livestock grazing the meadows it transports me back in time.
“This is how I imagine the area might have looked 200 years ago.”
The cattle are rotationally grazed around the 20ha (50 acres) of ancient meadowland nearest the farm steading, with another 8ha (20 acres) around the farm, and two other blocks further away used to make silage and hay for winter fodder.
Experimenting
Paddy explains they are still very much experimenting with grazing the cattle.
He says: “We started by strip grazing to begin with, but then about three years ago we started to back-fence the cattle too, which meant they were always going onto good, fresh grass.”
The herd calves between May and the end of the July and, during the summer months, the cattle graze as one group, dams with their offspring, and are given a small area of meadow which they are encouraged to graze down tightly.
The area is gauged by eye and they have also experimented with leaving grass long, so cattle are going into standing hay.
Electric fencing is used to divide up
The Traditional Herefords at Bank Farm are rotationally grazed on ancient meadowland.
the fields, with calves able to move underneath the fence line to spend time away from their dams and the group is moved daily.
Paddy says: “We do not come back to the same field for 60 days, and this seems to be working well.
“The area we are grazing them on might look tight, but we find they graze it well and also manure it well, so that it soon recovers.”
The winter grazing is still very much a work in progress and, while Didy would like to see all livestock graze for 12 months of the year, this winter’s weather and, in particular the recent storms Conall and Darragh, have meant that some stock has been housed.
A small group of cattle will graze whenever possible over the winter months, but they are still experimenting with the best way to outwinter.
Left to right: Didy Morgan, Alan Phillips and Paddy Fives with Millie the cart horse.
Meat from the farm is on the menu at the Carden Arms.
PICTURES: JOHN EVESON
Paddy says: “I do not like to see poached ground, so we are looking at the best way to keep the cattle out while doing the least amount of damage to the ground.”
A cart horse, Millie, has been bought with the aim of using the horse to roll out the big bales of hay, which is fed in the winter to support the grazing.
Didy says: “We do not use machines where we can help it, so we want to move away from having to use a tractor to move bales around the fields and make a mess in the wetter months.”
With the frequent movement of cattle, Didy says that breed temperament is of utmost importance, but she adds that cattle are always moved in a calm manner and she credits the work of Alan, who is a joiner by trade, for this.
She says: “Alan had not been directly involved with farming, but had spent his childhood with grandparents on
their Welsh hill farm. He handles all the livestock extremely well, with a calm and kind manner.”
Alan and Paddy also enjoy using older machinery and making alterations to the farm’s infrastructure when needed.
Alan explains that this year, a Welger RP12 baler was purchased so that they could make their own small bales of hay for use on the farm.
He says: “We were buying what everyone else was scrapping but the baler is small and light so is ideal for our land.
“Our fields are getting smaller, we want to see minimal use of plastic and, for us, efficiency suits nature; seeds are dropped during the harvesting process.”
More recently, they have been making alterations to the sheds to add in sheltered areas for the younger calves.
Didy says: “At first, the shed was too
Large Black and Oxford Sandy and Black piglets are bought in and graze in wooded areas of the farm.
warm and then too cold, so Alan and Paddy are working on adjustments. We have to be innovative.”
Cattle are grown slowly with everything finished off grass in the summer and hay at housing in the winter.
Steers are slaughtered at around 30-36 months.
The cattle are run weekly through weigh scales, which Didy says has been a ‘game changer’ in terms of the information it has provided them with.
At the moment it is only steers that are killed, but Didy says this policy might change going forward as they would like to be ‘more fussy’ about their heifer replacements.
Challenge
She adds that finding a bull to suit their herd has been a challenge.
“We want a more traditional type and the bull we currently have is the result of an embryo taken in the 1970s,” she says.
“We also bought two cows which were already in-calf to him so have two of his calves already on the ground, and we look forward to see more of his offspring next year.”
One beef animal per month goes to a small abattoir and butchers –Edge and Son, New Ferry, Wirral –and is hung for four weeks in salt chambers, while pigs and sheep are slaughtered at another small abattoir and butchers – D. and J. Thomas, Rhosllanerchrugog.
Didy hopes to up this to two beasts per month from January, with one beast going through the pub and another sold direct to the consumer via collection from the pub.
The pub, the heart of the rural vil-
lage, really comes to life during the Christmas period.
The menus throughout the festive season and the rest of the year rightly showcase the home-grown meat.
Didy says: “When it comes to the pub, we have to cook and serve the meat really well to show how fantastic it is.
“We are very proud of the farm and our native breeds and we work hard to connect what we do at the farm to what we serve at the pub through marketing and via our social media channels.”
Farm facts
■ Wormers have not been used on the farm for 15 years, which also means there is an abundance of dung beetles on the farm
■ Hedges have been added to the land, and more will be planted in the future to help divide fields up for grazing, making them smaller
■ The farm is a member of Pasture for Life
■ The Balwen and cross-bred commercial sheep graze after the cattle
■ Piglets are bought in and kept in the orchards and wooded areas of the farm
■ The farm hosts free farm walks in the summer
■ To receive 20% off your food bill at the Carden Arms in January and February 2025, bring a copy or photo of this week’s Farmers Guardian with you
A cart horse is used to roll out hay bales in winter to minimise damage to the soils.
The farm specialises in native breeds such as Balwen sheep.
Guard dogs are an important part of the farming system for a milking sheep flock in the central Umbria region of Italy. Chris McCullough reports.
Keeping the wolves at bay with Maremmano guard dogs
With eyes wide open and all senses alert, eight Maremmano sheepdogs stand guard more than 400 sheep, scouring the Italian hillside for any sight or smell of marauding wolves.
Their job is to protect the sheep against attack from the predatory packs that have been reintroduced to European soils, a move that has greatly angered livestock farmers.
While the aggressor enjoys national protection by European Union regulations, meaning they cannot be touched, wolf numbers have now swollen to more than 20,000 on the continent.
Sheep farmer Gabriele Filippini is on constant alert as he tends to his 400 milking ewes that reside on a steep incline in the Tor di Monte area, near Orvieto.
The famous breed of sheepdogs are his eyes and ears, day and night.
Prior to having the dogs, Gabriele lost 90 sheep to the wolves over a five-year period, a loss that was not easy to accept.
Nowadays, the wolves still strike, taking around five sheep per year, but this would be much higher if it were not for the guard dogs.
Mr Filippini says the flock is milked twice a day using mobile milking units.
He says: “The sheep have access to 290 hectares, 100ha of which is mountainous, 50ha of forest and the remainder in meadows.
“There are a few wolves roam-
ing this region, therefore we need the dogs to guard the sheep.”
Mr Filippini’s sheep are the Sarda breed which originate from Sardinia and are very popular throughout Italy and Tunisia for producing milk. They are quite versatile sheep, able to handle both lowland or mountainous terrains.
And it is in these areas that the guard dogs have to be extra vigilant for wolf attacks.
Indigenous
The Maremmano dog breed is indigenous to central Italy, especially to the Maremma region of Tuscany and Lazio, but also the Abruzzo region in southern Italy.
Dating back to 1898, the Maremmano, also called the Abruzzese breed, has a solid, muscular build, a thick white coat, a large head and a black nose.
The males can weigh up to 45kg and stand up to 73cm at the shoulder, while females are smaller at 60 to 68cm, weighing 30 to 40kg.
Mr Filippini introduces the dogs
to the sheep as puppies so they can bond with them and become their guardians.
Right now he has a five-monthold pup called Storm, which likes to follow Bobby, one of the bigger fiveyear-old males, around the farm.
Mr Filippini says: “The dogs really do their job well. I have seen wolves on the farm, but the dogs are always on guard. They know what to do.
“During the day, the sheep roam through the meadows and the forests, but after milking in the evening we keep them in caves under our 13th-century Tordimonte Castle, which is part of our family’s property.
“The views at the top of our farm where we milk the sheep are breathtaking, looking over the Paglia River Valley.
“However, without the dogs we could not be successful with the sheep.”
Mr Filippini works on the farm with the help of his wife Elmira, and one other seasonal worker.
He says looking after so many sheep is hard work, but with the
Gabriele Filippini milks 400 sheep on his farm close to Orvieto in Italy.
Five-month-old Maremmano pup Storm and five-yearold Bobby keep watch for wolves.
“Our Sarda sheep have their first lamb at around 15 months old, mostly around November to December and in the spring time.
“They normally have two lambs each per year.
“All the females are kept for breeding and the males are mostly sold to butchers for meat, with a few sold for breeding.
“Every three years we refresh the male genetics used on our flock to give us better breeding sheep.”
Overproduction of sheep milk in
the Umbria region means that the price Mr Filippini receives for his milk is decreasing.
While the Sarda sheep milk is of high quality at 5% protein and 7-8% butterfat, it, too, has experienced a price hit.
Mr Filippini says: “Five years ago, we were receiving 1.6 euros per litre, but because there is currently too much sheep milk in the region, the price is now down to 70 euro cents per litre.
“Our costs are getting higher, too.
Droughts
“Due to the climate change we are hit by droughts in this area, which is affecting our fodder harvest.
“Normally we could take a cut of hay around May or June, but because of the dry weather and slow growth, it is July before we can manage the harvest.
“It is the same story with the cereals we grow, as their yields are also down, forcing us to buy in feed and fodder at increased rates.”
With the production of sheep milk accounting for 75% of Mr Filippini’s income, he continues to rely on his team of dogs to keep the wolves at bay without suffering heavy losses.
Farm facts
■ The flock produces about 500 litres of milk per day
■ Milk is cool stored for three days before it is collected by the Caseificio Matteassi Onelio processor to make the famous Pecorino cheese
■ Milk price for the sheep milk is 0.7 euros/litre (58ppl)
Sarda breed being good mothers, the workload is eased somewhat.
The sheep are held in underground caves at night time to protect them from wolf attacks.
The sheep milk is stored in a cooling tank before being collected by the processor.
Hallow Holsteins earn seventh Ulster inter-breed title honour
● Reserve ticket won by Fleming family
By Richard Halleron
CO Wexford-based Hallow Holsteins notched up their seventh Royal Ulster Winter Fair inter-breed championship at this year’s event.
The 2024 winning cow was Hallow Octain Twizzle, calved for the second time back in March of this year.
Twizzle is projected to produce just short of 12,000 litres of milk during her current lactation at 4.4% butterfat and 3.55% protein.
This victory for the herd’s owners, the Jones family, Gorey, Co Wexford,
follows on from their inter-breed success at last year’s show with Hallow Solomon Twizzle 3.
Show judge, Nathan Thomas, North Lewisburg, Ohio, said: “She has an excellent mammary system, plus tremendous feet and legs. As a result, the cow has excellent locomotion.
“But above all else, she has tremendous breadth across the chest. Her ability to convert feed into milk is immense.”
The inter-breed reserve championship was won by the Fleming family, Seaforde, Co Down, with their Jersey fifth calver Potterswalls Bontino Dawn. And an honourable mention was won by the Hynes family, Agherla, Co Cork, with Eedy Rubicon Acclaim.
Inter-breed heifer (N. Thomas) Sup., Fleming Family, Potterswalls Ferdinand Lady 2 (Jersey); res., T. Henry and Sons, Mostragee Vinny Lauren 3 (Holstein).
Earlier in the day, the young cow was selected as the reserve Holstein champion. This second calver was shown giving 55 litres of milk a day after calving just over a month ago.
At the opening of the show, AI Services’ chief executive, Larry Burke, said the science of gene editing would
be at the heart of future dairy cattle breeding programmes in the UK, Ireland and Europe.
He said: “Gene editing is a technology for the future. Its use can speed up the rate of progress achieved within all breeding programmes. It is a force for good and will inevitably be recognised by the likes of the European Union over the coming years.”
Mr Burke confirmed the significant rationalisation which has characterised the international dairy cattle breeding sector over many years.
New technologies
He said: “This has been driven by increased costs and the growing use of new technologies, including genomics and the use of sexed semen.
“Previously, top dairy sires would have been maintained at stud for up to six and, possibly, eight years.
“But with the advent of genomics and the fast turnaround of new genetics, this period of time has been reduced to two years.
“Investing in new technologies has also incurred significant investment where the development of dairy breeding programmes are concerned, which will continue into the future.”
Inter-breed junior champion, Potterswalls Mattador Martha, a Jersey from the Fleming family, Seaforde, Co Down. Pictured with (left to right): Kenzie and Ailsa Fleming; and Ann Armstrong, of sponsor Danske Bank.
Inter-breed and Holstein champion, Hallow Octain Twizzle, from Hallow Holsteins, Gorey, Co Wexford. Pictured with Andrea Rafferty.
The Holstein championship entries line up at the Royal Ulster Winter Fair.
Trials diary
ENGLAND
December 22. RYEDALE, Beginners,Nurseryand Novicetrials,CarltonSandhoeFarm,Carlton,Goole, DN149RS,what3words:started.wildfires.outsize,9am start,£2entry,contact:S.Walton,tel:07789740122.
December 27. TRAWDEN, Nursery trial, Hull House, Hellifield, Skipton, BD23 4JP, limited numbers, preentry only and a running order will be drawn, contact: Meg, tel: 07824 644 099. December 28. SHABDEN PARK, Open trial, Shabden
For winning results
Welsh results
SOUTH WALES , Llandovery (Judge, A. Blackmore and M. Bufton) Nursery final 1, D. Jenkins, Tyddyn Du Cass, 33; 2, D. Howells, Mick, 37; 3, K. Evans, Valley View Dan, 38; 4, D. Millichap, Rose, 43; 5, L. Williams, Wyverne Winnie, 45; 6, K. Evans, Kemi Cap, 52; 7, D. Rees, Garn Gron Floss, 55; 8, B. Lester, Tysswg Lass, 59; 9, J. Jones, Brondrefawr Sky, 61; 10, D. Jenkins, Aran Meg, 65; 11, D. Rees, Garn Gron Tess, 70; 12, S. Lewis, Llyn-y-Ferlen Chance, 76; 13, D. Howells, Kemi Kate, 77 OLF; 14, I. Rees, Roo, 77; 15, R. Ellis, Dewi Ken, 78; Res 1, S. Harden, Kennox Pip, 80; Res 2, T. Mallon, Hill Runner Halle, 81.
English results
WEST COUNTRY , Newnham Park, Plymton (T. Carter and T. Hopper) Nursery, Maltese cross 1, D. Cole, Mac, 57; 2, D. Cole, Shae, 57; 3, J. Tucker, Wyverne Chip, 38; 4, S. Greenaway, Jade, 37; 5, F. Davis-Russell, Barrowsmead Todd, 32; 6, S. Mills, Kismet Alba, 31; Driving 1, D. Cole, Juno, 82; 2, P. Davis-Russell, Esme, 80; 3, N. Gardner, Becca, 75; 4, A. Hendy, Brynn, 72; 5, A. Hendy, Spike, 69; 6, P. Davis-Russell, Joss, 61. RYEDALE Crosscliffe (M. Ward) Novice (25 ran) 1, T. Bennett, Strike, 76; 2, J. Tourish, Tara, 62; Nursery 1, S. Aconley, Hilston Rob, 79; 2, B. Galloway, Shadwell Shep, 69; 3, G. Blyth, Cloddiau Bet, 68; 4, W. Young, Daisy, 62; 5, A. Dick, Kirbymoor Spot, 58; 6, J. Porteus, Graylees Tig, 54; New Handler 1, J. Porteus, Graylees Tig; 2, J. Allison, Sherlocktown Pixie. WESSEX , Great Homewood Farm, South Chailey (E. Anstey) Nursery (25 ran) 1, J. Watson, Mick, 93 out of 100; 2, P. Griffiths, Duchy, 92 OLF; 3, J.
Park Farm, Surrey, CR5 3SF, contact: M. Banham, enquiries@shabdenparkfarm.com. WHITBECK, Nursery trial, Town End Farm, Whitbeck, York, YO62 6TF, 8.30am start, trial now full, contact: R. Watson, tel: 07825 875 097. HOLMROOK, Open, Novice and New Handler trials, off A595 just north of Holmrook, Cumbria, nearest postcode: CA19 1YD, 9am start, enter on field by 2pm.
December 29. BONDON FARM, Nursery trial, Bondon Farm, Birdingbury, CV23 8ET, 8am start, contact: B. Smith, tel: 07931 713 579.
Watson, Jake, 92; 4, M. Banham, Beacons Ben, 81; 5, R. Hawke, Macey, 75; 6, A. Nichols, Sky, 54; Novice 1, J. Watson, Max, 84 out of 100; 2, W. Cole, Moss, 81; 3, J. Watson, Mac, 77, 4, F. Rolton, Finn, 71; 5, L. Taylor, Wish, 67 OLF; 6, K. Reed, Nan, 67. MID SHIRES , Melton Mowbray (C. Neal)
Beginners 1, L. Fowkes, Ben; 1, R. Beeson, Tess. Nursery 1, R. Cure, Sue, 77 out of 90; 2, R. Curtis Ned, 73 OLF; 3, S. Mynard, Bonnie, 73; 4, S. Varney, Blue, 72; 5, P. Johnson, Bob, 58; 6, A. Blackmore, Jody, 51; Novice 1, S. Varney, Jack, 91 out of 100; 2, S. Varney, Ruby, 81; 3, R. Cure, Dot, 80; 4, J. McBride, Boss, 73; Best open of 3, 1, C. Eddie, Sally, 79 OLF. FLYDE , Old Trees Farm, Chipping (D. Carlton) Nursery (19 ran) 1, S. Thompson, Bonnie, 82 out of 90; 2, T. Longton, Brody, 71 OLF; 3, K. Cropper, Sam, 71; 4, S. Longton, Jim, 70; 5, S. Jackson, Belle, 67 OLF; 6, J. Huddleston, Jammer, 67. NORTH WESTMORLAND , Westray Farm, Embleton, Keswick, (V. Graham) Nursery (51 ran) 1, D. Scrimgeour, Winter Crag Nyx, 73 of 90; 2, R. Harrison, Nidge, 71; 3, K. Cropper, Blaze, 66; 4, S. Morgan, Jammie, 65; 5, A. Temple, Jet, 56; 6, T. Rome, Chip, 53; Novice 1, D. Purdham, Matt, 67 of 90; 2, L. Cowper, Lottie, 60; 3, N. Westgarth, Jim, 59; 4, R. Cartmel-Scrimgeour, Chance, 48; New Handler 1, S. Ryall, Maggie; 2, Z. Edwards, Queen. NORTHERN , Great Musgrave, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria (M. Metcalfe, Wharton) Nursery (53 ran) 1, A. Hunter, Tilly, 69 of 90; 2, R. Harrison, Nidge, 68; 3, P. Simpson, Roy, 68; 4, B. Bell, Alex, 66; 5, D. Scrimgeour, Nancy, 66; 6, A. Temple, Tawelfan Tink, 65; Novice 1, P. Ellis, Tip, 87 of 100; 2, N. Westgarth, Jim, 71; 3, J. Tourish, Tara, 67; New Handler 1, K. Wilkinson, Ned, 70. TRAWDEN , Hull House, Skipton, (P. Atkinson) Nursery (40 ran) 1, R. Hutchinson, Taylor, 77; 2, M. Hutchinson, Tweeddale Tenley, 76; 3, R. Harrison, Nidge, 72 OLF; 4, E. Thornalley, Ingleborough Kelly, 72; 5, J. Ashworth, Burndale Lassie, 71; 6, C. Taylor, Flash, 70. NORTHUMBERLAND Dykehead Farm (T. Iley) (15 ran) 1, M. Davidson, Clover, 87; 2, P. Telfer, Telf Can, 86; 3, M. Davidson, Jill, 84; 4, D. Henderson, Burndale Jet, 77 OLF; 5, R. Mitcheson, Tala, 77; 6, M. Anderson, Jen, 73; Novice 1, J. Tulloch, Ben.
Working Dogs
January 5. MID SHIRES, Lower Shuckburgh, Northants, NN11 6EB, Nursery, Novice and Beginner trials, 8:30am start, contact G. Burbidge, tel: 07950 738 732.
WALES
December 21. TYNWERN, Nursery trial, Tynwern Llanrhystud, Ceredigion, SY23 5BD, 9am start, contact: E. Lloyd, tel: 01974 272 282. December 28-29. SOUTH WALES, Maes yr eglwys
Farm, SA6 6NR, Open trial, in aid of prostate cancer, £10 per run, two sessions on Saturday, one session on Sunday, pre-entry, contact: M. Edwards, tel: 07980 543 002.
SCOTLAND
December 28. LIEURARY, Open trial, Lieurary Farm, Westfield, Thurso, KW14 7QR, contact: I. Sutherland, tel: 07826 487 510.
Dewi Jenkins and Tyddyn Du Cass, winners of the South Wales Nursery Championship 2024.
won the Community Spirit Award at this year’s YFC Achiever Awards, with its festive event hailed by judges. Emily Ashworth reports.
Keeping community spirit alive
Growing up on a beef and sheep farm in a small village near Aberystwyth, Eiry Williams, 27, has spent her whole life being part of the rural community.
She joined Llangwyryfon YFC in 2009, and has held every position possible, from secretary to chair.
She says it has been an opportunity to meet people of all ages and learn new skills, but it also helps her to do what she loves most, and that is keeping her rural community alive.
She says: “In our village you know everyone – you would only have to call on your neighbour if you needed help and they would be there in a heartbeat. It is important to keep that going.”
The club recently won the Community Spirit Award at the YFC Achiever Awards, after entering with an abundance of activities which have brought the community together, including taking over the running
of the local sheepdog trials, a carol singing event which raised £1,000 for the Welsh Air Ambulance and community tidy-up events.
The club also managed to save the village hall where meetings are held, by securing £17,000 in funding to install solar power and upgrade the heating system.
It was, however, the club’s Christmas event which bowled judges over.
Each year, people come together to decorate the tree and enjoy some good festive food, and then Santa arrives to give all children under the age of 11 a Christmas present, all bought through funds the club has raised throughout the year.
Eiry says: “It is nice to get everyone together and it is quite a unique event. The presents are free, and it gives us the chance to give something back.
“It puts everyone in the mood for Christmas; the children are singing and everyone loves it.”
You would only have to call on your neighbour if you needed help and they would be there in a heartbeat EIRY WILLIAMS
Llangwyryfon Young Farmers’ Club (YFC) after winning the Community Spirit Award at this year’s YFC Achiever Awards.
Eiry is keen to make sure the future of rural Wales thrives and believes YFC can play a part in that. Her club focuses on keeping the Welsh language going and holds many bilingual events.
Important
She also feels it is important to keep young people in rural communities. The current political climate is challenging, but she is keen to highlight that much more depends on these areas succeeding – rural businesses and schools, for example.
Her job at Farming Connect as a succession facilitator is more important than ever, enabling her to support people through the uncertainty around the future of family farms.
Succession can be tricky, but needs tackling, and she says there is access to support out there and every farmer needs to consider looking into it.
She says this will have more ramifications than first expected, especially on young people in the industry.
She says: “I feel unsure about what the future might hold, and for my parents. We need to come together, because people think this will just affect landowners, but it is going to
Each year, Santa gives all children under the age of 11 a Christmas present, all bought through funds the club has raised throughout the year.
impact rents, for example, and it is not just so straightforward. It is important to plan what you can.”
Eiry also encourages people in the industry to talk – to each other or to trained professionals – because it is important to ‘share the load’ and someone else may have insights into business practices or mental health.
Heading into Christmas and the New Year, Eiry is certainly a busy young woman, but with a key role at Farming Connect, a passion for YFC and a love for the rural way of life, she
is determined to help make sure Llangwyryfon YFC, which was established in the 1940s, has a future.
She says: “Without rural people, we will lose these communities; they will simply die.
“This is our heritage, and this is why we want to keep the Welsh language alive. I am proud to be part of farming, in my area and throughout the country.”
Young farmer support
FARMING couple Kelvin and Liz Fletcher were judges for the Young Farmers’ Club (YFC) Achiever Awards and praised the next generation.
Kelvin highlighted how those in YFCs ‘represent exactly what the industry is, what it can be and what it should be’. He added: “They personify what the industry is. It’s varied, it’s for everyone, there is opportunity and there is optimism. It’s such an exciting time to be part of it.”
Drew Bailey, chair of National Federation of YFCs Council, called its members ‘inspiring’, showcasing that these young people help to boost the rural economy and there is a lot to feel proud about.
Kelvin and Liz Fletcher.
In Your Field
Every week we follow the ups and downs of farmers around the UK
KATE ROWELL
Scottish Borders
Kate is a fifth-generation farmer running the 750-hectare (1,853-acre)
Hundleshope Farm on the Haystoun Estate, Peebles, where the family have been tenants for 150 years. She runs the hill unit with her husband Ed and their four children. She is also a vet and chair of Quality Meat Scotland.
Although my QMS job was super busy in October and November, things have been much quieter in the run-up to Christmas and I’ve been at home most of the time so we’ve had quite a few busy sheep and cattle days.
Tups have been brought in from the parks and put out to the hill sheep, the ewes have been condition scored and sorted into winter groups, all the remaining lambs have been sold store through Lanark auction mart, and I’ve managed to protect my deferred grazing field so it is ready for the twins to go into in January.
Geld
The cows have been scanned with unfortunately more than expected geld this year. There doesn’t seem to be any sort of pattern to which aren’t in calf –it’s not all one bull, age group or field – so we’re looking at trace elements or anything infectious which could have caused it.
All the empty cows will be sold and we’ll try to find some in-calf heifers or cows to replace them, but with the current strong prices this might not be too easy. The calves are settled into the shed and doing well on some decent
‘We’re apparently hosting a heavy metal concert in one of our sheds’
silage. For some reason they’re very quiet this year and aren’t getting spooked easily which makes handling so much safer, but I’ve no idea why their temperament varies from year to year when nothing else has changed.
We’ve managed to miss most of the storms which have caused such havoc further south over the past few weeks, but we did have a good few inches of snow one weekend and I stupidly managed to get the bike stuck in a snowdrift a mile and a half up the glen while feeding the hill sheep.
It took 45 minutes and quite a lot of colourful language before I eventually
Farmers Weather by Dr Simon Keeling
got it dug out with my bare hands, but at least I avoided a long walk back to the steading and some smug husbandly advice about how to drive.
The next day, the whole lot had melted as the temperature had jumped by about 12degC and it felt like a spring day. The increasingly erratic weather is definitely something every farmer I know is having to contend with more and more, and is something we’ll all have to consider when making business decisions in the future.
We’ll have our usual busy household at Christmas, with daughter and boyfriend (and cats) visiting for a cou-
There were some press reports which mentioned climate change as a contributory factor, but here are the facts: Cyclone Chido occurred in the early stages of the cyclone season in the western Indian Ocean, an expected feature at this time of year.
Sea temperatures have been several degrees above average for
some time and it is this that provides energy for such storms to become deeper and more violent.
It can be argued that increased sea temperatures are in part a result of human enhanced warming. More research needs to be undertaken into the storm before we can attribute a likely percentage chance of it being attributable to warming temperatures. This is not research which will become available immediately, but once the evidence is assessed it will be interesting to see what the numbers say.
Attention is still focused on the weather for Christmas, although it
seems increasingly likely to be a mild Christmas, perhaps even very mild for some as higher pressure builds. Rain may affect Scotland but England and Wales are likely to be drier. As for any cold conditions, there are some signs of cooler weather later in the Christmas period, perhaps taking us through the New Year. There is another interesting development predicted in January which is a weakening of winds high in the stratosphere around the North Pole. This hints at some intrusions of cold air coming and going in January. I wish you and your families a fabulous Christmas and a peaceful New Year.
ple of weeks and all three sons coming and going over the festive period.
We’re apparently hosting a heavy metal concert in one of our sheds on Hogmanay, as youngest’s friends are all back from university and are having a one-night-only reformation of their band to celebrate.
They did do a mini gig last year which we were permitted to attend briefly before I was asked ‘don’t you think you’ve been out here long enough Mum?’. Maybe our 2025 will start with ringing ears and a sore neck from headbanging – I hope yours is equally as exciting. Merry Christmas.
For location specific forecasts visit farmersweather.co.uk and for video updates go to weatherweb.net or call the number below. Call Farmers WeatherLIVE
NEXT WEEK
Monmouthshire Emma Robinson
South Yorkshire Roger Nicholson
‘It is the courage to continue that counts’
AMY WILKINSON
Lancashire
Amy works on her family’s tenanted farm at Halsall, Lancashire. Working mainly with her dad, Amy farms 285 hectares (704 acres) of arable crops and 550 beef cross cattle which are all reared through to finishing. You can follow her on Instagram @amygingewilkinson
Some of you may have noticed my recent entries haven’t been very farming-related and my honest reason is I am following the age-old advice of, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.
I have always tried to keep my entries here very light-hearted, but in all honesty the farming year of 2024 has left me feeling utterly defeated. And I believe a lot of people reading
this may be feeling the same. Not only has it been an incredibly tough year with the unrelenting wet weather and let’s not even mention the politics, but personally, everything that could have gone wrong has.
You name it – failed crops, stray bulls and multiple major breakdowns leading to dealership bills I don’t even want to think about, especially when one of their mechanics was pretty much here full-time for three weeks.
An October harvest, pneumonia flare-ups, two dogs dying on the same day and just plain silly mistakes.
All have left me in tears more times than I would care to admit and really made me consider why I do this job.
My dad says a lot of the older blokes around here stick it out hoping for years like 1976, when a drought meant all those lucky enough to farm on the wet moss made a lot of money.
They then all went out and bought brand new P for ‘potato’ reg plate Range Rovers with the cash.
Can you imagine that?
Crossword 1276
Maybe that’s the beauty of the past, looking back with rose-tinted glasses.
If true, however, years like 1976 don’t happen any more and I don’t know if the job is harder now or not, but we don’t seem to catch many breaks.
What I do know is, I’m a 28-year-old woman writing in a national farming paper like it is my diary. An an odd 28-year-old woman at that.
The only thing that has got me through to the end of 2024 has been listening to Churchill’s Second World War speeches, backed with dramatic music, on YouTube.
You may think I’m kidding, but I’m not. It was either that, or turning to drink, so a lesser of two evils I believe.
My neighbours, however, may think I am totally insane blaring these videos at 6am every morning. But I urge you to give it a go. There is something comforting in a grizzly bloke saying he has
nothing to offer but ‘blood, toil, tears and sweat’.
So it’s safe to say, I will be very glad to see the end of 2024.
It has been tough, but has taught me how resilient I can be – or maybe just plain stubborn. Churchill and I may have that in common.
I wish you all the best for 2025, hopefully a much better year for all and I promise to be back to my usual mischievous writing next time.
But I will leave you with this quote that has got me through some dark days farming in 2024: ‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts’.
By the way, if you think me listening to Churchill’s speeches is strange, my godson listens to the Russian national anthem to fall asleep.
At nine years old, I don’t believe he is a spy, but I shall keep you all posted.
Forthright opinions from throughout the world of agriculture
‘Has the Government fully considered the consequences of its conflicting policies?’
The new Labour Government’s approach to farming has been a major talking point following the announcement in the Autumn Budget of the changes to Inheritance Tax (IHT).
There is a growing risk that the unintended consequences of this policy decision will undermine other vital work the Government is doing on nature recovery at a landscape scale.
This is because of the complex and intertwined nature of agricultural policy and environmental conservation.
On the one hand, the Government has demonstrated it is keen to promote sustainable farming efforts. For example, the Agricultural Property Relief rules were amended in October to try to encourage nature recovery projects on farms and the Government has said many times that it remains committed to schemes such as Environmental Land Management, particularly the flagship Landscape Recovery schemes.
Nevertheless, the threat of changes to IHT has become an overshadowing concern for family farmers.
This is a pity, as in recent years there has been a move in the farming sector towards more sustainable farming, with some embracing the benefits of regenerative farming, as well as the full suite of nature recovery subsidies which are now on offer.
Furthermore, as the emerging market for mandatory Biodiversity
Net Gain begins to mature in 2025, there are increasing ways for farmers to diversify their sources of income.
Trend
Next year, therefore, should have been a year in which farmers continue the trend towards nature recovery initiatives at a landscape scale, something which nature in the UK badly needs. However, with the recent announcements over changes in IHT rules, instead we are seeing two major issues coming into play.
Firstly, with many farmers concerned their children will be hit with a large IHT bill on death, there are increasing reports of farmers looking to make a return to intensive farming methods in order to boost their income while they can.
This will unfortunately result in the
neglect of many sustainability initiatives and see a backwards step on the progress made in recent years to improve on our already depleted natural environment.
If farmers are landed with large IHT bills, many will be facing the prospect of having to sell or break up farms in the not too distant future.
This concern may have a chilling effect on the willingness of farmers to enter into nature recovery schemes.
This is because these schemes are typically long-term – for example, at least 30 years for the creation of off-site biodiversity units for mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain or 80-125 years for nutrient neutrality schemes. Landscape Recovery schemes are typically for 20 years.
An unwillingness to enter into natural capital schemes may drive down supply and drive up the price of biodiversity units and nutrient neutral credits. If those costs increase, it is highly likely they will be passed on to home buyers of new developments in the form of higher house prices.
The question now is whether the Government has fully considered the consequences of its conflicting
RICHARD BROADBENT
Director
policies. If farmers are forced to abandon or scale back their environmental efforts to secure their financial future, the Government’s long-term agricultural and environmental objectives could be at risk.
Clear, coherent policies which support farmers in making both sustainable and financially viable choices are urgently needed for family farming to continue.
An unwillingness to enter into natural capital schemes may drive down supply and drive up the price of biodiversity units and nutrient neutral credits, says Richard Broadbent.
