South East Farmer August 2024

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EDITORIAL

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50

FEATURES

10 GROUNDSWELL

With the regenerative farming movement becoming more mainstream, Nigel Akehurst visited Groundswell Farming Festival.

12 FRUIT FOCUS

REVIEW

Robots and research tours, seminars, trade stands and state-of-the-art equipment combined to make this year’s Fruit Focus another unmissable event.

24 FW MANSFIELD & SON

FW Mansfield & Son is committed to running a sustainable operation with short supply lines and an absolute focus on quality fruit, which means investing in new cold stores as well as planting new trees.

36 SOLAR PV

A review of the solar industry in agriculture.

www.kelsey.co.uk

Cover picture: F W Mansfield & Son

50 NEW LABOUR GOVERNMENT Embrace change before it's too late.

NO SHORTAGE OF ADVICE FOR INCOMING GOVERNMENT

There was no shortage of advice for the incoming Government following Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour Party’s landslide General Election victory on 4 July.

Agricultural groups and organisations large and small were quick to tell South East Farmer how they felt the new Government should improve the lot of farmers and landowners, with planning reform and stability high on the list of ‘wants’.

First to congratulate the winners was the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), whose President Victoria Vyvyan said the new Government needed to “listen to and learn from the rural community, as farmers and rural business owners can so often provide the solutions to the problems that government faces”.

She added: “The new Government must hit the ground running. From providing certainty around the farming budget to overhauling the archaic planning system, it needs to go for growth with a robust and ambitious strategy for the countryside.”

A few days later, following Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ set piece speech on housebuilding, the CLA’s Deputy President Gavin Lane added: “The new Government is right to view unlocking economic growth as its core mission, and if there are no housebuilding targets it will struggle to deliver 1.5 million homes over the next Parliament.

“Large strategic sites are important to this delivery, but rural communities cannot be left behind and need a small number of homes to be built in a large number of villages to keep them sustainable.

“Green belt designation needs to be reformed to ensure that more homes are built in the right places. Using grey belt and brownfield sites is important but should not be at the expense of the sustainability of smaller existing settlements and communities within the green belt.”

Strutt & Parker’s rural research director Dr Jason Beedell welcomed Labour’s intention to produce a land use framework, which he felt would “give the sector much needed direction on how to balance the different

things now expected from land, including food production, nature recovery and benefits to communities."

The commitment to a land use framework was also welcomed by Elli Moody, director of policy, campaigns and communications at CPRE, the countryside charity, who said the organisation was “ready to work with the new Government to deliver our vision of a thriving and beautiful countryside for everyone”.

She went on: “In its manifesto, Labour committed to doing things we have long campaigned for; protecting the Green Belt, making homes more affordable and creating a land use framework that joins up decision making about our finite land.

“We want the new Government to show that it recognises the value of the countryside and the people who live there. By committing to a new spatial plan for renewable energy infrastructure, ambitious targets for more social homes and a planning system with local communities at its heart, they would have the opportunity to do just that.”

Mark Lawrinson, from Property Group Beresfords, welcomed “a more strategic approach to green belt land, prioritising brown and grey belt land for development”, which he felt would see “new homes in the right places” that would need to adhere to Labour’s ‘golden rules’ to include affordable housing and public service provision.

The British Safety Council was also quick to offer advice to the incoming Government, with chairman Peter McGettrick suggesting that “people’s health, safety and wellbeing [should be] at the heart of future economic growth”. He added: “We will be looking to Labour to deliver on its promises to improve employment conditions as well as support businesses to succeed and grow.

“The new Government must remember that wellbeing is broader than just mental health, and we also want to see more support for training which supports people’s health and safety, while we upskill our workforce so they can make the most of new opportunities.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosts first Cabinet

Photo: Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street / Flickr

NFU President Tom Bradshaw described the election result as “a reset moment for British agriculture as we work with Sir Keir Starmer’s new government to drive our sector forwards and grow”.

He went on: “Labour’s manifesto recognised that food security is national security, but it is business confidence which forms the foundation of this. With British farmers and growers ambitious for the future, what they – and the public – need are practical policies that revitalise farm business confidence and deliver on our shared mission of food security.

“In a cost-of-living crisis, our ability to provide affordable, climate friendly and high welfare food will be critical for families across the country, as well as underpinning the UK’s largest manufacturing sector, food and drink, and stimulating economic growth.

“That’s why, for Britain’s farmers, the number one priority for the new Labour Government must be to set an increased multi-year agriculture budget for the duration of the next Parliament. This is about investing in the future of British farming – in homegrown food, in the environment and in renewable energy.”

For the National Sheep Association (NSA), chief executive Phil Stocker said the election had provided “an opportunity to build on some good work that has been done, to deal with some of the gaps still left such as a clear vision and a stronger connection between food production, land management, health and the economy, and to finally give some stability and certainty to our sector – which should be seen as strategically vital.”

He said the NSA’s priorities included a commitment to increasing the agricultural budget across the nation, recognition of food production as a public good, appreciation of the value of grazed livestock as a multifunctional farming and land management activity, a clear strategic policy and a commitment to reviewing carbon offsetting, biodiversity net gain and nutrient neutrality policies.

The Soil Association’s chief executive Helen Browning said Labour’s manifesto indicated the party wanted to “improve access to nature, promote biodiversity, decarbonise the energy system and protect our landscapes and wildlife while supporting farmers to shift to more sustainable and nature-friendly farming practices.”

She went on: "Labour have said they will give new powers to regulators and introduce a land use framework. They have pledged to improve public health and ensure half of all public sector food is produced locally or to higher environmental standards.

“We urge that these commitments are now transformed into action. As a priority, Starmer’s government should develop an economic framework that allows money to be generated from penalising the bad things through ‘polluter pays’, and ensure that those on low incomes can access healthy and sustainable diets, with farmers supported on a journey towards cleaner, greener agriculture.”

Meanwhile The Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN) called on the Government to “instantly demonstrate its ambition by committing to the rollout of at least 3,000 Higher Tier agreements per year, helping those farmers who are well-placed to do most for the environment and climate and who are often in economically vulnerable parts of the country”.

Chief Executive Martin Lines perhaps spoke for all those offering advice to Sir Keir’s new team when he stressed: “Government needs to step up and deliver by halting nature’s decline and assisting its recovery, mitigating the impact of the climate crisis and building a resilient food system.”

Quite a summer OPINION

It’s been quite a summer. Football didn’t come home again, rendering the “thirty years of hurt” line in the Three Lions song increasingly outdated. We’re nearly up to sixty years already. George Orwell’s Ministry of Truth would have sorted that one out well before now.

But enough about football. We’ve had far more important things to think about over the past month, including a General Election that gave us a shiny new Labour Government, although that’s already looking a bit tarnished, with the new boss quick to suspend seven ‘rebel MPs’ who failed to toe the party line.

There’s plenty in these pages about the new Government’s plans, but one thing of note, perhaps, is that it’s possible that one of the main benefits for farmers and landowners will come in the form of increased housebuilding.

Changes to the green/grey belt rules, amending the nitrate neutrality regulations and imposing development on areas that may or may not welcome it, is likely to provide plenty of opportunities for farmers to sell off parcels of arable land on the edges of existing settlements.

The smart ones may then also do a deal with the developer to provide the necessary biodiversity net gain on one of their remaining fields, thus taking another chunk out of food production, once the entire reason farmers existed but increasingly squeezed onto whatever doesn’t get in the way of the glamping pods, wildflower meadows, light industrial units and bijou office spaces.

It's not that long since farmers were being encouraged to ‘dig for victory’. We don’t dig any more, as it’s bad for the soil structure, and we aren’t worried about victory because we live in more peaceful times. But do we? A look at the global situation might suggest that food security is as important now as it was in the 1940s, but that message doesn’t seem to have hit home yet.

We all love wildlife, particularly the farmers and landowners who do so much to preserve and enhance it. We spent a weekend in Norfolk recently and were delighted to find swallowtail caterpillars in one of the butterfly’s last remaining habitats. So yes, the environment is important, but so is eating, and let’s hope the new Government finds a way to stress the importance of those two things existing side by side.

The summer’s next excitement is the Olympics and Paralympics, of course. Teamwork, effort, resilience, determination, sheer hard work, skill, patience – there’s an awful lot that athletes could learn from farming…

EMAIL YOUR VIEWS, LETTERS OR OPINIONS TO: sef.ed@kelsey.co.uk or write to the address on page 3

® MALCOLM TRIGGS - EDITOR

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While some teenagers are tempted to book a stretched limousine to transport them to their Year 11 school prom, Isobel Logan chose a much classier option.

Isobel, who has her heart set on a career in agriculture, hitched a ride to her post-GCSE prom at Kennington Hall, just outside Ashford in Kent, on grandfather Peter Howard’s Valtra tractor.

“I was wearing heels so I couldn’t drive it myself,” joked Isobel, who passed her tractor test earlier this year and will be 16 in November.

The farming-mad teen, who is set to begin a BTec Level 3 agriculture course at Plumpton College in September, is committed to the idea of sustainable, regenerative practices and is keen to begin her studies.

“I have been to Groundswell and found it interesting, but I think it will all make more sense when I have started my college course,” she commented.

Grandfather Peter, who farms around 800 acres at Oaklands Farm, Hothfield, trading as Bockhanger Farms Ltd, said he was proud of Isobel and fully supported her desire to follow in the family footsteps.

“We need to encourage as many youngsters as we can to come into the industry and take it forward,” he said. “Driving Isobel to the prom

LOVE OF FARMING

was great fun – and it meant she cleaned the tractor beforehand!”

Isobel said Peter and other family members had inspired her love of farming, even though Bockhanger Farms is essentially an arable venture and she is keen to learn more about livestock.

“It was my idea to go to the prom on the

tractor,” she said. “I know other farming students who have done it and as I am the only one of my year going into agriculture I thought it would be fun. It was certainly different.

“Grandad has been farming his whole life and I really want to follow his example. I am keen to get to college and start learning about the modern ways of farming.”

REGENERATIVE FARMER WINS TOP AWARD

Kent regenerative farmer Neil Anderson has been presented with a top conservation award for his work supporting “a rich tapestry of life” on his land.

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA), which represents farmers, landowners and rural businesses, awarded the Sittingbourne livestock farmer its prestigious Emsden Trophy at an awards presentation and drinks reception.

Neil, whose 430-acre mixed farm in Kingsdown, near Sittingbourne, is made up of a diverse mosaic of cereal crops, wild flowers, margins, hedgerows and a suckler herd, together providing a rich ecosystem and safe wildlife habitats, was nominated by Kent Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG).

Kent FWAG adviser Debbie Reynolds said: “On Neil’s farm, you'll find a rich tapestry of life. His journey is a testament to the belief that true progress lies in working with nature, not against it. By embracing methods such as crop rotation, cover cropping and managing soil health, he has reduced reliance on chemical inputs and contributed to the resilience of the local environment.

Neil’s suckler herd is fed on a grass-based system and travels less than four miles to the local family-owned butcher. High animal welfare,

a low carbon footprint and food rich in nutrients are important values. He has also hosted several dung beetle workshops and bat walks.

CLA South East Regional Director Tim Bamford congratulated the winner and added: “Farmers and landowners across the Garden of England are custodians of the landscape, as well as helping to feed the nation, and we’re proud to celebrate their work in this small way.”

The annual event, which is supported by BTF Partnership, is held in memory of Brigadier Brian Emsden, Kent and Sussex CLA regional secretary in the 1980's who died of cancer.

Debbie Reynolds of FWAG and Emsden 2024 winner Neil Anderson

AGRICULTURE A PRIORITY

Agriculture was at the forefront at this year’s Kent County Show, with a strong line up of manufacturers and dealers displaying their wares and a strong turnout in livestock classes.

Launched at an agri-connect breakfast which was sponsored by BTF Partnership along with Birketts and featured NFU Deputy President David Exwood, July’s flagship event for organisers the Kent County Agricultural Society was the 93rd show.

Strong competition across the livestock rings made for an exciting three days of competition, with Supreme Championship titles being awarded as follows:

• Supreme Champion Dairy

Miss Margaret Howie: Ayrshire senior cow – Ridley Hill Far Fairy

• Supreme Champion Beef

Mrs M Cormack: Limousin heifer – Burnbank Tangerine

• Supreme Champion Sheep

Mrs Caroline Clark: Oxford Down aged ewe.

As well as displaying the best of Kent through livestock and equine competitions, trade stands, a wide range of craft and other exhibits and much more, the annual show had lots to offer younger visitors.

Children visiting the show could claim a free activity book which included games and educational quizzes that took them around the showground and helped teach them about farming, food and the countryside.

In the Living Land Village, educational activities suitable for all ages offered a taste of food production in the county while The Sheep Show once again delighted the crowds and Ben Atkinson and the Atkinson Action Horses team wowed visitors with incredible displays of stunt riding and horsemanship.

Other favourites that entertained the crowds at the Detling showground included Kent Young Farmers, the popular Countryside Village and the Produced In Kent area, while countryside talks on a range of pursuits, craft demonstrations and other attractions made it a day to remember despite the weather.

Julian Barnes, chairman of the Kent County Agricultural Society, said it had been “a pleasure to see Kent coming together to celebrate food, farming, rural pursuits, business and much more at the Kent County Show over the past three days”. The 94th Kent County Show has already been booked for 4, 5 and 6 July 2025.

LIVESTOCK ENTRIES OPEN END OF MARCH

One VIP visitor at the Kent County Show was NFU Deputy President David Exwood, who joined leading South East farmers in urging the new Government to recognise the importance of the county’s £400m farming industry.

Mr Exwood attended the first day of the annual three-day showcase event on the Friday following Thursday’s election and Labour’s success.

He spoke to leading industry figures at a breakfast event and joined NFU farmer members and staff in engaging with MPs and councillors in fighting for a positive future for farming in the county.

Mr Exwood, who farms in West Sussex, said: “It has been a fantastic experience here at the Kent County Show, to meet our hardworking farming members and staff and to discuss the key farming issues in this county.

“Having a new Labour government now presents us with many opportunities and we need MPs to fully understand the vital role that farming plays in this county and across Britain. The single most vital thing farming needs is an agricultural budget.

VITAL WORK OF FARMERS NEEDS RECOGNITION

“This isn’t just ‘money for farmers’, it’s the funding which helps the sector transition away from the old EU system, allows farm businesses to invest for the future and makes the Government’s aims around sustainable food production, food security, the environment and net zero possible.

“We look forward to building on our strong engagement with Labour ministers to date to discuss essential policy solutions on key issues for our members. There are a number of policies within Labour’s manifesto which we will want to see actioned, for example ensuring the new Environmental Land Management schemes work for all farm businesses, setting core standards for food imports and legislation to boost public procurement.”

Farming underpins the UK’s largest manufacturing sector – food and drink –

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which contributes more than £128 billion to the national economy and provides jobs for four million people. NFU figures show that farming contributes £405.85 million to Kent’s economy and provides more than 13,250 jobs in the county.

NFU Regional Board Chair for the East of England Alan Clifton-Holt, who farms at Romney Marsh in Kent, said: “Kent’s farmers create thousands of jobs and boost the local economy, deliver high quality, sustainable food, always working to the highest standards of animal welfare while protecting the countryside and supporting the environment.

“The new government needs to ensure British farmers are not undercut by imported food, produced to lower standards, that would be illegal in this country and to work with retailers to deliver fairness in the supply chain.”

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GROUNDSWELL 2024 REVIEW

POSITIVELY UPBEAT

With the regenerative farming movement becoming more mainstream, South East Farmer’s Nigel Akehurst visited Groundswell Farming Festival at Lannock Manor Farm, Hertfordshire, to learn from the 300 plus speakers and other like-minded farmers.

Despite news of falling farm incomes and tractor registrations down 13% on a year ago, the mood at the UK’s largest regenerative farming event was positively upbeat.

Now in its eighth year, Groundswell attracted more than 8,000 visitors to the two-day event, founded and run by the Cherry family. Groundwell has rapidly grown from a small gathering of a few hundred mavericks in 2018 to one of the biggest farming events of the calendar year, demonstrating just how mainstream the movement has become.

I was amazed by the sheer number of young people who helped create an atmosphere of enthusiasm and positivity in a sector known for its long hours, unpredictable weather and mixed financial rewards.

Thankfully perceptions are changing, and a growing community of regen farmers and associated businesses in the UK is rewriting the narrative through regenerative practices and nature-friendly farming.

Keeping the thousands of delegates

well fed and watered was a plethora of regenerative food and drink traders (many of them farmers themselves) serving Pasture for Life meat, heritage grain pizza and regenerative beer and cider.

My personal favourite was Paddock Farm, where an entire Hereford beast was cooked over fire, using what could only be described as an impressive bit of kit. A team of chefs worked through the night and was well rewarded for its efforts. At £14.50 a plate, they had sold all 800 servings by 2pm on the first day, grossing £11,600. Not a bad return, I thought.

All the main farming and wildlife organisations were represented, including a large DEFRA stand offering advice on SFI (though due to pre-election ‘Purdah’ they weren’t able to answer some of my questions).

Natural capital companies were present in even greater number than last year. There were software and tech companies, a few machinery dealers (lots of expensive looking no-till drills and a dystopian looking autonomous tractor) and a few clothing brands.

The diversity and number of sessions on offer at Groundswell is overwhelming. Thankfully the session guide is published a couple of weeks in advance, so I was well prepared.

DAY ONE

Having travelled up on the Tuesday evening to skip the rush hour traffic and grab a good spot in the campsite, I grabbed some breakfast and sat down in the Big Top Main Stage to see the session on Roots So Deep, a new documentary. American director Peter Byck was holding court, sharing clips from his series about adaptive cattle farmers and their conventional neighbours across the fence (along with a group of maverick scientists conducting ground breaking research).

The films, which are part of a $10 million research project in the South East USA, asks: “Can this simple change in grazing practice help farmers get out of debt, restore depleted soils, rebuild wildlife habitat and draw down huge amounts of carbon?”

Next, I headed to the session on Small Abattoirs and Local Meat, a topic of vital importance to livestock farmers across the UK, many of whom, like me, rely on a viable network of small abattoirs and butchers to keep their businesses afloat.

The session shared some positive examples of community groups saving their local abattoirs (www.longcomptonabattoir.co.uk), and, in the case of the Isle of Wight, setting them up. We also heard updates from the Abattoir Sector Group and DEFRA on available funding. The panel was optimistic about the future, noting an incoming Labour government had pledged that half of all public sector food would be local and sustainable.

After lunch, I made my way to The Understanding Ag field walk with 2023 Soil Farmer of the Year Stuart Johnson and Kyle Richardville. I find these practical workshops so helpful, especially as they highlight the difference in soil structure (and smell) between the undisturbed soil next to the hedgerow and the lifeless soil in the middle of the arable field. Note to self – keep a spade handy at all times.

I then joined a Managing Farm Woodlands walk, with advisors from the Woodland Trust offering tips on how to identify key areas when bringing farm woodland back into management, including threats (like ash dieback) and potential opportunities.

My last session of the day was Reclaiming the Regenerative Narrative: A Writing Workshop, which featured an expert panel of authors, journalists and publishers including Sarah Langford (Rooted ), Graham Harvey (Carbon Fields), Zoe Colville (The Chief Shepherdess: Lessons in Life, Love and Farming), Muna Reyal from Chelsea Green Publishing and Will Evans, a farmer and columnist for Farmers Weekly.

DAY TWO

After a late night sampling regenerative beers and catching up with old friends, I arrived at the 9am session on Revenue & Resilience: Stacking Environmental Practices and Payment Schemes, where a diverse panel of experts debated the value of moving towards nature focused farming.

South Oxfordshire farmer Tom Knowles shared the payments he claims under the Sustainable Farming Incentive, showing how he had exceeded Basic Payments income with options that fitted their system and

created greater resilience on the family farm. Including educational visits, he forecast a 2024 SFI per hectare payment of £480 (£419 without the visits), compared to a BPS equivalent of £220 per hectare.

Digby Sowerby, operations officer for Natural Capital Advisory, provided a quick overview of the natural capital markets, from biodiversity net gain and nutrient neutrality to investors, trade credits and voluntary and future compliance markets. Were it not for the fact that I am involved in running a farming cluster group on the Pevensey Levels and hoping to apply for the next round of Landscape Recovery, I would have struggled to keep up with the complexity of it all.

Moving on, I attended the Building Enthusiasm and Building the Evidence Base for Regenerative Agriculture session, which highlighted how regen ag has made farming exciting again and how more farmers can be encouraged to transition. Topics included promoting the farming lifestyle and exploring different models of land access on small farms with no natural succession.

I was pleased to hear that more investment is going into promoting regen ag, with representatives from Foodprint Nordic having recently secured millions of euros to spread the word through their Top 50 Farmers programme due to launch this autumn.

Between sessions I nearly bumped into the Prince of Wales (flanked by some low-key security), checking out the rainfall simulator. It’s an eye-opener – search ‘Rainfall Simulator Groundswell’ to watch it on YouTube.

Last but not least, I attended Regen at Landscape Scale – Partnerships, Opportunities and Pitfalls. The aim of the session was to help delegates understand how working across a whole landscape or catchment can work. It featured the Weald to Waves project, with representative Molly Biddell explaining their aim to create a 22,000-hectare ribbon of connected land from a sea kelp restoration project in Sussex through to ancient forest in the High Weald.

One session I missed but have since watched online was a discussion between Andy Cato of Wildfarmed and Henry Dimbleby on transforming the food landscape at scale.

A member of the audience asked Andy: “How do you encourage the next generation to go into farming when it isn’t an awfully attractive industry right now, particularly coming from a conventional stage?”

He replied: “If farmers were working in an environment where they were able to grow nutrient dense food in nature rich landscapes – who doesn’t want to do that? It’s the best job in the world – lets create a situation where that can happen.”

EXHIBITORS TURNING HEADS

Robots and research tours, seminars, trade stands and stateof-the-art equipment combined to make this year’s Fruit Focus another unmissable event for anyone in the industry.

With the weather overcast but dry, there was a good attendance at the annual one-day show, which combines learning and sharing with a chance to tour a wide range of stands and chat to experts from across the industry.

As with all farming events, Fruit Focus, held at NIAB East Malling, also gives growers the chance to catch up with old friends and share ideas over a coffee.

This year’s show was no different, with a range of exhibitors old and new, an interesting line up of speakers taking part in the day’s

NFU seminars and a range of tours that were free to join and covered topics including vineyard research, East Malling’s WET Centre, precision pollination in strawberries and maximising plum yield and quality.

For many visitors – and exhibitors – Fruit Focus was also a chance to pick up valuable BASIS and NRoSo points, with a team on hand to advise those present on earning points for attending, visiting selected exhibitors and attending seminars and tours.

One exhibitor that was turning heads was Reading-based Extend Robotics, whose next-generation technology highlighted the possibility of picking grapes in the rain without getting wet or of picking them from hundreds of miles away.

Robotics engineer Saksham Bhadani demonstrated the start-up

Saksham Bhadani

Andy Robson

company’s remotely controlled robotic picking arm using a virtual reality headset to allow him to pick up a bunch of plastic grapes while standing several metres away.

While Saksham made the process look relatively easy, the South East Farmer editor succeeded only in crashing the arm into the table, at which it went into an impressive failsafe shutdown that called for an expert reboot.

Saksham pointed out that Extend Robotics was responsible for the software and could pair it with a variety of off-the-shelf robotic arms and other equipment. The company is currently working with Saffron Grange Vineyard and Queen Mary University of London to refine the AI-supported, human augmented virtual reality approach to grape harvesting.

Other exhibitors at the show covered everything from packaging and nutrition to machinery and integrated pest management, alongside plant nurseries, greenhouse suppliers, recruitment agencies and hightech weeding solutions.

It was the first time at the show for Euro-Statics, which provides high quality, fully tested static caravans to farms across the UK and Europe.

Founder Neil Banks said he had been impressed by the number of visitors and had already chatted to a number of existing and potential customers.

Richard Pendry, machinery sales adviser with Kirkland UK, which again brought an impressive range of machinery – and free beer – to the show, was also impressed with the turnout and with the quality of the enquiries.

Nikita Zabolotniy

Crop covers and growing systems

On the BASIS/NRoSo stand, environment and course development manager Thomas Vaughan described it as “a busy, positive show featuring lots of tech and innovation” and also said that his sign-up sheets revealed how multi-cultural the industry had become.

Also having a successful day was Andy Robson, from Smurfit WestRock, a company which makes sustainable punnets aimed at helping growers move away from plastic trays in order to meet increasingly high sustainability standards.

As always, the NFU Fruit Forums held as part of the Fruit Focus event were well-attended and tackled a range of topics, from calcium mobility technology to AI-powered pest monitoring and from drone-based soft and top fruit spraying to the use of coir substrates to maximise yields.

One seminar in particular, Priorities for the horticulture sector, had a special pull for many growers as it saw four of the NFU’s leading thinkers talking about the future for the industry under the Labour Government that had swept to power less than a week earlier.

All four speakers gave a well-briefed introduction to their particular special interest area, with Martin Emmett, the NFU’s horticulture and potato board chairman, pointing out the need to continue the ‘feel good’ momentum inspired by the Farm to Fork summit in May which had been somewhat dampened by the general election announcement just a week later.

Also taking part in the informative seminar (see page 54 for a full review of the presentation) were Emma Crosby, from NFU Central Affairs, NFU employment and skills adviser Tom Price and horticulture and potatoes adviser Rupert Weaver.

Antony Honeysett with Thomas Vaughan on the Basis stand

NEARING HARVEST AND ESTIMATING YIELDS

FOR TOP FRUIT GROWERS

August is the time for many top fruit growers to catch their breath before preparing for harvest. The key word for this year’s fruit set is “variable”. Some varieties didn’t enjoy a prolonged early season flowering period, and although benefitting some growers by reducing thinning costs, there has been a large natural drop in some places. As a general observation, blocks containing one variety haven’t seen as good a pollination and fruit set as those with mixed variety orchards.

We have experienced a disappointing pear crop for the past couple of years and this year is no exception. Returning fruit bud for next year is also looking poor. This may be because we aren’t experiencing high enough light levels in the summer to form the following year’s fruit or because trees are not exposed to enough winter chill hours due to more temperate winters; more research is needed in this area before we can be certain.

Now is the time to think about applying

MEGAN FITZPATRICK MRES

Horticultural Agronomist at Hutchinsons, SFI Specialist and BASIS qualified

storage sprays, particularly as we had a wet blossom period which may cause an increase in nectria eye rot, as well as maintaining calcium applications to firm up the fruit.

Don’t take your eye off the ball when it comes to moth control. In the South East we have seen huge counts of tortrix species over a prolonged period. Damage can hit in the late part of the season, especially with the late harvest varieties. Many moth control products have short harvest intervals (HI) so consider using Indoxacarb (7-day HI) or Granulosis virus (0-day HI) as a biological approach.

IN THE VINEYARD

We observed a quick flowering period this year, probably due to the short spell of warmer weather directly before, and during, flowering. For flowers to stick and produce berries, pollen germination requires consistently warm temperatures; no lower than 20°C. On average only 30% to 40% of flowers will develop into berries.

After fruit set you can estimate yields by walking in a W-shaped pattern and assessing four to five bays per variety or clone. Count the number of inflorescences (commonly known as bunches) per vine and multiply by bunch weight and number of vines in the bay. If the vine has produced too many bunches, make a note for next year and

consider applying plant growth regulator

Prohexadione at full flower (BBCH 63-65) with 30% to 50% caps removed.

As we head into berry and sugar development, be on the lookout for signs of light brown apple moth (LBAM) and spotted wing drosophila (SWD). The LBAM larvae forms easily distinguishable webbing in the inflorescence, and, once mature, hatches and feeds on berries, predisposing bunches to Botrytis (grey mould). SWD was only found in the UK in 2012 but has quickly become one of the greatest threats to all soft fruit, including grapes.

Unlike the native fruit fly, which is attracted to rotten fruit, SWD adults seek ripe fruit and are attracted to the odours emitted by fermenting fruit which are high in acetic acid. The female adults lay eggs into the healthy, intact berry which are distinguishable under a lens by their thread-like breathing tube which can be seen protruding from fruits.

Once laid, the egg matures through the larval stages, all the while burrowing deeper into the fruit. Persistent egg laying causes

the berry to leak juices and eventually collapse, with exposed wounds causing potential infection for Botrytis.

SWD are particularly fond of red grape varieties such as Pinot Noir, with their higher sugar levels, so pay particularly attention to these varieties. It is possible to buy LBAM pheromone traps and SWD lures which enable growers to monitor pest populations and determine if chemical control is needed.

TIME TO SAY GOODBYE TO OUR WELL-RESPECTED BULL

Over the past month our farm life has been a rollercoaster, encompassing good, bad and sad. Top priority has been hay making; we are poised, ready for action. It’s frustrating waiting for the weather to come fine for long enough to make hay. No doubt arable farmers are also waiting in anticipation of that window of opportunity, then it’s all systems go. My other half enjoys his days spent driving tractors and tinkering with machinery.

However, by default, those cattle that have previously been ‘his cattle’ miraculously become ‘my cattle’. It’s quite a lot of extra work, alongside my shepherding responsibilities. Monitoring grazing, moving electric fencing, feeding finishing cattle, checking various groups and sorting problems. My companions, dogs and grandchildren, love it; they’re not worried about being woefully behind with paperwork or the messy house, in fact they’re positively relieved as they’re

frightened of the vacuum cleaner.

Our calving dates have been disrupted, firstly because Emperor, our Aberdeen Angus bull, wasn’t cooperating over having his lost tag replaced. TB testing has taught him to be wary of crushes.

We were confident that using our new yoke locking system it would be easy. We’d simply put down the feed, lock the yokes, put on a halter to hold his head still and apply the tag. In reality, I went to apply the tag, he lifted his head and neck, broke the halter and lifted the whole section of locking yokes off the base, pulling back and forcing the locks to release him. We were astounded by Emperor’s strength as he stood staring defiantly. Checkmate.

Emperor was 14 months old when we bought him in May 2015. He grew into a fine bull; his health and temperament have been good. He’s had a high success rate of getting our cows in-calf. Although aware that we’d need to replace him before long, on the

premise of ‘if a system is working why break it?’ Emperor joined our suckler cows on the marsh a little later than planned. The cows and he were delighted, and he got to work straight away.

One Sunday early evening, aiming to be back to watch England play football, I dashed down to check the herd. The cows and calves stood huddled in a group, but Emperor stood a lone figure in a distant part of the marsh. I was perplexed. I drove over to him and asked: “What’s the matter boy?” He gazed back at me, looking worried.

I gently coaxed him to take a step, he swayed as his back end gave way and he fell to the ground. With great determination he struggled to a standing position. I fetched water for him which he gratefully drank. It was distressing to see such a magnificent animal in such a predicament; he’d obviously damaged his back. We gave pain relief. I feared he’d not work again but I hoped that if he rested, he might recover.

Emperor standing alone, something isn’t right

The next morning he was lying down and looked more comfortable. The cows were standing around molesting him, so we moved them away. We gave him food and drink and he seemed content. We consulted the vet; the prognosis didn’t sound good. When we returned to check on Emperor, our hearts sank. He was dragging himself around the marsh with hind legs splayed out behind him. It was tough but we knew it was time to say goodbye to our well-respected bull. He left the premises with sparkly new tags in situ.

We needed to find a replacement, and fast, so we called Angus Stovold and arranged a bull shopping expedition. We settled on Emerald, 17 months old, who was delivered straight to the marsh a few days later. It was a fine day and the skylarks were singing overhead. Our cows were keen to welcome him; he hesitated on the tailgate, greeted a few cows then plunged straight into a dyke.

Undeterred and full of exuberance, he took off on a lap of honour before plunging through another dyke. Marsh ground was a new concept for him. Our cows were intrigued by his antics and we let them through the gate to join him. Next, he jumped a cow but mounted

her from the front end, hilarious but slightly worrying. Anyway, we left him to it. In the evening we were relieved to see he’d figured it out and all was well.

We’ve recently said goodbye to Kizzy, our kelpie/collie farm dog; she was 14 and I miss her cheerful morning greeting. She patrolled the farm at night and was an efficient vermin exterminator. She was afraid of sheep. Unfortunately, she didn’t approve of Brie (sheepdog) who we needed for sheep work; we never did persuade them to become friends. Kizzy had a couple of strokes but recovered well. We thought she was indestructible, but she passed away peacefully in her sleep and later joined the rest of our old faithfuls under the old oak tree.

On a lighter note, I’m delighted to say that two out of the three owl boxes we put up last spring are being used by barn owls. Nigel said he’d seen barn owls hunting at dusk from his house and that visitors to his shepherd’s hut had also reported seeing them, so when Tim Fox, from the Sussex Barn Owl Study group, came to check the box, we were keen to watch and learn.

Firstly, the hole has to be stealthily blocked

using a long pole. Using a ladder, the two owlets were carefully put into individual cloth bags. Apparently at this stage the adult birds keep their distance because the owlets would pester them for food, but they stay close by.

Each owlet’s gender, age, wing length and weight are recorded, and identification rings applied to their legs. The first owlets were about seven weeks old and covered in white fluff. The male was 450gm, the heaviest Tim had weighed this year. Tim showed us one of the sausage-shaped pellets that contains any food the owl is unable to digest, such as bones, skulls and fur.

On our home farm we were amazed to discover more owlets, probably eight to nine weeks old, with more feather and less fluff and lighter because they are starting to fly. The talons and beaks on these young birds are impressive. Apparently, owls keep their partners for life and tend to return to their same nesting box. I’m already looking forward to next year.

NB. The New Holland tractor photographed and mentioned last month is in fact powered by methane, not hydrogen as I mistakenly wrote. Apologies.

Tim putting owlet into a cloth bag

Owlet approx six/seven weeks, fluffy, long talons

Bull shopping, we chose Emerald

MIXED FARMS ARE BIOLOGICALLY RICHER

The climate crisis and riparian pollution evangelist George Monbiot gives many, perhaps most, farmers a pain in the rear end or a dangerous spike in blood pressure. He is particularly scathing, as a committed vegan, about our farm animals, cattle in particular, for their contribution both to heating the planet and to the sorry state of our rivers.

We would be foolish, however, to dismiss his arguments, for they are well researched and closely argued, albeit with journalistic hyperbole. I would suggest that Monbiot is a tad selective in his use of data and tends to ignore past hordes of wild herbivores, the problems of human numbers and our increasing consumption of our planet’s resources.

Nevertheless it is undeniable that we must take man-made climate change and ecological degradation seriously. We must also address our growing population, and most of us would benefit from eating fewer animals, though there is no need for us all to become veggies or vegans.

I wish to make the case that extensively

reared livestock are an essential part of farming and of restoring our depleted ecosystems and can contribute positively to reducing greenhouse gasses. There is ample evidence that mixed farms are biologically richer than specialists and less likely to be major emitters of green house gases. I would also claim they give farmers and visitors a good deal more pleasure than homogeneous, lifeless fields of cereals.

Most farm animals, reared extensively, contribute to regenerative farming and agroforestry, enriching soils, contributing to carbon capture and, most importantly, enhancing biodiversity. Yes, ruminants release methane, mainly from gastric fermentation, but we should remember that the vast herds of African antelopes and American bison that preceded us failed to heat the planet. They were vital components of vibrant ecosystems.

Sadly, these wild ruminants have been replaced by domesticated species, but in ever greater numbers; hence a net gain in atmospheric methane. It is, however, dwarfed by that from oil and gas wells and by methane released from thawing permafrost. Humans

also emit methane, some more than others! Reductions in national herds are needed to cut farm methane, but the main problem remains the burning of fossil fuels, which sadly shows no signs of dropping. The current prediction is a 3.5°C rise in temperature by the end of this century and I am glad I won’t be around to see it.

If we are to reduce livestock numbers, we must reintegrate those we keep into the wider agricultural scene as farm eco-engineers.

A return to mixed farming, if you will, that delivers greater resilience to extremes.

But the business model between farmers and the public needs a rethink. Dropping industrial rearing of animals for slaughter would be a quick ethical gain, but what of the big supermarket chains that require reliable, steady flows of large amounts of produce from a few large suppliers, the very antithesis of smaller scale, local, low carbon, low mileage food.

If most farms returned to mixed production, we would need greater localisation of the supply chain, with more, smaller abattoirs supplying local shops, pubs and restaurants,

What's left of the Bison herds and their habitat ©John Frisch, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

alongside market gardeners share cropping on a few acres on many farms for seasonal vegetables and DEFRA-supported orchards supplying top fruit and capturing carbon.

This all sounds very retrograde, but it could return life to the heart of many towns, provide many local jobs, enhance community life and, with it, wellbeing. But to what extent could this be replicated in cities? Could mass-produced protein for high volume processed foods be laboratory cultured and factory based?

Most of our native livestock breeds do well on pasture, converting forage grown in fields less suitable for arable crops and creating habitat. They self medicate on botanically rich forage. Grazing and dung restores both numbers and variety of insects to feed our soils and birds, the way a rich ecosystem should.

I will use cattle as the model of the way farmers have moulded stock in response to changing demands. The Sussex is the breed of the South East, but we chose the once dual-purpose cattle of Devon’s South Hams, provider of Devon clotted cream. I hope readers will forgive my choosing this larger

breed with strong bones, plenty of rich milk, a very amenable character that doesn’t run to fat too easily but which produces marbled meat of great quality.

The South Devons evolved on the rich meadows of the South Hams, and before the second world war their large udders and generous teats were hand milked. Changing markets meant changing to suckler beef, which, in turn, led to selecting cattle with smaller teats, neater udders and a meatier conformation. It is a bigger breed than most UK natives, fine on our Cotswold brash but may not suit all soils.

The myostatin gene, a particular segment of DNA on one chromosome, discovered in 1997, determines meat and muscle development in mammals, including us. This muscling trait has been known for some time and, indeed, was selected for before the mechanism was fully understood. The Belgian Blue, for example, is homozygous for a particular gene deletion that produces extreme muscling. Limousins have a different deletion and myostatin variants have been selected in sheep breeds

like the Charolais and Beltex. The incidence of myostatin deletions is also high among professional weightlifters.

Some gene variants are disruptive, yet selection is a response to the Europe carcase payment grid, despite a reduction in meat quality. A couple of gene variants are found in South Devons and some breeders have actively selected for them. With experience, we decided to breed out one variant from our herd, at the same time selected for polling, another gene deletion. We have gone down this path to avoid the calving difficulties associated with muscling in both dam and calf and to improve mobility.

As a result we have animals that contribute greatly to the farm’s ecology and diversity. The animals themselves give great pleasure and scientific stimulus to us and our visitors. They are a great asset to our environmental schemes and even contribute a bit to the farm’s bottom line.

South Devon cows

VISITS:

LOW INPUT MICRO-HERD

This month Nigel Akehurst visits Brays Farm, a 52-acre tenanted holding on the edge of the village of South Nutfield in Surrey to meet first-generation dairy farmers Matthew Elphick and Betsie Edge and learn about their calf-at-foot dairy and plans to convert an old milk float into a mobile shop.

Turning off Bower Hill Lane onto a long straight private drive with electric gates, I passed a large house on my left and kept going until I reached Brays Farm at the end. As I parked up in the yard in front of an old cluster of traditional timber and brick farm buildings, I noticed a small herd of shorthorn cows and calves grazing in the field opposite.

Finding my way to the dairy parlour, I met Matthew Elphick and Betsie Edge, along with their two small children Albie and Rory (three years old and five months old), getting ready to bring the cows in for milking.

They generally aim to milk the cows at 9am, explained Matthew – positively tardy by most dairy farm standards – but today it’s gone 10 as he agreed to delay milking by an hour so I could be there to take some photos.

LOW INPUT CALF-AT-FOOT DAIRY SYSTEM

"It’s a low-input system,” said Mathew, but that’s where the processing comes in. “We’re adding value back,” he explained as we walked through the field to bring the girls in for milking.

They run a calf-at-foot system, he said, gesturing to the shapely calves running with their mothers. As the name suggests, after birth the calf is kept on the cow for three to four months, rather than being taken off after a few days as is standard practice on most dairy farms.

calf with a black nose, Matthew said they were thrilled to have their first Albion calf born on the farm to one of the three in-calf heifers they bought from Adam Henson back in November.

He explained that Albion cattle were a dual-purpose breed and on the critically rare species list.

After getting the herd into the concrete collection yard in front of the parlour, we headed through the side door into the eightabreast milking parlour.

Inside the old cow shed complete with picturesque timber roof beams, it was like stepping back in time. I was amazed when Matthew explained they only installed the eight-abreast parlour in 2020, sourcing all the kit second hand and carrying out a lot of the installation work themselves.

It’s about getting the balance right, he suggested. "We’re dairy farmers, so we’re producing milk, but the income from these calves is really handy – especially when they look this well and go for top money.”

Bucking the old farming adage – “get big or get out” – Matthew and Betsie are managing to make a living from a micro-herd of 20 dairy shorthorn cows, milking them just once a day.

Pointing out a striking young white heifer

His young beef calves can fetch upwards of £320 and the dairy bull calves sell for around £250, he added.

The building was formerly used as a lambing shed and they subdivided it into two spaces, a large room used for the milking parlour and the other part to house the bulk tank and pasteurising machine.

Matthew Elphick and Betsie Edge with their two children

After being let into the parlour, the first group of cows quickly filed in and stood up on their milking platforms, ready to be milked. Betsie set about cleaning their teats and I quizzed Matthew on how they divided up their farm chores.

Betsie’s role on the farm is the milking, he replied - often while looking after the children, he added, pointing to Rory, their five month-old who was fast asleep in the buggy. He can be a bit of handful when he’s awake, Matthew added with a smile.

Matthew handles all the outdoor jobs, processing the milk into products and the deliveries, while both Matthew and Betsie sell their products at farmers’ markets.

In less than an hour Betsie had milked all 18 cows and they were ready to go back out to a new paddock.

MOVING FROM SET STOCKING TO MULTI-PADDOCK GRAZING

They used to set stock their cows, said Matthew, but decided to move to rotational multi-paddock grazing (also known as regenerative grazing, he said) after dividing their farm into 30 paddocks using electric fencing and lots of blue water pipe last year. Each paddock has at least 30 days’ rest, which he said had greatly improved biodiversity and their soils, building organic matter by pulling down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

They have also noticed a better growing season grazing like this compared to set stocking, where they would often need to supplementary feed outside, he added.

As well as the benefit to the environment, Matthew has also noticed improvements to the health of his cows and they no longer worm any of their animals or use any fly treatment.

I asked what prompted this change in management?

“I would have always considered myself a nature-friendly farmer, but I never understood how the two can co-exist and enhance each other. I developed an interest in soil a couple of years ago and that led to reading a few books, including by Gabe Brown and Nicole Masters, as well as Alan Savory’s Holistic Management,” he replied.

“That got me thinking about how farming can benefit our ecosystem and environment. Cows aren’t the demons that they are made out to be by the mainstream media. That’s

why I was grateful to get involved in the Nature Friendly Farming Network as a farming champion because it helps me to promote this way of farming.

“It’s not the cow that’s the problem, it's the way we farm them; in a regenerative system like this they can be part of the solution. Yes, they produce methane, but the pros of grazing ruminant livestock far exceed the cons. By improving soil they help restore a healthy functioning ecosystem, improve food nutrient density and allow efficient carbon sequestration.”

FIRST GENERATION FARMERS

Keen to learn more about his experience of getting into agriculture, I asked how he got into farming?

Despite having no family connection, Matthew decided farming would be a good career choice at a young age. After studying at Plumpton College, he began working as a herdsman and then for Stock 1st Livestock services.

FARM FACTS

• 52 acre holding of permanent pasture owned by Countryside Regeneration Trust

• Predominantly clay with sandy soil on high ground

• Herd of 30 cows (including dry cows and heifers)

• Make yoghurt and two cheeses (Surrey Red and Greensand Bray)

• Currently sell their products at local farmers’ markets and wholesale to local shops, deli’s, butchers and pubs

• Crowd funding to convert an electric milk float into a mobile shop

• Buy in majority of silage and hay feed but managed to make hay on one field this year

• Cows kept inside for around five months of the year

• Pasture for Life (PFL) members with long term plan to become PFL-certified

NIGEL AKEHURST VISITS: BRAYS FARM

During this time, he managed to rent a bit of ground and some buildings from someone who had retired from cattle farming. This enabled him to gain vital experience, and he started to build up a small herd of suckler cows.

Then a neighbour recommended him to John Collett, the previous owner of Brays Farm. John wanted to find a young farmer who could take responsibility for the place so he didn’t have to worry about it. He left the farm in his will to the Countryside Regeneration Trust (CRT), a wildlife and farming charity, explained Matthew.

“The CRT has some 18 farms across the country and promotes nature friendly and regenerative-style farming, so I met with them as well to make sure they would be happy for me to carry on – which they were.”

After John died it took nearly four years to go through probate so the couple couldn’t move into the farmhouse until 2021 when the CRT was given ownership, he explained.

“They’ve been really supportive landlords,” he added. “They like what we’re doing here, how we’re farming and what we want to do.”

Initially Matthew ran his herd of beef suckler cows alongside a small flock of sheep, but dairy farming was always the end goal. He met Betsie in 2019 and in 2020 they sold his beef cattle and sheep and set up the dairy together.

They feel very lucky to have been given the opportunity because it’s so tricky to be able to get into farming, he said. Even council farms haven’t always gone to new entrants, he commented, adding: “It’s always a shame when you see a bigger farmer getting bigger; we need those opportunities to get in.”

CHEESE, YOGHURT AND PLANS TO SET UP A MOBILE FARM SHOP

Back in the farmyard, Matthew showed me their processing cabin next to the dairy, where he processes all the milk into yoghurt and cheese. The milk goes straight from the

inline pasteuriser via a metal pipe into the purpose-built cabin.

Matthew currently makes around 100 litres of yoghurt a week (about 300 pots) to sell locally, while the rest of the milk goes for making two different cheeses. They make a cheddar called Greensand Bray that is named after the Greensand Way that runs through the farm and is matured for at least six months. Their other cheese is called Surrey Red and is based on a French-style Alpine cheese, which is semi-soft and matures for about two months. They use annatto to give this cheese its red colouring to match their shorthorn cows. They also used to bottle all their milk in the processing rooms but decided to stop their milk round back in late 2022 after rising costs meant it wasn’t viable anymore.

Matthew explained that they had originally planned to convert an existing farm building into a shop but had been forced to rethink the plan because of issues with their shared driveway.

CROWD FUNDING

Walking around to a traditional timber beam hay barn, Matthew showed me their milk float and explained their plans to turn it into a mobile farm shop.

“We used to do our milk round using the float. It is an old-school electric one and was a bit steady, especially on the hills round here,” he joked.

They plan to drop the floor to install yoghurt and milk dispensers, along with a display fridge for their cheeses and other products like cream.

To help pay for the conversion work and a new electric battery, they are running a crowd funding campaign. At the time of my visit, they had already raised over £8,000 towards a target of £30,000.

If successful they hope to carry out the work over the summer and start selling at local villages within a five-mile radius of the farm, helping improve their margins by selling more of their products direct.

ADVICE FOR NEW ENTRANTS

With my visit drawing to an end, I asked Matthew if he had any advice for other new entrant farmers looking to get on the farming ladder?

“For me it was finding those more informal ways of renting a bit of land and some buildings; it’s tricky with a tenancy, especially if you haven’t got the background or the capital behind you either,” he replied.

“Looking back, I tried to get too big too quickly. I tried to get lots of animals - I thought that was the way to go. I’ve always had to grow on debt and borrow money to progress, which does make things harder. There are no other options when you’re putting in a dairy and all the rest of it, but when you are working full

time and trying to start up, it doesn’t matter if you start with five or 10 animals – keep them profitable and keep them looking good and grow on your profits,” he said.

“I’d also encourage new entrants to educate themselves in regenerative, holistic management. It wasn’t taught when I was at college and I really feel if I had been able to adopt these methods from the beginning, not only would the farm be supporting

FARMING AND ENVIRONMENT

FOCUSED JOURNALISM AND DIGITAL CONTENT CREATION

Storytelling through interviews, features, case studies, photography and videos.

For enquiries contact Nigel Akehurst via email on nigel@indiefarmer.com

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more wildlife, but I’d be better off finically by knowing how to farm without all those expensive inputs like fertiliser.”

Heading home with some yoghurt and cheese (which was delicious), I felt inspired and hopeful following my visit to Nutfield Dairy. It demonstrates that small-scale dairy farming can be beneficial to the environment and provide a good livelihood for new entrant farmers.

Matthew with the old milk float

FRUIT GROWING & PACKING

When it comes to meeting the demand for homegrown apples, pears and soft fruit, planting tens of thousands more trees is only half the story.

When those trees produce the fruit that supermarkets and UK customers are demanding, the harvest creates its own demand – for quality storage facilities that can keep the fruit in tip-top condition all year round.

For a leading grower and packer like FW Mansfield & Son, which is committed to running a sustainable operation with short supply lines and an absolute focus on quality fruit, that means investing in building new cold stores alongside planting new trees.

And when it comes to commissioning buildings of the right quality, F W Mansfield & Son turns to a supplier who has been involved with the long-established family business for decades and who shares the same values, ambitions and eye for detail.

Graham Elgar, who heads up Ashford, Kentbased G J Elgar Construction Ltd, has played a major part in the ongoing building work at Nickle Farm, just outside Canterbury, that has taken place since founder Buddy Mansfield bought the site as the headquarters of his

FOCUS ON QUALITY FRUIT

growing business in 1994.

Over the past 30 years, the growth has been impressive, and F W Mansfield & Son, now headed up by Buddy’s son Paul, stores, grades and packs fruit for 31 other growers as well as handling its own 27,000 tonnes of home grown apples and pears each year. The combined total packed and distributed from Nickle Farm is roughly double the homegrown tonnage.

“We have to expand our storage facilities as well as planting new trees,” explained commercial operations manager Dave Slaughter. “If there’s nowhere to put it, there’s no point growing it.”

With Paul Mansfield committed to

reducing food miles and the company’s own carbon footprint by centralising the operation on one site, that means any new building has to take place at Nickle Farm, which made life challenging for Graham Elgar and his skilled workforce when they took on the current project.

“It took a lot of planning, communication and liaison to deliver 19,300 square feet of new cold store in the middle of what was already a busy site, with dozens of lorry movements in and out every day,” he explained. “It was vital that we didn’t get in the way of any of the Mansfields vehicles as they were all on time-critical deliveries, either in to or out of the complex.”

Small

• Steel frame buildings

• Building conversions

• Sheeting and cladding

• Refurbishment and change of use

• Demolition and asbestos removal

• Groundworks and drainage

• Concrete flooring and external concrete

• Concrete frame and steel frame repairs

• Internal stainless-steel drainage

• Insurance and general repairs

• Guttering and repairs

FRUIT GROWING & PACKING

The planning that made sure the project was delivered smoothly reflected not just impressive coordination and information sharing but a mutual respect. “It’s true that my operation here can’t stop, but at the same time Paul has entrusted Graham with the task of building the stores and I need to make sure he can get on with it,” Dave Slaughter added.

somewhere around £23m over the past six years, not just in planting trees – 180,000 in 2022/23, with a similar number expected to be planted this season – but in the cold stores that keep them supermarket -ready from harvest through to the following summer.

The new coldstore, due to be finished in mid-October and, as Dave pointed out, “in use within a couple of days of the handover”, is just the latest in a long run of new storage and packing facilities that are keeping F W Mansfield & Son at the top of the fruit growing and supply business in the UK.

“We are certainly one of the top two growers of top fruit in the UK by volume, and if you include all fruit then I suspect we would be the biggest,” Dave confirmed.

That growth has seen the company invest

The Nickle Farm site already boasted 98 cold stores in seven buildings when G J Elgar Construction was contracted in November 2023 to demolish a 20,400 sq ft building in the heart of the site and replace it with the smart new, controlled atmosphere stores due to be unveiled in a couple of months’ time.

The first issue was moving a portable building which also encroached on the footprint of the new building but which was a vital part of the seven-days-a-week operation at F W Mansfield & Son. Graham solved that issue by bringing in a crane and a low loader and moving the whole unit, “lock, stock and barrel” across to its new site.

From that point on it has taken Graham’s considerable organisation and liaison skills to deliver the project. While he has worked on virtually all of the buildings currently on the site, this is the first scheme at Nickle Farm which G J Elgar Construction has been asked to project manage from start to finish.

“Clearly a building of this scale involves an awful lot of deliveries and traffic movements, not to mention the actual construction workers doing their thing,” said Graham. “At one point we had 24 lorries pouring concrete to complete the floor slab.”

That wouldn’t be a problem on a green field site, but at Nickle Farm, which can have 14 inbound deliveries and as many as 30 lorries leaving the distribution centre in a single day, the building work had the potential to get in the way of the day-to-day operation – and that couldn’t be allowed to happen.

Graham Elgar

Specialists in controlled atmosphere stores

Rapid chilling systems for soft fruit and fresh produce

Secondary cooling systems with energy efficient defrosting using air source heat pump technology

Retrofitting of existing high cost electrical defrost heaters with air source heat pumps

Electrical engineers and contracting

Refrigeration and Electrical service, maintenance, and breakdown cover

Testing and certification to NICEIC

Mains power solutions for distribution and installations

Temperature controlled wine storage solutions using DX or Secondary refrigeration with heating options

Qualified to install EV chargers

Refrigeration gas leak detection systems

F-gas compliance and record keeping

Refrigeration system controls with remote monitoring

To keep things running smoothly, as well as regular face-to-face communication, Graham sent chief executive Lee Port, Dave and other senior members of the team a weekly email detailing what would be happening that week and making sure there were no surprises.

“We had to make sure that if we were going to be blocking a loading bay, for instance, Mansfields had enough warning so that they could make sure there was enough produce the other side of the blockage to allow the outbound deliveries to carry on,” said Graham. Nodding in agreement, Dave pointed out: “If we aren’t able to service the customer, we won’t be putting up any more new buildings.”

G J Elgar Construction was also responsible for health and safety issues relating to the new building, something which became clear

during a tour of the site which saw Graham continually insisting on the right walkways being used.

The result of G J Elgar Construction’s considerable efforts is an impressive modern coldstore housing 12 dynamic controlled atmosphere stores and capable of holding 9,400 bins of fruit. It will take the total number of stores on site to 110.

While taking a strategic overview of the work and leading on the liaison, Graham brought in Nick Field of N Field Projects Ltd as the on-site project manager responsible for co-ordinating the teams involved in bringing the building to fruition.

“With over a decade of experience managing similar projects like the cold stores and having previously worked with Mansfields and all the contractors involved, Nick was the obvious choice to help me liaise

with the different teams and oversee the technical details,” commented Graham.

Nick added: “With a tight programme to deliver the fruit stores ahead of this year’s harvest, getting the design finalised and signed off by all contractors was key to making a swift start on site.

“Refining stores and plant room layouts to allow adequate space for all the plant and machinery as well as making allowances for pipe runs and additional supports for coolers, pumps and chillers all needed to be expedited so that we could get the steelwork to site as early as possible.”

Nick used his in-house CAD (computer aided design) capabilities to set out the details for signing off by the contractors, meaning changes were done in good time ahead of steel production and allowing the workforce to keep to the ambitious programme.

“As we worked through the build programme, G J Elgar Construction was able to prioritise the areas that would allow the other contractors to start on site soonest, meaning the finish dates would be achievable and delivering what the client needed in good time,” he went on. Graham’s team completed the groundworks for the building, which is dug into the ground by several metres at the back to keep the profile low and reduce its visual impact, and then erected the steel frame and cladding, concrete retaining panels, perimeter drainage and powerfloated floor.

The controlled atmosphere stores

themselves are being installed by W D Hobden, a well-experienced family business now led by Lee Hobden following the recent death of his father, the founder Bill Hobden. Lee, who set up the business with his father 32 years ago – although his father had been working in the field for many years before that – now works alongside brother Gary and a talented team of installers.

W D Hobden has also worked at Nickle Farm before and has built up an enviable reputation for delivering quality controlled atmosphere stores. “It’s always good to work with Graham as we share his focus on quality, and the project has gone smoothly and according to plan,” said Lee.

CA Services will be installing the CO2 scrubbers, Orchard Cooling will be responsible for the refrigeration and the vital electrical work that will join all the dots is in the safe hands of P J Electrical.

Once the stores are complete and commissioned, it won’t take long to fill them, as Dave Slaughter explained. “With the increased capacity we will be able to store 60,000 bins on site, but we are likely to bring in about 78,000 in total,” he said. “That means we will be storing 18,000 bins for the short term, delivering them to the supermarkets for the start of the season and then using that space again for long-term storage.”

Lee Hobden

Lee Hobden (right) with brother Gary

F W Mansfield & Son supplies virtually all of the household name supermarkets, with just two of the better-known names currently shopping elsewhere for their fruit.

It reflects a massive demand, the quality of the product and an impressively slick operation, with technology at the heart of it. “Our fruit is picked into a bin, and from that point on it is not touched by a human hand until the customer gets it home and unwraps it,” Dave explains.

That focus on mechanisation is why F W Mansfield & Son now has two automated grading lines which use the latest technology to scan every single apple, taking photographs from every direction and checking for flaws both inside and out in a fraction of a second before grading it, sizing it and sending it on its journey to the supermarket shelf.

It’s faster, more reliable and removes the need for the manpower that has become

increasingly difficult to recruit in recent years.

“We now have five people on our grading lines, including the quality control person,” said Dave. “They can grade 300 bins in 12 hours. In the past we had 25 or 30 people inspecting half as much fruit by eye and not doing it anywhere near as well.”

Managing director Peter Kelly, of suppliers Kent Fruit Services, explained:

“F W Mansfield’s GREEFA Combisort is able to delicately handle a number of products, principally apples and pears. It sorts the fruit by size, weight and colour but also checks for external defects, with the iQS Performance system able to effortlessly identify and reject fruit based on specifications decided on by Mansfield’s skilled operators.

“Our submerged filling unit is the gentlest of ways to refill bins with product and is second to none in this regard. Kent Fruit Services and F W Mansfield & Son have been working together seamlessly for decades.

“We provide them with machinery and engineering services, and the fruitful relationship has expanded in recent years with the installation of the GREEFA Combisort pre-sizing line and multiple BURG packing lines for a wide range of options but predominantly flow wrapping.

“Most recently a big push for automation has culminated in a large palletiser project, with fruit going from bin to pallet with almost no human input. F W Mansfield’s insatiable desire for progress and efficiency has more projects on the horizon which Kent Fruit Services and our partners BURG Machinery and GREEFA are excited to make a reality.”

Quality standards at F W Mansfield & Son are driven not just by Paul and the team’s own desire to pick and pack the best fruit but by the supermarkets, which continue to demand the right accreditations and are looking to growers to help them achieve their goal of reaching ‘net zero’ by 2035.

Palletiser

GREEFA Combisort

SPEAK TO THE EXPERTS TODAY AT HARVEST GREEN DEVELOPMENTS ON 01271 624136 OR SCAN THE QR CODE BELOW TO VIEW OUR WEBSITE

HARVEST GREEN DEVELOPMENTS ARE PROUD TO HAVE SUPPORTED FW MANSFIELD & SON WITH TWO SOLAR PV INSTALLATIONS TOTALLING 540KW AS WELL AS BEING OPERATION & MAINTENANCE PARTNER FOR ALL SOLAR PV INSTALLATIONS ONSITE

It’s a challenge that F W Mansfield & Son is taking seriously, with solar PV mounted on roofs across the complex in numbers that don’t just boost the company’s green credentials but which make a considerable difference to its energy bills.

With around 3.4MW of solar PV due to be generating energy across the site, the company is the fifth biggest independent solar power generator in the country and uses everything it produces to keep the cold stores and packing lines running.

“We are reducing our carbon footprint year on year and we invest a lot of time and thought in reducing our impact on the environment and moving towards being fully sustainable,” said Dave. “That’s why the operation is essentially centralised here at Nickle Farm, with just a single satellite operation a couple of miles down the road at Chartham.” The centralised model means fruit is stored, packed and then distributed from the same site, without the need for multiple journeys.

The extensive investment in solar PV energy at Nickle Farm has, since 2022, been carried out by Harvest Green Developments, which has provided 540kW of solar energy on two buildings as well as taking over the management of all the renewable energy assets on site.

FRUIT GROWING & PACKING

“To date there is more than 2.4MW of solar PV at Nickle Farm and the team has ambitions to install significantly more over the years to come,” explained Harvest Green Developments’ business development director James Clifford.

“A major challenge at Nickle Farm to growing the amount of renewable energy on site has been the UK Power Networks export limits that are prevalent in this area, alongside the three mains supplies that feed various parts of the site.

“To manage the assets efficiently, we have installed metering across every import/ export supply, as well as on every generating asset, so that we accurately detail what energy is being utilised on site and where it is being fed from, and therefore the energy savings being achieved.” The rooftop installations comprise Trina Solar modules, Solis inverters and K2 Systems mounting kit.

“We are proud to have supported FW Mansfield & Son with their Solar PV installations as it marks a substantial effort towards decarbonising Nickle Farm and substantially reducing their running costs,” added James.

While F W Mansfield & Son is a major player in the world of fruit, it retains a family business feel, and the influence of Buddy, who set up the forerunner to the Nickle

Farm operation, a greengrocers in Romford, Essex, in 1942, is still keenly felt.

Buddy’s entrepreneurial skill saw the business grow steadily and he went on to buy a smallholding in Dargate, a farm in Broad Oak, Canterbury and, in 1994, Nickle Farm. Three generations of the family are now involved in the business.

The company likes to employ from within, a policy that has seen Lee Port, who first worked for F W Mansfield & Son in London as a barrow boy at the age of 15, sitting in the chief executive’s chair some 46 years later.

Craig Rook, who heads up the farms team that is responsible for growing all F W Mansfield & Son’s fruit, has been with the company for 30 years and is an integral part of the business.

Alongside 27,000 tonnes of top fruit, which includes Pink Lady, Jazz, Gala, Braeburn, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Bramley and Cox varieties, the business began growing strawberries and cherries five years ago and now produces 2,200 tonnes of the former and 850 tonnes of the latter each year. It also packs fruit from overseas to meet demand.

It is no surprise to learn that the cold stores about to be commissioned won’t be the end of the story for F W Mansfield & Son. As Dave Slaughter pointed out: “If you don’t invest in the future, you won’t be part of it.”

Extensive investment in solar PV energy carried out by Harvest Green Developments

SOLAR POWER IN AGRICULTURE

It’s fair to say that without the agricultural community taking to commercial-scale solar first back in 2010/11/12, the solar industry would not be in the strong place it is today. Farmers the length and breadth of the country were among the first to recognise that their roof, in addition to their land, was simply another place for them to farm. ‘Back in the day’, however, the average size of system was around 50kW (200 panels) – as opposed to the 200, 300, 400kW+ systems that we see today.

As this sub-sector in the C&I (commercial and industrial) space reaches maturity, what can we expect to see next? Again, it’s fair to say that most farmers are aware of the broad financial/environmental dynamics of a solar PV system: the panels are installed on your roof/land, connected ‘behind-the-meter’ into your electrical system, and every unit of electricity that you are able to consume, at the precise moment it is generated, is yours to use for free; any electricity not consumed at the precise moment of generation is automatically sold to the grid. Each unit of electricity that you generate is either decarbonising your operation or helping to decarbonise the nation’s electricity grid. What many farmers may be unaware of though, are the new and innovative ways of deploying solar today:

1. Building Integrated PV (BIPV) – not exactly ’new’ but something that hasn’t yet taken off in the UK in the way that it has on the continent. It’s not uncommon for the chosen barn to need significant TLC before a 25-year plus solar PV system is installed on it. Rather than re-clad/ install a new roof only to add solar on top, systems exist that will allow you to build a completely watertight roof made from standard solar panels. The cost of these ‘power roofs’ is equal to the cost of a new roof plus solar on top.

SHAUN BEATTIE

Commercial Director, Solar

TIME TO THINK BEYOND THE ROOF?

2. Carports – the rise of the farm shop has seen a rise in the need for parking. With this in mind, a car port system will help power the running of the farm shop while also offering somewhere to house electric vehicle charging points to entice customers to come and visit; they have the added benefit of providing shelter for when the UK weather does what it does best.

3. Floating solar – where a roof-mounted or land-based scheme would be a non-starter, clever floating platforms allow reservoirs and lakes to be used to house solar panels. These pontoon-like structures will rise and fall with the levels of the body of water, and the lack of heat build-up that we see with roof-based systems will help the system perform slightly better than roof-mounted arrays.

4. Agri-PV – combining traditional farming with cutting-edge farming, an agri-voltaic structure will allow you to harness the sun above your crops. Bi-facial panels (those that let a portion of light through the module) and well-considered design will allow the crops to continue to receive the

sunlight they need while providing some protection during harsher weather.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR SOLAR?

Energy storage is the obvious one, but what is really exciting, at least in the short-term, is the level of support we can expect to see from the new Government. It’s important to remember that the main support mechanism for solar – the feed-in tariff scheme – was a Labour policy, introduced just one month before the 2010 General Election. It's highly unlikely that we will see a return of the FITs, but what would be welcome is some sort of interest-free loan for farmers to deploy solar panels so that the repayments can be fully covered by the savings/income that the system produces; at present, the ability to be ‘cash-positive’ in year one is the preserve of those that can use the majority of their solar power. And if the government cannot step in, then there are new funding mechanisms being introduced almost daily to unlock the solar potential of our farms.

Having spent nearly 15 years developing commercial-scale solar in the rural community, Shaun joined eEnergy in May 2024 as their commercial director to accelerate the company’s renewable initiatives and support its mission to make net zero both possible and profitable for all organisations.

ABOUT e E nergy

With over a decade’s worth of experience and more than 1,000 successful decarbonisation projects, eEnergy believes in transforming the way we save energy and reduce our carbon footprint, all at no upfront cost. We do this by improving three fundamental areas: 1. Reduce carbon and costs with energy efficient LED lighting; 2. Generate clean energy through solar PV. 3. Charge reliably and safely, with EV charging infrastructure and management . This is supported by compliant and easy finance solutions to help organisations deliver decarbonisation projects with no upfront costs. E: info@eenergy.com www.eenergy.com

SOLAR POWER IN AGRICULTURE

REMARKABLE GROWTH

A review of the solar industry in agriculture.

The solar industry has experienced remarkable growth over the past decade, driven by advances in technology, declining panel costs and an increasing need for sustainable energy sources. Among the various sectors harnessing solar power, agriculture has emerged as a significant beneficiary alongside industrial and commercial ventures.

Agricultural operations, which require significant energy inputs, have increasingly turned to solar power to reduce costs and enhance sustainability. Solar installations in agriculture most commonly appear as roof-mounted, grid-connected systems, with occasional off-grid or ground-mounted systems. These installations serve various purposes, including powering greenhouse operations, livestock feeding and watering and even providing electricity for processing and refrigeration facilities.

BENEFITS OF SOLAR ADOPTION

By generating their own power, farmers can protect themselves from fluctuating energy prices and reduce dependence on grid electricity. The cost of panels has been steadily dropping and installations can be expected to cost in the region of £600 to £1,000 per kilowatt (kW) installed, although this figure depends on factors such as scale, roof material and choice of hardware. Surplus energy can be exported to the grid for increasingly better rates, upwards of 12p per kilowatt hour (kWh) (both figures as at July 2024).

Solar energy is a renewable source which can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the carbon footprint of agricultural operations. This aligns with the environmental intentions of numerous agricultural processing companies and promotes environmental stewardship, in addition to providing a new income stream through Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs).

There is an increasing number of grants focused on the installation or preparedness for installing solar photovoltaics (PV) on agricultural buildings, such as the animal health and welfare grants or the improving farm productivity grant. These financial benefits can make the initial investment more affordable for farmers.

CHALLENGES FACING SOLAR ADOPTION

The upfront cost of installing solar panels is often the largest concern facing farmers. Although long-term savings are substantial and the economic payback period can be as short as three years (although more commonly seven years), the initial financial outlay can be a barrier for small-scale farmers or those with limited access to capital.

As the presence of solar panels may interfere with traditional farming activities, roof-mounted systems are the preferred option, but these installations can be hindered by outdated or asbestoscontaining roof materials.

Local grid infrastructure is an increasingly common problem for rural installations of solar PV as it can limit the scale of the system and the capacity to export surplus energy, creating longer payback periods

or delaying projects for months.

Navigating the regulatory landscape can be complex, and installations often suffer delays due to planning constraints. Farmers may face challenges in obtaining permits, complying with local regulations and understanding incentive programmes. Current incentives can be arduous and lengthy processes, and streamlining these processes is essential to encourage adoption. A more immediate solution, however, would be to employ a reliable consultant.

APPLICATION OF SOLAR POWER

The bell curve of solar generation lends itself to certain sectors more than others, with industries that face their highest demand during daylight hours and the summer months benefiting most, principally poultry farmers. Other sectors will face a seasonal peak in their electricity demand, such as arable farmers and wineries.

However, sectors such as dairy farming will see a steady rise in warm months due to additional cooling requirements, but their daily demand will likely exist outside of standard daylight hours. Knowing the farm’s daily and annual demand can be essential in maximising the benefits of a solar PV installation.

PROSPECTS AND INNOVATIONS

Renewable energy is a common area for innovation and development and the benefits it can grant to agricultural sectors have necessitated key areas of focus, including:

Energy Storage – Improved battery technologies are making it possible to store solar energy more efficiently and more costeffectively, ensuring a stable power supply during periods of low sunlight.

Financing Models – New options, such as solar leasing, power purchase agreements (PPAs), and season-linked finance payments, are making it easier for farmers to adopt solar technology without bearing the full upfront costs.

Policy Support – Continued government support, including clear and accessible incentives and streamlined regulations, will be crucial in driving further adoption.

TOM OVENDEN

Renewable Energy Manager

T: 024 7669 6512

E: Thomas.Ovenden@nfuenergy.co.uk www.nfuenergy.co.uk

With ever increasing costs, running a business can be difficult.

Investing in a solar PV system could future proof your business and provide you with free, green electricity.

In late Spring 2023, BeBa Energy proudly completed one of the company’s most prestigious projects to date: a solar PV installation at Thanet Earth’s packhouse in Birchington, Kent

Known for being the UK's largest glasshouse complex, Thanet Earth now features a 1.1 megawatt roof-mounted system with 2,740 solar panels, transforming their vast roof space into a powerhouse of renewable energy.

Covering nearly 5,500 square meters, this solar array is anticipated to generate 982,934 kWh annually, contributing over 30% to Thanet Earth's overall power mix. With an impressive on-site solar utilisation rate of 80%, this installation highlights the potential of solar energy in large-scale commercial settings with a high on-site energy demand.

Thanet Earth was committed to sustainability, aiming to reduce its carbon footprint and move towards Net Zero. The environmental benefits of this project are substantial, reducing the company’s carbon emissions by nearly 200,000 kilograms per year, equivalent to taking 6.6 million car miles off the road. The energy produced is enough to power around 500 two-bedroomed homes annually, underscoring the significant impact of this solar array.

Maintaining peak performance is essential for such a large installation. Solar PV systems are not simply a ‘fit and forget’ technology

SOLAR POWER IN AGRICULTURE

but require regular maintenance to ensure they are operating at peak efficiency. Thanet Earth acknowledged this from the outset and now works in partnership with BeBa Energy, which handles all the grower’s operational and maintenance needs.

As part of this, BeBa engineers conduct regular site visits and six monthly servicing and reporting, along with annual panel cleaning using BeBa’s semi-automatic robotic panel cleaner. This ensures enhanced power performance from the array while preventing hot spotting and micro-cracking, forms of degradation which are hard to spot with the naked eye.

Additionally, to manage the solar array BeBa Energy has fitted its BeSmarter monitoring system. This not only tracks energy production but also monitors on-site consumption, along with the amount of energy exported to the local grid. This granular data allows BeBa to give Thanet Earth detailed insights on their system’s performance and prepare for future

advances, such as the integration of battery storage to further support their net zero ambitions.

The strategic use of roof space at Thanet Earth has demonstrated that solar energy can offer both environmental and commercial benefits. During the design stage, opting to cover the entire roof made the most commercial and environmental sense. As Thanet Earth continues to grow tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, the company’s commitment to renewable energy serves as an inspiring example for the agricultural industry.

BeBa Energy is honoured to be part of Thanet Earth’s journey towards sustainability and to be the company’s chosen solar partner. This project is a shining example of how solar PV systems can drive significant progress towards a greener future. Businesses thinking of installing solar PV or requiring maintenance on an existing system should contact BeBa Energy today.

AGROECOLOGY CHARTER BRINGS CLARITY TO SUCCESSFUL REGEN FARMING

With interest in regenerative farming continuing to increase, leading agronomy firm Hutchinsons has launched its groundbreaking agroecology charter to help growers and agronomists successfully understand and implement the intricacies of regen practices. Hutchinsons' Head of Agroecology Ed Brown explains the significance of this charter to UK farming.

First announced at the Hutchinsons Agroecology Conference in January, the charter was unveiled at the Groundswell event in Hertfordshire. It provides much-needed clarity on the practical implementation of the five core principles of regenerative farming (see box), the risks involved and how best to make regen work on individual farms.

The agroecology charter addresses these issues by clearly defining the meaning of agroecological (regenerative) farming and providing a framework to help growers and agronomists identify a clear pathway to implement the necessary management changes while identifying the risks that may need mitigating in the process.

It also demonstrates to end-users, consumers and the supply chain how agroecology advice, services and crop management practices will support their sustainability objectives.

Agroecology is about maximising cultural methods to optimise soil and plant health in conjunction with carefully targeted inputs.

This balance between cultural techniques and conventional agronomy is highly complex and requires the highest quality advice, which is based upon multiple years of research, experience and knowledge.

Hutchinsons has many years of practical agroecology experience, supported by significant research and field trials, including the Helix Agroecology Farm in Shropshire, which in 2021 became the first Helix farm to focus solely on the principles and practices of agroecology.

We have considerable technical understanding and have learned many lessons. We understand what is required, what is expected, what the risks are and, most importantly, how best to mitigate those risks.

For agroecological crop management to be

successful and its objectives to be achieved, any farm business must carefully consider a host of different aspects, from resources such as soils, machinery, labour and farm buildings to other practical considerations around cropping, pest/weed/disease control and nutrition.

START WITH SOILS

Soil is the most important resource on any farm, regardless of the production practices used, and is understandably a key focus of the core regenerative agriculture principles, so should be the starting point for anyone beginning the transition to regenerative farming.

It is therefore essential that farmers, in conjunction with their agronomist, can determine what a healthy soil is.

This means looking beyond the one-dimensional measurements of pH, P, K and Mg, and instead measuring and interpreting three-dimensional soil assessments, which include the physical, chemical and biological indicators of soil health.

Only when these factors have been comprehensibly assessed and analysed can a suitable soil management plan be designed and implemented.

To illustrate the complex issues outlined within regenerative farming and explained in the charter, we can look at some considerations associated with the first of the core regen principles; minimising soil disturbance.

Reducing tillage intensity should be a phased approach over several years to allow the various biological, chemical and physical soil processes to adapt to a lower disturbance environment. Comprehensive soil tests will provide an insight into a soil’s current nutrient cycling ability and enable informed decisions on appropriate rates of change.

The use of cover and catch crops throughout

the rotation, placement fertilisers and other measures may also help the transition to reduced tillage, although in some situations it may not be possible to achieve a completely zero-tillage farm.

THE FIVE CORE REGEN PRINCIPLES

1. Minimise soil disturbance

2. Maximise crop diversity

3. Keep the soil covered all year round

4. Maintain living roots all year round

5. Increase soil organic matter

ED BROWN Head

of Agroecology

T: 07583 019273

E: ed.brown@hlhltd.co.uk

Canterbury: 01227 830064

www.hlhltd.co.uk

ANITA HICKSON Farmer

It’s a while ago, I accept, but this is my first article since the election and we are now facing change. The result is no surprise, and to be fair, did the Conservatives deserve another go? In the main, probably not, and so now begins the process of finding out what the new Government will do. It may do some of what it said, but most probably it will do quite a bit of what it didn’t say, and the devil is in the detail as always.

In the first week the strategy was to look competent, and I watched with interest as Rachel Reeves delivered her first speech about the end of ‘nimbyism’, going for growth and how she has ordered the treasury officials to give her a detailed report on the state of the finances so she can understand the scale of the challenge. All good stuff, you may say, and I agree, but then she claimed that she had inherited the worst set of circumstances since the second world war. This, unfortunately, is just not true.

Firstly, government books are wide open and fully transparent at all times. Everyone – you, me, and most importantly the bond markets – can see what’s going on at any given point. No lender would choose to fund the UK government debt if this was not the case. Secondly, you don’t have to go back 79 years to find a more challenging fiscal scenario. Today’s deficit stands at around 4.5% of GDP; in 2010 the deficit was 10.3%. If the new Government does nothing, the Office

NEW DEFRA SECRETARY

Steve Reed OBE was appointed Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 5 July 2024 in Sir Keir Starmer’s first Cabinet. He was re-elected as the Member of Parliament for Streatham and Croydon North in the general election. Daniel Zeichner is the new Farming Minister.

ORGANISED CHAOS ANITA HICKSON

THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAIL

for Budget Responsibility forecasts that it will fall to 1.2%. This is based on spending assumptions that are, in fairness, challenging, but many of the hard decisions regarding tax rises and tax thresholds have already been taken by the previous incumbents.

It is fair to say that the overall debt is larger now, close to 100% of GDP, mainly due to Covid-19, but let’s not forget that such spending during the pandemic was enthusiastically supported by the Labour party, which indeed called for further extensions to the furlough scheme and higher pay rises for our NHS heroes. It should be remembered that between 1997 and 2010 the debt rose from 38% of GDP to 65% under Gordon Brown without the excuse of having to put the economy into deep freeze due to Covid-19. You could make the case that Gordon Brown is much more the villain than Rishi Sunak.

So what can they do? Well, in her own words, growth is essential, and how that is achieved we will no doubt find out in due course. This growth, however, will not be helped by her colleague Mr Milliband’s recent announcement of a ban on all new drilling licences in the North Sea. If we are going to get growth then we need to lower our energy prices and not be reliant on imported oil from around the world.

Remember that even if we hit out net zero goals, which seems unlikely, 50% of our energy will still come from oil in 2050 so surely it’s better to use our own and provide jobs?

This new Government has a dilemma; it is not facing a uniquely poor inheritance, but it does have to make difficult choices. Money is scarce, the population is getting older and will need more health and social care and its grand plans to improve public services and increase defence spending will need cash. If growth doesn’t happen, or is low, then what?

Despite the promises, despite what was avoided and not said, it is a fact that no Labour government since 1970 has left office with a lower tax burden than when it started. Will this one be any different?

On a completely different note, the grass silage is all finished and back home for 2024. The combine wheels have been turning, and fingers crossed the weather decides to play ball this year. So far in 2024 it has behaved appallingly.

With school finished and Monty home, an extra pair of hands on the farm goes a long way to getting a good job jobbed.

I wish you all a very good harvest with plenty of corn to use/sell.

Until next time.

PLOUGHING MATCH

The Annual Romney Marsh ploughing match and fun dog show will be held on Sunday 1 September at Caldicott Farm, Lydd Road, Romney Marsh. The ploughing starts at 10am and will this year include some national qualifier rounds, while the dog show starts at 12noon.

Further information from romneyploughing21@gmail.com

Send us your fixtures for our full preview in the next issue: rebecca.farmer@kelsey.co.uk

Photo: Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street / Flickr

FOCUS ON SEED VARIETIES

This month’s contribution comes from Howard Nason, director responsible for seed purchasing with Crop Advisors, which works in association with Chichester Crop Consultants.

As field work slows down and the crops progress towards harvest, cropping plans are being discussed for next season and the focus is on seed varieties for autumn drilling.

The disease pressure this season has been enormous, not helped by the mild winter carrying inoculum through into the crops this spring. Despite robust fungicide programmes, wheat crops have higher levels of disease in the canopy than growers would have liked. Grassweeds have equally been problematic where fields have been too wet to allow machinery on to apply residual herbicides.

Varietal resistance is one of the cornerstones of effective disease control and delayed drilling is still one of the most reliable ways of combating the level of disease and weeds in the crop.

Even ‘resistant’ varieties have struggled to hold back disease if drilled too early. The importance of this has been starkly apparent this spring.

The AHDB Recommended List (RL) ratings for Septoria are based on a mean drilling date around 7 October. As a rule of thumb, drilling a variety two weeks earlier than this will reduce the disease resistance rating by half a point, while drilling two weeks later will improve the variety’s resistance by half a point.

There are some exciting new varieties on the RL, including a new group 1, SY Cheer, but this is still under test by UK flour millers so we wait to see the outcome. Bamford looks to be a game changer for the group 3 market, with feed wheat type yields and a sound resistance package. LG Beowulf is also attracting a lot of interest, with high yields and no major agronomic weaknesses coupled with orange wheat blossom midge resistance.

While we can position disease resistant varieties to mitigate the risks associated with earlier drilling, there is still the issue of blackgrass, where the only reliable option is holding off on that drilling date. The weed has the ability to exploit any chink in the armour, with control needing to be over 96% year-onyear to stop the population increasing.

Increased BYDV risk is another complication with earlier sowing. Thankfully we now have varieties with BYDV resistance, such as RGT Goldfinch, which give growers an option to grow an ‘insecticide-free’ wheat for the Sustainable Farming Incentive IPM4 option.

Of course, the optimum drilling window may not be achievable, and there is always the argument that if you wait too long then the weather will break and that window of opportunity is lost, with the crop not getting in the ground.

Many growers will be keen to drill earlier this year, following their experiences last season. There is always the temptation to ‘farm on last year’, but it is important to remember that what happened this crop year will not necessarily happen next year.

You never know, the weather may hold fair for drilling with an open autumn for good weed control and a cold winter with some sharp frosts to set us up for next spring. We live in hope, anyway. What is certain is that farmers and agronomists alike don’t want another season like this one.

Howard Nason

STEPHEN CARR

HEY BIG SPENDER

As regular readers of this column will know, I’m not exactly the last of the big spenders when it comes to farm machinery. My combine is currently being serviced ready for its 34th harvest and I only own one tractor born this century.

That’s not to say I don’t like new kit. In fact, the opposite is true; I love it. The newest toy on my farm is a very smart mobile cattle crush recently bought with a bit of help from a Natural England grant. I so enjoy looking at its still sparkling galvanised coating that I take personal offence every time a cow does what cows tend to do when forced into a confined rigid metal structure that grips it around the neck.

No, the only reason I don’t very often buy new kit is because I’m mean. I just can’t cope with the idea that a machine will lose a fifth of its value the day I first put it to work. So, it’s only when a replacement is absolutely necessary that I’ll ring up a machinery dealer and start haggling with the poor devil.

Such a parsimonious attitude has left me feeling at odds with neighbours who have always seemed willing to splash out on an endless array of dazzling new kit. Combines, tractors, telehandlers, drills, discs. You name it, they own the latest model.

But is my tight-fisted attitude suddenly in the ascendancy? If the latest sales figures from the Agricultural Engineers’ Association are anything to go by, then the answer is definitely “yes”. New tractor registrations in June were just 869 units; 23% fewer than in June 2023. Even over the past six months, tractor registrations are down 13% compared with the same period a year earlier, the lowest in four years. These are national figures but in the South East it’s even worse, with tractor registrations down a staggering 43%.

Headline figures, of course, often disguise finer details. So, while tractor numbers are down, those tractors that are being sold are getting bigger and bigger. The number of tractors sold with horse power of 241 or greater increased by more than 40% compared to 2023.

The explanation for this is that large farms keep getting larger and these large farms are so committed to continued growth that buyers are ignoring short-term cashflow issues and simply investing for the long term.

I actually have no idea what a 241hp tractor costs and would rather not, as I think it would give me indigestion, but I take my hat off to arable growers with the confidence to buy such machines.

I do have to wonder, though, whether part of the fall in tractor registrations might not be to do with so many farmers signing up to the Sustainable Farming Incentive on a large scale, with some farmers reportedly putting huge acreages of good quality land into non-productive options. Who needs a brand new 241hp tractor to drill a legume fallow? Anyway, one way or another, I don’t think I’ll be writing a cheque or signing a lease agreement for a big tractor any time soon, even though there is nothing that would give me a bigger thrill than to see it parked in my farmyard.

Soil sampling provides accurate and reliable measurements of soil health and fertility enabling the targeted and efficient use of fertilisers and lime.

STEPHEN CARR

Stephen farms near Eastbourne in East Sussex in partnership with his wife and four of his daughters. The farm has a pub, the Sussex Ox at Milton Street, which serves the farm's pedigree Sussex beef, Southdown-cross lamb and fruit and vegetables from the farmhouse kitchen-garden.

AT COLCHESTER MARKET

Another month of strong livestock prices in the markets has rewarded vendors who support the system, with strong competition for all classes.

The cool, wet summer continued through the past month but with the boost of the Euros and the coming Olympics, the seasonal demand for barbecue foods continued to support livestock producers, with local butchers and wholesalers requiring stock to sell.

In the cattle sections, trade continued to be above 12 months ago, with prime cattle still trading above £3 per kilo most weeks for the very best and general trade between 270p/kg and 290p/kg for well-finished continental steers and heifers.

As always, livestock markets trade in all qualities of cattle, but there is always a buyer for all types and qualities.

Numbers in Colchester have remained slightly above 12 months ago, which was good to see, but still more cattle could be sold to advantage. As with all marketing systems, talking to auctioneers is important to understand demand and requirements.

The over 30-month trade, as is usual at this time of year, continued to be strong, with processing meat required and numbers falling.

Store cattle are very short; those that come forward are wanted as farmers look to restock yards.

The sheep trade continued in the livestock markets to be buoyant and, despite large falls in deadweight prices, the best new season lambs were still trading at over £3 per kilo and touching £190 a head for the strongest and best.

The general run of new season lambs was trading at £140 to £170 in the medium and heavyweight classes; lighter lambs are being supported by the store lamb trade, which was just starting as this report was being written. This is likely to have a stabilising effect on the light finish lamb trade as well.

Numbers have been disappointing, with many producers struggling to finish lambs to the maximum potential, which is not unexpected due to the weather we have been having.

The ewe trade also continued to be strong following the Muslim festivals, with numbers again generally lower, but demand there.

As stated, a few store lambs are being sold as this report was being written. Larger numbers are now forecast to come forward; it will be interesting to see where that trade stabilises following the exceptional prices obtained for hoggets in the spring this year. It is certainly an unknown factor at this time, but we will know more

VENDORS REWARDED

when the next report is written.

The pig market continued to be firm, but there are serious concerns about imported pork coming forward and low prices being quoted. However, as numbers are still just matching demand, it is unlikely this trade will change much in the next few months.

As with all sections of the livestock market, it will be interesting to see how harvesting develops. Combines started to roll out in early July in Essex, but it was very much a stop-start situation, with the wet and cold weather not helping. Certainly, nowhere near as much barley had been cut at the time of this report being written as 12 months ago; again, this is not surprising considering the weather.

Grain prices are still to the benefit of livestock producers, but with the high costs of imports, the arable farmer does need more and, again, it is an open book and we need to see what happens.

Root crops were growing well with plenty of moisture about; stubble turnips should grow well this year.

The Tendring Show, the local agricultural show for north Essex, was held on Saturday 13 July with a tremendous turnout of quality livestock and a massive crowd of people watching. These events are a real opportunity for producers to show off their best stock to the public and it is good to see interest around the livestock pens from people who want to understand where their quality meat comes from.

A BUSY QUIET TIME AT

June and July tend to be the months when life should be a little easier as we watch farmers busy with silage and haymaking, the pre-harvest preparation and livestock grazing happily out in the fields.

It gives our team the chance to catch up after a busy spring market season, to take stock of all that has gone well and consider some things that did not work so well. Preparations begin for the autumn sales, as do, believe or not, the first tasks involving schedules and dinner bookings for the Christmas stock show.

This year, however, seems to have continued at a high tempo in the market, assisted by the lousy weather that we have all endured. The grass has kept growing, prices have remained high and confidence in the livestock sector is as high as it has been for generations. There may of course be problems in the long-term, though, as the political agenda takes little note of how the country, let alone the world, is going to get fed.

Adding to the demands of the team, it has been a busy spring for farm business dispersal sales that have gone extraordinarily well despite more than a few uncalled-for downpours. We have always had a great following for these sales, with buyers coming from throughout the country, and who does not enjoy a farm sale?

MartEye auction combining with the field presence to bring out the best of both worlds. Who would imagine a sale in East Sussex in beautiful surroundings down a long, winding, wooded lane would have 700 individuals registered to bid online and close to 1,300 people at one stage or another watching online the sale’s progress?

What a result; we simply would not get them in the field. The burger van might be disappointed, but the queue would be a sight. As it was, the crowd in the field was superb and diverse, and well fed!

For everything from speciality fruit growing equipment to vintage tractors and threshing machines, and back to modern high-tech field tractors, finding a customer, whether in the field or online, is our role, one that has seen buyers from every county in the country and from Ireland to Poland now looking in regularly at our sales. Bring on the autumn. Housekeeping issues need attending to and one area that is important to all involved in farming is farm assurance. Never have we had so much dissatisfaction expressed by our customers as that over whether or not to be part of the Red Tractor union.

The big difference in these ‘modern days’ with ‘modern ways’ is the online

More and more are leaving, but now is your chance to be part of the review process, whether you are a current member or not. There was a time, now many years ago, when industry members from field to fork were committed to supporting each other in order

PETER KINGWILL

T: 01233 502222

www.hobbsparker.co.uk

to strengthen British agriculture.

That dream has long since gone, with the powerful supporting their shareholders with a mantra of self-centred greed while the component parts of the lower orders are jumping through more hoops than ever before in front of a box-ticking inspectorate that must charge more as an increasing number of members call time, recognising little value in the time or money they spend.

Back to the basics of the live market. The cattle trade is superb, with keen competition taking prices still higher. Finished cattle and cull cows are at record price levels, with the best well over £2,000/head. It’s a little quieter in terms of store numbers at this time of the year but no doubting the trade, with 200 cattle forward mid-July.

Recent prices include British Blue x Friesian 21 month steers £1,530, heifers £1,395; Angus x Friesian steers 20 month £1,340, heifers £1,370, from M A & F W Owen, Folkestone.

Lamb prices have eased a little from the dizzy heights of the spring, but mid-July finished lamb was still averaging over 310p/kg, with the best to £174 from E W Homewood, Cranbrook.

We are looking forward to the first of the store lamb sales at the end of July with 6,000+ already entered. Have a look on MartEye and watch the sale. You cannot buy, but you will be impressed by the sheep, by the team and by the trade.

Get involved here: https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/promaraf-2021/the-uk-farm-assurance-review

ALAN WEST SHEEP TOPICS

We are all familiar with sheep, or at least we think we are. Hopefully we all know and, at least in part, understand our own breeds, but even they will throw in the odd curved ball, just a little something that leaves one pondering. I realised many years ago that I will never fully comprehend everything that there is to know about sheep, but I will leave that to others. Far from the perception that many have of a simple, some might say stupid sheep, they are in reality quite complex and certainly not unintelligent characters, some more so than others.

But what are our sheep, where did they come from and how did we arrive at an everincreasing number of breeds? Globally there are somewhere between 1,800 and 2,000 different sheep breeds. I suspect that nobody actually knows the true number; they come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colours, some quite extraordinary in appearance, but they all have one thing in common – they all share the same five species of wild antecedents, with the majority, almost certainly, derived from a single species, the Asiatic Mouflon. In Britain alone we have somewhere between 75 and 80 different breeds, not all native and some questionable as “breeds”, but we have without question a huge diversity. While some are obvious, recent imports, in reality none is truly native; they are all imports.

There are no species of wild sheep that are native to Britain or Europe; even though some may have been around for some 6,000 years or so, they are still immigrants. It was in the Middle East, in the Fertile Crescent, the cradle of farming, that the Asiatic Mouflon provided for the first domesticated sheep some 10,000 years ago; the precise nature of the domestication is unknown, as it was not recorded at the time, but it would almost certainly have been some sort of mutual arrangement, with humans providing a degree of security from predators in exchange for milk, wool and the occasional joint of lamb/ mutton, which seems like a reasonable deal.

Farming and sheep keeping proved to be rather successful; so much so that, provided with control over their own food supplies and

WHERE DID OUR SHEEP COME FROM?

ALAN WEST Sheep farmer

a degree of food security, populations began to grow quite rapidly. An increasing population generated competition for resources, resulting in people in search of pastures new emigrating. The concept of farming gradually radiated out from its Middle Eastern origins, but with the pace of life being somewhat slower in those days. It took several millennia for groups of early farmers, together with their sheep, to arrive in Europe and finally to reach our shores as Neolithic settlers who crossed the Channel some five to six thousand years ago. Interestingly, these immigrants arrived not as invaders but in smallish groups of settlers (probably arriving in small boats), coming largely from two different European locations, one in central Europe (the border regions of modern southern France and Germany) and the other from the Iberian (Spain, Portugal) Peninsula; arriving at around the same time, they brought with them what were ostensibly the same sheep but almost certainly of different types, the beginnings of breed diversity.

As anyone who has bred sheep for any time

will appreciate, sheep are adaptable and will, if permitted, begin to change from generation to generation to suit their environment and conditions. Even over a single (human) lifetime, change within breeds (not always welcome) is obvious; the sheep that arrived on our shores had been on their steady journey westwards for around 4,000 years. Not only had their arrival in Britain been somewhat protracted, they also arrived via quite different routes; as the groups progressed westwards out of the Middle East and reached the Black Sea, they had a choice. Some followed the coastal or Mediterranean route (the Iberian immigrants), while others decided to turn left and head north west along the Danube route (the central European immigrants).

It is not rocket science to deduce that these groups, with their accompanying sheep flocks, would, on their several thousand year journey, have encountered quite different environments, climates and conditions and would have evolved and adapted accordingly, with those following the northern route experiencing rather more variable and harsher

The Asiatic Mouflon, antecedent of all our British sheep breeds Photo: Pixabay

AUTUMN IS ALREADY HERE

It feels like summer has been (barely) and gone, and while our clients are out trying to beat the weather on the arable side, somehow we are already completing visits for our autumn calving dairies.

A lot of our work at this time of year revolves around health planning, faecal egg count monitoring, farmer training, catching our breath from a busy spring and of course the inevitable sick animal emergencies.

On the dairy side we are focussing on the next calving period, meaning our recent visits have covered health plans, dry-off decisions, transition cow management and calf health checks.

It has been great to get out on farm with our approved tuberculin testers and vet technicians measuring calf birth weights and discussing all things calf management. In a few months’ time we will be heading back to re-weigh the same group of calves at their ‘weaning weight’ to allow us to calculate average daily weight gains.

I have also been taking plenty of bloods from calves to check for total proteins. Total proteins are used as a marker of success (or failure) of passive transfer of maternally derived antibodies from colostrum.

We have had some excellent results, showing that the hard work in cow and calf management is paying off. Results that did not meet the target, although not ideal, have opened up discussion surrounding colostrum management. It has been interesting to look at the differences in antibody transfer of calves born from heifers vs. multiparous cows and those that have had a difficult birth.

As I follow the calves through the rearing period, we will be able to monitor disease treatments and compare to weight gains to try to achieve a more comprehensive overview of where the calves may be struggling. Knocks to health, even this early on in life, can have such a profound impact on life productivity.

These visits have also been a great way to chat to the team in a stressfree environment, as opposed to a middle of the night calving, about the upcoming plans for the dairy and calving season and what targets we wish to set for performance.

These visits have followed on nicely from a meeting we hosted back at the start of July for our dairy clients on “how to achieve a successful second lactation from our home-reared heifers”. Our guest speaker, Ginny Sherwin from Nottingham University, covered best feeding procedures, targets we should be setting and how environment can affect genetics.

The talk also highlighted the huge importance of collecting data on farm from birth through to the animal’s second lactation. Ginny also showed some eye-opening figures on the impact of losing one heifer before its second lactation, and the financial impact this has on the farm, further demonstrating how important those first few months of life are. It was a great opportunity for us and our clients to have an informal discussion about calf-rearing procedures and how they vary greatly from farm to farm, with clients sharing what they have found to work well and what hasn’t.

With autumn calving having already kicked off, we wish everyone a successful calving.

conditions and undergoing rather more significant change. Sadly, the one feature that remained largely unchanged was the feet of the sheep, which have never been able to make the transition from the dry, rocky conditions of their homeland to our wet, muddy conditions. Interestingly, some that travelled a more northern route went on to produce the Northern Short Tailed breeds, some of which arrived in Britain several thousand years later via a different route, but that’s a different story.

Those groups that followed the somewhat warmer and kinder Mediterranean route seemed to have had a rather more relaxed

approach to keeping their sheep close. The European Mouflon, once regarded as the only species of wild European sheep, is in reality a feral population of some of the original sheep that left the Middle East, escapees from the early immigrant flocks. The populations of Mouflon in some central European countries are relatively recent incomers from Mediterranean regions, introduced over the past couple of hundred years for hunting purposes.

The early arrivals, although of variable types, would all have been very much akin to the Soay, certainly our closest link to those sheep first domesticated in the Middle East, and

although not native to Britain, once landed on our shores they obviously adapted well to the conditions they found in Neolithic Britain; not wall to wall, ancient temperate forest as many imagine, but a mix of woodland with large areas of wood pasture and expanses of natural grasslands. As sheep spread across Britain, local variants (referred to later as heath sheep) would have emerged, but these were still very much the same sheep for the next 4,000 years, until the arrival of the Romans, but that, again is a different story. Our sheep, for the majority (60%+) of their history here, really were not the white, wooly creatures many imagine them to have been.

RURAL UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

GROWING EXCELLENCE

Hadlow College highlights from 2023/24.

As another academic year draws to a close it has, as ever, been a busy and productive one for Hadlow College and its students. Here we look at some of the many highlights over the past 12 months:

SEPTEMBER – STUDENT NAMED GREENKEEPER OF THE YEAR

Back at the start of the year, Hadlow College student Daniel Martin, who is studying for a level 3 golf greenkeeping apprenticeship, won the Toro Young Student Greenkeeper of the Year competition.

Daniel was chosen as the winner by the British and International Golf Greenkeepers’ Association (BIGGA) and the award sponsors Toro and Reesink Turfcare following a rigorous selection process.

Level 3 golf greenkeeping is one of a number of apprenticeships on offer at Hadlow College.

JANUARY – ROARING INTO ACTION WITH BIG CAT WEEK

Our animal management students learned about some of the world’s most endangered animals as part of a three-day workshop with the Big Cat Sanctuary at Smarden, near Ashford.

Big Cat Week culminated in students choosing a species of wild cat that is under threat and presenting their own proposals to fellow students and staff explaining how they would protect the animal.

MAY – HADLOW COLLEGE TRIUMPHS AT THE CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW

APRIL – OVER 10,000 VISITORS FLOCK TO LAMBING WEEKEND

Hadlow College took its place amongst world-renowned garden designers, plant specialists, florists and nurseries at the Chelsea Flower Show in May, winning a bronze medal for its innovative ‘Grow Your Mind’ exhibit.

The college has a rich history at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Its alumni have in the past won gold, silver gilt and best show garden awards, while the college itself was named the Floristry College of the Year in 2015.

NOVEMBER – MP CHECKS OUT OUR HIGH-TECH FACILITIES

Local MP Tom Tugendhat visited the college to see Hadlow’s state-of-the-art glasshouses and how they are inspiring the next generation of students.

The glasshouses play an integral part in horticulture courses, with students working alongside practitioners from leading industry grower Thanet Earth to develop their skills and produce hydroponic tomatoes in them.

The most popular date in the college’s diary is our lambing weekend and this year was no exception.

Over 10,000 people took the opportunity to see an abundance of lambs gambolling around the college’s beautiful fields and visit the lambing sheds to see a newborn enter the world.

There was also the chance to see the many other animals the college looks after, alongside tractor trailer rides, a birds of prey display, archery, fun fair rides and stalls, arts and crafts events and plenty of food & drink stalls.

JUNE – UK'S FIRST CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN GREENHOUSE GROWING OPENS

At the start of June, Cllr Roger Gough, the Leader of Kent County Council, opened the Thanet Earth Centre of Excellence @Hadlow College, the UK’s first centre of excellence in glasshouse growing.

It will connect the higher education institute with the horticulture sector and promises to bring a new generation of greenhouse technical specialists to the industry, protecting the future of UK-grown fresh produce.

This, though, is just the tip of the iceberg, with more going on at Kent’s only rural and land-based college over the past 12 months.

If you are interested in studying at Hadlow College and want to explore our wonderful facilities and speak to our industry trained lecturers and current students, come along to our Open Morning on Saturday 9 November, from 10am to 1pm.

TACKLING LAMENESS

Sharminda Lockwood looks at tackling common infectious causes of lameness in your flock.

When I told my husband–- a sheep farmer – that I was writing an article on sheep lameness, he rolled his eyes. “Not another article on lameness,” was his reaction. However, lameness in sheep is still a significant issue within the industry, so if this prompts at least one farmer struggling with lameness to review their lameness management plan, I am happy to sound like a broken record… husband!

COMMON CAUSES OF SHEEP LAMENESS

Knowing the cause of lameness on the farm is essential to implementing a management plan. The three most common causes of lameness in sheep in the UK are scald, foot rot and contagious ovine digital dermatitis (CODD).

Scald is identified by redness of the interdigital space and a moist grey/creamy discharge. Foot rot can be recognised by the same signs but with progression to separation of the hoof wall from the toe and a characteristic foul smell.

The primary cause of both scald and foot rot is the bacteria Dichelobacter nodosus. It lives on hooves and is spread by carrier sheep within the flock. Research suggests it can survive for over 30 days in the environment in certain conditions.

The severity of disease seen will depend on the strain of D. nodosus, of which there are 10, and the natural resistance of the sheep. Historically the bacteria Fusobacterium necrophorum, which is ubiquitous in soil and manure, was thought to be the primary pathogen, but it is now recognised as a secondary invader of foot rot.

CODD is caused by the spirochete bacteria Treponeme spp., alongside D. nodosus and F. necrophorum. Unlike in foot rot, the disease starts at the coronary bands of the foot and spreads down the horn. Initially hair loss and bleeding are seen at the coronary band, progressing to separation of the hoof wall and exposure of the sensitive tissue underneath. Untreated, the foot can be irreversibly damaged, which can have catastrophic consequences for a flock.

THE FIVE-POINT PLAN

The five-point plan was developed using the latest sheep lameness science in collaboration with the practical experiences of sheep farmers who have managed to significantly reduce lameness on their farms.

The plan is designed to help flocks build resilience, reduce the challenge from disease and establish immunity. It applies to managing scald, foot rot and CODD on farm.

1. Cull repeatedly affected animals to stop the spread of disease.

• ‘Two strikes and you are out’ – ewes that have been treated more than once should be marked as culls.

• Cull any adult animal with CODD.

• Cull ewes with ongoing misshapen feet.

2. Quarantine incoming animals to minimise risk of introducing new strains of D.nodosus to the flock and introducing CODD.

• Run animals through a disinfection foot bath on arrival.

• Quarantine for four weeks to allow time to assess feet, treat and vaccinate as needed.

• Ensure animals are sound before mixing with home flock.

3. Treat clinical cases promptly. This practice alone will dramatically reduce lameness levels in a flock. Not only will it improve cure rates, but it will reduce the time the lame animal acts as a source of infection for others.

• Aim to treat cases within three days of their being noticed.

• Inspect all four feet and identify the cause.

• Use systemic antibiotics to treat adult sheep with either scald, foot rot or CODD, ensuring animals are dosed for the correct weight.

• Spray all four interdigital spaces when using a topical antibiotic spray.

• Do not foot trim as trimming cases of scald/foot rot and CODD and routine foot trimming have been shown to delay response to treatment and increase incidence of disease.

• Provide pain relief – lameness is painful, so it is appropriate to give a

non-steroidal anti-inflammatory at the time of treatment. As there are no licenced sheep products, the cattle product Meloxicam can be used on veterinary advice off licence at a dose of 1ml/20kg with a 28-day withdrawal.

• Isolate cases – ideally cases of foot rot and CODD should be isolated until sound with no signs of disease. After weaning is a good time to run off all the lame sheep and run as a group until sound, but do not delay treatment until weaning. At lambing lame sheep can also be run separately, preferably outside.

4. Avoid the spread of infection by reducing the opportunity for disease to spread sheep to sheep via the ground, especially during periods of close contact.

• Spread lime in holding pens or around feed/water troughs to reduce bacterial load in areas of high traffic.

• Foot bathing can be used to disinfect feet after gathering for routine procedures.

5. Vaccination will provide protection against infection with D.nodosus.

• The commercially available vaccine Footvax: (MSD Animal Health) contains 10 strains of inactivated D. nodosus and is highly effective. It is a subcutaneous injection, given as a two-dose primary course and then boosted before perceived risk periods occur.

• The vaccine can also be used during an outbreak of foot rot, improving cure rates. For more on tackling lameness, including treatment and vaccination protocols, contact your vet.

NEW LABOUR GOVERNMENT

EMBRACE CHANGE

As readers well know, the farming industry is steeped in tradition and is notoriously sceptical of change. However, whether we like it or not change is coming within the rural sector, and at considerable pace if the recent King’s Speech is anything to go by.

Aside from trying to fathom the evolving subsidy systems, grappling with volatile input costs and output prices and anticipating elements of an inevitable revamp of the tax system come the Autumn Statement earmarked for early September, we have now been told to brace ourselves for an increase in house building, to be delivered through a simplified planning system (good luck with that!), get set for no fault evictions of residential tenants (who will also have the opportunity to challenge rent reviews), return to a publicly owned railway network, embrace a publicly owned Great British Energy company, accept further devolution of decision making to local authorities and prepare our already confused 11 year-olds to vote, potentially, in the next General Election. And all of this is set within the new Labour Government’s mantra of reinvigorating the

economy, stimulating growth and making Britain great again outside the European Union.

It is within this context that change appears now to be one of life’s constants, an inevitability even, much like the turning of the seasons, the light of day/the dark of night. Rather than resisting change, perhaps we have no choice but to embrace it and seek to prosper from the host of opportunities that can often arise along the way.

We must strive to overcome the fear of the unknown, the safety of surety and the stubbornness of the traditional farmer and landowner who often fight against the inevitable flow. To them I say nothing lasts forever and, as with mankind, perhaps the better option is to adapt to change to survive and potentially prosper from it. Otherwise, you run the risk of being left isolated and proverbially withering on the vine.

I accept that we all like to comprehend the likely route before embarking on any journey, but I’m not sure we’ll have the benefit of understanding the likely method of transport, let alone what might influence its effectiveness

and efficiency along the way. Globally we have the Russians forming an alliance with China while NATO (with or without the support of the USA) seeks to expand.

Closer to home we have a change of government that in many cases has no alignment whatsoever to the makeup and political flavour of underlying authorities at the delivery end of the decision-making process.

Take anyone living in Wealden, for example. They must now contend with a Labour Government, a Conservative MP, a Green/ Liberal Democrat alliance at the helm of the district council and a county council dominated by independents. What hope of harmony is there in that?

ANDREW SAMUEL

MSc MRICS Registered Valuer T: 01435 810077

E: andrew@samuelandson.co.uk www.samuelandson.co.uk

Prime Minister Keir Starmer holds first press conference

Photo: Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street / Flickr

So perhaps we should consider change within the realms of the only certainty being uncertainty and the only consistency being inconsistency. Indeed, we might never fully understand the game we are being asked to play but have no option but to commit to it regardless, and in so doing anticipate the likely change of rules and personnel part-way through.

In turn, having undertaken a holistic SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis of your business to assess your current position, and having considered the lateral implications of tactics you might need to deploy in delivering it, we should all be making a plan, with a degree of flex set within it, to engage in playing the game that is ‘change’. In doing so be resolute throughout and you can but hope to come out as a winner in the end.

While this might be daunting to you, the reader, there are many professionals out there to assist in putting together an overarching strategy. Many have a wealth of experience and knowledge and, like me, own and run businesses with similar pressures, constraints and layers of red tape and compliance to tussle with daily.

While it might prove an expensive hour, or two(!), why not invite your land agent, accountant and solicitor to gather as one around the kitchen table to hear your current situation and circumstances, hopes, aspirations and concerns, after which time some ideas and options can be discussed to

help you form a view and establish a plan to provide some direction of travel. They understand, are willing to help and, after all, need you to be successful if they are to support and grow their own businesses.

Essentially, we are all in this together. Sitting still and doing nothing is simply not an option for any of us any more. We must embrace and welcome change, which positively forces us to review and question constantly what we are doing. This in turn creates resilience, vibrancy, and longevity in many cases.

Indeed, within the South East farmers and landowners are blessed with a plethora of diversification opportunities that, if harnessed, can often reinvigorate a business and those working within it. In looking at the range of success stories throughout the region, consider all options to find your own route down the metaphorical slope in front of you. Like water poured from a bucket at the top, it will reach the bottom having invariably taken a different route every time. Nevertheless, it gets there eventually and so will you.

In my humble opinion, never has the phrase ‘fail to plan then plan to fail’ been so apt, so please read and take on board my advice and the thoughts and opinions of others within this feature. Thereafter, rather than simply putting this edition down and heading out to do your daily chores, please be resolute in making a plan and acting on it before it’s too late and change ends up consuming you.

FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY UNDER A LABOUR GOVERNMENT Malcolm Triggs WELCOME EXTENSION OF AGRICULTURAL PROPERTY RELIEF FOR FARMERS SHOULD REMAIN Furley Page

A general election, new government and new ministers always becomes a focus for future policy for farming; what are going to be the priorities going forward and where will future budgets be spent? Unfortunately, farming appears further down the political agenda than many in the industry would hope. Given that agricultural policy is now firmly in the hands of the national or devolved governments and no longer with Brussels, it is disappointing to see such a thin debate around the future of farming and the importance of farmers to both food security and the challenges of climate change.

That farming will need to change and adapt to a new set of circumstances around net zero and climate change is understood by farmers, and significant progress is being made to evolve systems and build on sustainability in its broader sense. New technology and the ability to analyse data in new ways has allowed farmers to look at new systems and evaluate what works in more detail. At the same time, recent inflationary challenges in agriculture have also focused farmers’ minds on looking closely at optimising inputs.

While I suspect agricultural policy development post-election will be slow, and funding for support restricted, a lot of recent progress on reducing carbon has also had the benefit of improving the financial position of farmers. It is important that this progress is maintained going forward. Some sectors have pushed forward at speed and made gains in productivity and efficiency while at the same time reducing their carbon footprint. The dairy sector is leading the way. Some good leadership in

A PROFITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE FARMING FUTURE

the sector, access to detailed data and a focus on the crucial bottom line has enabled that progress. Other sectors with a less compact processing base have been more challenged, but progress and momentum are building, which can only be good for the farming sector.

It is more important than ever that farmers focus on the key factors in achieving an economically and environmentally sustainable future. Learning about the carbon story and knowing how to influence it on farm will be fundamental in coming up with a viable plan. The good news is that reducing carbon can go hand in hand with improving overall performance and efficiency, before looking at sequestration to build on that work.

Farming is changing at pace, and it is crucial to be part of that change. Doing nothing is not an option for farmers. The agricultural revolution that Michael Gove talked about in 2019 and that seemed to have rather petered out, is quietly gathering speed again. While policy development may be slow to emerge, the direction of that policy is clear and farmers need to focus on picking up the pace on planning and change in their own business.

WHAT HAS LABOUR EVER DONE FOR FARMING?

It sounds like a line from a Monty Python film, but in all seriousness, considered alongside changes to the permitted development regime put in place before the general election, Labour has so far made a few small but significant steps towards building a more sustainable farming system in this country.

CHANGES TO PLANNING FOR ONSHORE WIND FARMS

Firstly, the new Government has removed probably one of the most restrictive planning policies of the last decade, a move which will facilitate true and full-scale diversification on agricultural land.

The removal of the two controversial planning policy requirements for onshore wind farm proposals, the first of which required any onshore wind farm to be built in a suitable location “as set out in the development plan” and which had the support of the local community, will enable farmland to be put forward for onshore proposals which might not necessarily garner full community support but which nonetheless meets the policy (and industry’s) requirements.

The second restriction was that all decisions, regardless of the size of the proposed wind farm, were to be made by the local planning authority (LPA) rather than the Secretary of State (SoS). Where the proposal was on the larger side, this inevitably led to resource and knowledge issues in already struggling planning authorities and left a bit of a sour taste between the SoS and LPAs.

While the Conservative Government did update policy last September to allow locations suitable for new wind farms to be identified in a number of ways, rather than just by reference to the local development plan, it is removing the restrictions in their entirety which will release land to be developed for onshore wind farms across the country.

Like them or loathe them, wind turbines are part of the full range of renewable sources

which are aimed at taking this country to a self-sustainable position as far as energy production is concerned. Alongside offshore wind, hydro and solar power, onshore wind will also provide much needed financial support and stability for our farmers to enable them to keep farming and do what they do best –produce food.

MAKING DIVERSIFICATION EASIER

Which leads me onto the next hot topic. A key message which became clear over the past few years is that home-grown food and farming is no longer a sustainable effort; our farmers are at breaking point and being subjected to expensive tariffs and policy requirements that go way beyond the slight remedies that the planning regime can offer.

Making diversification easier is a step in the right direction in enabling and facilitating proper (and financially beneficial) diversification of agricultural land which fits in with today’s society. In fact, diversification should be seen as reverting back to a more traditional way of farming which spreads the risk across a range of products and practices.

Labour has also made it clear that it will encourage house-building strategies that place more value on small and medium-sized sites, meaning that farmers who need to dispose of some of their land in order to keep the farm running will not be beholden to the national housebuilders whose models only fit the large scale sites.

Again, through diversification and by being able to capture the profit available in the rural housing market, farmers can provide a small number of properties (perhaps with agricultural occupancy conditions, perhaps without) which don’t necessarily restrict their ability to continue to produce the home-grown food that the country so desperately needs. The proposed ‘green-to-grey’ policies are unlikely to affect the majority of farmland, but there may be some pockets of ‘grey’ land which sit within greenfield agricultural

locations which could benefit from the review of restricted sites available for development.

While a flexible planning system is helpful, the biggest help any government can offer to farmers is financial, be that in the form of grants, lower tariffs, less regulatory requirements or environmental management schemes.

The NFU itself has said farming needs investment in infrastructure and flexibility in planning. To quote the organisation: “...our ability to provide affordable, climate-friendly and high-welfare food will be critical for families across the country...”

Government can lead the horse to water; it can even provide the bucket, but we must all play our part in supporting local farmers.

NEW LABOUR GOVERNMENT

FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY UNDER A LABOUR GOVERNMENT

The NFU Fruit Forums held as part of the Fruit Focus event at NIAB East Malling are always stimulating and well-attended, but one in particular had a special significance for many growers and visitors to this year’s show.

Priorities for the horticulture sector brought together a number of the NFU’s leading thinkers to outline what they saw as the future for the industry under the Labour Government that had swept to the power less than a week before the speakers took to the stage.

A crowded Fruit Forums marquee was keen to hear how the new Government might affect their future and to learn what steps the NFU was taking to deal with the challenges or build on the opportunities.

They were not disappointed, with all four speakers giving a well-briefed introduction to the area for which they are responsible and then responding to a lively question and answer session.

Martin Emmett, the NFU’s horticulture and potato board chairman, pointed out the danger that the momentum of the previous few months might be lost. “The Farm to Fork summit in May was horticulture’s day

in the sun,” he said, going on to describe the announcements made at that time as “absolutely marvellous”. Just a week later, though, Conservative Leader Rishi Sunak announced the general election, leading to fears of a “potential reset”.

He said that if the incoming Government was serious about its claim to be basing its policies around growth, Ministers needed to provide continuity of support for the industry.

Referring to four priorities, Mr Emmett said firstly that the industry needed confirmation around the seasonal worker scheme. “Fortythree thousand was the right number and that needs to stay,” he said, adding that the five year programme “needs to be a rolling five-year programme” and that the permitted length of stay needed to be extended from six months to nine.

Mr Emmett also raised concerns around the ‘employer pays’ aspect of the seasonal worker scheme, with him and other speakers

concerned about the impact of travel and visa costs all being passed to the grower.

On border controls for incoming plant materials, he described the current situation as “chaotic” and said that the arrangements were not working and not providing effective biosecurity. He said he had warned ahead of time that the system was “a very slow car crash waiting to happen” and told those in the room that if they hadn’t already been adversely affected, it was only a matter of time.

His third call was for the new Government to make sure that all the “goodies” from the Farm to Fork summit were actually delivered following the election, while his forth was around crop protection and the difficulty of growing plants to a reliable standard with so many active ingredients no longer available.

Emma Crosby, from NFU Central Affairs, pointed out that with a majority of 172 seats, more than double that achieved by Boris Johnson, the new Government could push

Legal services for farmers & rural businesses

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through legislation, which made it important for the industry to engage with MPs, particularly those entering Parliament for the first time.

She pointed out that the NFU had already been talking to the leading Labour politicians when they were shadow members, and added that the party’s “food security is national security” line had come directly from the organisation’s own Farming for Britain’s Future manifesto.

Ms Crosby pointed out that Labour’s economic growth agenda ran in tandem with the industry’s ambitions and encouraged growers to talk to their local MPs and persuade them to prioritise farming. As an example, she pointed out that the move to a ‘zero waste economy’ tied in with allowing seasonal workers to pick fruit that might otherwise remain unpicked and therefore wasted.

Picking up on Ms Crosby’s observation that workers’ rights were set to feature in the incoming Government’s agenda, NFU employment and skills adviser Tom Price pointed to the expected introduction of ‘day one’ employment rights that could have a “big impact” on employers, who he said would need to have “robust recruitment procedures”. New legislation around unfair dismissal, including a doubling of the time limit for making a claim from three months to six, was also likely to affect employers, who should prepare for a rise in staffing costs, he said. Rupert Weaver, NFU horticulture and potatoes adviser, tackled the issue of farm assurance schemes, which he said needed to deliver better value to growers and tie in more closely with legislative requirements. He pointed out that while farm assurance schemes had initially been devised around food safety issues, they were now also covering environmental, welfare and employment factors and stressed that while the NFU was “not anti-assurance”, the schemes had to work better for growers.

While confirming that the NFU would be responding to the evidence gathering being carried out by the Commissioners of the UK Farm Assurance Review over the summer, he urged growers to ensure their voices were also heard.

For a link to the survey, see page 45.

WELCOME EXTENSION OF AGRICULTURAL PROPERTY RELIEF

In the spring budget, the then Conservative Government announced its decision to extend the scope of agricultural property relief (APR) to include all environmental land management (ELMS) schemes in a move that demonstrated a continued commitment to supporting farmers and encouraging conservation of the landscape via tax incentives.

APR is a tax planning mechanism available to farmers and landowners that provides total or partial relief from inheritance tax, reducing the tax burden on those passing agricultural land and businesses to the next generation of farmers.

From 6 April 2025, farmers and landowners engaging in ELMS will be able to claim APR on land being used for the purposes of these schemes, meaning such land can be passed down free of or at a reduced rate of inheritance tax. There is also hope that by incentivising farmers and rural landlords to adopt ELMS for tax relief, land will be removed from intensive agricultural processes and used to achieve longer-term environmental objectives.

ELMS has replaced the system of financial support that was previously available through the UK’s membership of the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy. ELMS aims to support the rural economy while contributing towards the UK’s 25-year Environment Plan and commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Aaron Spencer, partner and head of private client at law firm Furley Page, has extensive experience advising rural

businesses, farmers and landowners. He said: “Following the election of a new Labour Government there is, of course, anxiety surrounding the impact of any changes to tax regimes, but, in November 2023 the shadow Environment Secretary confirmed that there were no intentions of axing APR should a Labour Government come to power.

“The extension of APR provides farmers and rural landowners with new opportunities to diversify and participate in ELMS and woodland creation schemes. This expansion in the relief will enable many more farm businesses to benefit from better access to the financial support and subsidies on offer through ELMS while securing lower rates of inheritance tax on the value of their land and businesses.”

Whether you’re an experienced farmer or a new rural landlord, Furley Page can help you navigate the intricacies of inheritance tax on farmland. Having acted for farmers and rural landowners for generations, the firm’s multidisciplined team provides solutions to meet the complexities and challenges faced by the agricultural and rural business sectors.

AARON SPENCER

For more information about Furley Page’s agriculture and rural business services: T: 01227 763939

E: aas@furleypage.co.uk

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Relief for farmers should remain under Labour Government.

The Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Code of Practice for England came into force on 8 April 2024 with the aim of balancing the rights and interests of both landlords and tenants. This is the first time that a code has been issued in respect of agricultural tenancy agreements.

The code is voluntary and is designed to improve working practices “in the interests of a thriving agricultural tenanted sector”. It has been designed to supplement existing law and regulation and does not expand or amend existing laws or create any new legal obligations.

The code has been founded on three principles – clarity, communication and collaboration – and was implemented following the Rock Review with the intention of establishing and maintaining positive, productive and sustainable commercial relationships.

Clarity: all parties involved should be clear as to their intentions, expectations and in respect of any problems that may arise between landlord and tenant.

Communication: should be dealt with in a timely manner, with parties providing clarity at all times, consideration being made to the needs and circumstances of the recipient of such communication.

Collaboration: collaboration and cooperation between parties is encouraged by the code.

The code uses the word “should” to specify acceptable standards which are regarded as the minimum applicable under the code unless there are good reasons for departing from it. Other expressions like “may consider” are used for actions which are also desirable but may not be appropriate or necessary in all circumstances.

The hope is that landlords, tenants and their professional advisers will work together constructively in applying the code to tenancy negotiations and, post-completion, in respect of such matters as rent payment, rent review,

BALANCING RIGHTS AND INTERESTS

The Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Code of Practice for England.

disputes, renewal and termination (including succession).

GRANT OF TENANCY, SELECTION OF TENANT AND AGREEMENT OF TERMS

If a tenancy has been offered in the open market, amongst other things the landlord should provide sufficient information including key terms, comprehensive replies to the prospective tenant’s queries and the opportunity to view the farm land involved.

RENT PAYMENT AND REVIEW

Landlords should provide their tenant with clear instructions as to how and when rent should be paid. If the tenant finds themselves unable to honour rent payment terms, they should notify their landlord immediately. Any renegotiated terms should be documented in detail for future reference.

DISPUTES

In the event of dispute, the code endorses “a fair, practical and cost effective resolution” for both landlord and tenant.

TERMINATION AND RENEWAL (INCLUDING SUCCESSION)

Parties should be “as open as is commercially possible with one another” in respect of their intentions for the land held under the tenancy. A tenant should keep the landlord informed of their plans for renewal or termination of the tenancy so that future plans for the land can be

made. It is noted that a renewal of a tenancy “is an opportunity to correct problems and adapt to new circumstances”. If a tenancy is to be terminated, parties should proceed to agree improvements or dilapidations that need to be dealt with in good time before the end of the tenancy.

The code is a positive introduction, and one we agree will be for the good of the agricultural industry as a whole, as those who produced it intended.

So far 2024 has been a busy year for employment law, with several new rules coming into effect in April in addition to the annual wage and statutory rates rises. The new government also promises a suite of reforms to the existing legal landscape. Brachers outline key employment law developments impacting the farming sector and explore what further changes may be on the horizon.

FLEXIBLE WORKING

From 6 April 2024, the right to request flexible working has become a 'day one' right, meaning that all employees can make a request to work flexibly regardless of their length of service (previously, 26 weeks’ service was needed).

Other changes to the statutory regime include an entitlement for employees to make two requests (instead of one) in any 12-month period, and a removal of the requirement for employees to explain what effect their requested change may have on the employer.

Although employers can still rely on the existing reasons for refusing a request, consultation with employees must take place before a request is refused. The timeframe for responding to a request, including any appeal, has also been shortened to two months (from three).

HOLIDAY PAY

The Working Time Regulations 1998 have also been amended and contain a new system of holiday accrual and payment for “irregular hours” and “part-year” workers, who are now defined in the regulations. This is likely to include seasonal workers, zero hours workers and those whose hours vary during pay periods. The rules set out a new method for calculating annual leave for irregular hours and

CHANGES TO EMPLOYMENT LAW

part-year workers, accruing at a rate of 12.07% of the hours worked in a pay period.

An option to pay workers who fall within these new statutory categories rolled up holiday pay also comes into force, with implementation dates depending on when the employer’s holiday year starts.

New laws also come into effect in relation to the carry-over of holiday from one holiday year to the next, reflecting the position following case law developments over recent years.

REDUNDANCY PROTECTION

The law protecting women on maternity leave and employees on adoption or shared parental leave has been extended from 6 April 2024. Under the new rules, pregnant employees must now be given priority over other employees for any suitable alternative vacancies in a redundancy situation. Employees returning from long-term family leave will also be protected for a period of 18 months after the date of childbirth or adoption.

WHAT MIGHT CHANGE UNDER THE NEW GOVERNMENT?

Labour’s substantial election manifesto set out a number of proposed changes to employment law. Some key proposals that, if introduced, will affect the agricultural sector, include:

• Removing the current two-year qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims and instead

making this a day one right, potentially subject to a statutory probation period.

• Amending the current age bands for adult workers, so that all over 18s receive the same rate of national minimum wage. Changes to the criteria for determining wages, to allow costs of living to be factored in, have also been proposed.

• Banning “exploitative” zero hours contracts, although whether this means an absolute ban on all zero hours contracts is currently unclear.

• Removing the lower earnings limit for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), along with the current waiting period, meaning that SSP will be available to all workers from day one.

• A right for workers to have a predictable contract which reflects the hours they regularly work and a right to be given reasonable notice of any changes to shifts or working time (with proportionate compensation).

• Banning unpaid internships, except where they are part of an educational or training course.

WHAT CAN EMPLOYERS DO?

The recent King’s speech laid down proposals for an Employment Rights Bill, although the final detail is awaited. While the timetable for reform might be unclear, employers in the sector will need to keep alert to upcoming changes to ensure they remain compliant.

FROM THE FRONT LINE IN

With a momentous Labour Party victory behind us, the King having made his speech at the Opening of Parliament, I had the pleasure of meeting the previous and current Secretaries of State for Agriculture, Thérèse Coffey and Steve Reed. Both seemed very competent and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to stress how vitally important the tenanted sector is to farming. We have now been assured by the new Government that the likes of Countryside Stewardship (CSS) agreements will continue unchanged and that the everevolving Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and grants will also continue. We will see!

As the current chairman of the NFU Tenants' Forum, this is the time of year when I receive an increased number of enquiries from tenant members about tenant/landlord (agent) interactions, which involves them asking a number of questions relating to current rent reviews in particular.

Tenants currently served with a rent review notice are more often than not presented with a chosen arbiter and the threat of ultimate arbitration should a rent prove difficult to agree, even though going to arbitration very rarely happens.

TENANT FARMERS VITALLY IMPORTANT

By John Marland, Chair of the NFU Tenants' Forum.

We are in many cases required by our tenancy agreements to supply, on request, information about our farm and business, for example to show that we have adequate insurance cover and information about current and future cropping details. It seems to me that land agents are now asking far more detailed questions of their tenants.

This could be CSS and SFI agreement details, area payments, financial data, environmental surveys and carbon audits carried out by tenants or insisted on by buyers, perhaps in a grain or milk contract. The landlord’s agent could be looking at the whole estate’s environmental and carbon footprint, but what are they going to do with all our hard work is the question. I would suggest asking: “what do you intend

to do with this information?” My advice is to be polite but cautious; there could be opportunities for both landlord and tenant.

I am a farmer, so I have to mention the weather. We have had the wettest winter, hottest May and the wettest and coolest June I can remember, and now I am looking at yet another catchy harvest. Oh to be a farmer!

As always, as harvest approaches and we enter yet another busy time of year, working long days often when very tired, please take a moment to consider safety for yourself and those around you. A five minute break could make all the difference.

Wherever you are and whatever you do, I wish you all the best.

The award-winning East Sussex vineyard business Off The Line is for sale with BTF Partnership with a guide price of £1.5million for either the issued share capital in Off The Line Limited or the assets of the business.

The site extends to 13.8 hectares (33 acres) in total and includes a purpose-built winery and 5.8 hectares of vines. The original planting of Pinot Noir, Regent, Rondo and Dornfelder was increased in 2023 by a further planting of more Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay.

Planning permission was granted in 2023 (WD/2021/3124/F) for a new sole access to the A267, which opens the potential for an increased visitor offering. Planning permission was also granted to replace an existing agricultural building (WD/2020/7062/AD) for extended winery facilities and consent has been given for the conversion of an existing agricultural building to flexible commercial use (WD/2021/0958/NO2).

Off The Line is known for its award winning

AWARD WINNING ENGLISH ROSÉ PRODUCER

still and sparkling rosé wines sold as Hip Rosé, Dancing Dog Rosé, Dog Rosé and The Lady of Charmat NV, all of which are produced in the on-site winery. With the new planting of vines there is potential to both enhance and expand the range of wines. The vineyard currently has the capacity to produce 20,000 bottles of wine a year and this will increase from 2025 when the additional planting is in production.

Alex Cornwallis at BTF Partnership commented: “English vineyards with wineries like Off The Line rarely come onto the open market. This is a fantastic opportunity for an existing business to expand or diversify into

wine production or for a newcomer to enter the burgeoning English wine industry with the potential for further expansion.”

The sale includes all vineyard and winery machinery and equipment, much of which was purchased new, and a purpose-built cedar-clad winery completed in 2017 which contains an office, laboratory, staff welfare facilities, tasting room and mezzanine area.

Off The Line vineyard is adjacent to the Cuckoo Trail, formerly a railway line nicknamed the Cuckoo Line. In spring, cuckoos return and can often be heard calling, which brings many visitors, especially walkers, to the area.

AN INTERESTING MIX

Following the successful sale of a large part of Chatley Farm near Cobham, just off the M25, the balance of the remainder is being re-offered in separate lots. Lot 1 comprises an interesting group of buildings and old stables, together with a tennis court, standing in woodland of about 5.5 acres. A guide price in excess of £350,000 has been quoted.

Lot 4 is an appealing block of pasture running alongside the River Mole extending to 36 acres with a guide price of £275,000. Lot 5 has a special charm of its own and comprises a largely mature Scots Pine plantation interspersed with oak, silver birch and chestnut and a woodland pond offering a wildlife reserve. At the southern end an open site has a lapsed consent for a livestock building. Offers are being sought over £250,000.

James Tillard, who is handling the sale from RH & RW Clutton’s East Grinstead office (01342 305825), will be happy to answer queries on these parcels

BILLINGSHURST | WEST SUSSEX

7.36 ACRES

GUIDE PRICE: £1,750,000

A former poultry farm with alternative use potential has come to the market in Billingshurst, West Sussex.

Homefield Farm extends to 7.36 acres in total, with six poultry houses and two residential properties, a four-bedroom cottage and a threebedroom bungalow, both of which are subject to agricultural occupancy conditions.

The poultry houses are a combination of older, timber-framed houses and modern, steel framed houses, with a total gross external area of about 68,900 sq ft. The farm was run as a laying farm up until April 2024.

Hannah Riches, of Savills rural agency team in the South East, said: “Homefield Farm is to the south of Billingshurst, with good road access, and offers an incoming buyer potential for a range of alternative uses, subject to planning permission.”

Homefield Farm is being marketed by Savills for a guide price of £1,750,000.

FORMER POULTRY FARM

Cobham, Surrey

• Steel frame buildings

• Sheeting and cladding

• Guttering and repairs

• Groundworks and drainage

• Demolition and asbestos removal

• Refurbishment and change of use

• Concrete frame and steel frame repairs

• Insurance and general repairs

• Concrete floor and block paving

www.gjelgarconstruction.co.uk

For more information contact us:

t: 01233 623739 m: 07860 414227

e: office@gjelgarconstruction.co.uk

Shufflebottom Agricultural Buildings

Steel-frame buildings for your farm

+ Supply only or supply & erect

+ Construction all over the UK

+ Award winning company

Strength, Security, Style

Shufflebottom Ltd

Cross Hands Business Park, Cross Hands, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire SA14 6RE

Roofing & Cladding - Strip & Re-sheet - Repairs

Metal Profile - Fibre Cement - Insulated - Timber Boarding

Asbestos Sheet replacements - New Roof lights

New Roofs Projects & Insulated Over-SheetingValley Gutter repairs & Re-lining

Asbestos Stripping & Environmental Waste Disposal

Refurbishments & Extensions to existing buildings

Change of Use & Rental Unit Conversions

Insurance Claim Works for Fire, Flood & Storm Damage

Same Day - Next Day, Site Visit, Inspection Service

Making Building/Premises Safe - Secure

Emergency Clear-Up Operations

Asbestos Stripping & Environmental Waste Disposal

Demolition & Site Clearance Works

Ground Works, Roads, Drives & Drainage Works

Re-Instatement Works ALL

Standing Sweet Chestnut Wanted Cleft post and rail

Cleft field gates

Cleft field gates

Fencing

Fencing stakes

Fencing stakes

Straining

Straining posts

Straining posts

Chestnut fencing

Chestnut fencing

Chestnut fencing Redhill Farm Services: Fencing Division

Tel: 07985 298221 colin@cwpfencing.co.uk

Tel: 07985298221 colin@cwpfencing.co.uk

Tel: 07985298221 colin@cwpfencing.co.uk

Supplied and erected & Repairs

Tel: 01737 821220 Mob: 07768 931891

Email: redhillfarmservices@gmail.com

Tracked

Tracked machines used minimizing ground damage

Covering:

Covering: Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and surrounding areas

Tel: 07583 027089

Tel: 07583 027089

Email: tmcontracting20@aol.com Stock, Deer and Equestrian Fencing completed to the Highest Standard T.M

Email: tmcontracting20@aol.com

Stock, Deer and Equestrian Fencing completed to the highest standard

COMPLETE OUR CROSSWORD TO WIN

ACROSS

1 Clothing worn in bed (9)

5 Used to block a hole (4)

8 Ideas (8)

9 Tiny part of a plant capable of reproduction (5)

11 Fencing sword (4)

12 Bird of prey (7)

14 Flying mammal (11,3)

16 Disease common in sheep (4,3)

18 This is defended in cricket (6)

21 Birds building a dwelling place (7)

23 Fermented beverage (4)

24 Beef animals (9)

26 Grazing for payment (9)

27 Throw (4) DOWN

1 ------ Wallop, village in Hampshire (6)

2 Small group of tree's such as lemon, walnut, olive (5)

3 Placed in ears for identification of animals (4)

4 Assign someone responsibility (7)

6 Fatty acid (5)

7 Brightly coloured flower (7)

10 Big, high, towering (4)

13 Layer of a cake (4)

14 Cultivating, tilling, working the land (9)

15 Go without (4)

17 Imperial unit (3)

18 Used for flight (5)

19 Area of calmer weather at the centre of a storm (3)

20 Meteor activity in December (6)

22 Topic, subject (5)

23 Brag (5)

25 Prepare the table for dinner (3)

We are offering readers the chance to win a mixed box of our 500ml sparkling ciders including four bottles of Biddies 5, Red Love cider and Biddies 8. For more information about the vineyards, please visit www.biddendenvineyards.com or call 01580 291726.

*Subject to availability

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS:

VI NE YA R DS

VI NE YA R DS

by Rebecca Farmer, Broadstairs, Kent

XOP

eXtra

Produced in Kent for 30+ years

Organic

Phosphate

87.5 kg /ha of plant available Phosphate

✓ Essential nutrient for all crops

✓ Essential for root development

of

✓ Essential role in the growing tip of the plant

87.5 kg /ha of plant available Phosphate

✓ Vital for seedlings and young plants

✓ Essential nutrient for all crops

Typically around 12.5 kg/ha of elemental carbon

Phosphate in two different forms

✓ Essential for root development

✓ Essential role in the growing tip of the plant

✓ Phosphoric Acid – immediately available to the establishing crop

✓ Comparable properties to Biochar to increase soil fertility and crop productivity

✓ Vital for seedlings and young plants

Phosphate in two different forms

✓ Silicon Phosphate – immediately available, and can reduce locking up issues and improve availability of phosphate to the crop for longer

✓ Phosphoric Acid – immediately available to the establishing crop

✓ Silicon Phosphate – immediately available, and can reduce locking up issues and improve availability of phosphate to the crop for longer

Typically around 12.5 kg/ha of elemental carbon

✓ Comparable properties to Biochar to increase soil fertility and crop productivity

✓ Returning carbon directly to the soil

✓ Returning carbon directly to the soil

Typically around 120 kg / ha of organic matter

Typically around 120 kg / ha of organic matter

✓ Influences cation and anion exchange capacity, nutrient stability, water holding properties, aeration and workability

✓ Influences cation and anion exchange capacity, nutrient stability, water holding properties, aeration and workability

Typically around 37.5 kg/ha of diatomaceous earth

Typically around 37.5 kg/ha of diatomaceous earth

✓ Ability to enhance soil structure

✓ Ability to enhance soil structure

✓ Improves water retention and drainage

✓ Improves water retention and drainage

✓ Increases nutrient availability

✓ Increases nutrient availability

✓ Provides essential minerals

✓ Provides essential minerals