Author Posts: Farmers Guide

A change in grazing management has helped an Oxfordshire farm successfully outwinter cattle and save almost £25,000 in annual winter housing costs.

The demand for pedigree Simmental females saw prices soar with Brandane Lu Lu setting a breed centre record price, while heifers commanded an average price of £5,202, up by £806 on the previous year.

Government faces a stark choice: back British food production in order to secure a home-grown supply of sustainable food or risk seeing more empty shelves in the nation’s supermarkets, the NFU warned today.

Exhibitors gathered at the new Cereals Event site last week to examine their crop plots and discuss plans for the event. Despite torrential rain, the new location, at Thoresby Hall, Newark, looked a picture, with the 60ha site protected by trees on the edge of Sherwood Forest.

The level of liver fluke is forecast to be relatively low for much of the UK, but the risk to grazing livestock on individual farms is becoming less predictable, say industry experts.

The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI), the farming charity for England and Wales, has launched its Christmas Appeal to support farming people over the festive period, when many are having to severely cut back on their spending.

Leading rural insurer NFU Mutual is urging farmers to act now to protect their farms from the devastating impact of storms as winter approaches.  

Feeding for optimum rumen function is a way farmers can help to maximise productivity from their herd and potentially improve sustainability, listeners on the latest Mole Valley Farmers’ Podcast heard. 

With edible insects being hailed as a sustainable source of high protein food, researchers at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) have been awarded more than £10k to develop a strategy for using them in animal feed.

As the end of the year approaches, it’s time to take a look at crops and field conditions and create a plan of action for next year.

Spring cropping remains an important option for many northern farms, and growers should think about variety choices carefully and take steps to secure seed early, said CAS arable agronomist Archie Boase, part of Hutchinsons.

With the countryside being a popular destination for recreational activities, both visitors and landowners have a responsibility to ensure rural areas are safe to enjoy for all.