Category: South East Farmer Articles

Farmers have incorporated non-food enterprises into their businesses for years.  When “diversifi cation” was fi rst allied to agriculture it coincided with some major events; the introduction of milk quotas in 1984, the BSE crisis in the 90s and the downturn in arable profi tability in the late 80s and early 90s. All demanded the […]

  Bill and Ben are at their local.  “The boss is still talking about going to 300 milkers. An extra 50 cows won’t make much difference to the workload but what happens if there is no one to buy the milk?” They chat about Brexit and conclude they know far too little about WTO or […]

Winter is conference and farm discussion group season. In the past, my attendance has always peaked to coincide with a review of the Common Agricultural Policy. It is perhaps no surprise then that I find myself attending these events on a frequent basis this winter. If we thought shifting from SPS to BPS and ELS […]

Our industry is populated by SME entrepreneurs who aren’t in general afraid of anything, but mention succession – whether through inheritance or retirement – and the tension levels rise. I recently had the privilege of speaking to a farmer discussion group about succession planning. It’s a topic that’s close to my heart and this group’s […]

Sometimes the devil is in the detail and as a detail man, lack of it worries me. We are told by government that “the Agriculture Bill provides for a range of enabling powers to ensure stability for farmers as the UK exits from the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy and compliance with the World Trade Organisation […]

Bordeaux, Napa Valley, Stellenbosch and Tuscany; all are recognised for producing quality wines with reputations established over centuries of consistent production. Is it now plausible to include Southern England alongside this illustrious list and, if so, should viticulture be an option for your land? Consider the current size of the UK wine sector. In 2015 […]

Getting your foot on the farming ladder is tough. Opportunities to rent land do arise, however, so you need to make sure you’re perfectly placed to take them when they do – and coming up with a winning tender is a key part of that. So how do you do that?  

Is bigger always better or is now the time to be making the most of what you’ve got? Jonathan Morris thinks about boosting on-farm productivity rather than simply getting bigger. I think it is safe to say that most of us have goals and aspirations and on a day to day basis we are trying […]

From my own slightly hazy point of view these two years were indeed pretty similar and if I’m listening to any music from this period I invariably guess the wrong year. But fortunately perhaps for you I’m not proposing to talk about my entirely dubious musical taste; rather the altogether more prosaic world of rural […]

As arguments rage between soft and hard Brexiteers and those entirely against the self-imposed divorce from our most important trading region, the farming industry is no wiser as to the likely impact on profitability. Many who voted will retire before the true impact can be assessed, let’s hope the next generation has no reason to […]

Last month Anthony Weston stated “from the year after next BPS will be cut or capped very significantly and from 2024/25 it will be gone.”  He then posed the question “What will you do about it?” The many potential answers to this question will range from sitting on your hands and waiting to see what […]

Just what is productivity anyway? I have a love hate relationship with the Spring, I think a lot of people do. It’s exciting, it’s vibrant, it’s full of promise and new life, growth and renewal. It’s also been a long time coming, frustrating, already hinting at missed opportunities, not to mention exceedingly busy!  It’s not […]

As many of you will have seen in the press, new regulations are coming into force on 1st April 2018 that will make it illegal to let a private rented property to a new tenant if the energy performance certifi cate (EPC) has a rating of F or G. The new regulations are the MEES […]

As you stand on the ridge of Garden field and look South West across the Medway valley towards the Ashdown Forest with the sun rising over your shoulder you could be forgiven for thinking that all was right in the world. The future looks clear and bright. If you look closer there is a cloud […]

I noticed quite recently that an email I received from a member of staff at Natural England gave their job title in the signature at the bottom as a member of the Field Unit; a group so secret that most Natural England advisers I have asked since reading about it do not even know of […]

What makes a good shoot is clearly very subjective but if you take soundings around the game cart, over lunch or over a pint you will invariably fi nd that there are some clear common denominators.  Interestingly – although obvious for some – the size of the bag isn’t anywhere near the top of the […]

Dear Father You asked that I might refl ect on the passing year and also consider what lies ahead. I am relieved, of course, that you are confi dent we will all be spared!  Physically the farm performed well in 2017. The kind spring, preceded by a favourable autumn, resulted in a good harvest with […]

I recently heard an arable farmer state that he would never keep livestock on the basis that he enjoys the extended break that arable farming affords over the winter months giving him time to spend with his family, shooting and skiing (not necessarily in that order!). This time of year is also typically a time […]

When thinking about the farm business we often think about what market opportunities there are, what grant and subsidy opportunities there are, how we can control cost and how we can realise the value of the natural assets we have. The reality of all this monetisation and budgeting is that a pretty common starting place, […]

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity, Seneca (1st Century Roman philosopher). Failing to prepare and as a result failing, leaves scars which are hopefully built upon and should (in theory) be learned from. Memories of a student failing to prepare for the seed dressing team burn bright. Of being stood in a distant […]