News

Life in Beta – April 2015

So what is “Beta Testing”; what is a “soft launch”; are these just euphemisms for poorly thought through policies, excuses for incomplete products?

Subsidies for the next generation – March 2015

My sleep deprived thoughts over the last two weeks have found me drawing rather bizarre parallels between my situation as a new father and that of the RPA as it struggles to launch the Basic Payment Scheme.

Why? Why? Why? – February 2015

‘Why is it like that?’ asks Hamish (aged 6) on a regular basis throughout the day. He is normally covered in mud, thumb in mouth, inspecting the feed routine at the farm or some other activity. I am normally trying in vain to do something else and struggling to keep up with the machine gun style questioning. 

Exit plans are for others – January 2015

Our language has become full of abbreviations; CAP, BPS, EA, ACCS, EFA, CTS, HMRC! Every industry has its own acronyms meaning little to outsiders. Imagine a city banker listening to a conversation between two farmers on a crisp winter’s morning somewhere on the South Downs: “Has your SFP arrived?”,

As I walked out one midsummer morning – December 2014

It might be tempting to think that the CLM article was transforming into a Laurie Lee book review column. What I am actually alluding to is that at some stage (not necessarily in mid-summer although it may be marginally more pleasant then), it’s always good to get out and about to make sure that things on the ground are all as they should be.

Predictably unpredictable – November 2014

On the eve of the Basic Payment Scheme the farming industry is under the cosh. They say everything goes in cycles; up, down, up and then down again.  If needed, the dictionary defines volatility as: liable to change rapidly and unpredictably.

CLM Special Report – October 2014

Going beyond farming to support business….

A special report on CLM prepared by South East Farmer

The devil is in the detail – September 2014

ELS and OELS agreements that started on or after January 2012 started too late to receive the full protection of Jim Paice’s pledge…….

Farmland is not just for farmers

Should we take more interest in the land around us? To many the countryside is a mystery. Whether driving through country lanes, walking the South Downs or exercising the dog most of us use it in one way or another.

The three crop penalty – August 2014

The BPS three crop rule will be a real game changer………………