News

February 2018 – Marsh Wars – A new hope

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 their existence.

January 2018 – More grapes = more acres

Generating £20 billion in economic activity and £10.9 billion in sales, the UK’s wine market is the sixth largest in the world, the second largest trader by volume (behind Germany) and the second largest trader by value (behind the USA).  With UK sparkling wines sales up by 37% since 2012, there can be no surprise that the UK wine industry is bursting to increase its share of the market.

January 2018 – What makes a good shoot?

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 list, indeed in most cases it isn’t on the list at all.

January 2018 – A winning formula?

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.

December 2017 – Time for reflection

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!).

CLM Winter 2017 Update

New BPS Greening rules 2018. Streamlined agri-environment support for farmers. LEADER Funding. Changes to permitted development. New rules for water.

November 2017 – What wildlife would you like on your farm?

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, and indeed an important one, when talking with new clients is to ask them what their aims and objectives for their land are.

October 2017 – Prepare to get lucky

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.

September 2017 – Nothing beats being a farmer

Two friends meet for the first time in twenty years. George asks David “How’s your IT business treating you?”  “Not bad, I have thirty working for me, we own our office, have three holidays a year and the mortgage is nearly paid off.

August 2017 – For what it’s worth

I am sure that this publication will be analysing the speech The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP gave at the WWF Living Planet Centre on 21 July in much the same way as other industry journals. Or perhaps Mr Gove’s “vision for the future of the natural environment” will already have been side-lined by his colleague The Rt Hon Liam Fox MP’s comments about American jet wash chicken.