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Quality buildings, a strong customer focus and a full ‘concept to completion’ service.
A friendly and knowledgeable approach is a vital part of the Southern Farmers makeup. As a buying group that now boasts 1,200 members, its fundamental role is to help members benefit from lower prices thanks to the group’s buying power, but that’s just one of the benefits.
As usual in the spring a significant number of properties are finding their way to the market.
ESSEX FARMER “FEARS FOR HIS SAFETY EVERY DAY”
An Essex farmer who has suffered nearly 200 hare coursing incidents in just eight months, along with violent personal attacks, has said he fears for his safety every day.
The NFU member, who wishes to remain anonymous, said hare coursers had fired catapults at him, locked him in a shed on the farm and knocked him off his bicycle while driving past him on the road.
The arable farmer said hare coursers were on his farm almost every day and that sometimes there had been several incidents, involving different groups, on the same day.
An NFU spokesman said there had been media reports of recent hare coursing events in Essex being live streamed to gamblers in China. Hare coursing is an illegal activity in which criminals arrange for dogs to chase hares over farmland for large bets of money, costing farmers thousands of pounds in damage to the land.
The farmer in this case, who is based in north-west Essex, estimates hare coursers have cost him tens of thousands of pounds in damage to crops and equipment. He said: “Nobody goes out on the farm on their own now; we always go out in groups.
“I never confront them. I keep out of the way and call the police. They are nasty, violent people. I’ve had some scary incidents, including being barricaded in a shed, being shot at with catapults while driving my truck and being knocked off my bike.
“They are fearless and do not worry about being caught. Once they drove across my crops and held a hare coursing event right in front of me when I was out drilling.” He said the 198th incident of hare coursing on his farm since July 2025 had taken place on Sunday, 5 April.
The farmer has erected gates, dug ditches, blocked entrances with cultivators and installed security cameras, to little effect. The cameras have been smashed.
He said: “The police rural engagement team does its best, but they are a small team and Essex is a big, rural, county. They need more resources.”
The farmer believes a recent high profile hare coursing crackdown in neighbouring Cambridgeshire has contributed to a spike in incidents in Essex. He said: “We have had hare coursing here for more than 20 years, but it has increased massively over the past year. With the spotlight on Cambridgeshire, many hare coursers have moved over to Essex.
“I get targeted because my farm is hidden out of the way and I have lots of hares on the farm. They are beautiful creatures and I hate to see them suffering like this. I know many other Essex farmers impacted by hare coursing.”
Essex Police said there had been a national rise in hare coursing due to last year’s hot and dry summer which enabled farmers to harvest their crops early, leaving the ground flat and bare and providing ideal conditions for hare coursers.
Essex Police investigating hare coursing incidents in other areas of the county
Photo: Essex Police
A drone image of hare coursers in another part of Essex
A spokesperson said: “Our rural engagement officers have increased patrols in marked and unmarked police vehicles in areas where hare coursing happens. We have also carried out intelligence-led patrols and use drones and thermal cameras.
“Since August 2025 we have seized seven vehicles across the county, issued seven community protection notices (CPNs), and five community protection warnings (CPWs), with 12 individuals caught and dealt with.
“We are aware of one farm which has reported a high number of incidents. We worked with the farmer to install security measures, which enabled them to provide more evidence. We have increasingly encouraged the public to report hare coursing to us.
“We continue to act where we have the evidence to do so. This includes seizing vehicles, seeking dog disqualification orders and issuing CPWs and CPNs, which place certain restrictions, such as not to be in a vehicle with any dog while outside a five-mile radius of their home address.”
NFU campaigning on hare coursing led to a change in the law, which means convicted hare coursers can now be given unlimited fines and up to six months’ imprisonment and gives police the means to seize more dogs.
NFU Essex county adviser Hamish Debnam-Sharp said: “The situation this farmer, and many farmers across Essex, are facing is completely unacceptable.
“The NFU will continue to push for tougher action on hare coursing, and other rural crimes, and will support police with their investigations.”
Essex Police urge anyone who sees hare coursing taking place to not put themselves at risk, call 999 immediately and provide as much information as possible, such as a What3Words location, a description of the people involved, vehicle registration numbers, vehicle descriptions and the location and direction of travel. Incidents can be reported by calling 101 or online at www.essex.police.uk/ro or. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, online or by calling 0800 555 111.
The importance of collaboration OPINION
Ask the average man or woman on the Clapham omnibus to name someone responsible for saving more than a million lives and you are likely to get a variety of responses, probably mostly listing scientists or other medical interventionists.
It would take a bit of lateral thinking to come up with the name of Nils Bohlin, the Volvo engineer who perfected the three-point safety belt that we now all ‘clunk, click, every trip’ without a second thought.
Bohlin invented the life-saving accessory in 1959, but that was only part of the story. Instead of using it to gain a competitive advantage over the rest of the industry, Volvo gifted the seatbelt, which, according to its patent, “effectively, and in a physiologically favourable manner, prevents the body of the strapped person being thrown forward’, to the world.
Nearly 70 years later the three-point seatbelt is still saving lives and serves as a reminder of the importance of collaboration. Volvo may have surrendered a commercial advantage, but the company’s actions advanced the industry significantly, saving lives at the same time.
For different reasons, but with similar results, the farming family also demonstrates high levels of cooperation. Forums, conferences and workshops regularly share best practice, while government agencies and the likes of Niab at East Malling lead the way in innovative horticultural research which is shared with the industry.
In theory, farmers are in competition, but they are usually competing against the weather, pests and disease or, in these Trumpian times, the price of diesel, rather than against each other.
At the end of the day farmers stand together in their efforts to feed the nation while making a modest profit, and it would be unusual to find a farmer who wasn’t happy to share a useful tip with his neighbour or use his experience to help solve a problem affecting someone else.
Southern Farmers is there for its members, giving them access to good deals on a wide range of products and services, but it also shares information with fellow buying groups across the country, helping farmers in other parts of the world enjoy the fruits of its negotiating powers and benefiting local growers in return.
In difficult times, cooperation is increasingly important, and it is heartening to see agriculture leading the way in pulling together. It seems unlikely that an agricultural breakthrough will save lives in the same way that Volvo’s groundbreaking seatbelt has, but feeding the nation is surely just as important.
MALCOLM TRIGGS - EDITOR
EMAIL YOUR VIEWS, LETTERS OR OPINIONS TO: sef.ed@kelsey.co.uk or write to the address on page 3
Photo: Essex Police
Photo: Essex Police
Photo: NFU
DOING SOMETHING ‘SPECIAL’ TO TACKLE RURAL CRIME
A retired Buckinghamshire farmer has looked back on more than two decades of service as a special constable with Thames Valley Police.
David Midwinter combined the careers of both his parents when he decided to do his bit for rural policing back in 1972.
“My father’s family had been farming in the area for 150 years or more and everyone on my mum’s side had served with the Metropolitan Police,” said David, who farmed around 150 acres at Shotshill Farm, Oving, near Aylesbury, until five years ago.
He explained that one set of farm buildings had been alongside a busy rural road and had suffered from more than its fair share of break ins. A local police officer who often called in for a cup of team with David’s mother, herself the daughter of a Met Police Sergeant, suggested that David, then in his early thirties, should consider helping tackle rural crime by becoming a ‘special’.
It was a small conversation that reshaped the next two decades of his life.
“For someone from a farming background, it was a wonderful education,” David reflects. “I was used to working on my own, with nobody telling me what to do. Suddenly I had to learn the law, go to night school, and be prepared to help wherever I was needed.”
After training on Monday nights at Aylesbury, which David describes as “like going back to school”, he began patrolling the rural beat, later transferring to Buckingham and becoming a familiar, trusted face across the villages.
Rural policing in the 1970s and 80s wasn’t glamorous. “Half the police phones didn’t work,” David remembered. “I used to go out with nothing, no radio, no phone, except that they knew I was out.”
David recalled once spending many long nights helping to hunt for a local arsonist who had been setting fire to farm buildings across the area. “He caused chaos. Farm buildings all over the place were going up,” David said. “The one good thing was, he
never set fire to buildings with livestock. Looking back, that was interesting. Whoever he was, he had some conscience.”
Patrolling the pitch-black lanes after a day’s work on the farm was exhausting, but David never questioned it. He was volunteering his time to help protect the community he’d grown up in.
Shotshill was a mixed farm, mainly beef and sheep with some arable and, in the early days, a small dairy herd of Guernseys. While he helped tackle rural crime at night, David shared full days of farm work with his late father Joseph, who was active until late in life.
Asked how he coped with the workload during those 22 years, he remarked: “When you are young you can do most things.”
He went on: “I enjoyed it. I got to know some great people I’d never have known otherwise. And I was there to help the regular officers. That was my job.”
David explained: “My approach to policing was always to try to help people. It was a good education; I had to deal with many different people, and it taught me that life isn’t always straightforward.” He added: “I’m sure I made a difference.”
Even now, David is continuing to help in the fight against rural crime by allowing his story to be told as part of a recruitment campaign by Thames Valley Police.
The force points out that his story “shows that you don’t need a policing background to make a difference. Just a willingness to learn, to support others, and to stand up for your community”. It wants potential special constables to visit the force’s careers website.
As for David, his message is clear: “If you want to do it, join,” he said. “Just realise you’ve got to put the time aside and be prepared to learn. But it’s a wonderful education. It gives you something nothing else can.”
David Midwinter
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MY WAR-TIME AUNT
The early eighties were a somewhat pivotal time for me. I had an accident while hop picking in 1979 and I knew I couldn’t go back to full-time farm work, as my back just wasn’t up to it. I was learning more and more about international human rights and international relations generally and was casting around for other interests to see what I could possibly become engaged in, what I could become enthused about. I was certainly on my way to becoming something of an ‘activist’ for the upholding of international human rights law.
It was at this time that an elderly aunt of mine decided to use her networks to further my career progression. She was a nun, so I don’t know if ‘divine intervention’ was involved in what she found for me. Amazingly, she discovered a farm that was hiring, but in the most unexpected location – the Falkland Islands.
Everyone who heard about it expected me to jump at this fantastic, unique and never-to-be-repeated offer of full-time employment in such an exotic location, but as I’d always had a keen eye on international news, I knew – and I knew without a doubt – that General Galtieri, the Argentine ‘supremo’ who oversaw a brutal regime of torture, murder and ‘disappearances’, was intent on, in his own mind, re-taking the islands. In the autumn of 1981, irrespective of what the British Foreign Office knew or didn’t know, I had no doubt whatsoever that invasion was on his mind. His very survival depended upon it.
Many who knew me were saddened and frustrated when I politely thanked my aunt but declined the offer. In some cases I was told I just “didn’t want work”, which was an accusation that stung. But by April 1982, the only people heading towards the islands were armed to the teeth and certainly NOT going to work on farms.
As history is made up of countless individual stories and individual lives, I had friends on the task force. These included one young
man who had been a good hop-picker just a few months earlier, in September, and was now an Able Seaman aboard HMS Invincible.
The recently married son-in-law of my work colleague was also on his way to the South Atlantic, in his case with the Paras. In the weeks prior to embarking, John could be seen training in Bedgebury Forest, running miles through the forest with half a tree trunk across his shoulders.
Thankfully, both survived the conflict. I carried on working part-time and learning and expanding my horizons the rest of the time.
The year 1981 also saw me become involved with a kidnap case on the Iran/Iraq border, an event which further incentivised me to try to become an involved human being, engaging actively with the confusing world around me
and all the while exceeding limitations I’d put on myself and limitations I’d unconsciously allowed others to place on me.
I hadn’t been badly educated and had got as far as the Irish Junior Certificate as a semitrying 15 year-old. At that point all educational interest had disappeared, and as I reached the Irish equivalent of ‘A’ levels, I got lost in the late-sixties world of youthful hedonism. In my final two years of secondary school we had a great careers officer, but I had absolutely no conception of what I wanted to do, or felt I should be doing. And as I raced past my seventieth year, I still had no idea!
At 17 I failed my Leaving Certificate and at 60 I was awarded my degree in international relations, so who knows what’s on the cards as I stumble into my seventy-third year…
Bedgebury Forest
land-based college, Plumpton is looking for passionate professionals from the farming and rural industries to join the team as it continues to look to the future.
Following a £40 million investment in its buildings and facilities, the college at the heart of the South Downs is preparing to inspire and educate future generations and build on its already impressive reputation in land and environmental education.
A thriving hub of innovation, sustainability, and opportunity, Plumpton College continues to lead the way as a place of learning, developing ambitious agricultural programmes that reflect the industry’s changing needs.
LOOKING FOR INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS
To help it continue to lead the educational field, it is looking for industry professionals who are interested in moving into teaching roles and sharing their skills with future generations of students.
With no teaching experience required, the college is looking for people with passion, credibility and a desire to pass on their expertise and knowledge who are keen
TAKE THE FIRST STEP
BUILDING A NEW AGRICULTURE TEAM FOR THE FUTURE
to start a new chapter in their life while being supported every step of the way by Plumpton’s own experienced team.
For the right individuals, the opportunity offers the chance to earn up to £40,000, together with a welcome bonus, an impressive work/life balance and the opportunity to join a dynamic and committed team.
Teaching staff at the modern, well-equipped college are surrounded by new entrants to the industry who bring fresh perspectives, enthusiasm and curiosity to each day. Working with students exposes staff to new questions, ideas and ways of thinking, making every day different and rewarding.
The role includes an option to take annual leave every six to eight weeks, allowing plenty of opportunities to recharge throughout the year, plus a long break over Christmas. There is a wide range of continuing professional development opportunities that allow staff to continue to grow their expertise and stay at the forefront of industry practice.
A DAY IN THE LIFE
A day in the life at Plumpton College might begin on a working farm or in industrystandard facilities rather than behind a screen, followed by a practical, discussion-led morning session drawing directly on the tutor’s realworld experience.
By mid-afternoon, students are applying the lessons they have learned, asking the questions that remind staff why they entered the industry in the first place.
IMPRESSIVE FACILITIES
Plumpton College features a range of impressive facilities, including Lely A5 robotic milking systems, a state-of-the-art highwelfare pig unit, a bio-security centre, a new agri-food centre with development kitchen, bakery and butchery and a strong focus on regenerative practices, sustainability and carbon reduction.
The college is currently recruiting across all areas of agriculture, including livestock, arable, agri-business and soil or animal science.
NEW SITE AGREED
Permission for one of the South East’s most important livestock markets to relocate to a new site has been granted by South Oxfordshire District Council’s planning committee.
Thame Farmers Auction Mart (TFAM) has won planning permission to move to the outskirts of the town, subject to a series of conditions being met. The move is expected to take between 12 and 18 months to complete and will involve a partnership with W. Lamb Developments Ltd.
Livestock markets have been held at Thame since the Middle Ages and at the current purpose-built facility in North Street since 1951. The new site is close to Christmas Hill
Business Park and will provide a state-ofthe-art facility as well as reducing congestion in the town.
Richard Roff, chairman of Thame Farmers Auction Mart, said: “We are delighted with the planning committee’s resolution to grant planning permission for the new livestock market site, subject to dealing with a number of planning conditions. Once these conditions are resolved this will secure the future of livestock trading in the South East at a time when a number of markets across the country have closed in recent years.
“The project, which owes much to the expert advice of surveyor Will Taylor at Briggs & Stone, involves a partnership with
W. Lamb Developments, which will deliver the commercial business units on part of the application site, these will help fund the project and are part of the application.
“The benefits of the new site include covered pens, the potential for expanded operations and increased sales opportunities as a new market is expected to attract new buyers and sellers, offer better facilities for hauliers and allow for more operating days.
“Thame was awarded its Market Charter in 1215 and it is wonderful that its connection with livestock sales continues while removing issues related to congestion, noise and smell created by the current location in the town centre.”
BOTLEY WEST SOLAR FARM DELAY
A four-month delay in a decision-making process that could affect more than 2,000 acres of land to the north and west of Oxford has been welcomed by campaigners.
Opponents of the Botley West Solar Farm scheme include the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) Oxfordshire, which has warned that an area of the county bigger than Gatwick Airport will be lost if the scheme wins planning permission.
CPRE Oxfordshire director Lisa Warne said the plans put forward by Photovolt Development Partners (PVDP) would have a detrimental effect on farmers and food production as well as on the wider environment.
Responding to the announcement by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband’s team that a decision, expected in May, had been pushed back to 10 September, she said that approving the proposal “would result in the loss of an area in Oxfordshire larger than Gatwick Airport, as Botley West would cover a total of 880 hectares with over two million solar panels, making it the largest in the country”.
Explaining the delay, minister for energy consumers Martin McCluskey said it would give the Government time to seek further information on the scheme.
Ms Warne went on: “Botley West is an idyllic countryside patch, next to Blenheim Palace, a world heritage site, and surrounded by some of the highest-grade farmlands and green belt land.
“The solar farm would greatly change large areas of natural landscape, destroy wildlife habitats, affect the viability of local farming and pose a serious risk to the broader environment, notably with an increased risk of flooding for the local community.
“The UK faces a huge challenge as it drastically scales up renewable energy generation. Under current policy scenarios set out in the Government’s solar roadmap published in June 2025, 60% to 65% of this capacity could come from large-scale solar farms. These remove critical agricultural areas from food production for up to 60 years.”
The CPRE has called for 60% of the UK’s solar energy to be generated on rooftops and opposes mega solar farms due to what it sees as their harmful impacts on rural areas.
The Government announcement pointed out that the delay was “without prejudice to the decision on whether to grant or refuse development consent”.
APPLE AND PEAR GROWERS FACE FRESH INPUT COST SHOCK
UK top fruit growers are facing “a rapid escalation in key inputs” after the US and Israel went to war with Iran, according to British Apples & Pears Limited (BAPL).
The grower-funded, not-for-profit organisation said the increase had landed at “one of the worst possible moments for top fruit growers”, at the start of the growing season.
The fallout from the conflict has put a dampener on an industry that had revealed some signs of optimism in BAPL’s latest grower survey, conducted in late 2025.
Survey results showed an improvement in confidence, with 43% of respondents saying they were less confident about the future than a year ago, compared with 70% in 2023, and
demands and labour costs as the dominant pressures on UK apple and pear businesses, with 97% of growers and 67% of grower/ packers selecting ‘farm assurance, compliance and audit’ as a top-three business challenge.
Labour costs also scored highly: 85% of growers and 89% of grower/packers included labour costs in their top three challenges.
Given the improving levels of confidence, BAPL described the direction of travel as ‘positive’ but warned that progress depended on the industry tackling “the compounding impact of compliance burden, labour challenges and volatile input costs”.
The landscape has, however, shifted again since the US/Israel - Iran conflict drove up prices at a time when orchards were looking to secure fertiliser and fuel for spring operations –purchases that cannot be deferred.
One apple farm reported that the fertiliser cost was 42% higher than the same time last year. The same business reported kerosene/ heating oil moving from around 65p/litre to £1.30/litre in recent weeks, while BAPL said growers were also reporting sharp volatility in red diesel pricing and availability.
One grower/packer said: “We can’t pause the season. These are inputs we need now, and sudden price spikes feed straight into our cost of production.”
Ali Capper, executive chair of British Apples & Pears, said: “This survey shows the scale of pressure growers are under from audit burden and labour costs – and now we are facing a fresh input-cost shock just as the season starts.
“Growers’ confidence has improved since 2023, but it won’t hold if another prolonged input-cost shock takes hold.”
Spring has finally sprung, bringing the sight of newly born lambs/calves galloping around the fields, something I love to watch. The mowers have been busy and by the time you read this some of the first cut silage should have been baled, wrapped and carted back home ready for the cycle to begin again. The cows are looking well, and milk production appears to be on target.
The crops all seem to have wintered well, and harvest will be upon us before we know it. The combines are being serviced in preparation, and the maize ground is being prepared.
With diesel now at nearly £2 per litre, the government must be overjoyed with the amount of revenue it is generating. Fuel duty is at 53p per litre plus VAT and VAT is also applicable on the product price at the pumps, which means nearly 50% of the cost of fuel is paid directly to the Treasury. Winner winner, chicken dinner for the Government.
Half term is only a few of weeks away and then the summer holidays will be with us. Teddy is super excited for the long holidays. Having spoken to many farmers on my travels, the thing that appears to be lacking in farming is profitability and optimism. Over the years the one thing that seemed to
ORGANISED CHAOS ANITA HICKSON
PROFITABILITY AND OPTIMISM LACKING
keep morale in farming high was optimism. Has this been beaten out of farming by the Government? Are farmers their own worst enemies?
Optimism in farming (I believe) currently lies mainly in technological innovation, adopting sustainable practices and/or diversification, along with many other things. Each one of these can be difficult to achieve, especially when prices are consistently low and show no signs of improving.
The government grant scheme has opened, but as ever you must pay the full amount to be able to claim back the grant. This can be a huge obstacle for some farmers.
Diversification still seems the way to go, although farming bungalows seems to have declined as developers are being rather cautions regarding the future, with the housing market appearing to be a little stagnant currently.
Farm shops, renting out accommodation
etc are still very popular with many farmers and landowners. I guess as an industry farming is flexible, but as time goes on the margins seem to get tighter and tighter and the opportunities fewer.
We are not the only industry to feel pressured. Many employers seem to be short of cash and struggling to find an area free from government tax and bureaucracy that offers a return for them. As a family we went out to celebrate Fergus’ birthday, and the owner of the pub was telling us how for every £1 he earns he must give the government 37p! Every industry is suffering. Where does the money go?
Until next time stay safe.
LONG-STANDING SUPPORTER BECOMES PRESIDENT
The South of England Agricultural Society has named long-standing supporter Charles Burgoyne as its president for 2026.
A well-known supporter of the society, Charles has been a volunteer for more than 25 years, served as trustee from 2013 to 2025 and became chair of the board of trustees in 2016.
A farmer by background, he manages a beef, arable and former dairy farm and a business park in Wivelsfield, Mid Sussex, on land that has been in his family for four generations. He also manages the 600-cow dairy operation next door at Heaselands Estate near Haywards Heath.
Charles is also a former chairman of the 1000 Cow Club and currently serves as chairman of the Sainsbury’s Dairy Development Group, representing 150 farmers nationwide who supply the supermarket’s milk.
As chairman of the society, Charles played a key role in significantly increasing the income of the South of England Event Centre, which it owns, and guiding the charity through the Covid-19 pandemic. He also oversaw several important milestones in the society’s history, including multiple Royal visits, the appointment of a new Royal Patron, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh GCVO, and the Society’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
Charles, who has chosen the East Sussex Farmers’ Benevolent Fund as his charity for the year, said: “Having worked closely with the society for many years and seen first-hand the important work it does, I look forward to meeting exhibitors, competitors and trade stands at our shows this year and continuing to champion the agricultural industry.”
ANITA HICKSON Farmer
MONICA AKEHURST AT THE KITCHEN TABLE
AN ABUNDANCE OF TRIPLETS
Fine April weather has been a bonus, enabling us to get cattle out. They had been quite vocal in reminding us that they prefer fresh grass to the poor quality forage that was all that remained in our barn.
Calving was slow to start; we’re only halfway through. The cows that have calved are now munching grass on the Pevensey Levels, while those yet to calve are close to home. Other half is convinced that bluetongue immunisation played a part in this slower than usual calving pattern. That said, prior to turnout all cows and the bull were given a BTV-3 booster to enhance their protection, along with a Bravoxin immunisation which importantly covers them against blackleg.
In contrast, lambing kicked off with a bang, four days earlier than scheduled and with an abundance of triplets. Our percentages will undoubtedly be higher this year, although our management hasn’t altered. My ultimate goal is to own self-sufficient, sensible ewes requiring no assistance yet producing a strong set of twins out in the field.
Triplets, however, need to be penned, ensuring that they all get their fair share of colostrum. Then 24 hours later a decision has to be made as to which one of the three should be relocated. Some can be successfully fostered, but inevitably others will be reliant on us to cater for all their needs, at a time when we’re already stretched. Alas we’ve not yet achieved my dream flock.
I question my choices pre-tupping, when decisions were taken about who should be culled. Number 20, for example, why on earth did I keep her? She looks old, is enormous, and has an udder which nearly scrapes the ground. Pre lambing, she looked so uncomfortable that I moved her into the home paddock for special care. She immediately perked up but stubbornly hung onto her load.
At 11pm after a busy day, I checked her by torchlight. She stood looking at the moon. I was suspicious that she slightly lifted her head, as if straining, but there was no sign of action at the rear end. I left her, which was a mistake. Older does not necessarily mean wiser. Overnight, Number 20 produced two large
lambs, but sadly she neglected to clear the amniotic membrane covering their airway. At first light I surveyed the dismal scene; she gave me an apologetic look. I headed off to check the more sensible flock members, and on discovering several twins, my mood brightened. Later, I was astonished to see Number 20 drop a third large lamb and was able to supervise its care. I wasn’t so pleased when she wouldn’t let it feed, kicking it away. I’ve now won that battle.
During April, cull ewes made good money in market. Most of my culls were sold in the autumn, but I kept some leaner ones grazing on the marsh, where they generally do well, but because of the wet conditions they hadn’t picked up as much as I’d hoped. When I sold them this spring, however, I was impressed with the money they made.
Prior to lambing I decided to clear out my hoggets, some sold as finished, but mostly as stores. They all fetched good money, with one pen of stores making more than the finished. Mind you, if you tallied up the work that goes into shepherding, we need these better prices to stay in business.
was a hard pull, but worth it
Bolusing cows prior to turn out
Hailsham market has seen some welcome improvements. Instead of squeezing along beside the hedge, the auctioneer can now walk the plank while selling sheep. Much needed additional sheep pens have also been installed, and the upgraded toilets definitely get the thumbs up from me. The café remains a friendly place for a hot drink, good food and a chat. Maintaining a thriving market is vital for our rural community. Worldwide, communities are paying the price for global mayhem. Rising fuel costs impact all nations, but especially those reliant on imports. Here in the UK the price at the pump is putting additional strain on businesses that were struggling before the increases. The cost of filling our farm’s red diesel tank is eye watering, yet tractors are vital for our work. Besides, the grandchildren would be devastated if we had no tractors, as they’re the main attraction. Global instability is concerning, and
makes you wonder where this debacle will lead. I’m glad we’re lambing, as there’s little time to worry about world events or what Mr Trump is up to.
There’s something rather refreshing about immersing yourself in the reality of farming; nurturing new life, seeing the sunrise, hearing the cuckoo on the farm (after a two-year absence) and the woodpeckers tapping away in the nearby woods. The first of the swallows arriving, always a welcome sight, and seedlings sprouting; it’s a hopeful time of year.
We are now calving and lambing in adjacent fields. It’s busy, it’s tiring, but mostly it’s deeply satisfying; surely there can be no better way of life. I just wish that our present government showed more commitment to preserving UK food production and more understanding of those who work the land. Taxing farms doesn’t help food security. Easter brought an invasion of family,
Catching lambs for marking and ringing
helpful and otherwise, but never a dull moment. Many hands make light work, and jobs were found for all ages. There was time, too, for the traditional Easter egg hunt. Fuelled by chocolate, we then temporarily converted the farmyard to a football pitch and encountered some fiercely competitive family team members. It was good fun, but then I gracefully retired to attend to sheep matters.
In truth, I’ve not had to assist with many lambings this year, though that’s a risky thing to say; it’s often the large singles that come at the end that cause the most trouble. I only added 10 ewe lambs to the flock, and my tegs, who had a disastrous lambing as ewe-lambs, have performed well; a predominately younger flock definitely pays dividends. Last year we were invaded by predators and this year none. Strange how the years differ.
The early lambs are now at the ‘running races in gangs’ stage; it’s a real joy to see their sheer exuberance for life.
It
Family football in the farmyard
Anna supervising selling stores at Hailsham market
Zinnia dancing for the cows' entertainment
Zinnia feeding lambs
Wilf loves machinery
James Weaver and Andrew Jackson
Quality buildings, a strong customer focus and a full ‘concept to completion’ service would be enough of an offer for most steel-framed building companies.
For AC Jackson Ltd, however, that’s just the start. “What really sets us apart is our people,” explained sales and estimating director James Weaver. “This company is built around an incredible team of people who all play their part in delivering the best possible service to our customers.
“It’s their dedication, hard work and shared commitment that makes our business what it is today.”
This focus on attracting and retaining the right people has been central to the company’s success. Established just 14 years ago, the
CONCEPT TO COMPLETION
company has grown to employ some 50 people and has built a strong reputation as a trusted and respected name in the supply and erection of steel-framed buildings.
“Our reputation is built on quality craftsmanship, deep industry knowledge and a real focus on delivering a great experience for every customer.”
It was to ensure the quality of the buildings and minimise reliance on third parties that Andrew Jackson, who established the business in 2012 with his wife Vicky, who contributed her skills in finance and management, decided to manufacture his own.
The couple set up a 50,000 sq ft building with overhead cranes, in-house shot
blasting machinery, paint spraying and precise plasma cutting facilities. A healthy order book sees 150 tonnes of steel a week currently going through the workshop.
Andrew had spent his entire working life in the steel-framed building business but decided that in-house fabrication would provide greater control, consistency and efficiency across every stage of the process. He and Vicky were joined on day one by detailing and production director Tim Millington, while James joined just six months later and has helped AC Jackson spread across the UK from its Cheshire origins.
“I joined when CE Marking was being introduced for steel-framed buildings and when there was just a handful of
employees,” James recalled. “It meant that we were able to establish the right processes and procedures from the offset, and that has helped as we have grown.”
Director Vicky Jackson oversees the office and the day-to-day running of the operation, while Tim plays a critical role in ensuring precision and efficiency within the manufacturing process.
The company’s pedigree is strong, with prestigious estates such as Grosvenor
and Bolesworth amongst many returning customers who value the company’s quality, service and clear communication.
The company provides a complete, end-to-end service for agricultural, equestrian, commercial and industrial steel-framed buildings, from design through to manufacturing, groundworks and final erection, working closely with the customer at every step of the way.
In addition to turnkey buildings, AC
Jackson offers refurbishment services and ‘supply only’ packages for contractors. In busy periods the company’s skilled in-house groundworkers and steel erectors are backed up by a trusted network of specialist sub-contractors.
“You need good people around you,” James added. “Strong teams work together to provide excellent service and high-quality buildings and are the foundation of this successful business.”
WHY KEEP CATTLE?
Would that we could forget politics and simply get on with farming, but that is quite impossible with Donald Trump behaving more than ever like a two year-old, tossing his toys about and creating a mess for others to clear up.
It wouldn’t matter so much if he confined his mess to his own back yard, but he has got his hands on dangerous toys and surrounded himself with some arrogant and malign individuals who also like mayhem. Hegseth, minister of war (not defence), when quizzed about torpedoing an Iranian frigate off the coast of Sri Lanka which had been returning from naval exercises with India, crowed that the crew was “toast”. Such is the callous illegality of a far right evangelical once more fighting The Crusades.
The sad thing is that we cannot just ignore what is going on in the Middle East, for it adds uncertainly for farming, which is uncertain enough at the best of times. Big Oil, ever opportunistic, used the tumult to hike oil prices dramatically, a move that, in turn, raised the price of farm inputs.
With this gloomy backdrop, I chuckled at the news that the US required Ukrainian expertise to deal with the barrage of Iranian
drones. Help was given, despite Trump’s arrogant and graceless behaviour to Zelensky in his hour of greatest need.
Meanwhile farming carries on, almost regardless, and we must consider ourselves lucky to feel the sun and see seasons change, free from barrages of bombs. The dawn chorus, which included overwintered blackcaps and chiffchaffs, was well underway by mid-March, with evensong at dusk joined by a host of migrants in April as they returned from Africa.
Our resident farmland birds have done well, too, with a daily 30kg of feed scattered thinly across two sites a kilometre apart. We were feeding 200 to 300 birds daily at each site and gradually tailed down the feed quantity and frequency from mid-April, ending it in early May once we were confident of the insect supply for the birds and their broods.
Calving this year was both interesting and satisfactory, but I wonder about the business model of cattle on a small mixed farm. The old adage of ‘stack ‘em high and sell ‘em cheap’, focused on volume and margins, doesn’t fit smaller outfits. It is also ethically questionable and environmentally destructive.
So why keep cattle? In the past 25 years I
have certainly had a lot of enjoyment, some pain and, in common with other South East Farmer contributors, a certain pride from breeding smart stock. They are essential for the farm’s environmental diversity and they just pay their way if one accounts imaginatively.
There is also the intellectual stimulus of selecting bloodlines, managing health issues and improving output. Nick, the farm’s managing partner, has been persuaded to calve heifers as two year-olds, and artificially inseminated (AIid) a small group with Stabiliser sexed semen to produce smaller heifer calves than our South Devons. He had found calving at two years old to a South Devon unnecessarily tricky.
AI, in our hands, has always been a bit of a lottery, but five of seven held and all delivered easily, with average calf weight of 39kg (34 to 45), which is significantly less than our average South Devon heifer calf weight of 50kg.
Encouraged by the results, Nick has purchased a yearling Red Angus bull from Robert and Sophie Whitcombe’s renowned Hawkley herd. Flash, for that is his name, is a fine, friendly fellow and we look forward to greeting his progeny next year.
Dams and calves at turnout
When the cows started calving we had an unbroken run of 13 bull calves before the first South Devon heifer. A one in ten thousand chance, however we don’t need to invoke agency or aliens. One of these bull calves was stillborn and small, probably a case of neospora from a dam with a recent rise in neospora antibody titre.
We have been routinely testing for neospora for ten years as part of our Cattle Health Certification Standards (CHeCS) animal health scheme. Sarah’s diligent follow up of our records, including cattle tracing system data on heifers sold, revealed all previous cases were ‘vertical transmission’, from dam to daughter, and all from identifiable foundation stock acquired 25 years ago. Having eliminated these lines we have just begun to see evidence of ‘lateral transmission’ from cannids, the definitive hosts, which is concerning because of the numbers of people and dogs wandering off permitted paths, not to mention resident foxes.
Our CHeCS provider is no longer offering the service, and there are remarkably few organisations that offer a full range including TB. Our breed society requires a declaration for all pedigree sales. Testing and certification is time consuming, costly and of uncertain financial value, particularly when juggling with TB testing and its effect on Johnes titres. We have transferred to another scheme, for the present, in order to return to annual TB testing.
I opened with politics and I shall close with it simply because it has become so all-consuming. Trump and his poodles really take the biscuit. UK farmers are suffering
from that man’s intemperate, illegal and foolish wars; campaigns with no clear or achievable objectives other than to rock the boat. That the US populace should have elected this man after his poor first term is an alarming weakness of democracy, yet it could happen here in the UK triggered by Starmer’s unsteady performance.
Come the May elections; I dearly hope no South East farmers are tempted by Farage’s empty rhetoric, for he and Trump are from the same mould. Who wants a leader who sells cheap, nasty, cameo videos for cash? For certain, his lot will not have our interests at heart, nor those of the country. Just like Trump.
Three fine fellows
Upper Norton Gideon
A lovely bunch of South Devon heifers
TEN YEARS OF BUILDING A WINE BUSINESS IN SUSSEX
This month, Nigel Akehurst visited Everflyht Vineyard in Ditchling, East Sussex, to meet general manager and viticulturist Luke Spalding and owners Ben and Sam Ellis and learn more about their regenerative approach as they mark 10 years since planting with the launch of a new Charmat-method sparkling wine.
VINEYARD SHAPED BY THE LAND
There is a growing sense that how vineyards are managed is starting to matter as much as what they produce. At Everflyht in Sussex, that thinking runs through the whole site, from how water moves across the land to how soils are built and crops are grown.
Ten years on from their initial planting, Everflyht will be marking the milestone with the launch of a new Charmat-method sparkling wine, Wylde. It reflects a business still evolving, shaped by close observation,
a willingness to adapt and a long-term focus on looking after the ground it sits on. It is an approach that sits comfortably alongside their internal mantra, “never settle”.
From the bottom of the site, the vineyard rises in a long sweep towards the South Downs. It is an impressive setting, but not an obvious one. Much of the vineyard lies on heavy clay. Water runs off the Downs, parts of the site can become waterlogged, and spring frost remains a constant threat in the lowerlying pockets of the site.
On paper, it is not the sort of ground that
should make life easy for vines, yet a decade on, Everflyht has grown into a distinctive Sussex wine business, built as much on careful systems and long-term thinking as on the landscape itself.
When I visited, the vines were just beginning to move after a long winter. There was still a sharpness in the air, but the season was starting to shift. Budburst was underway, and with it came the familiar risk of spring frost, the reason candles were already being deployed across the vineyard. Everything felt poised.
BUILDING THE VINEYARD
Luke Spalding, now General Manager at Everflyht and previously part of the team at Ridgeview, did not come into the industry through a traditional farming background. He worked first in magazine publishing then moved into wine merchants, studied wine in London and eventually found his way into viticulture through working on the job with Matt Struggnell and completing his Masters Degree at Plumpton. “I got the bug,” he said. “I started learning more and then just kept going.”
Luke began consulting here in 2018 after first meeting Ben and Sam Ellis in the local pub, The Bull in Ditchling, that sits half way between Ridgeview and Everflyht, before joining full time in 2019. By then the vineyard had already been planted, VineWorks having established and managed it through the early years, but the business was still finding its shape.
for practical reasons, but also because the business was becoming more defined. Everflyht, with its stronger sense of place and identity, suited what they were trying to build.
The name itself is drawn from the six martlets featured on the Sussex crest; these are birds said never to land, symbolising knowledge, adventure and learning. ‘Ever in flight’, they reflect the approach here, a business shaped by constant adaptation, innovation and a determination, as they put it, to never settle.
• Viticulture: Regenerative approach focused on building soil organic matter and long-term resilience
• Team: One full-time member of staff (Luke Spalding) and four part-time staff
• Wines: Single-estate traditional method sparkling wines under the Everflyht brand
• New release: Wylde Charmat-method sparkling launched spring 2026
• Cellar door: Open every weekend from April to end of September
At first it was known as Chalk House vineyard. That name changed in 2020, partly >>
That journey began with Ben and Sam Ellis, who come from a property development background and started thinking seriously about vines after a family trip abroad more than a decade ago. Ben continues to run the day-to-day property business, while Sam is more closely involved in the events and hospitality development. The venture has been privately funded from the outset, with no external debt, allowing a longer-term view as the vineyard has established.
• Sales channels: Wine club (12%), online shop (9%), cellar door (target 20%), trade including Berkmann (~50%) to export (9%).
Sam and Ben Ellis
NIGEL AKEHURST VISITS: EVERFLYHT VINEYARD
They bought the land, built the house and planted the vineyard in 2016. “It’s been a hard slog,” Luke said. “Covid-19, inflation, economic shocks, it hasn’t exactly been an easy ten years, but we are still growing above 20% year on year.”
GROWING INTO A BUSINESS
Before the launch of Wylde, production was around 15,000 bottles a year. It is now closer to 25,000, with further growth expected as younger plantings come fully into production. If output reaches between 25,000 and 30,000 litres, the vineyard is expected to become operationally sustainable this year.
The level of thought that has gone into how the site functions is striking. Water is one of the defining issues. The vineyard catches runoff from the Downs and, because of the clay, can quickly become waterlogged. Rather than fight that reality, the response has been to redesign around it. Ditches and field drains now run through the site, channeling water down towards the lowest point, where a pond has been dug.
“Three years after we put it in, we found an old map showing there had always been a pond there,” Luke said. “We’d basically recreated an old pond without knowing it.”
That approach, working with the site rather than trying to force it, runs through much of the operation. For growers working on heavier soils, it offers a practical example of how drainage and water management can be designed into the system, rather than treated as
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a problem to be corrected later.
Around three hectares have been given over to biodiversity, scrub, long grass, new tree planting, ponds and connected habitats.
Cover crops run through every other row, with rows rotated over time to allow extended rest periods. “We’re trying to get the soil working properly,” he said. “That’s where everything starts.” The shift reflects a wider move within viticulture towards reducing reliance on synthetic inputs and building resilience through soil function, something that is becoming increasingly relevant as input costs and climate pressures rise.
DATA, SOIL AND DECISION MAKING
Since 2019, insecticides have been removed. Fertiliser use has been reduced, with a greater emphasis on foliar feeds, biostimulants and soil-building inputs such as biochar, often combined with composts to increase biological activity and nutrient availability. The vineyard is monitored in close detail through soil, sap and crop analysis.
Luke has developed a detailed system for tracking performance, looking at pruning weights, crop loads, shoot fertility and likely wine destinations before harvest even starts. “It’s all vineyardfocused data,” he said. “But it absolutely shapes what happens later in the winery.”
It is a reminder that decisions made in the vineyard increasingly determine both yield and style, tightening the link between agronomy and the final product.
There is no winery on site. Fruit goes to Hambledon Vineyard in Hampshire, where Everflyht has been able to use its own tanks and barrels, giving more control over style than many contract-made wines. Clay vessels are also part of the set-up, adding another layer to the blends.
For all the technical detail, the approach is not ideological. The vineyard borrows from regenerative thinking, but Luke is clear that it is not organic. There is, however, a clear direction of travel, with an ambition to move away from glyphosate and towards mechanical under-vine cultivation, although the cost of the machinery remains prohibitive for now.
“I’ve got issues with organics in this country,” he said. “There’s the dependency on copper, there’s the economic risk, and there’s the reality of yields.”
A DIFFICULT YEAR AND A SHIFT IN DIRECTION
That matters in a system where margins for error can be tight. In 2024, the vineyard lost a significant proportion of its crop to downy mildew following heavy September rainfall, a moment that sharpened thinking.
It has influenced the direction of travel. The focus is now clearly on sparkling wine, and on building a range that can work across different markets and price points.
Wylde, launched this spring as part of the Everflyht ten-year milestone, is central to that shift. Made using the Charmat method, where the secondary fermentation happens in tank rather than in bottle, allows the wine to be brought to market quickly and at a more accessible price point, retailing at around £22 to £25 per bottle.
For growers and producers, it highlights the role alternative production methods can play in improving return on investment (ROI) and widening market access.
By contrast, Everflyht’s single-estate traditional method wines typically start from around £30, positioning them at the premium end of the English wine market.
Unlike the estate wines, Wylde is not single vineyard, with some fruit sourced from a nearby site in Shoreham called Harmony and built out with a proportion of Everflyht’s reserve wines to give the blend more depth and consistency. “It’s about broadening the appeal,” Luke said. “People’s disposable incomes are tighter. Hospitality is tough. We want more people to try English wine.”
Sam Ellis sees it in similar terms. “You don’t want sparkling wine to feel like it only belongs to special occasions,” she said. “It can just be something to enjoy.”
English wine still accounts for only around 2% of the domestic market, leaving significant room for growth.
SELLING WINE AND BUILDING CONNECTIONS
At the premium end, the traditional-method wines remain central. Quality is protected carefully. Nothing is rushed to market simply to generate income. Early on, Everflyht chose not to release wine before it was ready, instead holding stock back and building reserves. “We’ve never wanted to release a wine we wouldn’t want to drink ourselves,” Sam said.
Luke Spalding
NIGEL AKEHURST VISITS: EVERFLYHT VINEYARD
Hospitality is now an important part of the model. Tours and tastings are building steadily, the cellar door is open at weekends and a wine club offers members a closer connection to the vineyard.
Direct sales are becoming increasingly important. The ambition is to reach around 20% of sales through the cellar door, where margins are stronger than through trade. Around 12% of sales are now made through the wine club, with a further 9% through the online shop. Alongside this, around 30% of sales currently go through Berkmann Wine Cellars. The remainder is sold through a mix of direct trade relationships and hospitality accounts, giving a balanced spread across channels.
“You can’t expect someone to pay that kind of money for a bottle without understanding the story behind it,” Sam said.
The Ellis family have three daughters, aged between 18 and 23. The eldest now runs the business’s social media and all three have spent time helping out on the vineyard. Time spent working through Covid-19 may have put them off for now, but it is not something Ben and Sam have given up on.
RISK, RESILIENCE AND WHAT COMES NEXT
Frost remains one of the biggest threats. On cold spring nights, candles are laid out across the vineyard and lit through the early hours.
“On a bad frost night, you can be close to £10,000,” Luke said. “But if you don’t do it, you can lose half the crop.” That happened in 2022, when a single frost event halved yields in one block. And yet there is still a sense of momentum.
The vines are maturing. The team is established. The hospitality side is gaining traction. The brand feels clearer in what it is trying to do. Walking back through the rows, that felt like the real story. Everflyht is not just a vineyard in a good location; it is a working attempt to build a wine business rooted in the realities of land, labour, weather and market, while still creating something people want to be part of.
Ten years in, it still feels like work in progress. For others establishing vineyards in similarly challenging conditions, that process, rather than any single solution, may be the most relevant takeaway. But perhaps that is the point.
RURAL EDUCATION EXPERIENCE
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Hadlow College courses cover a wide range of horticultural subjects including garden design, gardening horticulture, food science and genetic engineering, amenity horticulture, fresh food produce and more.
Find out more at Hadlow College’s open evening on Wednesday 3 June. Pre-register at www.hadlow.ac.uk
GOING FOR GOLD AT CHELSEA
This May, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show once again provides a global stage for Hadlow College, as students and staff return with an exhibit that explores the relationship between mathematics and the natural world.
The College’s 2026 garden, titled The Magic Number, takes inspiration from the Fibonacci sequence, a numerical pattern found in nature. Seen in everything from seed heads to leaf arrangements, the sequence offers a framework for understanding why plants grow the way they do.
The garden will be located within the Grand Pavilion, adjacent to this year’s main show gardens.
Head gardener Ian Fleming, who devised the garden, said: “We want to demonstrate how everything follows a mathematical pattern, from the shapes in the garden’s design to the planting itself.”
The 7m x 5m garden has been under construction at Hadlow since January and is being built in modular sections before being
transported to London’s Royal Hospital, Chelsea. Around 4,000 plants will feature, many grown by students, with careful selection ensuring the display remains of a consistently high standard both for judging on day one and for visitors throughout the week-long show.
For students, there are many benefits. Alan Harvey, head of curriculum for horticulture and floristry, outlined the real-life experiences for students: “Firstly they have learnt the mathematical concepts behind the garden. They’re also working to deadlines, learning about plant development and
making decisions as a team.
“It’s not a classroom exercise, it is a live project from the initial brief through to the finished garden, at the most prestigious flower show in the world.”
Students from across different courses and levels have been involved, gaining experience in design and construction and in communicating with the public at the event.
Following a Bronze medal in 2024 and a Silver Gilt in 2025, expectations are high as Hadlow College returns to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, blending science, nature and education in a truly inspiring display.
Hadlow College is going for gold at Chelsea this year after being awarded a Silver Gilt medal in 2025
DRIVE YIELD WITH TARGETED T2s
As regulatory requirements continue to evolve, a collaborative team approach is proving increasingly valuable in helping farmers maintain compliance, improve efficiency and identify new funding opportunities.
Of all the main wheat fungicide timings, the flag leaf (GS 37-39) application delivers by far the greatest return, with the top two leaves typically contributing two-thirds of total yield. Protecting them for as long as possible in what is shaping up to be a high disease pressure season will take careful planning, writes James Short, agronomist and Hutchinsons regional director based out of Canterbury.
Septoria is typically the focus at T2, especially in wetter western and south western areas, but the spectre of yellow rust is a big unknown this year given the changes to YR15 resistance, potentially bringing rust to the fore in more crops beyond the usual higher risk eastern areas.
Monitoring crops closely and reacting to risk with a balanced strategy that tackles any disease already present and protects crops through to ear emergence, or beyond, is essential. This can be easier said than done if weather windows are limited and budgets are under pressure, but much has been invested to reach this stage, so return needs to be maximised.
PRIORITISE CHEMISTRY
Generally, the strongest chemistry should be reserved for T2, partly because of the yield response but also for resistance management. Doing things the other way around risks sensitising the population to strong chemistry at T1 while leaving less robust T2s struggling to deal with subsequent issues.
By the ‘strongest’ chemistry, we are not just thinking curative control. Longevity is crucial for later sprays, to protect key yieldbuilding leaves as long as possible. We are increasingly seeing more unsettled weather
into June and July, which adds to later disease pressure.
Longevity is achieved by selecting the most suitable product(s) for specific situations and disease pressures, using the correct dose and applying fungicides well.
In the highest septoria situations, pydiflumetofen and fenpicoxamid are two of the strongest actives available. Isoflucypram is more of an all-rounder for rust and septoria, but septoria control can be bolstered by using it with other chemistry, such as prothioconazole or fenpicoxamid. Alternatively, look to mixtures of fenpicoxamid with other rust-active chemistry to achieve balanced protection.
Given their rust activity and longevity, strobilurins have a valuable role at T2, if not already applied earlier in the programme. Equally, milling wheat growers concerned about brown rust may want to reserve a strobilurin for T3, although if pressure is high at T2, react to what is already there rather than risk disease getting established.
Folpet may be a useful addition in high septoria situations and, as a multisite, aids resistance management. Indeed, wherever possible, aim to bring different modes of action into the programme, as persisting with succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI)/azole mixes repeatedly will potentially cause challenges going forward.
OPTIMISE COVERAGE
Good coverage underpins fungicide efficacy but can be challenging in large biomass crops where sprays can struggle to penetrate down through the canopy.
This is particularly relevant for rust control, which, as a sporulating disease with a short lifecycle, can rapidly reinfect up the crop from any inoculum on lower leaves. This is unlike septoria, which is spread by rain splash, so risk can be reduced by maintaining a ‘buffer’ of clean leaves between the lower and upper canopy.
Pay attention to nozzle choice, forward speed, boom height and, crucially, water volume. Some growers look to reduce water volume to save time during busy periods, but this should not compromise coverage. Upping rates from 100 to 200 litres water/ha may be a step too far, but 150 litres/ha could be a good compromise in certain situations.
JAMES SHORT Agronomist T: 07721 567083 E: James.short@hlhltd.co.uk
Canterbury:
www.hutchinsons.co.uk
STEPHEN CARR
If you were wondering why diesel prices on your farm have risen so high over the past two months, I have a confession to make – it’s my fault.
Allow me to explain. Soon after the outbreak of the US and Israeli bombing of Iran and the near immediate closing of the Strait of Hormuz, various government spokespersons appeared on television and radio to declare that: “There is not a problem with UK diesel supplies provided consumers behave responsibly and do not change their buying behaviour.”
That, of course, was my cue immediately to ring up my farming co-operative and order enough red diesel, derv and heating oil to fill every tank on the farm to the brim. “But we can’t even give you a price,” pleaded the co-operative’s fuel department. “I don’t care,” I said coldly. “Just fill me up.”
Not satisfied with that, I put a lock (which only I have a key to) on the derv tank, with everyone on the farm instructed to buy road diesel from petrol station forecourts so that we would have some fuel for our Land Rovers should the worst happen and supplies of diesel run low or even run out.
So it is that all my diesel fuel storage tanks are now stuffed to the gunnels with fuel ordered when I had no idea how much it would cost me. Money is currently tight for all farmers, but why should I care whether the 20,000 litres of red diesel I have stashed away cost me 80ppl or 130ppl?
If there is a 50-acre field of hay in need of baling with a forecast of a storm, what is the value of having some diesel to put in a tractor then? And what does it matter whether the road diesel that I now have under special lock and key costs me £1.50 or £1.90 per litre if a lack of fuel means I can’t get my fat lambs to market?
But, of course, it’s not just the hoarding of diesel that has driven prices higher. Another factor has been the 30% decline in UK diesel refining that has been allowed to develop. Over the past 15 years, the UK has gone from being nearly self-sufficient in diesel to relying on imports from the Netherlands and the US for half its needs. So, should I apologise for my very, very full diesel tanks? I really don’t think so. I am just being prudent and establishing a strategic reserve, as best I can, to ensure that my farm has enough diesel. Something, it turns out, successive British governments have patently failed to do for the UK.
Precision Soil Sampling
Accurately
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.
IN CONJUNCTION WITH
APHIDS SEEM TO BE IN ABUNDANCE
By Jonny James, director and agronomist, CCC Agronomy – members of the Association of Independent Crop Consultants (AICC).
MAIZE
Favourable conditions through March and April have meant most spring crops have established well, with good seedbeds across the board. For most growers, maize remains the only crop left to establish.
The first few weeks of getting maize established is key to the crop’s success. It is always best to drill by conditions rather than calendar date. Optimum drilling time depends on soil conditions, temperature and moisture.
As a rule of thumb, soil temperature wants to be 10°C at 10 centimetres and warming for four consecutive days. Typically, this occurs at the end of April to early May on the south coast, but lighter soils warm up earlier, so there may be a chance to get in early on these soil types if conditions allow.
As with any crop, getting the seed into moisture is key. While often drilled at four to five centimetres, maize will tolerate depths of up to 10 centimetres if needed. This will help to reduce rook damage, too, but ensure soils are warm enough for this. Moisture conservation could be key this year, so don’t be afraid to roll soil, but make sure tyre pressures are low and keep wheelings to a minimum.
Seedbed nutrition is essential to early vigour; placing phosphate and nitrogen down with the drill is the best way to get crops established quickly, improve rooting and increase the speed at which the maize meets
within the rows to reduce weed competition. The plant does not need the rest of its nitrogen until it gets to about eight leaves, but late applied nitrogen will likely scorch the crop, so it’s important to get it on by three leaves.
Many farms often overlook pre-emergence sprays, but early weed competition can reduce yield significantly. A pre-emergence application is the foundation of good weed control, especially if moisture is present.
An application of Pendimethalin, or in some circumstances Pendimethalin plus Dimethenamid-P, will be essential to keep the weed burden under control. If there is little moisture at planting, then an early post-emergence spray will likely be the best option. Weed control wants to be wrapped up by the eight-leaf stage to reduce the likelihood of any crop damage.
PEAS
Aphids seem to be in abundance this spring, which could put peas under a lot of pressure with viruses. It is important to monitor crops as soon as they have emerged and treat when necessary.
The three main aphids that transmit virus to peas are pea aphids, Myzus Perscae and black bean aphids. With the increase in cover crops and legume fallow, there are now many hosts, increasing potential pressure. Pea enation mosaic virus, spread by the pea
CCC AGRONOMY
Chichester Crop Consultancy is a farmer member-run co-operative agronomy service that aims to deliver truly independent, research/ science-led agronomy advice with no commercial bias and now covers the South of England.
CCC works closely with Crop Advisors, which supplies independent group purchasing on crop inputs as well as sourcing cover crop/environmental scheme seed mixes.
aphid, is one of the most prevalent viruses in peas, and early infection will lead to huge yield losses.
Pea aphids will host on other legumes, including clover and lucerne, so removing these where possible will remove the green bridge gap. Turnip yellow virus is becoming regularly detected too; this is typically spread by Myzus Perscae, often found in oilseed rape or potatoes, so monitoring local populations in other crops will help give a heads up on potential problems.
Where margins on many break crops are tight, and weather conditions out of our hands, ensuring good establishment and keeping plants healthy is essential to maintaining positive gross margins.
Jonny James
ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE
By
NFU West Sussex council representative Caroline Harriott, who is also an NFU Farmers for Schools ambassador, a director of Arun to Adur (A2) farm cluster group, chair of Chichester Young Farmers’ Club advisory group and A2A group representative on the South Downs National Park Farming in Protected Landscapes panel. The family farming business, based at Arundel, consists of a 180-cow dairy unit and beef, sheep and arable enterprises on mainly tenanted land.
Monty Python’s “Always look on the bright side of life” is the inspiration for the start of this month’s column.
April lambing has been a dream, ably assisted by my daughter Gemma, back from university for the Easter holidays. Even the brief spells of hailstones and strong winds didn’t dampen our spirits while lambing outside, and with the grass growing simultaneously with the lambs, it is a joy to do the daily checking on the quad bike with my patient labrador Gini aboard.
On my trip around, I occasionally stop and listen to the farmland birds. This morning the sedge warbler, skylarks, reed warbler and reed bunting, and common chiff chaff were a joy to behold. Along with seeing the little and cattle egrets in amongst the cattle on the Arundel brooks, my job is a pleasure, and I am delighted that lapwings have again returned and are nesting.
So that’s the beautiful, bright side of my life!
The ugly side currently consists of livestock worrying incidents, especially ongoing attacks near Horsham over the past month. Sheep are being killed and severely injured, ewes are giving birth to stillborn lambs and, most recently, a beloved alpaca did not survive its overnight injuries. This has been devastating for a number of holdings, emotionally, physically and financially.
I was hoping that the Dogs Act 2025 (Protection of Livestock Amendment), which came into effect last month, would strengthen protections for livestock against dog attacks. Unfortunately, the area where the offending dogs are thought to live is a large residential site which is proving difficult for the rural crime team to enter in order to locate them. These incidents have been a priority for the West Sussex Rural Crime team; while I appreciate the delicate nature of the situation, communication and collaboration need to increase for a speedier and more effective resolution.
Working with local farmers is fantastic, and to get Worthing Labour MP Tom Rutland to visit the Grantham family’s lambing barn at Old Erringham Farm in Shoreham-by-Sea was really important to show how the use of rubber rings in tailing and castrating lambs is a welfare aid for so many reasons if used within seven days of the lambs being born. Thank you to all of you who responded to the consultation and fingers crossed common sense prevails and we are
allowed to continue using rings.
In other farming departments, calving is going well at the dairy but the 25% cut in milk price, along with the global volatility causing the fuel and fertiliser price increases, are serious challenges. The prolonged effects make it difficult for farmers to plan for cropping this autumn. On the positive side, our spring barley has germinated well, beef and sheep prices have held up and to end how I started, “always look on the bright side of life”!
NFU county advisor Josh Redford, Tom Rutland MP and Caroline Harriott
BUYING GROUP
FRIENDLY AND KNOWLEDGEABLE
“It would have to be a very unusual question to come as a surprise to any of us,” was the unexpected response from Southern Farmers’ Abi Sommerville when asked about any out-of-theordinary requests the purchasing team had handled recently.
“We are used to our members calling in with all sorts of unusual requests; sometimes they ring with an enquiry about the price of something they are thinking of buying for a project a few months down the line but go on to talk about all sorts of things,” she said.
Purchasing team leader Rosie Wickham agreed. “We are used to being a listening ear for our members. I guess when you sit on a tractor on your own all day it’s good to chat to someone.”
That friendly and knowledgeable approach is a vital part of the Southern Farmers makeup. As a buying group that now boasts 1,200 members, its fundamental role is to help members benefit from lower prices thanks to the group’s buying power, but that’s just one of the benefits.
Every one of the purchasing team comes from a farming background, which means there is plenty of experience on hand. “If someone comes on the line with a question about the best way to do something or the best product for a particular task, it’s a fair bet that one of us will have researched the answer in the past,” said Abi.
And despite her original response to the question, she did recall one particularly unusual request recently made of the 13-strong team, based at Windmill Farm, Rolvenden in Kent.
“I answered a call from a member who wanted help finding a home for ‘an old and lonely alpaca’,” she recalled, adding: “I
passed the call on to Brigitte, who managed to find another member of the group who was able to give the elderly animal a new home.”
Brigitte Fifield is managing director of Southern Farmers, which offers members the chance of savings on “almost everything a farmer could possibly need except groceries”.
A comprehensive range of suppliers allows members to benefit from specially negotiated prices on everything from building materials and agri-chemicals to farm equipment, aggregates, fuel oil, feed and fertilisers, lubricants, tyres, veterinary products, electricity, mobile phone contracts, solar PV systems and machinery.
The buying team’s wide-ranging experience also means that they are quick to point out any gaps in a member’s shopping list. “If a farmer gives us a list of materials for a particular project, we are often able to suggest something that they seem to have forgotten,” explained Rosie. “Alternatively, we can advise on what they might need if they just explain what it is they are intending to do.”
Many members welcome the fact that they don’t have to spend their day ringing around different suppliers to check out prices as the Southern Farmers purchasing team has already done the work for them. “They tell us it’s like having their own personal assistant to chase up the best deals,” said Rosie.
For a larger project, such as a new building, the time saving can be considerable. “Members know they will save time and money by asking the purchasing team to quote on their larger projects instead of calling suppliers themselves,” Rosie added.
Another major benefit that members enjoy is having to settle just one monthly invoice, cross-referenced to all the suppliers’
invoices to make reconciliation simple, while a recently introduced state-of-the-art accounting system has made integration with members’ own systems easier than ever. It adds up to a number of add-ons that go well beyond the basic benefit of being able to lock in prices that have already been negotiated by the skilled and experienced purchasing team.
Every new member of Southern Farmers receives a visit from one of the directors, while member liaison specialist Abi Sommerville is able to provide further information and support to members who are keen to find out more about the opportunities on offer. The board is headed up by chair Lee Maitland, who takes a keen, active and supportive interest in everything that happens.
There is currently a team of nine directors, with Peter Carnaghan from Standean adding another younger face to the team and providing a local contact to members living in the South Downs area of East Sussex. A long-standing member himself, he takes advantage of the group’s buying power for electricity, among other things.
The group is now looking to recruit a new director for the east of the area in order to keep up with the number of new members joining Southern Farmers, mostly following recommendations from satisfied customers.
Another new member of the accounts team, which is ably led by Jan Dickerson, is Kate Pemberton, who has joined to cover maternity leave.
Alongside recommendations from satisfied members, Southern Farmers is keen to raise its profile by attending a wide range of farming events throughout the year, taking stands at the East Kent and Weald of Kent ploughing matches as well as at Farm Expo and the Vineyard & Winery Show.
This year it will also again have an important presence at the Dolphin Sheep Fair at the South of England Showground, Ardingly, and at the Dolphin Sheep Fair Ram Sale at Hailsham Market, both in September.
Southern Farmers signed up as the event sponsor in time to organise a number of trade stands in 2025, but with a whole year to
prepare for this event, Abi has worked hard to invite many more suppliers for this year’s show, broadening its appeal and raising more awareness of the buying group.
Southern Farmers members also benefit from impressive co-operation between five different buying groups from across the country. “Each group tends to have
particular areas of expertise where they have negotiated a good deal for their members,” explained Brigitte.
“By working together, we can share those deals with more farmers while also providing the suppliers with a broader customer base. We get together twice a year and discuss how we can work together for all our members.”
Many members are currently benefiting from lower electricity prices, thanks to a two-year fixed deal which lasts until September.
With diesel and kerosene prices currently volatile, Rosie pointed out that on occasions the group has advised a member not to fill up their derv tanks because it was not in their best interests. “The bulk rate tends to react more quickly to world events and can be higher than the price at the pumps,” she explained. “It can sometimes be cheaper to use a fuel card at a service station, and we will always give members our best advice, even if it means we don’t get the business.”
Members pay £150 a year to join Southern Farmers, following the first rise since 2009, plus an admin fee on invoices. Calculations show that spending more than £5,000 a year will ensure a member saves money.
“There aren’t many farmers who don’t spend £5,000 on goods and services in a year, and for many of our members the benefits go well beyond the cash savings,” said Brigitte. “The single invoice, helpful telephone advice and the huge amount of time farmers can save by not having to phone umpteen suppliers for quotes is just as important for many.”
Current best-sellers include aggregates and top soil, plus forage products like baler twine and netwrap, while the services on offer include training courses which can be arranged at Southern Farmers’ Rolvenden base or on farm.
Members receive one email a week – on a Friday – to alert them to special offers and updates on availability, along with other issues that they might find useful. “It’s all about keeping members informed and making life easier for them,” said Brigitte.
With vaccine availability currently poor, the emphasis is not so much on cost savings as on making sure members can get what they need, a task that is one of Abi’s priorities.
“Our aim is always to get the best price, but beyond that we work hard to make sure our members can get what they need, particularly with things like vaccines and fertiliser, where supplies can run short. It’s another area where being part of a group like Southern Farmers can pay dividends,” said Brigitte.
Those dividends are currently enjoyed by a broad range of farming businesses across the South East, from smallholders to fruit growers and from beef, sheep and arable farmers to vineyards. There’s something for everyone – and usually at a good price.
Brigitte Fifield
Abi Sommerville
Jan Dickerson
Kate Pemberton
Rosie Wickham
Lee Maitland
BUYING GROUP
A YOUNGER PERSPECTIVE
At just 37, tenant farmer Peter Carnaghan has boosted Southern Farmers’ efforts to add a younger perspective to the board of directors.
Along with father Tim Carnaghan and step-mother Jane, Peter farms a total of 2,500 acres of beef, sheep and arable land, made up of four different tenancies and a contract farming agreement.
He was invited to consider joining the board by long-serving Southern Farmers director Nick Henry, who is president of Hurstpierpoint Ploughing Match Committee, on which Peter also serves. “He said they were looking for younger people, and I’ve never been very good at saying ‘no’,” Peter
said. “I agreed I would be happy to stand and then the board backed Nick’s suggestion and invited me to join.”
The Carnaghans were already keen members of Southern Farmers so they were aware of the many benefits of being part of the buying group. “I want to play my part in helping it keep up the good work,” said Peter.
“Southern Farmers is a useful tool and helps farmers save money, and anything that keeps us from being grumpy has to be a good thing,” he added.
“Different people use it for different reasons,” he commented. “One farmer loves it because it means he has an account virtually everywhere and doesn’t have to worry about keeping all his receipts. Others like the fact that they get one bill at the end of the month.”
Peter is also impressed that as Southern Farmers is a reliable bill payer, it is trusted by suppliers, which rubs off on the way members of the group are treated.
“I recently bought a new sprayer, which meant talking to a different company about maintenance,” he recalled. “Initially I was told I would have to open an account or pay up front, but as soon as I mentioned Southern Farmers I was treated as a trusted customer and they were happy to do the work.”
Given how many electricity meters the Carnaghans have across their five different holdings, it is not surprising that the main product Peter uses Southern Farmers for is electricity. “I get one bill for all those different meters and I know I’m getting the best price,” he said.
Peter Carnaghan
Southern Farmers Ltd.
OVER 450 SUPPLIERS
1st Choice Concrete
4Xtra Hands Ltd
A B Components Ltd
A J Muggridge
A2 Tyre Supplies Ltd
Access Irrigation Ltd
Acorn Plant & Tool Hire Ltd
ACT Wessex Animal Health Ltd
ADM Agricultural Ltd
Agri Cycle Ltd (AKES)
Agri Lloyd
Agri Parts & Accessories Ltd
Agricare Ltd
Agriemach Ltd
Agrifactors (Southern) Ltd
Agrii
Agri-Linc Limited
Agrovista (UK) Ltd
AHS (Southeast) Ltd (Animal Health)
AHS Ltd (Amenity Horticultural Supplies)
Aintree Concrete Pumping
Air Liquide UK Ltd
Air Products Plc
Allbits Plumbing Supplies Ltd
Allstar Hydraulics Ltd
Alltype Hose & Couplings Ltd
Alsford Timber
AMP Clean Energy
Andrews Sykes Ltd
Andy Vater Transport
Antifriction T/A BRT Industrial
APH Agricultural Plant Hire Ltd
APM Agriplant
Arkas Ltd
Artwrite (Hythe) Ltd
Ashford Flexible Hose
Associated Asphalt Materials Ltd
Astwell Augers Ltd
Austin Contract Services Ltd
B & W Feeds (Mobile) Ltd
B J Mammone & Partners
B2Mobility (BP Fuel Cards)
Barkers Animal Health Ltd
Barnshaw Pet Crematorium Ltd
Barretts of Ashford
Bartholomews Agri Food Ltd
Battle Mowers Ltd
Bearing Warehouse Ltd
Bearings & Belts Ltd
BeBa Energy UK Ltd
Bell Agricultural Ltd
Beshaw Tyres Ltd
BFS (Billericay Fertiliser Services)
Biffa Waste Services Ltd
BLM Building Supplies
BOC Gases
Bodle Bros Ltd
Borough Green Sand Pits
Boston Crop Sprayers Ltd
Boston Seeds Ltd
Bowser Supply
Brandon Hire Station
Brattonsound Engineering Ltd
Brett Aggregates Ltd
Brett Concrete Ltd
Bright Maize Ltd
Bright Seeds
Brocks Wheel & Tyre
BSS Group Ltd
BTL-UK Ltd
Building Equipment Supplies Ltd
Call 2 Hire Ltd
Capital Cleaning (Kent) Ltd
Capital Electric Wholesale Ltd
Cargostore Worldwide Trading Ltd
CCM Electrical Service
CDS Labour (Agriculture) Ltd
CEMEX UK Materials Ltd
Chalk Down Lime Ltd
Challenge Fencing Ltd
Charity Farm
Chris Potter Country Sports Ltd
City Electrical Factors Ltd
City Plumbing Ltd
Civils Stores Ltd
Claas Manns
Cleansing Service Group Ltd
Clubb Concrete Ltd
Clubb Sand & Gravel Ltd
COFCO International UK Limited
Collins Nets Ltd
Command Pest Control Ltd
Comm-Tech Voice & Data Ltd
Control Tech Ltd
Coppard Plant Hire Ltd
Cotswold Seeds Ltd
Countrystore Direct
Countrystyle Recycling Ltd
CPL Distribution (Coal deliveries)
Crawfords Ltd
Croft Lubricants
CROPCO Limited
Curd Brothers
Curtis & Shaw (Sussex) Ltd
Cuxton Metals /Bradfords Batteries
CYO Seeds Ltd
D & H Direct Ltd
Dalton Tags (Countryside Serv)
David Cover & Son Limited
David Linch Agricultural Eng
Day Group Ltd
Deferred account Agrii
Denis Brinicombe Group Ltd
Dewbys Hydraulics
DFL Landscaping Supplies
Diplock Fuel Injection Services Ltd
Dr Ram
Dulux Decorator Centres
E O Culverwell Ltd
E W King & Co Ltd
Earlswood Supplies
East Kent Components (Ashford) Ltd
East Kent Recycling Ltd
Edmundson Electrical Ltd
Edward Lewis
Edwardes Bros (Dulwich) Ltd
Eldridges (Beaulieu Farm Ltd)
Eltham Welding Supplies Limited
Enduramaxx LLP
English Woodlands Limited
Erith Group Ltd
Ernest Doe & Sons Ltd
Euro Car Parts Ltd
European Metal Recycling Ltd
Europlant Rentals Ltd
Everflow Limited
Express Car Parts & Accessories
Eyre & Elliston
F. Edmed & Sons Limited
Fairfield Supplies Ltd
Fairview Veterinary Retail Ltd
Fairview Veterinary Trading Ltd
Farm XS Ltd
Farmacy.co.uk
Farmworld Hydraulics Limited
Farol Ltd
Ferns Aggregates
FGS Agri Ltd
FGS Plant Ltd
Fire Industrial & Retail Equipment
Fixings Warehouse
Flogas UK Ltd
Focus Group
Ford Parts Plus
ForFarmers UK Limited
Four Jays Group
FP McCann Ltd
Framtrade Ltd
Frontier Agriculture Ltd
FSF Fencing Supplies Ltd
FTH Hire Group
Fuel Oils Holdings Ltd
Fuelmate Limited
Gallagher Aggregates Ltd
Gamebore Cartridge Company Ltd
Gap Ltd
Gardenscape Direct Ltd
Gatley's Country Stores & Pet Shops
Gaza Timber
Genus Breeding Ltd
Geoff Boorman Fuels (NWF Fuels Ltd)
George J Goff Ltd
Glass Services Ltd
GNHQ Merchants
Godfreys (Sevenoaks)
Goldcrest Oil Limited
Graham (UK Plumbing Supplies Ltd)
Green Box Recycling Kent Ltd
Green Counties Vets Ltd
Greenham Trading Ltd
Greenshields JCB Ltd
Groombridge Sussex Ltd
Groundscare & General Services Ltd
GSE Plant Ltd
GSF Car parts (Ashford)
GTAccess
Guy Grimston Contractors
H L Hutchinson Ltd & Produce Packag
H S Jackson & Son (Fencing) Ltd
Hailsham Roadway Construction Ltd
Hansa-Flex UK Ltd
Hardy Roofing Supplies
Haulaway Ltd
Haynes Agricultural (Kent) Ltd
Haynes Brothers Ltd
HE Service s(Plant Hire) Ltd
Heathfield Hire
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Heygate & Sons Ltd
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Homeleigh Timber & Building Supplies
HOP Engineering (Kent) Ltd
Horsepower UK Ltd
HSS Hire Service Group Ltd
Huck Nets (UK) Ltd
Hugh Page(Sussex) Ltd
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Hydraquip
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I S & G Steel Stockholders Ltd
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IMS
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Jayar Car Parts
Jennychem Limited
Jewson Limited
John Bourne & Co
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John Page Trailers
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JP Concrete Products Ltd
JS Fire Protection Ltd
K B Rewinds
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Kew Electrical Distributors Ltd
Keyline Civils Specialist
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Lakeside Oils Ltd (T/A Fusion Fuels)
Lamberhurst Engineering Kent Ltd
Lamberhurst Engineering Limited
Lawsons (Whetstone) Ltd
LBS Worldwide Ltd
LCP Engineering Co Ltd
Lenco Motor Spares Ltd
Lillico & Son Ltd
Lime Logistics Ltd
Lister Wilder Ltd
Littlewood Fencing Ltd
London Bearings (Kent) Ltd
M D J Light Brothers SP Ltd
Macey Industrial Fixings
Magnet Ltd
Mark Luck Ltd
Martello Plant & Tool Hire
Martin Lishman Ltd
Martins of Hawkhurst Ltd
Maskell Heating Services
MBE Fasteners
McVeigh Parker & Co Ltd
Micro Machine Hire
Mid Downs Farm Vets
Mid Kent Training
Mid Sussex Timber Co Ltd
Mid-Hants Ltd
MKM Building Supplies Ltd
Mobitech Lift Trucks
Mole Country Stores
Mole Valley Feed Solutions
Moles Seeds (UK) Ltd
Motor Parts Direct Ltd
MTS Cleansing Services Ltd
N P Seymour
Negus Chase Ltd
Newton & Frost Fencing Ltd
Nickerson Limagrain UK Ltd
North Street Garage Ltd
Northwood Forestry Limited
Novagas (LPG) Ltd
NPower Commercial Gas Ltd
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NWT Energy
O2 (UK)Ltd
Oakes Bros Ltd
Odds Timber
Offens Livestock Casualty Services
Oilfast Ltd
Butler Fuels
BWOC Ltd (T/A Lynx Fuels)
C Brewer & Sons Ltd
Fargro Ltd
Farm & Stable Supplies
Farm Waste Solutions Limited
IQ Builders Merchant
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J E Marchant Welding Supplies
Oliver Agriculture Ltd
Omni Recycled Materials Limited
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Online Lubricants Ltd
Openfield Agriculture Ltd
Origin UK Operations Ltd
Osmonds (Transport & Planing)
Otford Builders Merchants Ltd
Ovenden Plant Hire Ltd
Ovenden Tipper Services Ltd
P H Kellett
Pace Fuelcare Ltd
Pan Anglia (Country Merchants) Ltd
Parker Building/Chandlers/SPS
Parker Steel Ltd
PBSL Group Ltd
Phase Electrical Distributors Ltd
Phoenix Contracts Ltd
Pirtek (Kent) Ltd
PJ Products Ltd
Plantex
Plastech (Southern) Ltd
Platts Agriculture Ltd
Plumbase Ltd
Pountney Tyres
Pressure Clean Ltd
Procam
Promar International Ltd
PS Autoparts Ltd
PTS Plumbing Trade Supplies Ltd
Pyrotec Fire Protection
Quality Liquid Feeds
Quality Services Hygiene Supps Ltd
R French & Son Ltd
R J Deeprose
Raven Roofing & Building Ltd
RAW Ltd (Recycling Aggregate Waste)
Ready Mix Specialists Limited
Reco Readymix Ltd
Redhill Bearings (SE) Ltd
Regent Electrical Distributors
Rexel UK Ltd
RGH Supplies Ltd
RLG Tyres
Robert Softley
Robert Wraight Ltd
Roberts Country Vehicles Ltd
Robins of Herstmonceux (HSBC)
Roman Concrete
Rose Gas
Rother Valley Timber Ltd
Rouden Pipetek (Sittingbourne)
Roxan (Datamars Agri UK Ltd)
Rubix
Rumen Supplies Ltd
Rye Oil Ltd
S & P Printing
S J Playfoot
S W Mowers Ltd
S W Yorke and Sons Ltd
Salacia Group Ltd
Scott Parnell Ltd (Rouden Civils)
SCS Spreader & Sprayer Testing Ltd
Semex UK
Sencrop
SE Tyres (Southern Tyre Co Ltd)
SGE Seal Limited
Shearwell Data Ltd
SIG Trading Ltd
Simpac
Site Equip Ltd
Siteright Construction Supplies Ltd
SJ Agri Ltd
SJR Hydraulics
Skelton Plant Hire Ltd
Slicker Recycling Ltd
South Coast Hydraulics Ltd
South East Farm Supplies
South East Landbased Training LLP
South Eastern Auto Electrical Services Ltd
Southern Components Group Ltd
Southern Counties Fuel Oil
Southern Energy
Southern Industrial Fasteners Ltd
Southern Sheeting Supplies
SPA Welding Supplies Ltd
Spaldings Agricultural Limited
Speedgate
Speedy Asset Services Ltd
Sprint Engineering & Lubricants Ltd
Stanley George
Staplehurst Tyres Ltd
Star Platforms Ltd
Starbrite Chemicals Ltd
Starlyne Feeds Ltd
Stationery Express UK Ltd
Sterling Industrial Doors
Steve Pack Agricultural Services
Stewart Brothers Concrete
StowAg
Straights Direct Ltd
STS Tyrepros Stapletons
Stuart Foord Fencing Supplies
Stuart J Daws & Co Ltd
SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK Ltd
Sultani Gas Limited
Sunbelt Rentals
Superior Glass Ltd
Sussex Guns
Sussex Tubes Fittings & Valves
Swale Aggregates Ltd
Swale Building Supplies Ltd
T Denne & Sons
T W Services
Tanks-UK Limited
Tarmac
Tate Fencing Team Flitwick
TELUS
Tennants Distribution Ltd
Thanet Tool Supplies
The Hose & Bearing Company Ltd
The Stores Dept
The Timber Group
Thomas Bell & Sons Ltd
Thomas Group Ltd
Thompson & Leigh
Tithebarn Ltd
T-Mex Express
Toms Tree Ties
Toolstation Ltd
Torry Hill Chestnut Fencing Ltd
Tozer Seeds Ltd
Trade Paints Ltd (LDM Group Ltd)
Trade UK / Screwfix / B&Q
Trafalgar Cleaning Equipment
Travis Perkins Trading Co Ltd
Treads of Hailsham Ltd
Trinity AgTech
Tructyre (Commercial Tyres)
Tsurumi Pumps UK Ltd
Tuckwells
Tunbridge Wells Fire Protection Ltd
Tyrefix Plant Tyres (UK) Ltd
UK Bunded Fuel Tanks Ltd (Weldsmart)
Viking Direct Limited
VJ Technology
Vodafone Ltd
W & H Marriage & Sons Ltd
W L Duffield & Sons Ltd
Wadhurst Coal
Watling Tyre Service Ltd
Watson Card Services
Watson Fuels
Webbs Ironmongery Stores
Wenban-Smith Ltd
Westbrook Agricultural Supplies Ltd
Westpoint Veterinary Group Ltd
Wightman & Parrish Ltd
Wilson Tarmac Surfacing Contractors
Windmill Feeds & Saddlery Ltd
Wolseley UK Ltd
Woods Concrete Pumps Southern Ltd
Wrenns Feeds
Wurth UK Ltd
Yara UK Limited
Yeowart Agricultural Ltd
Yesss Electrical
&
Permastore slurry storage
and
BUYING GROUP
SUPPORTING SHEEP FAIR
Linking up with the right sponsor for an event as important as the Dolphin Sheep Fair is vital, explained manager Rosie Russell from South East Marts at Hailsham Livestock Market.
“It is so important to have the backing of the right sponsor, one that reflects the interests of the farmers who will be there, and that’s why we are delighted that Southern Farmers is again supporting the sheep fair and the ram sale in September,” she commented.
The long-established Dolphin Sheep Fair, held at the South of England Showground
at Ardingly, is the largest in the South East, featuring shearling ewes, breeding ewes and ewe lambs, along with store lambs.
When Southern Farmers took on the sponsorship of the event last year, the buying group arranged for a number of supplier businesses to bring stands to the event, something that it is planning to do on a much bigger scale this year.
“We are looking forward to the ‘shopping village’ expanding,” said Rosie. “We’ve had a few stands in past years but it’s a lot of work and it’s something Southern Farmers is more experienced at doing. It’s such a broad
organisation with a wide range of members and suppliers and is an ideal partner for us.
“Southern Farmers suppliers have a huge amount to offer visitors to the show, from fencing through to livestock products and beyond. The team at Southern Farmers is also great to work with, friendly and helpful; it all helps to make the event run smoothly.”
As well as the sheep fair at Ardingly on Thursday 17 September, which is set to feature between 5,000 and 6,000 breeding sheep, Southern Farmers is sponsoring the Dolphin Sheep Fair Ram Sale at Hailsham Market on Saturday 5 September.
SAVING CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME
When Kel Button joined premium competition livery business Cortium EQ as estate manager, he had an important priority.
“In my previous posts I had always signed up to a buying group as I know just how useful they are. When I came here, joining Southern Farmers was essentially the first thing I did,” he remarked.
Kel made the decision nine months ago and hasn’t looked back. “It’s a fantastic organisation,” he said. “It has proved so useful to the business in so many ways.
Asked what he used the buying group for, his answer was immediate. “Pretty much everything,” he said. “The business is so busy that we don’t have time to ring around for the best prices and so I really
appreciate the fact that the Southern Farmers team does all the legwork for me.
“We use the group for fertiliser, seed, aggregate, building supplies, fencing materials and more. I just make one phone call and tell them what I want and I know I’m going to get the best price.
“It also saves me a considerable amount of time. Everything comes through as one statement with invoices attached, so the accounts team here at the estate loves Southern Farmers as well.
“Everyone keeps asking why we didn’t do this before. Sometimes they forget and ask me to ring around and find the best price for something. I just tell them that I’ll ring Southern Farmers.”
AT ASHFORD MARKET
A SPRING OF TWO HALVES
The spring of 2026 has delivered one of the most remarkable finished hogget trades seen at Ashford Livestock Market in recent years. This has been underpinned by a unique convergence of seasonal demand and religious festivals, tightening national supplies and sustained retailer appetite. Market reports from late March through early April illustrate not only the strength of the trade but also its consistency across varying entry sizes and quality.
In early March, the trade was strong in relative terms but not quite enough for many expensive store lambs to make acceptable returns for their vendors. Finished hoggets averaged around £155 per head, with top prices reaching £180 per head. However, by mid-March, a ‘perfect storm’ of demand factors, particularly the alignment of the Ramadan festival period, Easter and a nationwide shortage of well-finished sheep in the preferred weight brackets, had taken hold. This early momentum laid the foundation for what would become a sustained period of exceptional pricing.
By late March, the market had accelerated further. On 24 March, hoggets topped at £226 per head, with an overall market average
JOHN ROSSITER
Reporting on the market at Ashford
T: 01233 502222
www.hobbsparker.co.uk
of £187 per head. Notably, over 75 pens exceeded the £200 mark, signalling a widespread elevation in price rather than isolated peaks. This surge was driven by both domestic and international influences; the conclusion of Ramadan, combined with the approach of Easter, created intense competition amongst buyers, particularly with supermarkets seeking to secure sufficient lamb supplies amid uncertainty over imports.
The following weeks confirmed that this was not a short-lived spike. Despite a significantly larger entry of over 3,200 hoggets on 31 March, the trade held firm, with averages around £180 per head and top prices reaching £225 per head. The ability of the market to absorb such volume without a notable drop in prices only highlighted the depth of demand. National sheep numbers were tightening, reinforcing confidence that the trade would remain strong in the short term.
Into early April, the market began to show subtle signs of easing, although values remained historically high and, in fact, we actually saw the highest standard quality quotation (SQQ) average ever recorded in Ashford at 414p/kg. While heavy hoggets saw a modest reduction of £5 to £10 per head compared to the previous week’s boom times, the overall tone remained highly positive. In particular, well finished, mid-weight sheep continued to command strong competition, reflecting buyer preference for specification-driven stock.
A key feature throughout the spring has been the consistent premium for quality. Best conformation hoggets have regularly exceeded 450p/ kg, with standout pens reaching as high as 500p/kg in late March. This highlights a two-tier market in which finish and specification are critical in maximising returns. Producers presenting well-bred, correctly finished sheep have been rewarded accordingly, while plainer or overfinished types have seen slightly more resistance.
Supply dynamics have also played a crucial role. Throughout March and April, a tight availability of finished hoggets nationwide became quite evident, with reduced throughput in all markets. This forecast a shortage for the next few weeks which, combined with a delayed influx of new-season lambs, will create a supply gap that should sustain prices for the rest of the season.
Looking beyond the ringside, wider industry data supports this firm trade. Deadweight pricing trends in Great Britain indicate strong underlying values for old-season lambs through the spring period. Although liveweight and deadweight markets operate differently, both reflect the same fundamental drivers of supply and demand.
In conclusion, the spring 2026 hogget trade at Ashford Livestock Market can be characterised as exceptional, both in terms of price levels and market resilience. A combination of seasonal demand peaks, reduced national supply and delayed new-season lamb availability has sustained values well above long-term averages. While some easing in the heaviest weights has been evident, the overall outlook through April remains firm. For South East producers, this spring has offered a valuable opportunity to capitalise on strong market conditions, particularly for those able to meet the increasingly precise requirements of modern buyers.
In Colchester we are seeing tremendous runs of cattle forward from many producers from Essex and surrounding counties, meeting a strong demand. Weight seems to be no issue, with many cattle over 700kg and up to 850kg plus. Top prices per head in the region of £3,000-plus are being seen regularly, with tremendous cattle being seen from regular vendors at the live market in Colchester.
As this report was being written, deadweight cattle prices were under pressure, putting the live ring price also under pressure, with the price now below 12 months ago, a concern bearing in mind the price of stores.
It is good to see that store cattle are maintaining very high levels for the time of year, and let us hope that the killing market prices recover to enable all producers to have a realistic return. There does seem to be a general shortage of quality beef throughout the country.
In the sheep market, the improved trade as reported last month continued throughout the period, boosted by the Easter trade for lamb and prices well above 12 months ago, particularly for old season lambs, which were generally short of requirements every week.
New season lambs were only coming forward in small numbers when this report was being written, but it has been a good start to the season, with lambs over £200 per head seen, up some £30 per head on the year. Let us hope the trade continues throughout the next few months; one concern is that the new season lambs are coming forward in small numbers, and reports are that the lambs are probably four to six weeks behind where the vendors would hope to be, caused by the difficult dry summer in 2025 followed by a wet spring, which meant slow growth of grass.
The cull ewe trade is again at exceptionally good levels throughout and more could easily be sold each week, with numbers throughout the country generally very short.
The pig market is still difficult, with supply exceeding demand, which is frustrating for producers who needed a good run following the difficult trade of three years ago.
Concerns are again being raised by arable farmers with regard
to the lack of rain causing dry seed beds for spring drilling and slow growth of spring-drilled crops. Winter-drilled crops generally look well but would benefit from moisture. Again, as this report was being written, land work was generally well ahead compared with 12 months ago but, as stated, the dry weather was causing concern.
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PUTTING THE CASE FOR THE NOT SO SIMPLE SHEEP
The old adage “to follow like sheep”, based on the fact that sheep display flocking behaviour, is frequently used in a disparaging way to describe individuals or groups that simply follow in a nonquestioning, non-thinking sort of way, which sadly gives rise to the perception that sheep are rather unintelligent, a notion that has been the downfall of many novice sheep keepers. It’s an assumption that does our sheep a great injustice and ignores the fact that group cohesion is, for a prey species, a key survival mechanism.
As anybody who really understands sheep will know, they may be awkward, contrary, stubborn and predictably unpredictable, and may occasionally do things that appear irrational (although often triggered by something that we have inadvertently done), but by no means are sheep unintelligent. Surprisingly, there has been quite a lot of research into the cognitive ability of sheep. One notable observation that often arises is that sheep, particularly in terms of recognition and recall, are on a par with some of the (non-human) primates, although experience tells me that there are some amongst us that leave this area open to debate. Sheep have the capacity to recognise around 50 different faces, whether they be other sheep or humans; interestingly this approximates to the normal flock sizes of populations of wild antecedents of our domesticated sheep, and so is probably rather more than coincidence
On a practical level, an understanding of group dynamics of our sheep can help to
ALAN WEST Sheep farmer
optimise management. For example, housed sheep are the most relaxed when they are penned in groups of 30 to 50 ewes; being able to recognise all of their pen mates provides a degree of social comfort, fewer negative interactions and a significantly lower level of background activity. They are more settled, making it somewhat easier to spot uncharacteristic behaviour, such as the early signs of lambing. As an aside, our own ability to recognise not so much individual sheep faces but facial expressions can assist in the identification of problems; as a prey species, sheep are good at hiding overt signs of pain as demonstration of weakness immediately identifies one as a potential target for predation. What they cannot do quite so easily is hide signs of pain that show in their face. There has been some good work done on using the facial signals of sheep to recognise pain and indicate a problem, and there are some good, simple-to-follow guidelines available.
Sheep are extraordinarily more complex animals than most recognise, both as individuals with their own personalities and as members of a socially complex group demonstrating all sorts of interactions between both individuals and groups of individuals within the flock, the latter rather more noticeable in flocks that are selfreplacing. The formation of strong maternal bonds at lambing is an important aspect of lamb survivability and performance, but those bonds are carried forward in life, particularly with the more maternal breeds, so that family groupings, e.g. mothers, daughters etc., develop in flocks.
In any flock there will be sheep that demonstrate a range of personality traits; from reserved, possibly reticent sheep,
to the more confident, bossy, inquisitive, mischievous, defiant, self-contained, gregarious, etc., all giving rise to a strong and complex social hierarchy which is reflected in individual and group behaviour at critical times, particularly where feed is involved. When at grass with plenty of space, this has little impact, although dominant ewes may push quieter members off favoured grazing spots and may also ‘stand guard’ over feed licks and blocks, but when sheep are receiving hard feed, particularly if trough fed, any competition for trough space will severely disadvantage shyer flock members in a way that may, in turn, have an impact on performance which, potentially, can result in good sheep being culled for sub-optimal performance, simply because there has been insufficient trough space. Even at lambing time, in crowded yards more dominant ewes will readily occupy favoured lambing positions, pushing quieter ewes into less favourable spots.
The complexities of sheep behaviour are intensified by the sheep’s ability to learn and adapt to new situations, a capacity that is somewhat enhanced when there is food involved. New behaviours once learned are not being readily forgotten; sadly, this is not limited to good habits. That said, it is a facility that we are able to employ to our advantage. As sheep systems are cyclical by nature, flock members, once trained, will
LAMBINGS AND CALVINGS
It has been another exciting spring. We have assisted farmers with lots of lambings and calvings when things became a bit tricky. I have helped with goat triplets that got tangled up on the way out and a couple of sheep with ring-wombs that needed a c-section. I hope calving and lambing has gone smoothly for everyone; at least the weather has been kind to us.
The first few days of life are also a common time for issues. I have dripped calves with scours to help rehydrate them and they bounce back quite quickly. It just shows the importance of maintaining hydration during a scour outbreak. Electrolytes, either in milk or water, are great for this.
We have also visited lots of lambing sheds to troubleshoot problems like joint ill or watery mouth. The dry weather has really taken the pressure off a lot of people but it is still good to maintain best practices, such as disinfecting ear taggers before use and keeping the ear tags in a sealed clean bag. It’s important to find ways to maintain good hygiene in the lambing shed even as the sheep are lambing thick and fast.
Summer is approaching and some have already started cutting silage. While you are cutting and baling, we will be getting on our bikes to fundraise for Jamie’s Farm, a great charity that provides farm residential stays for young people to help their wellbeing while having a chance to learn about farming and the environment.
Our team will be cycling 60 km from the North Downs to the sea to fundraise. Please look on our socials for a link to the Just Giving page or visit www.justgiving.com/team/cliffe-vets-jamies-farm to donate. All donations are very much appreciated while we get stuck into training.
There is lots of information on the charity’s website if you would like to learn more about the great work it does. See www.jamiesfarm.org.uk
Cliffe Veterinary Group
T: 01273 473232
E: farmenquiries@cliffevets.co.uk
remember from year to year, making life somewhat easier, particularly in closed flocks; retained ewe lambs joining a flock as tegs often retain a memory of parts of a system and slot readily into a routine, aided by a bit of guidance from mum.
Even play is an important aspect of a lamb’s development and signals to the shepherd that the lambs are happy, or is, in research jargon, “an indicator of a positive emotional state”; simply by taking the time to observe, we can begin to identify individual personalities and differences, with some lambs regularly assuming a more dominant role in play which, for those that show sheep, can help identify those lambs that show a greater level of the self-confidence required to present themselves well in the show ring.
So does all this matter or is it all just a load of anthropomorphic nonsense, wokeism gone mad? Of course it matters. Regarding a flock as an amorphous mass reduces them to simple units of production, taking us down the same route as intensive pig and poultry production. There is nothing wrong with recognising sheep as individuals; this doesn’t mean treating them as individuals, but gives us a fuller understanding of their behaviour and an appreciation of why they do what they do, with the added bonus of providing some insights into the fact that how we manage and handle our sheep impacts behaviour. Temple Gandin’s approach to sheep handling and the design of handling systems provides an excellent example of this; why work harder when you can work smarter? It is also worth
remembering that sheep are good followers; they don’t always have to be driven. As an additional benefit, simply being able to demonstrate a greater understanding of our sheep offers reassurance to consumers, who are becoming increasingly concerned about how we keep and manage our sheep.
LEONILLE GRIFFITHS BVSC MRCVS
ADVICE FROM THE VET
The costs of keeping a breeding bull on farm are often overlooked, but winter feed, bedding, summer grazing, depreciation and fixed farm costs are estimated to add up to more than £2,000 a year, while the cost of a replacement bull can be significant.
It is essential, therefore, that breeding bulls are productive and work for many years to improve profitability by reducing the bull cost per calf produced.
• The average age of bull culling is less than six years, with an in-work lifespan of four years. Target to sire the maximum number of calves to reduce depreciation costs.
• To achieve targets and a compact calving period, bulls need to be fit (good body condition, willing and able to serve cows, free from disease) and fertile (sufficient high-quality semen).
• A fit and fertile bull should be capable of serving 50 normally cycling cows, with 94% in calf within 90 days.
• A compact calving period has many advantages, including higher weaning and sale weights, even batches of calves, easier nutrition and disease management).
The key areas to consider when managing breeding bulls are:
NUTRITION
Correct nutrition is needed to maintain a bull’s good body condition and libido.
Bulls need to be fit but not fat. The ideal body condition when working is BCS 3/5. If a bull is too thin, he may have semen and libido issues, and if too fat he may have sub-optimal semen quality, partly because of the insulating nature of fat in the scrotum.
Bulls will naturally lose condition when working but should be monitored to ensure they don’t decrease below BCS 2.
MANAGING A BREEDING BULL FOR PRODUCTIVITY AND LONGEVITY
For a one tonne bull, 1 condition score is around 130kg/bodyweight. To maintain/ gain weight, a diet of good quality forage and concentrates will need to be fed. However, it is important not to feed excessive concentrates as this can cause acidosis, leading to liver abscesses and sperm defects.
Laminitis may also be an issue where excess concentrates are fed, reducing the ability to work. Feeding with small amounts of concentrates when early signs of condition loss are noted is preferable, rather than trying to gain a lot of condition by offering larger amounts of concentrates.
LAMENESS
Lameness is the number one reason for culling. A fertile bull that is lame will not be productive.
Poor mobility can arise from foot issues, poor conformation and back problems or injury. Muscle wastage and weakness may be seen when bulls have limited exercise over winter and can increase chance of injury when working, so bull pens must be large enough for housing over winter.
DISEASE CONTROL
It is advisable to discuss vaccination, worming programs and the treatment of a sick bull with your vet and to build this into your health plan.
Treatment of disease should not be ignored for fear of medicines reducing fertility. Untreated infections and inflammation can reduce sperm quality. Some medicines, however, are not advisable in breeding bulls, especially if in the serving period.
Bulls may be more susceptible to worms than cows, so testing and appropriate treating for endoparasites in bulls should be considered.
Vaccines should be in line with cows to cover for diseases present on farm, but timing of vaccination can be important to prevent a high temperature affecting sperm quality before service.
YEARLY FERTILITY AND HEALTH CHECK UP
If you would like to discuss anything covered in this article contact your local Westpoint practice
Feet should be checked regularly and problems addressed promptly. Pain increases the stress hormone cortisol, which can decrease testosterone and result in poorer semen quality and reduced libido. Bulls which are also in pain when mounting can become inhibited from serving for longer periods.
Routine foot trimming should be performed at least two months before working to allow time to recover.
Bulls should have a routine yearly fertility test around eight weeks before the intended service period. This gives an insight into current fertility and allows time for re-testing inconclusive bulls or sourcing a replacement if needed.
Twenty per cent of bulls are estimated to be sub-fertile, so having a pre-breeding semen analysis may prevent poor pregnancy results. It is also a good time for a full physical examination, including eyes, teeth, heart, body condition, limbs, locomotion and penis to ensure he is fit to work and to help maintain his longevity.
Part one by Georgina Stanley of Westpoint Ashford.
Bull breeding examinations on farm
Tell us about your journey towards lecturing in Animal Studies at Plumpton College
After moving from America at the age of 15, I struggled with education, later learning that I am dyslexic, and have auditory processing issues and ADHD. I found my happy place at a specialist college and always hoped that one day I could work somewhere similar.
After college I studied canine behaviour, where I found my niche working with international rescue dogs who had been adopted within the UK. I gained a large online following through the rehabilitation work I do with rescue dogs, which led to me working in digital media and behaviour for international rescue. After the Covid-19 pandemic I wanted to expand my career and accepted a position at Plumpton College.
Tell us about the Animal Studies Division at Plumpton and studying in your particular area
Animal Studies' students at Plumpton College study a range of subjects including animal handling, science, conservation, education, biology, law, animal husbandry, ecology and animal welfare. They develop a range of skills such as teamwork, leadership, critical thinking, practical handling, writing, presenting and time management. In addition to developing their academic skills, students gain industry contacts and first-hand experience through work placements and practical training.
As a lecturer, it is particularly rewarding to help guide students as they begin their journey in the animal care sector. Watching their skills progress at each level is so rewarding. I love to see students from previous years still getting excited and coming back to ask questions.
What advice would you give students looking to study animal studies at Plumpton and what opportunities are there after graduating?
Plumpton is an immersive learning environment with lots of hands-on learning yet students still need to be committed to the theoretical aspects in their studies. Achieving maths and English qualifications is also really important and will help students progress, especially if they want to move on to post 16+ T Levels. Studying at this higher level means students can work with specialist animals here at Plumpton such as the lemurs, otters and meerkats.
KASEY CARLIN
• Plumpton College lecturer and cohort lead in animal studies
• Qualified to level 3 in animal management
• Worked at Jai Dog Rescue
• Author of The Miraculous Life of Maggie The Wunder Dog, qualified canine behaviourist, public speaker and animal welfare advocate
There are many opportunities to progress in animal management and welfare. Students can take a foundation degree and move into higher education pathways at Plumpton or at another university, working towards a career in veterinary science or conservation. Alternatively, students may choose to take advantage of the connections made at Plumpton during work experience placements and move straight into their chosen careers.
What other opportunities are you working on?
I continue to attend national events such as Crufts and the London Pet Show as a guest speaker and have just signed with a publisher to write a series of children's books about my rescue dogs.
Find out more about Kasey and her rescue dogs on Instagram at Maggie the Wunder Dog
Legal services for farmers & rural businesses
Call us today or visit our website: 01227 763939 furleypage.co.uk
SFI 2026 BRINGS GREATER CLARITY, BUT FUNDING QUESTIONS REMAIN
DEFRA’s announcements at the NFU Conference in February provided some long awaited clarity on the direction of the sustainable farming incentive (SFI) for 2026. Following the abrupt closure of the SFI scheme in the spring of 2025, many farming businesses have been seeking reassurance that the next phase will be more predictable. The revised structure delivers some of that stability, although several important uncertainties still need to be resolved before farmers and landowners can plan confidently.
CONFIRMED CHANGES TO SFI
A significant change is the introduction of two fixed application windows. The first window opens in June and will be limited to small farms and those without an existing environmental land management scheme (ELMs) revenue agreement. The second window will open in September and will be available to all other applicants. Each window will have its own budget, and DEFRA has said it will provide updates as money is committed. Window one may close early if its allocation is fully used.
DEFRA has also streamlined the scheme:
• The number of actions has reduced from 102 to 71, and some payment rates have been adjusted
• Only one SFI 2026 agreement will be allowed per business
• The annual payment cap will be £100,000
• There is a minimum entry requirement of three hectares
• The SFI management payment has been withdrawn
• Rotational actions will be capped at the level set in year one and cannot be expanded during the three year term.
These changes are designed to provide greater transparency and avoid the type of sudden closure seen in 2025 by supporting improved budgeting discipline.
WHY THE CHANGES ARE HELPFUL
The move to fixed windows and the advance publication of the window one budget should give applicants a clearer timetable for decision making. DEFRA has committed not to close windows without notice, which should reduce operational uncertainty for farm businesses.
The phasing of applications also directly addresses fairness concerns raised following the 2025 closure. Allowing smaller farms and those outside current ELMs agreements to apply first is intended to ensure that these groups are not disadvantaged. Industry reaction to this adjustment has so far been positive.
REMAINING CONCERNS
Despite these developments, several issues remain unresolved. The most pressing is the lack of clarity on how the overall SFI 2026 budget will be divided between the two windows. Larger farms and existing agreement holders will need to wait until September to apply, but they have no indication of how much funding will remain. If window one sees strong demand, competition for funding in September could be significant.
Restricting eligibility in June may also intensify pressure later in the year, as most applicants will be pushed into a single, later window. There is also an ongoing risk of early closure. Although DEFRA has committed to better communication, last year showed how quickly demand can exceed available funds. Without full visibility of the total budget or real time uptake data, applicants cannot accurately assess their exposure to this risk.
The £100,000 payment cap may also warrant further examination. Although aimed at supporting fairness, it may limit the ability of larger estates to deliver landscape scale projects, raising questions about whether it aligns with the scheme’s objective of paying for public goods.
PRACTICAL NEXT STEPS
Those eligible for the June window should begin preparing by confirming eligibility and assembling necessary maps and compliance records. Those who must wait until September should model scenarios that account for the payment cap, fixed year one rotational areas and the potential for a more competitive application environment. Monitoring DEFRA’s budget updates will be essential for all applicants.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, the 2026 reset is a constructive step. The clearer timetable, simplified offer and commitment to avoid sudden closures are welcome. However, without transparency on the budget split between windows and assurances about transparency on the rate of uptake within the windows, risks remain.
Labour continues to be one of the most challenging aspects of running a farm business, particularly across the South East, where seasonal, casual and short term workers play a vital role. With the first major reforms under the Employment Rights Act 2025 taking effect from April 2026, farmers need to be aware of a number of changes that affect workers’ rights.
While many agricultural businesses already operate well-established systems, the new statutory framework increases both responsibilities and enforcement risk, making early review and preparation increasingly important.
DAY ONE RIGHTS TO SICK PAY AND FAMILY LEAVE
A key change under the Act is the expansion of employment rights from day one. From 6 April, statutory sick pay (SSP) is payable from the first day of absence, following the removal of the previous three-day waiting period. The abolition of the lower earnings limit also means that more workers, including lower-paid and seasonal staff, are now entitled to it. Family-related rights are also affected. Paternity leave and unpaid parental leave are now available from day one of employment, even though statutory paternity pay still requires a qualifying period. A new right to bereaved partner’s paternity leave is also available. Farm businesses may see leave requests arising much earlier than before, including mid season, requiring clear processes and consistent handling.
WHAT FARMERS NEED TO KNOW IN 2026
MINIMUM WAGE COMPLIANCE
Minimum wage compliance remains a key focus for regulators, and agriculture continues to attract attention in this area.
From April 2026, the national living wage for workers aged 21 and over has increased to £12.71 per hour.
Farms using piece-rate systems, variable hours or on-farm accommodation need to take particular care. Deducting charges for accommodation, transport or equipment, or failing to count qualifying waiting time and travel between sites, can unintentionally reduce pay below the legal minimum. Regular checks and accurate payroll records remain essential to minimise risk.
WORKER STATUS AND LABOUR ARRANGEMENTS
Although the Act does not introduce new employment status definitions, employment status remains dependent on the reality of the working relationship rather than its label. Individuals engaged as ‘self-employed’, casual workers or contractors may still qualify as workers or employees if they operate under the farm’s control and are required to provide personal service.
For farms relying on long-standing informal arrangements, misclassification can result in claims for backdated holiday pay, sick pay and minimum wage arrears.
Reviewing workforce structures ahead of peak periods can help avoid disputes emerging at the end of a season.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Employment Rights Act 2025 places greater emphasis on early-stage rights and accurate pay calculations. As qualifying periods for unfair dismissal claims are reduced from January 2026, the risk of claims within the sector from those with shorter service will increase.
Taking time now to review contracts and policies, pay structures, accommodation arrangements and internal processes can help ensure farms remain compliant and wellprepared for the 2026 season.
Brachers’ employment team supports farmers with practical advice on these changes, helping agricultural businesses adapt their employment practices while keeping day-to-day operations running smoothly.
www.brachers.co.uk
Approximately
Chris Spofforth
Hannah Riches
“TRUMPED”
The week beginning 23 February looked to be a promising start to spring 2026, with a brief period of sunshine and the phones much busier on country house property with a guide price of more than a million pounds. Fast forward five days and Trump’s Middle East fireworks saw confidence fall and mortgage rates rise again for what he called “short term pain”. This was not the beginning to spring that anyone had anticipated.
The talk at Farm Expo in early March, however, was still fairly positive, with farmers visiting early so that they could get on with spraying and fertilising in the afternoon following what had been a dreadfully wet January and February. We came away from Farm Expo pleasantly surprised, with the familiar feeling that the agricultural and rural community is, and has always been, incredibly resilient, and it would not be surprising if agriculture were to ride the “Donald Wave” and come out relatively unscathed.
As usual in the spring a significant number of properties are finding their way to the market, and we are lucky with our share of instructions currently on the market and waiting in the wings to be launched over the next four to six weeks.
We have launched an income generating property with potential at Lamberhurst Farm, just off the Thanet Way. This is producing over £430,000 income per annum, with over 6,000 sq ft occupied by the vendor, which could provide an opportunity for another £40,000 of additional revenue. This is available at £4,950,000.
From an income generator to the land
at Charity Farm, which is just west of Hollingbourne on the Pilgrims Way. This 66-acre parcel of arable land with chalky soils is primed and ready for viticulture use, with windbreaks planted in 2023 and a new 3,875 sq ft building erected to the highest of specifications, with septic tank, mains water, rainwater containers and a sprayer catch pit that are all compliant with current regulations.
In East Kent we have two very different farms being launched to the market in May. The first is North Court Farm, Chilham, a former fruit farm with a significant range of modern and period buildings that extends to over 40,000 sq ft. This includes a wellappointed unlisted farmhouse and grade 2 quality land extending in total to 136 acres and available in seven lots.
The second is Little Cooting Farm, Adisham, which has no residential element but comprises more than 120 acres of grade 2 land along with a range of buildings previously used to house livestock. This is an unusual sale as a significant part of the land is subject to a promotion agreement which could provide a significant uplift in the future.
In addition to those mentioned above, BTF has secured instructions on 54 acres of land and woodland outside Egerton. There are development opportunities in both Kingsdown, Deal and Northfleet Green, Gravesend, as well as a residential smallholding just outside Marden with a main residence, annexe and secondary dwelling that would appeal to the multi-generational living arrangements we are seeing more and more of in today’s society.
Tim Crundwell in our Heathfield office continues to be busy with Blackhurst Farm,
Rushlake Green, launched in mid-February with a guide of £3,300,000. Other significant properties on the Heathfield books include Great Conster Manor, Brede, available at £2,500,000. This is a traditional, small Sussex residential and grassland estate located within the picturesque Tillingham Valley that extends to just over 70 acres. Seaview Farm, Burwash Common, comprises a farmhouse located in a rural and elevated position within the High Weald National Landscape together with approximately 10.84 acres.
The BTF professional team continues to work as hard as ever and, following qualifications last year, is pleased to have promoted Joe Hearnden, Millie PalmerPilc and Tom Watson to associate director roles. Their hard work, patience and professionalism over the past few years is paying off and they are providing clients with sound, well-presented advice.
On the valuation side the ‘in-tray’ remains plentiful, with instructions of all shapes and sizes to challenge our experienced team of qualified valuers. There are more utility and compulsory purchase projects on the horizon, and our team is on call to help with these as and when they arise. We continue to advise clients on the Lower Thames Crossing and there is an update on that scheme by Joe Hearnden on the BTF website.
All in all, it has been a strange start to the spring and summer market in a challenging world with factors that we all have little or no control over. BTF continues to try to forge routes around various problems for clients so that after the “short term pain” our industry can ‘kick on’ and continue to surprise the country with how resilient we really are.
Redlynch
Near Salisbury, Wiltshire
A mixed estate in a superb location on the edge of the New Forest offering two houses for refurbishment, up to 296 acres of land including some strategic village land, agricultural barns and various buildings with alternative re-use potential.
Available as a whole or in lots.
Guide price £5,275,000
Farmland market review
The South East farmland market has remained stable during the first three months of 2026, with limited supply and steady demand helping to offset a wider mood of caution.
Liza Howden of Strutt & Parker, says of the South East region: “The prolonged wet conditions in the early part of the year undoubtedly impacted the Q1 market, and both vendors & purchasers are also wary of the wider consequences of the conflict in the Middle East.”
“Interestingly, despite this cautiousness, this sentiment is not reflected in the data as strongly as some might expect.
“We continue to see nervousness in the arable sector which has had a challenging few years, average milk prices are down year on year, and average beef prices have also tailed off. However, deadweight lamb prices are at record levels, providing more welcome news.
“Farmers are now facing rising fuel and fertiliser costs and yet despite this squeeze on margins, our analysis of transactions shows the land market remains relatively robust.
If you are considering selling or would like to understand the value of your farm, we would love to help you. Get in touch with us today for your free, no obligation market appraisal.
“The arable average for 2025 remains at or close to record levels at £11,200/ acre. It is pulled up by 30% of sales happening at £12,000/acre or more, often to buyers who have a very specific reason for the purchase.
“Overall, while activity in recent months has been relatively subdued and transactions are tending to progress slowly, this is a market that feels stable, with opportunities for both buyers and sellers.”
COMPLETE ORGANIC FARM
A rare opportunity to acquire a complete organic farm on the edge of Steyning, featuring a farmhouse, cottage, extensive buildings, battery storage income, productive land and exceptional River Adur frontage has come to the market with Batcheller Monkhouse.
The farm consists of a five bedroom farmhouse (Barn Croft), a one bedroom cottage (Stable Cottage), extensive pasture farmland, established battery storage income, significant biodiversity net gain (BNG) potential and exceptional access to the River Adur.
Barn Croft, built in the 1980s, is an attractive, detached five bedroom home set within mature, well stocked gardens and featuring a greenhouse, shed, enclosed swimming pool and pond. The property
offers considerable scope for modernisation or complete refurbishment, presenting an excellent chance to create a highly desirable family home in a secluded rural setting.
Stable Cottage provides valuable additional accommodation with an open plan kitchen/ living/dining area, bathroom and mezzanine bedroom, and currently generates a reliable rental income. It is ideal for guests, multi generational living or continued letting.
A former kennel building sits near the farmhouse, leading into an extensive range of agricultural outbuildings. These include a 1960s Ascot cattle yard and straw shed, a 1970s steelframed cattle yard, a steel-framed workshop with adjoining yard, a timber-framed machinery shed and several older structures. Extending to approximately 20,000 sq ft in total, the buildings
offer excellent storage, agricultural use or enticing redevelopment potential (subject to planning permission).
To the north of the farmyard is a battery storage installation providing a strong annual income stream. The farm’s proximity to a major electrical substation further enhances future prospects for solar or additional battery infrastructure.
The land has been managed organically for around 20 years, comprising predominantly grassland with some arable, and is part of stewardship schemes. It also has the benefit of significant BNG credit potential. In addition, the property enjoys over two miles of direct access to the River Adur, offering outstanding environmental, amenity and natural capital value.
SPRING PROPERTY REVIEW
Farmers who let out residential property need to be aware that the first phase of the Renters' Rights Act comes into force on 1 May.
The Act is one of the most significant overhauls of the private rented sector for decades, with implications for tenancy agreements, rent reviews and regulatory compliance. Matthew Scott, a director in the rural team of Strutt & Parker, said: “The new Act does not apply to residential property let under a farm business tenancy (FBT) or an Agricultural Holdings Act (AHA) tenancy, but critically it does cover any residential property on a holding that’s sublet under an assured shorthold tenancy (AST).
“This means where a farm tenant has sublet a cottage, perhaps to a worker or non-agricultural occupier, that subtenancy could become an assured periodic tenancy from 1 May 2026, with the subtenant acquiring enhanced rights.
“It is vital that farmers do not overlook the need to take action, as failure to comply with the new rules could result in a significant fine.”
The key immediate requirement is for
FIRST KEY DEADLINE FOR RENTERS’ RIGHT ACT
landlords to provide all existing tenants with a copy of a government-published information sheet which summarises the changes. Where a tenant may be occupying under an unwritten tenancy, a written statement of terms must be issued. This must be done by 31 May 2026 or could result in a fine of up to £7,000.
The key changes which apply from 1 May 2026 are:
• All ASTs convert to periodic agreements with no fixed end date. For tenancies created on or after 1 May, a new tenancy agreement will be required. For existing tenancies, the information sheet must be shared by 31 May.
• Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions are abolished, meaning landlords will need specific legal grounds for regaining possession using a Section 8 notice.
• Rent rises are limited to once per year, capped at market levels, and only one month’s rent in advance will be allowed.
• Landlords must not unreasonably withhold consent to a request to rent with a pet. It will also be illegal to discriminate against renters who have children or receive benefits.
New compliance obligations are scheduled for later in the year, starting with the rollout of a private rented sector database.
“Although the Act does provide a mandatory possession ground for a property housing an agricultural worker, the ability to use this depends on how the tenancy was first documented. So if you have agricultural tenancies with residential subletting in the mix, now is the time to review,” said Mr Scott.
Two closely related blocks of land are being offered for sale by RH & RW Clutton just to the north of Rudgwick in Surrey.
The first comprises a rolling block of parkland with numerous spinneys and shaws extending to 59 acres.
The second, just to the east, comprises a 51-acre block of commercial arable land. Guide prices of £485,000 and £440,000 are being given respectively; significant interest is expected.
Further details can be obtained from the East Grinstead office 01342 305825
PRODUCTIVE BLOCK OF FARMLAND LAND IN SURREY
Approximately 100 acres of productive farmland, a mixture of arable and pasture with about three acres of woodland, has come to market less than a mile north east of High Halstow.
Formerly part of Clinch Street Farm, the land has primarily been used for arable cropping and environmental stewardship, with some fields down to grass. The land is classified as grade 1 and 3 on the land classification soil series of England and Wales.
The northern block, which is situated within a well-established top
fruit and vegetable production area, benefits from superior soil profiles and a favourable microclimate.
The land enjoys views over the Cooling Marshes and the River Thames to Essex, and sits around 35 miles from central London. It is ideal for farmers, growers and investors looking for a block of commercial farmland in an area where opportunities rarely come to the market.
The land at Clinch Street is for sale as a whole or in two lots, with a guide price of £1,105,000 for the whole 103 acres.
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Specialists in the Agricultural, Industrial and Equestrian sectors
Steel frame buildings.
Sheeting, cladding and oversheeting.
CWP fencing
Cleft post and rail
Standing
Standing
Gutter replacement, repairs and lining.
Steel frame, concrete frame alterations and repairs.
Asbestos removal.
Roof light and sheet changes.
Refurbishments and usage changes.
Demolition, groundworks and site clearance. 24
or break
Roller shutters, sliding and personnel doors.
Condition reports and dilapidation work
Cleft post and rail
Cleft post and rail
Cleft field gates
Cleft field gates
Fencing stakes
Fencing stakes
Fencing stakes
Straining posts
Straining posts
Straining posts
Chestnut fencing
Chestnut fencing
Chestnut fencing
Tel: 07985 298221 colin@cwpfencing.co.uk
Tel: 07985298221 colin@cwpfencing.co.uk
Tel: 07985298221 colin@cwpfencing.co.uk
1 Insect common to UK (8)
5 Pasty, wan (5)
8 Introduce (9)
9 Wooden box (5)
11 E.g. Ash, Larch, Oak (4)
12 Migrating bird (7)
14 How fairy stories begin (4,4,1,4)
16 A sculpture common only in winter (7)
18 Decorative plating (6)
21 Medicated (7)
24 Meat and vegetable dish cooked slowly (4)
26 Frequent, recurring constantly (9)
27 Helped (8)
28 Brassica (4) DOWN
1 Lift (5)
2 Marine mammal (5)
3 Drinking vessels (4)
4 Vomit (5,2)
6 Metal pin with a thread (5)
7 Utmost, maximum, greatest (7)
10 Biting, jumping insect (4)
13 Pathogen (4)
14 Very unpleasant (9)
15 Mountain lake (4)
17 Soggy (3)
18 Wicker lobster pot (5)
19 A place to wipe shoes (3)
20 Sudden pain (6)
22 Precipitates (5)
23 Entertain (5)
24 Meat cut (5)
Crossword by Rebecca Farmer, Broadstairs, Kent
PRIZE ANAGRAM: Herb (6)
Land & Property Experts
North Court Farm, Old Wives Lees, Chilham
A former fruit farm with a significant range of modern and period agricultural buildings extending to over 40,000ft² with residential planning consent submitted. In addition, there is an unlisted 5 bedroom Farmhouse with mainly Grade 2 quality land. Available as a whole or in 7 Lots.
Approx 136 acres
Guide Price £4,150,000 (As a whole)
FOR SALE BY PRIVATE TREATY
FOR SALE BY PRIVATE TREATY
FOR SALE BY PRIVATE TREATY
Land at Mundy Bois, Egerton, Ashford
A 54.64 acre parcel of woodland and pastureland just outside the village of Egerton in the weald of Kent. The parcel comprises approximately 41.94 acres of broadleaved woodland planted in the 90’s with rides and tracks throughout along with 13.71 acres of Grade 3 agricultural pastureland that is well fenced and maintained.
Approx 54 acres
Guide Price £395,000
Little Cooting Farm, Adisham, Canterbury
FOR SALE BY PRIVATE TREATY
Guide Price £1,400,000 (As a whole)
A former livestock farm on the outskirts of Adisham that extends to 121.16 acres in total. Useful range of buildings in the centre of the farm with the land all classified as Grade 2 on the agricultural land classification plan. Part of the land is included within a promotion agreement. To be sold as a whole.
Approx 121 acres
Guide Price £1,995,000
Land at Charity Farm, Pilgrims Way, Hollingbourne
A ring fenced parcel of arable land extending to 66.32 acres with a south easterly aspect ranging from circa 100m above seal level to 150m at the highest point. The land is classified as Grade 3 with soils comprising chalky loams with flints that are free draining and considered suitable for viticulture. Windbreaks were planted in 2023 to provide protection for vine production and an agricultural building has been erected to a high specification.
