Hold your Horses – the Devon County Show will very soon be here, and the team is working at a fast and furious pace to bring visitors an array of jaw-dropping, adrenalin-fuelled attractions to the main arena.
The Headline Act, confirmed across all three days of the show will be Ben Atkinson and his magnificent troupe of Atkinson Action Horses.
For the past 25 years, The Atkinson family has developed a reputation for providing some of the most highly skilled horses and riders in the business for TV, film and photo shoots.
The huge potential of the South West’s green energy credentials, and its progress in becoming the UK’s green energy powerhouse, have been showcased at a key Energy Summit in the region.
The Great South West Partnership brought together leading figures across industry and Government for the summit, held at the University of Plymouth, on Wednesday 23 November.
The Great South West is the ‘powerhouse’ brand promoting the areas of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, the Heart of the South West covering Devon and Somerset, and Dorset. It aims to advocate the region’s natural ‘blue...
Villagers of Marsh Green in East Devon have made an urgent appeal to the Devon branch of the countryside charity CPRE to help them fight an alarming planning application for a solar farm that they fear would destroy hundreds of acres of productive land and increase the risk of their homes flooding.
The application also includes proposals that residents claim would effectively cut off the nearby hamlet of Westcott for five days a week during the construction phase to give heavy goods vehicles easier access. The developers claim construction traffic will use any of three routes,...
New research published today identifies £883 million is predicted to be lost from the rural economy up to 2027 across Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly, Devon, Dorset and Somerset.
Farmers and other land managers are coming to terms with the move away from Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) support, but the transition is proving difficult, and the replacement Sustainable Farming Initiative (SFI) has had an uncertain start in the region.
The report , undertaken by the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI) at the University of Gloucestershire with support from the...
Three events aimed at advising farming families on handing down an agricultural business to the next generation are being planned in the South West.
National law firm Clarke Willmott in partnership with Lloyds Bank, chartered accountants Albert Goodman and chartered surveyors Greenslade Taylor Hunt, will hold the events in Bridgwater, Exeter and Wincanton in February and March.
The in-person events, called Farming into the Future, will cover everything family farmers need to know about succession planning with a panel of expert advisers.
A pilot project has been launched to help support the growth of Devon’s agricultural industry. The £500,000 Devon County Council scheme is being supported through the UK Community Renewal Fund which was recently secured by Team Devon.
The DATA (Devon Agri-Tech Accelerator) project is aiming to provide support and research for farmers, growers, landowners, and other agricultural and Agri-Tech businesses to develop innovations which can help build a sustainable farming community within Devon. It will also look to reduce Devon’s carbon footprint, enhance farm productivity, support...
The Devon County Agricultural Association staged its first ever Devon County Show in May in 1872 at Victoria Park, Exeter. Despite a torrential downpour, which almost washed the President’s luncheon guests out of his marquee, that first show was a great success. Over 25,000 people attended to admire the 500 livestock on show, and marvel at more than 800 machinery exhibits. Over the years, the show has moved from venue to venue, changed dates and duration and grown to a size almost beyond recognition. But one thing that has always remained a constant is the Show’s enduring commitment to...
Seven East Africans who have studied for the past six weeks at Bicton College attended a farewell presentation at Broadhembury House.
The trainees, five from Kenya and two from Malawi, were sponsored on their course by BOAT (Bicton Overseas Agricultural Trust).
Chairman, David Wendover explained: “BOAT was set up in 1991 by a group of Devon farmers and the then Principal of Bicton College, all keen to help people in developing countries improve their livelihood by advancing the quality of agricultural education for rural communities.”
Exeter headquartered accountancy firm Simpkins Edwards has appointed Julie Rose as branch manager to be based primarily at its Heathfield office, near Newton Abbot.
Chartered tax advisor Julie joins the firm from Farm Accounts where she spent 11 years and managed over 100 clients. In total she has over 17 years’ experience providing practical advice and business support to farms and other rural businesses, including management of accounts, ensuring compliance requirements are met for tax credits, self-assessment, PAYE and VAT. She has also carried out extensive tax planning work...
As the UK Government works out what the nation's future relationship with the European Union will look like, some Devon farmers are concerned that Brexit will lead to challenges for an industry already feeling the strain.
While some in the agricultural industry feel that leaving the EU will create opportunities, others are concerned that breaking the ties could place yet further pressures on the industry with a potential loss of subsidises and uncertainty over new trade agreements.
And these on top of a list of challenges that farmers everywhere are facing, and which have...
