A delay of up to four months for agri-environment scheme payments to farmers in England will put added pressure on farm businesses at a time when thousands are facing low farmgate prices.
Natural England has told the NFU that payments will start being made to farmers in October but the majority of transactions will take place in November and December. This autumn farmers in England are owed £200 million for environmental measures they have carried out.
NFU Vice President Guy Smith said: “I am extremely frustrated to learn that the first payments under the agri-environment...
A husband and wife team are using their extensive knowledge of agriculture to provide those looking for their own slice of the West Country dream a unique opportunity to see exactly what they’ll be getting.
West Country Dream, set up by Helen and Murray Garrett, brings together a unique combination of a farm, self-catering cottage and a number of agricultural courses for those considering moving to the region in the hunt for the good life.
Helen explained, “Around 10 years ago we took the decision to relocate to the South West from our farm in the Home Counties. This...
Paul can’t find a job. Snowy can’t find himself. A tender, pertinent portrayal of rural life, unemployment, friendship and a cow called Sandy. A riotous black comedy from one of the UK’s most exciting new playwrights.
For ages 15+ Tickets: £5 Tuesdays, £10/£8 Wednesday - Saturday
The South West Doctoral Training Partnership (SWDTP) is to receive substantial new funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) for the training and development of bioscience PhD students.
The BBSRC has announced an investment of £125 million ‘for the next generation of scientists to drive the economy of the future’. This will fund the training of 1,250 bioscience students at 12 doctoral training centres in the UK, including the Bristol-led partnership.
The SWDTP comprising the GW4 universities of Exeter, Bristol, Bath, and Cardiff and the...
Bicton College is currently training international student Joseph Mugagga as one of seven delegates funded to learn in the UK by the Bicton Overseas Agricultural Trust. Joseph, from Kampala in Uganda, works as a Rural Project Manager for Kulika Uganda, an organisation set up to promote and train individuals in sustainable agriculture.
As well as having his own family farm with his wife and brothers, Joseph has worked with farming groups across Uganda and currently reaches approximately 1800 farmers in the districts of Lira, Apac and Oyam. He promotes a holistic approach to farming...
Jess Bower, from Brixham has always kept horses but didn’t ever think she would have the chance to break into farming.
Now a full time agricultural student at Bicton and a steward at last week’s Devon County Show, Jess came to the College having had no prior experience of farming.
“Working outdoors with the animals and being in the tractors ploughing the fields is what I always wanted to do,” she says. “But I thought that because I had no experience in farming that I wouldn’t be able to do the agriculture course and that I would look stupid not knowing anything about...
Bicton College student Josephine Yongo is currently experiencing her first visit to the UK, whilst undertaking a 6 week course organised by the Bicton Overseas Agricultural Trust (BOAT).
Studying a specially designed intensive course including project management, leadership and communication, Josephine and 6 fellow students are seizing the opportunity offered to them by BOAT so that they can return home and engage others in effective training.
Josephine, from Kenya, manages the Rarieda Training and Resource Centre in Kisumu, which is part of the Rafiki wa Maendeleo Trust....
Bicton College Principal David Henley greeted delegates in his home this week, welcoming them from Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania as part of Bicton Overseas Agricultural Trust’s latest intake.
The seven students were invited to dine with David and wife Leigh, along with BOAT trustees Bill Vellacott and Mike Pash, giving them an introduction to Bicton College, it’s background, people and it’s close links with the Bicton Overseas Agricultural Trust.
The Trust aims to improve agriculture in the developing world by providing effective training programmes that can be further taught...
Bicton College’s Farm Manager, James Drury, sacrificed time this month to enable fellow farmer, James Winslade, from Somerset a rare opportunity to spend time with his young family for the first time since the floods struck the Somerset Levels in January.
Bicton College offered support by drilling 53 acres of Spring Barley, giving their brand new Claas 640 Arion and Lemken drill their first outing since delivery just this month. Commenting on his busy week, James Drury said, ‘The work we did for James gave him the chance to have Easter Sunday off - his first day off since the farm...
Mike Feneley, Partner with Haines Watts Rural Business talks about the upsurge in profits for Dairy farming businesses and offers sound advice on how farmers can use these effectively over the coming year…
Dairy farming profitability is on an upward path due to better milk prices, better climatic conditions and more attractive costs of production giving great opportunities to the dairy farming community. It is a time where businesses need to plan carefully to ensure they utilise any extra profits effectively for the future. There is no doubt that there will be many suppliers to the...
