As 2024 comes to a close, it’s fair to say it’s been a difficult year and a lot of change has taken place.

2025 is a new year and we want to look forward to it as a new adventure, with lots of changes still to come for us as a family, never mind the farm.

But that has still all to unfold and we’ll keep you up to date as that develops.

See also: AHDB analysis: The merits of SFI break crop alternatives

About the author

Richard Orr

Richard Orr farms cereals and potatoes in a reduced cultivation system in County Down, Northern Ireland, with his wife and two children. He is a cereals and oilseeds sector council member and focuses on soil and plant health. He also keeps a small number of cattle, pigs and sheep.

Read more articles by Richard Orr

One good start to 2025 is all the winter crops have established well and, at least as farmers, when we go for a stroll over Christmas the fields will give us a lift with the potentials they hold.

Looking back over 2024 and taking positives into 2025, some of the best times and learnings were spent off-farm.

Back in the spring I was lucky enough to spend a few days away with the wife and kids which was the most important thing, and it refreshes the mind when you get a break.

But focusing more on the farming side – I have really enjoyed getting away to work at the AHDB sector council meetings.

It has allowed me to spend time with new people and broaden my horizons to how these people operate, the issues within their businesses and just to meet new people and talk farming aside from the wider industry struggles.

The Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) had a trip to Brussels last month which I was lucky enough to be part of.

This trip highlights some of the importance of spending time with other farmers, but more importantly getting out of your bubble and seeing other operations and the challenges they face.

I think if a farmer can do anything positive in 2025 it would be to get out of the country and see some other farming systems, and be comforted by the fact that quite often, you’ll find they face similar problems in different countries.

Farmers have a tendency to live in their wee bubble and think everything is against them in their area.

They surround themselves with people with the same views, which can be suffocating and stifle creativity: “That’ll not work on my farm.”

We need to open ourselves up to different views and understand our own perspectives might not always be right, and the realisation that other farmers are in similar positions means we could be a greater force by working together as a farming community.

2025 is going to be a big year for farming and farming organisations.

My feeling is, over the past number of years, lots of our main farming organisations have lost touch with their own farmers, never mind the public.

The UFU event saw leadership spending time with farm members.

The communications and views shared are invaluable in building relationships and greater understanding.

This interaction cannot be undervalued by unions and organisations going forward.

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and prosperous 2025.