This month marks the end of nearly 14 years of writing for Farmers Weekly as this is my final Farmer Focus column.

I started back in 2011, soon after leaving university, while in the position of arable foreman on a neighbouring arable and dairy farm.

See also: How a farm cut nitrogen by 60kg N/ha with no yield detriment

About the author

Matt Redman

Farmer Focus writer

Matt Redman farms 370ha just north of Cambridge and operates a contracting business specialising in spraying and direct-drilling. He also grows cereals on a small area of tenancy land and was Farm Sprayer Operator of the Year in 2014.

Contact:

Email: office@mattredmanag.co.uk

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@redmanmatt

Read more articles by Matt Redman

Since then, I have started my own contracting business, taken on a council farm tenancy and built up my own farming business.

Alongside this I have held a number of positions such as chairman of the National Association of Agricultural Contractors, NFU branch chairman and more recently represented the county NFU on the East and national NFU Crops Board.

All of this has been brilliant for making contacts, learning about the industry and allowing me to have an input into policies and legislation that impact my business.

It has certainly been a rollercoaster over those 11 years, with numerous bad weather records, various political challenges including Brexit and Covid, and multiple changes to farm support and environmental schemes.

In the seven years I have had my tenancy I have grown 13 or 14 different crops. Luckily, this was not all at once, but there has certainly been variation.

If I look back to how the industry appeared when I first started writing this column, I think –unless it was just that I had far less to worry about – the outlook and general feeling was far more positive than it is now.

There were still significant challenges, but we were more optimistic and far happier back then.

We could invest in the future of farming. I am not sure I would take the same route as I have done if I were getting into the industry now, which is sad. Hopefully, things settle down and the confidence returns.

Finally, I would like to say thank you to all those who have read these columns over the years, made comments and given feedback – good and bad.

It has been great to be able to share my farming journey up to this point.

I wish the next person to take up the position all the best and hope they enjoy writing here just as much as I have. I look forward to following what they get up to.