Know How / Environment Must reads Practical adviceSee all BUSINESS MANAGEMENTHow to start improving on-farm water qualityPutting resilience measures into a farming business is one of the best ways to protect water, prevent pollution and retain more water in the landscape. With many of the major… AGRICULTURAL TRANSITIONHow trees can enhance and support your farm businessWoodland and forestry experts urged growers at a recent Transition webinar, to look again at the potential benefits of strategic tree planting. Transition Project editor and webinar host Johann Tasker… ARABLETips on achieving healthy hedgerows on farmHedges are a defining feature of our countryside and one of the best habitats for wildlife on any farm. Far more than being a boundary, they also support farm business… LIVESTOCKHow feeding methane inhibitors can help cut emissionsMethane inhibitors supplied in feed rations could play a significant role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in ruminants. However, no one size fits all, advises Annie Williams, ruminant nutritionist and… BUSINESSAlternative land uses: Woodland creation - key pointsFinancial support for woodland creation and management in England is at record levels, so it could be the right time to consider this as an option. Talk of reducing sheep… CARBONCarbon markets: A beginner's guideThe UK’s carbon markets are growing, but there is confusion around the principles. Farmers Weekly asks CLA adviser Matthew Doran how they work. See also: Mineral rights - what farmers… Case studiesSee all HOUSING AND HANDLINGHow a forest grazing project doubled a suckler herdThe ability to graze thousands of hectares on the Abernethy Forest Nature Reserve, in the Cairngorms, has provided beef farmer Bobby Mackenzie with low-cost outwintering and allowed him to double… BUSINESS MANAGEMENTHow sustainable farming is central to Raby Estate's businessAttention to detail has been critical as Raby Estate has changed direction and set about creating a more robust and commercially viable business, with an environmentally sustainable farming enterprise at… ENVIRONMENTAward-winner shows ploughing can go alongside sustainabilityCambridgeshire farmer David Felce has been named this year’s winner of the BASF Rawcliffe Bridge Sustainability Award, for his focus on promoting biodiversity. David, who farms with his wife Hayley… LIVESTOCKHow rotational hedge management is helping store more carbonHedgerows managed on a 12- to 15-year laying rotation store six times more carbon than those flailed annually, studies on a Cornish beef farm have shown. Overall carbon emissions at… LIVESTOCKHow a Portuguese green oasis inspired a move to agroforestryMike Adams had never seen the point in growing trees in fields. But visits to farms in southern Europe and Turkey proved transformational; he is now sold on their benefits… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTBenefits of sward lifting for profit and environmentA decade of sward lifting on a Cornish farm has prevented run-off after heavy rainfall, shortened the winter housing period and is helping soils to sequester carbon. A typical field… InsightsSee all ARABLEHow farmers can deliver for nature and their businessBalancing food production with delivering for nature is something many farmers are seeking to achieve. And there are ways to make environmental improvements, while also benefiting the bottom line. Practices… ENVIRONMENTLandscape Recovery: In conversation with Tony JuniperLandscape Recovery – the third leg of Defra’s Environmental Land Management strategy – has been heralded as having a “critical” role to play in supporting environmentally sustainable food production in… ENVIRONMENTHow Focus Farms are helping royal estate on regen journeyThe Duchy of Cornwall has a long history of trying to do right by nature, with both the current Duke (Prince William) and his predecessor (King Charles) renowned for their… FARM POLICYRadical reset on food production needed says new reportThe time has come for a radical reset in domestic agricultural policy, harnessing the full power of scientific advance with a view to improving UK food self-sufficiency, while reducing the… ENVIRONMENTHow green outcomes can be delivered on a shoestring budgetIn the heart of the Lake District, a group of 49 farmers has been testing whether environmental progress can be made without deep pockets. They are discovering just how far… ENVIRONMENTHow Water Action Groups can help secure farm suppliesThe Environment Agency (EA) is reviewing water abstraction licences, asking farmers to give up “excess headroom” due to over-abstraction in many catchments. Letters are being sent to farmers and other… ENVIRONMENTWater quality and supply: Striking the right balance on farmClimate change and weather volatility pose major concerns for UK agriculture. In the past year alone, the UK experienced exceptionally heavy rainfall during the winter months, followed by one of… ARABLECan arable farms operate without fossil fuels?While completing his Nuffield Scholarship, Stuart Oates founded the Fossil Free Farm project, born of his belief that removing fossil fuels from farming is essential for future sustainability. Based at… Latest environment newsSee all ENVIRONMENTLivestock farmer sustainability initiative launched by DunbiaMajor meat processor Dunbia, a division of Dawn Meats, has launched a project with nine beef and sheep farmers across the UK in a targeted effort to cut carbon emissions… FARM POLICYUK's largest farmer-led nature recovery project approvedFarmers across the Cotswolds have been given the green light to launch the UK’s biggest ever farmer-led nature recovery project, restoring more than 3,000ha of habitat while continuing to produce… WEATHERSomerset farmers battle worsening flood crisisSomerset farmers are fighting to save crops and livestock after weeks of relentless rain left large swathes of the Levels underwater, cutting off access routes and turning productive farmland into… ENVIRONMENTNo impact study on cattle pollution permits planThe government has not assessed how many cattle farms could be affected by plans to extend environmental permitting rules to dairy and intensive beef operations in England, it has emerged.… ENVIRONMENTStirling University casts doubt on full value of tree plantingPlanting trees might not be the silver bullet often hoped for when it comes to storing carbon, according to Stirling University. Published in Global Change Biology, the commentary from Prof… ENVIRONMENTWelsh nature charity to rewild Ceredigion uplandsA Welsh nature charity is aiming to rewild over 483ha in the uplands of Ceredigion, having successfully purchased the site in Cwm Doethïe, in the Cambrian Mountains. Tir Natur has… WILDLIFEScots farmers demand action over species management costsFarmers and crofters raised growing concerns over species management at the NFU Scotland conference, warning that delays to policy and a lack of funding are leaving agricultural businesses to absorb… CARBONUpland sheep grazing protects stable soil carbon, shows studyA new study has highlighted the environmental benefits of upland sheep and suggests that their removal may negatively affect the long-term storage of stable soil carbon. The Manchester University study,… WILDLIFENatural England confirms beaver release in the South WestBeavers are set to be released in South West England in the coming weeks, following approval by Natural England. Two further licences have been issued as part of a government… ENVIRONMENTLivestock farms could play big part in drive towards net zeroA groundbreaking study by the AHDB and Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) suggests that 14% of farms involved in the pilot may already be operating beyond “net zero” for carbon emissions,… NEWSReform UK plays down Goldsmith role on green policyReform UK has sought to distance itself from suggestions that Conservative environmentalist Ben Goldsmith is shaping its agricultural and nature policy, amid growing scrutiny of the party’s stance on farming… ENVIRONMENTNatural resources in Wales remain in state of crisis report saysUrgent action is needed in Wales to prevent the worsening of the climate and nature crises, according to the latest State of Natural Resources Report (SoNaRR). Published under the Environment… VideoSee all AIR AND WATERVideo: FW Investigates - would dredging reduce flooding?The past few months of relentless wet weather have again highlighted the pressing issue of how best to manage rivers and watercourses near farmland. Heavy rainfall events are becoming more… NEWSVideo: Farmer defends his actions on River LuggA Herefordshire farmer who was jailed for causing damage to a protected river has defended his actions, insisting they helped prevent flooding to local properties and land. Several homes along… SHEEPVideo: How a lowland farm is preparing for low-methane sheepResults from the first UK farm to test methane emissions in sheep using portable accumulation chambers have shown they were producing on average about 20g/day of methane and 1.2kg/day of… CARBONClimate adaptation and resilience within the farm businessOn Thursday 27 April 2023, Farmers Weekly hosted its webinar on climate adaptation and resilience within the farm business with the Woodland Trust. Integrating trees into farming systems provides opportunities…
