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 FEED AND NUTRITIONHow one farm is trialling a regen approach to forage maizeFaced with a reliance on maize but driven by a commitment to regenerative farming principles, Lucy and Rob Noad set out to prove that maize can be grown more sustainably.… 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… InsightsSee all ARABLEHow IPM strategies can cut costs and protect watercoursesIntegrating habitats into a farm can contribute to resilient, cost-efficient farming. For many farms, the benefits of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) include fewer chemical inputs, natural pest control, and habitats… 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… Latest environment newsSee all FARM POLICYNFU and green NGOs seeks greater protection from importsThe NFU has joined forces with the RSPCA and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to demand that the government draws up a set of “core standards” for animal… BIODIVERSITYHigh Court finds Dartmoor stock assessments inadequateThe High Court has ruled that the Dartmoor Commoners’ Council (DCC) failed in its legal duty to properly assess livestock levels on Dartmoor Commons. The judicial review, heard in July… ENVIRONMENTBorders farm invests in large-scale agroforestry pushA farm in the Scottish Borders is demonstrating the potential of agroforestry through a large-scale tree planting project designed to support both agriculture and the environment. The initiative, led by… NVZSFarmer wins landmark challenge to NVZ designationsDevon-based farmer John Clapp has successfully challenged a nitrate vulnerable zone (NVZ) designation on his land, after winning an appeal against Defra. Mr Clapp, who runs a mixed arable and… ENVIRONMENTFarm fined after slurry spills pollute Bristol Avon riverA farming partnership in Chippenham has been ordered to pay £18,744 after two slurry pollution incidents in 2023 and 2024 contaminated tributaries of the Bristol Avon river. JD Spencer Farm… WILDLIFEFunding boost for greylag goose control in ScotlandThe Scottish government has confirmed an additional £20,000 for greylag goose management in the Hebridean islands of Uist and Barra. This increases annual funding to £30,000, to address crop damage… ENVIRONMENTRed Tractor considers role in future environment regulationsDirectors at Red Tractor have called on each of the assurance scheme’s sector boards to consider the implications of future environmental regulations on farm businesses and the potential role Red… ENVIRONMENTSomerset farmers braced for prolonged flood falloutFarmers on the Somerset Levels say the impact of one of the wettest winters in decades will be felt long into spring, as floodwater continues to blanket land and financial… ENVIRONMENTTree planting grants raised in WalesFarmers and landowners in Wales can apply for enhanced tree-planting grants from next Wednesday (4 March), the Welsh government has announced. The latest grants offer up to £13,294/ha, including 12 years… ENVIRONMENTDorset farmer fined over slurry storage breachA Dorset farmer has been charged a hefty fine at Yeovil Magistrates Court after failing to install adequate slurry storage at his Blandford farm, breaching environmental regulations in a designated… FARM POLICYFUW cautions against tighter air pollution targetsSetting air pollution targets in Wales must not lead to tougher regulations for farming, the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) has warned. Responding to a Welsh government consultation on new… ENVIRONMENTFarmers in England to gain stronger deer control powersFarmers, land managers and foresters across England will be given faster, simpler powers to control deer under a new 10-year government strategy aimed at protecting crops, timber and wildlife. The… 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…
