Dairy farmers in the Netherlands say they face being driven out of business after being told to slash greenhouse gas emissions. It follows calls by the Hague government for a 50% cut in nitrogen emissions by 2030 – a target that has seen farmers take to the streets in protest. One of the world's most densely populated countries, the Netherlands is home to some 16,000 dairy farmers milking some 1.57 million cows. Dairy farmer Herman Miedema milks 175 cows across some 100ha of grass and maize silage in Friesland province – the Dutch dairy capital. Mr Miedema is one of the lucky ones. Under t ..read more

Before making any changes to the way you farm, it's important to ask: is your farm business financially robust? Stress testing and financial modelling are valuable tools in identifying overall farm business vulnerabilities and finding answers to all your “what-ifs”. Measuring how vulnerable you are to changes in interest rates, market price fluctuations, inflation and rising input costs could make the difference between success and failure. In this Transition Podcast, we look at: • How are all these factors influencing your farm’s working capital? • What changes should be implemented to ma ..read more

In this episode, we are discussing food security – and the need to balance profitable food production with care for the environment. Agriculture faces a defining decade – with farmers expected to do much more than simply produce safe, affordable and nutritious food.  Growers and livestock producers are increasingly required to provide environmental benefits too – as well as helping to mitigate climate change. Discussing ways we can get this balance right are three special guests: Carl Atkin, chairman of the Institute of Agricultural Management Emily Norton, head of rural research at Sa ..read more

In this episode, we are discussing food security – and the need to balance profitable food production with care for the environment. Agriculture faces a defining decade – with farmers expected to do much more than simply produce safe, affordable and nutritious food.  Growers and livestock producers are increasingly required to provide environmental benefits too – as well as helping to mitigate climate change. Discussing ways we can get this balance right are three special guests: Carl Atkin, chairman of the Institute of Agricultural Management Emily Norton, head of rural research at Sa ..read more

Carbon is set to become an increasingly important revenue stream for farmers over the coming years. Whether it being paid to off-set carbon emissions on behalf of somebody else or reducing  your own on-farm emissions, the possibilities seem endless. But it is a fledging market and it can be confusing – and often daunting So how do you make money from carbon – what are the opportunities and how do you avoid the pitfalls? To answer these questions and more, we are  joined by four experts: Emily Norton is head of rural research, energy & projects at farm business consultants an ..read more

In this episode, we discover how technology can increase farm profitability by reducing input costs while driving down greenhouse gas emissions. We look at a number of options for arable farmers when it comes to establishing, managing and harvesting combinable crops and maize. We examine how strip tillage systems can get crops off to a good start by using precision planting alongside injected slurry as an alternative nutrient source. In terms of crop protection, we investigate the benefits of mechanical weeding as an alternative to chemical herbicides – and find out whether it is cost effectiv ..read more

Huge increases in farm input costs pose a massive challenge to UK growers and livestock producers, piling pressure on business cashflows. Eye-watering levels of AgInflation have seen fuel costs more than double in recent months, with fertiliser prices more than trebling. Commodity prices too have spiked on the back of global weather concerns and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, one of the world's major grain exporters. With harvest 2022 approaching in the UK, this episode of the Transition Agriculture podcast examines ways farmers can best adapt to market volatility. We speak to growers, farm ..read more

Huge increases in farm input costs pose a massive challenge to UK growers and livestock producers, piling pressure on business cashflows. Eye-watering levels of AgInflation have seen fuel costs more than double in recent months, with fertiliser prices more than trebling. Commodity prices too have spiked on the back of global weather concerns and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, one of the world's major grain exporters. With harvest 2022 approaching in the UK, this episode of the Transition Agriculture podcast examines ways farmers can best adapt to market volatility. We speak to growers, f ..read more

Transition Farmers Rachel and Richard Risdon run a grass-based herd of 300 Friesian cross Jersey  dairy cows at Bramford Speke, near Exeter, Devon. The herd is rotationally grazed and yield about 4,900 litres and 452kg of milk solids from about 650kg of concentrate. Grass is topped up with cake when necessary, focusing on having cows out grazing from calving in February until late November. The couple have three main goals: reducing their carbon footprint, understanding new agri-environment schemes, and recruiting good staff. For more about the Farmers Weekly Transition project, visit ..read more

Scottish farmer Alan Steven farms cereals and fieldscale vegetables at Hillhead Farm, Kingsbarns, near St Andrew, Fife. In this episode, Alan talks about his quest to produce quality crops while overcoming the limitations of his farm business. Challenges include improving soil health, the double-edged sword of a mild coastal climate and distance to market.  Alan explains how his family came to farm at Hillhead Farm, what his is striving to achieve as a farmer and his hopes for the next generation ..read more