Mark Richardson on the positive southern sales.

Traditionally, the summer months are known in journalistic circles as ‘silly season’.

Ben Gratton, 18, is from a dairy, beef and sheep farm outside of Buxton in Derbyshire. He is currently working on a dairy and arable farm in Shropshire as part of his level 3 advanced technical extended diploma in agriculture at Reaseheath College.

Roger Evans discusses the price of milk, whether it is viable for farmers to keep producing their goods, and gives a suggestion for what needs to happen in Westminster.

Holstein UK president John Jamieson made a successful switch to organic milk production in 1999 and has just completed a five-year plan to modernise the facilities on the family farm near Dumfries. Wendy Short reports.

After one of the quickest and most straightforward harvests on record in most areas, the downside of the recent record temperatures and negligible rain is hard, dry soils. Jane Carley explores how to manage them.

Dairy farmer Andy Venables farms in partnership with his family, milking 330 cows in Cheshire, selling milk on a Co-op contract. He is also managing director of Hillsgreen, a marketing agency dedicated to agriculture with many high-profile clients, including NFU and Cereals.

It is the perfect time of year to have friends and family over to eat, laugh and relax outside. Here are two seasonal, fruity recipes to impress your guests. Emily Ashworth and Lucy Baxter report.

Hannah Senior is the creator of the Innovating AgTech podcast and owner of PBS International, which works with plant breeders and seed producers.

Since I last wrote we have had 10mm of rain, all of which arrived this week.