Ben Boothman is an independent agronomist and member of the Arable Advisor Group and the Association of Independent Crop Consultants (AICC), covering Yorkshire and the North East. He is BASIS, FACTS and BETA qualified and studied for a degree in agriculture and crop management at Harper Adams University.

June is probably the best month of the year as the days are long and the countryside looks at its most verdant.

Spring crops are a bit of a mixed bag in the East Midlands this season, depending on when and in what conditions crops were established.  

This month, Roger Evans discusses his fascination with the stories behind old farming pictures, how farmers are no longer recognised for the work they do in producing food, and why romance certainly isn't dead in the countryside.

Making the right decisions to improve business resilience is key and industry experts agree that producing the best quality silage possible is an important first step towards achieving this.

High feed, fertiliser and fuel costs are driving UK dairy farmers to want to produce better silage in 2023. And those who made multi-cut grass silage during the droughted 2022 season tended to be better off.

Bovine ischaemic teat necrosis is believed to be widespread across Great Britain, but its cause is undetermined and treatment options are limited and only partially successful. Wendy Short reports.

For the first time in the event’s history, NSA Sheep Northern Ireland will be taking place on-farm in 2023, with the hosts to be the Tynan Estate, Co. Armagh, on Tuesday, July 4. Richard Halleron reports

Wholecrop and maize can be a valuable addition to any ration, but attention to detail both pre-and post-harvest is key.

The 2023/24 FACTS annual online assessment scheme for agriculture and vegetables will deal with the broad, but highly topical subject of ‘managing soils for effective nutrient supply’.