Diversification

The impact of coronavirus on the farming and agriculture industry has been significant, prompting Defra and the Department for International Trade to launch a ‘bounce back plan’ but for some farming businesses, it is too little too late.

Be careful what you wish for. After weeks of dry weather and wishing we could have just a bit of rain after first cut, the weather broke with a vengeance and we seemed to be instantly transported into autumn.

Diversification allowed Ian Steele the opportunity to return to the family farm in North Shropshire, where a range of diversification projects have boosted the smaller scale farming operation. Amy Stinton reports.

Farm groups have claimed the Chancellor’s pledge to reduce VAT by 15 per cent for the tourism sector will see agritourism ‘fight back’ post Covid-19.

New writer Kate farms alongside her husband Jim on one of two family farms near Abergavenny, Monmouthshire.

Land sold for tree planting continued to achieve strong results in early 2020, with some agents reporting upwards of £2,000 per acre.

I write this on the day the twins have gone back to school. It is school, but not as we knew it, with three hours once-a-week for five weeks and they have had some useful teaching of maths, which is a relief from struggling through online worksheets.

Like rural tourism businesses across the UK, Scotland’s Agritourism Monitor Farm businesses have had a rough ride over the last few months, but there are green shoots of recovery on the horizon. Ewan Pate reports.