Farm Life

Work being done by UK farmers to monitor farmland bird numbers and improve biodiversity should be recognised and celebrated, according to the founder of the country’s biggest farmland bird count.

Veteran haulier Ian Connor of  Gartocharn based J Cooper & Co is this year’s recipient of the Stalwart award, presented annually by NFU Scotland’s Argyll & the Islands region.

Lowlands farm, in southwest Birmingham, is home to Beth Withers and her husband, Tom. Here, she talks about bringing up her growing family at Lowlands, a beef and sheep farm, and the balance between motherhood and farming.

Last year went out in a deluge of water as our little stream next to the farm turned into a raging torrent and burst its banks, flooding sheds, kennels, steading and almost the house.

Health-conscious consumers are being encouraged to put pork on their plates as part of a new campaign to promote its nutritional benefits and affordability.

Declines in pig and poultry output led to a 5 per cent reduction in animal feed production in the five months to the end of November 2022, according to AHDB figures.

Global events will affect prices in 2023

Most weeks on the farm I truly believe there is no better job in the world.

More than 3,000 people took part in a demonstration on Dartmoor at the weekend, following a High Court ruling to ban wild camping.

Most farming businesses are now looking at diversification in one form or another as a way to add a stable income stream into their businesses in a time of volatility.