Farm Life

Why do we farm? Honestly, what’s in it for us? My sense is that only a minority of farmers farm because they chose to.

More than half of the British public see domestic food production as more important now than they did before the coronavirus pandemic, new research has shown.

Scottish Government’s handling of support for rural businesses has been branded ’shambolic’ by Shadow Rural Affairs Cabinet Secretary Rachael Hamilton.

An agricultural contractor has mobilised his fleet of tractors to help deliver prescriptions to children during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Farmers daughter, Lisa Richardson, planned to run the Liverpool marathon in May to raise money for the charity, however due to Covid-19 the marathon has been postponed. Instead she has decided to climb her staircase the height of Everest (4424 times) with 10kg weight in a rucksack.

People and businesses across the countryside are working flat out to keep the nation fed, to protect jobs, and support their communities says Rob Hindle, Director of Rural Solutions. 

Although there has been a positive change in attitudes towards seeking help for mental health issues, older farmers are still less likely to acknowledge problems and reach out. Clemmie Gleeson takes a look at some of the reasons why and how to help reverse trends.

Harriet Lyon, 19, from North Yorkshire, has recently moved from the farm in Malton, North Yorkshire, to attend the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester, Gloucestershire. We will follow her over the course of the year to see what life as an agricultural student is like.

Making it easy to talk about mental health is Naomi Wright’s mission. After setting up a rural based therapy business, she talks to Emily Ashworth about challenging the stigma of mental health in agriculture.

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has confirmed it will offer bridging loans to farmers still waiting for 2019 stewardship payments.