Blogs

'We should not be having a niggle at regen farmers when actually our future growers and our future members are going to come from that pool of people'

Cumbrian sheep farmer and author James Rebanks reflects on his decision to turn down the invite to apply for a non-executive director at Defra

Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner shares his thoughts following a meeting with G20 Agriculture Ministers in Brazil

This week from head of livestock and Dairy Farmer editor, Katie Jones

Kate is a fifth-generation farmer running the 750-hectare (1,853-acre) Hundleshope Farm on the Haystoun Estate, Peebles, where the family have been tenants for 150 years. She runs the hill unit with her husband Ed and their four children. She is also a vet and chair of Quality Meat Scotland

Amy works on her family’s tenanted farm at Halsall, Lancashire. Working mainly with her dad, Amy farms 285 hectares (704 acres) of arable crops and 550 beef cross cattle which are all reared through to finishing. You can follow her on Instagram @amygingewilkinson

Dan Hawes grew up on an arable farm in Suffolk and now produces strawberry and raspberry plants for the UK fruit market with Blaise Plants, sister company to Hugh Lowe Farms, Kent. The business grows outside, under tunnels and in glasshouses and produces more than four million plants a year. The arable side includes environmental schemes, with a mix of wheat, oilseed rape, beans and barley crops

The widow of farmer Rocky Poulson, who ended his life four days after a farm inspection, reflects on the similarities between what happened to her husband and the tragic case of headteacher Ruth Perry, who took her own life after Ofsted inspectors said they would downgrade the school from outstanding to the lowest grade - inadequate

This week from Farmers Guardian editor Olivia Midgley

James and Isobel, with their two young children, recently bought their first farm, and plan to run beef and sheep over 13.8 hectares (34 acres), renting a further 44.5ha (110 acres). James works for tech firm Breedr as UK country manager. You can follow them on Twitter @jpbwfarm