This month, Roger Evans discusses the situation in rural communities, delves into the world of politics and recounts a tale about rats and chainsaws
After a steady start to calving at Houghton Lodge in early February we were fully back on track by the beginning of March and had delivered over 630 calvings in four weeks equating to 59% of the expected 1,070 calvings due by the beginning of May
Helen is a fifth-generation farmer who farms with her parents, David and Anne Shaw, husband, Craig, and their children, Alfred and Hattie, at Grey Leys Farm in the Vale of York. The farm comprises 162 hectares (400 acres) of grass, maize and wholecrop for the herd of 240 pedigree Jersey cows and more than 200 followers
I start this column on a high; we have just returned from a skiing holiday in France
Part of our exit strategy if you like, was to get planning permission on three of our conventional buildings. I would hasten to add that our exit was forced upon us
Happy New Year to you all Although it probably seems like a distant memory I hope you all enjoyed some quality time with your families over the Christmas period
I am certainly glad to see the end of the long period of wet weather we have been enduring in Somerset since October, and we are currently enjoying a crisp dry spell
In his latest article, vet Rory Dean, talks about how his farmers in New Zealand are starting out on their cow technology journey, and the impact this has on his job
Dairy farmer Liz Haines, discusses her first visit to the Oxford Farming Conference, which this year saw speakers addressing the theme of diversity
This week from Farmers Guardian's head of news and business Alex Black