New report suggests that trees on farms are essential to improve productivity and environmental protection post Brexit

Major agroforestry trials should be established during the EU withdrawal period according to a report launched today by the Woodland Trust and the Soil Association. The policy document, entitled “Agroforestry in England: Benefits, Barriers and Opportunities” also suggests that government support for farmer-led research and innovation networks seeking to integrate trees and agriculture should be trialled.ContinueContinue reading “New report suggests that trees on farms are essential to improve productivity and environmental protection post Brexit”

Woodland Trust event calls for farmers to respond to Defra Command Paper

Last week I attended an event organised by the Woodland Trust and hosted by Stephen Briggs at his farm in Cambridgeshire. The aim of the afternoon was partly to introduce farmers to the potential for using agroforestry on their farms, partly to discuss the Defra ‘Health and Harmony’ consultation document and partly to encourage delegatesContinueContinue reading “Woodland Trust event calls for farmers to respond to Defra Command Paper”

The long awaited 25 Year Environment Plan

I’ve been stuck indoors today, struck down by flu yesterday. There are a lot of things going around at the moment, and I was being optimistic and hoping that I wouldn’t catch anything this winter. Oh well! Hopefully I’m now over the worst of it but you never really can tell with these things. ItContinueContinue reading “The long awaited 25 Year Environment Plan”

”No deal would be a very bad deal indeed”: some words on Brexit and Farmers.

Last week the inaugural Henry Plumb Lecture took place at the Royal Society in London, during which Ivan Rogers, the former UK permanent representative to the European Union, spoke to farm leaders and other farming sector representatives about the negotiations and life after Brexit. To say that his words didn’t foster much optimism is theContinueContinue reading “”No deal would be a very bad deal indeed”: some words on Brexit and Farmers.”

Meeting Defra

Late night posts are never usually a good idea, but having just returned from an event down in mid Essex it seems right to pen my thoughts straight away, while it’s fresh in my head. This evening I went along to a Young Farmers Club event near Chelmsford, chaired by the ever inspiring Ed FordContinueContinue reading “Meeting Defra”