FARM ZONE
An advice, comment and opinion resource for the agricultural community
JOSEPH ELKINGTON, PIONEER OF LAND DRAINAGE
As part of our ‘pioneers in agriculture’ series we take a look at Joseph Elkington: the man who transformed the agricultural landscape through his work in land drainage. ‘Pioneer of Land Drainage’ is the phrase found on the modest monument to Joseph Elkington that...
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MARK WOODIN AND CHILTON HOME FARMS: A BRIGHT MAIZE CASE STUDY
Mark Woodin runs a large privately owned estate, Chilton Home Farms on the Buckinghamshire/ Oxfordshire border. He came from a farming family, and has seen long service at Chilton, where he started working 30 years’ ago, at the age of 24. The estate is a mixed dairy...
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TEN HOUSEHOLD FOOD SPENDING TRENDS FOR 2021
Food retailing trends are highly relevant to maize growers, over 90% of whom are milk producers, because changes in consumer buying habits of dairy products will influence the terms of the contracts on which they sell their milk. For this latest blog, Farm Zone,...
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FORAGE SPECIALIST RICHARD LEACH TELLS US ABOUT HIS WORK FOR BRIGHT MAIZE
With more than 35 years’ experience in the sector Richard Leach believes in conserving the traditional values of agricultural trade while embracing innovation that will help UK farmers gain the best returns by careful selection of variety and site location. Work in...
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FARMING SUBSIDIES: A NEW DIRECTION, BUT MAJOR HURDLES LAY AHEAD
As the UK exits from the EU, the Common Agricultural Policy will be replaced by a domestic farm policy which looks radically different. DEFRA’s Environmental Land Management scheme (ELM) shifts the focus from farm production to restoring wild habitats, creating new...
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UK TRADE TALKS: WHAT DIFFERENCE WILL BIDEN MAKE?
The UK has spent much of 2020 working on its future trading relationships with the rest of the world. It’s been a year of talks – most urgently with the EU, whose single market and customs union we are bound to leave at the end of the year – and of ongoing...
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Strip-tilling: a perspective from Frans de Boer
Strip-tilling is currently seeing something of a resurgence, and, in many situations, the farmers using it are getting some very pleasing results. However, the practice is not for everyone and, in this article, Farm Zone talks to Frans de Boer, managing director at DB...
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NUTRIENT POLLUTION – TACKLING THE CHALLENGE
Following on from Bright Maize’s successful recent open day, we spoke to Tim Stephens of Wessex Water, and took a broader look at nitrate pollution… We all know something about the problems of water pollution from agriculture. When chemicals from pesticides and excess...
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JOHN MECHI AND TIPTREE HALL FARM
Part five of our ‘pioneers in agriculture’ series takes a look at some interesting aspects of the life of John Mechi – founder of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution Those who have had dealings with the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution may have...
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MY JOB IS: COMMERCIAL MANAGER AT BRIGHT MAIZE – Laura Drury
Continuing our series looking at the people who make Bright Maize a success, here we speak to Laura Drury – Commercial Manager Managing change is the kind of challenge which Laura Drury relishes. She recently took over as commercial manager at Bright Maize, tasked...
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