Blog

"Bluetongue can have serious consequences for farmers"

In a blog for Farmers Guardian, shepherdess and top dog trialler Emma Gray talks organic lamb and the drama at the Scottish National sheepdog trials

As I flew home from my nine weeks of individual Nuffield travel in New Zealand, China, Chile and North America, studying the topic of ‘Inspiring the next generation of dairy entrepreneurs', I found myself asking: 'What have I learned?'

'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'

Charlotte Harris, 21, is a shepherdess from Strathaven in South Lanarkshire. She now runs her own equine and shepherdess business in Scotland

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

James farms Dairy Shorthorns east of Kendal, Cumbria, with his parents Kathleen and Henry, wife Michelle and sons Robert and Chris. The fifth generation to farm at Strickley, he is also vice-chair of the Nature Friendly Farming Network

Ian farms in partnership with his family near Knutsford, Cheshire. They manage 700 commercial pedigree Holstein/Friesians on 445 hectares (1,100 acres). Replacements are home reared and cows are on a composite system

This week from Farmers Guardian head of news and business Alex Black

Farming 122 hectares (300 acres), the main enterprise consists of 800 breeding ewes and cider made on-site from their orchards. Kate is a mum of two, runs Kate’s Country School on-farm and is the woodland creation officer for Stump Up For Trees