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British olive oil, anyone?
Until very recently, the notion that the UK could join the ranks of olive oil producing countries was considered madness. Yet the prospect of home grown British Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) is increasing arousing curiosity and attracting attention....
Neil Davy, Huggits Farm~Friday, 20 January, 2012 - 11:14  |  0 comments
Is solar a good investment for farmers?
The news is constantly filled with stories of larger and larger solar panel installations. For example, the 1.4MW Wheal Jane Park in Truro, featuring nearly 5,700 solar panels, and generating enough electricity for 400 homes. Such large investments r...
James Hawkins~Wednesday, 11 January, 2012 - 11:27  |  0 comments
Could plant oils heat your home?
New research conducted by the NNFCC - the UK's National Centre for Biorenewable Energy, Fuels and Materials - suggests biodiesel made from plant oils could be a realistic, environmentally friendly alternative to traditional heating oils, like kerosen...
Dr Matthew Aylott, NNFCC~Wednesday, 7 December, 2011 - 14:45  |  0 comments
Land drainage: are there hidden benefits?
Pinning down whether something is sustainable or environmentally friendly is often complicated. At first glance it seems to be a relatively straightforward process: belching factories bad, green fields good. I guess that is right in some cases but th...
Rob Burtonshaw~Friday, 18 November, 2011 - 17:01  |  0 comments
The importance of water management
LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) is a farming charity at the forefront of sustainable agriculture promoting Integrated Farm Management. Water, together with soil, are the underpinning assets of any land based business. Access to water is beco...
Dr Louise Manning, LEAF~Monday, 31 October, 2011 - 13:05  |  0 comments
Want to create a carbon woodland?
Trees are good: well-managed woodlands provide many benefits including sequestering carbon. As a result, individuals and businesses are keen to support tree planting, which adds up to an opportunity for farmers and land managers. But how ca...
Vicky West, Forestry Commission~Tuesday, 25 October, 2011 - 11:14  |  0 comments
Biodiversity needs agricultural inputs
Reducing the requirements of biodiversity into simple farm guidelines can be difficult.  Someone with experience can suggest the most effective measures taking into account the specific location and landscape features of the farm. However, th...
Jim Orson, NIAB TAG~Wednesday, 5 October, 2011 - 14:04  |  0 comments
Farming Futures - Fast Forward to the future
So, it’s happened. Farming Futures, like the iconic friendly local corner shop, is “under new management”. OK, so you’ve just got used to it as a handy place to find a wealth of helpful information, chat about new ideas, and...
Farming Futures~Monday, 26 September, 2011 - 12:38  |  0 comments
Anaerobic digestion workshops, Newcastle University
Cockle Park Farm is a small-scale demonstration Anaerobic Digestion plant, owned and operated by Newcastle University and based on one of their University farms. To provide an insight into AD and to help unravel some of the mysteries a...
Farming Futures~Thursday, 15 September, 2011 - 07:05  |  0 comments
Saving Money and Helping the Environment
We have found that when we make changes to help the environment on our farm, they often save us money too...writes LEAF Board Member and LEAF Marque farmer, Matthew Naylor. There were a few years when oil and water were unrealistically cheap and this...
LEAF Board Member and LEAF Marque farmer, Matthew Naylor~Wednesday, 14 September, 2011 - 16:37  |  0 comments
Industry Survey: Supporting Community Energy
Researchers at the University of Sussex - Science and Technology Policy Research Unit are studying how community energy can spread and grow and are looking for groups to take part in an online survey of community energy projects.  The results wi...
Jin Park, University of Sussex~Wednesday, 24 August, 2011 - 12:36  |  0 comments
Industry News: New strategy to save and protect England's wildlife
Defra has published a plan to create better habitats and join up the homes of some of England’s most iconic wildlife. ‘Biodiversity 2020: A strategy for England’s wildlife and ecosystem services’ aims to halt the loss of Engla...
Defra~Tuesday, 23 August, 2011 - 13:15  |  0 comments
Putting the record straight on climate change
One of the biggest frustrations for those working in the livestock industry is the relentless attempts by the media and single issue groups to portray the sector as the villain of the piece when it comes to environmental matters writes Jo Biggs from...
EBLEX - the organisation for the English beef and sheep sector~Thursday, 11 August, 2011 - 19:16  |  0 comments
Pastures new - Farming Futures moves to a new home
Farming Futures enters a new phase this month. As you know, we were looking for a new host after our five-year Defra funding came to a close. So we're very pleased to announce that the project has a new home! The Centre of Excellence for UK Farming (...
Madeleine Lewis~Wednesday, 15 June, 2011 - 13:57  |  0 comments
Charlotte's web: social media and farming
She grew up on a dairy farm, bought her first cow when she was seven, and her husband's a dairy nutritionist. So when Michele Payn-Knoper was stumped by her Holstein dairy calf not weaning, she did what any self-respecting 21st-century farmer would:...
Madeleine Lewis~Tuesday, 29 March, 2011 - 15:10  |  0 comments
Goal! We did it - another award for team FF
Farming Futures has scored a hattrick and won the Climate Week award for the 'Best Campaign'. Having recently won a Global Green Award and voted the best website for climate change and agricuture information by Farmers Weekly, we wanted to go one str...
Claire Wyatt~Wednesday, 23 March, 2011 - 11:47  |  1 comments
RHI takes the heat off investing in renewables
The launch of the Renewable Heat Incentive on 10th March was welcome news to many farmers and rural businesses. Farmers can now invest in renewable heat technologies, reduce their costs and carbon footprints.The £860 million government scheme i...
Rebecca Seaman~Friday, 18 March, 2011 - 09:49  |  2 comments
Can we score a hattrick?
Farming Futures has been shortlisted for the inaugural Climate Week Awards! Having recently won a Global Green Award and voted the best website for climate change and agricuture information, we're hoping to romp home with a hattrick next week. Climat...
Claire Wyatt~Wednesday, 16 March, 2011 - 17:33  |  0 comments
Dairy roadmap heading for success
Dr Karen Wonnacott spoke at the Dairy and the 21st Century Diet: Nutrition and Sustainability conference on the 27th January. We managed to catch her for a few minutes to ask how the dairy road map is progressing and what her one wish for the sector...
Karen Wonnacott~Tuesday, 15 March, 2011 - 13:46  |  0 comments
The heat is on
The Government have today announced the long awaited Renewable Heat Incentive but will it be enough to make Anaerobic Digestion (AD) financially attractive to farmers? In the UK we have all the right ingredients for a strong farm-based AD industry. E...
Dr Matthew Aylott~Thursday, 10 March, 2011 - 14:11  |  0 comments