Our blog
The latest ideas, opinions and innovations from people working in sustainable agriculture
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RBST wants everyone to #GoNative this summer
Would you eat an endangered species? For most people the answer would be a horrified “no!” but in my work with the UK’s endangered farm...
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A look inside the organic meat market
Now growing at over 7% year-on-year, the organic market has entered its fifth consecutive year of steady growth. Organic meat has also grown over the...
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NOCC NOCC? Who’s there...?
Organic Research Centre! We are partners in NOCC 2017 - National Organic Combinable Crops - OF&G ’s flagship event, which is the largest UK on-farm...
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A natural perspective to beekeeping
Tim Field explains what Daylesford Farm is doing to help bees. At the end of May/beginning of June the bees start to swarm, and at...
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Breaking the mould in small-scale agricultural developments
Sky-high land and rural housing costs, alongside planning red tape, have proved almost insurmountable barriers for new would-be farmers. But the Ecological Land Co-operative (ELC)...
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Pollination of UK apples: who is doing all the work?
For hundreds of years we have thought that bees are important for pollinating apples, but is this actually true? I have worked in apple orchards...
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Hedgerows need to flower
Listening to a Gardener’s Question Time programme recently, I heard a lady ask the experts why her shrubs are not flowering as expected: "I prune...
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Mowing sainfoin for silage
This month Richard explains the process of making sainfoin silage at Daylesford. Starting off in the field he describes how the crop has been established...
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Can a neonic-free future be good for farming and nature?
The current buzz As I write this, the European Commission is considering whether to extend the current partial ban on neonicotinoid insecticides (neonics) - introduced...
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Editor's blog - Our first newsletter and 'Agricology in the Field'!
Welcome to the first ‘Editor’s blog’ and first Agricology newsletter - a double treat! You will be only too aware of the major challenges farmers...
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From 'Where the Birds Sing' to 'Fields for the Future'- a 25 year celebration!
British agriculture is a balance between food production and responsible environmental management. There are many challenges farmers and land owners face within their own businesses,...
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How can two sheep shape the future of your farm?
Picture a sheep... Bleating. Grazing. Chewing the cud. Following the crowd. Possibly lying on its back as sheep are wont to do. All typical sheep...
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Mechanical weeding project
The Royal Agricultural University (RAU) has been carrying out weeding trials at its Harnhill Manor Farm, near Cirencester, looking at the role of mechanical weeding...
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Farmer led policy - leading the way on reducing antibiotic use on farm
Can dairy farmers lead the way in the UK for antibiotic reduction? Why of course, it is already happening! A pilot project sponsored by AHDB...
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Antibiotics: can we keep farm animals well without them?
In 2010, I took a trip to Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and New York, USA, to ask some organic dairy farmers about how they managed health and...
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Homeopathy; a credible alternative to antibiotics
... and not just a load of old bull! What if somebody told you that there is a credible alternative to antibiotics, that it is...
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Bucking the trend: an alternative approach to couch control
How can we manage pernicious perennial weeds without recourse to agrochemicals, or cultivations that can damage soil structure and soil biology? For organic farmers that...
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How do you test your soil health?
The importance of soil health is now well recognised. With warnings that the UK’s soils have only 100 harvests left, and with flooding a growing...
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Harrow Combing Oats
Richard Smith, Senior Farm Manager at Daylesford Farm discusses harrow combing oats. The oats were drilled late in October which allows the crop to grow...
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Lambing 2017
This month Richard is re-visiting the sheep barn, explaining how they lamb at Daylesford. The sheep have been shorn, scanned and grouped into singles, doubles...
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