In episode 17 of the Defra Farming podcast, host Neil Pickard—a farming adviser with more than 45 years’ experience in livestock and mixed farming—speaks with Soil Farmer of the Year 2023, Stuart Johnson, and Understanding Ag farming adviser, Kyle Richardville.

Stuart, a tenant farmer in Northumberland, explains how he has shifted his family’s mixed sheep and cattle farm away from conventional high-input practices towards a system focused on soil health. Kyle brings the scientific perspective, drawing on his research into soil microbial populations and his work supporting farmers across the US and UK.

Together, they discuss how improving soil health can help reduce reliance on expensive inputs, build resilience, and improve business efficiency. The conversation covers practical steps for mixed and arable farms as well as the specific challenges of all-grassland systems in both upland and lowland situations.

🔗 Useful links mentioned in this episode:

• Defra Farming blog
  
  
• Stuart Johnson bio
  
  
• Kyle Richardville bio
  
  
• Understanding Ag
  
  
• Grounded – The Regenerative Farming Podcast
  
  
• Soil Farmer of the Year competition

Episode 16 – How IPM works for us: a farmer and agronomist’s perspective

In this episode of the Defra Farming Podcast, guest host Tom Allen-Stevens—an arable farmer in Oxfordshire and founder of the British On Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN)—is joined by Cambridgeshire farmer Martin Lines and agronomist Ed Schofield.

Martin and Ed share with Tom how they are applying integrated pest management (IPM) on-farm to reduce reliance on chemical inputs while maintaining productivity and supporting biodiversity. The conversation covers practical approaches to IPM planning, monitoring and evaluation, habitat management for beneficial insects, the role of resistant crop varieties, and the importance of effective collaboration between farmers and agronomists.

The episode also highlights the launch of the UK Pesticides National Action Plan 2025 and how farmers can get involved in research and innovation through initiatives like the ADOPT fund and IPM NET.

🔗 Useful links mentioned in this episode:

• UK Pesticides National Action Plan 2025
• IPM NET
• Defra Farming blog - ADOPT Fund: guidance now available for innovation funding
• Innovate UK – ADOPT: How it works
• British On Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN)
• ASSIST Project
• The Voluntary Initiative
• Processors and Growers Research Organisation (PGRO)

Defra Animal Health and Welfare lead Martin Jenkins talks to North West dairy farmer Karen Halton and vet James Russell about the support that is available from government to help livestock farmers drive down disease and improve animal health and welfare on their farms.

Guidance for farmers and apply now - Guidance for farmers - Annual health and welfare review of livestock (defra.gov.uk)

AHDB material for vets - What is the Annual Health and Welfare Review? | AHDB

In episode 14 of the Defra Farming podcast, Michael Sturla talks to Robin and Christopher Milton, a father and son team farming beef and sheep on the Exmoor uplands, who have recently signed up to SFI.

Robin and Christopher share how they found the SFI application process and the SFI actions they have signed up to that suit their farming system, including clover and herbal leys, hedgerows, nutrient management, integrated pest management and vet visits.

Find out more about how to apply for SFI https://farming.campaign.gov.uk

Read more on the latest SFI announcement from Defra https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2024/01/04/environmental-land-management-in-2024-details-of-actions-and-payments

In episode 13 of the Defra Farming Podcast, Defra Productivity and Innovation Lead Andrew Powley spoke to Richard Wordsworth, NFU Senior Adviser (Support Schemes), and North Yorkshire beef and sheep farmer Richard Findlay.

The group's in-depth conversation covers everything you need to know as a farmer to access business support through the government's Farming Resilience Fund.

Find out more on GOV.UK about how to get free business advice for your farm through the Defra Farming Resilience Fund.

You can read Andrew's blog posts on the Resilience Fund on the Defra farming blog and you can also subscribe to the Defra Farming blog to stay up to date on all the latest news on government funding for farming in England.

The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) pays farmers for actions that support food production, farm productivity and resilience, whilst protecting and enhancing the environment.

In 2023, the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) will be bigger and more flexible with 23 pick and mix actions for farmers to choose from, including on soil health, moorland, hedgerows, integrated pest management, farmland wildlife, buffer strips, and low input grassland.

For episode 12 of the Defra Farming Podcast, we brought together Claire Robinson, Senior Countryside Adviser at the National Farmers Union, and Defra Sustainable Farming Incentive lead Jonathan Marsden to talk about what farmers can do to get ready to apply for SFI in 2023.

If you are a farmer or land manager and you'd like to apply for SFI this year, please fill out this online form.

Find out more about how to get ready for SFI.

In episode 11 of the Defra Farming podcast, Defra payments lead Lisa Warne talks to father and son John and Charlie Renner, who farm on the border of the  Northumberland National Park between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Alnwick.

Lisa gave an update about what's happening next in the growth and rollout of our environmental land management schemes. John and Charlie talked about how the new farming payments will fit in with the management of their farm and had plenty of questions about the new grants and actions from the farmer's point of view.

For more information on how the Renners farm, see the LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) website.

There’s something for everyone in Defra's schemes and grants. We’ve made them much more straightforward, flexible and workable, so if you haven’t yet looked, now is the time. Find out what you can get paid for on the Defra Farming blog.

In episode 10 of the Future Farming podcast, to celebrate National Young Farmers' Week 2022, Matt McGuire welcomes 3 up-and-coming young people in farming to the podcast. Charlie Beaty, Ed Dungait and Charlotte Garbutt discuss how to get started in farming, the importance of education and the range of roles in agriculture. They also discuss the benefits new talent can bring to the sector.
#YoungFarmersWeek 

Charlotte @ThisIsGarbs works in agronomy and sales for an agri-chemical company and is YFC Agri Chair @LincsYFC.

Charlie @MeridenFarm is a mixed beef-sheep and arable farmer from Warwickshire and WFYFC County Chair. 

Ed is an arable farmer from Northumberland and Chair of the National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs.

Subscribe to the Defra Future Farming blog

In episode 9 of the Future Farming podcast, Defra farming strategy lead Briony Turner talks to CLA (Country Land and Business Association) land use advisor Harry Greenfield and TFA (Tenant Farmers Association) farm advisor Lynette Steel about new public and private sector environmental schemes.

CLA and TFA have been working together to produce a set of guidelines to support tenants and landlords in applying for the schemes. Harry and Lynette explain the thinking behind the collaboration, and how  tenants and landlords can get the best out of the new environmental schemes by working together and starting conversations early.

Find out more about the CLA and TFA joint guidance for environmental schemes

Read the joint CLA/TFA guidance for environmental schemes in full

Subscribe to the Defra Future Farming blog

The Sustainable Farming Incentive is now open for applications. Through SFI, farmers will be paid for looking after the natural environment while they're farming. This year, we’ll start paying farmers for taking care of their soil or assessing the condition of moorland. From next year, we’ll be expanding the range of SFI actions farmers can get paid for.

For episode 8 of the Future Farming Podcast, we brought together Cambridgeshire farmer Martin Lines and Defra Sustainable Farming Incentive lead Jonathan Marsden to talk about all things SFI and land management. Jonathan explains about the SFI funding that farmers can apply for now, and the new funding that will be available to farmers for environmental land management in the next few years. 

Find out how to apply for SFI.