Summer finally arrives plus why 50% of the farm won't be growing food crops in 2025.

I've entered a new 5-year Countryside Stewardship agreement this year and in this video I explain what options I'm doing plus look at how the crops are looking now summer is finally here.

[@brianlopez8855]

Its like watching Clarkson''s sensible cousin farming down the road, without the shouting, hysteria and Amazon film crew around.

[@PortugalCarp]

I think Clarkson got the "Clarkson's Farm" idea from Harry!

[@lutomson3496]

except Clarkson has other outlets for money including his shop where Harry does not, all those stupid rules there for farming there which Clarkson has pointed out are patheic over ruling by the government

[@Wayoutthere]

Clarkson and Harry are both fighting the same animal by different means. Clarkson simply does it in a way that regular ppl love, and objectively is VERY good at. humor and ridiculing councils works wonders to disempower them bit by bit.

[@AliveGhost13]

@@lutomson3496 Harry is hardly short of money.

[@ChrisJohnson-pd4hh]

He certainly is not short of money. Take a look in his garage. I doubt if farming is any more than a hobby for him although he does highlight the problems facing farmers today.​@@AliveGhost13

[@frankspin9124]

You and Jeremy Clarkson are doing so much for farmers. It's a great way to see what farming is really like in the UK.

[@user-vc4lb4ql2b]

You are living in a daydream if you think Harry and Jeremy are in any way representative of a typical UK farmer

[@jumpimcjump7888]

@@user-vc4lb4ql2b They don't have to be to raise public awareness about the issues typical farmers face. Clarkson for example openly said, that he had no idea how farmers would be able to cope with the challenges if they don't have a TV show to top up their income

[@Andy_T79]

​@user-vc4lb4ql2b Jeremy sure...but Harry studied at agricultural college and was a grain buyer at the same time farming on rented land before eventually buying his farm in 2002... he only started with cars and Evo as a hobby in the 90s. Trying to say that a qualified professional farmer of 40+yrs and owning a farm 22yrs isn't a real farmer is just total nonsense.

[@alancobbin]

100% agree Frank 👍🇬🇧

[@timsaxon5825]

@@user-vc4lb4ql2bI guess he’s saying that we’re getting entertaining insights into the farming world that we were otherwise completely oblivious to in our everyday lives. I drive around the countryside now boring my wife with my basic knowledge of the farming calendar and why we should be doing more for farmers. That’s gotta be a good thing.

[@cjrp0]

The Energy Secretary was celebrating the fact that solar farms will be harder to build on farm land, ensuring food production isn't affected. Then at the same time DEFRA is encouraging land to be taken out of food production. Doesn't make sense to me.

[@ruststar]

British Logic at its finest.

[@bishwatntl]

Silo thinking at its best - made worse by not having anyone who understands the overall picture in a position of power or influence.

[@spex357]

Klaus Schwab of the Wef says there will food shortages, and 50% will be unemployed.

[@ianwatson194]

​@spex357 Nice bit of population reduction to "save the planet"...

[@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb]

Makes total sense to stop subsidizing hugely inefficient gentleman farms like Harry's and Jeremy's - multimillionaires playing farmers isn't good for anyone, especially taxpayers.

[@alexcane6458]

12:30 "A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit."

[@ericrawson2909]

Sadly, men like Harry are a tiny minority.

[@PazLeBon]

@@ericrawson2909 nonsense

[@ndudman8]

@@ericrawson2909 sorry we need more men that do less but more than harry.

[@mariemccann5895]

@@ericrawson2909 Thankfully, they are the problem. He is not a farmer nor does he care about the planet or anyone else. Money drives him, period.

[@terrygreen9107]

Surely the government should be encouraging farmers to grow more not less As always i find your videos very interesting thanks Harry 👍🚜

[@Rugbyman269]

If only it was that simple

[@popuptoaster]

They need to get to net zero somehow, easier to increase carbon take up than it is to decrease carbon emissions and they also get to say they are helping the flora and fauna. Shipping in food from abroad makes the carbon emissions someone else's problem.

[@alanreid3063]

Easier to import it and create more Co2 but it looks good when you can say "We are achiving net zero"

[@andrewmellon5072]

Popuptoaster makes complete sense to me. The whole thing is madness of course, not farming some of the best land in the world.

[@SPC22]

@@popuptoaster Oh? Why is that?? Net zero is totally pointless lunacy...it will bankrupt this country, and have NO EFFECT on the climate.

[@phil_d]

Series 3 Of Clarkson's Farm was an eye opener. I have no idea how food will be continued to be produced in the UK in 10 years time. There doesn't seem to be any long term planning, rather knee-jerk reactions to try and sound good to the electorate that will fail everyone.

[@rogermiller4929]

So less food but still we let in millions 🤦‍♂

[@alex_yates]

that's the plan. Holodomor 2.0 by the exact same group of people... can't name them though, or you'll go to jail for "hate speech"

[@rogermiller4929]

@@chinnyvision What's it got to do with you? Do you work for the government?

[@rogermiller4929]

@@chinnyvision Funny you all share the same insulting belittling script. No facts, just rude retorts. It doesn't wash with me. I've met a few of you on X. Do your family understand what you trade in? Future famine and death? You must be proud.

[@rogermiller4929]

@@chinnyvision Better than saddo Amstrad computer fan club channels. FFS. What a lot of tosh. Wanna a game of ghost busters 🤣 Hey. What's the difference between a conspiracy theory and the truth? 6 months. Next you'll be saying cloud seeding and weather modification is a conspiracy when there are government papers on the subject freely available.

[@michaelcope856]

Love Harry's Farm and Clarkson's Farm, but for entirely different reasons. However, if you took either or both as a snapshot of UK farming you would conclude that no-one could make a living from it without independent wealth behind them.

[@thegreat7861]

Or being subsidised

[@andrewj7994]

The UK is already an importer of food, dependence on other countries to feed you is a risky play.

[@sheering09]

No one ever talks about tenant farmers & their separate issues Harry.... Greedy, uncooperative landlords and only 3 year leases!! How can anyone create an agricultural business like this?

[@JohnnieAshton]

Your mission should you accept, do a Clarkson/Yorkshire shepherdess #1 make it funny, #2 entertain but also #3 educate. Remember we learn more from Clarkson about farming, than all the tripe that comes from BBC & Channel 4 combined🤣🤣🤣

[@sresto7943]

Its supply and demand, Ive just wrapped up a business with a leased building of 30 years in the family, I did my sums on any development from the landlords prospective and the sums didnt add up so gave up from 15 yrs of my hard work due to what the landlord was asking in increase, all going to waist now, the buildings is now empty and will never go back to what is was without alot of money spent, their loss and my gain for my future as i dont play games, ive still plenty of graft left thankfully. Any tenant farmers need to keep on top of profits and if they dont work out, get out, brutal landlords will always want something rather than nothing.

[@davidmatthews3093]

The tenant farmers I know have 25 year leases. None of them have been unable to renew.

[@sheering09]

@davidmatthews3093 unfortunately, corporates have bought up farmland and in my area of the country, 3 year tenancies are normal so that farmers can be evicted asap if the opportunity to build houses comes up! 🤬

[@xperyskop2475]

​@sheering09 Seems like UK is controlled by house building mafias that profits from buying farmland that later on gets permission to be built on . If you try to build anything as individual is NO .

[@stevebarmore3509]

LOL glad to see the birds won't go hungry pity about us

[@Pique147]

we can eat the birds, silly.

[@JohnJones-cp4wh]

@@Pique147 Then there will not be any to feed.

[@sailaway8244]

​@@JohnJones-cp4whthe wind farms will take care of the birds

[@VanderlyndenJengold]

bird species falling is because of biodiversity loss, if we keep harming the environment then we harm ourselves, it's very simple. Go swim in a river and you;ll see why harming the environment isn't a great idea.

[@garethcurtis9354]

@@sailaway8244 and the huge volumes of pesticides. Perhaps that's the goal, the birds need to go vegan too, no more insects for them just seeds.

[@leemiguel3437]

I work in iron ore mines in Australia and have no links to farming at all but I bloody love this stuff. Thanks Harry.

[@EleanorPeterson]

G'day, mate!🙃

[@jimmason1072]

I supply parts to an iron ore mine here in Canada....Harry's Farm has great insight to the craziness of the words governments....

[@edwardmacrury5376]

We all care for the environment re Stewardships etc, albeit the insanity of stewardships being required to financially de-risk the farm business thus creating food security issues is surely madness. The markets and Govt should be making sure farming is financially viable re food production. Harry, thank you for making the videos and keep up the great work.

[@richardmosley4549]

It’s heartening to know that all our birds will have plenty of food over the next 5 years, and whilst I completely understand (and agree) with you de-risking the Farm, our own food security is a huge worry.

[@DavidStevenson-gw2eo]

What is happening which no one is talking about is, the powers that be are up to their old tricks again, as they were during the days of the corn laws, they are creating scarsity to take over where many farmers leave the land and those with the real wealth will buy it up with glee, same old religion and control at the top.

[@tonyalgar4886]

We'll just import some wheat from our friends in Russia! Oh we can't do that, better make that Ukraine! Oh we cant do that either they'll want all they can grow for food for themselves! Oh don't worry we'll find some somewhere, I hope.

[@DavidStevenson-gw2eo]

@@tonyalgar4886 If oil is making its way out of Russia so will their grain, it is all academic you know, food talks as well as money does, they are blood brothers.

[@davebarron5939]

Always enjoyable and educational, Thanks Harry.

[@prh56]

You give an extremely good overview of current farming and government policy issues,I personally think that the new government policy does not do justice to food andfarming and improving farming techniques , animal breeding and health issues.I note the cost issues you outline notably sprays ,by the way that is an extremely high spray cost!,the problem we have as farmers we have been prevented using agrochemicals that actually work in this country that are more cost effective that are still used in countries that we actually import our food from!!

[@long_view]

The lessons of history tell us that if we do not pay attention to food security, then this will come back to bite us - hard. The world is becoming ever more unstable, and if food shortages start to occur, the covid lockdown 'toilet roll wars' will prove to be a harbinger of the shape of things to come, only much worse. Leaving fields to lie fallow on a rotational basis is good, long established practice; 50% put into non-production is utter madness. The agricultural ministerial brief needs to be a major office of state with the appropriate calibre of incumbent, not a repository for also-rans.

[@GeoffBuysCars]

Look at how many MPs bothered to attend the recent food security session in parliament. A handful. This is all deliberate.

[@alanpatterson2759]

No food! no need for toilet roll! win win...lot of energy in the production of paper!

[@angermanagementstudios]

Well said mate.

[@kentesdall308]

Watching from Ames Iowa, I really enjoy your updates on your farm. Ames Iowa is where the first land grand college was started in the US. This university has a long history in agriculture.

[@johndunne8123]

Keep the combine, as it gives you flexibility to cut at optimum time particularly in bad summers like last year.

[@Pesmog]

Yes, what John says. Its always best to harvest on your terms when you want to, rather than have to wait for a contractor and then the weather change for the worse......

[@Cronus111]

Potential to contract out too?

[@Paul-dorsetuk]

Excellent thank you. Helps me understand what's going on in the estates around me.

[@cristianmolina8148]

I really like this channel. Harry's explanations are very good, intelligent, easy to understand and honest. As a farmer from the Colchagua valley, Chile, I applaud your work that helps show what are the real problems and sacrifices that farmers face every day and every season...

[@fanfeck2844]

Do you have the same mad people in your country telling you not to grow crops?

[@cristianmolina8148]

​@@fanfeck2844 Yep, they are everywhere with the 2030 agenda...We cannot clear fields if they have trees and basically weeds because it is labeled as a native forest...even if it is located in a place between crops, or other plantations...the only difference regard there is that here we do not get aid money, bonus or even a tax cut to leave this field unproductive... but we have to pay land taxes anyways... yes, the world is insane everywhere with this woke crap ..but people is waking up.. saludos

[@cristianmolina8148]

@@fanfeck2844 Yes, they are everywhere with the 2030 agenda...We cannot clear fields if they have trees and basically weeds because it is labeled as a native forest...even if it´s located in a place between crops, vineyards or other plantations...the only difference regard there is that here we don´t receive money, bonus or tax cut to leave this field unproductive... but we had to pay land taxes anyways... yes, the world is insane all around...but people is waking up...saludos

[@ewanstewart8011]

The farm is looking fantastic, cheers for the update Harry 👍🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@johnsweeney1712]

Great video. I enjoy the general education and farmer’s perspective on what is happening nationally and globally. Keep up the good work.

[@ColinHarvey78]

Great to have these reports and insights - so interesting!

[@K2shadowfax]

Always interesting...thanks for sharing!

[@Davebobandbetty]

That was really informative and upbeat .

[@timwilkinson8023]

Informative as ever. Thanks for posting.

[@paddymickiemickie8221]

Meanwhile here in Western Australia Hopefully good rains and no constraints on production Go Harry Go Love the oak tree Keep up the great work Harry

[@peterdawson5115]

Interesting update on how things are going, I still struggle to see why we aren’t growing as much food, hope all goes well Harry, it’s a brave new world 👍

[@kramer26]

One would have to be brave to want to live in this "new world". Or stupid, or brainwashed, but aren't they the same thing...?

[@DavidStevenson-gw2eo]

@@kramer26 Thing is, it has all been done before, if the farmers can be suaded to do nothing then it is easier to control the food and ultimately those who need it, it is another cycle to steal the true wealth by stealth taxes and handouts.

[@michaelbw]

Love the sound of the birds in the background.

[@chris__maltby]

Great update as always. I'd be interested to hear your views on the regenerative farming initiatives that Clarkson tried out by planting wheat and beans in a single field. Sounded great but I can't understand how the finances would work in the real world.

[@AlasdairSun]

Here for this too. Would love to hear Harry’s take!

[@ThyCorylus]

Growing a revolution by David R Montgomery is a good read in terms of the economics of such techniques.

[@glennb546]

GEO ENGINEERING!!!!!!

[@ChristopherBird-uu7mt]

Many thanks Harry, I just love the way you see things. And you also love cars as I do, in these black days , maybe I worry to much over nothing, Keep sowing, from chris bird,

[@billkeaveney1526]

Good luck for the rest of the year Harry

[@TheWoodlandOrchard]

As fascinating, informative and as worrying as ever Harry. Thank you.

[@sianwarwick633]

Very pleased to hear that you're thinking of putting in more oaks. A neighbour has a tremendous looking tree in their front yard, planted around 2008.

[@Jeff-bg7pt]

Very good information on your way to make good for the farm

[@nickhoward9343]

Thank you you’re doing an amazing job a good ambassador

[@Lemma01]

We've ears of wheat appearing in Ilmington, N.Warwickshire yesterday; so we're a week ahead of Burford - surprisingly. But it's still wet - even on the hillsides. We're clay...

[@aurellio33]

With those new field edges you could get a Barn Owl if you put up a box in a tree your local conservation group should be able to help. Good for keeping rats and mice off your wheat piles too

[@PSUK997]

As a Brit overseas it is wonderful to see our countryside in full bloom. It looks wonderful on the farm right now. Thank you for the content Harry. Truly fantastic work.

[@VineV-Dutch]

Love the oak tree!! Yes! Plant more! It's good for insects as well for crossing of crops.

[@bobcrawford2105]

One thing if land is put into schemes that keeps the land available for retuning to arable its a winner

[@jonathandavies6862]

Such an interesting perspective shined on farming that most of us take for granted or barely scratch the surface off when we source our food. Keep up the great content Harry 👊

[@jordeboy]

Watching this makes me so sad. You’ve talked a lot on here about food security and it seems the Govt are ignoring that totally and forcing farmers to reduce the amount we grow massively. In a few years time it feels like we could be in really trouble. Hopefully having some time away from growing means the soil is in a better state to start growing crops again when the eventual U-Turn happens! Amazing work Harry

[@OnzeManInKazakhstan]

Nobody is forcing the farmers to do anything. Nobody is stopping Harry from planting food in those rows. Harry CHOOSES to opt for the subsidy schemes. It makes his farm more resilient, it supports biodiversity (which improves crops), and hopefully, reduces climate impact, which is already affecting Harry's farm.

[@jordeboy]

@@OnzeManInKazakhstan that’s a very naive view. Govt have not covered the old EU subsidies, they don’t encourage shops to pay fair prices for products There are 0 safety nets. It is forced. Change or risk total financial failure. That doesn’t seem like much of a choice to me 🤷‍♂️

[@manonabeachjourneys]

Another very accessible film for a layman, thanks. We had a few days in a holiday cottage attached to a farm near Bruton in Somerset last week and they let us wander about at will. The pasture was dominated by buttercups, very scenic to us, but the highlight was seeing hares emerging from the grass at each end of the day, never seen one before. Hopefully your new farming strategy will free up time for some road trips - it would be good to see The Shadow in action again, a real previous highlight. How about Lake Annecy and into Switzerland through Geneva? Great drive from Annecy to Beaune on the way back, pick up some wine. Cheers.

[@DJ-uk5mm]

Thanks Harry, I’m a brand-new to Farming first time Farmer I just spent a year observing my land. I’m now working out what to plant …The locals describe me as “no gear and no idea” lol And they are right ha ha however I’m learning & your videos help too so thanks

[@willfriar5163]

Another great informative video

[@roba4297]

Excellent.

[@ThatHabsburgMapGuy]

Such a lovely and evenhanded report on the current situation. I think that environmental schemes are long overdue, and even if they're heavy handed or even wrongheaded, it's better to start changing farming methods now so we can iron out the wrinkles. I hope that we get to see other reforms to the corporate food vending sector so that farmers have more options for direct to customer selling. It's a good time to switch to cheaper organic methods too.

[@csnelling4]

Thank you Harry

[@stephenauty2402]

Love the oaks in the hay field ..like a small area of Parkland

[@michaelodonoghue7688]

Hi Harry , all looks well and o enjoy the hands on approach you display. Regarding the stewardship you have entered into it looks like your de- risking will balance the books so that’s a plus but on food security your wheat , barley etc is primarily for beer and possibly bread with the lesser going towards animal feed, I am looking at the kitchen table food which is possibly will be more affected by the decision of vegetables growers to switch to the stewardship system, this will impact the grocery supply chain more in my view

[@roelolthof7179]

🎉. Love to see this.

[@declanjoyce8640]

Luckily I don't need food, I just have a main course of 'fillet of Gold Bar', washed down with a glass of Bayer Glypho 24 (a very good year) and a hand full of neonicotinoid covered sugar beet seeds for pud!

[@matthewbarber5047]

Well done Harry

[@daviddearden6372]

I am in Cambridgeshire on the Fens and there is not a single wheat field that does not have a bare patch due to flooding over the winter. Talking to a neighbour who is into potatoes he told me that they are having similar problems and the potential yield is poor but the projected prices are going up.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

We’ll have 1/3 of the farm not growing a crop.

[@johngreenaway5736]

Im struggling with the logic that subsidies are available to grow plants for birds etc. but not for food production by helping farmers in times of poor crop yields.

[@lrcb40]

Nice update, thanks, Harry. Great to see a real meadow of grasses for once!

[@user-ee5pu7qk3q]

Cracking job as always in explaining the challenges of farming. I’d be very interested to hear your comments on soon to be approved drone spraying/spreading options which could target crops and enhance production in these ever changing wet springs.

[@kramer26]

Since when haven't springs been wet? It amazes me that farmers don't seem to realise that certain times of year are wetter than others... surely if anyone would know it's farmers. But they all seem to be hiding behind the taxpayer funded stewardshit programmes. Disappointing.

[@inh415]

@@kramer26 It didn't stop raining since october for the most part. Very wet winter. little to no frost. ground completely saturated. usually field work could happen and animals could be let out before a bit of spring rain.

[@_gray_]

Great video and happy, after years of following, you should get a good harvest. Any update on the performance of the barn's solar panels?

[@bluetitan20]

That's going to be one very fine oak tree in the years ahead Harry.

[@warwickbunn1250]

It sounds like you could take your combine contracting as there never seems to be enough combines around if the harvest weather is bad. Contractors are having a hard time with these weather patterns. They could do with a support system as well, as so many farms are opting out of having the machinery. But the contractors can't survive if the weather stops them going to work. Very tricky.

[@sheering09]

I agree. My son is a contractor now the landlord took away our own land to build houses!!!! 😢

[@glennlingard7851]

Contracting is a mugs game!

[@rbfishcs123]

honestly why does he even bother farming at this point? just throw everything into the land conservation plan and just sell the rest of your assets

[@stevenfarrall3942]

With all due respect Mr M, if you are being paid to not farm 50% of your farm, then you are only 50% a farmer. The other 50% of you is 'on benefits'. Nationally, this is not going to end well.

[@JB3Duk]

Great video as always, you make me want to be an arable farmer, but also put me off it at the same time re the profitability and bureaucracy :P

[@stephenbaxter3369]

Farming is a business. Driven by market conditions and Government regulation. Not for the feint hearted!

[@glendakirby5579]

@@stephenbaxter3369 Lets hope Government regulation does not demand creepy crawly production sometime soon. We know people will do it if the price is right.

[@glendakirby5579]

@@stephenbaxter3369 Lets hope Government regulation does not demand creepy crawly production sometime soon. We know people will do it if the price is right.

[@JohnSmith-vi5pz]

You could consider buying a couple of classic smaller tractors for this work, run through the books and also a compliment to ''Garage.''

[@henrymichaelwilson8107]

That's the reason for cutting late. It gives a bit of time to go to seed. In older times, that's how the land was replenished. Up here in the north of England. June Hay is the best. But cut later does the same and replenishes the vital seeds again.

[@richardjones7386]

Just seen Agras T40 drone sprayer. I would love to see you trialing one of these next to your existing spraying / spreading of slug pellets

[@eddiewatts7792]

Took me several passes to get anything like a seedbed for stewardship plots as it went from sludge to bricks and finally made bit of a tilth

[@PAULWICKS-xy6kt]

got the impression that the schemes you mention, and illustrate with example, look well planned.! certainly the hay looks nutritious.

[@petedavies408]

Unfortunately what might look nutritious to us humans ,is not necessarily nutritional for livestock,it’s all about metabolisable energy ,once the grass starts seeding it’s ME drops off rapidly

[@PAULWICKS-xy6kt]

@@petedavies408 thank you, all learning. Likely with most all farming, timing is crucial.

[@johnwarwick4105]

Yes they will love all those buttercups ( Google it ) 🤷‍♂️

[@audigex]

It's the most insanely wet year. My garden last year was dry enough to mow in mid March, this year I only got onto it in mid May... and even then it was still too wet really. And now it's been raining again for a week

[@zaptor1514]

Great you are growing less wheat which is less supply for the next five years which means the price will go up accordingly as supply goes down and demand goes up as population goes up. Supply and demand in action. Brilliant, increased costs to the beleaguered consumers. The WEF loves you!

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

We operate on a world market and the UK is a very tiny % of that so the amount of grain the UK produces has zero effect on the world wheat price.

[@jackw9920]

Alright for so eh, wish I got paid by the government to only go to work half of the year. It's a good idea but very poor execution in these time when food security is needed. Grants/subsidies to farmers are import but the land percentage of Harry's farm that isn't producing food is daft.

[@mrakhoover]

Paid by the government? The government has no money, that's OUR money he is getting.

[@paulyoungs7361]

No mention of why we've had 6 months of rain! Meyne worth investigating Geo Engineering and start challenging the globalists instead of planting bird food! #JustLookUp

[@rob_lightbody]

Great video as usual. Been watching for ages, came to you via HG, but now I'm interested in how much better financially your methodical approach works out compared to that famous farm next door. You certainly make it look easier... How do the farm sizes compare?

[@ThyCorylus]

Harry, that meadow is akin to wood pasture that ubiquitous across southwrn England in times past. Your oak tree will long outlast us and that landscape will be enhanced because of it.

[@jamescalder9232]

As well as enjoying both Farm and Garage videos, I'm also a big fan of your watch collection, Harry. Is that a Bamford Submariner 16610?

[@tbillington]

It certainly looks like it. Don't think I've seen him wearing the black sub before.

[@1katotter]

UK farmers are so different to South African farmers, tech, machines, knowledge, legislation, etc... you can be proud of what you are achieving.

[@gordonsimpson3235]

Strange year Harry!

[@davidfisher5507]

Making decisions for next year based on this years prices shows what a gamble this job is. Gotta look at a 5 year average price before you can really make a decision, is this just a price spike at the moment based on uk and global weather events? We've sold some wheat at £220 to give us some cover in case it drops back. Good video as always.

[@phils2180]

Wether you agree with the Stewardship scheme or not you can't argue the fact that making the farm more commercially stable makes perfect sense, especially with the huge curved ball the weather seems to throw into the mix with ever increasing frequency. More tree planting of native species is another big plus IMO.👍 I've got a small Oak, around 3ft high in a pot, I've grown from an acorn which will ultimately grow too big for our garden but I'll find a place for it!😀

[@bobstrutton9066]

Commercially stable - for what ?

[@phils2180]

@@bobstrutton9066 Commercially stable, as in a sound viable business. A farm is a still business and will go under just like any other if the numbers don't add up.

[@bobstrutton9066]

@@phils2180 achieving what ?

[@paul1978g]

@@bobstrutton9066 it's better to keep farmers in business, even if they aren't growing food at that moment, than let them go bust, leave farming and not be able to ask them to grow more wheat next year.

[@chiefsilverback]

Your comment makes very little sense, unless you're suggesting that someone is working on 'sorting out the weather' so that farmers can go back to a nice reliable climate. Why not use that same money to provide a backstop for farmers who do lose a crop due to weather, or hedge against a large swing in crop prices, rather than paying them not to plant the crop in the first place?

[@Lee-xo9fv]

You and Clarkson should do a farming channel together with a bit of car topics thrown in 😊

[@specialcircs]

please god, no. Save us from the idle millionaires!

[@ianclarke4660]

Interesting video, you almost create more questions than answers. What about tenant farmers? What about food security? What about food imports and standards? I understand your point on derisking the business but has anyone really considered what will happen if we produce less food at home.

[@stephenparker5272]

You have to do whats best for you and your farm harry, but who thought it was a good idea to halve food production?

[@glendakirby5579]

Can't you guess?

[@stephenhaywood5672]

@@glendakirby5579is it the fuxk wit politicians 🤡

[@djs356]

Short term political gain ?

[@jimmyjt16]

Who do you think? We’re literally paying farmers not to grow food.

[@theresamarie1379]

When we made hay, the grass and weather determined when it was ready to make, not some boff in an office in London! What are you going to do if it the weather gods make it rain throughout July and into August?

[@johnvickers6389]

Harry, have you ever thought of growing older varieties of wheat (etc) that by being taller, 'out grow' the blackgrass?

[@AnthonyHigham6414001080]

Planting wild bird seed crops will result in an increase in the wild bird populations that will require more food. Presumably if you stop a lot of these birds will starve so the schemes will have to continue forever. So much for food security.

[@steverogers2369]

Wheat in Norfolk, ear is empty, picked this morning 20th.

[@williamholmes7529]

Watching this video I was reminded of a story in 2000AD comic back in the day. The world government turned the British Isles into a massive garden and cut the whole shebang away from the continental shelf and floated it south west in to the Atlantic. Politicians eh!

[@Cronus111]

Harry, I stumbled upon a farming forum and with no farming experience I found the posts capturing my attention. Apologies if anything I mention is incorrect or odd. They commented about your videos and particularly the AB6 and had concerns about blackgrass and restrictions. The 5 year agreement there seemed to be some concern about the government not committing to the full 5 years and/or changing the details when they like. Having finished Clarkson's Farm season 3, it's entertaining for what it is, but I find the specifics from the information shared by Charlie Ireland of Ceres very interesting. If you're aware of the final episode and the harvest details, and you feel like commenting. Can you breakdown how they managed to get so lucky with some of the crops making it to the higher grade. The durum wheat seemed to be doubly lucky, hagberg to 160 from 133 in storage and the Mill lowered its minimum requirement from 230 to 160. Taking it from animal feed to pasta grade. Was this luck or celebrity pull. The wheat and beans field that was planted. Is it true the beans only pass on any nitrogen fixed in the nodules into the ground once harvested/dead? which would not give the wheat any boost during growing and then they are both harvested at the same time.

[@paulstrapps]

Another great video, thanks Harry :) I understand the economic reasons for selling the combine, but does that mean you're reliant on contractors to bring in the harvest? If so isn't that a risk as I'd assume there's a lot of contention for their services at harvest time and you can no longer control when harvest happens on the farm. Consequently this can impact on the price you can get as the quality might suffer? If you're considering selling I'm assuming the cost of combining yourself overall is still more expensive that contracting out with the additional risks?

[@NinaMcKayYoloSwag]

Have you thought about spreading digestate, sourced from Anaerobic Digestion? Much cheaper than usual fertilisers, incredible stuff!!

[@Hugh-nr5sx]

The key message seems to be de-risking and that makes logical sense over huge swathes of the country where the topography, soil, geology and drainage can be so complex. The counterpoint is we need to make better use, where flooding allows, of terrain suited to cereals.

[@andyrbush]

The UK government seems more concerned about feeding birds than people.

[@sergiudragos375]

👏👏👏

[@FoodwaysDistribution]

That oak tree is already 20years old

[@kevindawson9270]

You've mentioned previously the economic benefit of having your own combine (e.g. picking your own harvesting time, less spent on drying damp harvest etc) so I'd be interested in the economic pros-and-cons of selling the combine. Do you currently hire it out when not needed? If not, would doing so mitigate the cost of keeping it when you're only growing on 50% of the farm?

[@markfudger5267]

The wild bird food lays that farmers are putting in will not just feed wild birds but Deer, Rabbits, Mice, and Rats. So, we can expect an explosion in the populations of the latter creatures, which will also produce methane as part of their metabolism.

[@juliawigger9796]

Why worry about methane?

[@markfudger5267]

@juliawigger9796 Methane is 80 times better at global warming than CO2. If you look up what the WEF wants to do to reduce methane emissions by reducing the number of cows and sheep being farmed by using various agricultural incentives. You will realise it is just wasting money by replacing livestock numbers with natural methane emitters, such as deer, rabbits, rats, and mice.

[@miller4866]

That's the most beautiful Oak Tree I've ever seen in all my life 🌳 ❤

[@simon-ec5kv]

Got my lad bashing the clumps out of the veg patch for £1 per m2, happy to lend him to you (small commission)

[@caractacus22]

Good onyer