On top of the weather, Bluetongue has been another huge source of worry. We haven't had any cases locally yet, but the threat is always lingering in the back of your mind. While the unusual wind conditions that brought the relentless heat made it less likely for midges to blow over to us, the worry is that when 'normal service' resumes - bringing south-westerlies and rain - it might also carry the midge vector our way. We are currently on the waiting list for the vaccine and are keeping our fingers crossed it arrives before any potential outbreak.
Despite the extreme conditions, it’s times like these where I really see the value of our nature-friendly farming practices, but it also makes wish we had more. Having established trees and big, tall hedges provided vital shelter for stock, while our ponds and wet areas offered much-needed relief and water for both farmed animals and local wildlife. On a brighter note - though I’m certainly no expert - it seems to have been a fantastic year for butterflies. I’ve spotted far more fluttering around the farm this season than usual, so hopefully, nature has found a few small wins amidst the heat.
It’s been an extraordinarily busy summer for the NFFN team, getting out to agricultural shows and spreading the nature-friendly message far and wide - from the Royal Highland and Royal Welsh right through to Groundswell. I had the privilege of helping man the stand at Cereals, which feels like a lifetime ago now! Cast your mind back to all that rain and mud, with cars having to be towed off-site... what a contrast to where we are now.
Alongside the weather, we’ve seen major political shifts over the summer. The NFFN policy team and steering groups have been hard at work engaging with new ministers, whether through high-level meetings or hosting farm visits to demonstrate firsthand what nature-friendly farming delivers for food production and climate resilience.
As we turn the corner into autumn, I’m holding out hope for a much kinder season ahead - one with modest rain, steady growth, and definitely no floods!
