THIS year marks a new era for the Monmouthshire Show when they move for the first time to their new permanent showground on the outskirts of Monmouth town, just a short drive from the Severn Bridge and the M4 and M50 motorways. A great deal of work
This year marks a new era for the Monmouthshire Show when they move for the first time to their new permanent showground on the outskirts of Monmouth town, just a short drive from the Severn Bridge and the M4 and M50 motorways. A great deal of work
The Mid Devon Show takes place on Saturday, July 28, at Hartnoll Farm, Post Hill, Tiverton. The theme for this year's show is "Sustainable Alternative Energy" and aspects of this idea will be shown throughout the showground, but in particular as
The North Devon Show is set to go ahead on Wednesday, August 1, at its usual venue of Belle Vue Aerodrome near Torrington. Access to the area is simple: head for Barnstaple, Bideford or Torrington and the road signs will clearly indicate the routes
The 102nd Okehampton Show takes place on Thursday, August 9 at Stoney Park Showground. With 360 horse/livestock classes, shearing competition, vintage display and all-day entertainment including the Essex dog display team, it offers a wonderful day out
With competitions and challenges arranged for the experienced and beginner in clay shooting, fly - fishing, lurcher and terrier gun dog handling, traditional archery and gundog multi scurries and fun dog competitions, the new South Western Game and Country
THE news that the government's long awaited report on TB in livestock recommends that there should be no culling of badgers could not be more serious. Whilst the report indicated there was a link between badgers and TB it said a cull "would make matters
NFU livestock board chairman Thomas Binns is reinforcing the message that retailers must support English and Welsh lamb producers after New Zealand lamb imports continued to have a negative impact on home markets. Mr Binns met with the UK manager of
PEDIGREE Limousin cattle bred in the South West are finding their way to Poland where the breed is highly prized. A chance meeting by farmer John Robinson from Tiverton with a Polish businessman has led to the export of the cattle, some from his own
FAMILY team Lloyd, Rosemary and Peter Mortimore of Lizwell Farm, Widecombe-In-The-Moor, are farming 300 acres where their main stock enterprise is a herd of suckler cows - fattening around 100 beef animals each year. With beef margins becoming increasingly
DEVON Grain are inviting all arable farmers, whether members of Devon Grain or not, to an open day on Thursday, July 5. Jerry Alford, chairman of Devon Grain said: "Grain prices are high this year, and we want to get the best of them. Devon Grain, through
IT is thought the first Australian Lowlines are waiting to be born in the UK. Waid and Georgie Heyler, of Lottmead Farm, Hanging Langford, Salisbury, imported embryos and await the calves this autumn. Lowlines have been bred from early imports of Aberdeen
THE annual East Devon Group Stock Judging day, sponsored by Greenslade Taylor Hunt (auctioneers), saw Culm Valley YFC untouchable once again as they won the perpetual challenge cup for the overall highest club score for the 13th consecutive year. Also
MILK Link held two farm open days in Devon and Somerset in line with its commitment to encourage the transfer of best practice between its farmer members. The Somerset open day was held at Briars Farm, near Glastonbury by permission of Mr and Mrs Peter
HORTICULTURAL businesses reduced their carbon dioxide emissions by 50,000 tonnes last year - the equivalent annual saving of taking 15,000 family cars off the road - after joining an NFU scheme to become more energy efficient. The NFU Horticultural Climate
APART from the advertised classes for horses, cattle, horticulture, YFC, domestic, poultry, dogs, cage birds, rabbits, sheep, goats and pigeons, there is much more at Stithians Show on Monday, July 16. Other activities to enjoy will be karate demonstrations
YEALMPTON Show celebrates this year in becoming a qualifier for the prestigious Royal London Show. It is also one of the most prestigious shows in Devon and its site at Kitley, overlooking the River Yealm, is made available by the show's president Mrs
KINGSBRIDGE show will take place on Saturday, September 1, at Borough Farm, East Allington. The show continues to grow whilst trying to maintain that local feel, keeping its traditional agricultural and horticultural roots. Kingsbridge Show has been
CATTLE classes at Frome's annual Cheese Show have been given a double boost for 2007. Six new companies have joined the list of sponsors and the South West Holstein Society has confirmed it will be returning to the West Woodlands Showground for the second
KIVELLS report a successful auction of 72.07 acres of land at Killarney Park in the parish of Boyton, Launceston. Auctioneer Mark Bromell commented that the sale saw spirited bidding in a full to capacity auction room at the Market Hall in Holsworthy
SOMERSET butcher, Gerald David has the prestigious task of picking the overall cattle champions at this year's Scottish Winter Fair to be held at The Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh, on Wednesday, November 21. Gerald, who combines running one of the
A HUGE crowd of buyers were drawn to Holsworthy Market to compete for the Highland, Dexter, Belted Galloway, Blue Albion, Kerry, Aberdeen Angus, South Devon and Red Ruby Devons on offer as part of the first sale dedicated to native and rare beef breeding
THE National Farmers Union, the Country Land and Business Association and the Tenant Farmers' Association have called on the Government to commit to making Single Payment Scheme payments for 2007, either in full or an 80 per cent part payment, this December
ORGANIC production does not have to mean being limited to a low input, low output system. By feeding organic cows properly it is possible to achieve high yields and generate attractive returns," Mole Valley Farmers' nutritionist Peter Isaac told farmers
A FARMING family from Blunts near Saltash in Cornwall are embarking on a new business venture as they launch their new enterprise, producing hand made gourmet sausages and dry cured bacon. The Tamblyn's 550 acre farm, which traditionally focused on the
STAGS Farm Agency is launching three prime residential farms onto the market. Alex Rew, head of Stags Farm Agency, reports that after a very busy and highly successful spring with the majority of the farms launched so far in 2007 having gone under offer
A RECORD price of £3,100 for a bull was achieved at the first sale of Stabiliser cattle in the South West. The four- year-old bull, consigned by the executors of the late Mr Brian Sully, was sought after by a number of bidders. More than 200 farmers
THE NFU has expressed disappointment at the outcome of the Agricultural Wages Board over the conditions underpinning the 2007 Agricultural Wages Order, which it feels does not reflect the economic realities of the sector. The decision by the AWB will
IAN Rounsevell from Highgate Farm, St Veep, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, was invited to judge the South Devon Cattle classes at this year's East of England Show at Peterborough. Ian is pictured here (left) with the winning exhibitors, Thelma and Malcolm
A FURTHER cut in the price being paid by processors to South West beef farmers has prompted a stark warning from the NFU that the processors' short-term attitude to their suppliers amounts to cutting off their noses to spite their faces. On the eve of
NADIS Disease Bulletin for South West England, July 2007. NADIS (National Animal Disease Information Service) is a network of 57 veterinary practices and six veterinary collegues monitoring diseases in cattle, sheep and pigs. Phil Scott DVM&S, Dip ECBHM
GRASS is perhaps the South West's greatest farming asset, so here - more than most places in the country - it's important that dairy cows are bred to make the most from this resource. But don't be tempted into thinking that breeding for grazing systems
AN ancient breed of cattle, the English Longhorn, are soon to be drafted in to graze a newly-created open landscape in the Neroche Forest, near Taunton, in an innovative project to benefit people and wildlife alike - providing a haven for endangered butterflies
HOLSWORTHY Market has firmly established itself as the premier black and white venue in the South West, with another successful sale. It was the second entry of over 200 dairy cattle within two weeks, and included a suberb entry of 85 youngstock, all
THE Government's bovine TB strategy fails to understand the sense of urgency felt by British livestock farmers. That having been said, if there were a politically easy, inexpensive and scientifically robust solution to the inexorable spread of bTB then
THE dispersal sale of Holstein Friesians held at Widcombe Barton, Farway, Colyton, on behalf of Mr A G W Tucker saw a top price of 1,200 Gns for a Ricecrest Lante daughter calved in January. Two other cows sold at 1,150 Gns, being a Silverport Sinatra
YEO Valley Organic has entered into a brand licensing agreement with Milk Link's The Cheese Company for the exclusive use of the Yeo Valley brand on organic cheese. The agreement will see the only organic UK top 100 brand combining its knowledge and
FACED with higher costs due to the escalating price of feed, the British pig industry could save over £40 million per year, simply by improving feed conversion by 0.1. This represents 267,000 tonnes of feed at an average price of £150 per tonne on the
THE Exmoor Society's 2007 Conservation Award has been won by a dry-stone waller, Henry Prout, from Simonsbath. A fine example of his work can be seen on the north side of the Exford to Simonsbath Road (B3223) in a new length of traditional dry-stone
Masons service technician Jason Wignall has won a City and Guilds medal for excellence for outstanding individual performance. This makes him the first John Deere Turf Tech graduate, and the eleventh John Deere engineering apprentice in all, to achieve
I WAS horrified to see, on my television, huge piles of English strawberries that were going to waste. Apparently the owner had too much fruit and not enough hands to pick them. She put it down to the weather as the crop had ripened much early than expected
