Cultivating a positive future for farming: Hereford

Politics and economics are key ingredients to a successful rural economy.

Join us on 8 March to discuss a possible framework for a successful farming future.

Speakers include:

• Jesse Norman, Member of Parliament for Hereford & South Herefordshire
• Sean Rickard, Independent Food and Farming Economist
• Russell Price, AHDB Hereford monitor farmer
• Martin Williams, AHDB Hereford monitor farmer

About the farms

Russell Price and Martin Williams are between them hosting the new Monitor Farm for Herefordshire. Included in their rotations wheat, barley, peas, beans, oilseed rape and potatoes.

Martin farms 800 ha arable crops on the banks of the River Wye at Fownhope, and also has a small flock of Jacob sheep and rents out land for grazing. Martin’s particular challenges are trying to decrease his cost of production, be successful in a very competitive market and to efficiently manage crops with limited chemical availability. On the Herefordshire/Worcestershire border, Russell Price’s arable farming operation includes 360 ha farmed in-hand, 290 ha contract farmed and 130 ha potatoes grown. The challenges faced by Russell’s business include black-grass, improving soil health, efficiency of crop nutrition and building a resilient farming business to withstand volatility.

Working together to form this joint Monitor Farm, Russell and Martin are confident that this collaboration will allow them to make comparisons in their businesses, thus providing a wide array of topics around which local farmers can share knowledge and best practice.

For more information contact AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds Knowledge Exchange Manager for the West and Wales, Richard Meredith, on Richard.meredith@ahdb.org.uk or 07717493015