Farming Today

A new code of practice for the controlled burning of moorland in Scotland, which was due to be published on 1st July is being delayed, amid protests from gamekeepers that it won't work. Muirburn, as the controlled burning is known, is used by many gamekeepers to manage sensitive moorland to enable habitat for grouse, for shooting on many estates. Gamekeepers say it also reduces the vegetative load, which helps prevent wildfires. The Muirburn Code has been drawn up after months of work with stakeholders, including gamekeepers and conservationists. The document's been overseen by NatureScot, Scotland's national environment agency, but The Scottish Gamekeepers Association says the draft code falls short
Very little rain, very high temperatures and a lot of sunshine means some farmers have started one of the earliest harvests many can remember - and the grain is so dry some farmers are talking about re-wetting it when it comes out of storage.
All week we're talking about the most important part of growing anything - the soil. One way to improve it is to grow another shorter plant among the main cash crop, to keep the soil covered. We visit a farm in Northamptonshire which has been running extensive trials to see how inter cropping could benefit the soil.
Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney

The organic certification body, the Soil Association, is warning it may withdraw from the farmed salmon sector unless higher standards are met. The organisation says while current standards are being satisfied, that's not driving the improvments in the industry that they want to see. They cite high fish mortality, unacceptable levels of sea lice, and the use of harmful chemical treatments. The industry body says its salmon farmers are committed to the highest standards of fish welfare and environmental responsibility.

As we take a closer look at soils all this week, today we meet two Sheffield university researchers who are investigating the properties of micorrhizal fungal networks, which bind together millions of micro organisms - the protection of which many see as the solution to soil health.
And as the climate becomes more extreme, the management of water in farming will become more vital than ever. With this in mind, a pilot study has been taking place in Shropshire to assess how technology can help farmers pre-empt risks from flooding and drought. Scientists have even developed an app to give landowners a better idea of what they might face.
Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Sally Challoner.

Calls for more government action to protect water supplies for farming.
A series of workshops are taking place across Wales this year to collect hyper-local place names, particularly in rural areas.
Later this week we'll be at Groundswell, the regenerative agriculture festival now in its 10th year. Regen ag puts an emphasis on soil, so this week here on Farming Today it's all about earth.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

This week farmers have coped with heavy thundery rain and record breaking temperatures. We hear from a pig farmer keeping his stock cool, a livestock auctioneer who's had to cancel sales due to the heat, and a major potato and beetroot grower contemplating an irrigation bill of £3 million this year. But for winemakers the sunshine has come at just the right moment.
The Government has invested in strategic teams of specialist firefighters in England and South Wales to tackle wildfires. The Fire Chiefs Council's wildfire expert tells us the teams are trained in techniques to cope with a ferocity of fire becoming more common due to the effects of climate change.
Despite all the Prime Ministerial flux the Government revealed its long term (and long awaited) vision for farming: England's Farming Roadmap 2050. The idea is to have a 25 year vision for agriculture, to give farmers certainty 'beyond the next harvest'. It was the brainchild of Steve Reed when he was secretary of state for the environment. Two years down the line, the current incumbent, Emma Reynolds announced the plan in the House of Commons this week.
Aberdeen hosted the first Global Agritourism Conference this week. Anna Hill met some of the delegates to hear about farm tourism in India, Ukraine, Italy, and Canada.

Northern Ireland is 'largely' missing the targets in its own Environmental Improvement Plan. A report from the environment watchdog, the Office for Environmental Protection, says of 38 targets, just two are likely to be met and that ministers must now move from 'planning and strategies into delivery'.
The heatwave isn't a problem for everyone - it's mostly welcome in vineyards. Some had a difficult spring with badly timed frosts, so winemakers are glad to see the sun at an opportune moment.
We've been looking at the tourism businesses farmers have diversified into. There is a huge variety, everything from the familiar b&bs to off road experiences and walking with llamas. Today we visit a farm campsite.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.