Our blog
The latest ideas, opinions and innovations from people working in sustainable agriculture
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Establishing a Grass Ley
In September’s vlog (filmed in August), Richard Smith - Farm Manager for Daylesford Organic - talks us through preparing a field to put it back...
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Feeding the soil and your business
Green manures (cover or catch crops) can protect and enrich your soil, help to increase yields and economic returns, and bring many environmental benefits
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Agricology Open Day
Who's it For? Are you a grower, farmer or horticulturalist wishing that you could make the transition to less pesticides, less chemicals, less expenditure -...
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Editor's blog - Grubs and bugs
Welcome to this month’s newsletter! We got amongst the dirt and in amongst the greenhouses in July; focusing on improving soil biological activity and managing...
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Compost tea - a good brew?
Can compost tea be used as an effective way to enhance soil microbiology as a microbial inoculant in an organic arable system? Compost tea and...
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Biofertiliser: A probiotic approach at Ragmans Farm
A probiotic approach to soil & plant health at Ragmans Farm.
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What is a healthy soil?
A healthy soil is vital to ensure both high yields and future high yields, as well as environmental protection - there are no negative consequences...
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Pest and disease management in Solanums
Jez Taylor, Head of the Daylesford Market Garden, talks about pest and disease management in Solanums. He begins in a polytunnel containing peppers, chillies and...
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Innovations in UK agroforestry
What do you know? What would you like to know?... Agroforestry is on the up. Following the success of the national Agroforestry Conference at Cranfield...
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New slug control guide launched by MSG
Slugs, slugs and more slugs! Some farming activities can encourage them more than others, and the seemingly ever increasing unpredictable weather patterns also add to...
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June's newsletter; a low-input & livestock tour!
Welcome to this month’s newsletter! Much of the content this month has been focused on what farmers are doing in the field; demonstrating examples of...
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Conservation Grazing at Chimney Meadows Nature Reserve
Louise King, Reserve Manager at Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust 's Chimney Meadows Nature Reserve , explains how they are using low-input livestock breeds...
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Moving cattle to the Daylesford wetlands
As the summer solstice arrives we reach the year’s climax with a burst of life. The white of flowering clover drifts across the leys, dog...
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Breeding a sustainable dairy cow
This month Richard explains how a sustainable dairy cow has been bred at Daylesford. Richard explains that modern, intensive dairy cattle are not so well...
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RBST wants everyone to #GoNative this summer
Would you eat an endangered species? For most people the answer would be a horrified “no!” but in my work with the UK’s endangered farm...
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A look inside the organic meat market
Now growing at over 7% year-on-year, the organic market has entered its fifth consecutive year of steady growth. Organic meat has also grown over the...
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NOCC NOCC? Who’s there...?
Organic Research Centre! We are partners in NOCC 2017 - National Organic Combinable Crops - OF&G ’s flagship event, which is the largest UK on-farm...
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A natural perspective to beekeeping
Tim Field explains what Daylesford Farm is doing to help bees. At the end of May/beginning of June the bees start to swarm, and at...
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Breaking the mould in small-scale agricultural developments
Sky-high land and rural housing costs, alongside planning red tape, have proved almost insurmountable barriers for new would-be farmers. But the Ecological Land Co-operative (ELC)...
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Pollination of UK apples: who is doing all the work?
For hundreds of years we have thought that bees are important for pollinating apples, but is this actually true? I have worked in apple orchards...
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