From Red Diesel to Raw Milk: A Candid Night on the Realities of British Farming

In tonight’s rambling, real-world catch‑up, Paul and I open up about the mounting pressures across British farming: fuel and fertiliser spikes, volatile commodity prices, and why mental health support for farmers matters more than ever. We talk FairFuelUK’s long-running campaign on duty, the strange economics of Nitram versus growing a crop, and how weather whiplash and input costs are forcing hard choices on everything from reseeding to grazing. I share plans to pursue raw milk next year by shifting our TB testing window, plus a few bee‑keeping escapades, a move to Somerset, and upcoming dates at the Harrogate Flower Show. Later we’re joined by Michael, a seventh‑generation arable grower, who lays out the stark numbers: malting barley without contracts, chip shops under strain, sugar beet on the brink, and the vacuum left by the basic payment scheme. We compare selling direct versus scale, the squeeze on hospitality demand, and the reality of keeping multi‑crop family farms afloat while trying to give the next generation a fighting chance.'FairFuelUK (Howard Cox)': https://www.fairfueluk.com/'Old Hall Farm (raw milk, Norfolk)': https://www.oldhallfarm.co.uk/'Dora’s Dairy (raw milk, Swindon)': https://www.dorasdairy.co.uk/'RSPB Ouse Washes': https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/ouse-washes/'Bovine TB testing intervals (GOV.UK)': https://www.gov.uk/guidance/bovine-tb-testing-intervals'Red Tractor Assurance': https://redtractor.org.uk/'Farming Resilience Fund (GOV.UK collection)': https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/farming-resilience-fund'Harrogate Flower Shows': https://www.flowershow.org.uk/'CF Fertilisers (Nitram fertiliser)': https://www.cffertilisers.co.uk/