Supermarkets, Shortages and Standing Our Ground

In this episode, I’m joined by co‑host Paul and arable farmer Phil (Fells Farming) for an unvarnished, from‑the‑yard conversation about the realities of British farming in 2026. We cover breakdowns and long journeys home, water worries and parched fields, compliance headaches, and the ever‑rising costs of fuel, fertiliser and kit. Phil talks candidly about recent farmer actions, why public support matters, and how wafer‑thin supermarket inventories and just‑in‑time logistics make the UK food chain far more fragile than most realise. We also compare notes on grazing schemes with the RSPB, SFI trade‑offs, spring drilling on heavy land, and why many are considering lower‑input crops or mothballing expansion plans altogether. We get into supermarkets’ sourcing, imports versus home‑grown, and the knock‑on effects for mills, machinery dealers and every business that keeps farms running. There’s discussion of political will (or lack of it), red tape from agencies, and what practical, peaceful protest could look like if farmers and the wider public stand together. We finish with a look at on‑farm diversification, from raw milk and shakes to butter and ice cream, and why direct‑to‑customer loyalty is keeping some holdings afloat right now.'Tesco': https://www.tesco.com'Sainsbury’s': https://www.sainsburys.co.uk'Morrisons': https://www.morrisons.com'JCB': https://www.jcb.com'Red Tractor Assurance': https://redtractor.org.uk'RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds)': https://www.rspb.org.uk'Environment Agency (UK)': https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency'DEFRA – Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs': https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs'Port of Felixstowe': https://www.portoffelixstowe.co.uk'GB News': https://www.gbnews.com'TalkTV': https://talk.tv'Sky News': https://news.sky.com'BBC News': https://www.bbc.co.uk/news'Haygates Flour Mills (Bugbrooke)': https://www.haygates.co.uk'Massey Ferguson (AGCO)': https://www.masseyferguson.com'New Holland Agriculture': https://agriculture.newholland.com'Kverneland Group': https://www.kverneland.com'Kubota (Global)': https://www.kubota.com'Great Plains Ag': https://www.greatplainsag.com'Cousins of Emneth (Cultivators & Subsoilers)': https://www.cousinsofemneth.co.uk'The Farmers Club (London)': https://www.thefarmersclub.com'Shuttleworth Collection': https://www.shuttleworth.org'Farming Simulator (Official)': https://www.farming-simulator.com'Reform UK (Political Party)': https://www.reformparty.uk'The Green Party of England & Wales': https://www.greenparty.org.uk'The Labour Party (UK)': https://labour.org.uk'Nigel Farage (Official site)': https://www.nigelfarage.com