05/06/26 Dartmoor ponies, upland economics, Open Farm Sunday

05/06/26 Dartmoor ponies, upland economics, Open Farm Sunday

Concerns have been raised that new agri-environment schemes will require such a steep drop in the numbers of grazing livestock that 90% of Dartmoor ponies will be lost. We’re talking about upland farming all this week, and this morning we hear how the phasing out of the old EU farm payments are affecting English hill farmers, with two generations of a Lake District farming family. It’s twenty years ago this summer that a group of farmers put their heads together and decided to set aside a particular day when they’d all open up their farms to the general public. It was a fairly radical idea at the time, driven by a desire to address the disconnect between urban populations and farming, and inspired by a similar project in Denmark. That was the very first Open Farm Sunday which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this weekend. Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

04/06/26 High Court rules the Food Standards Agency overcharged abattoirs, hydropower funding, upland farmer groups

A judgement from the High Court yesterday ruled that the Food Standards Agency has been 'unlawfully' charging abattoirs too much and that it wasn’t transparent enough about what it was charging for. The ruling comes after a legal challenge by the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers. Developers of small-scale hydro-energy projects say the industry’s missing out on investment because of a heavy focus on wind and solar. Scotland in particular has long been a pioneer of cheap hydro-electricity, but companies say the current contracts to supply power are squeezing them out of the market. All week we’re hearing about the current challenges facing upland farmers right across the UK and how they’re dealing with them. Farming in the hills can be an isolated, even lonely, business. But a group of farmers scattered across the uplands of Shropshire have joined forces to pool ideas. Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

03/06/26 EU trade agreement, peat restoration and water voles, Scottish uplands

The government has published fresh guidance for farmers and food businesses to help them prepare for the new sanitary and phytosanitary - or SPS - agreement between the UK and the EU. It's expected to take effect in a year's time. It's supposed to make trade easier, with fewer checks and less paperwork, but there are still many points in the agreement to iron out. Peatlands are one of the most valuable sources of carbon storage and they provide important habitats for wildlife and plants too. Across Wales the National Peatland Action Programme is working to improve these precious sites. In the Cambrian Mountains the project has been so successful that water voles have now populated the area. All week we're assessing the state of upland farming across the UK. In Scotland, 70% of agricultural land is classed as uplands. Most of those farms have sheep, many also have beef cattle and forestry is also a big part of Scottish farming. Agriculture is devolved and the Scottish government has, until now, held onto the direct payments which existed under the pre-Brexit EU system. That's being phased out, and upland farmers are concerned that under the new rules they could lose out. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

02/06/26 Rural skills gap, upland farming in Wales, Future Countryside.

A new report says there should be plenty of opportunities for young people to take up training and jobs in land-based work - but there's a 'skills squeeze'. The study by Lantra, a charity which provides training and qualifications in land-based industries, says jobs are available but not being filled. All week we're taking a closer look at upland farming across the UK. In Wales more than half the country is classed as uplands, from dramatic mountain ranges and blanket bogs to rolling heathland and moors. Unlike England, farmers still receive a basic payment from the Welsh government, though it's being phased out, to be replaced with the Sustainable Farming Scheme, which came in this year. We speak to a hill farmer in Ogmore Vale. It's the fourth year of the Future Countryside Conference, which brings together a wide selection of leaders in farming, conservation and rural issues. It's being held at the Raby Estate in County Durham. This year, it's asking the question “How can we win support for a growing and recovering countryside?” We catch up with one of the organisers. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

01/06/26 Cost of wildfires, methane from sheep, upland farming

The latest analysis of wildfires shows that last year the UK recorded its highest burned area on record, including the country's first documented ‘megafire’ in Scotland, that's a fire which covers more than 10,000 hectares. Researchers from the University of East Anglia led a team of international scientists looking into last year's fires round the globe, they say wildfires are getting more extreme, costly and disastrous. Though less land was affected, globally the fires resulted in more than 300,000 evacuations and the deaths of more than 90 people. . A three million pound project backed by DEFRA which has been looking at how methane emissions can be reduced in sheep has announced its findings. Various breeds from Scotland to the South Coast were tested as part of the research which gathered data from thirteen and a half thousand lambs. The scientists involved in the “Breed for Change” programme hope sheep farmers will use their data to reduce their carbon footprint. All week we're focusing on farming in the uplands, places above a thousand feet, landscapes like the Brecon Beacons, the Peak District, and the Highlands: many of the most stunning places in the country, but because of their geography they're generally harder places to farm. MPs on the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee are preparing a report on the challenges facing upland farmers in England and how the Government can best support them. It follows the publication of the Land Use Framework, which identified upland areas as places which could be most suitable for delivering climate and nature targets. Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney