With harvest behind us and winter approaching, now is the time for arable growers to assess what is happening beneath the soil surface.

From compaction and drainage to rooting, earthworm activity and residue breakdown, the condition of soils can reveal important clues about how fields will perform next season.

In this episode of the Farmers Guardian Arable Podcast, head of arable Ash Ellwood speaks with Dr Paul O'Hora of Soilworx about assessing soil health, understanding the legacy of harvest, and spotting potential problems before spring. The discussion explores practical steps to identify what growers should look for and to aid decisions where intervention may be necessary.

Speakers:

Ash Ellwood - Farmers Guardian head of arable

Dr Paul O'Hora - Sales director at Soilworx

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Farmers Guardian's chief reporter Rachael Brown is joined by two guest hosts this week – former Liberal Democrat leader and Cumbrian MP Tim Farron, and NFU livestock chair and farmer Clare Wise – for a frank discussion of the realities of rural crime.

They talk about the lack of deterrent for those carrying out the crimes, the threat of the government's incoming police reform and the continued financial and emotional devastation rural crime is having on farming and rural communities.

This episode also brings a new, interactive segment to the podcast, called 'What's Your Beef', in which farmers have their say on a range of hot topics. This week we hear from farmers on what grinds their gears when it comes to sayings and phrases used by politicians when talking about farming in Westminster.

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Farmers Guardian deputy editor Alex Black takes you behind the scenes of last week’s event to hear from Jeremy Clarkson - and why he had to make a quick getaway, Kaleb Cooper and also members of the Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir who share their journey from lager commercial to being named this year’s Farming Heroes.

We hear too from some of the night’s deserving winners and why, despite all the current challenges, they are determined to keep farming.

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Which political party can win the farmers vote at the next General Election?

In this episode, the Farmers Guardian news team breaks down the key farming policy announcements from this year's party political conference season.

They analyse what these promises mean for agriculture and look to answer the big question: who is on track to secure the crucial rural vote?

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Boomer and Millie Birch join Farmers Guardian’s Ellie Layton and Tom Ryder for the latest episode of For Flock’s Sake

In this episode, set in Staffordshire the couple tell us how a shared passion for livestock has developed into pedigree and commercial breeding enterprises.

Both working within the cattle industry, they bring their experience and knowledge into their own breeding operation, where they run the High Sky Shorthorn, Sky High Hereford and Boomer British Blue herds.

They talk about the highs and challenges of breeding cattle, their approach to selecting genetics, why there should be a balance between phenotype and data in the industry, and their successes in the sale and show rings. They also explain why efficiency is key when working with limited space, and how their industry careers influence the cattle they breed at home.

With big ambitions for the future, including expanding their herds and increasing scale, Boomer and Millie reveal what drives them to keep pushing their cattle operation forward.

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What do you do when a £12,000 loss on a potato contract forces you to rethink the farm's future? Yorkshire arable farmer Callum Stark has transformed a 3,000-tonne potato store into a padel facility, creating a completely new income stream for the business in just three months.

In this episode, Callum explains what prompted the diversification, how much the project cost, the planning and practical challenges involved, and whether the numbers are stacking up. We also discuss the wider financial pressures facing the family farm, including planning for a potential multi-million-pound inheritance tax liability.

If this podcast has sparked some ideas, be sure to head to the Farm Business Innovation show taking place on November 4th and 5th 2026. It is the UK’s only event dedicated entirely to farm diversification, helping farmers and landowners turn land, assets, and ideas into sustainable new income streams.

https://www.farmbusinessshow.co.uk/

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Our chief reporter Rachael Brown speaks to farmer, psychologist and one of this year’s Nuffield scholars, Sharon May to discusses her research into mental health within the farming community, the importance of relationships and what can be learnt from other countries around the world

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After Window 2 of the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 closed after just six hours, Farmers Guardian's news team discuss what happened, farmer reaction and what needs to happen now

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