🍽️ Agriculture and food production comms
💻 Head of Communications at @agindustriesUK
📍 Hertfordshire, UK
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Articles by Oliver Hill
NFTS Students Travel To Yucatan Peninsula To Document Deadly Pollution | Oliver Hill
By Oliver Hill When I first began the Directing and Producing Science and Natural History MFA at the National Film & Television School, I was a fresh-faced scientist with very limited camera experience. If I was to create a nature documentary to a professional standard by the end of my course, I would need to get to grips with the huge variety of kit the school has tucked away.
A new generation of energy resilience: a smarter approach to New Zealand electricity Original
Energy security has long been defined by how much we can generate. The next phase of progress depends on how well we use every megawatt we already have. Lines companies, large energy users, communities, and the companies that provide and install smart chargers, batteries and control systems all have a role in lowering peaks, sharing capacity, and getting more from the assets in place. Right now, demand is growing and the grid is under pressure.
Mildiou des tomates : comment combattre le champignon avec des traitements naturels
Oui, malheureusement, il arrive que nos tomates attrapent des maladies fongiques qu’il faut traiter à la hâte pour ne pas perdre sa récolte ! À leur tête, le mildiou, ennemi numéro 1 de la tomate ! Pas de panique ! Dans cet article, nous allons partager avec vous plein de recettes de fongicides naturels simples à préparer, pour prévenir ce champignon et éviter qu’il ne détruise vos plants de tomates ! Lire aussi : Comment fabriquer un désherbant avec du vinaigre blanc ?
Movement Foundations. The perceived impact of a digital rehabilitation tool for returning to fitness following a period of illness, including COVID-19 infection: a qualitative study
A personalised, safe space in which to develop ‘B’ described how having a structure and guidance within the tool gave him ‘permission’ to not push himself too hard when exercising. He discussed how this ‘carefully guided situation’ reduced the stress he associated with exercise, as he felt less risk of pushing himself too far and getting ‘into more of a downward spiral again’.
8 strong Britain's Fittest Farmer 2021 entries so far
Farming men and women from right across the nation are signing up to take part in Farmers Weekly‘s 2021 Britain’s Fittest Farmer competition. This hit health and wellbeing project is making waves in the farming community by encouraging people working in agriculture to be more open and proactive when it comes to looking after themselves, mentally and physically.
Britain's Fittest Farmers take on cow for Online Farm Sunday
Oliver Hill 23 March 2021 https://www.fwi.co.uk © MAG/Tom Askew-Miller/Ali Daggett Britain’s Fittest Farmers have taken up a fresh challenge against a four-legged friend in the build-up to Open Farm Sunday’s virtual incarnation. All this week, James Arney, from Somerset, and Hertfordshire-based Emma Ashley are taking on Stella the Friesian dairy cow, from West Sussex, in a challenge with a difference, organised by Linking Environment and Farming (Leaf).
Video: Could you be Britain's Fittest Farmer 2021?
Oliver Hill 04 March 2021 https://www.fwi.co.uk © MAG/Colin Miller British agriculture’s hit health and wellbeing series is back for a fresh round of friendly competition, getting the nation’s farmers talking about their mental and physical health. Applications for Britain’s Fittest Farmer 2021 are now open to anyone who is aged 18 or over and works in UK agriculture.
Jim Crow, Civil Rights, and the Integration of Schools
I walked out of the local coffee shop and onto Grove Avenue in New Haven, Connecticut. Standing near his dark blue worn pick up truck was an older gentleman wearing an Old Dominion University T-shirt. Being from Virginia, I asked the man if he was from Virginia or went to Old Dominion. He replied, “No,” but he proceeded to tell me that his granddaughter went there and that his wife grew up in Virginia. He asked me where I was from, and I told him Richmond. “Where was your wife from?” I inquired.
Yorkshire young farmer elected NFYFC chairman
Oliver Hill 19 February 2021 https://www.fwi.co.uk Rachel Goldie © NFYFC A Yorkshire young farmer has been elected as the new chairman of the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC) 25 years after her father held the postition. Rachel Goldie has been a member of Great Smeaton Young Farmers’ Club (YFC) for 15 years and was elected as NFYFC’s chairman at its first-ever online council elections on Thursday (18 February).
How young farmers can win a year's free use of a tractor
Young farmers and new entrants have the chance to bag themselves the use of a tractor for a year. The Prince’s Countryside Fund and New Holland have teamed up to give the next generation of Britain’s farmers a helping hand on the farm with its “Up to Speed” scheme. Last year, Donald MacSween, Rob David and Abbi Mason each won the use of a New Holland loan machine for 12 months – a TH telehandler, a T6 tractor and a Boomer compact tractor, respectively.
RAF helicopter stuck in the mud after emergency landing
Oliver Hill 11 January 2021 https://www.fwi.co.uk © RAF Benson There are many things you’d occasionally expect to see stuck in the mud after a period heavy rain on the farm – a tractor, a welly boot, maybe even an animal. It’s certainly not every day that you find an RAF helicopter bogged down on your land, but that’s exactly what one landowner came across last week.
Lockdown projects for farm kids: Get creative and enter now
Oliver Hill 06 January 2021 https://www.fwi.co.uk © Adobe Stock Lockdown is back across the UK and we know that means one thing for stretched farming parents – bored school kids in need of something to occupy their brains. After the first lockdown began to bite in April last year, Farmers Weekly launched a children’s writing competition to help keep little farmers busy and entertained. This time we’ve got two projects for your youngsters to get stuck into – something for everyone aged four to 16.
Columnist competition: Meet our new young farmer writers
Our quest to find a new young farmer columnist yielded a bumper crop of budding writers, all vying for a regular slot to share their views. We invited anyone in agriculture under the age of 30 to write us a column on their thoughts, hopes and fears for 2021 – and we weren’t disappointed. Spoilt for choice, we’ve chosen not one but two young farmers to join our ranks. Let’s meet them.
FW Photography competition 2020: Winner of winners announced
Oliver Hill 01 January 2021 https://www.fwi.co.uk A farmer’s son from Northern Ireland has taken the top prize in a record-breaking year for Farmers Weekly‘s annual photography competition. Our 2020 “winner of winners” is Alan Hopps, a dairying adviser from County Armagh who wowed the judges with this Massey Ferguson sunset shot. Alan bagged himself the £250 cash prize and th glory of being selected out of some 8,500 entries received.
FW photo competition 2020: Winners and best of the rest
What better way to round off a turbulent and at times, tricky year with the best of British farming and countryside in 24 incredible photos? It’s been a record-breaking year for Farmers Weekly‘s ever-popular photography competition and the team has thoroughly enjoyed judging all of the 8,500 submissions. It took us a while, but we eventually managed to whittle your snaps down to a winner, runner-up and highly commended entry for each of the eight competition categories.
Photos: FW readers' festive farm decorations rated
With 10 days until Christmas Day, our readers have been sharing how they’re getting in the festive mood on the farm. From livestock Rudolph lookalikes to Snowman bale art and old tractor tyres cleverly disguised to look like Christmas wreaths, nobody decks those halls quite like our fantastic farming community. Here are some of the cracking photos we’ve been sent so far.
Are these the best farming-themed festive adverts?
Countless brands have built their Christmas advertising campaigns on working from home and celebrating key workers this year. While they range from the twee and try-hard to the downright depressing, we we’ve found a few cracking festive adverts that thank farmers for their essential role in feeding the nation throughout the pandemic. Online grocer Farmdrop has launched its 2020 Christmas ad campaign, focusing on who they say are the most forgotten critical workers of 2020: Britain’s farmers.
Ineos reverses on pledge to build Grenadier 4x4 in Britain
Oliver Hill 10 December 2020 https://www.fwi.co.uk © Ineos Automotive The old Land Rover Defender design, set to be reincarnated by the Brexit-backing owner of Ineos Automotive, will be built in France – not Britain, as originally planned. Billionaire tycoon Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who owns chemical firm Ineos, had long pledged that the new Grenadier 4×4 would be made at a factory in Bridgend in south Wales.
Farmer makes life-size John Deere and Land Rover from Christmas lights
Oliver Hill 09 December 2020 https://www.fwi.co.uk © Andrew Wilkinson Yorkshire farmer Andrew Wilkinson has wowed us once again with his full-size replicas of a Land Rover Defender and John Deere tractor made from Christmas fairy lights. For several years, Andrew, who farms near Pocklington in East Yorkshire, has created a life-sized model of a tractor lit up with thousands of tiny lights.
Police car chase ends with suspect 'neck-deep' in slurry pit
Oliver Hill 03 December 2020 https://www.fwi.co.uk © Sussex Police A car chase in Sussex came to a messy end after a man spectacularly fell neck-deep into a slurry pit while trying to outrun police. Like a scene from an action thriller with an agricultural twist, the passenger of a stolen car was arrested once police found him up cow poo creak without a paddle.
How farms can feed the needy with surplus or rejected produce
A farm in Buckinghamshire has helped feed thousands of less fortunate people living in Greater London after teaming up with a charity that turns leftover food into meals. Mixed farmer Joe Gurney is encouraging his fellow food producers to work with worthy causes to redistribute perfectly edible fruit and vegetables to those in tough times.
Meet the 2020 Britain's Fittest Farmer champions
A Somerset young farmer and a farmer’s daughter and game-shoot manager from Hertfordshire have been named Britain’s Fittest Farmers 2020. Cattle farmer James Arney from near Frome and Emma Ashley from a mixed farm near Hertford took the trophies at the grand final of Farmers Weekly‘s hit competition, which seeks to promote a healthy lifestyle and get agricultural people talking about mental health.
Video: Britain's Fittest Farmer 2020 champions crowned at grand final
A young farmer from Somerset and a Hertfordshire woman have been named Britain’s Fittest Farmers (BFF) 2020, at the thrilling climax of the competition’s grand finale. James Arney, 25, from near Frome in Somerset, and Emma Ashley, 31, from Hertford in Hertfordshire, took home the trophies for top male and female competitors, along with the cash prize of £1,000 each.
Meet the 2020 Britain's Fittest Farmer finalists
A select group of farmers, agricultural workers and students from all corners of the UK are now one step closer to being crowned Britain’s Fittest Farmer 2020. This year’s finalists include a Welsh dairy farmer, a deer stockman in Lincolnshire, a beef farmer from Northern Ireland and a Devon-based shearer – all vying for the Britain’s Fittest Farmer title and the £1,000 cash prize.
Video: Britain's Fittest Farmer contestants on wellbeing
Farmers and agricultural workers have come together to share their experiences of how regular exercise has promoted a more positive outlook on life on and off the farm. They were raising awareness while competing during the qualifier stage of Farmers Weekly‘s Britain’s Fittest Farmer competition, which aims to champion physical fitness and mental health in agriculture.
Britain's Fittest Farmer 2020 qualifiers: Photos and video
Oliver Hill 28 September 2020 https://www.fwi.co.uk © Tom Askew-Miller The farming community rallied together at the end of a difficult summer to compete in Farmers Weekly‘s 2020 Britain’s Fittest Farmer competition last weekend (26-27 September). About 80 farmers, farm and agricultural industry workers tackled a series of gruelling physical challenges designed to put their speed, strength and stamina to the ultimate test.
7 epic fails on Jeremy Clarkson's farm so far
Oliver Hill 24 September 2020 https://www.fwi.co.uk © Amazon Prime Hands up if you’ve ever heard somebody declare that they’d love to be a farmer like you – it must be such a joy to work out in the countryside all day. Well, TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson is gradually learning that life on the farm isn’t all green grass and shepherd’s delight. These days he’s farming about 400ha of land in the Cotswolds, growing wheat, barley and oilseed rape and also running a flock of sheep.
Britain's Fittest Farmer: Mental health champ award launches
Oliver Hill 16 September 2020 https://www.fwi.co.uk © Colin Miller/RBI Finalists in this year’s Britain’s Fittest Farmer competition have an extra chance to win by doing their bit to raise awareness of mental health challenges in agriculture.
Video: Somerset farm milks horses in quirky diversification
Cows, sheep, goats, and even buffalo – all commonly bred to produce milk for human consumption in the UK. Now one Somerset farmer says we may soon be adding horses to that list. Frank Shellard and his family have long been breeding and keeping horses at their farm near Wellow, some five miles south of Bath, where they run a popular livery. In a bid to kick-start a lifestyle trend, they began milking mares earlier this year.
The Seven Keys to Successful Remote Leadership
Image: Adobe Stock Even though remote working has become increasingly popular over the last few years, many employers have continued to resist it. Now, the arrival of COVID-19 has changed everything, and many businesses have had to implement remote working to stay alive. Even though lockdown is easing, the government has told people to continue working from home wherever possible. It looks as if, for many organisations, remote working is here to stay.
World-renowned rugby referee Nigel Owens named NFYFC president
International referee Nigel Owens has said becoming National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC) president is an honour akin to officiating at the 2015 Rugby World Cup final. Mr Owens won unanimous support when young farmers voted for their new president at the annual general meeting held last night (26 August). Taking over from BBC Farming Today presenter Charlotte Smith, who served three years in the role, he shared a video message with young farmers.
Top rugby referee Nigel Owens kicks off his farming venture
It wasn’t just his quiet home in west Wales that everybody’s favourite rugby referee was flying home to, after a hectic stint at the World Cup in Japan. Everything was in place for Nigel Owens’ long-held farming ambition to become a reality the moment he landed back in the UK last November.
Four in five growers use glyphosate to kill cover crops
A survey examining the use of cover cropping has revealed that 80% of growers rely on glyphosate as part of the process for destroying plants before cash crop establishment. The result came to light as part of a project studying cover crops by Cranfield University researcher Tom Storr, which sought to gain an understanding of tillage, cover crop use and soil health practices in the UK.
87-year-old Kent woman still farming with off-road scooter
Oliver Hill 10 July 2020 https://www.fwi.co.uk Kent farmer Marion Pont, 87, isn’t letting age and a difficulty walking slow her down – she’s running her sheep farm with the help of two rugged mobility scooters. Marion has lived on her family farm for more than 70 years. First owned by her parents, the 70-acre holding in Bethersden, near Ashford, has reared milking cows, grown crops and now breeds sheep.
Video: Robot dog herds flock of sheep in New Zealand
Oliver Hill 23 June 2020 https://www.fwi.co.uk © Rocos Drones and driverless tractors have gradually crept into mainstream farming, helping solve labour shortages and boost production – now the faithful sheepdog could be on the retirement list. A team of New Zealand technology specialists are investigating how a small robot called Spot can be used on farms for rounding up sheep and inspecting crops.
Young farmer calls time on casual racism in agriculture
Having devoted a decade of his life to building a farming career and contributing to rural life, 29-year-old Flavian Obiero says it’s time to call out the intolerance that’s holding the industry back. The only thing that has stopped the young farmer from quitting farming altogether has been his passion for pigs and an incredibly tolerant attitude.
Farm Fit: Episode 10 – 1km run, air squat, sit ups, up downs - Farmers Weekly
Oliver Hill 11 June 2020 https://www.fwi.co.uk © Colin Miller/RBI Farmers Weekly has teamed up with farmer’s son Tom Kemp, from Farm Fitness, to share a series of exercises that you can do using items commonly found on a farm. Over 10 weeks, the Farm Fit series will take you through a new workout every week, helping you to stay active and increase your strength and stamina during the coronavirus pandemic.
Farm Fit: Episode 9 – tyre flip, burpees and 30m sprints - Farmers Weekly
Oliver Hill 04 June 2020 https://www.fwi.co.uk © Colin Miller/RBI Farmers Weekly has teamed up with farmer’s son Tom Kemp, from Farm Fitness, to share a series of exercises that you can do using items commonly found on a farm. Over 10 weeks, the Farm Fit series will take you through a new workout every week, helping you to stay active and increase your strength and stamina during the coronavirus pandemic.
Farm Fit: Episode 8 – 15-minute body blast - Farmers Weekly
Oliver Hill 29 May 2020 https://www.fwi.co.uk © Colin Miller/Proagrica Farmers Weekly has teamed up with farmer’s son Tom Kemp, from Farm Fitness, to share a series of exercises that you can do using items commonly found on a farm. Over 10 weeks, the Farm Fit series will take you through a new workout every week, helping you to stay active and increase your strength and stamina during the coronavirus pandemic.
Farm Fit: Episode 7 – burpees and weighted bag time trial - Farmers Weekly
Oliver Hill 21 May 2020 https://www.fwi.co.uk Sean Cursiter delivering his final weighted sack to the straw bale © Colin Miller/RBI Farmers Weekly has teamed up with farmer’s son Tom Kemp, from Farm Fitness, to share a series of exercises that you can do using items commonly found on a farm. Over 10 weeks, the Farm Fit series will take you through a new workout every week, helping you to stay active and increase your strength and stamina during the coronavirus pandemic.
11 incredible farming-themed celebration cakes
We asked our readers to share farming-themed celebration cakes they have baked or received to mark a special day, and they certainly did not disappoint. We have been inundated with photos of creative bakes with an agricultural twist – and each time we share some of them on our social media channels we get another photo avalanche of tasty treats. Why not share your pictures with us – cakes or otherwise – by uploading them to our Farmlife Framed gallery.
Farm Fit: Episode 6 – 400m run, dumbbell snatch and burpees - Farmers Weekly
Oliver Hill 14 May 2020 https://www.fwi.co.uk © Colin Miller/Proagrica Farmers Weekly has teamed up with farmer’s son Tom Kemp, from Farm Fitness, to share a series of exercises that you can do using items commonly found on a farm. Over 10 weeks, the Farm Fit series will take you through a new workout every week, helping you to stay active and increase your strength and stamina during the coronavirus pandemic.
Farm Fit: Episode 5 – bag over shoulder and 100 burpees - Farmers Weekly
Oliver Hill 07 May 2020 https://www.fwi.co.uk © Colin Miller/Proagrica Farmers Weekly has teamed up with farmer’s son Tom Kemp, from Farm Fitness, to share a series of exercises that you can do using items commonly found on a farm. Over 10 weeks, the Farm Fit series will take you through a new workout every week, helping you to stay active and increase your strength and stamina during the coronavirus pandemic.
Farm Fit: Episode 4 – butterfly sit-ups, up-downs and 400m run - Farmers Weekly
Oliver Hill 30 April 2020 https://www.fwi.co.uk © Colin Miller Farmers Weekly has teamed up with farmer’s son Tom Kemp, from Farm Fitness, to share a series of exercises that you can do using items commonly found on a farm. Over the next 10 weeks, the Farm Fit series will take you through a new workout every week, helping you to stay active and increase your strength and stamina during the coronavirus pandemic.
Farm Fit: Episode 3 – squat and run as fast as possible - Farmers Weekly
Oliver Hill 23 April 2020 https://www.fwi.co.uk Cameron Wilson on the move © Colin Miller/RBI Farmers Weekly has teamed up with farmer’s son Tom Kemp, from Farm Fitness, to share a series of exercises that you can do using items commonly found on a farm. Over the next 10 weeks, the Farm Fit series will take you through a new workout every Wednesday, helping you to stay active and increase your strength and stamina during the coronavirus pandemic.
Farm Fit: Episode 2 – home exercise against the clock - Farmers Weekly
Oliver Hill 15 April 2020 https://www.fwi.co.uk Farmers Weekly has teamed up with farmer’s son Tom Kemp, from Farm Fitness, to share a series of exercises that you can do using items commonly found on a farm. Over the next 10 weeks, the Farm Fit series will take you through a new workout every Wednesday, helping you to stay active and increase your strength and stamina during the coronavirus pandemic.
Foodie Farms: Yorkshire estate tenants put ultra-local beef on menu
A longstanding relationship between a family of tenant farmers and a renowned landowner has taken the idea of local food to a commendable extreme. Aberdeen Angus beef cattle seen grazing the pasture within the 3,600ha owned by the Castle Howard estate in North Yorkshire take pride of place on the menus of the estate’s eateries and butcher’s shop.
Farm Fit: Episode 1 – bodyweight workout in the farmyard - Farmers Weekly
Oliver Hill 08 April 2020 https://www.fwi.co.uk Farmers Weekly has teamed up with farmer’s son Tom Kemp, from Farm Fitness, to share a series of exercises that you can do using items commonly found on a farm. Over the next 10 weeks, the Farm Fit series will take you through a new workout every Wednesday, helping you to stay active and increase your strength and stamina during the coronavirus pandemic.
Coronavirus: Yorkshire farm shop opens drive-through venture
Move over McDonalds – the farmers who run a North Yorkshire farm shop have started a drive-through for shoppers to maintain social distancing while grabbing their groceries. Bert’s Barrow, based at Hillam near Selby, has adapted to strict government rules on social contact announced earlier this month by launching Bert’s Drive-Through. Customers can drive to the farm shop, hand over their shopping list and have their goods brought to their boot, without needing to leave their car.
Coronavirus: How two dairy farmers are staying positive
Oliver Hill 28 March 2020 https://www.fwi.co.uk As the coronavirus pandemic affects lives across the nation, the Farmers Weekly team has been searching for some good news amid the doom and gloom to lift farmers’ spirits. Here are the stories of two dairy farmers who are adapting to find some small positives at a time of massive pain and uncertainty.
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