That’s all for today.

Thanks for joining us for our Farmwatch coverage.

We've learnt about the emotional toll on farmers and the struggle to survive as climate change and flooding affects crops.

Also many farmers have spoken about the need to diversify, including building play centres and producing their own food products, such as crisps and ice cream.

We've also heard from farmers keen to educate the public on where their food comes from and trying to encourage new recruits to enter the industry.

If you want more on the subject Sean Dunderdale is hosting a special show called On The Farm across the BBC Local Radio network at 01:00 BST on Friday, or you can listen again on BBC Sounds.

Farmers have united to form a new alliance to protect and enhance wildlife and the countryside, while also maintaining profits from their food production.

The Waveney Hundred Farming Group is made up of 23 farmers who collectively own or manage nearly 19,000 acres (7,677 hectares) of land between the River Waveney and River Blyth.

Image source, WAVENEY HUNDRED FARMING GROUP

The group's projects will include reducing habitat fragmentation, strengthening landscape character and identifying areas for habitat creation and restoration, improvements in soil, air and water quality, as well as educating the public.

They also hope to create landscape and wildlife corridors to avoid "the less satisfactory patchwork previously created when each holding was working independently".

The group said its key message was that food production was not incompatible with improving the environment, but farmers need to liaise more with each other, local businesses and the public.

Our breathtaking uplands are steeped in tradition and the farmers who steward the land are the backbone of the rural communities they serve.

Frank Carr, 32, is the fourth generation to farm at Lee Gate Farm in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

He spoke to the Farmers Guardian, external about preserving the heritage of the 2,000 acre beef and sheep farm, finding new ways to innovate and increase efficiency, all while being sympathetic to the landscape of which he is proud to be a custodian.

Video by Amy Wilkinson and Anthony Voyle

Signing off, Emma, from Manby Grange Farm near Louth, said it had been a privilege to share snippets from her day as part of Farmwatch.

She said it had taken years to build the pedigree herd, which are used for breeding at farms across the country.

Emma said she was proud of the farm’s reputation and said the herd was part of the extended family.

You can hear more from Emma later on BBC Local Radio, with more live content from the farm.

Image source, Emma Billings

Chris Brayford
Reporter, Farmers Guardian

The innovative nature of farmers as forward-thinking entrepreneurs means they are always on the lookout for ways to improve their businesses and generate another income stream.

Farmers have proved there are opportunities out there to advance a farm business, from the popular concept of milk and meat vending machines to artisan cheese making.

Of course, there are the more obvious diversifications which still prove their weight in popularity including the fascination of a farm shop and the conversion of a tired barn to wedding venue or holiday letting.

Glamping pods, farm ‘spas’ which feature wellness areas and hot tubs are raging in popularity among tourists looking to holiday in the UK or British holidaymakers choosing a staycation over getting on a plane.

Latest figures from rural insurer NFU Mutual show 34% of farmers chose to diversify their farms last year.

While some may have the view that farms should be profitable enterprises without having to diversify away from growing food, for others it is a way of spreading risk as well as boosting income.

Investment can be a challenge for farmers, with many being asset rich and cash poor, requiring access to finance to be able to invest in their new ventures.

On top of this is the high cost of borrowing and lower returns at the farmgate. Challenges from wet weather over the last 18 months will also reduce the profitability of UK farms this year.

But with public appetite to stay and play in the British countryside a trend that is only likely to continue, diversification plays a vital role in increasing businesses’ resilience and bolstering them for the future.

Katie and her parents share a farm in Dufton in the Eden Valley and keep a popular audio diary on BBC Radio Cumbria.

BBC's Steph Finnon spoke to parents Kirsten and Andrew about their second career as farmers, after the pair finished working as an adminstrator and electrician, respectively.

"We had a lot to learn and we're so thankful that the landlady gave us the confidence to do it," Kirsten said.

"Andy asked lots of people, lots of people were very good with advice."

"We're still learning aren't we?" Kirsten asked.

Andrew added: "We bought a lot of things at the wrong time for the wrong price and sold them at the wrong time for the wrong price, but eventually after a few years with a lot of help from local farmers you slowly figure out how to do it."

He said his daughter Katie "should be [working] on the NHS" due to her ability to keep his spirits up on the farm.

“You have to spend time with her to realise how sometimes things get you down, the finances of the farm or something, and I get in a bit of a grump, and Katie will say, ‘Come on dad, let’s go for a walk and just see where we live and let’s appreciate it’, and you come back refreshed.

"Yes, she should be [working] on the NHS, she’s a breath of fresh air she is, she’s brilliant.”

Alex Black
News editor, Farmers Guardian

Milk prices are rising, sheep and cattle prices at the marts are at historic highs but for many farmers the cost of production is weighing heavily on their businesses.

Just last week, we learned 440 dairy farmers – that is 5.8% of the industry – had left during the year to April. One of the key things highlighted by those in the industry was the cost of the investment needed to carry on and meet new regulations.

With margins tight for dairy farmers, despite recent price increase announcements, it could take a generation for a return on investment with many deciding it is better to exit the industry than invest.

Despite the nation’s love for British berries, including the iconic British strawberries, growers are becoming increasingly concerned over the future of the industry, with 40% of growers at risk of going out of business by 2026.

According to British Berry Growers, almost half (47%) of British berry growers surveyed said they no longer made a profit with 53% stating their financial outlook was bad, or extremely bad.

Labour is a massive issue for the horticulture industry in particular, with businesses reliant on seasonal workers to pick fruit. Brexit has added pressure there, with firms struggling to attract British workers and it is increasingly difficult to bring in workers from further afield.

The wet weather of recent months is also having a financial impact on farms.

For the arable sector, a difficult autumn drilling period and wet weather earlier in the year means there are expectations of a small harvest here in the UK. There are huge variations from county to county, and even from farm to farm, in yields and quality.

On top of the challenges on farm, the industry is also facing major change in subsidies from government. Since Brexit, the UK has been moving away from the Basic Payment Scheme with a focus on public money for public goods. With a focus on sustainability and the environment, the changes mean that farmers have to do more to receive money from Government, and spend money to do it.

But perhaps the biggest challenge has been the uncertainty this has brought about. For English farmers, the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2024 has now gone live. But in Scotland and Wales, there is still no clarity for farmers on the future of farming policy and farm support.

A community garden not far from Walsall town centre is providing a hub of agricultural activity in a largely urban environment.

Volunteers produce tomatoes, pak choi, runner beans, lettuce and other produce.

Image source, Eve Webster/BBC

The gardens are manned by a team of volunteers, many of whom have learning difficulties, or who have been referred by adult social services.

The gardeners sell their produce to the community and donate it to Walsall’s food banks.

Site manager Paul Mason tells the BBC's Eve Webster it’s a common problem for children to not know where their food comes from.

"I was working in Wolverhampton a few years ago with a group and I asked them where chips come from.

"I had a chip shop, Iceland, MacDonald’s. It was about five or ten minute before somebody came up with potatoes," he said.

We've been hearing about diversification to boost income and ensure farms are functioning sustainably.

Among the new ideas is ‘cow cuddling’ – a self-care practice that involves spending time with cows, which can include activities like hugging, brushing, and resting against them.

The pastime emerged in rural Dutch provinces more than a decade ago, and is believed to promote positivity and reduce stress by boosting oxytocin in humans, the hormone released in social bonding.

BBC Leicester reporter Ellis Maddison went to Ahimsa Eco Farm near Oakham to find out more.

A sheep shearing world record in Cornwall has been broken, beating the previous women's solo strongwool ewe record by 59 sheep.

Una Cameron, 51, sheared 517 sheep at Trefranck Farm in Launceston over a nine-hour period on Wednesday.

During the incredible feat at the farm in Cornwall, Ms Cameron took only four breaks.

She told BBC Radio Cornwall it was "still a bit like a dream" to hold a world record.

"A very painful dream, but a dream - I don't think it's really sunk in yet," she said.

Ms Cameron, who was raising money for Blood Cancer UK in Cornwall and St Luke's Hospice, said it was a unique experience.

"It was quite painful but if you're going to wait until you're 51 to do stupid crazy things you can expect a bit of pain afterwards," she added.

The previous world record was set in February by Sacha Bond who sheared 458 ewes in nine hours.

Senior political reporter Ewan Murrie shared his thoughts earlier on how Brexit has resulted eight years of uncertainty for farmers.

Elsewhere, James Addyman has been talking to Will Raw, who farms near Scorton in North Yorkshire.

Will describes how Brexit has affected farming, having voted to leave the European Union in 2016. He produces chicken meat for the food industry as well as producing arable crops.

You can listen below or head to the Farmwatch page on BBC Sounds for more clips.

Mike Duxbury believes he is Britain's only blind farmer.

He runs Inclusive Farm which supports people with disabilities.

He and Ness Shillito started the project, on the outskirts of Steppingly in Bedfordshire, to prove farming can be for all.

“We started this four years ago, and I did it to prove to the world, as a disabled person myself, I can do," Mike says.

"And from there it really grew into a much bigger, community-based project, to open the gates and reach out to other disabled people both in this community and in the wider UK."

People shouldn't judge someone who has a difference or disability, Ness says.

"Every single pen has a different fasure so you can feel that and you know where you are the whole time," she says.

"I could actually drop Mike anywhere on the farm and he could find his way to the animals. He'll smell them, hear them, and then if he touches the fence he'll know exactly where he is."

The pair spoke to BBC Three Counties Radio earlier, which you can listen to here.

For those just joining us, here are some of the highlights from our coverage this past few hours:

• Erin Gailey shared her experience as someone not from a farming background who now works in the industry
• We met the family working the most southerly farm in mainland Britain
• One of the beneficiaries of the Royal Countryside Fund, established by the King in 2010, spoke about the difference the fund's support had made

We've been sharing some insight into the struggles faced in the farming community, including the toll that financial pressures can take.

Midlands Today rural affairs correspondent David Gregory-Kumar recently spoke to the widow of a farmer who took his own life.

Rita Poulson told the BBC she believes a critical farm inspection contributed to her husband Rocky's death.

A mistake involving the wrong sort of ear tags in a flock of 18 sheep had been picked up by government inspectors. The error would have led to the entire 400 acre farm having all its payments penalised.

Mr Poulson's family are being supported by the Rural Payments Agency, while an inquest into his death will be held in August.

• If you, or someone you know, have been affected by mental health issues related to agriculture, you can visit BBC Action Line for support and information

Colin Chappell's harvest has been reduced to just 10 of the 300 acres of wheat he planted last winter, after heavy rain left his land waterlogged.

He said he had had "a horrible six or seven months" and has had to put a brave face on for his children.

The Lincolnshire farmer has spoken to the BBC about his battles.

Farmer Richard Bower is another advocate of educating the next generation on his working farm.

Lower Drayton Farm in Stafford now makes 80% of its income from its children's play centre.

Opened in 2020, the indoor play barn includes a four-storey soft play frame, astro racing slides and gravity drop slide.

While that means a fun visit for families, he says it is about more than that.

"We want the kids to learn about UK agriculture and what it's like to be a farmer for the day," he says.

It's why they also offer farm tours, petting areas and the chance to pick your own vegetables.

Families digging in the field can even see the farm droid showing them the direction farming is taking for future generations.

Richard says: "I didn't expect to see technology like this on a farm for another 15 years. I can't believe it's here now already."

More now from Demelza Fish-Jenkins on the struggles of farming.

The struggles were not just financial. Farming, says Demelza, is so inextricably linked to family that it becomes hard to separate it as a business, and they had been going through some hard times in terms of succession and mental health.

"Someone not preparing for succession can have a major impact on the business," she says. "So, we decided to do the programme – I had fallen out of love with farming. Having two young children, it takes its toll.

"Me and my husband came out of it with more confidence – you convince yourself you are doing something wrong but actually we found we were doing something right. I learned so many things and realised I knew much more than I thought I did. I have changed as a person.

"We are custodians for the next generation, and I encourage my two to come to these meetings and hear how other farms are doing things.

"We have been through some really tough times as a family and a farm over the past few years. The programme has been totally life-changing for us."

Emily Ashworth
Online editor, Farmers Guardian

There are many obstacles to overcome in farming; whether it is managing the extreme weather or facing financial difficulties, farmers and those in rural communities face challenges other sectors do not.

The term ‘resilience' is one that has become widely used over recent years. After Brexit, loss of subsidies, and political unrest, those in the industry have certainly had to adapt and navigate their way through a quickly changing sector, which is no easy task.

There is support out there though. The Royal Countryside Fund (RCF), established by the King in 2010, has become a pillar of support to farming communities, with a focus on building thriving rural enterprises and helping to secure the future for smaller family farms.

The Farm Resilience Programme has been a lifeline to many farmers.

Demelza Fish-Jenkins, a beef and sheep farmer in West Wales, took part in the programme after facing an uncertain future with her own family business.

The farm was going through a period of significant change, including the inheritance of an additional farm and diversifying into holiday lets, but she found the programme's benchmarking and accounts workshops particularly beneficial.

Image source, Farmers Guardian

Having inherited another 72.8-hectare (180-acre) farm on top of the 52.6 hectares (130 acres) they were already farming, the business had to change – and so did the family.

She says: "My son was keen to come home and we needed to create another wage. The challenge was creating two wages and to have enough work for my husband and son."

Farming is very much a team effort, Emma says.

Although she loves her job at Manby Grange Farm it is important to get across the reality of what it involves, including juggling several roles and dealing with life and death, she says.

“That is the reality of having livestock," she says.

Image source, Emma Billings

It is important to acknowledge the part played by partners and farm workers, adding feeding the nation is a “team effort”, she says.

“We all come together to help,” she adds.

BBC Suffolk's Wayne Bavin has spent the day with John Pawsey and his family at Shimpling Farm. Here are some of the highlights.