Sharon Edwards
Political Reporter, BBC Radio Lincolnshire

While driving to one of her potato fields, farmer, Kate Armstrong, points to the fields growing cereals.

“There’s a mismatch in colours because we had to plant at different times following the flooding,” she says.

About 200 acres of land at Abbey Farm in Bardney, near Lincoln, was under water following record rainfall last October.

“The cereal harvest has been more impacted than the potatoes,” Kate says.

“Two years ago we’d already harvested our wheat and this year we’re sat waiting."

Image source, Sharon Edwards/BBC

She hopes that harvesting for cereals does not overlap with the potato harvest which, this year, is due around mid-September.

“We plant potatoes normally mid-April but it was getting onto the end of April this year,” says Kate.

She says farmers across Lincolnshire are involved in discussions with each other and industry bodies about preventing more flooding.

“There’s a lot that we feel can be done on the waterways to prevent it. There’s definitely more maintenance that can be done.”

With summer harvest now well under way, farmers are feeling the impact of this year's wet weather.

Berry growers are currently reporting a glut, unable to sell tonnes of fruit, with other crops also affected.

Fruit grower Tim Chambers, from Maidstone, in Kent, said he will have over-produced about 100 tonnes of strawberries, and over the next 10 days, 60 to 70 tonnes of raspberries.

“Some will go for jam, some freezing and the rest to an anaerobic digester, which generates electricity for the National Grid,” he said.

He said the problem for berry growers was low levels of sunlight early in the season, because of too much cloud and rain.

• Farmers reflect on challenging year

Olivia Midgley
Editor, Farmers Guardian

It may sound like a cliché but food security really is national security. Throughout wars, economic meltdowns and a global pandemic, food is what has bound us all and kept our nation going.

However, what the above have shown us is the fragility of our food system.

Remember the lettuce crisis of 2023? This was caused by unseasonable weather in southern Spain and Morocco, which impacted crops, leading to a UK salad shortage.

Changing and more extreme weather patterns, coupled with rising costs of energy, feed and fuel, is making producing the food we all enjoy more difficult.

And the costs of producing this food are often shouldered by producers, meaning for some, they are quitting the industry.

So how do we improve our self-sufficiency and produce more healthy and nutritious homegrown food?

With the UK buckling under the strain of an NHS waiting list backlog, dietary related ill-health including type 2 diabetes among adults and children on an upwards trajectory, obesity costing our health service around £6.5bn a year, plus the use of food banks at an all-time high, food has to be seen as the common denominator.

If we can link health to a climate and nature friendly agricultural sector, we will be stronger as a nation.

Now, more than ever, the farming industry needs the signals from the government to bring certainty and give farmers the confidence to invest and grow and fulfil ambitions not only around producing healthy, nutritious food, but also in caring for our natural world as well.

Chief executive of the award winning business Bex Tonks talks to BBC Radio Cornwall's Daphne Skinnard about the growth of the family farm.

Listen below or head over to our Farmwatch page on BBC Sounds for more coverage.

Back at Manby Grange Farm, Emma is walking the dogs.

She says they are a huge part of life at the farm.

Image source, Emma Billings

"Nell is really good at rounding up the cattle," Emma says.

"She doesn't nip them though, and that's really important because they learn to kick.

"Our two pets, Floss and Elsie, who I'm sure you be seeing more of as the days goes on, are inside at the moment."

Emma says dogs are important to have around because farms can be isolated.

"Nell is also our security dog - she's not that friendly to strangers and she is very protective of us," she adds.

Maria Warne-Elston will be a familiar face to some thanks to her social media posts showing the everyday life of a farmer.

She's gained 80,000 followers on Tik Tok and 40,000 on Instagram, educating people across the world about the agricultural industry in the process.

"I basically do it to push the name of agriculture and show how great our industry is, bridging the gap between farmer and consumer," she says.

"At the end of the day, we can't expect support if we're not going to show why we need support."

• Cornish TikTok sensation calls for farming support

A first-generation farmer has said it is crucial to support younger people into agriculture to keep the industry alive.

Ellie Scovell, a 24-year-old stock woman and calf rearer in Alton, Hampshire, did not come from a farming background and had to work for free to get the experience she needed for her first job.

She said the younger generation were "the future of farming", adding "somebody needs to take over" from the older generation.

• Young people 'the future of farming'

Figures released by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) suggest half of farmers don’t feel positive about their future in the industry.

The results make clear the need for action to restore stability and confidence in the sector, the government says.

It has committed to introducing a new deal for farmers.

Measures include:

• Optimising Environmental Land Management schemes
• Seeking a new veterinary agreement with the EU to cut red tape
• Protecting farmers from being undercut by low welfare and low standards in trade deals
• Setting up a new British Infrastructure Council to steer private investment in rural areas

Farmers in Shropshire say they want to see the government renew confidence and stability in the sector.

The industry supports more than 10,000 jobs in the county and contributed £407m to the local economy last year, according to the National Farmers’ Union.

“Stability is what we need,” says Andrew Bebb, owner of Hall Farm in Cruckmeole, near Shrewsbury.

His 194-acre (79-hectare) organic dairy farm, which has been owned by his family since 1929, produced about 600,000 litres of milk in 2023.

“Our costs increase year on year - water, electricity, insurance, it’s all gone up," he adds.

• Farmers call on government to renew stability

We've been talking to farmers in Wiltshire about the steps they want to see taken by the new Labour government.

Listen below or head over to our Farmwatch page on BBC Sounds for more coverage.

Ewan Murrie
Senior Political Reporter, BBC Westminster

The 2016 Brexit vote fired the starting gun for the biggest shake up to British farming for a generation.

More than eight years on from the referendum, many in agriculture still feel uncertain about what it means for their future.

The most significant change was the scrapping of basic payments: EU subsidies paid annually based on how much land a farmer had.

These were replaced by payments for doing good for the environment, like planting trees and improving habitats for wildlife.

But for many farmers the roll-out of these schemes has been confusing and slow, making it difficult at times to access the cash.

Meanwhile, the old subsidies are already being phased out, meaning many farm businesses are now out of pocket.

Another sore point was the signing of some trade deals under the Conservatives - particularly with Australia and New Zealand.

Critics say these arrangements risk flooding the UK market with beef and lamb produced cheaply and to lower welfare standards.

Brexit aside, farms have also struggled with soaring energy costs, which has had a massive impact on the price of fuel and fertilizer.

Another perceived threat to animal farm businesses is the rise in popularity of meat-free eating as part of efforts to tackle climate change.

Councillors in some parts of England have even voted to ban meat from their internal catering, prompting protest from farmers.

In Huttoft, on the Lincolnshire coast, one farmer is hosting educational visits for children to learn how ice cream is made.

Florence Turley, who manages the herd of Holstein Friesian cows at Farmer Brown's ice cream, says the excitement builds for the children once they have adjusted to the smell.

“A lot of them hold their noses a bit,” she says.

Florence says she then explains the process involved in making ice cream, demonstrating how they clean the cows’ teats before milking.

“I’ve made a bucket with some teats on as well that they can have a go squeezing some water through so they get the idea of how the milk actually comes from the cows," she said.

Image source, Ross Carrick/BBC

She said it was rewarding to see the children taking an interest.

“It just opens their eyes to all these things."

Despite there being no financial incentive in running the workshops, Florence said: “We do it because we want to educate the children."

The owner of a farm park near Wragby in Lincolnshire is one of those in the county to have diversified.

Rand Farm Park owner Richard Waring said he and his wife Kay had taken over what was originally a pig farm in 1989.

“We looked at the options and decided a farm park was the best way to go,” he said.

“It was an interesting time and history speaks for itself really now.”

Richard said most of their friends had said you shouldn’t work with children or animals, adding: “We worked with both.”

The farm park now hosts residential visits, hosting children from all over the country.

“We have kids working on the farm – we let them milk the cows and muck the pigs out.

“They get dirty and they get involved,” he added.

Meanwhile, back at Manby Grange Farm, it's feeding time.

Image source, Emma Billings

Emma Billings says the calves are getting some extra feed ahead of being weaned.

"This means they come off their mothers and give them some well-deserved rest," she said.

Emma said the calves were being fed a "cake" which she described a "nutritious" mix of ingredients.

She says the calves are fed in a special crate to deter the bigger cows from pushing them out of the way.

"From being a baby calf to this is just an amazing sight," she added.

Anthony Froggart is a manager at Wade Lane Farm in Staffordshire, a farm his great grandfather started working on in the 1920s when it was a mixed farm with pigs, sheep, cows, chicken and corn.

In the 1960s it moved to dairy farming, in the 80s arable and dairy, and now it’s mainly arable. It also houses the crisp and oil factories that power his companies, Just Crisps and Just Oil.

“You’ve seen our rape field right next door to a field of potatoes, you can see our crisp factory now right next to the crushing rooms, so it’s food yards rather than food miles,” Anthony told the BBC’s Matt Weigold.

The rape is cold-pressed to produce oil, which the potato slices are then fried in before seasoning is added.

But the work is not without its challenges. Most farms lack a “clear direction [of] where the government want us to go,” Anthony said, and “how we’re doing to make money”.

• Crisp and oil expansions bring security for farmer

Emily Ashworth
Online editor, Farmers Guardian

When Farmers Guardian, external launched 24 Hours in Farming in 2015, it was inspired by a TV programme at the time called GPs: Behind Closed Doors, a documentary series that gave viewers an exclusive look at the everyday lives of doctors.

We wanted to give people an opportunity to see what farming was really all about from those who did the job day in, day out.

#FARM24 gained traction quickly and has become as embedded in the farming calendar as many other summer agricultural events, such as shows.

Every year, more and more people take part alongside grassroots farmers, including the likes of the Prime Minister, top chefs such as Jamie Oliver, and BBC Radio presenters Sara Cox and Greg James.

Things change daily in farming – the last few weeks have seen a new Government come into power, and the industry will be bracing itself for yet more change.

But the beauty of #FARM24 is that it allows agriculture to unite, regardless of job, background, age or political beliefs; this is the sector’s chance to make some noise and, as a collective, potentially make a difference.

BBC Suffolk is down at Shimpling Park Farm in Bury St Edmunds talking to farmer Joe Hanks about his sheep dogs.

Cambridgeshire farmer Tom Martin is involved in a scheme to educate and engage with children.

Image source, Lisa Martin

The farm, which is located in Haddon, is mainly arable, growing wheat for making bread, barley for beer and beans which are exported to North Africa, as well as rearing sheep.

Tom says the scheme involves linking schools with farmers, who then talk to the children via regular video calls.

He said the content can range from a farmer standing on top of a heap of manure talking about nutrition, to engaging with children about the environment and animals.

"The children ask loads of questions and don’t realise they are learning," he said.

Tom says people are "more divorced" than ever about where their food comes from - something the scheme aims to change by encouraging the next generation into the industry.

Throughout the day, we'll be checking in with Emma Billings and her family. They run a small farm on the outskirts of Louth in Lincolnshire.

Image source, Emma Billings

She said she was delighted to be taking part in Farmwatch, and having the chance to show people what life was like on the farm.

"It is a marvellous time to celebrate what this county does so well in feeding the nation," she said.

"We are a family farm - we grow cereals and we also have our pedigree Limousin cattle."

If you think you are busy during the summer holidays, balancing childcare and work, imagine being a farmer.

August is the start of the UK’s main harvest period. Growers often have short windows of opportunity when the weather and humidity align to bring in crops that their livelihoods depend on.

Josh Addlessee says that although there are more lucrative professions for young people farming is a way of life, rather than simply a job.

He says he enjoys the unpredictability of outdoor work when "no day is ever the same".