While the average farmer might be male, there's plenty of women like third generation farmer Amy Shaw who play a very active role.

She's been helping out on the family's dairy farm in Blackburn since she was a child.

"I use to bottle milk and doorstep deliveries because it's in your blood, it's what you do," she says.

She loves tractors and has learned to drive them by watching her dad on the job.

"The moment Dad realised I could drive one he set me rolling and last year I managed to rake a whole field before he'd even finished explaining what I had to do."

On whether she has been embraced as a woman farmer, Amy says: "Some people are set in their ways, but others love the fact I do it."

• Hear more from Amy on BBC Sounds

Jonathan Fagg
BBC England Data Unit

Well, they're part of one of the oldest occupations in the country.

That’s according to Office for National Statistics data, which shows - as of the 2021 census - that two fifths of farmers in England and Wales are aged 60 or older.

They also make up the occupation with the highest UK-born workforce – at 98%.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) figures suggest farm holders are typically men – 84% last year. That’s down a little from 90% in 1990.

They’re also becoming rarer.

On 1 June 2024, Defra estimated just under 285,000 people worked on agricultural holdings in England – down 15% from the same date in 2000.

The animals are soaking up the attention, welcoming our teams from up and down the country but not before indulging in their morning feeds.

Maybe the trick to an interview is in the treat, something presenter Wayne Bavin is quickly learning.

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Our combine has been a busy bee this morning!

As part of the BBC's Farmwatch 2025, which aims to put a spotlight on farmers across the country, we've been following a combine harvester in (for now) sunny Wiltshire.

Farmer Robin Aird and "trusty" driver Christopher – aka Jeffery – are showing just what a harvest involves.

"Let's make hay while the sun shines," he says.

See for yourself by clicking the Watch live button at the top of the page.

Image source, BBC/Emily Johnson

Farmers across North and West Yorkshire say they are grappling with the impact of prolonged dry conditions which are putting their livelihoods - and the local food supply - at serious risk.

Angela Serino, who runs Beetle Bank Farm near York, fears she will have to reduce the number of animals she keeps because her hay yield this year will be a quarter of the usual amount.

Angela estimates she goes through about half a round bale of hay each day to keep her animals fed.

And although she is used to buying in to top up her own supply, she will now need to buy a lot more.

"It's quite a sad time because we collect animals as we go and keep hold of our favourite ones and that might not be possible for the future if you never know whether your animals have got anything to eat or not," she said.

• Read the full story: 'Drought means no hay for our animals' - farmers warn

Farmers fear there will be a shortage of British-grown peas in supermarket freezers after long spells of sunshine and dry weather resulted in the earliest harvest in 14 years.

According to the National Farmers' Union, vining pea growers across Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and East Yorkshire have seen up to a 30% drop in the number of peas picked and processed this year.

One pea grower in Louth said he believed the drop in yield "could result in shortages".

• Read the full story: Pea shortage fears over earliest harvest in years

Ashleigh Ellwood
Head of arable, Farmers Guardian

Harvest is upon us, the cereal crops have turned golden and there is the steady hum of combine harvesters working tirelessly in fields across the nation – all aiming to beat one thing – the weather.

Crop success is largely driven by weather patterns, which can create a real dilemma for growers during harvest, when decisions can directly impact not only profit margins but our own food security.

Starting this growing season with a wet autumn during planting, followed by an extended drought period, the challenge continues as some farmers are now facing a ‘catchy’ harvest – but what does this mean?

Farming a ‘catchy’ harvest describes a season where the rainfall becomes unpredictable, making harvest more challenging and start-stop.

After experiencing a drought during the key grain-filling period, when the crop uses its stored nutrients to develop grains that are then harvested, a wetter harvest can degrade crop quality and yields, and increase the risk of disease and spoilage before the crop has the chance to be processed.

Heavy downpours and storms can delay harvest, as farmers often stop combining and wait for a drier day. They can only continue when the cereal crops' moisture content is between 14-20%, as measured with a moisture meter.

However, this year the harvest is the earliest it has been since 2006, which gives growers more opportunity to wait a little longer and combine in preferred conditions.

The jury is still out to determine the success of the 2025 harvest, as many farmers are still combining, but despite the weather woes, farmers remain committed to their crops, contributing significantly to the nation's food security and rural stewardship.

Our combine has fired up its engine.

We're looking in at the cabin as Robin Aird has begun gathering this year's harvest from his farm in Wiltshire.

It's a huge day – let's hope the weather holds out.

Click the 'Watch live' button at the top of the page to follow the action.

If you've ever wondered what the view is like from the cab of a combine harvester, then here's your chance to experience it.

Robin Aird has agreed to have our cameras fixed to his combine as he gathers this year's harvest at his farm near Malmesbury in Wiltshire.

Just click the 'Watch live' button at the top of the page to follow the action.

Our farmers have already been up and about for hours, but if you're just joining us, here are some of the highlights from Farmwatch so far:

• We heard how a fire devastated a farming couple's land and livelihood, but they weren't ready to hang up their boots
• Countryfile's Adam Henson, one of the UK's most well-known farmers, tells us how his job in the public eye has taken him away from hands-on farming
• We heard from Celia, who left her NHS career for life on a farm (and found success with her fancy llamas)
• Farmer Rebecca Wilson took us through a day in her life, beginning while most of us are snug in bed and working on until midnight
• We had a look at the cost of rural crime - and though it's down this year, it still costs farmers millions of pounds

Image source, BBC Radio Surrey

Standing beside an old tractor and probably the "biggest pile of silage you've ever seen", BBC Radio Surrey's James Cannon is reporting live from Norbury Park Farm in Guildford.

"You might have heard a bit of mooing in the background there. It is a beautiful morning. The sun has risen. There are a few wispy clouds.

"I've seen cows already be milked this morning. Loads more are waiting to go and have a little bit of a feed. Others are just looking at me thinking what on earth are you doing, as many of us have probably asked.

"There is a rumour one of the cows is in calf and we could have a baby before 10 o'clock.

"If that happens, it will be wonderful. If not, we'll be here all day."

While BBC teams are taking a closer look at farming across England, it's just a normal Thursday for these farm dwellers.

Apart from their apparent curiosity for the camera, life on the farm is ticking over as usual.

Will Pope, who has a farm in Dorset, has told us about the “pain and aggravation” of finding a spider-shaped crop circle on his land.

“It’s a lot of damage, a lot of cost and a lot of stress,” he says.

He was alerted to the crop circle on his land last year when images of the farm in Sturminster Marshall started circulating on social media.

Will says he found a “family in the middle having a picnic” when he went to cut the crops.

He suggests the culprits approach the farmer with their ideas before causing “criminal damage” - that way they might be able to come to some arrangement and still be able to enjoy the crop circle.

Peter and Alison Themans had spent 20 years building up their Wenlock Edge Farm Shop business in Much Wenlock, Shropshire, but the buildings were destroyed in just a few hours, leaving only their home next door.

On 26 May, a fire caused by an electrical fault tore through the shop, butchery and charcuterie.

"We went to bed the night after the fire and I couldn't stop thinking about the scale of work ahead of us," Alison says.

"I asked Peter if he was certain he wanted to start again, but we both felt we were not ready to retire."

• Read the full story: 'Arson has left us too scared to leave our farm'

Image source, Charles Family

Farmer Rob Charles says his family is now scared to leave their Worcestershire home unattended after a fire - believed to be arson - caused damage totalling £160,000.

The blaze, which broke out at Egghill Farm near Frankley in August 2024, destroyed two barns, two trailers and hundreds of bales of hay.

Rob says the fear of it happening again has left a lasting impact on his family, who haven't taken a holiday together since the incident.

"We were insured for the physical costs, but it's the emotional impact that stays with you," he tells the BBC.

Lauren Woodhead
Data journalist

We've been hearing about what makes farming such a special job, but it's not without its challenges - including the threat of being targeted by criminals.

It is an issue that farming-focused insurer NFU Mutual tracks closely.

According to its data, rural crime cost £44.1m in 2024 - down about 17% from the year before.

It saw drops in the theft of GPS units, quad bikes and all-terrain vehicles, but tractor theft and trailer theft rose by 17% and 15% respectively.

NFU Mutual's data also painted a picture across the UK, with Wales being the only place to see the cost of rural crime rising.

Rachel Hallos, NFU vice-president, said such crimes “have a serious impact on farming families, from the financial cost of stolen equipment to the emotional distress caused by livestock attacks”.

Across England, our reporters and presenters are making new friends on the farms they're visiting.

In Wimpole, Cambridgeshire, goats and cows are the star attraction this morning - but they're a little shy on the microphone.

While most people are still snug in bed, farmers like Rebecca Wilson are already hard at work - checking on livestock, tending to newly-hatched chicks and making the most of every daylight hour.

Rebecca, who runs a farm in the outskirts of Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, says: “We could be working until midnight this evening, but it’s amazing how quick the time passes because you are always busy.”

BBC York reporter Hannah Sackville-Bryant went along to find out more.

Image source, Creative Camera Media

While farming is a family tradition for some, others come to it later in life.

Celia Gaze decided to start a business on her husband's farm after being signed off from work due to stress.

The Well Being Farm in Bolton is a passion project which saw her swap the office walls of the NHS for open fields... and llamas.

"One day I decided to put a bow tie on a llama and suddenly everyone wanted to come and visit the Well Being Farm," she said.

"We got countless bookings for weddings and people coming from far and wide to see them."

She has since dedicated different areas to regenerative farming, and hopes to inspire others to reflect on the trajectory of their lives.

• Listen to Celia's story on BBC Sounds