Now in its 1oth year, Whitbourne Annual hedging competition will take place on Saturday, March 3 at the same venue as last year – Churchfield Orchard, Whitbourne, Worcestershire.

I was pleased to see that on December 1 Her Majesty’s Government came up trumps and our Single Payment was credited to my bank account along with the upland hill farming organic allowance.

The Court of Appeal has rejected the Government’s appeal against a High Court decision that it unlawfully reduced Solar PV Feed-in-Tariffs (FITs).

The emergence of snowdrops denotes the closing curtain on the sporting shoot season. I hope that those who have a day or two in hand find the finale to be just that.

Well, we’ve moved from the hectic festive season with oven-ready geese, turkey, sausages, lamb and beef joints on the market, to the calm after the storm that is January and the New Year.

We all take for granted modern communications technology. Instant contact is now the norm until something goes wrong, like the early January storms dropping a tree through the telephone line in the middle of a field about a mile from us.

Recently debated and proposed reform of the Common Agricultural Policy has led to confusion around the ability of some farmers to be eligible for the new Direct Payment Scheme beyond December 31, 2013.

What has happened to the planning system recently?

I was pleased to see that on December 1 Her Majesty’s government came up trumps for the first time ever and our Single Payment was credited to my bank account along with the upland hill farming organic allowance

Farmers using tractors to grit road should check the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)  website to see if they can use red diesel.

The Farmer/Barclays Farming for the Future competition has been launched – have you got what it takes to win?

Shropshire YFC have asked each of their 19 Club to take part in a Canoeing Challenge to raise money for Cancer Research UK.