What a summer it has been.
After months of relentless sunshine and remarkably little rain, I think many of us across the region will remember this summer for a long time, although not for the reasons we might have hoped.
We have witnessed frightening numbers of field and machinery fires.
I would like to extend an enormous thank you to our Fire and Rescue Services, and the extended community of support who have worked tirelessly alongside farmers and rural communities throughout this exceptionally difficult summer.
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Their response to incidents across our region has been extraordinary, often in incredibly challenging conditions.
Across East Anglia, hosepipe bans have been in place which has been an inconvenience for many.
For farming families, the excruciatingly hot summer has presented many other challenges.
An exceptionally early harvest brought difficult conditions and disappointing cereal yields for many.
The latest national picture shows wheat and spring barley yields below the five-year average, while the prolonged dry weather has left grass growth poor and winter forage stocks under extreme pressure.
For irrigated crops, the pressure continues.
Low river flows and depleted reservoirs have resulted in significant abstraction restrictions, including mandatory restrictions across parts of East Anglia.
Although recent rainfall has brought some welcome relief, the problem has certainly not disappeared.
Now we are amid another challenge, lifting root crops out of incredibly hard ground.
Potatoes, onions and other crops still need lifting, but with limited water available to soften ground, harvesting them without damage is proving extremely difficult and with poor yields and smaller sized produce, every care is being taken to reduce losses.
It is another stark reminder of the effects the months of drought and the impact the weather has on our food production.
Alongside drought, Bluetongue (BTV-3) is causing considerable concern.
Bluetongue is a viral disease spread mainly by midges, affecting sheep, cattle, goats, deer and camelids such as alpacas and llamas.
It can cause serious illness in these animals such as reproductive problems like reduced fertility in rams and bulls, abortions and still birth in ewes and cows.
Most notably in sheep, it can cause death through secondary infections such as pneumonia.
At the time of writing, Norfolk has recorded its first confirmed case of the current 2026-2027 season, while the disease has hit areas in the west particularly hard.
At the time of writing (September 4, 26) there have been 856 confirmed cases across the UK, including 748 in England, 88 cases in Wales and 20 cases in Scotland.
Bluetongue is a notifiable animal disease, if your stock show symptoms please do report it immediately and contact your vet, remain vigilant.
If you have not yet done so, speak to your vet about vaccination.
It is not something to be ashamed of, please reach out for support.
For up to date information sign up for the AHDB updates using their website.
For those affected by the financial impacts of the drought, because of Bluetongue or the wider pressures facing their farm business, the Addington Fund may be able to provide emergency support and, of course, FCN is here to support you.
What does resilience really mean?
Resilience is a word we use frequently in agriculture, but this year has made me think about what it actually means.
We talk about building resilient farm businesses: diversifying risk, planning ahead and preparing for difficult years.
But what about our own resilience?
The farming community have taken some enormous hits this year – financially, physically and emotionally.
Resilience doesn’t mean simply putting your head down and carrying on indefinitely.
Sometimes resilience is recognising that something is becoming too much.
It is making that phone call, talking to somebody you trust, asking for advice or allowing somebody else to shoulder a little of the burden.
Looking after the person is every bit as important as looking after the business itself.
That includes our physical health too.
FCN’s partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support is helping address some of the particular barriers farming and rural communities face in accessing cancer information and support.
Please prioritise your health.
If something doesn’t feel right, get it checked.
Attend screenings when invited.
Make the GP appointment you’ve been postponing.
In agriculture, we are great at maintaining machinery before it breaks down or ensuring our livestock are at their prime. Sometimes we need to extend some of that same care to ourselves.
Over the summer months FCN attended different field trial events, and Health & Safety events where we worked alongside Norfolk and Suffolk ICB to provide free digital health checks to farmers.
These were really well received and as a result we are looking to grow this project and make it accessible to more of our community, helping to identify early risks such as high blood pressure, stress levels and BMI to those who may not otherwise attend health screening at their GP practice.
After such a demanding year, our county harvest festivals provide a wonderful opportunity to come together, reflect and celebrate everything our farming communities have achieved.
The Essex County Harvest Festival takes place at Chelmsford Cathedral on Sunday, September 27, with the service beginning at 3.30pm.
The Suffolk Harvest Festival takes place on Sunday, October 4, at St Edmundsbury Cathedral, with activities from 10am and the Harvest Service at 3.30pm.
Also on Sunday October 4, the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association Harvest Service will take place at Norwich Cathedral at 3.30pm, celebrating Norfolk’s agriculture and farming community.
I hope to see many of you there.
Finally, I couldn’t write about resilience without mentioning our incredible FCN volunteer Tom York.
In July Tom set himself the extraordinary challenge of running 100 miles in 24 hours in memory of his best friend Ted Farmer, and to raise awareness of farming and mental health.
He completed more than 100 miles across 23 hours 20 minutes and raised over £5,000, an incredible physical achievement, but more importantly, a powerful message that nobody should struggle alone.
Just one more step, the words Tom has used to sum up his own struggles with mental health and what he encourages anyone facing their darkest days to do.
After the summer we have experienced, perhaps that is the message worth carrying into autumn.
Keep going, keep talking, look after one another and please remember that you don’t have to face the difficult days alone.
03000 111 999 help@fcn.org.uk
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