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Farming Today This Week

How can the small family farm be successful and sustainable for future generations? Charlotte Smith visits a mixed sheep and arable farm which is being passed down the family line.

How can small British family farms survive and remain sustainable businesses? And what happens when the next generation takes over?

In Farming Today This Week, Charlotte Smith looks at family farms. She meets Tom Heritage and his son Paul near the village of Oxhill in South Warwickshire.

The Heritage family farm around 900 acres with commercial sheep and crops. Paul is the third generation of the family to be involved in the farm after his grandfather bought it in the 1930s. Whilst Tom is in his seventies, he still remains active on the farm and together, father and son share the workload between them. Charlotte hears about Tom's plans for the succession of the family business though, as Tom says, he has no plans for retirement from his work.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation has designated 2014 as the year of family farming and Charlotte speaks the campaign's chief who highlights the importance of family-run agriculture businesses around the world.

She also hears what can happen when farmers don't put plans for the succession of a family farm in place, and the impact this can have on both the farming family and their business.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Jules Benham.

27 minutes

Last on

Sat 18 Jan 2014 06:30

Broadcast

  • Sat 18 Jan 2014 06:30

Podcast