joe collingborn

Farmer Writes: rain arrives at last after four months of burning sunshine

Joe Collingborn bought 600t of silage from a clamp on a farm six miles away at a cost of £60/t. This is double what he normally values silage at.

FARMER WRITES 1 November 2026

Farmer Writes: rain arrives at last after four months of burning sunshine

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Farmer Writes: fingers crossed bluetongue doesn't appear at our gate

Farmer Writes: fingers crossed bluetongue doesn't appear at our gate

FARMER WRITES 6 September 2026

Farmer Writes: farming a technological monster over time

Farmer Writes: farming a technological monster over time

FARMER WRITES 23 August 2026

Farmer Writes: cows on full winter rations in England

Farmer Writes: cows on full winter rations in England

Farmer Writes: cows on full winter rations in England

FARMER WRITES 16 August 2026

Farmer Writes: farming within constraints of extreme weather

Farmer Writes: farming within constraints of extreme weather

Farmer Writes: farming within constraints of extreme weather

FARMER WRITES 4 August 2026

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Farmer Writes: festival of farming and facing into another heatwave

Farmer Writes: festival of farming and facing into another heatwave

A visit to the Glastonbury of farming and – facing into another drought – despite brief respite from the last blast of hot weather where we lost 4l a cow a day.

FARMER WRITES 11 July 2026

Farmer Writes: we buffer-fed cows for two months

Farmer Writes: we buffer-fed cows for two months

We have managed the silage-making by doing 50ac of new leys early on followed by another 100ac two weeks later. This did not pass without incident, writes Joe Collingborn.

FARMER WRITES 21 June 2026

Farmer Writes: number of herds falling but getting bigger in size

Farmer Writes: number of herds falling but getting bigger in size

It is a given that the number of dairy herds halves every 10 years.

FARMER WRITES 29 March 2026

Farmer Writes: no turnout for at least another six weeks

Farmer Writes: no turnout for at least another six weeks

It has been a tough 12 months for English farmer Joe Collingborn, coping with drought, flooding and now an extended winter.

FARMER WRITES 17 March 2026

Farmer Writes: running a dairy farm has been difficult this year

Farmer Writes: running a dairy farm has been difficult this year

English dairy farmer Joe Collingborn reflects on a tough year for dairy farming.

NEWS 20 December 2025

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