Autumn is now well under way, and it continues to be a busy time across the county. As always, I have been speaking with members about the challenges and opportunities facing their businesses, while also preparing for several important events and activities over the coming weeks.
Livestock health and safety event at Kirkley Hall
I would encourage livestock members to join us for our upcoming Livestock Handling Health and Safety event at Northumberland College Kirkley Hall Campus on Tuesday 20 October, from 1pm.
Held in conjunction with The Farmer Network and the NFU North Livestock Board, the event will focus on improving safety, efficiency and animal welfare when working with livestock. It will include live demonstrations of Te Pari handling equipment, alongside input from organisations including Northumberland Police, health checks from the field nurse team and Northern Powergrid.
Livestock handling remains one of the higher-risk activities on farm, so this is a valuable opportunity to see practical equipment and techniques in action, speak directly to specialists and consider whether changes could make your own system safer and more efficient.
Places should be booked in advance via NFU North.
Could you represent your sector?
Ahead of our forthcoming county AGM, we are looking for members who would be interested in becoming county sector board representatives.
Our sector representatives play an important role in ensuring the experiences and priorities of Northumberland farmers are heard within the wider NFU. They help identify emerging issues, contribute practical knowledge from the farm and feed local views into regional and national policy discussions.
You do not need to have held an NFU position before. What matters is that you are willing to contribute, share the views of fellow members and help strengthen the connection between our county and the relevant NFU commodity or policy boards.
If you are interested in representing your sector, or would simply like an informal conversation about what the role involves, please get in touch with me ahead of the AGM. Strong local representation is essential if we are to make sure Northumberland’s farming voice is heard clearly.
Farm business support in Northumberland
Members may also be interested in the farm business advice available through the Northumberland Small Business Service and its farming support offer, delivered with involvement from Northumberland National Park Authority.
The service provides fully funded support for businesses across Northumberland, with a particular focus on helping rural enterprises overcome barriers to growth. Its four main areas include growth and resilience, enterprise and start-up support, food and drink sector support, and a dedicated farming advisory service. Businesses that register can be matched with an adviser who will help identify opportunities and develop a tailored plan. For farming businesses, this could include support with resilience, business planning, productivity, diversification and developing new income streams. I would encourage members with a business idea, or those reviewing the future direction of their farm, to explore what assistance may be available.
Separately, farmers and land managers operating within Northumberland National Park may also wish to consider the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme. The programme supports projects that contribute to nature recovery, climate resilience, public access, cultural heritage and sustainable farm business development. It has now been extended from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029, and the National Park’s team can offer advice on developing a suitable application.
Bluetongue and the position in Scotland
From 3 October 2026, the whole of Scotland became a bluetongue Restricted Zone. This means there is no longer a bluetongue-free area in Scotland and there are now only minimal controls on animal movements between the Restricted Zones in Scotland, England and Wales.
Please check the latest official guidance before moving animals, particularly when buying stock from Scotland or sending livestock across the border, as the disease situation and movement requirements may change.