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Farm safety focus
Presenters Bizza Walters and Luke Cox are back for episode four, which puts a spotlight on farm safety as we speak to two farmers who tell us about their near misses on farm, their recovery process after suffering severe injuries, and their message to fellow farmers.
“People think that having an accident only affects you but it's everyone around you that it affects too – it's the mental pressure it puts on your family and in the workplace around you that people don't realise,” says Callum Lindsay, reflecting on his recovery from an ATV accident which occurred on his farm on a remote Scottish island.
Oxfordshire farmer Ed Caudell, also describes how a “split second” accident with an angle grinder nearly cost him his life, and the vital lessons it taught him about training, preparation and risk awareness. “As an industry moving forward, as a community, and as a team, we have a real chance to make farming safer,” Ed tells listeners.
Listen to Ed and Callum's stories in the first segment of our latest episode and don't forget to take our farm safety pledge and tell us one simple step you will take on farm that could save a life.
MP rumblings on the family farm tax
What happened when Labour MPs stood up in Parliament last week to challenge the Treasury on the family farm tax?
NFU External Affairs Managers Neeve McGinty and Scott Pepe analyse which MPs said what, and how the Treasury responded.
“You don't have to be the world's best body language reader to see that some of those Labour MPs found the [Treasury's] answers quite unsatisfactory,” says Scott.
Elsewhere, Neeve swaps Westminster for wellies as the NFU hosted Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle on a dairy farm in the Derbyshire Dales.
And finally, all eyes will be on the Chancellor this month with the much-anticipated Autumn Budget due to be announced on 26 November. Last year's Budget first introduced the family farm tax and this year “we are throwing the kitchen sink at it," explains Neeve as she updates on the NFU's lobbying work and how you can get involved in our latest campaign.
The farming technology of tomorrow
Matt Tilt, editor of Farm Contractor and Large Scale Farmer magazine speaks to us directly from Agritechnica, the world's largest agricultural machinery show, which is taking place this week in Hanover, Germany.
“Just this year I've seen multiple farms setting up vineyards," says Matt. “Twenty, thirty years ago that was seen as a niche thing to do but now it's a popular form of diversification. All this kit we look at during Agritechnia and think 'that'll never end up here', it's surprising how quickly that ends up over the hedge at the next farm and you're looking over thinking that's a cool idea.”
Listen to the latest Shed Talks to hear about the latest machinery trends, innovations and technologies set to influence UK farming.
Hungry for more? Delve into some of the topics covered in the latest Shed Talks
Meet the speakers:
Bizza Walters
NFU Student & Young Farmer Alumni
She farms pedigree Greyface Dartmoor sheep alongside a small flock of commercial Romneys, sharing her love for British farming and rural life on social media.
Luke Cox
NFU combinable crops senior policy adviser
Neeve McGinty
NFU external affairs manager
Neeve joined the NFU in 2021 as a Public Affairs and Communications Graduate working on public facing campaigns and political lobbying. She took up the role of External Affairs Adviser role for the NFU's team in Westminster in 2022, and progressed to her current role in January 2025.
Scott Pepe
NFU external affairs manager
Scott first joined the NFU in 2017. Before that, he worked in Parliament. He worked for the Deputy Chief Whip before going on to run an MP's office. He has also been an adviser to Treasury Ministers and HMRC.
Callum Lindsay
Beef and sheep farmer
Callum has been doing work with the Farm Safety Foundation/Yellow Wellies to raise awareness of ATV safety following an accident in 2023 on his farm where he suffered serious injuries to his head, neck and back.
Ed Caudwell
NFU member
Following university, Ed travelled to New Zealand and Australia. It was while he was on farm in New Zealand in 2019 that he suffered a near-fatal workshop accident involving an angle grinder.
Since his recovery, Ed has completed the Marathon Des Sables in April (250km more than six days in the desert). He raised more than £4,000 for mental health charities.
Matt Tilt
Editor of Farm Contractor and Large Scale Farmer magazine
He brings insight into what UK contractors and farmers should focus on, what is hype versus genuine progress, and what technologies and trends are likely to land in Britain.