I asked Allerton Head of Sustainable Farming, Joe Stanley, how the project's going to make up what is a substantial shortfall.

Well, we're in the same boat as everybody else.

We're aware that there was a comment on some of the initial DEFRA comms saying that they would look at people who'd had technical issues.

But I mean, I think, let's be honest, there's going to be thousands of them.

And I think the budget has been allocated.

So exactly what's going to happen there, I don't know.

There's also been a little bit of noise around potentially bringing forward the SFI 27 application window.

You've also, Joe, described this as a wake up call for the government.

Like from your position, is there any advice that you can give our listeners, our members personally? of how to tackle a business plan or just a plan for the season of keeping that and, you know, things that are outside of their control in God's hands.

Yes.

So, look, I mean, this is absolutely, you know, resilience, building resilience into our farming businesses is absolutely something that every single farm, you know, whatever the sector we're operating in is already no doubt doing.

But we are really going to have to step up to this in the coming years.

You know, for me as a farmer, it really became clear to me in hindsight from 2018, that's when the climate really started to shift, you know, noticeably.

And really every season since 2018 onwards has been extreme to one extent or another.

And I could reel off a load of facts about the extremes that we've had in the last eight years and the impact on farm economics, but we all know, we've all been feeling it.

Joe how do you think this summer has has gone you know on farm you know we we've mentioned lots of those those issues and what do you think really needs to change ideally as soon as possible? I

These farms aren't even breaking even, are they?

they?Yeah, it's a really interesting piece of work that, that's been, uh, commissioned by Nestle, uh, Louise, and, and the modeling that you're referring to, you know, we're talking about three arable farms, uh, you know, sort of 600 hectare arable farms, uh, in the East of England on different soil types.

Um, as you say, look, the, the, what, what this, this report kind of, um, demonstrates is that when we're moving beyond those kind of fundamental, oh, what, what is regen ag? And oh, will regen ag help to, you know, build soil health and resilience over the longer term? If we then actually look what that looks like from a farm business economics point of view, um, you know, and I think this is where we're, we're often lacking as a sector, isn't it? That we're actually able to, to point to, to data, to actually, um, say, "Well, what does this mean for my business?" Then as you say, Louise, um, yeah, what, what this report does demonstrate is that on both a, a, you know, on a loam farm, on a sand farm, on a clay farm, in this pro- predominantly arable setting, yes, there is a reduction in, in farm business profitability from pure farming operations over the five-year transition period, um, that we are modeling.

And what that's obviously demonstrating is, as you say, is that, you know, ultimately, um, you know, there is a funding gap there.

And on pure farming terms, where are those farm businesses that are responding to, you know, government and to market conditions, where are those businesses gonna find the money to plug that reduction in profitability over that transitional period?

Does it really change at the end of year five? Do we, do we know any more about that?

Let's, let's step back a second.

What, what does this transition look like? Now, what, what we've modeled is a relatively modest regenerative transition.

Do they have a

case? Well, you can't steal content.

Remember, this is a big issue, though, about unregulation of...

You know, they've had issue with books and newspapers and voices and everything.

And it's difficult to prove that that's where they're getting it from.

Because... you know, their videos are available.

Yeah, right.

What's your other story, Joe?