Author · Tim Harfield

By Tim Harfield.

Tim Harfield is a working British farmer in Suffolk with 21 years in UK commercial agriculture — primarily salad and veg, with arable added to the rotation in the last two years. Full stack from hand-harvest to running the whole operation. He founded BritFarmers as an independent publication alongside his day job, sourcing every guide from DEFRA, AHDB and NFU primary material.

  1. Industry

    UK Farm Insurance 2026: A Working Farmer’s Guide

    A working policyholder's guide to UK farm insurance in 2026 - major insurers, cover types, premium drivers and the exclusions that catch people.

    13 min
  2. Grants

    Farm payments reform UK: what working farmers need next

    Farm payments reform UK: what working farms need next from SFI26 and future schemes — earlier rules, stable terms and realistic rates.

    13 min
  3. Industry

    UK Farm Tenancies 2026: A Working Tenant Farmer’s Guide to FBTs, AHA Holdings, Rent Reviews and What to Negotiate

    Working tenant farmer’s 2026 guide to Farm Business Tenancies and AHA holdings — rent reviews, succession, notice, fixed equipment, SFI rules.

    16 min
  4. Farming Grants

    SFI for vegetable growers: what actually fits in 2026

    SFI for vegetable growers in 2026: soil, IPM, nutrient and wildlife actions that fit small horticulture holdings, plus traps to avoid.

    15 min
  5. Arable

    UK Cover Crops and Catch Crops 2026

    SFI CSAM2 rates, species mixes, drilling and termination, and the salad/veg vs arable economics of UK cover and catch crops in 2026.

    13 min
  6. Industry

    What it actually costs to grow polytunnel salad in the UK — real numbers from 21 years in Suffolk

    What polytunnel salad actually costs to grow in the UK — setup, yields, channels and margins from 21 years on a Suffolk holding. No glossy figures.

    16 min
  7. Industry

    UK Hedgerow and Field Boundary Management 2026

    This guide pulls together the SFI 2026 hedgerow actions, the Hedgerows Regulations 1997, the bird-nesting closed period, cutting cycles for biodiversity,.

    11 min
  8. Industry

    Countryside Stewardship 2026: a working farmer’s guide

    Deadline planning: Use the UK farming grants deadline calendar 2026 for Higher Tier Capital Grants timing, SFI26 windows and other grant dates.

    8 min
  9. Arable

    UK Soil Health 2026: A Working Farmer’s Guide

    Where UK soil health sits in 2026 — Defra indicators, SFI soil actions, RB209, peat, organic matter, and the testing a working farm actually does.

    24 min
  10. Industry

    UK Farm Diversification 2026: A Working Farmer’s Guide

    What UK farm diversification looks like in 2026 — shops, glamping, events, contracting, energy. Honest economics from a working Suffolk holding.

    19 min