Farming Today This Week 11/07/2026 Crops in a mine, hot livestock, agriculture & water report, scallops, school farm visits.

How practical would it be to grow our food underground? It’s a question being investigated by researchers at the University of Shefffield who are growing crops more than a kilometre below ground-level in a working mine near Whitby.

The Environment Agency has produced its first ever annual report into agriculture and water in England. Taking data from the last five years, it assesses the impact of agricultural pollution from farms, and how water availability is being managed. Non-compliance with water regulations has dropped, but 40% of farmers are still breaking the rules.

We’ve been taking a close look at commercial fishing all this week. Ten years on from the Brexit vote leading to the UK leaving the EU, some in the industry say that decision has had a lasting impact on their businesses, and not a good one. We hear from a scallop business in Scotland which says the industry needs more support.

Many of us have been sweltering in the third official heatwave of the summer. For farmers with livestock, there's the continual worry that their animals might be overheating, or not drinking enough water. We speak to a farm vet about the impact heat stress can have on the health of livestock and the fertility of cows.

Many farms have an education string to their bows nowadays but perhaps not quite on the scale of a farm near Kendal that’s been hosting primary school visits for the Westmorland County Agricultural Society for the last 25 years. Hundreds of children from 42 different schools flock to Roger Mason’s farm to learn what producing food is all about.

Presenter = Caz Graham
Producer = Rebecca Rooney