More than half of all farms in York and North Yorkshire aren’t making a sustainable profit. That finding, revealed in ‘review of the state of farming finance and challenges face’, is our starting point for a national conversation about how our region can lead the way to a brighter future for our farmers.
This report, which we launched at the Great Yorkshire Show earlier this month, outlined the scale of the challenges faced by those who feed us, steward our land, and support our rural communities.
But how did we get here, and why is this study so vital? The process began at an emergency roundtable in November 2024, where Grow Yorkshire partners voiced concerns about the future of food and farming. Hearing these concerns directly, Mayor David Skaith commissioned the Farm Study. Through partnership working, we aimed to ensure that the Farm Study was representative of the industry and was not just another public-sector paper that ultimately sat on the shelf gathering dust.
As the Grow Yorkshire Partnership Officer, I oversaw the delivery of this study. Growing up on an organic dairy farm, I knew this study couldn’t just be about spreadsheets. It needed to capture the mood around the farmhouse kitchen table, the views from the milking parlour and tractor cab. Having spent my youth walking cows to milking and rounding up sheep in a bone-shaking jeep, I understood how distant policy desks can feel from the farmgate. We appointed Strutt and Parker, experts in our region’s farming sector, to conduct the analysis. A dedicated steering group, including membership from the NFU, CLA, and Yorkshire Agricultural Society, ensured the study was representative and reflected farmer’s lived experience.
Crucially, a farm survey allowed us to hear directly from more than 100 farmers, revealing not just financial pressures but also the mental and physical health impacts on our farming community. Through five in-depth farm case studies, including a positive example from McCain Foods on supporting regenerative practices, we gained clear, real-world insights into the issues faced and the support needed.
Throughout, the Mayor emphasised the need for independent analysis. This was crucial to ensuring the study represented the sector and was able to be frank about the challenges faced. Once the study was complete, the project team from Strutt and Parker briefed the mayor, and senior officers from the Combined Authority.
This report is not where we end, it’s our starting point. While the challenges are big, it also highlights major opportunities for our farms to transition to more efficient and productive approaches. This will require not just financial support, but also cultural changes – encouraging innovative and proactive approaches. For many Grow Yorkshire partners, these findings reinforce what they already knew – now, it’s about what we do next. We are committed to working hand-in-hand with these partners to deliver targeted support for farmers.
You can read the review of the state of farming finance and challenges faced in full here
This blog was written by George Richmond, Grow Yorkshire Partnership Officer.