JEJohn Elliot

1. Article · Oct 1, 2026 · John Elliot

   From droughts to frogs: memories of the summer of '76 (opens the original)

   Excerpt · English

   Read excerpt

   'The crisis in water supply was nationwide, but a 70% grant and a little Lister pump transformed five fields which had never had a reliable water supply' No doubt 2026 will be remembered for many things but for farmers the abiding memory has been of the hot dry summer. Many comparisons have been made to the summer of 1976. I am not sure how these statistics are calculated but 1976 has now been relegated to seventh rank in the history of hot dry summers. It was very real at the time and was regar

   Feedback

2. Article · Aug 13, 2026 · John Elliot

   Why keeping a broad gene pool matters for livestock breeders (opens the original)

   Excerpt · English

   Read excerpt

   Last month I judged the Beef Interbreed Championships at the Royal Norfolk Show. There were 12 classes in front of me. As the temperature was in the upper thirties, the challenge to cattle and handlers was extreme. Some of the animals competed in more than one class, so it was necessary to keep my wits about me. The problem when judging interbreed competitions, which is rarely overcome, is that most times the bigger Continental breeds prevail. Even a moderate example of these breeds is bigger, s

   Feedback

Last 90 days. Choose a month to open its work.

Named in the text we hold. One piece can cover several.

• Uncle Joe1 piece
• New Zealand1 piece
• Border Leicester1 piece
• Newton Stewart1 piece
• Red Poll1 piece
• Aberdeen Angus1 piece