Good morning. Tuesday was National Cheese Day, and we celebrated by indulging in cheddar cheese on crumpets! Although the exact origins are somewhat cheesy (pun intended!), it likely stems from several factors. June is an ideal month for dairy production, and cheese has a long and rich history that deserves its own day of recognition. Did you celebrate National Cheese Day? Share your experience with us! Let us know what you did—we’d love to hear about it. Email us or message us on social media with your cheesy stories and photos!

In todays email:

• Oxbury strikes £100m deal: The deal will boost Oxbury's agricultural lending.

• Risk for GPS-dependent farmers: Solar storms disrupted GPS early May in U.S.

• Arla milk prices: Arla has confirmed its on-account price for conventional milk will increase by 0.44ppl for June 2024.

Agriculture lender Oxbury strikes £100m deal

Oxbury Bank will soon announce a new £100m loan guarantee from the British Business Bank, doubling its previous guarantee. This deal, which includes reduced pricing for loans meeting ESG criteria, will boost Oxbury's agricultural lending. Oxbury, founded in 2021 and based in Chester, has raised over £120m and is among the fastest British fintechs to achieve profitability. Further equity-raising is expected. Oxbury and the BBB declined to comment.

The original £100m loan guarantee was one of the first approved under the BBB's ENABLE programme, providing immediate capital benefits to Oxbury. The bank claims to be the first in the UK focused exclusively on farmers since the Agricultural Mortgage Corporation's founding in 1928.

Solar storms pose a potentially costly risk for GPS-dependent agriculture.

In early May, solar storms disrupted GPS networks during a critical planting period in the Midwest, leading to significant revenue losses for farmers, according to Kansas State University professor Terry Griffin. Some farmers faced intermittent problems, while others experienced complete tractor shutdowns, impacting their ability to plant on time.

The financial impact varied based on the length of delays and the size of planting equipment. Delays in planting corn and soybeans, which rely heavily on GPS for navigation and automated tasks, resulted in lower yields and reduced revenue. GPS is widely used in U.S. agriculture, with applications ranging from tractor guidance to yield mapping. Future solutions aim to reduce reliance on GPS by incorporating machine vision and AI.

🍯 Buz-Worthy

Grant offer for Farming Equipment and Technology Fund 2024.

Thieves steal 11 goats in Hertfordshire.

Cattle farmer fears herd sell-off after winter flooding.

Support tools available to help deal with lame sheep.

Farmworkers face high-risk exposures to bird flu.

UK Dairy Day is scheduled for Wednesday, 11th September 2024.

🎥 Creators on Farm

Olly Harrison makes the biggest bread in the world.

Adam Henson signs his new book Curious Questions from Adam’s Farm at the HayFestival.

Farmer Phil fixes his Massey Ferguson 3690.

Discover Agriculture talk modern agriculture technologies.

🛒 Under 1k

4 Row Pinpoint Seeder The lightweight yet sturdy galvanised metal Pinpoint Seeder, with a 30 cm width.

Winton PTO Spreader WFS250 Accurately and efficiently spreads seed, fertilizer, grit or salt.

Muck Boots Non Safety Wellingtons Functional and comfortable quality boot.

MaxBlast ATV Sprayer 100L 12 Volt Spot Sprayer The Maxblast ATV Sprayer is a powerful and portable device designed for agricultural and gardening applications.

🧀 Farm to Fork

Mona Dairy closes 25,000 sq ft cheese factory.

Arla milk prices going up.

What did you do on World Milk Day.

Lab-grown meat became part of America’s culture wars.

Arla Foods and Mondelēz International launch Milka chocolate milk.

Your feedback is important to us. Please email us to share your thoughts or any suggestions you may have.

Thank you for reading and please take moment to share and follow us on social media.

If you haven’t already, consider subscribing below.