First Fen Farming Blog

17.03.2026

As many of you might know Fen farming started as a youtube channel back in 2021, and I have now created this website where you can purchase merchandise, and keep up to date with what I have been doing in between youtube videos.

For those of you who are new here this first blog will be an introduction into Fen Farming! So lets start with some introductions!

Rob with Spud

I am Rob a 27 year old fourth generation farmer in Cambridgeshire. When trying to choose a photo to introduce myself I couldn't have one without our border collie Spud! Spud is a very energetic collie who loves his routine and coming to work with me, but also loves a lazy day with his mum every now and then. I am passionate about farming and created my youtube channel with the aim to show the real highs and lows of farming. I work alongside my dad farming 450 acres and am supported by my fiancé Elizabeth, who along with having a fulltime career will be creating the Fen farming merchandise which can be purchased on the website. We are also expecting our first child in the next few weeks so life on the farm is about to become even busier!

tractor with a lemken drill. drilling spring crops

Tasks on the farm

Farming is a lot more than just planting seeds and harvesting them. There is a lot of work that goes into preparing the land even before a seed can be put into the ground. The ground needs to be maintained and due to the nature of the weather in the UK if the tile drains and dykes are not maintained this can lead to water laying on the fields which will then mean the crops cannot grow. The ground also needs to have the right fertiliser and to be prepped which may be that it needs to be ploughed or cultivated. Once the crops are in the ground there are then ongoing challenges that need to be maintained. Some of these we can try to manage, for example if the crops need additional feed we can spray the fields if the weather allows, however some challenges are out of our control. For example, we often experience hare courses who drive onto our drilled fields whilst they are growing, which damages the crops. Unfortunately we are limited in how to manage this as the droves are public right of way so cannot be blocked and the vehicles are usually stolen and therefore cannot be tracked by the police.

Not only does the work need to be done in the fields but machinery needs to be maintained and fixed when it breaks. As a farmer you also have to know your machinery and be able to adapt when it breaks or needs adjusting. We need to be able to adapt when situation changes, whether that be due to machines needing to be fixed/ adjusted or if the weather changes. This often means that tasks may be delayed by a few days and may need to be completed when they can which could be late into the night or the weekend. Farming is definitly not a Monday to Friday 9 - 5 job as we often work long hours any day of the week, but this definitly suits me better than being in an office!!

Farming is challenging with many different aspects that we have no control over, however it can be incredibly rewarding. I aim to highlight both the positives and the negatives of farming and help to explain where our food comes from.

So if you fancy learning more about arable farming and see what I get up to, you can head over to the Fen Farming youtube channel and keep updated here on the blog!!