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Unfortunately the news out of Ukraine isn’t getting much better. Heavy fighting continues in the East with government jets shooting rebel targets and the inevitable civilian casualties and retaliation such as this weekends shooting down of a military transport plane killing all 49 on board. Despite many politicians avoiding the term it is for all intents and purposes a war which is steadily piling up body bags with military personnel and civilians... 

I’ve just recently returned from a family holiday to Mallorca, whilst out there I thought it would be interesting to take photos from various aspects of farming including the main products – olives, almonds, potatoes, oranges and lemons.  All these photo’s have been taken with the camera on my phone.               There are no natural rivers on the island only those from the mountains caused by rainfall. Coconuts aren’t... 

While a full on war hasn’t quite broken out the situation in eastern Ukraine continues to teeter on the brink of something tense but no one seems quite sure what. Various official buildings and offices are being taken over by pro-Russian, pro-separatist groups who rally around a single issue agenda of self-rule and have a general distrust of the interim Government in Kiev. Shots have been fired with several deaths reported, journalists have been... 

A lot has happened since I last sent a blog in to Farmers Review and some of it actually about farming but first I’ll start with the geo-political stuff. Over the course of a couple of weeks Ukraine went from having a functioning if not deeply corrupt administration to the government ordering the devastating use of live ammunition in Kiev to the President fleeing the country and a new interim government issuing a warrant for his arrest. Russia thought... 

I am sitting in my office glued to the images and tweets trying to decide at what point I should load the family up in to the car and head for the Polish border. The revolution in Ukraine has been going on since November but events escalated this morning with up to 30 confirmed deaths and that number creeping upwards.  Protestors and police are being shot at and people are being killed. Earlier this week various government offices and police stations... 

Today, 7th January, is Christmas Day in Ukraine, Happy Christmas Ukraine. According to tradition, this evening people will tuck in to a 12 course vegetarian supper started as the first stars appear in the sky. Carol singers, Christmas trees and decorations, street entertainers, mulled wine and sausages all make the town centre a very festive and fun place to be at the moment the only thing missing is snow. We have no snow!  It is like spring at the... 

“What do you want to do today kids, swimming, play park or join the revolution?” Not the normal Saturday morning family breakfast time negotiation but it is what I found myself saying last weekend. Ukraine hit the headlines this week as a demonstration turned in to civil unrest and then an attempt to replace the government. The spark was an abrupt about face by the Ukrainian government signing an EU Association Agreement that would have paved... 

A cold and wet start to October brought wheat planting to a dead stop and nothing moved for the first ten days of the month. The news reports went in to doom mongering mode with stories of a catastrophic harvest, food shortages and empty shelves, the minister of agriculture called farmers to arms with rallying calls that all tractors, planters and peasants should be pressed in to action in scenes reminiscent of the soviet days. Then the weather changed. ... 

Autumn has arrived and the central heating has been turned on; central as in it is produced somewhere central to the city and is piped to all apartments. It is now ON regardless of the temperature outside and with no ability to adjust it or switch it off so apartments and other buildings become super-heated for the next six to seven months. Having said that it is a bit chilly here at the moment with the first morning frosts starting to appear but... 

It was good to see Ukraine in the news for all the right reasons this week as they hosted England for the world cup qualifier in Kiev. I was lucky enough to acquire some tickets and enjoyed a fantastic game that was only marred by some mediocre football. The season has changed with the end of the long hot summer marked by cooler “coat and jumper” autumn temperatures.  Time to dig out the fleece. Wheat harvest is complete with official figures... 

When I was approached by Farmers Review to write a regular blog post from Ukraine and Russia for their excellent website, with my tongue planted firmly in cheek I suggested we called it “Know Your Enemy”. Then I started to give it some thought and thought actually that’s not a bad idea. Except not the enemy bit, but to know about what goes on in one of the largest grain producing and exporting regions in the world from someone who was there. “Know...