14/08/2024: Organic oilseed rape; Thatched buildings; Dumped waste

Farmers this year are growing less oilseed rape than they have for the last 30 years. That is partly due to the expense of growing it, the dreadful wet weather preventing crops getting established, and the fact that it succumbs to the Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle. A group in Scotland however are growing it organically - so how do they do it?

Thatched buildings are a common sight in many rural areas, but a shortage of seasonal labour, materials and outdated machinery are some of the modern-day challenges facing a thatcher today, according to a report by Historic England which warns that the traditional industry could be at risk.

And campaigners fighting for the clean-up of thousands of tonnes of illegally dumped waste in a Kent woodland are threatening legal action against the Environment Agency.

Presented by Anna Hill
Produced by Alun Beach