< p> This article examines how extreme weather in Somerset—drought followed by winter flooding—is affecting dairy farming. Mark Humphrey’s experience serves as a case study.
It also highlights broader impacts across the county and the costs of feed and land. The article discusses resilience efforts led by the Environment Agency in response to climate-driven risk.
Economic impact on a Somerset dairy farm
Mark Humphrey’s farm loss illustrates the financial strain on dairy operations when forage fails and inputs rise. He reports losing about 30–38 acres of grass and foresees no profit this year after last summer’s drought and the winter floods.
Two of his fields have produced no yield since October 2023, forcing the farm to source an additional £30,000 worth of feed to sustain 650 cows. Across Somerset, other farms are in similar situations, with some already purchasing silage or reducing stock numbers to cope with the crunch.
Weather patterns are shifting in ways that raise risk for agricultural viability. Farmers are shifting operations to adapt—renting extra land to grow feed and reconfiguring herd management to weather prolonged dry spells and sudden deluges.
For many, these changes push costs higher and profits lower. This creates a fragile economic environment for dairy production in the region.
Increases in weather-driven risk
Climate variability is not a single event but a set of distinct, unpredictable episodes that challenge farming systems. The combination of drought and flooding stretches feed reserves and tightens margins.
Shifting weather patterns and farm adaptation
The Somerset experience reflects broader shifts in rainfall intensity, distribution, and timing. Farmers report more concentrated rainfall and longer winters, which complicate planning for ground cover, grazing, and silage production.
The ability to rent extra land for feed production is becoming a common coping mechanism, but it adds to operating costs and logistical complexity. In response, many farms are adopting adaptive strategies: improving forage storage, investing in silage capacity, and adjusting stocking densities to align with feed availability.
While these measures can cushion some losses, they also test the financial resilience of family farms and cooperatives across the region.
Practical adaptation strategies for dairy operations
- secure additional forage supply through contract farming or short-term leases of arable land
- invest in silage and preserved forage to bridge drought periods
- adjust herd size and stocking rates to match feed inputs and cost structures
- diversify feeds and consider alternative forages to reduce reliance on a single crop
- implement water management and soil conservation practices to protect pasture resilience
Flood risk management and resilience investments
February rainfall in Somerset was about 200% above normal, prompting the Environment Agency to install extra pumps on the Somerset Levels and Moors. Jim Flory, the Agency’s environment manager, notes that climate change makes each weather event unique in intensity, timing, and location, which complicates response efforts.
Storm Chandra delivered a peak of around 1.2 million tonnes of water per hour down the Rivers Parrett and Tone, illustrating the scale of extreme flows that communities must contend with. The Environment Agency emphasizes ongoing community engagement to improve responses to such events.
Since the 2014 floods, the Agency has invested £250 million in flood infrastructure, helping protect more than 18,860 properties during the most recent surge. This investment underscores a long-term commitment to building resilience against a changing climate and reducing the social and economic costs of flooding.
Implications for future planning and policy
These measures highlight the need for integrated risk management that couples physical infrastructure with proactive community planning. Enhanced monitoring, predictive modelling, and rapid response capabilities are essential to minimize disruption to farming and local economies when extreme weather strikes again.
Takeaways for farmers and policymakers
To translate these observations into action, the following points are crucial:
- Strengthen forage security by diversifying feed sources, securing land leases, and expanding silage capacity.
- Invest in risk analytics to forecast forage shortages and plan stocking strategies ahead of droughts and floods.
- Enhance flood defenses and ensure rapid deployment of pumping capacity in high-risk basins.
- Support community-led resilience through timely communication, shared resources, and insurance innovations tailored to rural agriculture.
- Policy alignment between climate adaptation funding, farming subsidies, and land-use planning to reduce long-term vulnerability.
As Somerset and similar landscapes face a future of more intense and erratic weather, the experiences of farmers like Mark Humphrey underscore the need for coordinated adaptation.
This requires combining practical on-farm tactics with robust public infrastructure and supportive policy frameworks.
Here is the source article for this story: Somerset farmer to make ‘no money’ in 2026 due to extreme weather