Finding opportunity in times of change

In the latest episode of Farming Focus™, host Peter Green is joined by Dr Louise Manning, author of the 2026 Oxford Farming Conference report UK Farming: Grasping the Opportunities, and Devon farmer and entrepreneur Andy Gray. Together they explore what opportunity really looks like for South West farmers and why mindset could prove just as important as markets. 

Building a farming business with purpose

Rather than focusing on the many challenges facing agriculture, Dr Manning believes farmers should concentrate on what they can influence within their own businesses.

“If we want robust, resilient businesses in 2030, 40, 50, then we have to really come back to our mission and what we want to achieve.”

She encouraged every farming family to step back and ask four practical questions.

What do we want to achieve?
What should we keep doing?
What should we stop doing?
What can we do instead?
These conversations are not always easy, particularly where long-established enterprises are concerned. But Louise explained building a resilient business sometimes means making difficult decisions today to secure opportunities for the future. 

Seeing opportunity through change

For Andy Gray, whose businesses span food production, diversification and agricultural research, change is inevitable. The challenge is learning to see it as a source of opportunity rather than something to fear.

“Change is not only bad, change is also good. Change is an opportunity. Don't take it personally. Look for the gaps.”

Andy thinks the South West has many natural strengths, from its maritime climate to its strong tourism market, but argues farmers also need the freedom to innovate. Throughout the discussion he returned to the importance of remaining nimble, regularly reassessing enterprises and understanding where future markets may develop. 

Becoming an investable business

One of the strongest themes throughout the discussion is the idea of creating an ‘investable’ farming business.

For Louise, investability extends far beyond securing finance. It asks whether future generations will want to build their lives within the business, whether talented staff will commit their careers to it and whether the wider community values what the farm contributes.

“If you can't demonstrate that what you are trying to do is an investable product, why would the banks invest in you?” she asked.

Thinking this way encourages farmers to consider long-term resilience alongside profitability, succession, climate adaptation and business purpose. 

Looking ahead with cautious optimism

While neither guest underestimated the challenges facing agriculture, both finished on an optimistic note. Louise believes adaptation will define successful farming businesses over the coming decades, while Andy sees technology, innovation and the resilience of farming communities creating fresh opportunities.

Episode showstoppers 

1.      Take a bottom-up approach and focus on what you can influence and do for yourself to change your business. Don’t rely on what’s being done to you

2.      How is your business going to be attractive to others – whether that is staff, family, the next generation or the local community? See also How storytelling builds industry resilience and Talking about animal welfare

3.      Change isn’t always a bad thing; try to see it as an opportunity. 

Listen to the full episode below - also available via Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

About our guests

Dr Louise Manning runs a strategic consultancy business and is a director of her family farming business in Herefordshire. In 2025 she was commissioned to write the report, UK Farming: Grasping the Opportunities, published at the 2026 Oxford Farming Conference.

Andy Gray is a farmer, meat processor and entrepreneur based in Devon. Alongside his meat business, he has a dog food business and a quarry and is actively involved in regenerative agriculture. His most recent venture is a new research institute, the Centre for Dynamic Soils.