Three lessons from a relentless summer of heat and drought

This year’s sweltering summer presented challenges for our team as they worked to protect livestock and support ongoing nature recovery. Here are three key takeaways from Will Atkinson, Agri-Environment Consultant to Halnaker Hill Farm.

Deep roots and diversity give us resilience

Across the country, dry, brown and yellow grass has been a common sight in gardens, parks and public spaces. Fortunately, at Halnaker Hill Farm, we have 24 different species of grass and wildflower. Some are more drought-resistant than others, and while some of the shallower-rooting species have struggled this year, they are all still alive because they are shaded by the deeper-rooting plants. Having a diverse sward and grassland structure at our farm provides greater resilience during drought conditions.

Deep-rooting plants such as wild carrot, plantains and clovers have fared well despite the heat, and continued to provide forage for our sheep and cattle. The land will bounce back – while some areas look singed and brown on the surface, the lower leaves still contain some green. They have been effectively sitting and waiting for an energy boost when the rain arrives.

Water and shade have been our biggest challenges

Providing sufficient water for our thirsty herd has been one of our biggest challenges, alongside ensuring livestock have access to shade where mature hedgerows have not yet established.

Cattle drink significantly more water during periods of extreme heat. They would normally average around 40 litres per day, but in hot weather that can double.

We have been able to draw water from our borehole, but we have also relied on bowsers, which have needed filling more frequently because of the heat. We have also had to water young trees and hedges to ensure they survive. All of this is labour-intensive and adds operational costs.

To provide adequate shade, during the heatwaves we prioritised paddocks with shelter for grazing during periods when temperatures soared. This meant we were unable to graze some of the more exposed paddocks in the centre of the site, where hedgerows are not yet mature enough to provide shade, and we could only begin grazing these areas again once temperatures became cooler.

In future years, managing livestock in hot weather should become easier as the hedgerows mature and provide more natural shelter across the farm.

Extremes of weather are the new normal

Against a backdrop of global climate change, the long, hot summer of 2026 is unlikely to be a one-off. The pattern is clear – let’s not forget that spring 2025 was previously the warmest and sunniest on record, and four heatwaves were declared during the summer that year.

We expect extremes of weather to become the new normal and, with a commitment to leaving a long-lasting legacy and to managing purchased BNG units for at least 30 years, we will need to continue adapting how we manage the land.

To help prepare for future conditions, we are installing a water main to provide more permanent infrastructure. This will benefit the farm throughout the year, but its value will be felt most during periods of drought. The project was always part of our long-term plans rather than a response to this year's conditions, but the summer has reinforced the importance of that investment.

You can find out more about how our team continually adapts to changing conditions in our Learning from the Land blog.