'My farmer grandpa wouldn't get his head around this'
BBCA third-generation farmer who is opening a maze to subsidise the cost of producing food says his grandfather "wouldn't be able to get his head around it".
Jeremy Stokes, who farms near Devizes in Wiltshire, said he had been forced to pull away from mainstream agriculture due to rising costs.
The price of red diesel, used to power machinery, has risen by 40% since summer 2025, according to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board.
A spokesperson for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the government was "putting its full weight behind farmers - giving them the funding, tools and opportunities they need to succeed".
Stokes rears livestock at Lowerfields Farm, which is sold at his on-site butchers, as well as growing crops.
He said the current economic landscape was very different from that which his family had experienced over three generations of farming.
"Historically, we would have been looking at trying to invest within the farm by buying more acres, getting more cows.
"Today you're looking out of the box at trying to make more out of what you've got, which sadly seems to be going away from producing food," he said.
He said the increase in the price of red diesel - which has rocketed following the Iran war - had hurt the farm.
But he acknowledged the decision to grow a maize maze was also a "serious risk" - due to the initial cost of setting it up.
Seventeen miles (27km) away near Chippenham, Lodge Farm has reopened a visitor attraction on site after previous success.
Farmers James and Claire said they had dedicated seven acres of their land to growing sunflowers for members of the public to pick and buy.
The farm's main crops are wheat and barley but Claire said the visitor attraction was "critical" to the business.
Speaking about her traditional crops, she said: "Not only is the yield challenging because of the heat but the prices are quite low and the cost of fuel is high."
James said he hoped opening part of the farm to the public would also have another positive impact.
"If people visit, they might understand farming more ... then maybe they'll be a bit more sympathetic for a slow tractor," he said.
The financial pressures on food production come at a time when the government is urging farmers to grow more food to increase UK food security.
NFU Wiltshire county adviser Katie Davies said the county's farmers were resilient but this was being put under "more and more pressure".
"Resilience and food security should be treated as national priorities alongside defence and energy security," she added.
Davies said farmers had spoken to her about difficulties with fuel costs and extreme weather, among other issues, all of which had a "knock-on impact on business confidence".
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