On Monday I went to the Linking Environment and Farming President’s conference in the headquarters of HSBC in Canary Wharf. I have a lot of time for LEAF, although there were a few moments on Monday when I thought I might have stumbled into an NFU conference instead of a LEAF one. How long should…
Category: FARMING
Your money, not theirs
Farmers Weekly has a poll on its website (a website not usually visited by huge numbers of non-farmers) about whether it is right to transfer money that goes to farming from subsidies to green schemes. The answer has to be ‘yes’ because subsidies represent untargetted income support to rich and poor farmers, good and bad…
A length of hedge
I have been exploring the area around Edinburgh. I’ve seen Velvet Scoter and Long-tailed Ducks (neither is a species I see often), and came across 110 Whooper Swans in a field, saw a Peregrine at Aberlady Bay and have seen a variety of waders (although no Purple Sandpipers so far), but the thing that I’ll…
And so we say farewell…
…to Peter Kendall, the President of the National Farmers’ Union, who has decided not to seek re-election next February. Farmers Weekly quotes Kendall as saying he isn’t looking for a career in politics – so I expect that’s where he’s heading. Peter Kendall has been a very popular NFU leader amongst farmers – he has…
An open letter to the new Defra Ministers
To George Eustice and Dan Rogerson. Dear Ministers Congratulations on your new ministerial appointments. You have an unpredictable time, but no more than 568 days (less holidays, the run up to the General Election, time off sick and being moved on or sacked) to make a difference. Given the uncertainties of Ministerial tenure you can’t…
Nicholas Watts wins Nature of Farming award.
Congratulations to Nicholas Watts of Vine House Farm who is this year’s winner of the Nature of Farming award. Vine House Farm is pleased, the RSPB is pleased, Butterfly Conservation is pleased and I am very pleased for Nicholas. Nicholas was at the Bird Fair, as he always is, and I had a chat with…
British farming is failing
This week is Red Tractor Week – the red tractor logo belongs in a museum! The Red Tractor logo promises that it is ‘the symbol for quality food that you can trust‘. Despite Alex James and Adam Henson wanting us to ‘buy’ the tractor logo I’m afraid I don’t. I had a look at the…
NFU failed to get it up!
I don’t quite know how I missed this much earlier in the year but it’s never too late to point out the failures of the NFU (and their friends the CLA) in this, red tractor logo week (for more on red tractors come back tomorrow). In return for not having any regulatory requirements imposed…
NoFA Nick?
This is just a reminder to vote in the annual RSPB/Butterfly Conservation/Plantlife/Daily Telegraph Nature of Farming Award poll. You, we, get the chance to choose who we think is the UK’s most wildlife-friendly farmer. This year there are eight finalists and they all look good. You have to choose and cast your vote by…
Big in his field
I’ve had a couple of fairly long drives through the countryside in the last week. There are some quite good-looking crops in these parts – unfortunately some of them are crops of black grass. Considering the awful autumn, wet winter and soggy spring it’s surprising that some of the fields are looking so good. Many…