Conservation… The impact of upland farming – Part 3a: A short walk upon Bodmin Moor. 01/03/201701/03/2017 Yesterday, in a spirit of inquiry, I set off early to Camelford and then to the north side of Bodmin Moor. My aim was to walk up to the top…
Conservation… The impact of upland farming – Part 3 of 4: Ecology of the uplands in transition. 14/02/201705/03/2018 In his book Feral [1], George Monbiot outlines his ideas for the environmental transformation of the British uplands - from open sheep grazed pastures to wooded hillsides. He argues that this will…
Environment… The impact of upland farming: Part 2 of 4 – The invisible strands of culture. 06/02/201710/02/2017 Culture is usually defined in terms of a higher understanding of the arts and other intellectual achievements - anything from opera at Glyndebourne to Morris Dancing and the Helston Floral…
Economic forecasts… The impact of upland farming. Part 1 of 4 – economics. 02/02/201709/02/2017 Upland farming has come under attack recently from a number of sources. Criticism is often levelled at hill farmers because they require large public subsidies to keep them going. Grumbling…
Environment… Flooding, maize and undersowing. 28/11/2016 It has been raining a lot throughout England and Wales just recently. According to the map below (H/T Phil Latham) parts of Devon, Dorset and throughout the Midlands, there has…
Common Agricultural Policy… Where is the Soil Association going with all this? An open letter to Helen Browning. 23/11/2016 [As an explanatory note: Helen Browning OBE is Chief Executive of the Soil Association.] Dear Helen, A few days ago, the Soil Association tweeted a message about the advantages of…
Balance of Trade… Farmers, Risk and Brexit – Part 3 (Tariff barriers and who loses) 08/04/201608/04/2016 The analyses in Part 1 and 2 of this series looked at the total tonnage of livestock products and dairy that was traded with both the EU and Non-EU countries.…
Balance of Trade… Farmers, Risk and Brexit – Part 2 (Dairy) 06/04/201606/04/2016 In many ways, the dairy industry is the jewel in the crown of UK agriculture. Traditionally, the dairy farm, often at the heart of the village, is seen as the…
Brexit… Post Brexit: Will there be more turds on the beach? 25/03/2016 One Saturday morning, when I was about five years old, my father took me into work to see the jetty they were building on the banks of the River Thames…
Balance of Trade… Farmers, Risk and Brexit – Part 1. 19/03/201604/04/2016 Project Fear has now worked its way around to frightening farmers about the possible consequences of Brexit. The chief weapon in their arsenal is the idea that the EU, or…
