I suspect you listen to the Food show ? on R4 ?
There was a really interesting program a few weeks ago and one smallholder talked of how he took on his fathers farm. When his father owned it, he took the route, as many do, of applying pesticides, fertilisers etc etc to increase yield, it seemed you had to to keep up with everyone else.
One local farmer known to his father took the route of lower yields, less intensive farming, less or no fertilisers etc, did his own thing but still made a living. His father was truly shocked when an agromomist ? took samples of the farms soils in the area...and the best soil by far was on the farm where no or little fertiliser was used.
I buy my potatoes from a smallholder, he only generally grows potatoes and some grain, wheat or sililar. He sells direct to the public, has done for 10 years, makes a good living. His potatoes go for around £4 per 10 Kg...if he sold to the marketing board, he gets an awful awful lot less.
He doesnt irrigate...it swells the crop, better yield, poorer potatoes for the customer. Its finding a niche for some farmers it seems, he has found his and loves it.
I haven't listened.
But yes a familiar story.
Might be someone I know..
I was roundly ridiculed at Ag college for suggesting such notions, as much less or no chemical input, but lots of soil care and organic matter. .
Twasnt the 'modern' way.
But now my soil is like brown sugar, and I'm making a modest but livable living.
It's hard to go against the grain (pun intended or not your choice) of what others are doing.
There's a bit of a rethink going on not just here but majorly in Europe too..
It's an interesting time to be involved in agricultural politics / food activism.
Unless farmers at all scales are supported - somehow - not nailed to the floor on price by supermarket and commodity buyers - whilst also being demonised for 'despoiling' the countryside this unbalanced situation will continue.
Brexit will likely make all this worse - a lot of farmers are living on their area (EU) payments, whilst barely breaking even on the grain or milk or other commodity they may be producing - they won't let on about that though ( see above)
Once that support is removed we will be likely get consolidation of landholdings to make even larger farms to compete (if they can) with lower production standard imports from outside the EU - with a few smaller scaled agroecological type of farms - supported by people who care about how, and by whom their food is produced.
Unless some kind of 'good farming' support and market protection is put in place.
I have a friend here who ran a farm for Riverford Foods. They set up here so products would be ready about 3 weeks earlier than the UK.
She has now retired and the farm is being sold.
I asked the owner of Riverford why they were selling the farm? His response was because of Brexit. My friend said he was 'incandescent' about it.
Real shame she's retired as we had a ready supply of really nice veg.
In the summer their work force would increase by 40. Mostly east Europeans but some French.
As I said earlier, farming wouldn't be something I'd want to do just glad someone does.
[/QUOTE]
I think something weird happened with your quoting of me
@oldworld
That'll learn me to write essays
But yes Brexit, has b@ggered a lot of things up for a lot of people, farmers included.
Ironically my business will probs stay the same, or even thrive.
But I'm still very annoyed on others behalf.
