Time to put your hand up

Figures released by DairyCo yesterday revealed that the number of dairy farmers in England & Wales has fallen again, down to 10,488, a loss of 200 producers over the last twelve months. Last week permission was granted for a 1,000 cow dairy to be erected at Leighton, near Welshpool in Powys, despite concerns about the…

Time to put your hand up

Figures released by DairyCo yesterday revealed that the number of dairy farmers in England & Wales has fallen again, down to 10,488, a loss of 200 producers over the last twelve months. Last week permission was granted for a 1,000 cow dairy to be erected at Leighton, near Welshpool in Powys, despite concerns about the…

Wells Food Festival

I am looking forward to taking part in the Great Dairy Debate at next the Wells Food Festival next weekend (Sunday 20th October). I have been invited to join a panel chaired by food journalist Joanna Blythman. Others on the panel include Stephen Hook (The Moo Man), David Cotton (ex RABDF chairman), with local celebrity…

Food price inflation

Chief Executive of Tesco, Philip Clarke, indicated in an interview in The Observer that food price inflation is inevitable. “Over the long run I think food prices and the proportion of income spent on food may well be going up,” he said. “Because of growing demand it is going to change. It is the basic…

Our Open Farm Sunday

  Thank you to all who came to visit Walk Farm on Open Farm Sunday. We had a wonderful day and really enjoyed showing everyone around the farm in the sunshine. We laid on tractor and trailer rides, sheep shearing and collection of animals for people to see – piglets, lambs, goats and chickens, as…

Pasture Promise Meetings

Next week I am holding the first in a series of three meetings to bring together Free Range Dairy farmers who have made the Pasture Promise, with two further meetings planned in the Midlands and South West England, where we have the biggest numbers of farmers signed up. I am keen to establish regional groups…

Make time for grass

I have to admit getting this grassland management thing right is quiet hard work. I had a few days off last weekend and spent the whole time worrying about how far the electric fence was being moved each day and which field the cows were in. Just yesterday I made a really important decision and…

Party for the Animals

Whilst visiting Amsterdam with some friends last weekend I came across a crowd of people carrying some interesting placards with images of cows and other farm animals. It turned out that the people taking part were protesting against the growth of intensive livestock farming in The Netherlands and were members of Partij voor De Dieren…