In a recent policy document the NFU has suggested that continuing direct payments (at least in the short-term) in a new British Agricultural Policy will be crucial to help farm businesses deal with volatility. Before I read the report I must admit that I had become convinced that withdrawing as much support as possible isContinueContinue reading “How crucial are direct payments for farmers?”
Category Archives: environment
Rewilding – still learning
It’s now a few years since I came across the concept of ‘rewilding’ and read George Monbiot’s Feral, far from the first book to tackle the subject, but perhaps the one that holds the crown for popularising it to such an extent and garnering a more established ‘movement’ of rewilding within conservation circles. Over that same periodContinueContinue reading “Rewilding – still learning”
What was the Silsoe Conference and why should we remember it?
Forty eight years ago, in July 1969, a conference was held at Silsoe Agricultural College in Bedfordshire. It was jointly organised by the RSPB, the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), The Wildlife Trusts, the National Conservancy Council (now Natural England) and the Agricultural Development Advisory Service (ADAS), and it aimed to bring farmers and conservationistsContinueContinue reading “What was the Silsoe Conference and why should we remember it?”
Northey Island
Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep. This was the sound that greeted us. Maldon’s recycling centre was a hive of activity as we walked past; perhaps an unlikely gateway to one of Essex’s hidden gems, but this is the juxtaposed reality of this oh so maligned of counties. Essex is a gloriously diverse county, and I amContinueContinue reading “Northey Island”
World Environment Day
Today is ‘World Environment Day’, the UN’s way of reminding us that we should be aware of environmental issues and be activists for the natural world, not just passive observers. It has been held on 5th June since 1974 and is now marked in 143 countries across the world. Every year there is a differentContinueContinue reading “World Environment Day”
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