economy

One fifth of English farms have disappeared in past 10 years

England’s green and pleasant land: a patchwork quilt of green and gold fields with quaint little villages nestled in between and ancient farms run by families who have worked the land for generations. Is this a true perspective of the English countryside? You and I know that this rose-tinted view is not the reality, norContinueContinue reading “One fifth of English farms have disappeared in past 10 years”

Universal Basic Income a Farm Subsidy Solution?

N.b This post was originally published in Countrysquire Magazine. With the signing of Article 50 imminent, land management subsidies will surely form at least part of the pre-Brexit debates. I have seen several articles published in the past few weeks in various papers, magazine and blogs discussing the concepts of both automation and universal basicContinueContinue reading “Universal Basic Income a Farm Subsidy Solution?”

The Dairy Crisis – should we be scaling up operations?

It is not often that farming makes the headlines in the UK but lately the mainstream media haven’t been able to avoid the anger that dairy farmers have been expressing over the price they are being paid for their milk. Protestors have been removing milk from supermarket shelves and one set of protestors recently resortedContinueContinue reading “The Dairy Crisis – should we be scaling up operations?”

Some thoughts on CAP modulation

Anyone who keeps up to date with farming news will be well aware that the figures for the extent of modulation from Pillar 1 to Pillar 2 payments under the reformed Common Agricultural Policy have been published. I have listened, as a relative bystander, with some interest, to the various opinions voiced on this matter,ContinueContinue reading “Some thoughts on CAP modulation”

Concreting over our National Parks

I admit that the title to this post is somewhat over the top but it is the vision that springs to the minds of many people I have spoken to about UK Environment Secretary Owen Paterson’s plans to increase development in England’s ten National Parks including the Lake District, the Peak District and Dartmoor. NowContinueContinue reading “Concreting over our National Parks”