The Rural Youth Project

I came across the Rural Youth Project in this week’s Farmers Weekly, a small paragraph on p.8, and this led me to their website. In short the RYP is a research project that aims to better understand the current ‘aspirations, opportunities and challenges’ of young people (18-28), mostly in Scotland but also in England, Wales,ContinueContinue reading “The Rural Youth Project”

The Thinkingcountry Countryside Review of 2017

2017 has been another busy and momentous year. The Brexit referendum seems a very long time ago now, way back in 2016, but the events of 2017 have certainly fallen within its shadow. This post looks back on some of the big events of this year, mostly within a countryside context, as well as reflectingContinueContinue reading “The Thinkingcountry Countryside Review of 2017”

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”

Book Review: ‘Land of Plenty’ by Charlie Pye-Smith

It won’t be news to any regular reader of this blog to hear that many farmers struggle to make a living from the land. Farming is famously volatile and those running farming businesses are at the mercy of world markets, changing government policy and of course the weather! The decision to withdraw from the EuropeanContinueContinue reading “Book Review: ‘Land of Plenty’ by Charlie Pye-Smith”

Rural Coalition Statement 2017

You may not have heard of it, but ‘The Rural Coalition’ recently published its 2017 statement, outlining the policy priorities and actions that it thinks will be required to sail rural communities through Brexit and beyond in a safe and secure (as opposed to strong and stable) manner. The Rural Coalition is exactly what itContinueContinue reading “Rural Coalition Statement 2017”