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Farms not Factories ...

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Farms not Factories ...

Postby Suffs » Mon Sep 07, 2020 10:57 am

As an omnivore from a farming family and a former smallholder (rearing our own meat) animal welfare is hugely important to me. I also believe that it’s important for our wellbeing to support the skilled small food producers in our communities.

This article and the video are great ... and of course there are links to other producers across the UK

https://www.eadt.co.uk/business/farming ... -1-6824730

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Re: Farms not Factories ...

Postby miss mouse » Mon Sep 07, 2020 11:06 am

The prospect of the imported hormone beef and milk and other appalling farming practises has me very worried. Waitrose has published a letter from the head honcho to say they won't be stocking anything that does not come from their approved suppliers. How does all that GM stuff and factory farming fit with the supposed greening agenda?

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Re: Farms not Factories ...

Postby Earthmaiden » Mon Sep 07, 2020 11:42 am

miss mouse wrote:How does all that GM stuff and factory farming fit with the supposed greening agenda?

What greening agenda?

I feel that Covid has done a lot for small producers, raising awareness if nothing else and also getting systems in place for communal markets and deliveries which increases convenience for customers and encourages them. Those in the right income bracket and/or mindset won't go back to old ways.

The battle for an overhaul in the way we live and eat has been going on all my adult life, sometimes it seems as though better practices are gaining momentum and then it all seems to go to earth with a bump in the name of big business and 'food security'. I doubt that very few of us live without any processed food at all or, in these times, far more imported out of season food and exotic ingredients than we once did. The battles will go on but for a lot of the population, cost is a bigger consideration than provenance and that's a tough one, especially as politicians like to please their friends and the masses.

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Re: Farms not Factories ...

Postby jeral » Mon Sep 07, 2020 3:42 pm

Earthmaiden wrote:[clip]...
especially as politicians like to please their friends and the masses.

Did you mean "and not the masses" as it was on the news that the chancellor was thinking of cancelling or deferring the planned rise in minimum wage. Somewhat ironic given Rishi Sunak is reportedly now the wealthiest man in parliament. There's them as 'as, and them as 'asn't, or, so much for levelling up :roll:

I do hope small companies don't lose their gains from direct customers when people drift back to work and have to re-start paying transport costs again, when it'll be harder to justify paying the higher price and free time is limited again.

There is (or was) a farm service near here for veg boxes that would arrive in a van one day a week and you'd go to the pick-up point. Presumably paid in advance so not quite like seafood van stalls you see here and there.

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Re: Farms not Factories ...

Postby jeral » Wed Sep 09, 2020 3:53 pm

For info: An email from NFU (National Farmers Union) today, it being British Farming Day, urges support via their Twitter and Facebook links.

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Re: Farms not Factories ...

Postby Pampy » Wed Sep 09, 2020 3:59 pm

It's also Emergency Services 999 Day today.

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Re: Farms not Factories ...

Postby jeral » Wed Sep 09, 2020 4:07 pm

How do we support 999 emergency services, or presumably more specifically their personnel? I'm guessing not by ringing them ;)

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Re: Farms not Factories ...

Postby miss mouse » Wed Sep 09, 2020 9:37 pm

jeral wrote:How do we support 999 emergency services, or presumably more specifically their personnel? I'm guessing not by ringing them ;)



Oh bother, having just caught up I was about to dial 999...

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Re: Farms not Factories ...

Postby Pampy » Thu Sep 10, 2020 12:55 am

jeral wrote:How do we support 999 emergency services, or presumably more specifically their personnel? I'm guessing not by ringing them ;)

Presumably you're being facetious but if you really wanted to know https://www.999day.org.uk/#:~:text=Emer ... 20services.

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Re: Farms not Factories ...

Postby jeral » Thu Sep 10, 2020 1:21 pm

Thanks Pampy and yes I really did want to know how to show support. From the linked info, it seems to be either by being a volunteer or displaying a poster, neither of which I can realistically do, so it'll have to be a tacit thank you.

Edit PS: For those hooked on US TV, dialling 911 also gets through to 999.

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Re: Farms not Factories ...

Postby Suffs » Fri Sep 11, 2020 12:23 am

Save our orchards ... buy English apples https://www.eadt.co.uk/property/apple-v ... -1-6832027

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Re: Farms not Factories ...

Postby scullion » Fri Sep 11, 2020 3:29 am

i try to - when ours have run out.

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Re: Farms not Factories ...

Postby jeral » Fri Sep 11, 2020 3:15 pm

It's often not easy to see where apples have been grown, rather than for whom, or shipped to or packed by.

I did stop eating apples for ages as I couldn't face the tasteless sponginess of some imported ones which were usually prevalent, so yours is a timely reminder to be on the look out for home-grown ones again.

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Re: Farms not Factories ...

Postby Earthmaiden » Fri Sep 11, 2020 3:20 pm

Except for the last lot I bought, so close to the new season, I've managed to buy English apples throughout the past year from local outlets and Sainsburys. I think that's pretty good going though wonder about the cost of storing them in the right conditions to enable them to keep quite that long.

I have to say, I sometimes look longingly at some of the apples I prefer from overseas!

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Re: Farms not Factories ...

Postby KeenCook2 » Fri Sep 11, 2020 3:36 pm

Earthmaiden wrote:Except for the last lot I bought, so close to the new season, I've managed to buy English apples throughout the past year from local outlets and Sainsburys. I think that's pretty good going though wonder about the cost of storing them in the right conditions to enable them to keep quite that long.

I have to say, I sometimes look longingly at some of the apples I prefer from overseas!


I've often wondered how it's possible to buy English Bramleys all year round - and thought that they must be stored in incredibly careful conditions - ages ago when we had a garden with a shed and the boys were little I sometimes bought boxes of Coxes when they were available and found that there was a definite limit to the length of time they could be stored.
I guess they also have to be carefully picked so they don't get damaged.

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Re: Farms not Factories ...

Postby jeral » Fri Sep 11, 2020 3:52 pm

They showed apple storage on TV. They were in a huge shed which is compartmented into individually carefully chilled temperature-controlled units with thousands in each and withdrawn as needed.

In fact storage is cited as a big drawback in self provision due to its high cost as well as land and energy which makes it cheaper to pay for shipping to import fresh ones which haven't had to bear that cost.

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Re: Farms not Factories ...

Postby karadekoolaid » Fri Sep 11, 2020 7:17 pm

We used to pick Cox´s Orange Pippins in September, wrap them in newspaper, store them in the shed, and they were still edible at Christmas time.
A million times better than the grotty French Delicious bland-tasting things!

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Re: Farms not Factories ...

Postby halfateabag » Fri Sep 11, 2020 7:23 pm

in the village at this time of year, peeps with surplus apples, put them outside in a container saying help yourselves. he has walked today and picked blackberries, i can feel a blackberry and apple something coming on...... seems there are sloes abundant too.....

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Re: Farms not Factories ...

Postby Earthmaiden » Fri Sep 11, 2020 7:41 pm

It's like that round here too zosh.

Our apples used to be carefully stored in a cool room but were always quite crinkly on the outside by by February. As part of an OU course on sustainability some years ago we learned that growing or storing things which involved a cost for heat, light, chilling or freezing could cost (both financially and environmentally) considerably more than transporting by ship from elsewhere. If people eat seasonally there are only a few months of the year when fruit from overseas is really required and not just a treat.

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Re: Farms not Factories ...

Postby Badger's Mate » Fri Sep 11, 2020 11:02 pm

It's lovely at this coming time of year to go to an orchard or an apple day. We have got a local nature reserve with an orchard but it's closed this year due to Covid. We're hoping to get to Drove orchards at Thornham next month. :thumbsup

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