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Farming without chemicals

Posted on June 13, 2022July 30, 2024 by Andrew Davis

If we are to feed the world’s population, we must produce as much food over the next fifty years as we have done throughout the history of humanity, all without wrecking the planet. With priorities of climate change mitigation and reversing the decline of wildlife as well as providing food, can that be achieved by farming without the use of chemicals, synthetic fertilisers and pesticides? That was the question for debate at the recent meeting of the Countryside Forum.

The answer is no or, at least, not yet. Scientists are making huge strides in research but it may be twenty years before we can produce enough food without extensive use of nitrate fertiliser and pesticides. Global yields would fall by 40% if we were to cut out pesticide use now, 45% from weeds, 30% from insects, 20% from disease and 5% from other causes. But, by exploiting emerging technologies and integrated pest management, we can reduce their use and impact on the environment.

National Character Areas

Posted on April 11, 2022July 30, 2024 by Andrew Davis

The country of England has long been divided up into smaller areas or regions for several purposes. In the first millennium AD, there were separate kingdoms, Wessex, Mercia, Northumbria and the like, which were unified by King Athelstan in 927. We have had counties for centuries, at one time divided into Hundreds, enough land to sustain approximately one hundred households. In a two tier system, we now have counties and districts with administrative responsibilities and, more recently, unitary authorities.

But these are all administrative areas, the boundaries of which have little relation to geology or landscape. We have fifteen National Parks, ten in England that cover 10% of land area and reflect the environment with some administrative functions, planning for example. The aim is to ‘conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage and to promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of National Parks by the public’. There are also 46 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, 34 in England, that have the same objective except for the latter public enjoyment part. They cover 18% of the countryside but have little direct administrative function.

Seismic Shifts

Posted on April 4, 2022July 30, 2024 by Andrew Davis

The world has changed dramatically over the past few years. Only time will tell how far the tectonic plates have shifted and whether life will ever be the same again. In the UK, the pressure has been felt particularly in the countryside and the food chain.

The first seismic shock came in 2016 when we voted to leave the European Union, although the impact came later on our subsequent secession. That meant that we left the Common Agricultural Policy and had to design a new farming and countryside policy from scratch. This has been a very slow process and we still have few details other than that direct payments are being phased out and, instead, farmers will be paid public money for public goods. This is the most fundamental shift in policy since the Second World War and will inevitably cause difficulties along the way. Brexit brought major disruption to our trade with the EU, by far our largest trading partner. Some of that disruption has been smoothed over but much of it remains. Another impact of secession was the end of the free movement of labour, which caused huge shortages that persist today due to a totally misguided immigration policy.

Shooting season closes

Posted on February 14, 2022July 30, 2024 by Andrew Davis

The shooting season is over for another year. It has been one of recovery after the disruption of the previous one. When the pandemic hit early in 2020, it was not clear what impact it would have. Some shoots closed down, some reduced the number of birds released and others carried on as normal.

Shoots that sell days try to get bookings in February or March so they know how many poults to order from the game farm. More importantly, they can use the deposit to pay for the poults and other costs that occur before the season starts. Cash flow was severely affected by guns unwilling to book days so far in advance during the pandemic bringing a knock-on impact.

Tree planting

Posted on January 17, 2022July 30, 2024 by Andrew Davis

There are several reasons for planting trees, some mutually incompatible. In past centuries woods were established primarily for sporting purposes, hunting and shooting, which is why we have so many small farm woodlands. These mixed species woods with glades and rides are also good for wildlife, another reason for planting. Then there are forests established for timber, for furniture, construction, fencing, pallets and fire wood. Here the density needs to be greater to ensure tall straight growth with fewer side branches. Whilst hardwoods are planted, the majority is conifer because it is quicker growing. Much of the expansion of forest established by the Forestry Commission over the past century has been of Sitka spruce, but a dense plantation of conifer for timber production provides very little habitat for wildlife.

New Year

Posted on January 4, 2022July 30, 2024 by Andrew Davis

The turn of the farming year comes at Michaelmas in late September rather than now. That is the time when harvest yields are reckoned, cropping plans for the coming year implemented. Ewes are flushed to increase ovulation before the tups join them and winter housing is prepared for cattle. And yet it is customary, as Big Ben rings in the new calendar year, to reflect on the twelve months gone and look forward to the seasons to come.

The Cholderton Estate

Posted on December 20, 2021July 30, 2024 by Andrew Davis

Henry Edmonds has lived at Cholderton all his life and has farmed there since his father died forty five years ago. The estate is 2,500 acres of Grade 3 and 4 land, thin soils over chalk. When he came home from college, thinking he knew a thing or two, Henry planted barley in the confident expectation of achieving two tonnes per acre. He was bitterly disappointed when he managed only twelve cwt and realised that a new approach was needed. He determined to increase the organic matter and fertility of his soils using grazing livestock on long leys and converted to organic status. Now he grows two tonnes of barley per acre without any fertiliser or pesticides.

Sewage Discharges

Posted on November 29, 2021July 30, 2024 by Andrew Davis

Somewhat surprisingly, the Thames is the most photogenic of all rivers according to an American travel website. To demonstrate that claim, it has found that the Thames is mentioned more frequently on Instagram than any other river in Europe. Even more surprising is a report from the Zoological Society of London which states that the Thames is ‘a rich and varied home for wildlife’ after being declared biologically dead sixty years ago.

And yet there has been a lot of publicity recently about the discharge of raw sewage into rivers and coastal waters. There has been passionate debate during the passage of the Environment Bill, now enacted, through both Houses of Parliament with claims that the Government is not taking enough action to remedy the situation, specifically that the powers conferred by the Act are not sufficient to force water companies to stop the practice. Despite numerous amendments and intense lobbying, the Act only requires the Government to ensure that water companies secure a progressive reduction in the adverse impacts of discharges from storm overflows.

Shooting season

Posted on November 8, 2021July 30, 2024 by Andrew Davis

As we head into November, we are entering the main period of the shooting season, thankfully free of the Draconian Covid restrictions it faced during the last one. The start was not auspicious as the Glorious Twelfth, the opening of the grouse season in August, was not as resounding success. Grouse are entirely natural, not reared and released, and thus vulnerable to vagaries of the weather and other limiting factors. The cold late spring and wet May were less than ideal for chick survival so grouse numbers have been low this year. This has resulted in many shoot days cancelled or reduced.

Commons Land

Posted on November 8, 2021July 30, 2024 by Andrew Davis

Commons make up some of our most cherished landscapes in Britain, not least because there is open public access across them. They date back hundreds of years and have their origins in mediaeval patterns of land use.

The feudal system of farming was adopted in the Middle Ages. Large estates were held for the king by nobles who were obliged to provide men to serve the crown in times of war or insurrection. In turn, Lords of the Manor held smaller holdings on a similar basis. Farming was carried out for the Lord of the Manor by villagers, most of whom also held commoners’ rights to enable them to farm on their own account. Land around the village suitable for arable cropping was laid out in strips with each commoner entitled to cultivate a number of strips. There were usually three fields; one for cereals, perhaps winter wheat, one for spring cropping, turnips or other restorative crops, and one for fallow to recover fertility.