From LEAF Farmer Duncan Farrington
June Newsletter
As we approach summer
our thoughts start turning towards the next harvest at Bottom Farm. The crops are generally looking around average, but desperately in need of some warm gentle rain quickly if they are to mature into a healthy harvest. The wheat and spring beans are looking better, whilst many rapeseed crops around the country are looking poor as a result of the awful planting conditions last autumn. Let’s hope we get the rain now, rather than in August, when we all like to enjoy some sunshine.
It has been another busy month on the farm. We are pleased to welcome our latest person to the team with Gordon. The first job we have been doing is to lay some concrete on the yard. This has been on the list for the last six years, and it will be great to finally cross it off. Once complete, it will be a case of giving the grain stores a thorough clean from top to bottom, ready to take the new crop of food, check all machinery – trailers, combine, cultivators and so on to ensure they are in full working order, with any mice that have set up home over the winter period being removed and any damage they have caused rectified.
I have been away to the annual LEAF Demonstration Farmer training event. It is an excellent opportunity to catch up with the other demonstration farmers and hear what everyone is up to around the country. One has just gained planning permission for 28 wind turbines on his farm, which will make it Britain’s biggest on shore wind farm. Another who currently has an eco conference centre is now planning to build an eco hotel, using special energy absorbing glass; grass roof with water collection system; solar panels and ground source heat pump. A third person is investigating the latest technology in combined heat and power units, and anaerobic digestion for small communities. It certainly shows that the best modern farmer needs to know a bit more than just how to grow crops and animals; to talk with such people over a few beers in the evening is a great way to share experiences.
During the event we had a debate on world food security, with eminent speakers covering views of large scale international farming businesses; the RSPB; the role of the army as a last resort; the role of food research organisations, and the Optimum Population Trust with the sobering fact that the world just can’t continue increasing in population.
At current rates of population growth, with 10,000 extra mouths to feed every hour, we need to triple current food production by 2050. This has to be achieved with less land, less water, less oil, producing less Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Topics like this are always mind blowing, and in my mind we can not possibly achieve it. So the reality is that people will die, and in vast numbers. India is already building an enormous barrier on its border with Bangladesh, which as well as being the most populated country in the world, will lose around 20% of its land area with a one metre rise in sea levels. Then at the other extreme, the second biggest crop in America is the domestic lawn, which uses more water and agro chemicals than any food producing crop.
Oh well, all I would like for now is a bit of rain for this year, beyond that it can get a bit depressing if we genuinely look at the big picture, and besides what we do in Britain will have relatively little effect worldwide, apart from the obvious one of doing nothing is not an answer. Apparently the optimum population for this little island is 50 million, which will free up and area of land the size of Wales for extra food and environmental needs. Alternatively we will be at 76million by 2050, which will require two extra Londons, with all the infrastructure needed to sustain that!
Next month I will try to think of something more trivial to talk about.
