‘The Farm’ Returns – Sustainable Harborough
‘The Farm’ Returns to Harborough on Saturday 7 June in Harborough Town Square
A member of the Harborough Climate Action group, (see www.sustainableharboroughcommunity.co.uk/hca/) regularly reminded us that we needed to be mindful, not just of Harborough and other towns, but also ‘and District’. We’re surrounded by farms, mostly small family farms. Tom Shepherd, local National Farmers Union representative, pointed out recently. One of the realities is people who live locally are very knowledgeable about the massive challenges the farmers face in their 24/7 work lives. Listening to the weekly ‘Farming Today’ (BBC Radio 4) broadcast – the latest news about food, farming and the countryside they say, www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b006qj8q is very helpful. So too is ‘Wicked Leeks’ from Riverford Farm in Devon wickedleeks.riverford.co.uk/news/the-agtivist/the-agtivist-investigates-the-use-of-contaminated-sewage-sludge-as-fertiliser-on-uk-farms/
Sustainable Harborough Community members and Eco Churches helped set up ‘The Farm comes to Harborough’ last August.
So did local farmers and many agencies to give an idea of the breadth of work the farmers do and many challenges they face. It was a surprise to the people who were walking through The Square, to meet a very people friendly Highland cow, Charlotte, or understand more about sheep and their lambs there and the waste of their warm coats.
The good news about farming today, though it is a huge challenge for our farmers, is how it is adapting to the massively changing climate, greatly improving soil quality and the lives of the worms, fungi, bacteria and animals, and so improving crop production and healthier food for us. Reliable help from the government to help with these changes, is not a given but hopefully, with the new round of Sustainable Farming Initiative (SFI) applications, open first to small farms, it will be more reliable and the unintended consequence of farmers changing good arable land from much needed food production, will be avoided.
Julie Fagan, volunteer, Sustainable Harborough Community and Eco Churches
Spring into action
