Archived News

10th August 2010

Picture the scene: four very smart gents from SKY TV sheltering from the rain, side by side with our staff in their work gear as Laurence gave them their work for the day. 

The business team from SKY were here to discuss the economy and the Inflation Report with Laurence and Guy Gagen (also NFU), they took some footage of Laurence with the combine harvester and will use probably just a fragment of the interview as part of their business story tomorrow.

It was interesting to hear about the research behind these business news items and I’m hopeful that the SKY team are able to incorporate a true reflection of modern farming, even though it will only include a tiny snapshot of what they saw and learned today from Laurence and Guy.  

I'm looking forward to viewing the results of their city and country footage in the morning; so long as there’s no political scoop that sweeps it off the newsroom floor overnight.

As I said yesterday of another TV channel,  it can be frustrating when we hear ‘news’ that sounds very far from the facts as we know them (presumably this must be similar in other walks of life), so I’m thinking maybe it’s time to have a new, more down to earth, ‘real life’  farming programme on TV?   

Many friends and even total strangers say how interested they are to read farming websites or blogs so maybe there’s mileage in a fly on the wall programme such as there are for vets?  A programme to reflect the lives of established working farmers and associated farming communities; their daily routines and real life dramas, high welfare UK food production – seeing the farmers viewpoint, the true grit required to make ends meet on some farms (maybe where there’s no alternative diversifications or the farmers are very isolated) and the reality that many farmers are in fact very attuned to World markets and commodities and are business men and women who happen to have their factory floor in the great outdoors! Oh well, it’s just an idea!

Back in the real World, it’s raining at last!  Although it's stopped the harvest, it may finally help the grass grow.

The cattle come running over parched ground as breakfast is served

The belted Galloways are great at foraging for sustenance where other breeds might have given up long ago, but in this drought we’ve had to provide them with additional grub, to ensure they remain fit and well and produce enough milk for their young.