The farming and smallholding thread

[HLD DMR]

Evidently sourcing calories is not the issue. According to an NHS Digital report, in 2020 26% of men, 29% of women, and 20% of year six children were classified as obese, "The prevalence was over twice as high in the most deprived areas than the least deprived areas." Yet in 2019/20 the number of food bank users rose from 1.6 to 1.9 million (Statista.com).
Is this a Pan-european situation, is it mirrored in North America, or the Antipodes ?

You need to split NA to be accurate, Canada is more inline with the UK whereas the US is an entity on it's own for obesity, it's truly revolting.

 

[wheel]

I won't argue that Home Economics (Cooking) is, has always been, on the curriculum . . . but, if schools today are like mine 55 years ago, the Home Economics subject will be optional, and vying for attention with more "trendy", on-message, subjects .

@Ortholith , is GED (Geometrical and Engineering Drawing) still tought ?! ( . . . I got Grade2 in my GEC ).

Is mettle-work, and wood-work, still taught ?!

I would guess home economics probably teaches the little darlings how to use a microwave to make ready meals.

 

[Humble Tiller]

I won't argue that Home Economics (Cooking) is, has always been, on the curriculum . . . but, if schools today are like mine 55 years ago, the Home Economics subject will be optional, and vying for attention with more "trendy", on-message, subjects .

@Ortholith , is GED (Geometrical and Engineering Drawing) still tought ?! ( . . . I got Grade2 in my GEC ).

Is mettle-work, and wood-work, still taught ?!

Our eldest at grammar school has compulsory cooking, and metal and woodwork are on the curriculum, as they were at the other secondary schools we looked at. The two at primary school have very basic cooking lessons.

 

[Cutaway]

Is mettle-work, and wood-work, still taught ?!

Yes.
It's called milling.

 

[Humble Tiller]

You need to split NA to be accurate, Canada is more inline with the UK whereas the US is an entity on it's own for obesity, it's truly revolting.

I apologise.

 

[HLD DMR]

I apologise.

From my point of view having grocery shopped in all three counties, it boils down to selections. The UK and Canada have roughly the same choices in what you purchase to put on the table, but the US variety is beyond comparison and is driven by corporate greed and poor regulations. The septics see it as a freedom to consume as much sugar and fats they desire and the government has no business telling them whats good or bad for them. Food manufacturers feed off that and the market is flooded with cheap choices to keep consumers coming back for more, and the consumer just gets addicted to shïte and fatter and fatter.....

 

[anglo]

Walking on Bodmin Moore today, came across this farmer, as he was moving down
the veld he was calling his stock, after about 5 minutes you could hear a faint call
of cows answering back

And they are running, cattle as far as the eye can see.

Nearly here

And more

Horses as well

Happiness is a good meal

The farmer stopped on his way back, he is a friend of SWMBOs sister/Bil, he had his
13-year-old grandson with him, the young lad was driving the tractor.
Long time farming family

 

[vinniethemanxcat]

From my point of view having grocery shopped in all three counties, it boils down to selections. The UK and Canada have roughly the same choices in what you purchase to put on the table, but the US variety is beyond comparison and is driven by corporate greed and poor regulations. The septics see it as a freedom to consume as much sugar and fats they desire and the government has no business telling them whats good or bad for them. Food manufacturers feed off that and the market is flooded with cheap choices to keep consumers coming back for more, and the consumer just gets addicted to shïte and fatter and fatter.....

I always enjoy the different "ethnic " themed weeks at Lidl, Chinese, Greek, German foods, often a few things that I've not tried before.

There's only one that's complete and utter shite....... you've guessed it, American Week.

Sugar laden, processed crap.

 

[HLD DMR]

I always enjoy the different "ethnic " themed weeks at Lidl, Chinese, Greek, German foods, often a few things that I've not tried before.

There's only one that's complete and utter shite....... you've guessed it, American Week.

Sugar laden, processed crap.

I don’t trust septic food, be it directly from the farm, or purchased at the supermarket. I know how their dairy, livestock, and poultry system works and l would feel safer buying mince out of the back of a pikeys caravan.....

 

[Oops]

Best and worst of our job last 24 hrs;

Firstly 4 Scally rats on scrambler bikes, terrorising my 75 yr old landlady walking her dog on her own 35acre field, hedged and gated, proper countryside, not urban fringe...
Six miles from nearest Plod, who to be fair sent two cars on blues and twos..
(Lancs and Merseyside have a op. going on seizing and crushing these bikes, therefore they're moving further out..)
They were encircling her as she was on the 999 call,terrorising her and hurling abuse to the call handler "Catch us if you can"

Fits in with this R4 prog today, v.apt.

My Name Is... - Richard - BBC Sounds

Gamekeeper and special constable Richard is concerned about the rise in rural crime.

www.bbc.co.uk

Edge of dark tonight, the barn owl (finally got a breeding pair back in the owl box after 30 years of trying) hunting a small half acre patch of rough ground I've left weedy, it's fed countless finches and lbj's all winter.
It dropped down onto a vole, only to be immediately ambushed by the resident kestrel ( they nest every year in the eaves of the farmhouse) ...
Battle royally joined, the owl won (just) and was that knackered I could've stuck my arm out of cab and caught it as it flomped past, back to safe harbour of the building.
I tried to photograph it with my phone, but it was so close there's just a white blur on the whole screen, it was 12-18 inches at most away.
A beautiful sight, and a simple reminder that nature doesn't need alot of encouragement to re establish.
It just needs half a chance to be left alone.
I'm in the same Environmental Scheme as @HT (one of his options is bigger than my whole farm) and have been for the last 23years.
The 'free' public money we get, will I'm sure stimulate some debate, but here's a couple of points to start....

Our small farm is an oasis in a sea of intensive agri businesses that can and do, grow excellent quality, plentiful, cheap vegetables roots and salads, all at the demand of the Supermarkets, for ever cheaper prices.
However, there's not a weed, flower, insect,margin, birdnest, butterfly or when we get to turf(my personal 'grrr') ... bloody wormcast , allowed to interfere with the modern demand for cheap, plentiful food (and instant lawns)
The payments they receive make not one iota's worth of difference to a
£3000-£15000/ acre crop, therefore buggerit.
We've more birdlife on our farm ( RSPB counted 'em) than the rest of the parish put together.
But I'm ridiculed for not being a 'proper' farmer (dilligaf?)

Secondly,
The 'free money' we receive for entering our land into the scheme has been more than this farm's profit in approximately 70% of the years we've been partaking thereof.
I could take the easier money, sell the stock and rent out our very fertile (cowsh#t galore) and biologically diverse (worms galore)soils, there's a decade of bumper crops stored up in there, whereas alot of neighbouring land is 'farmed out'.
I'd be quids in financially, and could top up my income sat on someone's state of the art kit, piloting a satellite guided, fly by wire German leviathan, wearing carpet slippers and staying clean.
My mate's just 'bought' a new fendt tractor £185,000 after discount, yet the grower tipping waste veg. here today (his 'only' cost £135k) had just been told every one of his six lines of lettuce/ cabbages are to be priced 10-12% cheaper than last year..
Neither tractor will ever be paid for, and both lads work for far less than minimum wage. Between them they employ over 50 folk, yet can't find/trust anyone to drive this kit, the wages on offer can't compete with wagon driving money for steady Brits, and any country lads who are looking for work must be too keen on the powder.
Piece rate leek/ lettuce work for the Foreigners trumps everything else, but it's cold wet and windy.

Madness.

 

[Humble Tiller]

Spring is just about here, so time to dust the fertiliser spreader off, get it tested to ensure an even spread across the full 24m (also a requirement for ACCS/Red Tractor), and get on with Nitrogen onto the Oilseed Rape and Linseed, and Sulphur for the wheat.
A busy time beckons, as my entire staff is now off for three months having a knee replacement.

ETA Imported grain does not have to comply with ACCS (Assured Combinable Crops Scheme) or Red Tractor, but if processed here, can be labelled as RT, c f. sugar beet / sugar cane.

 

[HLD DMR]

Spring is just about here, so time to dust the fertiliser spreader off, get it tested to ensure an even spread across the full 24m (also a requirement for ACCS/Red Tractor), and get on with Nitrogen onto the Oilseed Rape and Linseed, and Sulphur for the wheat.
A busy time beckons, as my entire staff is now off for three months having a knee replacement.View attachment 551978View attachment 551979View attachment 551980
ETA Imported grain does not have to comply with ACCS (Assured Combinable Crops Scheme) or Red Tractor, but if processed here, can be labelled as RT, c f. sugar beet / sugar cane.

Are you broadcasting urea?

 

[beefer]

Are you broadcasting urea?

Made perfect sense to me...

 

[Humble Tiller]

Are you broadcasting urea?

Nitram, which is a prilled N at 34.5% N. Too windy even for that today.

 

[Oops]

The 'informative' is for the weather conditions,rather than the operation.
Not a breath of wind here, you'd chuck it 36 mt no problems......

If you could travel.
Another 18 mm last night, it's back to sq. one again.

Nitram, which is a prilled N at 34.5% N. Too windy even for that today.View attachment 552182

Made perfect sense to me...

Now you know how hard it is for us peasants looking in on the aviation threads...
You and your accent an all, to top it all off!

 

[HLD DMR]

Now you know how hard it is for some of us peasants looking in on the aviation threads...
You and your accent an all, to top it all off!

Fixed for accuracy, I’ve been an AME/A&P for decades....

 

[Oops]

Fixed for accuracy, I’ve been an AME/A&P for decades....

Aye, but I hadn't got you down as a peasant, and now you're going need to explain those two acronyms to a real bumpkin!
( If the 'E' stands for engineer I'm in with a shout)

 

[HLD DMR]

Aye, but I hadn't got you down as a peasant, and now you're going need to explain those two acronyms to a real bumpkin!
( If the 'E' stands for engineer I'm in with a shout)

Aircraft Maintenance Engineer and Airframe and Power-plant mechanic, I hold both Canadian and American licenses. I got into farming by luck and only cash crop, so it’s not a 24/7 occupation like livestock producers.
Edit; I am involved with laying hens as well, but not directly hands on.

 

[Ravers]

This girl was Junior Champion at the Great Yorkshire show a few years back. She’s 10 years old now and has done her duty, producing some fantastic calf’s including a few prized bulls.

We’ve given her one last run and she’s due to calf in April. Her bag isn’t really filling up so it looks like we’ll be bottle feeding whatever comes out.

Just having a little check over and pedicure today.

 

[Grownup_Rafbrat]

Are you broadcasting urea?

Are you accusing him of being the BBC?