Why UK food Prices Have Spiralled — And Why Shoppers Still Back British Farmers

In the past few years food prices have risen drastically, catastrophically for some. It’s put a dint in the economy.

Yet the British public still back British food, even though it might be more expensive than some imported alternatives.

Support for British farming and farmers has probably never been higher. With 94% of British people backing UK farming and food production, and with 81% preferring UK-produced food, why are price so high, and British farmers so vulnerable?

Jeremy and his Farm.

It is hard these days to talk about farming without referencing the former man-child petrol-head now farmer, and almost ecologist, Jeremy Clarkson. Even hard-bitten detractors wonder at the bumbling charm he has managed to unearth, possibly caused by humbling displays of inability to operate a tractor. Who in their most vivid of dreams could have imagined him being so enthusiastic about a GS4 herbal Ley  – not only improve the soil, but provide quality grazing,  although the guaranteed income was probably a motivator.

We cannot be unaware either of Mr. Clarkson’s opinion on the current administration, not least because of changes to inheritance taxation for farmers. Possibly a catastrophe he may well have invited by his own hubris. The reference to buying the land to avoid inheritance tax may or may or may not have been  a joke. This is a massive and complex issue I will gently swerve and move away from, as it has no direct implication, as yet, on food prices.

Remain? Yes, really

The reason for mentioning this, is that it is a shocker to many that Jeremy, Jezza, has always been strongly Anti-Brexit.  He wasn’t pro-EU either. He maintained that whilst being in the EU delivered some challenges, it was on balance, better being in than out. 

The issues that we may have had with the EU, was often not the EU. Rather the fault of successive UK governments, of all political flavour, gold plating every directive.

There are sources as diverse as the Guardian and GBNews that cover Jeremy’s anti-Brexit stance.

Politics, not politics: the voice of the people

So, why the convoluted opening statements focusing on Jeremy Clarkson?

Clarkson’s Farm has reconnected the people of the UK with the land in unexpected ways. It’s stirred a yearning that was always there, but not understood.

There’s a great cast of characters, some nifty editing, and adding Jeremy’s endless wit make for compelling, engaging, educational, entertaining and thought-provoking viewing. The magnitude of challenges, costs and risk of farming laid bare for all to see.

The problems facing food production in the UK are not a single cause, nor a simple solution, and the weather doesn’t help.

The British Public back British farming, British food production and see British food as high quality, and high value. This is to be celebrated and cherished, it is good news. We will explore this a bit more later.

So, the cost of food. How much have prices risen?

Unless you live under a rock, or are very well off (or never do the shopping) you cannot help but wonder at the increase in food prices. 

In the last 5 years (2019 – 2024) food prices have on average gone up by 70%

70%

By any standard that it a massive increase.  A basket of food that cost £50.00 in 2019 now costs £85.00. Wages have not followed.

Key drivers behind the spike:

1. Global supply chain shocks (COVID-19)

2020–2021: The pandemic disrupted global logistics, shut down processing plants, and caused panic buying. Labour shortages and transport bottlenecks meant fewer goods moving more slowly — pushing prices up for everything from wheat to chicken.

2. Energy and fuel costs

Food production is heavily dependent on energy (e.g. refrigeration, fertiliser production, transport).

• The 2021–2022 global energy crunch caused a spike in natural gas prices.
• This led to huge cost increases for fertilisers and greenhouse crops.
• UK farmers faced up to 30% higher energy costs, feeding through to food prices.

3. War in Ukraine (2022–present)

Russia and Ukraine are major exporters of Wheat, Sunflower oil, Barley, maize and Fertilisers.
The war led to global shortages and panic speculation, dramatically increasing prices. For example:

• Wheat prices spiked by over 60% in early 2022.
• Fertiliser costs doubled or tripled in some cases.

4. Brexit (and its fallout)

Brexit didn’t cause food inflation alone, but it magnified the problem in the UK through:

• Labour shortages (especially seasonal and processing roles)
• New trade barriers with the EU
• Increased paperwork and import checks. These made importing and producing food more expensive — and slower.

A 2024 study estimated that Brexit added 6% to 8% to overall UK food costs through trade friction alone.

5. Climate change and extreme weather

• Heatwaves and droughts in Spain, Italy, and North Africa (where the UK gets much of its fresh produce) reduced crop yields and drove up costs for fruit and vegetables.
• Storms and floods in the UK affected harvests and infrastructure.
• Water scarcity increased reliance on costly irrigation and imports.

6. Currency weakness

The pound has had repeated fluctuations, particularly post-Brexit and post-Truss mini-budget. A weaker pound makes imported food — which the UK relies on heavily — more expensive.

7. Retail margins and supply chain concentration

Supermarkets face their own cost pressures (fuel, wages, energy), but critics argue they’ve also preserved margins while suppliers struggle.

• Some analysts claim price increases at the till have exceeded production cost increases.
• Smaller producers and farmers have little bargaining power.

8. Structural dependence on imports

The UK imports over 40% of its food, making it highly vulnerable to global volatility.
When shipping costs, container shortages, or crop failures hit — so do UK food prices.

Would Brits pay more to support homegrown farmers—or prefer EU or US produce?

Evidence suggests a strong willingness to back British, using beef as an example:

• A strong loyalty to British farming endures, even as prices rise. (Half of Brits surveyed say they won’t touch American meat).
• Consumers still maintain similar beef volumes despite inflation, absorbing price hikes well. (What’s Happening with UK beef market).

Surveys also show a preference ranking: British > EU > US, driven by higher trust in welfare and environment standards. Even with the US deal in place, UK shoppers aren’t clamouring for hormone‑treated imports.  This applies to some extent to many other foodstuffs, as produce from the USA is viewed as cheap and low quality.

Does this feed into broader attitudes on the EU?

The preference for EU-sourced meat, seen as cleaner, safer and higher welfare, underscores public respect for European produce being good quality. There is a willingness to buy European produce even accounting for post‑Brexit regulations.

The idea of re-joining the EU hasn’t necessarily gained political support, there is a move in the general public towards wanting to be in the EU. This is partly nostalgia for EU levels of agricultural standards and ease of trade. Plus there is a certain amount of Brexit regret, especially regarding trade, co-operation and the fear of Russian influence in the Brexit referendum.

At the time of publication, 55% of people would support being in the EU, with only 34% opposing. Regarding Brexit, 55% see it as a mistake, and only 30% as right. (YouGov UK, Guardian).

What British consumers think about US beef imports

Whilst the citizens and marketeers of the USA might be all fired up about massive steaks and burgers a foot tall, we in the UK are not so keen on their meat. Even McDonalds boasts about their burgers being 100% British.

Although the Trump administration has introduced a whole new level of chaos on world markets, this thankfully has not had too great an impact on food prices in the UK.

Following the Tariff wars, some were lauding the UK trade agreement with the US as a potential to lower food prices by to reducing supply side pressures (some would say enabling supermarkets to but the cosh on farmers).
However, although the government just sealed a tariff deal allowing up to 13,000 tonnes of US beef to enter the UK duty-free, hasn’t calmed price fears. Probably because we actually don’t want or trust it.

It is possible that the trade deal was political masterstroke. Agreeing to import a whole load of stuff that has no market, making Trump happy about making a deal, thus giving the UK a swerve on all the other tariff’s. A sacrificial bull, as it were.

Recent polls tell us:

• 49% of UK adults “not open at all” to buying US beef; 11% “hesitant”.
• 67% associate US beef with hormones; 43% are worried about chemical use.
• 45% prefer British beef over US beef.
• Only 1% believe US beef is sustainable.

(eFeedLink.com, The Cattle Site).

On Reddit, many Britons echo this sentiment:

• “I don’t trust their monitoring system… local or at least English or Irish.”
• “No chance I’m buying US meat. Buy local… organic.”

So, what can be done to support Farmers, and reduce food prices?

There is no direct answer to each of the 8 major issues highlighted above. Rather, I believe that there is a basket of options and solutions that will help address these issues to a greater or lesser extent. I do not claim to have the answers, rather, just exploring some of the possible solutions.

There will always be uncertainty in farming, but if we plan and manage for those things that we can plan for and manage, there will more resilience to those we can’t.

In the Post Brexit policy vacuum, a great many farmers have become the innovators. Leading the way forward with inventive and progressive ideas for farming. Like in the agricultural revolution, education, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit lead the way.

New agricultural revolution

Low input and regenerative farming have turned some farming practices on their head, and into longer term profitability. There are many bonuses. Improved soil fertility and structure, the boost to Wildlife, and improvements in river water quality. Alas, river water quality if often more adversely affected by water companies and the likes of large scale chicken producers expanding.

In many cases, the assistance provided by stewardship schemes may have been a financial saviour. Paying for field margins, hedge planting, companion planting and the aforementioned GS4 Herbal Lay (that caused our Jeremy so much excitement), and providing the much required safety net.

Low input, higher profits. Get a good Six Inches

For so long, farming policy has been all about increasing yield, increasing quantity. Spray and sprinkle, feed and fatten. Whilst fuel and fertiliser were plentiful (or less expensive), this was economically possible.

However, Covid caused a Fertiliser shortage that has never been resolved. Fertilizer plants closed down during lockdown, are have proven almost impossible to reopen economically. Fuel prices spiking because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine is also a heavy burden, although the spike in grain prices because of this might have saved many from bankruptcy.

Low input

So, what if you lower inputs? Minimal fertiliser, miss a fungal and herbicide spray? Don’t plough, direct drill, use under sowing to improve fertility and natural predation of pests? Well in extreme cases, yield might have dropped by 25%, but when input costs drop by 60% when your margin was under 10% suddenly makes your operation viable.

Regenerative farming

Regenerative farming is fundamental to many in this quest. Mutually beneficial planting to help hold and improve nutrients and soil structure. The move back to more mixed farming, the animals being a fundamental component of soil health and fertility. A soil first, crop second policy.

An example is using almost forgotten methods like the Golden Hoof. Grazing sheep on Winter Barley fattened the sheep, boosts barley health and negates the need for 1 or more fungicidal applications, a round of fertiliser, and a rolling, the cost saving is massive and the benefit to soil and ecology is immense.

Another good example is Silvopasture – this is simply pasture with trees in it.  Hours could be spent on this alone, and whilst in the short term without grant assistance it is unlikely to be profitable, in the longer term it seems to be so. It is also more resilient to weather events, helping prevent flooding and drought.

Treelage (bits chopped of trees) are useful fodder in dry seasons, just like Silage and Haylage in the winter, and the trees supply shelter for the animals.

Companion planting

Companion planting is another good example. OSR (Oil Seed Rape, or Canola as the Americans call it) is a great example. The Cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB) being a particular problem. Companion plants tend to be Buckwheat, Fenugreek and sometimes a legume like a clover or vetch.

The buckwheat and Fenugreek encourage predators of the CSFB. There is the side serving of distracting wood pigeons. The plants readily die in winter so do not compete, and may help with soil phosphates. They also act as a soil biomass enhancer. The Legumes help fix nitrogen, maybe not so important to the OSR, but often to the follow on crop like wheat. The extra benefit like deep rooting helping with water transportation up and down. Clover also fixes the soil, post harvest preventing washout in summer storms.

Farmers, the stereotype

Whilst those outside the industry might clump farmers together as a homogeneous mass, they are as diverse as any section of society.

Some Farm by Spreadsheet, and might not appear to care about anything much, other farmers are stuck in the wisdom of the 1970’s where the land is to be used, and nothing else. However, most farmers love the land, and feel like custodians.

Having methods where they can make a good living, feed the nation and have a landscape thriving with wildlife is the dream for many.

The Woodsmith Mine – Polyhalite, a natural wonder

Deep under the North York Moors National Park lie abundant deposits of Polyhalite, it is easy to understate it’s importance. It is a naturally occurring mineral, containing potassium, sulphur, magnesium, and calcium, all essential nutrients for plant growth. It may lack nitrogen, but a good crop rotation, including nitrogen-fixing legumes and some soil-improving practices, should see yields increase. As it is naturally occurring it is suitable as an organic fertiliser, and the abundance of supply and minimal processing requirements should make it keenly priced.

The mine infrastructure is impressive. Two shafts 1,500 m (4,900 ft) descend to the seam, which is 70 m (230 ft) deep and an area of  25,200 hectares (100 Square Miles). The processing plant is 23  miles away and connected by a tunnel to preserve the National Park environment. Besides the massive impact it might have on the UK economy, estimates at £2Billion a year in export revenue, it may have a major impact on British agriculture.

Technology: GPS, AI and Robots.

Yes, seriously. GPS is already a fundamental feature of many farms, giving accuracy, consistency and saving much effort. This isn’t just about combine harvesters knowing where they are, but real time monitoring of yields across field locations that can help with management of the soil. know where yield is poor, analyse, fertilise.

Throw a bit of AI into this, and intelligent, accurately controlled machinery, and you start to reap real benefits. Drills that accurately palace to the millimetre, saving double-seeding and missed seeding on headlands, and not seeding where Public Rights of way traverse the landscape. Accurate companion planting and under sowing incorporated. Similar for fertiliser, a bit more here, a little less there. Not just saves time and money but, reduces water course pollution from fertiliser run off.

The tireless pursuit of specific tasks

Robots too are being developed to do specific, discreet or specific tasks. Black grass can be a particularly tricky problem in cereal crops. As it is a grass it it too closely related to cereals to employ a selective herbicide. Sometimes crops have to be ploughed to prevent the propagation of this menace, rogueing too expensive or impractical. Killing this years crop to save future prospects.

However, there are robots under trial, that trundle about a bit like a Vacuum robot. They go about the field, looking for unwanted plants (like black grass) and zap them with some high voltage electricity. They may be programmed to leave beneficial plants like Poppies and Cornflower, a hosts of invertebrates that eat cereal crop pests. When the batteries run low, the robot trundle back to their dock, charges up, and of they go again. The UK is leading in some of this new technology. See the Small Robot Co.

There other robots under development that may be able to harvest more specialised crops, replacing manual human labour. Ideal for farms that grow crops that are still heavily reliant on manual labour.

Market controls

There are times when in the UK we do not seem to know if we are still a post-Thatcherite free market economy, or a country that believe that “the Broadest shoulders should bear the greatest burden”, and that checks and balances on corporate activity is a good thing.   This leads us into a pickle.

We want to encourage and celebrate enterprise: starting new businesses, liberating people to do new and interesting things. Let the brightest and most skilled rise and earn a good reward. We also value and cherish our NHS, want better education, improved council services and a whole other host of Government provided services.

Somehow we seems to de neither particularly, well, but that’s for discussion elsewhere. We probably need to be more decisive with food: are we just going to let the market dictate, or are we going to have some control?

Bring back the marketing board!

Perhaps its time to bring back the marketing boards? Maybe some new ones too. Independent of government, retailers and large suppliers. Paid for from a tariff on the product under their oversight.

The main aims being twofold:

• To ensure that suppliers had a guaranteed price.  Too often we hear of farmers being pushed by certain supermarkets to sell milk at a price lower than cost. Driving farmers to bankruptcy or exiting production. For other producers it has driven further intensification of farming to achieve profitability, causing harm to the environment.  
• To ensure a guaranteed market. Too often we hear of waste. 100’s or 1000’s of litres of milk down a drain because a creamery doesn’t want to collect for some reason. Fields of carrots or parsnips left to rot because they are not quite straight.  To ensure that waste like this doesn’t occur, that milk is collected and paid for by someone, and that carrots are not left to rot in the fields. That as a bare minimum they become animal feeds, and the farmer paid a fair price.

They might also need controls over products and derivatives, as there are cases of the markets being flooded with processed products, like dried whey, depressing the raw product demand and price.

Supermarket Sweep

There is nothing wrong with making a profit. Profit encourages development, gives return on investment, and so forth. (Some will argues this, lets just run with current system assumptions).

Supermarkets appear to be profitable, very profitable. In 2024, Tesco had £2.289 bn profit on £67.673 bn sales, providing a 3.4 % margin. OK you may think that’s a good profit but compared to other industries maybe not, for instance:

• General Retail (e.g. Next, M&S) 5–10%

• Luxury Goods (e.g. LVMH) 20–30% 

• Automotive (e.g. BMW, Toyota) 7–12%, 

• FMCG Manufacturing (e.g. Unilever, P&G), 15-20%

• Pharmaceuticals (e.g. GSK, Pfizer), 20- 30%Technology (e.g. Apple) 25–35%

However, they are universally recognised as being harsh with producers, both primary and secondary. Beating down prices to levels of destitution for the producer or farmer.

Maybe, a portion of this profit could be directed towards something constructive in the UK Food sector. I’m not sure what this might be, but anything to help innovation in farming, support for British farmers and producers, especially small farmers and regional producers or regional products would be welcome. Or just let marketing boards sort it out.

Farmers are the custodians of the land: pay them for it.

There is strong and growing public support in the UK for paying farmers to care for and enhance the countryside, with significant backing for wildlife, rewilding, and regenerative land use.

There may be some quite vocal farmer against the idea of rewilding the countryside, however, this might be in the minority. The public support rewilding, and anecdotally, many farmers would like to be able to do more for wildlife, just that former practice has told them otherwise, and they have to earn a living.

Paying farmers for environmental stewardship

A WWF Scotland/Survation poll (June 2024) found:

• 74 % believe farmers should be paid to produce food and protect nature, reducing emissions.
• 89 % say farming plays an important role in tackling climate change and restoring nature 

Broad public support for rewilding and wildlife

In a YouGov poll commissioned by Rewilding Britain:

• 81 % of Britons support rewilding, with 40 % strongly in favor.
• 83 % support making national parks “wilder” with areas set aside for rewilding.
• 75 % back increasing rewilded land area to at least 5 % from under 1 %

A follow-up poll (Jun 2024) found even stronger support—83 % overall

Support for diversified, regenerative farming

There is wide support for regenerative farming, and across a broad range of farm types.

There are some at who do not see eye to eye on matters, and that is to be expected. For example George Monbiot rages about the Cambrian desert, and at the opposite end Gareth Wyn Jones does not take kindly to such meddling. However, farmers’ groups, NGOs, and public sentiment are aligning around nature-friendly agriculture:

• WWF and Rewilding Britain highlight strong public demand for ELM-style schemes that use payments to incentivize rewilding, soil health, habitat restoration, and watercourse improvements.
• A Demos report on regenerative farming (2023) emphasizes that with financial security and cooperation, farmers are keen to switch to low-input, soil-building practices.
• Large scale landowners are increasingly backing regenerative and rewilding practices, according to Contrylife’s feature on seven of Britain’s most influential farmers.
• Public-facing campaigns (RSPB, Greenpeace, Woodland Trust) reinforce that nature-friendly farming benefits health, access, biodiversity, and rural economies.
• Wessex Water has been leading the way with privately funded research into improving water quality , reducing Phosphorous and Nitrogen leaching and enabling farm sized trials.

Dustbowl

Taking land out of production seems counter intuitive to providing better food security. How quickly we forget the Dustbowl and the lessons learnt.  

Whilst rewilding and stewardship schemes may seem to remove land from active production, what they do is provide resilience. A kind of agricultural hedge both Literal and figurative.

You cannot beat a good, solid healthy hedge for stopping water washing away your soil, nor the wind from blowing it away. It provides homes for bees and insects to pollinate your crops, and predators like ladybirds, lacewings and wasps to eat the pests.

Land, stop wasting it, stop building on it.

There is a lot of pressure on land.

…Land, they’re not making it anymore.

Mark Twain

80,500 ha were converted to developed use over three years (2019–20 to 2021–22), averaging about 26,800 ha per year (Gov.uk).

As there is not an endless supply of land perhaps we need to address this. Look at increasing density of housing and the structure of society. In England alone, there was 1,352,130 vacant dwellings in 2021, and this does not take into account spare capacity, single persons occupying larger properties.

Add to this the pressure from Solar. There is large scale public support for Solar, 82% of the public approving of rooftop solar especially on new buildings and varying levels of large scale solar development. Support for rooftop solar is even higher than for large-scale solar farms, reflecting a strong public preference for using existing structures rather than farmland.

Whilst changing Policy to protect land may not support the farmer, it will help reduce supply side pressures caused by taking more and more land out of production. It will definitely ensure that there is some countryside left for future generations.

Food Waste

It is estimated that in the UK we waste about 30% of total food produced. This is an almost mindboggling figure. Food production in the UK is estimated at 45 – 50 million tonnes per year of which some 10 -12 Million tonnes is wasted.

Reducing this waste would not necessarily improve the lot of the farmer, but it would benefit the consumer in reduced supply pressures. With a more balanced supply and demand, prices over time should stabilise and become more affordable. British farming may receive the side benefit of being able to concentrate on providing the quality products it is held in high regard for, rather than trying to match demand. It would also be a positive change for the environment, reducing carbon costs in storage and transport alone.

Eating Seasonally

The UK imports some 40% of the food we consume. Importing some food is not a problem.

The UK is not suitable for growing Bananas, spices, exotic fruits, etc. There is nothing wrong with importing the key ingredients for cuisines from around the world that will not grow here.

There is a big issue with flying in Brussel sprouts from Peru in June, or apples from New Zealand in January.

If you are desperate for Brussel Sprouts, Runner beans or such like out of season – use UK Frozen. We do with peas. Or just eat them when you are supposed to eat them – when they are in season.

Apples, for example, should British. Our climate is perfect for them, and we know how to store them.

Hop Pickers holiday – make it tax free

There is a shortage of workers, especially seasonal labours for horticulture and agriculture. Fruit picking is a good example, and perhaps a reason for our inability to have a good domestic supply of these fruits.

One issue is that the jobs do not pay enough for most people to form a career, plus the season is too short and doesn’t supply the stability required. There are two things that might help.

Tax free & Welfare payments unaffected

Lets issue domestic agricultural permits. Allow people to earn £2k over the space of a month tax free if working, and sanction free if unemployed. (just about minimum wage £12.50 X 40hours X 4 weeks).

To those working it will provide a month outdoors (away from Call centre of factory line) and may provide the economic boost to clear debts, have a good Christmas, fix the car, etc. To the unemployed it will give work experience and reference, and a welcome economic boost. I’m also certain that it will improve their physical and mental heath.

Simplified paperwork and lowers costs (no PAYE or NI employers) would make this a more profitable prospect for the producer.

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Conclusion

The simple conclusion is that there is no simple fix.

However, no simple fix does not mean do nothing. It means that it has to be thought about, and numerous different, sometimes discrete actions need to be taken.

Although we transitioned into the Single Payment system (SPS) in 2015, there has been no major policies in agriculture for 25 years. Added to that, since Brexit consecutive governments have been like the rabbit in the headlights with agricultural policy.

Innovators

In recent times the bulk of change has been farmer lead. The changes in practice around regenerative and low input farming might have been aided by grants and SFI payments, but it is the farmers desire to make change that has been the catalyst.

This should be encouraged. There are areas where farmer have formed clusters and share innovations, information and search out grant payments to cover improvements over larger areas.

Government

Even without getting into a discussion about inheritance tax, there is so much that the government could, and should do.

This is not direct interference with farmers, rather policies that will help them solve their production challenges, and help them achieve their aims:

• A viable business. This includes fair prices for production (maybe marketing boards).
• Looking after and improving soil without short term difficulties (grants).
• Reduced administrative overhead. Perhaps DEFRA can employ AI to prepare the farmers paperwork for them, so they just have to check and update?
• Payment for environmental enhancements to improve wildlife and help mitigate against things like flooding. Pay farmers to have wetland, hedges and wild areas, but maintain some production.
• access to appropriate labour and technologies.

This is a short list, and there are many more, but it is clear that farmer need both support, and the space in which to thrive.

Small business

I’m talking about shops here. It is not easy running a small business. It can be lonely, and fraught with risk. Look at what you are offering – do offer local options? Partner with local suppliers.

Open when people need you. A lot of people still work 9 to5, so if you close at 5, and they get home at 6, what chance have you got to sell to them? Open later a couple of days a week. Let them order online, by email, phone, message service, and deliver it that evening. Make buying from you the easy option – they will become loyal customers and sing your praises.

The Public

Buy British. Buy European where appropriate. Get seasonal, and support local where ever possible: local shops and producers. The local butcher might be a bit more expensive than the supermarket, but the quality is far higher, and most of the money goes into the local economy, not corporate coffers.

Proudly buy local, tell people – lets have an attitude switch.

Prices are not going to change

None of this will change the prices. Price rises are difficult to handle, but quality remains important. By supporting British farming, and where possible supporting local, and adding measures to look after the countryside, we help maintain the long term viability of domestic supply.

Longer term this will make food prices more resilient to external forces. We will always be reliant on some external food sources – grains, for instance – but we can ensure that they are good quality, and from stable supply.

The side benefit is that it will support our green and pleasant land that we are so justifiably proud of.

It will let future generations enjoy views of trees on distant hills. Fields surrounded by fruitful hedges full of bird song. Clear, clean rivers, sparkling reflections, refreshing, full of fish and life. Meadows in flower in the summer, the air filled with the sweet scent of nectar and notes of hay: butterflies and bees doing their business.

Then home, or possibly a local pub (if there are any left) to eat and taste the land, air and water that we live on, and supports our very existence.

We owe our very existence to that top six inches of soil, and the custodians of the land – our farmers.

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Afterword

Do you have a different opinion? Is what is written above a load of manure?

Or, do you have the urge to write in more detail about a particular aspect above?

Maybe you are a farmer, I would love you hear and tell people about your experience.

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Contact me – I want to hear from you. I want to give a voice to those working the land and working in the countryside or rural communities. The above is just my opinion with some research.

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