David's Digest

Every year the Royal Norfolk Show runs competitions for schools based around food, farming and the countryside. Pupils are encouraged to research issues of their own choice and then present their findings at the annual Show. Such entries are clearly guided by teachers and that means they get to learn things too.

Last week at the County's highly successful Show this worthwhile tradition was continued and although it is probably invidious to mention just one entry I do not apologise for reporting on the historic presentation from Acle school not far from Gt Yarmouth that jumped out at me - because I was there!.

The pupils had chosen to feature the "Dig for Victory" campaign launched to help feed the nation during the 2nd World War. They had researched what went on during those years and found press cuttings and government pronouncements about how ordinary citizens could produce food from their gardens and allotments.

They recorded how this effort was led by farmers who responded magnificently to the challenge of keeping the nation fed in the face of German U Boat attacks on convoys of ships bringing in food from abroad, mainly America. They disclosed that there were some periods during the conflict when Britain was just a few days from running out of food. And they wrote about rationing to preserve what stocks were available.

It was a particularly timely topic for those of us who think a few years ahead to when this country might again be faced with a similar situation - too little food for a hungry nation. And I encouraged the pupils to spread their message as widely as possible so that more consumers come to understand the need for domestic food production, a minimum level of self sufficiency and adopt a habit of buying home produced food to encourage those who grow it to supply even more when its needed.

A survey on farmer favourability conducted for the NFU has shown that consumers opinions on our industry are improving. They are, according to England Marketing who asked the questions, increasingly aware of the importance of farmers in improving food security, quality and freshness. Virtually all responses showed UK farmers in a more favourable light than at this time last year.

Some 84% of respondents now believe farming will become increasingly important over coming years while 59% agree that farmers treat their animals well and are doing a good job of protecting the countryside and helping in the battle against climate change.

Significantly, given the NFU's strong advocacy of a supermarket watchdog, 76%, 9% more than last year, believed supermarkets were driving UK farmers out of business.

Other selected findings indicate that 77% of consumers prefer British produce to imported; 96% said growing crops was more important than maintaining footpaths; 89% said farmers should regard using pesticides safely as a top priority; and over 80% would not object strongly if genetically modified crops were grown in this country, with 56% saying their trust in farmers would not be undermined if they grew them. Moreover, 11% said GM crops were the future of farming.

More generally, 73% of the public described their view of farmers as favourable. This compares with 67% in 2005. All of which sounds like good news - always provided those consumers, and more particularly the retailers from whom they buy their groceries, are prepared to pay fair prices to suppliers.

I honestly never thought it would be possible. But in this weeks (17July) Farmers Weekly on page 72 there is an article about an American inventer, Alvin Snaper, who claims to be able to dry grain on a combine as it is operating at a speed that is already approaching the capacity of todays big machines.

By harnessing waste heat from the engine alongside microwave technology he claims to be able to dry up to 10% of moisture out of grain in the four minutes it takes to pass through the mechanism at 36t/hour. And this is only a proptotype! The implication is that the rate could increase once the technology has been perfected.

The trouble is the inventer has run out of funds to complete the development. But surely an invention like that, if its genuine, would attract any number of investors - well, as many as there are major manufacturers of combines anyway.  And the likely cost of £37,000 per machine, on top of the price of the combine, looks reasonable to me. If, as I say, its not a send-up.

I went to the Game Fair for the first time in several years. Set in the beautiful countryside around Belvoir castle it was much bigger than I remember it and from the size of the crowd and the almost palpable enjoyment being had by all was clearly successful.

I was there to take part in a FW sponsored debate on food security - of which more elsewhere on this site. Afterwards I was interviewed for a radio station and the interviewer, who clearly had a lot of time to fill, went on asking me questions for ages. Among other things he wanted to know why so many people came to such an event, run as it is by landowners and toffs.

My reply was that virtually all those who attended were clearly country people. Yes, there were plenty of toffs around but there were gamekeepers, beaters, picker-uppers, horse and dog lovers and so on. In short the entire crowd were country lovers in whichever category. That was what united them and why the Game Fair works so well as an event.

I am aware, of course, that this could be construed as a weakness; that countryside interests need to improve relationships with urban dwellers and help them understand what makes us tick. But maybe thats for another day, another occasion. In the meantime we rural types were very happy in one anothers company over the weekend.

So, the Met office has had to eat humble pie over its forecast of a "barbecue" summer. "We only used the word to help tabloids with their headlines" they bleat. "And it was hot for a couple of weeks in June".

If thats the best they can do with the help of millions of pounds worth of satellite technology and hundreds if not thousands of scientists and forecasters, I have to wonder if all the effort is worthwhile. When I was a boy we had to rely on sayings like "red sky at night, shepherds delight" and "rain before seven stops by eleven". Whats more those old sayings are a pretty good guide to whats going to happen.

And when it comes to forecasting summer weather the traditional rule that says if its raining on July 15th - St Swithins day - it will be unsettled for forty days - is usually correct. And surprise, surprise, without giving any credit to the Saint, thats exactly what the Met office has now come up with. "It will be unsettled but there may be a period of hot, dry weather towards the end of August."

All I can say is come back St Swithin, all is forgiven. And lets save some money on the Met Office.