July 2008 Archives

Jimmy Doherty's Farming Heroes (Tuesday evenings on BBC2) has certainly been getting people talking on the FWi forums. The programme seems to be going down really well.

I must say, having spent some time with him a couple of weeks ago, that he seems a thoroughly nice bloke.

Now I know Field Day readers sometimes tell me they want more kit mentioned on here - so here, if you like your machinery, are details of the world's biggest combine harvester.

I very much doubt if it was this model that The Wurzels were singing about.

The Cornish Pasty Association is a step closer to attaining PGI status for its pasties after DEFRA confirmed that it is backing its application and will be sending it to the European Commission for final approval.

DEFRA's support is a big landmark in the CPA's application and should secure the Association's bid to allow only pasty makers that make Cornish pasties in Cornwall in a traditional manner and to a traditional recipe, to use the term 'Cornish Pasty' in their branding and marketing. 

Over 86 million such pasties are collectively produced by the CPA members in the county every year, says Angie Coombs of the CPA.

"All the members source a large percentage of ingredients locally and are important providers of year-round employment," she says.

"Consumer demand is growing for Cornish pasties.  Partly due to the number of retail pasty outlets nationwide and also overseas but also because of increased interest from the supermarkets who have changed their buying practises to allow for more regionalism." 

A genuine Cornish pasty has a distinctive 'D' shape and is crimped on one side, never on top.

We've had the albino squirrel and the white-breasted robin.

Now, white lion cubs. All together now: aaaaarrrhhhh.

Here's some video footage from the Game Fair. I make what I think in film circles is known as a cameo appearance: basically I'm in shot for about two seconds!

You can see news and photos from the event here.

I can't believe how busy it's been at the Game Fair today. There were so many people you could barely walk along some of the avenues at times.

Strikes me that this event is going from strength to strength - it's a great day out and it tailors everything to what its visitors want (it knows, as the marketeers might say, its demographic). Other shows should take note! 

Good to see there were bottles of water being handed out free to punters as they went in this morning - a small gesture, but a nice touch. They certainly have been needed. Many people were also wishing they'd remembered their suntan lotion!

The delays getting onto the site weren't anywhere nearly as bad as yesterday morning, either.

My one criticism is the entry price. £25 for an adult on Friday (reduced to £20 for either Saturday or Sunday) seems a bit steep.

Other than that, it's been great - and tomorrow, which is the last day, looks set to draw in big numbers of visitors again. My highlights - other than meeting Bernard Cribbins, of course - were tasting some positively divine cheeses and seeing all the different breeds of dog.

Unfortunately, I missed the Shooting Times party on Friday night which I gather is the drinks gathering not to be missed at the Fair. Apparently Lembit Opik was there, enjoying the hospitality (minus the cheeky girl).

You can see more news and loads of photos here.

The Game Fair is always good for celeb spotting. Here's me and my new friend, Bernard Cribbins.

So, I'm here at one of my favourite events of the year, the CLA Game Fair.

It's at the beautiful Blenheim Palace and now I'm here, it's great. Sadly it took rather than longer than expected to get here. The traffic was carnage: it took over two hours to do the last five miles. Lots of hot cars and impatient people.

I've had a wander and am looking forward to the rest of today and tomorrow here. Here's all the news and photos.

So, here's the Jimmy Doherty interview in full. The next episode of the show is on Tuesday, 9pm on BBC2.

What's it been like making the TV show?

It's been a lot of fun, but a lot of hard work. We must have been to over 60 farms - it's been really difficult to choose which ones to pick.

The whole series isn't about showing, say, great organic or free-range producers - or the kind of things I'm doing - it's about showing the reality of farming and what really goes on out there and just how diverse it is. It's absolutely outstanding what goes on.

I showed a clip to a friend of mine who's farmed in this area for a good couple of generations and he said: I can't believe what goes on and he's farmed all his life.

The general public, when they sit on the train or go along a motorway, just see green fields or tractors or black-and-white cows. They're not sure what really goes on.

We go to the West country. There are lots of small farms there and lots of them have gone organic. We're not saying: Organic, this is how you should be, or any righteous kind of thing, but asking: Why are you organic? What benefits do you get?

It about not putting any assumptions on anything. That's quite important. So many programmes are like that.

There will be an organic farmer who's frank about why we should be organic. That's a valid opinion and it should be out there, the same as how we've increased wheat production by conventional means and why we've had to do that.

For a lot of farmers out there, doing it day in day out, there's no one saying: Look what these guys are doing. No one's saying: It's amazing, look what's been achieved over the years. Well done.

When you arrive at a farm, there's always a little bit of suspicion at the cameras and how's it going to be portrayed. Once you show that you're open and interested, farmers are so excited to tell you about what they're doing.

We went to this Aberdeen Angus breeder and his father started singing about them in the kitchen - he was so enthusiastic to talk about it. And I think it's important that farmers get a chance to do that.

I've just done all the voiceovers. That knackers you out - sitting in a room for 10 hours talking non stop.

The worse thing about the programme is that we can't put everyone it. It would have been great to have had an hour on red tape - but people wouldn't have watched that.

The idea came up two years ago. There was a discussion of what we could do, what would be viable, what channel would be interested in it. We wondered: Will this work and will the general public be interested? You soon realise the huge matrix of interesting stories out there.

It nearly didn't happen, but once the stories started coming through, the BBC said: This is amazing.

A straight documentary about farming - at first you'd think it was a hard sell, but once you start talking to someone about it and the importance of it, they realise this is essential rather than having to try to sell it.

It's almost an issue that's been skirted round for a long time. Think about a programme like Coast. We've had three or four series of it and now gone round the UK God knows how many times. But no one's looked at the interior and the majority is farming landscape. We need to know what goes on.

Filming alone, it's about three weeks per region and that's when we've decided which farmers we're going to see and what stories we're going to show. The research beforehand is vast and the preparation. Once I've done my bit, they go back and do all the aerials with the helicopter.

Why do you see food production as so important?

Without organised agriculture, we just wouldn't be here. It's the basis of civilisation. Once you view it like that, it's very humbling.

If you go to other countries - and I'm doing a documentary about GM at the moment and have been to Uganda and Argentina and the US - it's interesting because in Uganda, for example, 80% of people are involved with it. It's like: These are the guys who make the world go round. But here we seem to have forgotten that.

I farm this way because this is how I want to farm. This is my particular choice. There shouldn't be a 'them and an us' approach.

It's a bit like the organics people. There's a big divide between them and the conventional; producers. It's the wrong attitude. Because at the end of the day, everyone's in the same boat of producing food that people want for whatever niche it is - or indeed mainstream.

Been having a think about some of the noises I love and loathe in the countryside. Here are three of each:

Love:
* The sudden silence after you switch a combine or tractor off after it's been running for hours
* Woodpigeons in the evening
* A dog's bark from a distance

Loathe:
* A fox screeching
* Fireworks (especially when it's not even the right time of year)
* Hot-air balloons

Wow, beavers have been born in this country - the first time it's happened for hundreds of years.

Snails - if you don't want to eat the caviar, you could always try your hand at racing them.

Saturday saw the World Snail Racing Championships at Congham in Norfolk. This annual event is part of the Congham Fete and sees the slimy creatures slug it out.

Up to 300 snails enter the race, in the hope of winning the title, Fastest Snail in the World. They race over a 13-inch course - and the winner receives a silver tankard stuffed with lettuce.

This year's winner was a snail called Heika, owned by 13-year-old Georgia Brow.

The current record-holder is Archie, who completed the course in just two minutes back in 1995.

Well, I got to see Jimmy Doherty on Friday. Spent a couple of hours with him at his farm. It was a fascinating afternoon - I've just got to finish writing the article up now! Full chapter and verse on him will follow shortly...

He's a really nice bloke and he gave me some delicious grub to take home - some Ipswich Super Blue Pork Sausages, some Old Colchester Forest bacon and a couple of bottles of Flying Pig beer. Lovely. Who says the press can't be bought!

After a mad flurry of calls and emails between me and his PR firm, I've managed to fix up the interview with Jimmy Doherty - the guy whose new series Jimmy Doherty's Farming Heroes started on tv this week. 

I'm really looking forward to meeting him. Only problem is, it's tomorrow. Ah well, nothing like short notice to focus the mind. If you've got any specific questions you'd like me ask him, just let me know...

This is a good idea for an article (that's another way of saying I wish I'd thought of it!)

This week's Country Life has done a feature on the rural noises we love and hate. You can even listen to them.

I'll have a think about my favourite and least-liked ones. In the meantime, I notice the frontispiece in this week's mag, Miss Rosie de Pelet, is the "younger daughter of Comte and Comtesse Michael de Pelet". Anyone know what the hell a Comte or a Comtesse is?

According to the National Trust, kids are increasingly out of touch with the countryside. They're far more likely to be able to recognise a Dalek than an oak leaf. 

Looking at this photo of a Dalek now, it's seems extraordinary that they once terrified me as much as they did. I mean, all you'd need to do to outwit them is walk up some steps.

They couldn't conquer anywhere - except, I guess, the Fens.

It's bad news for woodland birds, according to a new survey.

I know I've been moaning about the cost of cats, but one look at this Ugliest Dog competition on The Sun's website has reminded me why I prefer them to dogs.

The dog that's No 2 on the slideshow is horrific. I can't believe it's real...

Big knickers are back in fashion and Bridget Jones could be taking a starring role at the Berkshire Show (September 20-21) with a competition to find the "best dressed pants".

The fun contest, run by the Women's Institute, follows a similar 'best dressed bra' competition at the 2006 show and will raise awareness for ovarian, prostate and testicular cancer.

The Game-to-Eat campaign has launched its 7th annual recipe booklet, highlighting tempting recipes such as pan-seared pheasant with bacon and figs, and roast partridge with thyme butter, wild mushrooms and parsnip puree ahead of the new shooting season.

I love this picture. It's a guy called George Thompson and he's one of the three finalists in the Farmers Weekly/CLA Gamekeeper of the Year 2008 competition.

Matthew Naylor (who many of you will know because of my run-ins with him over cats) is a man of many talents.

As well as growing some beautiful flowers, he also - along with a couple of other farmers - makes a podcast called Pure Tilth - the fresh voice for food. It's well worth a listen.

The theme tune to the podcast has caused some discussion, though. Guy Smith (he's the bloke who wrote the NFU book, remember... do try to keep up) compared it to the music from Deliverance, which is a little cruel but he's got a point.

Anyone interested in the NFU (and indeed the changes in farming over the past 100 years) might want to get hold of this new book by Guy Smith, From Campbell to Kendall: A History of the NFU. 

If you're a big fan of the organisation, you could even read it while you're drinking a glass of the ale specially brewed to celebrate its centenary.

Time for a change of career, I reckon.

What's promoted this? Well, I'll tell you what - another trip to the flippin vet's, that's what.

Now I know this is a subject I've moaned about before but at least then the poor little buggers were ill, so I couldn't begrudge a big bill too much. This morning was just routine, though, just a check-up. 

I should have known they were buttering me up for something when two letters arrived in the post recently addressed to 'Parsley Relf' and 'Nutmeg Relf', informing them that they should remind me that their annual health check and booster vaccinations were due.

So, half an hour at the surgery, a quick poke and prod, one worm tablet each, a quick jab and a little box of wormer/flea stuff to take away and, bish bash bosh, another £161 goes into the bottomless hole that is cat ownership.

OK, first things first. I'm not on a commission from the Telegraph here - but I am going to give you another link to their website because these pictures of an owl eating a weasel are amazing.

Reminded me a bit of the cormorant swallowing the pike photo.

Perhaps this amazing story throws some light on why the bullock was on the beach in the first place.

If it's anything like this bull, which dived into a swimming pool, it obviously was just keen to have a swim!

This is just wrong.

I know we've had the massive bullock (yes, I was very careful how I typed that) but now it's a gargantuan sheep.

After last year's successful Falconry Festival, the organisers have announced they'll be holding the event again on July 11-12 next year.

You can't say they're not giving us plenty of notice!

I like this.

Top sporting artist Rodger McPhail has painted a wildfowling scene to help celebrate the centenary of BASC (formerly WAGBI).

It'll feature on the cover of the centenary issue of Shooting & Conservation, BASC's bi-monthly mag and a limited edition of 100 prints will be available to buy from October 1, at a cost of £75 each.

All proceeds will go towards the centenary appeal to raise funds for the new BASC communications centre.

You can order a print by calling 01244 573027. Two framed copies of the print will be available to buy at the CLA Game Fair.

Remember the Bromsgrove Young Farmers and their 23-seater bike, well they've been busy again.

Last weekend they held a charity ball and raised £1800 for Air Ambulance and Acorns Children's Hospice.

It was a great chance to get their DJs and posh frocks on - pictured here are club chairman Katie Brian (right) and vice chairman Emma Crawford.

The amount they've raised for charity this year has now topped £6000, through a variety of methods including carol singing and making a naked calendar.

How's this for a farming-themed wedding?

When Tom and Nicola Jenkins (nee Lewis) got married recently, the bride and groom arrived at the church in a horse-drawn carriage and a Valtra N121 tractor respectively. The cake even had sheep as the bride and groom on the top tier.

I know cows are partly to blame for methane emissions, but strapping one of these to the poor devil's back is hardly going to help now, is it. If anything's going to make the creature break wind, I'd have thought it would be that...

Not quite as specialist as the conference dedicated to dormice, admittedly, but it still made me smile to hear there is a British Leafy Salads conference on Wednesday 19th November 2008.

Is it me, or is there something a bit scary about this image?

I've been one of the judges in the 'Young Farmer of the Year' category Farmers Weekly Awards.

It's always one of the most hotly contested categories (there are 14 this year) and it's the one I was most hoping I'd be involved with because, without getting all misty-eyed about this, it's positively inspiring.

Anyone who's 35 or under was eligible to enter - and winning (in fact, even getting in the top three) is a huge achievement.

It's been a long process. Firstly, there was task of sifting through every submission as we whittled down the entries to an initial longlist.

Three judges have been involved throughout: myself; the deputy principal at the Royal Agricultural College, Professor Paul Davies; and last year's winner, Lancashire farmer Phil Halhead, who also runs Norbreck Genetics.  We've been supported by Gary Henly representing the category sponsor Massey Ferguson.

Inevitably, we had slightly different approaches - but ultimately we all wanted the same thing: a progressive, talented farmer who was already making a real difference to a business. Someone, in other words, who had the potential to become (if they weren't already) one of the best farmers in their sector.

Cue lots of reading, lots of deliberation and lots of emails and phone calls between judges. We had some very impressive entries and eventually picked our best three. So, we had our shortlist.

We then embarked on a massive road (and air) trip, to see our trio. We've been to West Sussex, North Yorkshire and Perthshire and visited three very different businesses. We've spend time in farm offices, cattle sheds, potato storage houses, arable fields...  We had hours of discussion in hotel bars and dining rooms. It's a cliche - but reaching a decision was agony. All three deserved to win - but ultimately (as they say at the Oscars and at the Booker) a competition can have only one winner.

We discussed it, agreed on some things, disagreed on others, discussed it a bit more, slept on it, had more discussion and found a consensus with which we were all happy. We had a winner.

Anyone see those adverts the NFU placed in the national press yesterday? Very hard-hitting.

Haven't talked about my moggies for a while so I reckon a mention must be due (if only to bait cat-hating farmer Matthew Naylor).

So, two bits of feline news:

1. Parsley has made an appearance on Tom Cox's fab Little Cat Dairies blog (as a contender in the Hard Cats competition).

2. Both Nutmeg and Parsley are going to be featured in the August issue of Cat World (which goes on sale at the end of this week). And for a cat, that's the equivalent of getting into Hello! or OK!

I really must think about getting them an agent!

Milk-fed lamb and pickled conger eel with soy sauce, anyone?

Obviously the G8 leaders aren't following the trend towards simple food this week.

I've heard of lots of places to hold an art exbibition - but never in a cattle market.

This is what's happening, though, at Skipton in North Yorkshire on August 16-17, when the venue plays host to the 'Art in the Pen' fair.

Forget snail caviar and crocodile steaks, we're getting less - rather than more - imaginative in the kitchen.

New research from Oxo shows that today's typical meal uses seven ingredients - half of what went into a 1950s offering.

You can find bats in the belfries of country churches - and, it seems, in bras.

If the sound of snail caviar appeals to you, then 'Alternative Meats' might be the sort of place you'll like to do your shopping.

They bill themselevs as being 'deliciously different' - and, with zebra fillets and crocodile steaks on the product list, I guess that's a claim they can legitimately make!

Students on the first year national diploma in land-based technology at Wiltshire College recently stripped and transformed a 1960 Massey Ferguson 35 tractor in just 22 hours.

Starting at 6am, staff and students got to work dismantling the vintage tractor donated by David Keene of Henley-on-Thames.

Talking of food, here's an odd one. I'm reliably informed that Harrods (not a shop I frequent very often, admittedly!) has a new delicacy on offer - snail's caviar. The price? It's £65 for 30g.

According to the swanky London retailer, snail's eggs are "reminscent of a walk in the forest after rain".

It'll take more than a bit of PR prose to convince me to try it, I'm afraid!

I find it hard to drive past a farmshop without stopping. And I had a rather splendid pork pie from this place recently - so if you're ever in that part of Cambridgeshire, it's well worth a look...

Or that bullock, when it was stranded on the beach, could maybe have taken a lead (no pun intended) from these dogs in America - and gone surfing. 

This is sad news - Clive Hornby, who plays Jack Sugden on Emmerdale, has died.

I only met him once when I interviewed him for an article but immediately warmed to him.  

Another amazing rescue story - this time a bullock from the bottom of a cliff.

They could have saved themselves the trouble and barbecued it on the beach!

Forget the Cannes and Sundance movie festivals - you can get to see a film premiere at this summer's Game Fair.

It follows the recent tradition of innovative UK animations, and has a cast of native British bugs and animals made of recycled cardboard against the real background of an ancient, hollow tree.

The short animated film, called Reliable and tidy hoverfly looking for a place to live was made and directed by three young film-makers, and was commissioned by the Woodland Trust.

Watch out - bird thieves are roaming the countryside.

My pal Richard (who knows eveything there is to know about poultry) tells me the bird pictured above is a Satsumadori.

In terms of sheer unadulteratde cuteness when it comes to poultry, though, I reckon you'd have to go a long way to beat the little beauty below. It's a magpie duck.

I've always had a bit of a thing about Patsy Palmer (you know, her off EastEnders).

I know this probably puts me in a minority (a minority of one, so people tell me) but I was pleased to see she's supporting the 5 A Day fruit and veg campaign.

Writing this blog post therefore makes me happy for two reason - firstly because I can give a mention to the gorgeous Patsy, and secondly because I can finally fulfil a request from Adam (see his comment on this post) and publish a picture of a redhead on Field Day.

Defra has today announced how former members of the Women's Land Army and Women's Timber Corps will receive their long-awaited badge of honour.

A ceremony will be held at 10 Downing Street on July 23 for around 50 Land Girls from across the country representing their former colleagues.

They will meet the Prime Minister and Environment Secretary Hilary Benn, and be presented with their badges.

Land Girls across the nation will then be sent their badge and a certificate in the following weeks, and events will then be held in every region to celebrate this formal recognition of the Women's Land Army's role in the war effort.

Over 29,000 applications for the badge have so far been received.