Currently farm free range hens and arable both coventionally and organically. Not looking for an anti organic debate. I am a purely economic organic farmer ! At this time of year when having made what seems like a million passes with the sprayer and fert spreader thro wheat to nurse it I do feel frustrated that conventional crops are stuck on the commodity tread mill. What a shame we can't create a less intensive brand for our produce, that would command the respect of the consumer and an important premium for doing it, but without all the restrictions and sillyness of organic schemes. The free range hen equivalent for wheat !!!! At the moment any environmental improvements by min tilling and using low doses of agchem is a spin off of keeping production costs down rather than receiving a premium for the benefits it provides. What do you all think. If it was to be more profitable to be in yet another scheme - in which fert and agchem applications are restricted would you do it.?

Jordans at Biggleswade were douing such a thing and calling it conservation grade. Trouble is like so many other things the market for such produce is limited as most people buy solely on price their nesxt hol;iday is far more important than considerations of care for animals environment etc

I think we have got to find a middle ground. ICM is a step in the right direction and I believe that LEAF are doing a great job in promoting environmentally aware agriculture. From what I have seen so far we will all have to go down this route if we want to claim our single farm payment (cross compliance). Now that we have got bigger growers converting to organic production for economic reasons (rather than ethical) we are begining to see some interesting technical advances in the sector.

If bigger growers are converting, then its all doomed, the super markets will get their organic supplies at the same price as conventional, and will leave UK farmers with yet another production cost increase with no benefit.