VIDEO: Farmer mocks supermarkets over horsemeat
A Herefordshire sheep farmer has come up with an original and heartfelt response to the horsemeat scandal.
Russ Whistance, who runs 500 ewes at Garway, feels so strongly about the crisis that he has made his own video and posted it on YouTube.
Called Tasty Horsey and set to the Gangnam Style soundtrack by Psy, the video is his personal manifesto to “show that supermarkets use their power irresponsibly to dupe consumers and mistreat producers”
Russ wrote the song lyrics, devised the choreography, directed and produced the video himself, using a hand-held camera given to him for Christmas.
In it, you see Russ leaping about the hills dressed as a horse and leading a gang of local friends in the Gangnam dance moves. They also helped him film undercover in the local supermarket and edit the footage.
Altogether it took four days to make the video and it quickly notched up well over 1,000 views.
The film is designed to appeal to a young audience and come across as a bit of fun (one background poster reads “Every little hoax”), but the aim is serious: to get people to think about the real cost of food.
In the video, Russ pits “No Taste, No Nutrition, No standards Supermarket Pie” against local food that is good for “welfare, health and land”.
“There is a disconnect between largely urban consumers and rural food producers,” he adds. “I want them to understand what good food is for them and the land.”
Russ, who is studying for an MA in sustainable development, sells his lamb at local markets. “I like to engage with people and get feedback from my customers,” he says. “I also prefer to use local shops. Supermarkets are convenient, but often they are a false economy.
“Anyway, after ‘Tasty Horsey,’ I’ll probably be banned from my local supermarket,” he jokes.
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