TOWARDS ZERO CARBON AGRICULTURE

Last Friday I joined bosses Richard & Tom for a road trip to Fir Farm in Gloucestershire for the Sustainable Food Trust & NFU conference on how we might achieve net zero carbon emissions agriculture.

 I must confess to finding it to be a monumentally emotional event. It feels like we are looking into a future of pure, writhing Hell if we do not drive enormous change in our habits. Fortunately, the green food & farming revolution that has been simmering away for decades is about to engulf the status quo.

 Until last week, one could not have imagined the President of the NFU making an impassioned keynote speech at such a gathering, and then for her to be followed onto the stage by the co-founder of the Extinction Rebellion movement. But, thanks to anthropomorphic climate change, farming norms are being stood on their heads and yesterday's meeting felt like a significant line was drawn in the sand. Things will necessarily be different from here.

 On a personal note, I happened to find a new Spiritual Leader in the form of the economist Dieter Helm (for a long while my Spiritual Leader has been a Welsh Black cow called Grassy Tail), who delivered two compelling talks that spelled-out clearly and brutally how the future for food producers will be, with a central tenet being the concept of Polluter Pays.

 And with that concept now hurtling into law, UK food and farming is just about to venture into verdant new realms. The only fear is that a no-deal Brexit occurs and consequently the doors will be open to "cheap" food produced in an ecologically devastating manner which prices British agriculture into nonexistence.

 Of course, I was too busy having my brain expanded/fighting back the tears to take photos, so here, instead, is a photo from half way up Creech Hill this morning, looking out over Milton and Manor Farms.

 When I come to be too old to dream, I shouldn't wonder that this view will feature a great many more trees, the cows will be slightly smaller and of a red roan aspect while the cheeses of Westcombe will sing an ever sweeter, more delicious song.