Info, news & debate

Animals



Cow-calf dairying part 1: the difference between conventional and humanely-produced milk

| 15

This is the first in a series of articles looking at the practicalities of producing ethical, cruelty-free milk by allowing dairy cows to keep their calves. In this post we cover why conventional dairy cows don’t keep their calves and why humanely-produced milk using cow-calf dairying is rare and costs much more to produce.

Read more about Cow-calf dairying part 1: the difference between conventional and humanely-produced milk



How the study of animal behaviour (ethology) can help you keep livestock more ethically and sustainably

| 1

I want to talk about something which can help us design more ethical and sustainable ways of keeping our livestock. It is a subject that has always fascinated me and, if you keep animals, I think you will find it fascinating too. It is the is the study the behaviour of animals, particularly in their

Read more about How the study of animal behaviour (ethology) can help you keep livestock more ethically and sustainably


Vital foreign labour in action: Romanian workers harvest the grape crop in an English vineyard in Sussex.

Should we be reliant on cheap foreign labour to work on our farms, or is there a better way to feed ourselves?

| 9

Recently The Guardian ran an article by John Harris called “They say after Brexit there’ll be food rotting in the fields. It’s already started.” To summarise, John is saying Brexit has made the UK look an unfriendly place to our European neighbours and with the increasing financial fortunes of eastern European nations, farm workers are

Read more about Should we be reliant on cheap foreign labour to work on our farms, or is there a better way to feed ourselves?




A herd of sheep grazing overlooking the sea

Grazing: why simulating wild herds maximises benefits for farmers, livestock and ecology

| 0

“Many sheep farmers waste more than a third of the grass on their farm because they do not plan grazing wisely.” This is according to Susan Buckingham, extension officer at the Institute of Biological, Environment and Rural Sciences’ Grassland Development Centre

Read more about Grazing: why simulating wild herds maximises benefits for farmers, livestock and ecology


Sheep shearing in action

The sheep shearing season: an interview and photo story

| 3

The year’s sheep shearing season is almost at an end. This week, our friends at Indie Farmer shared with us their sheep shearing photo story and interview with Ed Gingell, the so-called ‘Lewis Hamilton’ of sheep shearing, who visited Hockham Farm in 2015 to shear the flock and returned again to do the same just

Read more about The sheep shearing season: an interview and photo story


Cows in a meadow

Groundswell: an agricultural show for no-till, organic farming with cover crops and grass-fed animals

| 1

A groundswell of farmers around the world are working out how to farm in a more ecologically-friendly way. One of the farmers leading the farming revolution in the UK is John Cherry, who has set up a 2-day conference on his farm in Hertfordshire, 28th and 29th of June.

Read more about Groundswell: an agricultural show for no-till, organic farming with cover crops and grass-fed animals

Farm Hack Cover Crop Roller Open Source Agriculture

Farm Hack : growing innovative open-source agriculture

| 0

In response to the pervasive reach of the global agro-industrial complex, growing numbers of farmers across the world are coming together as co-operative organisations to promote and protect small-scale organic food production and environmental stewardship. We take a look below at some of the groups promoting open source agriculture with farmer driven technologies, spearheaded by the

Read more about Farm Hack : growing innovative open-source agriculture

Boots and tea

Smallholding with heart: advice about getting and running a smallholding from Janet Jenkins of Cuckoo Farm

| 0

Embarking on a new life in the countryside, away from the trappings of urban existence, is a dream increasingly common to many. This week we interviewed Janet Jenkins about her and her family’s smallholding journey, putting the heart back into the land at Cuckoo Farm.

Read more about Smallholding with heart: advice about getting and running a smallholding from Janet Jenkins of Cuckoo Farm