The Clerk in the Country

Friday 16th October 2020

Feeding the 12000

Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed that the slides from the Zoom presentation given to Society members by farmer Richard Bramley on 7th October are now available on our website (use the link in last week’s blog and scroll down to the bottom of the page).  We’re very grateful to Richard for sharing this with us.

If nothing else, I recommend that you look at page 11 of the PDF, where Richard has set out what he produces in a normal year in terms that a non-agriculturalist can understand.  Much has been heard this summer in the media about the benefits for both our physical and mental health of growing our own food in our gardens, allotments and window boxes, not to mention foraging.  Very true though this is, a few herbs in a pretty pot, or even a large enough crop of vegetables to share a surplus with neighbours, will not keep us going for very long.  To sustain a town for a year, we need the professionals.

Of course, as Richard pointed out last week, his figures relate to a normal year and 2020 has been far from that; “the worst harvest in living memory” as even 80-year olds are calling it.  Scroll through to page 16 to see what he had to contend with in spring or watch his video, accessible from the second link at the bottom of our page.

And while enjoying your home-grown carrots, tomatoes and basil, don’t forget also to appreciate bread, beer, beans, peas and porridge!