The days are long and hot, the air is full of dust and the fields are alive with the to and fro of machinery. The harvest is underway and while it’s the busiest time of the year for Britain’s arable farmers, it’s also the season when agriculture is on show to the public.
For most people, farming takes place out of sight and largely out of mind. And no wonder, when 85% of the UK population lives in towns and cities. But in the height of summer when crops of all types are being picked, plucked, cut and carried, farming is visible to millions in a way it isn’t at any other time of year.
It started weeks ago when straw-cutting began and suddenly motorists could spot trucks loaded high with straw bales for the first time this year, or glance enormous mounds of straw rolled in the fields waiting to be collected. It always brings a glimpse of the country to the morning commute. Of course, hay merchants are busy year-round, sourcing or selling cut and baled grass for animal food and winter rations, but the flurry of activity when the hay is fresh is impossible to ignore.
A few weeks later and that occasional glimpse of farming life is now a rush; combines work the fields until long after sunset, the wheat and barley harvest requires a small fleet of trucks, tractors and trailers to move the grain from field to farm, summer fruits and fresh veg are delivered to supermarkets day and night, and wherever you live there’s every chance that the van ahead of you at the traffic lights is taking peas, lettuce or tomatoes to a local market.
At a time when food is making the news – the cost, availability and origins of what we eat make headlines on a daily basis – I think it’s important that the way British produce is sourced and sold is seen by customers.
In summer, farming is on display in other ways, too. The agricultural show season is vital for promoting and explaining every aspect of agriculture and horticulture, from the Royal Cornwall Show in Wadebridge to the Caithness Show in Wick. My local event is the Three Counties Show at Malvern and I’ve been going there since I was a lad. This summer, I spent a lot of time in the Future Farming Zone where the big issues were debated and the best ideas exchanged between farmers and agri-professionals on stage in an enormous tented theatre.
Now, you might think a serious discussion about sustainable technology or post-Brexit trade might struggle to attract an audience when competing with popular distractions such as quad-bike stunt riders, monster machinery displays and the Red Devils parachute team. Not a bit of it. There were crowds of visitors, eager to learn about farming innovation and I was encouraged to hear really informed and searching questions from the public on everything from soil health to the evolving artificial intelligence revolution.
A recurring theme was how farmers balance the need to produce enough affordable food with the requirement for ‘public good’, such as new flower meadows and wildlife habitats. Farmers have been aware of the challenge for a while, but it’s a discussion that has only recently started among consumers. People getting a chance to see farming in action and becoming part of the national conversation about food is positive for all involved.
