A day spent on farms across West Dorset offered a rare opportunity for council leadership to see rural realities first-hand. Tim Gelfs, chair of Dorset NFU, says local voices may finally be shaping future decisions.
Back at the end of February, we held a meeting with some councillors and Dorset Council’s newly appointed CEO, Dr Catherine Howe. Various topics were on the table for discussion, as normal, and midway through I suggested it would be good for Catherine to come out on farm and see for herself what’s happening in the rural community.
Two weeks later I had an email from Catherine, asking me to arrange a day of farm visits. Fast forward to the end of July and the day had arrived – and what a successful day it turned out to be! We visited local farms in West Dorset, starting at a laying farm, moving through to a council tenant pedigree beef farm, then on to look at arable and the Melplash Cooperative grain store before finishing off on a dairy farm discussing issues with water, slurry stores and the milk market.
The only disappointment was when we went to a field of spring barley to get Catherine to try her hand at combining: can you believe it rained? Sod’s Law well and truly in action!
For lunch we were in Melplash, gathering with local farmers in the classroom at Discover Farming. A discussion on education and agri careers ranged, before ending with an inspirational talk from newcomer to farming Sam Edwards, who spoke about high genetics in sheep and her family’s passion and determination to make a success of farming. Throughout the day we talked about many issues facing not only farmers but the wider rural community. Planning issues were covered, and Council farms were high on the list of topics discussed (all I would say, if you are a frustrated council tenant reading this, is watch this space!).
Actually on our side
It was refreshing to talk to someone at the council about more than just nature recovery. Although very important, Catherine really wanted to talk about how the council could make it easier for us to have successful businesses, and she recognised the importance of farms to local communities.
Food resilience was one topic that recurred throughout the day. How do we make Dorset more resilient?
There are many small, successful projects across the county, but how do we join them up and fill the gaps to create the resilience we need?
We talked about the need for better infrastructure: it’s all very well rearing or growing the food, but how do we process and deliver locally in a world that is geared up to supply the large retailers?
We talked about our local abattoir and the importance of their survival. Catherine was amazed at how big an area they cover, going well beyond the borders of Dorset. We explained the red tape and the costs involved in running such a business – they constantly feel that once they get over one hurdle, someone puts another in front of them. While it is important to develop new infrastructure, we mustn’t forget to support what we have.
On the whole, it was a very successful day. I came away feeling that someone is genuinely on our side – someone who understands the importance of rural businesses, not just to the local economy but to the communities they sustain. Better still, someone with a ‘can do’ attitude who believes that if the council can’t help, it should at least get out of the way. A very positive day. Watch this space.
