Comment – The chattering classes, blue skies and black smoke (soon to be discontinued)
I spent Friday night in St Andrews Church, Sedbergh in the company of about 200 of the parish’s chattering classes (metropolitan rural elite) as part of the audience for the BBC Radio Fours weekly politics Q & A, Any Questions.
If you listen again on BBC Sounds https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001yxqw you will hear yours truly harrumphing and clapping at various points. Although somewhat disappointed that my question wasn’t asked to the panel. Despite one panelist being the son of a hill farmer, I don’t think the panel had a deep enough insight into the workings of the upland sheep market to inform me regarding future lamb prices. I consoled myself with two pints afterwards in the Thirsty Rambler.
In contrast, this morning, once the farming was complete, deck chairs, sun hats, factor 3o and water bottles were packed for a day out!
One thing about a quick run down the motorway, is that, on any given day, you can get a real feel for the state of farming. So the 30 minutes south to Scorton en-route to the tractor pulling, was useful.
Not as much grass picked up, perhaps as other years, and fields intended for maize, still being mucked, ploughed and drilled, but there is lots of grass. An abundance of well timed slurry and fertiliser, coupled with arguably too much water, and some sunshine, and the usual recipe is producing the usual result.
It’s not often I get to go to the tractor pulling, so it was a treat. Not only was the weather fab, but the atmosphere was excellent, possibly a few too many mullets and wearers of Canterbury shorts, but hey ho, we were all there once. What I like about the sport is that it is raw, the energy hits you in the chest as all that power thunders past down the strip. What is interesting is that there are participants from all around Europe, and that were no ‘commerical’ teams, ie it’s a sport of passion driven and supported by enthusiasts. Those enthusiasts, are in the main farmers, hauliers, contractors and plant hire folk, rather like our customers. I love the energy on the track and with the participants, which is what keeps driving them on.
Doesn’t life feel better with some sun on your back?
Elsewhere in the wider world, robotic farming is going mainstream, well at least as far as the BBC are concerned, see https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd13d1z9v0xo for some positivity on the subject. Mind you, at £180-320k per unit, there is still ample scope in the marketplace for something with a steering wheel, for a few years at least methinks.
Have a great week.
Andy
