You need farmers and farming needs you!
More than ever, the nation's livestock farmers are under pressure: with the return of Foot and Mouth Disease, mounting input costs and a poor return from the market, how can they survive?
This very pertinent question deserves your consideration. If you buy meat from the supermarket, your local butcher or direct from the farm, you are involved in the livestock industry. If you love our countryside, and care about its future, you're involved in the livestock industry.
Having taken the difficult decision to postpone their annual farm open day at Abbey Farm, Stixwould, which would have been held on 30 September, farmers James and Lucy Barclay are asking you to add your support to the farming industry
"Postponing our farm open day was a hard decision to take," says James Barclay. "But given that we and our neighbouring livestock farmers rely so much producing quality livestock, risking an outbreak of this dreadful disease was the last thing on our minds.
"However, that decision has brought it home to me. In stark terms, how much the country relies on its farmers and how much each of us, whether we're farmers or consumers, need to preserve and actively promote the industry
"This summer, we have learned the hard way how important the relationship is between farming and food, and how important quality is, whether that's meat, cereals of milk.
"Perhaps customers don't always consider how their food is produced as the link between the supermarket shelves, their kitchens and our farms is far distant. But in particular without traditional livestock farming, we would not have the beautiful patchwork of fields, hedges, woods and streams that it is so easy to take for granted. Without livestock farming, the community, the economy and the ecology of the nation would suffer hugely."
James and Lucy Barclay and their staff hope that the farm open day will be held later in the year. Visitors will then have the opportunity to meet the Barclays' herd of Lincoln Red and pure bred Shorthorn cattle, their Gloucester Old Spots pigs and the flocks of Jacob and Lincoln Longwool sheep. Also available to taste and buy, will be the Abbey Farm range of meat, sausages, pies and ready meals, produced lovingly from home-grown and local ingredients.
James Barclay continued: "Promoting local, high quality produce is at the heart of everything we do, here at Abbey Farm. Working with our neighbours and other local food producers is important to us and our business. We want to celebrate all that's great about livestock farming, an give people that great opportunity of reconnecting with the agricultural world and where our food comes from.
"Livestock farming is more than keeping animals in a field or barn; it's about the affection and feeling for them and the countryside we share. Looking after the pastures, hedges, woodlands and streams for future generations to enjoy as well as caring for the animals from birth to maturity."
