Meeting Farmers

FWlaunch4_1_BNo two farms are alike.  It is true though that in Penrith and the Border there are some initial similarities. Walking along the River Eden last year, I saw friends with farms near Appleby, Kirkoswald, and Croglin. Each family lived in a red sandstone Cumbrian farmhouse, and served their visitor large plates of fresh scones and sandwiches. Each man was from a long farming tradition, had a quick brain, detailed technical knowledge of his land and a clear sense of cost. But every business was different, experimenting with varied breeds, feeds, and machinery. In such a diverse industry, with such a wide range of pressures, how can a MP or a Minister help? My own experience has led me to feel that we have to start much closer to home. A good decision on how many sheep to keep on a fell draws on an individual farmer’s understanding of his own hillside. Bad decisions on farming and the environment tend to be made two hundred miles away on the basis of a mathematical model.

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RORY PRAISES FARMING ORGANISATION

Rory met with The Farmer Network management team for an update on local projects run by the organisation. The Farmer Network, founded in 2006, is a unique and independent organisation that is run by farmers for farmers, and currently has around 1,100 members. It offers expert advice to its members, from people used to dealing with the […]

RORY HOSTS OVER 100 FARMERS TO DISCUSS THEIR FUTURES

Rory recently hosted farmers from the ‘Forgotten Lands’ to discuss the future of the area. Over 100 farmers and locals from the ‘Forgotten Lands’ attended the meeting on Friday to discuss the future of farming with discussions ranging from productivity and land management to farm diversification and tourism. The discussions were led by experts in the […]

RORY MEETS FARMERS TO DISCUSS PAYMENT CHALLENGES

Penrith and The Border MP Rory Stewart attended a meeting with farmers from the Milburn and Dufton areas to discuss the challenges with commons payments. The farmers raised concerns that Natural England has been claiming Owner’s Surplus under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) since 2015, despite formerly promising not to do so. Following the outbreak […]

RORY MEETS WITH NFU MEMBERS

Rory met with a group of 16 National Farmers’ Union members to discuss the needs and concerns of Cumbrian farmers. Mr Stewart opened the meeting by praising the farmers who are working together to isolate the affected area of bTB and applauded their own personal efforts in industry participation stating that “the current model being […]

VISITS TO EAST FELLSIDE FARMERS IN AFTERMATH OF STORM EMMA

Penrith and The Border MP Rory Stewart spent last Friday visiting communities on Cumbria’s East Fellside who were badly hit by Storm Emma, which left hundreds of livestock dead, damaged roads, walls and fences, left drivers stranded and caused a number of road accidents. Local farmers, familiar with the Eastern Fellside’s formidable helm wind, said […]

RORY MEETS WITH NFU MEMBERS TO DISCUSS CUMBRIA’S FARMING CHALLENGES

Penrith and The Border MP Rory Stewart last week attended a meeting of farmers from North Cumbria, organised by the National Farmers Union (NFU) and held at Low Wood Farm, Warwick Bridge, to discuss the challenges around Bovine TB (bTB) and Brexit, and hear the concerns of local farmers. Acknowledging the potentially catastrophic effects of […]

RORY SUPPORTS CLA ‘NEW OPPORTUNITIES’ CAMPAIGN FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES

Rory Stewart MP is supporting the CLA’s ‘New Opportunities’ ​r​oadshow events, and its campaign to encourage debate around the opportunities and challenges for land management and rural business in the wake of June’s Brexit vote. The local MP is the latest to support the CLA’s work, which includes a series of seminars, roundtables and meetings […]

RORY PLEDGES TO BUILD ON BEWCASTLE FUND SUCCESS

Rory Stewart MP has visited constituents in Bewcastle to discuss the success of the ‘Bewcastle Fund’, the £10,000 fund donated personally to the community by HRH Prince Charles, to support farmers in the Roadhead area. The local MP has pledged to continue supporting the community in its numerous projects.  Details of the grant, made in […]

Technology key to unlocking farming’s potential

Technological innovation is the key to unlocking the potential of farming by improving productivity and tackling problems such as pests and disease, Farming Minister George Eustice will say when he addresses today’s annual Northern Farming Conference. Speaking at the event in Hexham, the minister will say how food and farming is central to the northern […]