No 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.
Rory Stewart, MP for Penrith and The Border, was honoured to speak at the 41st Cumbria Young Farmers Club AGM at the George Hotel in Penrith on Friday 6th November. The Cumberland & Westmorland Young Farmers Club formed in 1937, and became the Cumbria Federation of Young Farmers in 1974; it has 15 clubs in […]
Hard-pressed UK dairy farmers will receive a one-off support payment to help with their cash-flow problems stemming from the current low prices for milk and other produce, the Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss announced today. In England, dairy farmers will share £15.5 million in recognition of the prolonged period of low prices in this particular farming […]
Farmers in England will soon find it simpler and easier to get advice and guidance from government with the introduction of the Rural Services Helpline next week. From 30 September, farmers will have a single phone number they can call for any questions they want to direct to either the Rural Payments Agency or the […]
Penrith and The Border MP and Defra Minister Rory Stewart has congratulated and thanked all those involved in the annual Cumberland Show, which he attended this year both as a local rural MP and as representative of the government department. He visited with his family – wife Shoshana and son Alexander – and spent several hours at the […]
Rory Stewart, MP for Penrith and The Border, will be holding an informal drop-in surgery at the British Blue Cattle Society stand at this year’s UK Dairy Expo at Carlisle’s Borderway Mart, on Saturday 7th March 2015. The UK Dairy Expo is the leading dairy event in the UK and showcases the best of dairy […]
Rory met with young farmers from across his constituency at Penrith Show, in a workshop designed to establish the challenges currently faced by young Cumbrian farmers, and potential initiatives that could be set up to offer them additional support and guidance. Ideas included making more of the fantastic courses and support available through Newton Rigg, as […]
Rory has congratulated and thanked all those involved in this year’s show, which organisers believe to be a record year, with over 10,000 attendees turning out to enjoy over 1000 livestock entries. The local MP held a stall at the show, and invited constituents to talk about local and national concerns, before touring the show […]
Rory, Vice-President of the Skeleton Show, has praised all involved in the organisation of this year’s show for an excellent event, following a disappointing cancellation of the event last year. The 2013 show was the “best-attended ever” – continuing its tradition as the largest village show in Cumbria, and a real showcase for all things […]
Yesterday Rory defended farms and estates in Penrith and the Border, fighting against a new inheritance tax. Rory had been appointed as a member of the Public Finance Committee, in charge of a detailed scrutiny of this year’s budget. He used his position to object to new proposals on estate tax, which he described as “highly damaging […]
Rory is encouraging Cumbrian farmers to take advantage of the financial package recently announced by Barclays, which will provide farmers with increased working capital to help meet the additional costs brought about by the extreme snowfall during March. The adverse weather conditions have had a severe impact on many Cumbrian farms, who are now struggling with […]