A call for greater self-sufficiency as new figures show Britain is importing more food than ever before
NFU President Minette Batters wrote an article for the Sunday Times this weekend calling on Britain to be more self-sufficient for food.
In 1984, 78% of our food was home grown — today, it's 61% and that number looks like falling further. Batters adds that we will 'never be completely self-sufficient' but that we should and must eat more British produce:
'Not only do our fantastic farmers and growers produce safe, traceable and affordable food, but they deliver so much more. When people buy British food they are buying into standards that protect and enhance our natural resources; they are buying into world-leading standards of animal welfare; and they are buying into the role farmers are playing in combating the climate change challenge that is facing us all.'
Read full article (thetimes.co.uk)
River Frome tributary turns neon blue
An investigation is under way by environmental agencies after a tributary of the River Frome in Somerset turned blue. And not just a little bit blue: a bright, turquoise colour with milky opacity.
Though it's suspected to be related to pollution, there are (as yet) no reported dead or other ill effects. Let's hope it's a prank rather than anything more serious.
On This Day... It's the Glorious 12th
From how it all came about to why grouse are the F1 cars of the avian world, Charlotte Peters of Shooting UK explains everything you need to know.
Making a classic English country garden
In case you missed it at the weekend, these tips from Val Bourne — on what to plant, where to plant it and what to use around it — are truly fantastic.
Why we care about King Arthur and Tintagel
As the new bridge to Tintagel opened at the weekend, we revisit a superb piece for Country Life written by Richard Lea explaining the enduring appeal of these very English legends.
And finally... Dinosaurs join drive to cut litter
'Leave only footprints', so the saying goes — and to hammer that anti-litter message home, something unusual has been blasted into the pavements surrounding Weymouth Station: dinosaur footprints.
'The footprints and words have been cleaned onto the pavement using a high pressure washer to encourage visitors to take their rubbish home,' the Dorset Echo reports. Lord knows what future palaeontologists will make of it when these footprints are discovered in the year 20,019.
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Interiors that inspire in a four-bedroom cottage in HertfordshireCome for the Grade II-listed family home an hour from Central London, stay for the interior-design inspiration.
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The house that refused to die: Castle Howard's spectacular 21st-century renaissance'Molten lead cascaded from the roof into the centre hall, and then the dome crashed to the ground, leaving the interior an inferno of blazing timber and shattered stonework.' 85 years on from the devastating fire at Castle Howard, restoration is still going on. Annunciata Elwes reports.
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The brilliant tractor tribute to the NHS from a group of Warwickshire farmersPeople around Britain have been paying tribute to the efforts of our NHS workers at the time of the coronavirus pandemic — but few have been as creative and clever as this one.
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London's iconic red bus at risk and 6,000 year old chewing gum gives clues into our DNA historyCuts to industry subsidies and an increase in fares has left bus use at its lowest point ever, while DNA extracted from ancient 'chewing gum' allows scientists to decipher the genetic code of a Stone Age woman.
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90-million-year-old 'swimming dinosaur' skeleton found by dogs out walking in Somerset, and the nonchalant moths who don't bother fleeing enemiesA superbly intact dinosaur skeleton — described as being 'museum quality' — has been discovered on a beach in Somerset.
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Battle to ban 4x4s from the idyllic Lake District spot bequeathed by Beatrix Potter, eagle fights octopus and the 'snail's pace' climate talksThis morning we look at Little Langdale's fight for peace, reflect on the climate change talks in Madrid and discover the soundtrack for Brexit.
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Country Life Today: How Greta Thunberg shifted the dial on climate change — and the backlash shows just how muchThis morning we ponder whether Greta Thunberg is the Joan of Arc for the environmental movement, look at a key election — one from 19 years ago — and ponder the marvel of 'dad tidying'.
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Country Life Today: Great news for those who love our great country pubs — the years of decline are overThere is a great sign of health in the pub industry, we look back at Edward VIII's abdication message and fret about Greenland's melting ice.
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Country Life Today: Spain accused of being 'a deplorable choice' for UN climate conferenceA no-holds-barred assault on the Spanish fishing industry, Banksy raising awareness of the homeless and the woes of the Christmas jumper are in today's news round-up.
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Country Life Today: 'This is perhaps the ultimate wake-up call from the uncontrolled experiment humanity is unleashing on the world’s oceans'In today's round up, we examine why oxygen loss is putting oceans at risk, discover that action to cut air pollution brings almost immediate benefits to human health and find out which bird's arrival marks the start of winter in Gloucestershire.
