Wow, so much wormholery to wonder at here. After first snorting out loud; he what? Married her sister? After a YEAR?
I’ll listen to the FT episode and also can’t tolerate another reference to this Mrs Dalloway; I simply have to now read this book I keep hearing mention of everywhere.
The systematic erasure of sensible and longsighted agricultural practices under late stage capitalist policy, it makes me so desperately sad. Keep worm-holing.
I KNOW. There's a lol comment by the (clearly adoring) Louise about how hard poor Albert found it to keep up with the running of the domestic arrangements once her sister died, so that might explain the speed somewhat. Also: READ THE BOOK. then tell me what you thought....
Im sorry that Mrs D wormhole is amazing! I bought my anniversary copy and havnt yet read it but how interesting honestly! Will come back to this to read again after ive read the book- maybe then i will better understand the link you made with Miss K 🤭
In the space of less than four years, wheat prices have swung dramatically — from £158 per tonne to £300 per tonne, and now back down to £156.55 per tonne as I write this. I appreciate that you farm organically, but even so, fertiliser prices have climbed from £220 per tonne to an eye-watering £900, before falling again to £320. Cattle prices have followed a similarly turbulent path: deadweight has risen from 420p to 720p, now settling around 620p; liveweight has ranged from 290p to over 550p, depending on breed, weight, and age. Machinery costs start at the price of reasonable deposit in a house and continue to increase to match house prices in London (a new combine is circa £250k-£900k depending on spec) ….And I could go on.
The point is this: no other business/ industry — would tolerate such extreme price volatility. And yet, supermarket prices remain comfortably affordable; a bag of carrots is still 49p. Perhaps the plastic that wraps them now costs more to produce than the actual food and that 49p would hardly cover the labour that goes into growing and harvesting them.
The truth is, the system is beyond broken and the reality is most farmers farm because that’s what they do. Farming is more than an occupation; it’s a way of life they are deeply passionate about, regardless of what system they choose to follow. It’s a love.
It’s also worth looking at greater historical comparisons which back this up. In the 1950s we spent 1/3 of our household. Budget on food and a 10th on housing. Now we spend 1/3 on housing and 8% on food. (It’s also worth looking at what farmers weee getting for a tonne of wheat then, as compared to now: nearly three times as much). The value famers bring to us all, which reaches way beyond food, hasn’t had its own column on the spreadsheet. I can’t see how farming can survive as a viable business until it does, despite the love farmers have for their job.
Yes, I agree with your point to a degree, but it’s important to recognise that the levels of supply and the nature of food production today bear little resemblance to those of the 1950s. We didn’t have the abundance we see now, nor the mass production of ultra-processed foods by large corporations. A chicken was once a rare treat, chocolate didn’t come in oversized bars, and crisps were made from potatoes rather than puffed corn. Ravenous by Henry Dimbleby is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the modern food system.
Farming is, above all, a vocation driven by love for the land and the work itself. I gently challenge the notion that love isn’t enough. Those who have farmed for years—enduring challenges such as foot and mouth, catastrophic weather, TB, and blue tongue—know that love for what we do fuels the resilience needed to adapt, whether that’s through trialling new crops or developing diversified enterprises that complement the farm.
I do agree that public perceptions of farmers have shifted and they’ve no idea how much we do…from producing spuds to managing hedgerows/ streams, birds and pollinators….but public perception reflects a broader societal change rather than a simple divide between town and country. Like it or not, much of modern life is mediated by technology and screens. Few today could, or would want to, engage in the physical labour that farming demands. This is one of the consequences of globalisation: convenience at the cost of connection. As farming becomes ever more costly as a business, we risk a future dominated by larger, less integrated farms, increased monoculture, and a further weakening of the ties between farms and their communities.
Wow, so much wormholery to wonder at here. After first snorting out loud; he what? Married her sister? After a YEAR?
I’ll listen to the FT episode and also can’t tolerate another reference to this Mrs Dalloway; I simply have to now read this book I keep hearing mention of everywhere.
The systematic erasure of sensible and longsighted agricultural practices under late stage capitalist policy, it makes me so desperately sad. Keep worm-holing.
I KNOW. There's a lol comment by the (clearly adoring) Louise about how hard poor Albert found it to keep up with the running of the domestic arrangements once her sister died, so that might explain the speed somewhat. Also: READ THE BOOK. then tell me what you thought....
This book; it will be READ! I shall report back
Im sorry that Mrs D wormhole is amazing! I bought my anniversary copy and havnt yet read it but how interesting honestly! Will come back to this to read again after ive read the book- maybe then i will better understand the link you made with Miss K 🤭
It’s such a good and unexpected one !
In the space of less than four years, wheat prices have swung dramatically — from £158 per tonne to £300 per tonne, and now back down to £156.55 per tonne as I write this. I appreciate that you farm organically, but even so, fertiliser prices have climbed from £220 per tonne to an eye-watering £900, before falling again to £320. Cattle prices have followed a similarly turbulent path: deadweight has risen from 420p to 720p, now settling around 620p; liveweight has ranged from 290p to over 550p, depending on breed, weight, and age. Machinery costs start at the price of reasonable deposit in a house and continue to increase to match house prices in London (a new combine is circa £250k-£900k depending on spec) ….And I could go on.
The point is this: no other business/ industry — would tolerate such extreme price volatility. And yet, supermarket prices remain comfortably affordable; a bag of carrots is still 49p. Perhaps the plastic that wraps them now costs more to produce than the actual food and that 49p would hardly cover the labour that goes into growing and harvesting them.
The truth is, the system is beyond broken and the reality is most farmers farm because that’s what they do. Farming is more than an occupation; it’s a way of life they are deeply passionate about, regardless of what system they choose to follow. It’s a love.
It’s also worth looking at greater historical comparisons which back this up. In the 1950s we spent 1/3 of our household. Budget on food and a 10th on housing. Now we spend 1/3 on housing and 8% on food. (It’s also worth looking at what farmers weee getting for a tonne of wheat then, as compared to now: nearly three times as much). The value famers bring to us all, which reaches way beyond food, hasn’t had its own column on the spreadsheet. I can’t see how farming can survive as a viable business until it does, despite the love farmers have for their job.
Yes, I agree with your point to a degree, but it’s important to recognise that the levels of supply and the nature of food production today bear little resemblance to those of the 1950s. We didn’t have the abundance we see now, nor the mass production of ultra-processed foods by large corporations. A chicken was once a rare treat, chocolate didn’t come in oversized bars, and crisps were made from potatoes rather than puffed corn. Ravenous by Henry Dimbleby is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the modern food system.
Farming is, above all, a vocation driven by love for the land and the work itself. I gently challenge the notion that love isn’t enough. Those who have farmed for years—enduring challenges such as foot and mouth, catastrophic weather, TB, and blue tongue—know that love for what we do fuels the resilience needed to adapt, whether that’s through trialling new crops or developing diversified enterprises that complement the farm.
I do agree that public perceptions of farmers have shifted and they’ve no idea how much we do…from producing spuds to managing hedgerows/ streams, birds and pollinators….but public perception reflects a broader societal change rather than a simple divide between town and country. Like it or not, much of modern life is mediated by technology and screens. Few today could, or would want to, engage in the physical labour that farming demands. This is one of the consequences of globalisation: convenience at the cost of connection. As farming becomes ever more costly as a business, we risk a future dominated by larger, less integrated farms, increased monoculture, and a further weakening of the ties between farms and their communities.
Ravenous is excellent. I write about all that you’ve said in Rooted too.