Alice had fond memories of childhood walks through Suffolk countryside. The sun was shining over large fields where hedges had been removed, ostensibly to make farming easier and more intensive. The crops had ripened, ready for harvest. A warm wind blew sandy soil over the roads, unhindered by hedges. Later, visiting this place evoked childhood memories; as a child she hadn’t fully understood the conversations she had overheard her parents talking about:
“They are destroying the soil by planting wheat year after year.”
“They are using too much fertiliser.”
“When there are strong winds, the soil blows away.”
Ignorance had been bliss, as Alice had enjoyed walking along sandy paths under the hot sun, looking at the extensive views. She liked watching the crops being harvested, signalling the end of a long hot summer. That was all a long time ago. Now visiting 30 years later it was different; after months of incessant rain the land was saturated, mud replaced sandy soil and the farmers were anxious their crops would fail, or at best have a lower yield. What had gone wrong? The climate was changing, but had farming adapted to the new reality? There were few tangible signs this was happening.
Last year’s holiday on a farm
What a contrast to Alice’s family holiday last year; they had rented a cottage on a working farm in Northumberland, which they thought would be a refreshing break from city life. Before they went the children hadn’t been keen on the idea, complaining it may be boring, there would be nothing to do and it wasn’t near a beach. On the way Ella had asked anxiously, “What if there is no phone signal?” Alice thought a week away from looking at a screen would be beneficial for Ella and all the family, but to avoid an argument she kept that to herself.
The reality was very different from the children’s expectations; they all quickly settled in and loved staying on the farm, seeing farm life up close. There was a diversity of crops; Pete the farmer explained they were all farmed organically and used crop rotation to benefit the soil. Alice reflected what a welcome contrast this was to the mono agriculture she had seen in Suffolk. The farmer sold some of their produce in the small farm shop and they noticed how delicious the eggs, cheese, fresh vegetables and fruit tasted. They had all enjoyed seeing the animals and the children were fascinated watching cows being milked and sheep and cattle herded to graze in different fields. Walking along tracks through the fields they had all been delighted to find the first wild blackberries and picked some, relishing the taste. The children were fascinated by the purple blackberry juice on their fingers, licking it despite being told they should wash their hands. They returned the next day to pick more, which Alice had made into a tangy blackberry crumble.
Busy bees
As well as the farm they explored the area. One hot day they had driven to a remote beach, a long way from ice cream vans, amusements or a mobile phone signal. The children happily played on the sand, built sandcastles and splashed in the bracing North Sea. Another day driving up to the Scottish border they visited ruined castles and learned about the turbulent history of the area. Then they stopped at Chain Bridge Honey Farm. As well as buying delicious honey there were attractions for everyone. There was a beautiful Bee Keeper’s garden, which Alice loved, noting suggestions for different plants to grow to attract bees. After hearing concerns that there were fewer bees nowadays she wanted to encourage more into their garden. There was a beehive in the shop that had one side open behind glass, giving a close up view of the bees’ busy life in the hive. They were all fascinated by the activity, showing how the expression ‘Busy bees’ was in reality.
After they got home they reflected that despite the children’s initial reservations about a farm holiday they had all enjoyed it and had learned from the diverse variety of new experiences. They felt refreshed and eager to do this again in the future.
CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO OUR CROWDFUNDER
HELP US BECOME STRONGER SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DELIVER POWERFUL CITIZEN JOURNALISM!
