Food waste is very high on the agenda – and quite rightly so. There is no doubt that ‘best before’ and ‘use by’ dates are the major culprit in this crime and given that as a nation we throw away over 10 million tonnes of farm produced food per annum, the matter needs addressing urgently.
I witnessed this problem first hand at my local mini-store, when offered six perfectly edible loaves “to give to my hens.” Two days later I was offered a further 14 loaves!
Recently a representative of a Teacher’s Union confided in us that thousands of children were going to school every day without breakfast because continued austerity was contributing to families in urban environments having little or no money to spend on food. Management has chalked it up for years that a proportion of benefits should be given in the form of non-redeemable food vouchers, which should encourage those families in need to look after their children rather than themselves – cigarettes, alcohol, tattoos and smart phones all cost a heap of money – I manage quite happily on only one of the above.
Further, every other shop in town is now a take-away of some sort – this food in terms of nutrition is expensive and further contributes to wasteful packaging, while vast swathes of our youths are filling their bellies at the wrong time of day for their future health. I could continue this train of thought for pages, but I know some of this magazine’s readers get bored with my observations!
I am just a tad worried about the Tory party. They have made a pig’s ear of achieving Brexit and they have made a pig’s ear of choosing their next leader and prime minister. There have been far too many candidates for this crucial job, most of whom were overly keen to wash their own, or others, dirty clothes in public. Whoever is chosen will have the almost impossible task of convincing the electorate that the party is not only unified, but all pulling in the same direction. In recent weeks they have reduced themselves to copying the internecine backbiting of the ‘Labour’ party and it is not edifying. I wonder if the new leader will have the nous to include Nigel Farage in the team that will re-negotiate on what terms we can leave the EU. This will have the effect of convincing the electorate that the Referendum will be upheld and also remind our friends in Europe that at least GB is still a democracy.
On my last trip to France I was fined 45 euros for driving at 97 kilometres per hour in a 90kph restricted zone – in other words 4mph over the limit. The DVLA assisted in providing my details to the French authorities, but I don’t mind, on the understanding that all those foreign vehicles breaking the law in this country are treated exactly the same. I am quite convinced that the revenue collected could more than pay for pensioners TV licences.
It has not gone unnoticed to many subscribers of the South East Farmer that I have recently received a broadside in the form of a BECVAR from one of my loyal readers. Now this piece of artillery is not particularly dangerous as it is in fact a Boring Egotistical Confused Vitriolic Angry Rant – more of a damp squib than something explosive. Is the perpetrator of this bombardment a disillusioned Tory, a desperate Liberal Democrat, or a dangerous Socialist? None of the above? Perhaps he is a member of Change UK who are desperately in search of another delinquent.
On the farming front, mindful of the need to keep the throughput up, I have purchased 31 feeding cattle ranging in price from £750 – £1,100, 24 Texel Cross ewes with superb Beltex lambs from £50 – £59 per life and 35 grazing ewes averaging £58 per head.
Fingers crossed – Management thinks I am barmy.
