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03/02/25 - Tenant farmers, silage competition, slow fashion

We talk tenant farmers and prize-winning silage.

Silage is the preserved chopped grass or other crops that farmers feed to livestock through the winter. The more good-quality silage you can harvest and store yourself, the less money you need to spend on bought in feed. There鈥檚 also a real pride in producing a great crop of silage. The Westmorland Agricultural Society runs an annual hotly contested silage competition. The entries are lab analysed and the best four farms in each category get a personal visit from the judge. We visit a prize winner.

All this week we'll be looking at the current state of tenant farming. 14% of farms are rented, and many of those who own their own land also rent some, so about 30% of farmed land in England is tenanted. The Rock Revie, commissioned by the last government, made a number of recommendations to improve things for farmers who rent, from more protection from landlords wanting to take land back, to the appointment of a commissioner, a recommendation accepted by this government.

The fashion industry has come under scrutiny in recent years for the impact it has on the environment. Here in the UK, some textile producers are now turning to so-called 'slow fashion', which aims to ensure full traceability in textile supply chains.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

12 days left to listen

12 minutes

Broadcast

  • Mon 3 Feb 2025 05:45

Podcast