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Farm to Fork: The Challenge of Sustainable Farming in 21st Century Britain
Providing a seasonal tour of a traditional farming year, passionate beef farmer Joe Stanley seeks to inform the reader about the journey their food takes before it gets to the plate, revealing the reality of life for a modern British lowland farmer Stripping observations of the countryside and agricultural practices down to the core of his day-to-day activities, he invites the British public to learn exactly what goes into putting bread, milk, meat and beer onto their tables. He provides answers to commonly-asked questions, from interrogations of the daily routine, such as how crops are planted, why livestock is brought in for winter, and what happens at harvest, to the bigger, more topical questions regarding food standards, pesticide use, sustainability, the environment, rural heritage and the future of agricultural policy outside the EU. Often undermined as an antiquated pastime, agriculture is actually the core of a £122bn food and farming sector (the UK’s largest manufacturing industry), and Farm to Fork stands as a celebration of British agriculture and a testament to the heart that goes into the food our farmers produce, the environmental stewardship they deliver and the landscape they maintain, whether through the assurance of food quality, animal welfare or environmental sustainability. This is a wonderfully-detailed and candid account of the life of a British farmer — of the highs and lows and lessons learned from a lifetime on the land.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published September 14, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 21, 2024
I really enjoyed this. I started reading it in answer to the horror of the budget of Run It Away Reeves. I liked the way he described his activities over 4 seasons but there was as much about the politics and economics of farming as there was about one particular one. I really do feel I know a lot more about the whole issue than I did before and if Harmer Starmer has worked on a farm, I realize that when I applied burning tobacco to fight the rust on my relative's commercial tomatoes, I too have farming experience but I am glad I am not out there in my Wellingtons. Mind you, with snow outside, I am staying in bed today under my blankets.
January 10, 2024
Farm to Fork fills an important gap in the Natural History section of the library. Written by Joe Stanley, a full-time farmer from Leicestershire it is a serious attempt to explore the issues facing farming families in the UK and their role in the nation’s future. The context in which this book is written is outlined in the book’s sub-title, “The Challenge Of Sustainable Farming in 21st Century Britain.”
The gulf in understanding between town and country is not a new phenomenon and is explored elsewhere ('Divide' by Anna Jones is a great example) but this is another good contribution towards enabling a better conversation. Joe is fully immersed in and highly knowledgeable about farming, but has off farm experience too. He is as bright as a button, up to date and conscious of every nuance and controversy.
This isn’t just fluffy lambs and pastoral sunsets, every thorny issue is brought into the light plus acknowledgement of some of the ways in which farming has got it wrong and still gets it wrong. But it is also a robust defence of the integrity of farming in the UK today.
Joe takes his readers through an average (if there is such a thing!) year on his farm, a lowland, mixed, tenanted farm just slightly larger than average. As he does so, he sets out the many obligations placed on farmers and the difficulty of holding all these in tension. “Farming is a complex series of trade-offs…….usually pitting the environment against the ability to feed people, and to do so affordably for the consumer and profitably for the farmer.” Herein lies one of the reasons for the urban/rural disconnect, “All too often, society then blames the farmer for the damage wrought on their behalf or at their direction.”
Cheap wholesome food, flourishing nature and biodiversity, increased access opportunities. Is it possible for farmers to do all of this and still remain in business without being castigated for failing in one way or another? Sustainability lies at the heart of all of this. Describing his own farming journey as a move away from more intensive practices to a regenerative way of farming that is more in sympathy with nature, Joe memorably writes, “…nature-friendly farming is good for the soul, if not necessarily the wallet.”
But farming is a business and the bottom line matters, it is hard to pursue green farming practices when the business is in the red. It is shocking to read that, “One farming family in four lives in poverty. In reality, many farms are themselves subsidising the food they produce by selling assets, taking no wage, working all hours and – increasingly – diversifying: two thirds now operate non-farming diversifications….just to keep themselves in the business of growing food.”
This is not a sob story though. Joe recognises that despite all the problems and challenges he has a very fortunate life. “A life on the land is no bucolic idyll (though at times it can cause your breath to catch in your throat) but farming gives you a sense of place, of purpose, of a home in the timeless landscape: of belonging.”
This is a good book to read if you’ve ever wondered what actually happens on a farm or if you would like to know more about how your food is produced or if you are concerned (who isn’t?!) about climate change and the state of nature in our country. And if you aren’t too taken with the depiction of life down on the farm then there are some endearing stories the farmer’s best friends, Toby and Ted.
The gulf in understanding between town and country is not a new phenomenon and is explored elsewhere ('Divide' by Anna Jones is a great example) but this is another good contribution towards enabling a better conversation. Joe is fully immersed in and highly knowledgeable about farming, but has off farm experience too. He is as bright as a button, up to date and conscious of every nuance and controversy.
This isn’t just fluffy lambs and pastoral sunsets, every thorny issue is brought into the light plus acknowledgement of some of the ways in which farming has got it wrong and still gets it wrong. But it is also a robust defence of the integrity of farming in the UK today.
Joe takes his readers through an average (if there is such a thing!) year on his farm, a lowland, mixed, tenanted farm just slightly larger than average. As he does so, he sets out the many obligations placed on farmers and the difficulty of holding all these in tension. “Farming is a complex series of trade-offs…….usually pitting the environment against the ability to feed people, and to do so affordably for the consumer and profitably for the farmer.” Herein lies one of the reasons for the urban/rural disconnect, “All too often, society then blames the farmer for the damage wrought on their behalf or at their direction.”
Cheap wholesome food, flourishing nature and biodiversity, increased access opportunities. Is it possible for farmers to do all of this and still remain in business without being castigated for failing in one way or another? Sustainability lies at the heart of all of this. Describing his own farming journey as a move away from more intensive practices to a regenerative way of farming that is more in sympathy with nature, Joe memorably writes, “…nature-friendly farming is good for the soul, if not necessarily the wallet.”
But farming is a business and the bottom line matters, it is hard to pursue green farming practices when the business is in the red. It is shocking to read that, “One farming family in four lives in poverty. In reality, many farms are themselves subsidising the food they produce by selling assets, taking no wage, working all hours and – increasingly – diversifying: two thirds now operate non-farming diversifications….just to keep themselves in the business of growing food.”
This is not a sob story though. Joe recognises that despite all the problems and challenges he has a very fortunate life. “A life on the land is no bucolic idyll (though at times it can cause your breath to catch in your throat) but farming gives you a sense of place, of purpose, of a home in the timeless landscape: of belonging.”
This is a good book to read if you’ve ever wondered what actually happens on a farm or if you would like to know more about how your food is produced or if you are concerned (who isn’t?!) about climate change and the state of nature in our country. And if you aren’t too taken with the depiction of life down on the farm then there are some endearing stories the farmer’s best friends, Toby and Ted.
September 19, 2024
Farm to fork gives a really great insight into the work that goes into producing our food, something that the average person often doesn’t give much thought to. It’s made me simultaneously want to be a farmer and also feel relieved that I don’t have to grapple with the same issues they face! It’s made me want to change my eating/shopping habits to support British farmers more, and I wish there had been more in this book to tell me how I could practically make some difference. It was also a little repetitive. But I learned a lot and it’s made me want to find out more, so I’d recommend.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews