FARMING IN NORTHERN IRELAND
David Hawthorne, Farm and Countryside Advisor
It's extremely difficult for farmers to make a living in upland areas at the
moment. Many think they haven't got a future. We try to plant the seeds of new
ideas, to help farm families adapt to survive.
One of our great strengths is that we can exchange experiences. Last year 16
of our tenants met up with Trust farmers in the Lake District to put gloom and
doom behind them and share ideas about the future.
The spirit of innovation was tremendous. We saw new products based on historic
breeds, new ways of marketing, the amazing retailing success of the Sizergh
farm shop near Kendal, green tourism - and all of it run by tenant families.
Co-operation was felt to be the key, with the Trust playing a vital part, particularly
in marketing. Farms continue to trade as family enterprises, but help to market
each others' produce. The visit was hugely positive and full of fun.
It's beginning to bear fruit. One of the group has already started a free-range
egg enterprise. And we have farmers' markets at Castle Ward in Co. Down to fit
in with visitor events such as Easter weekend, the book and craft fairs and
the pumpkin festival. It's opening up new routes for farmers to reach local
communities.
Our Food Strategy group is developing the farm and food theme in all sorts
of ways. At Springhill, local schoolchildren are planting trees and looking
after their own raised vegetable beds. They're so enthusiastic about growing
food, and staff and volunteers get a tremendous kick out of it.
We could roll these models out anywhere. They link in with what we saw in the
Lake District: co-operation across the Trust to help people value the food they
eat, and care about where it comes from. If we can do that, farming can have
a healthy future.
