Farming

Voice Of A Farmer

James Cossins is a 5th generation farmer in the Tarrant Valley.

The main topic of conversation in the UK farming world at the moment has been the lack of rain this spring with virtually no rain being recorded in Dorset during April.

Our farm diary from 1921, 100 hundred years ago, states that the year was one of the driest on record with the river Tarrant

drying up in July and not flowing until January.

Also many crops failed to make it to harvest - let’s hope history does not repeat itself. I am sure all farmers, growers and gardeners are hoping for some warm rain.

Related to the weather of course is the debate around climate change, which is constantly in the news. The possible reasons are very complex and very varied depending on which scientist you listen to. Farming is trying to do its bit by setting out to measure what effects farming practices have on the environment and how we can reach net zero. encouraged to carry out a ‘Climate Check Audit’ designed to measure the efficiency of the farm, and spot the good and the bad in our farming activities. The process involves giving information on how much produce was sold off the farm, and the inputs which were required to produce these goods.

As we operate a mixed farm of livestock and crops, both can benefit from each other - we produce home-grown feeds, and creating our own fertiliser from the animals, thus saving on inputs that need to be purchased. Overall we ended up with an average score compared with similar types of farms. I think this showed us that there is still plenty to do to help benefit the climate.

The good points showed that a high proportion of the milk produced came from homegrown forages, and the crops benefitted from the manures the cattle produced thus reducing the requirement for purchasing so much fertiliser. Improvements suggested were in perhaps covering slurry stores to reduce ammonia emissions, also to produce more of our own protein thereby reducing the need to import so much. It is early days in this process, but at least we are beginning to take the aim for being Net Zero seriously.

The pictures for this month show how far the process of crop spraying has come forward in terms of safety for the operator and the crop.

The top picture was taken in the 1970’s, with virtually no protection for the driver and limited means of apply the product accurately compared to the below modern equipment with tractor cabs and GPS driving assistance to allow for a very accurate application of the products.

Up until the 1970s white eggs were popular in the UK. However shoppers began switching to the brown variety under the misconception that they are healthier or more “natural”. As a result there are now very few white egg-laying flocks in the UK. Image © Heather Brown

It’s Eggism.

When I began writing for The Blackmore Vale, I’d promised myself that I wouldn’t talk about chickens every month - I have enough abuse from my friends if I dare mention my passion for the two-legged critters. This month’s issue I was planning to use as therapy and share with you all the tale with the alpaca that still keeps me up at night in cold sweats. Fortunately, there is a more pressing matter.

I feel as though I need to use my voice on this digital platform to begin to make a change and to save myself from having to march down the streets of Shaftesbury handing out flyers calling for equality.

“Inequality in the egg industry?” I hear you ask. Unbelievably, yes - it’s true.

Within our shed we have a mix of both brown and white birds, which both lay eggs in their respective colours. Other than the colour of the shell, the two are identical.

However, when it comes to selling on the farm gate, the pristine white eggs are shunned for their brown counterpart, even when sold 80 pence cheaper per dozen.

Thankfully this hasn’t always been the case. The golden age for our white feathered friends was during the Second World War and the following few decades. Unfortunately, during the 70s, public perception began to change and people started to

believe that brown eggs were healthier as they resembled brown bread rather than white processed loaves.

Today, only 0.5% of the market is made up of white eggs.

It may seem trivial to complain about people’s preference on the colour of their egg, but in a few years brown eggs may be rarer than hen’s teeth on the supermarket shelves if the UK government bans the process of ‘beak trimming’.

Currently, most chicks at a day old will have the sharp tip of their beaks trimmed by an infra-red beam to protect one another from pecking and other aggressive behaviours. ‘Debeaking’, as it is also known, is a controversial topic for many and is accompanied by the constant talk of prohibiting the practice.

The supermarket shelves with a ban introduced may look a lot different; firstly, the price per dozen of your eggs will go up as farmers look to house fewer birds in their sheds to protect them from each other; secondly, the brown birds may be ostracised for white breeds as they are more docile toward one another. It seems that the brown bird with all its many colours on their plumage cause offence for one another and can lead to aggressive tendencies, whereas the white hens are calmer and behave more passively.

Personally, I would continue to trim the beaks of the birds till the public are willing to buy white again, as the damage that a full beak can do to another bird is worrying, and they will always display their natural behaviours and look to create a pecking order (pun slightly intended).

If the poultry industry looks how I expect it will do in ten years, then I suggest you start getting used to the white eggs. If you pass our farm on your travels (Westleaze Farm nr Beaminster) I suggest you pick up some of both our eggs to sample and complete your own taste tests at home.

Have an omelette in the name of science and see if you can notice a difference.

In the name of science: Andrew serves up two perfect fried eggs, one white and one brown, both delicious. I, on the other hand, am going to head out into the Spring fields and canvass our Aberdeen Angus cows and calves for next months edition so I hopefully don’t have to talk about Pepper the alpaca... by Andrew Livingston