Hope everyone had a great holiday, I’m happy and full back at my parents working from home so I thought I’d start gently back into it with a bit of a muse. It’s a long one but there’s important stuff at the end!! So skip to that bit if you haven’t the time ;P
One of the things I have appreciated in the last 7 months of apprenticeship is the delicate balance that exists in our countryside between carer of the land and the state of the landscape and the nature which thrives there.
I’ve just been reading a brilliant book called ‘wild’ by Jay Griffiths, where she explores in an explosion of language some of the remaining wildlands on earth and the indigenous peoples that form part of that. A brilliant book to read if you get the chance.
There are still pockets of wild lands in Britain, those really steep wooded slopes falling down into remote corners of the coastline, patches of ancient woodland or bog lands high up in the moors. But most of our landscape has been so modified for so long that ecosystems have developed in which our actions form an important part.
(although I’m sure nature would work things out just fine without us!)
Grasslands are one of those ecosystems, well at least the extensive grasslands we see in Britain. Pastures created by the sheep and cows which we graze on the land and meadows from the hay making. Herb rich, full of colourful flowers and quaking grass that dances in the wind. That is the grasslands that thrived in place of the forests that used to dominate.
Since the industrialisation of agriculture most of that grassland has been lost. While we are still realising the impact of that (monocultures of only a few grass species and the loss of insects, birds, plants and fungi)) it seems there may be another change to our landscape looming…..the introduction of the mega dairy!
There is a recent application in Lancashire for a mega dairy that will house 3770 cattle indoors. The grazing of grass will be (largely) a thing of the past for these cows This US style of milk production if adopted could have huge implication for our landscape and the landscapes of the countries from where that grain is grown.
The grassland trust in a recent news letter appealed to its supporters. “Eat Sustainable Beef and Save Grasslands. There is an inextricable link between wildlife-rich grasslands and livestock. You may be amazed to know that much of the beef produced in the UK has soya and cereals in its diet. This soya usually comes from South America, where it is grown on land cleared from either Tropical Rainforest, or Tropical Savannah grasslands. You can do something about it though. Ask your butcher or your supermarket where their beef comes from and whether it has been fed on soya or other imported protein. ”
Similar truths will apply to dairy. If their not grazing outside what will happen to the grasslands. Will we see more intensive arable production to produce grain to feed them? Instead of converting to small-scale farming that supports our wildlife rich grassland, is this a step to further industrialise our food production at the cost of biodiversity? To read more see the grassland trust website http://www.grasslands-trust.org/
The application in Lincolnshire is still open to public comment. This is our opportunity to influence the process.
To read more and make a comment be it in opposition or support go to North Kesteven District Council.
http://planningonline.n-kesteven.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=LC2TNQLL00U00
and a happy new year to everyone
Ali.