Interesting guy, now looking at improving farming, Interesting
Interesting - my first response would ‘toys for boys’. Agriculture is a well known investment opportunity, especially if you want to write off heavy capital investments, and there is potential for lucrative income streams.
There is not much information about the agriculture, but it does not appear to match the credentials of the Leckford estate (John Lewis), nor Laverstock Farm (Jody Schekter). Nevertheless, one to watch …
Maybe a plastic tractor following his exit from cars.
Given his campaigning and the subsidies his firm received …
There are two Dyson Beeswax Farms near me and that is two too many .
When i retired from Ford Motor company, Apple was hoovering up people across the globe. Even with their clout , they had to give up, and concentrate on automobile software. So the Dyson dream was ambitious to say the least, bit of a shame.
I always thought that farming was about having a true connection with nature. In the past we spent a large part of our income on food. Now food has to be grown at the lowest cost so we can spend our money on other things that are essential for our survival!
Our mental health suffers because many are no longer doing what made us successful in evolutionary terms. Probably guilty of this to some extent, but I include striving to do things better and working harmoniously.
Who actually decides where the balance should lie. I think elected democratic government would be hard pressed to prove they do.
Discuss?
Phil
It all started going down when they started calling farming an industry. Or to be more precise when, what agriculturists call, the green revolution emerged after WWII. This was the push for greater productivity with the application of man made fertilisers, mineral adjustments and soil improvers.
It is often said in developing countries that it’s not the low volume of food produced that’s the problem but the poor distribution, hence massive wastage with fruit left on the vine, or rotting in warehouses., or wine lakes, butter and grain mountains.
What is interesting precisely, Martin? I come from a rural area (big difference between me and the farmersons who quite bullied the nerdish me on primary school but we now have a true mutual respect) and to me it looks entirely normal, but with the difference that it appears to be a farm with a marketing department.
He doesn’t make the rules, gov. does
TBH not sure, just surprised he’s involved, the rules are for exploiting.
This is also very interesting…”the longest running experiment in the world.”
strong texthttps://www.rothamsted.ac.uk/long-term-experiments
Reads like the old ‘gentleman farmer’ play which, at first look, seems altruistic and not very financially sensible but when you get behind the numbers, it can be a good lifestyle and way to live e.g. large (tied) house as part of a farming estate.
Of course, there’s a desire nowadays for supplemental & diversifying income streams, which means such ventures barely define as ‘farms’.
And then there is Adam Henson of Cotswold Farm Park and Countryfile. Whether his arable is separate from the rare breeds business I do not know. But the arable must be thousands of acres from the figures he quotes on Countryfile. He seems a good guy though.
Phil
Prior to going to university, and then as a summer job, I was an analytical chemist at the Grassland Research Institute. It was an interesting experience, not least because of the blend intensive and organic farming methods that were being examined. GRI no longer exists, but its work was spread around the country, including Rothamsted.
I support the use of science and technology in agriculture, as long as the needs of nature and wildlife are factored in. But it is the overriding business interests that I abhor. Nevertheless, throughout the history of agriculture wealthy individuals have had an impact with innovations. They should be encouraged.
One must be impressed with over 300, 000 archived soil samples, over 170 years, invaluable data for agriculture. It would be interesting to know what measures are in place for storing these samples to prevent degradation though.
At GRI we kept the soil samples in the basement. Grass, feed and digestate samples were dried for analysis and then disposed.
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