Crop circle found Wiltshire - Telegraph: A huge intricate crop circle sculpted in a sea of barley has appeared near an ancient British burial mound in Wiltshire.
The formation, measuring approximately 350ft (100 metres), seems to depict a Yin Yang pattern and appeared on May 25 beneath Windmill Hill, near Devizes.
The crop circle season extends from April to harvesting in September, and is believed to be worth millions of pounds to the local economy.
I would like to know where those millions are; the farmers don't get anything just a loss of crop, the pubs get a bit and a few quid goes to hotels and circle guides but millions? Pull the other one, it's got an alien on it....
Friday, 29 May 2009
Chicken Upset
Chicken farm plan upsets Wiltshire villagers (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald): "Plans to develop a chicken farm in the tiny village of Leigh were granted last night despite strong opposition from villagers.
The proposals, which would see the business producing almost 8,000 chickens by its third year, failed to win local support from neighbours who said the smell and drainage of the site would be unbearable.
Owner of the site Emma Hanselman said: "This application is essential for much needed and encouraged rural development.
"The local food market continues to grow and we want to produce good quality, locally produced free range chickens."
Producing food is never as pretty and tranquil as empty fields, but the countryside is a place to work as well as an amenity. Where do people want their chicken to come from? Thailand, an industrial shed or green fields?
The proposals, which would see the business producing almost 8,000 chickens by its third year, failed to win local support from neighbours who said the smell and drainage of the site would be unbearable.
Owner of the site Emma Hanselman said: "This application is essential for much needed and encouraged rural development.
"The local food market continues to grow and we want to produce good quality, locally produced free range chickens."
Producing food is never as pretty and tranquil as empty fields, but the countryside is a place to work as well as an amenity. Where do people want their chicken to come from? Thailand, an industrial shed or green fields?
Thursday, 28 May 2009
Tractor Ted Longleat Farm Show June 6th & 7th
How Tractor Ted Links Food Farming & Nature for Children & Joins Longleat for New Farm Show June 6th & 7th: "From the seed of an idea five years ago, Alexandra Heard an enterprising Wiltshire mum and David Horler, a Somerset farmer are now ploughing their way into thousands of young children's hearts with their Tractor Ted farming films and books made using real life 'fly on the wall' content. Docu-stories which cover 'Grow your Own', 'The Four Seasons' and 'Outdoor Activities' have been instrumental in showing youngsters how the cycles of farming bring the bread to their plate; encourage them to grow their own and relish the outdoors. With a combination of exciting content, catchy songs and comedy, Tractor Ted has become a children's icon and won the approval of parents having sold over 300,000 DVDs and books.
In seeing a common aim the Longleat Estate has invited Tractor Ted, to host the first ever 'Tractor Ted Farm Show' on the weekend of 6th and 7th June. By combining the natural beauty of the 9000-acre working estate at Longleat with the educational principles of Tractor Ted the Show is set to engage families with the countryside and how food gets to our kitchens."
In seeing a common aim the Longleat Estate has invited Tractor Ted, to host the first ever 'Tractor Ted Farm Show' on the weekend of 6th and 7th June. By combining the natural beauty of the 9000-acre working estate at Longleat with the educational principles of Tractor Ted the Show is set to engage families with the countryside and how food gets to our kitchens."
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
Meet David Cameron at The Royal Bath & West Show
CLA South West
May 27th, 2009
The Bath & West Theatre, The Royal Bath & West Show, Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 6QN.
Breakfast Canapes from 8.30 am - 10.00 close
Sponsored by Savills
The traditional curtain raiser to the Royal Bath and West Show will this year hear from the South West MEP Neil Parish who has been one of the region's most outspoken advocates and who will bring his career in Europe to an end this year as he hopes to switch horses from Brussels to Westminster. Neil has never been frightened to be outspoken on behalf of UK agriculture and his view on the bigger picture and the issues he believes will be confront Britain - and Europe's - farmers have led him to become a highly regarded MEP."
Wednesday 27 May, The Leader of HM Opposition, David Cameron MP, will attend and speak at 1.30 pm until 2.30 pm in the CLA/Royal Bath & West Theatre where the CLA Seminars are being presented. The format will be very much under his control and it will follow the style of his recent “Cameron Direct” events.
Places in the theatre will be on a first come first served basis.
May 27th, 2009
The Bath & West Theatre, The Royal Bath & West Show, Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 6QN.
Breakfast Canapes from 8.30 am - 10.00 close
Sponsored by Savills
The traditional curtain raiser to the Royal Bath and West Show will this year hear from the South West MEP Neil Parish who has been one of the region's most outspoken advocates and who will bring his career in Europe to an end this year as he hopes to switch horses from Brussels to Westminster. Neil has never been frightened to be outspoken on behalf of UK agriculture and his view on the bigger picture and the issues he believes will be confront Britain - and Europe's - farmers have led him to become a highly regarded MEP."
Wednesday 27 May, The Leader of HM Opposition, David Cameron MP, will attend and speak at 1.30 pm until 2.30 pm in the CLA/Royal Bath & West Theatre where the CLA Seminars are being presented. The format will be very much under his control and it will follow the style of his recent “Cameron Direct” events.
Places in the theatre will be on a first come first served basis.
Friday, 22 May 2009
The Worker's Voice
Country Standard: "Country Standard - a monthly radical magazine for rural workers. This site celebrates its work and that of the National Union of Agricultural Workers 'Sharpen the sickle! The fields are white; 'Tis the time of the harvest at last'"
Fascinating historical articles, unfortunately the Agricultural worker is also becoming a historical memory on so many farms.
Fascinating historical articles, unfortunately the Agricultural worker is also becoming a historical memory on so many farms.
Tuesday, 19 May 2009
Fly-tipping - the £100m cost
Fly-tipping woes pile up in the Cotswolds (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard): "PRIVATE landowners in the Cotswolds and North Wiltshire are being forced to fork out hundreds of pounds to clean up junk fly-tipped on their property.
Dealing with fly-tipping is one of Cotswold District Council's three main priorities, called 'Cleaner and Greener'.
Under current guidelines by district councils it is the landowner's responsibility to take care of the rubbish on their land even if it has been dumped by someone else.
A spokesman for Government agency DEFRA said if local authorities were responsible for clearing rubbish on private land it cost them an estimated £100 million a year. "
So that is a reasonable estimate of what it costs private land owners.
The CLA campaign about fly tipping is here
Dealing with fly-tipping is one of Cotswold District Council's three main priorities, called 'Cleaner and Greener'.
Under current guidelines by district councils it is the landowner's responsibility to take care of the rubbish on their land even if it has been dumped by someone else.
A spokesman for Government agency DEFRA said if local authorities were responsible for clearing rubbish on private land it cost them an estimated £100 million a year. "
So that is a reasonable estimate of what it costs private land owners.
The CLA campaign about fly tipping is here
Monday, 18 May 2009
Phil Clarke’s Business Blog - news from the world of agribusiness
Did you know that:
- Agriculture has been tipped to lead the UK economy out of recession
- Arable farmers selling to a grain pool made almost £130/t for their wheat last
autumn
- Sheep producers had their best year ever in 2008 and are set for more of the same
in 2009
- Farmers practising precision farming are saving around £60/ha on their fertiliser
bills
- US farmers on average receive double the subsidy of their EU counterparts
All this information, and much, much more, has appeared in Farmers Weekly’s newest blog Phil Clarke’s Business Blog
One for the reading list
- Agriculture has been tipped to lead the UK economy out of recession
- Arable farmers selling to a grain pool made almost £130/t for their wheat last
autumn
- Sheep producers had their best year ever in 2008 and are set for more of the same
in 2009
- Farmers practising precision farming are saving around £60/ha on their fertiliser
bills
- US farmers on average receive double the subsidy of their EU counterparts
All this information, and much, much more, has appeared in Farmers Weekly’s newest blog Phil Clarke’s Business Blog
One for the reading list
Sunday, 17 May 2009
All Cannings' Indian Heritage
I have been researching a little All Cannings history before the Primary School holds its Indian week next term. Immigrant integration has a longer history than some would imagine in this part of Wiltshire.
In about 1838 a 21 year old named John Merrett married a 21 year old girl named Vashtiva in Etchilhampton. She, despite her name, was born in Etchilhampton to parents who had possibly come to Britain from India prior to her birth in 1817 probably as servants of a returning British Officer of the East India Company. The newly married couple had initially set up home in either North or South Cottage in what is now Greenhouse Lane but after a change of employer, from the Hitchcock family to the Maslen family, moved to Lilac Cottage at some time between 1851 and 1861. They remained there for at least the next 30 years, producing children almost like clockwork at two year intervals. The ones I could quickly find were:
1839 - John
1845 - Rhoda Jane who married John White in 1865
1848 - Joseph who died 4 days old
1848 - James Cornelius
1851 - Elizabeth
1851 - Henry
1856 – Susanna who had a son William Cornelius 1878 as a single woman
1858 - Joseph who died 1 month old
1859 - Louisa who had two children baptised in All Cannings, Frederick James Maslen 1878 and Edward John Bowle 1882 as a single woman. Married Albert Hiscock 1879
1862 - Thomas who married Eliza Swanborough in 1878
Vashti Merritt was buried in All Cannings on 27th January 1906.
Many of her children lived in the village and had their own families. Her name lived on with her granddaughter Rhoda Jemima Vashti Woodroffe who was baptised 5th June 1892 and married Alfred Edwin Tilley in November 1912.
In about 1838 a 21 year old named John Merrett married a 21 year old girl named Vashtiva in Etchilhampton. She, despite her name, was born in Etchilhampton to parents who had possibly come to Britain from India prior to her birth in 1817 probably as servants of a returning British Officer of the East India Company. The newly married couple had initially set up home in either North or South Cottage in what is now Greenhouse Lane but after a change of employer, from the Hitchcock family to the Maslen family, moved to Lilac Cottage at some time between 1851 and 1861. They remained there for at least the next 30 years, producing children almost like clockwork at two year intervals. The ones I could quickly find were:
1839 - John
1845 - Rhoda Jane who married John White in 1865
1848 - Joseph who died 4 days old
1848 - James Cornelius
1851 - Elizabeth
1851 - Henry
1856 – Susanna who had a son William Cornelius 1878 as a single woman
1858 - Joseph who died 1 month old
1859 - Louisa who had two children baptised in All Cannings, Frederick James Maslen 1878 and Edward John Bowle 1882 as a single woman. Married Albert Hiscock 1879
1862 - Thomas who married Eliza Swanborough in 1878
Vashti Merritt was buried in All Cannings on 27th January 1906.
Many of her children lived in the village and had their own families. Her name lived on with her granddaughter Rhoda Jemima Vashti Woodroffe who was baptised 5th June 1892 and married Alfred Edwin Tilley in November 1912.
Friday, 15 May 2009
World War I bomb dug up by pigs
BBC NEWS | England | Wiltshire | World War I bomb dug up by pigs: "A herd of pigs has dug up what is believed to be a World War I One bomb in a field in Wiltshire.
Police have closed off the stretch of road from the Blacklands turn off on the A361 at Devizes to the A4 at Calne until 0900BST. 15th May 2009"
That was quick - they were only unloading the pigs into the field last week. When I used to keep outdoor pigs there were a couple who would carry stones or anything else they had found in their mouths and drop them at your feet. I was amazed and glad when one found and brought back my penknife, not sure I would want one bringing me a bomb though.
Police have closed off the stretch of road from the Blacklands turn off on the A361 at Devizes to the A4 at Calne until 0900BST. 15th May 2009"
That was quick - they were only unloading the pigs into the field last week. When I used to keep outdoor pigs there were a couple who would carry stones or anything else they had found in their mouths and drop them at your feet. I was amazed and glad when one found and brought back my penknife, not sure I would want one bringing me a bomb though.
It’s the circle season in Marlborough (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)
It’s the circle season in Marlborough (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald): "The crop circle season in Wiltshire is well under way with some superb and sizeable formations appearing in fields in the Devizes and Marlborough area."
I've got one in my field, wish I could see how to make some money from it....
I've got one in my field, wish I could see how to make some money from it....
Thursday, 14 May 2009
Private Solutions to Public Problems
CLA Policy Work » Environmental Markets » Country Land & Business Association: "How can farmers and land managers be motivated to provide landscape, biodiversity and other environmental goods?
The CLA believes that the status quo will not deliver these benefits to society and, as a business-based organisation, wants to explore what might be achieved by creating environmental markets.
The CLA has long been at the forefront of thinking about the complex issues facing rural land businesses and at a CLA seminar, kindly sponsored by Smith & Williamson and CLA Insurance Services, delegates considered CLA’s latest discussion paper “Private Solutions to Public Problems” which explores what might be achieved by creating markets to help provide landscape, biodiversity and other environmental goods."...
To download the CLA’s "Private Solutions to Public Problems" please click here.
The CLA believes that the status quo will not deliver these benefits to society and, as a business-based organisation, wants to explore what might be achieved by creating environmental markets.
The CLA has long been at the forefront of thinking about the complex issues facing rural land businesses and at a CLA seminar, kindly sponsored by Smith & Williamson and CLA Insurance Services, delegates considered CLA’s latest discussion paper “Private Solutions to Public Problems” which explores what might be achieved by creating markets to help provide landscape, biodiversity and other environmental goods."...
To download the CLA’s "Private Solutions to Public Problems" please click here.
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