Anonymous survey for tenant farmers on soil management practices - £50 cash prize and help a student research project - Thanks for any participation

[Helena]

Hi there,

I am an MSc student from Eden Project University and I am working on my dissertation looking at the relationship between agricultural land tenure models and sustainable soil management practices in the UK.

As part of this research, I am conducting an online survey in which I am looking to gather responses and opinions from tenant farmers around soil management practices, and I write to ask if any tenant farmers here would be kind enough to complete this short survey and help me gather some meaningful data in this area.

The survey is completely anonymous, it should take just 10 – 15 minutes to complete, and there is a £50 cash prize for one participant drawn at random. The survey link is here: https://airtable.com/appq50ufb8aXRVJhD/pagT73xdXmgQh05Bs/form and the closing date is 19 July 2024.

A bit of background on the research: As the Government’s 25-year environment plan states that all of England’s soils must be sustainable by 2030, and steps must be taken to restore UK soils, tenant farmers face alternate pressures and challenges to those of land-owning farmers in relation to land management, arising from alternate rent costs, security of long term tenure and access to subsidies. This research aims to highlight barriers experienced by tenant farmers to implementing sustainable soil management activities and spotlight additional support needed to aid the Government’s ambition for all of England’s soils to be sustainable by 2030. Further it aims to consider how improvements in tenure legislation and security could help to provide a platform for sustainable soil management.

I would be incredibly grateful to any tenant farmers willing to take part in this short survey, helping me gather meaningful opinions in this area. If you have any questions on the project, please do not hesitate to contact me on the email address below.

Best wishes and Many thanks,

Helena Rose

MSc Student in Land and Ecological Restoration
Eden Project University Centre/ University of Plymouth
[email protected]

 

[Vader]

When did they become unsustainable?
Ploughed for 1,000s of years and yields increased.
Still yielding well.

 

[Boysground]

I thought a few million years to form into soil and 6 to fix something created by government may not quite work.

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[Helena]

When did they become unsustainable?
Ploughed for 1,000s of years and yields increased.
Still yielding well.

Good point! Absolutely agree that many of the UK's soils are already sustainable and this survey is not to say at all that all UK soils are unsustainable, the survey is attempting to look at soil quality and practices used to inform what is working well and what could be improved. So all answers are welcome - especially those from farms where soil health is already doing well/ sustainable. Thanks for engaging with this

 

[Helena]

I thought a few million years to form into soil and 6 to fix something created by government may not quite work.

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Yeah 6 years feels just a little optimistic right?!

 

[Pennine Ploughing]

If it Anonymous, how will you know were to send the £50

 

[Helena]

If it Anonymous, how will you know were to send the £50

Ha well spotted - It says it the survey I will need a contact for the prize giving (optionally given by participants), but this data will be kept separately / unrelated to the survey data and will be destroyed immediately after the prize draw so the academic research element will be kept completely anonymous.

 

[egbert]

I thought a few million years to form into soil and 6 to fix something created by government may not quite work.

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I'm always worried about this '60 harvests left' thing, cos those wicked farmers are ruining soil.

See, every year, I eat a handful of raspberries growing in a crack in the concrete water tank beside my diesel shed.
AND, I've got gutters on rooves which, if I don't clear em out annually, are quickly sprouting little forests of saplings.
Indeed, the cab floor of the 40 year old Browner which drives saw no2 in the mill often has saplings growing up out of it.
(indeed, there's one or two 20' trees about the place I rescued from this incongruous start)

And then, apart from the soil all being lost due to those incompetent, baby-hedgehog-boiling farmer types, apparently we're all gonna live on factory grown gloop, or possibly hydroponically grown stuff in shipping containers.

goodness but I get confused.

 

[DrDunc]

There's the billions who live in the concrete jungles, consuming endless fossil fuel created power and products, pouring their waste away to infect their water, draining the atmosphere of its oxygen, wonder why they don't get asked how they'll become sustainable?

 

[Helena]

Just bumping this back up in case there are other tenant farmers out there willing to help. The survey is still live and I would be eternally grateful for anyone that is willing to complete this and help with my research project. Many thanks in advance to anyone that might see this and be willing to participate.

 

[4course]

There is a vast difference in the type of tenancy wether a lifetime tenancy ,a 3 generation tenancy, a long term fbt or a few years fbt say 3- 5, or annual as to the answers to the op,s question

 

[Helena]

There is a vast difference in the type of tenancy wether a lifetime tenancy ,a 3 generation tenancy, a long term fbt or a few years fbt say 3- 5, or annual as to the answers to the op,s question

Yes absolutely, and different situations where a short term tenancy could be a good thing - mutually beneficial for the tenant and landowner, or detrimental to the tenants ability to long term plan, depending on the type of farming etc. So definitely not a one size fits all situation, but this study is just trying to find out more what is working and what isn't working, for tenants and for the environment.

As I say, really really grateful to any tenant farmers willing to help take the survey so I can gather research in this area. Thanks

 

[Helena]

Hi everyone - just bumping this back up in case there are other tenant farmers that see this message willing to help.

I have extended the deadline for the survey as I need further replies for the research to work, so it is now open until 02 August.

I really appreciate any further tenant farmers willing to complete this anonymous survey, and there is also a £50 prize for 1 participant.

Many thanks again.

 

[ladycrofter]

Survey not mobile-friendly. Giving up.

 

[Helena]

Last day of the survey this weekend - incase any extra tenant farmers see this - very very grateful for any more responses!

 

[Helena]

Survey not mobile-friendly. Giving up.

Sorry to hear that and thanks so much for trying! If you get a chance to try again I would be very grateful, I just tested it on my mobile and it should be working

 

[DrDunc]

Last day of the survey this weekend - incase any extra tenant farmers see this - very very grateful for any more responses!

Here's an extra post to give a wee bit of free forum traffic creation to aid publicity for your data gathering enterprise @Helena

Question - in your role as operations manager for tax justice network, what government policy implementation would you recommend that would ensure farmers are forced to comply with compulsory adherence of whatever madcap pseudo science soil sustainability nonsense that's going to be dreamt up to cover up the source of what's actually destroying this planet?

 

[DrDunc]

Well @Helena, now that you've acquired your free data to mould into whatever conclusions suit your agenda, will you be dishing out your £50?

Or will you be just disappearing and hence not answering any questions that might expose your aforementioned agenda?

 

[Nithsdale]

@DrDunc I think you've got your answer.

Like a fart in the wind...