Ben Goldsmith rates Knepp and wants to “farm” with one native bred cow per 10 acres

[JP1]

Ben Goldsmith on UK food security, rewilding and more

BEN GOLDSMITH is a financier, environmentalist, rewilding enthusiast and farm owner, who first met Neil when he was advising DEFRA on its food policy. In this e

podcasts.apple.com

 

[Regenerator1]

Why beef? Wild pigs and sheep could be stocked at a much higher rate at Knepp or have i just ignored Goldsmits angle there

 

[JP1]

Why beef? Wild pigs and sheep could be stocked at a much higher rate at Knepp or have i just ignored Goldsmits angle there

Listen to the podcast , he's even proud of how Knepp are producing a 100 tons of meat (off what 3500 acres?)

 

[Swarfmonkey]

Listen to the podcast , he's even proud of how Knepp are producing a 100 tons of meat (off what 3500 acres?)

How the hell can it be justified to produce so little when their last BPS payment totalled £225,501.70? (out of the total of £646,090.15 of taxpayer's cash they received for the last year listed on CAP Search).

 

[JP1]

How the hell can it be justified to produce so little when their last BPS payment totalled £225,501.70? (out of the total of £646,090.15 of taxpayer's cash they received for the last year listed on CAP Search).

Mad

 

[Bald Rick]

Mad

Son does 80+ hours/week
Even I do 50 odd if it's my weekend on

£600k+ for doing bugger all. Who's mad? Not Knepp

 

[Swarfmonkey]

Who's mad? The people that designed a system where the the likes of Knepp could take so much from the taxpayer for so little in return. I'd suggest that lot are stark raving mad.

 

[yellow belly]

round here there are more deer that his stocking rate
there is a rewilding project nearby and the fallow deer that are stalked locally will eventually find refuge
then there will be 1 or more deer to the acre on that 1500 acres within 10 years

who said when there was no bread let them eat cake

well when there is no beef let them eat bamby

 

[yellow belly]

How the hell can it be justified to produce so little when their last BPS payment totalled £225,501.70? (out of the total of £646,090.15 of taxpayer's cash they received for the last year listed on CAP Search).

when hmrc hit them for not producing food
and rachel reives caps sfi plus stewardship to 100000 per claim they may run out of money

one rewilding scheme is up for sale as they cannot meet the finance charges

 

[David.]

Yes but the Knepp project has been done, and she's had the book deal, and the metropolitan elite have had their oohing and aahing about it.
I bet there isn't the spirit to fund a similarly lucrative rollout project across the country.

 

[steveR]

when hmrc hit them for not producing food
and rachel reives caps sfi plus stewardship to 100000 per claim they may run out of money

one rewilding scheme is up for sale as they cannot meet the finance charges

Well, these "old" family Estates have always been able to move with the times, naff all borrowings makes life easier.

They pay a lot of money to CLA type lobbyists and Agents to keep the taxman off their backs with cunning schemes, but I wonder would the Chancellor really have the guts to challenge this business model...?

 

[steveR]

Listen to the podcast , he's even proud of how Knepp are producing a 100 tons of meat (off what 3500 acres?)

I don't think I could listen to him tbh.... Self righteous....... person.

 

[David.]

If you believe the narrative, there was a fair bit of borrowing.
I still maintain that if I'd inherited 3500ac, and couldn't turn a profit, I'd not think I'd done very well.

 

[SilliamWhale]

I like Knepp. I liked Mrs Tree's book. There whole project was a force for good because it open eyes about the potential of doing things in another way.

However you can't escape the feeling that they are selling meat for posh people and relatively expensive leisure tours for wildlife enthusiasts. Its a good niche but works becuase its rare and can trouser an inordinate amount of public cash as well.

 

[David.]

I wish I could be bothered to work out how much per kilo that 100t of beef receives, in public monies hosed at Knepp.

 

[Tim G]

I wish I could be bothered to work out how much per kilo that 100t of beef receives, in public monies hosed at Knepp.

£6.46 per kilo I guess, going on the above figures.

 

[puppet]

I wish I could be bothered to work out how much per kilo that 100t of beef receives, in public monies hosed at Knepp.

Public money is £646,090 ÷ 100= £6460.90 per ton or £6.46 per kg. Presume live weight? That is only the subsidy, nothing for keep.

 

[puppet]

£6.46 per kilo I guess, going on the above figures.

Only half marks for not showing your working out

 

[Tim G]

Only half marks for not showing your working out

Workings out weren't asked for, I gave the answer 5 minutes quicker than you.

To be fair, it's so easy to work out that I'm sure @David. knew the answer anyway, but was trying to make a point.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

How the hell can it be justified to produce so little when their last BPS payment totalled £225,501.70? (out of the total of £646,090.15 of taxpayer's cash they received for the last year listed on CAP Search).

Because the BPS was payable for land occupation.