James Rebanks : Radio 4 Guest Editor today

[JP1]

Available to listen here for the next 28 days :

Today - 28/12/2021 - BBC Sounds

Cumbrian farmer and best-selling author James Rebanks guest-edits the programme.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[AJ123]

I caught the end of it, totally agree, we need to get away from the idea that cheap food is a good thing. Better we aim to get to a point where everyone can afford to pay an appropriate price for best quality food. Presenters didn’t seem to realise that food is the cheapest it’s ever been.
Food banks are not a product of expensive food.

 

[unlacedgecko]

I caught the end of it, totally agree, we need to get away from the idea that cheap food is a good thing. Better we aim to get to a point where everyone can afford to pay an appropriate price for best quality food. Presenters didn’t seem to realise that food is the cheapest it’s ever been.
Food banks are not a product of expensive food.

So I should pay more for my food, and pay more tax, so that James Rebanks can continue his hobby farm?

 

[AJ123]

I don’t know anything about his farm, I only caught the end interview with Nick Robinson. What did he say about tax?
But I do consider that cheap, often ultra processed food is a bad thing for society and the issues caused by low quality cheap food will lead to greater problems than lack of food or hunger will in this country. So yes I am of the opinion that we all should pay more for better food. I’m not talking about trendy organic stuff grown pointing at the sun or what ever, just plain boring good quality.

 

[Sid]

I don’t know anything about his farm, I only caught the end interview with Nick Robinson. What did he say about tax?
But I do consider that cheap, often ultra processed food is a bad thing for society and the issues caused by low quality cheap food will lead to greater problems than lack of food or hunger will in this country. So yes I am of the opinion that we all should pay more for better food. I’m not talking about trendy organic stuff grown pointing at the sun or what ever, just plain boring good quality.

Define better food?

Slow grown packed full of nutrients and trace elements or food that is forced to grow as fast as possible lacking integrity and trace elements?

Tasty chicken or bland chicken that needs a sauce on it and help to walk for the 50 days of its housed life?

 

[Raider112]

So I should pay more for my food, and pay more tax, so that James Rebanks can continue his hobby farm?

Is it a hobby farm? I was under the impression that it was a typical hill farm but willing to be corrected.

 

[unlacedgecko]

Is it a hobby farm? I was under the impression that it was a typical hill farm but willing to be corrected.

Does he make money without subsidies?

 

[Henarar]

Does he make money without subsidies?

can you still get them in wales ?

 

[Swarfmonkey]

He certainly claimed subsidies in the last full year (2020) that's shown on CAP Payments Search. £19,005.41 in direct aid with another £50,144.41 in rural development.

I reckon he's making a whole lot more from his books and Rebanks Consulting Limited than he will be from the farm...

 

[Old Tip]

So I should pay more for my food, and pay more tax, so that James Rebanks can continue his hobby farm?

Why do you say it’s a hobby farm, Have you seen his accounts

 

[unlacedgecko]

Why do you say it’s a hobby farm, Have you seen his accounts

No I haven't. But I have read several pieces by him calling for increased support (meaning tax payer funds) for him and others like him.

450 ewes and 15 (crowd funded) cows. I find such attitudes incredibly frustrating as they massively contribute to the gate keeping which is rife within the industry.

And don't get me started on his Regan farming band wagon jumping. He's now a regen farming "guru". He didn't believe in rotational grazing 5yrs ago.

 

[Old Tip]

No I haven't. But I have read several pieces by him calling for increased support (meaning tax payer funds) for him and others like him.

450 ewes and 15 (crowd funded) cows. I find such attitudes incredibly frustrating as they massively contribute to the gate keeping which is rife within the industry.

And don't get me started on his Regan farming band wagon jumping. He's now a regen farming "guru". He didn't believe in rotational grazing 5yrs ago.

So you think he doesn’t deserve to farm and run a successful business because of what, moaNing about other peoples business does you no favours. From what I understand your business runs on the subsidy system even more than Mr Rebanks

 

[unlacedgecko]

So you think he doesn’t deserve to farm and run a successful business because of what, moaNing about other peoples business does you no favours. From what I understand your business runs on the subsidy system even more than Mr Rebanks

He can farm how he likes. He can run a successful business however he likes.

What I object to is his business requiring me to pay more for food or pay more tax in order to be successful.

Yeah my business is f**ked come the end of subs. Lucky I've got that HGV licence in my back pocket.

 

[Old Tip]

He can farm how he likes. He can run a successful business however he likes.

What I object to is his business requiring me to pay more for food or pay more tax in order to be successful.

Yeah my business is f**ked come the end of subs. Lucky I've got that HGV licence in my back pocket.

I’m even more confuse, so you don’t want him to get subs but your business relays on farmers getting subs but being to idle to farm. I would think I would prefer the former to the latter, but they way I read it the growth in slipper farmers will increase enormously under the prop new system. Just they won’t need animals on their land to get the sub, so your tax is paying for them to do nothing

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

No I haven't. But I have read several pieces by him calling for increased support (meaning tax payer funds) for him and others like him.

450 ewes and 15 (crowd funded) cows. I find such attitudes incredibly frustrating as they massively contribute to the gate keeping which is rife within the industry.

And don't get me started on his Regan farming band wagon jumping. He's now a regen farming "guru". He didn't believe in rotational grazing 5yrs ago.

I take your last point but you could say he's changed his mind rather than jumped on the band wagon. He sounds pretty convinced to me.

Good luck to them. The only difference between his farm, Clarkson's shop and the rest of us is that they have become high profile and people are gullible enough to feel they have to buy from them (or help buy a cow). It's marketing.

(I know this isn't about Clarkson but I am lumping him in together because they are both celebrities of sorts) but they are helping get the concept of food production and the environment into the public domain.