Oliver Walston has passed

[roscoe erf]

Sad to here liked his comments and attitude

 

[Kidds]

Sad news.
My sincerest condolences to his family and friends.

 

[Yale]

A farming legend, will be missed. Oliver’s views on the future of farming may have been controversial however he did see the future. RIP

 

[Wilberforce]

The Annual Reports are a unique record of the intensification of UK agriculture, and will be remembered as such.

A true Cavalier in a somewhat Roundhead industry.

R.I.P O.W

 

[Bald Rick]

I will never forgive him for not standing up for the smaller farmer/grower in the Moulin wheat debacle

Sorry if that sounds harsh but it nearly finished me and if someone like him had added his voice, perhaps the outcome would have been very different.

Anyway, one never likes to hear of a death so RIP OW

 

[Widgetone]

I started my career near him, and he was one of the first 'celebrity*' farmers. Iirc, he was behind the Send a tonne to Africa scheme which was great PR for arable farming in those heady days of CAP largesse for the sector. And of course his honest warts and all annual report was a spotlight on the highs and lows of running a (then) large farm business.

*not sure he would wholly appreciate that adjective.

 

[Grass And Grain]

Was a very capable thinker/talker/presenter.

Wish I had half the amount of his charisma and ability.

Condolences to his family.

 

[Y Fan Wen]

I remember listening to his radio programme about travelling the Mississippi and describing one riverside town as grass growing in the streets and the only shop left was the gun shop.

 

[Hilly]

Interesting man for sure , forward thinking . Sad loss .

 

[Devil's advocate]

I've read the book Outbursts by OW at least 20 times. I'm suprised he was 83 always seemed younger than my parents.

 

[Lowland1]

That’s a real shame. We have the books .
‘There is no prophet without honour except in his own country’.
He certainly knew what would happen and if more had listened maybe it wouldn’t have happened.

 

[mixedfmr]

I've read the book Outbursts by OW at least 20 times. I'm suprised he was 83 always seemed younger than my parents.

All his books are a fantastic read, Enough to take you away for a few minutes, problem is i remember most of the times, NOT ALL not that old
He may have been contraversial at times, but he argued his point with clarity,
His health has kept him out of the media for some time now, What a pity

 

[essexpete]

Condolences to the family, a very interesting man.

 

[Clive]

Very sad news

A great man not afraid to challenge the establishment. UK ag needs people like Oliver

best wishes and thought to you and your family @dontknowanything

 

[JP1]

I too must have read Outbursts a dozen times

I bet secretly he quite enjoyed telling a few home truths and seeing the ripple effect

One of the great titans of agricultural correspondents , we don't see the likes of John Cherrington or Oliver Walston any more and it's a great great loss

 

[melted welly]

theres a video on YouTube of him going over to France in a farm lorry in the 1970s to buy chemicals…… and some wine.

 

[Christoph1945]

Didn't know Oliver, never read any of his books, but pray that his family will have their breaking hearts soothed, healed, and comforted.

 

[T Hectares]

Very sorry to hear this, he was a hugely influential character when I was a teen

His FW reports from Eastern Europe after the wall came down were a real highlight

Sincerest condolences to his family

Think I might go and read 35 harvests again

 

[yellow belly]

theres a video on YouTube of him going over to France in a farm lorry in the 1970s to buy chemicals…… and some wine.

the price of chemicals had been fixed by the manufacturers adas/maff published the prices and it was what was paid for years

he fetched a lorry load over and prices fell overnight

i told the crops lecturer at college we paid a lot less than the book said and he did not believe me

rip o.w. said it how he saw it

 

[thorpe]

a great man, but i could never understand his politial leanings! RIP oliver