Parliamentary debate on farming on Dartmoor (18th April), Natural England’s rewilding aspirations beyond Dartmoor, and what you need to do.

[gatepost]

we noticed more ticks as more deer (Roe in our instance) came about in recent years yes i suppose warmer winters muddled seasons have a bit to do with it as well. its the suitable height vegetation they like to climb up and jump of onto their host and the grazing sheep /cattle keep them down .
We use dysect or crovect to kill them when they are on the sheep dual purpose with maggot prevention.
only trouble is small not born very long lambs that aren't treated can get a lot on them, shouldn't get serious if they are farm bred and there is immunity to the diseases that's carried but they would be pretty uncomfortable i guess with a lot on them.
were a few mile from Dartmoor mind you but. still the same prob on long stemmy grass on copse/woods edges particularly. just try to shoot the Deer .
its all (free) management .by local farmers and landowners.

Already had more ticks on new borns this year than ever, several ill and a loss. Massive deer population increase.

 

[Dry Rot]

In response to one or two inquiries for assistance....
E mailing your MP is simple.
Google their name, and you should quickly be able to find a contact email. Ask a young'un if that ain't you.

Point out you're a constituent, giving your home address.

You're telling them you're unhappy about NE's apparent rewilding agenda, as being reported from Dartmoor.
Observe that it is evidently a wider ambition, with species reintroduction et al.

Point out the financial activity implications the collapse in farming output inevitably leads to.
The fact that many of us only rub along doesn't mean we aren't putting product and money through countless hands downstream....think of trades affected yourself, mention that these might be voters.
There's other angles you can use, cultural, food security, carbon footprint etc etc.

Specifically remind your MP about the forthcoming debate and its broader reach, request that they tell you what actions they can and will take.

DO NOT paste and copy from here...any hint of that and your communication is worthless.

Ta.

There are easy ways to do it.

WriteToThem

WriteToThem is a website which provides an easy way to contact MPs, councillors and other elected representatives.

www.writetothem.com

 

[penntor]

Excellent article in today's Western Morning News by Tom Greeves about the situation on Dartmoor. Cannot post a link to it as I am not tech savvy enough, maybe someone else can post a link to it.
He is totally against destocking and rewilding but he would be as an archaeologist ( although he now calls himself a cultural environmentalist ) as it will hide the archaeology that he is interested in. An interesting read all the same.

 

[Bury the Trash]

 

[Bury the Trash]

 

[Bury the Trash]

done me best

 

[egbert]

done me best

It was a very good piece, although the chicken incursion...from adjoining ads, was a bit weird

 

[Boveyfarmer]

I have always held the view that Tom Greeves looked at the moor as a whole, that is the cultural heritage, people as well as the flora and fauna.
Natural England seem blind to the culture, people and history of the moor.
You do get the feeling they would rather we crawled away to be replaced by wealthy rewilders.

 

[penntor]

done me best

Thanks

 

[Sid]

Email sent to Selaine Saxby.

This sort of behaviour from NE could be heading down the hill!!

 

[egbert]

Interesting...the debate is now being described as in Westminster Hall, rather than parliament.
That seems to be a change, although I've no idea what it will mean.

(other than the roof of the hall is something else to behold. I priced up replacing it out of curiosity, and I'd cut the framing up to sarking boards for about £180k.)

Email sent to Selaine Saxby.

This sort of behaviour from NE could be heading down the hill!!

thanks...and yes, they are looking down the hill. See comments re dairy farms on Somerset Levels

 

[yellowbelly]

Interesting...the debate is now being described as in Westminster Hall, rather than parliament.
That seems to be a change, although I've no idea what it will mean.

Will there be any kind of vote after the debate??

The only reason I mention it is that I wrote to my MP, what seems like ages ago, and other than the automated acknowledgement, I've not had a reply.
I've no idea if she is even going to turn up for it.

Might need to fire off another email, time's running out.

 

[egbert]

Will there be any kind of vote after the debate??

The only reason I mention it is that I wrote to my MP, what seems like ages ago, and other than the automated acknowledgement, I've not had a reply.
I've no idea if she is even going to turn up for it.

Might need to fire off another email, time's running out.

I very much doubt it.
But gee her up anyway!

 

[Bertram]

I have always held the view that Tom Greeves looked at the moor as a whole, that is the cultural heritage, people as well as the flora and fauna.
Natural England seem blind to the culture, people and history of the moor.
You do get the feeling they would rather we crawled away to be replaced by wealthy rewilders.

This is a very valid point.

Where I live, a few miles from the moor, our neighbouring estate has recently been taken over by a new generation. Along with that, the farm tenancies have been put under increasing pressure using, or so it seems to me, the national trust as a benchmark. This seems to be driven by the worthy middle classes of this “new generation” who are at best naive, and if you’re cynical like me, are nothing more than guardian reading champagne socialists, mastering in greenwashing hypocrisy.

Problem is, this misinformed bunch are educated and articulate. They have time on their hands and they have money. They’re just blinkered by too much communication and back slapping with their equally irritating peer groups. 10 years ago they all settled with driving their unnecessary 4x4’s to Riverford farm shop to buy Jocasta and Caspian organic tomatoes for their packed lunches, but now they’re getting involved in dictating how estates and farming policies evolve. This is frankly terrifying, in my view there’s nothing more dangerous than a group of bored but well funded and well connected Jemimas convincing themselves that they’re saving the planet. You know the type, two children at the village primary before boarding school, a doctor husband, and mummy’s bought them a darling cottage for their first home. We’re overrun with the bast**ds in Devon, in the past they did at least have the decency to mostly congregate and remain in Totnes.

It’s so important that actual farmers, and by that I mean those who produce actual, real food, and understand that we don’t all live in a version of Brambly Hedge, counteract this nauseating naivety and these offensive attacks on traditional farming with reasoned, informed facts. We’re not very good at that, probably in the main because most of us are busy working for a living. But I applaud @egbert for his stance and his writing and to be honest I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling that I should be doing much more. I don’t have the answers but I think Dartmoor is the thin end of the wedge and what’s happening there should be a warning to us all.

 

[Raider112]

This is a very valid point.

Where I live, a few miles from the moor, our neighbouring estate has recently been taken over by a new generation. Along with that, the farm tenancies have been put under increasing pressure using, or so it seems to me, the national trust as a benchmark. This seems to be driven by the worthy middle classes of this “new generation” who are at best naive, and if you’re cynical like me, are nothing more than guardian reading champagne socialists, mastering in greenwashing hypocrisy.

Problem is, this misinformed bunch are educated and articulate. They have time on their hands and they have money. They’re just blinkered by too much communication and back slapping with their equally irritating peer groups. 10 years ago they all settled with driving their unnecessary 4x4’s to Riverford farm shop to buy Jocasta and Caspian organic tomatoes for their packed lunches, but now they’re getting involved in dictating how estates and farming policies evolve. This is frankly terrifying, in my view there’s nothing more dangerous than a group of bored but well funded and well connected Jemimas convincing themselves that they’re saving the planet. You know the type, two children at the village primary before boarding school, a doctor husband, and mummy’s bought them a darling cottage for their first home. We’re overrun with the bast**ds in Devon, in the past they did at least have the decency to mostly congregate and remain in Totnes.

It’s so important that actual farmers, and by that I mean those who produce actual, real food, and understand that we don’t all live in a version of Brambly Hedge, counteract this nauseating naivety and these offensive attacks on traditional farming with reasoned, informed facts. We’re not very good at that, probably in the main because most of us are busy working for a living. But I applaud @egbert for his stance and his writing and to be honest I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling that I should be doing much more. I don’t have the answers but I think Dartmoor is the thin end of the wedge and what’s happening there should be a warning to us all.

You don't care for them then?

 

[Bertram]

You don't care for them then?

They get right on my tits. Can you tell?

 

[egbert]

They get right on my tits. Can you tell?

Quite, although I feel your previous post had just a little more eloquence.

So much in fact, you could simply top and tail it, fill in the background......and despatch it to your MP!
(I'm sure he'll deduce your latter point for him/herself)

 

[Bertram]

Quite, although I feel your previous post had just a little more eloquence.

So much in fact, you could simply top and tail it, fill in the background......and despatch it to your MP!
(I'm sure he'll deduce your latter point for him/herself)

I shall do so dreckly, just as soon as I’ve finished my organic falafel breakfast.

 

[ajcc]

Trailer load of cast blackie ewes let go on westminster bridge would be the French farmers approach Tuesday lunchtime.
(just saying.)

 

[matthew]

A researcher on Radio Devon today, told a fascinating tale.

Dartmoor has been occupied and agriculturally 'farmed' since when? Middle Ages? Earlier?
Try 1500 years BC. The Bronze Age, and the big Devon banks have been there since then, and many are still there today. These were territorial dividers, mainly for animals, not crops.

So how far back to 're wild' do these muppets (to borrow D's phrase) want to go?