What do the general public really think/expect of the British Countryside?

[Pilatus]

The agricultural industry gets nearly all negative press from the media ,conservationists, professors,people like Chris Packham/George Monbiot etc, on how badly the countryside is being managed /devastated by modern day agriculture.

As I drove through Cheltenham the other evening,back to our country abode,I thought to myself "I wonder how often people living in towns go out in to the countryside for a drive and a nice rural walk," and what do "THEY", ordinary every day general public (by that I mean those that have no connection with the countryside for their livelihood) think of the lovely countryside that the farming industry has created over hundreds of years. If they, the public think the countryside is being badly managed, WHAT ARE /WERE THEY EXPECTING when they visit the countryside??????
Has any farming organisation every conducted a large survey of the general public asking "Is the country side as you expected it to be, if not in your opinion what was wrong about the countryside , compared to how you imagined it to be???"

 

[M-J-G]

The British public don't generally care and don't really have the imagination to think anything should be different to how it currently is, and they expect to get fed as cheaply as they can.

Those who moan and complain are a tiny minority of middle class from wealthy countries who should be ignored as they don't represent anyone important.

 

[upnortheast]

In my regular trips into the urban jungle with the milk van it is very, very rare to come across anyone who sings from the same songsheet as Monbiot Packham etc.
Most folks are supportive and appreciative of what happens in the countryside
Case of empty vessels ...............................................

 

[Farma Parma]

Just wait till we stop cutting the roadside hedges after 5 years & they cant see at junctions or pass other traffic on tens of thousands of back roads whilst enjoying the wild countryside that looks like man has left the planet

 

[Shughie McFee]

they couldn't give a f**k. as long as paths are cleared through scrub for dog walking, they be happy.

 

[n.w]

Just wait till we stop cutting the roadside hedges after 5 years & they cant see at junctions or pass other traffic on tens of thousands of back roads whilst enjoying the wild countryside that looks like man has left the planet

And theres no KFC. only soya mince and £5.00 turnips grown hydroponically in S America

 

[Zippy768]

Just wait till we stop cutting the roadside hedges after 5 years & they cant see at junctions or pass other traffic on tens of thousands of back roads whilst enjoying the wild countryside that looks like man has left the planet

They'd just blame the council. "We pay our council and road tax and the council can't be bothered to cut the hedges"!!

 

[Farma Parma]

They'd just blame the council. "We pay our council and road tax and the council can't be bothered to cut the hedges"!!

Joe Public clueless thats the bigger issue. & i'll bet most of us on here pay half as much council Tax again than most if them & get the least back out of it. No street Lights here. 4miles to nearest Shop/Garage.
No Takeaway Deliveries out here its unheard of.

 

[Ukjay]

The agricultural industry gets nearly all negative press from the media ,conservationists, professors,people like Chris Packham/George Monbiot etc, on how badly the countryside is being managed /devastated by modern day agriculture.

As I drove through Cheltenham the other evening,back to our country abode,I thought to myself "I wonder how often people living in towns go out in to the countryside for a drive and a nice rural walk," and what do "THEY", ordinary every day general public (by that I mean those that have no connection with the countryside for their livelihood) think of the lovely countryside that the farming industry has created over hundreds of years. If they, the public think the countryside is being badly managed, WHAT ARE /WERE THEY EXPECTING when they visit the countryside??????
Has any farming organisation every conducted a large survey of the general public asking "Is the country side as you expected it to be, if not in your opinion what was wrong about the countryside , compared to how you imagined it to be???"

Like any question - it will plus and minus's, but you will get far more anti Joe Public comments than positive as it is a Farming Forum at the end of the day, just look above already!

 

[Pond digger]

The British public don't generally care and don't really have the imagination to think anything should be different to how it currently is, and they expect to get fed as cheaply as they can.

Those who moan and complain are a tiny minority of middle class from wealthy countries who should be ignored as they don't represent anyone important.

I’ll go with that.

 

[Two Tone]

I went to a lunchtime New Year’s Day drinks do at Lunchtime today. There was a retired farmer there who I have always regarded as you of the most pessimistic guy’s I have ever known. What he said today was that all the newspapers today have an air of optimism for 2020.
But rather typically, he said it in such a way as if this is bad news. Which to my mind exactly the attitude of those who don’t appreciate what we do for the countryside!
He better stay retired in my book.

 

[GeorgeK]

I know what they'd think after being stuck behind a tractor for 5 miles that won't pull over!

 

[deleted user 837354]

The majority of them do not care or know. A lot of them, even people who actually live in rural housing, do not understand what goes on, or why. They would only complain about the noise or smell or the cow muck on the road. All they want is an endless expanse to walk their dogs on and initiate passive area denial operations with their excrement.

That said, I do make an effort to talk to the people I happen to cross paths with from time to time. I usually use the most technical language possible, which must go some way to inform and educate whilst helping convince them that we are not all a bunch of slow-witted dungers.

 

[honeyend]

I have lived in or on the edge of the countryside most of my adult life and I just think most of the general public think of it as a free theme park, somewhere to look at the view, walk their dog, leave its poop, get back into the car and drive home.
Villages that were once full of farm workers are now commutor villages, and apart from the looking at the odd old tractor on a run, they have no idea what work goes on in the fields around them. There was a discussion on village Facebook page on what was the pile of stuff in the fields, and it was really funny the ideas they came up with.
Its to be expected really. For a short period I lived on a village housing estate, no one knows or cares about anyone, I was popular because I became the drop off for the parcel couriers, so they had to knock on my door. They walk their dog to the nearest footpath, let it poop, and walk back, and rarely talk to anyone. In eighteen months one set of neighbours never spoke to me, when I complemented them on their front garden they couldn't wait to scurry round the back.
They only value what they pay for, so the more farmers can work out what they can sell, to the day trippers, even if its just a parking space, somewhere to sit and have a picnic and sell them a very expensive coffee and cake, perhaps the better off they will be. You can not educate people you have no contact with.

 

[Pigless]

The agricultural industry gets nearly all negative press from the media ,conservationists, professors,people like Chris Packham/George Monbiot etc, on how badly the countryside is being managed /devastated by modern day agriculture.

As I drove through Cheltenham the other evening,back to our country abode,I thought to myself "I wonder how often people living in towns go out in to the countryside for a drive and a nice rural walk," and what do "THEY", ordinary every day general public (by that I mean those that have no connection with the countryside for their livelihood) think of the lovely countryside that the farming industry has created over hundreds of years. If they, the public think the countryside is being badly managed, WHAT ARE /WERE THEY EXPECTING when they visit the countryside??????
Has any farming organisation every conducted a large survey of the general public asking "Is the country side as you expected it to be, if not in your opinion what was wrong about the countryside , compared to how you imagined it to be???"

I think the media and the professional campaigners would tell us the public want it all rewilded or farmed organically, just as they told us we wanted a second referendum! Thankfully the actual public quite like things looking tidy and managed. They seem to be more resistant to the media than I had given them credit for!

 

[Farma Parma]

I think the media and the professional campaigners would tell us the public want it all rewilded or farmed organically, just as they told us we wanted a second referendum! Thankfully the actual public quite like things looking tidy and managed. They seem to be more resistant to the media than I had given them credit for!

Lets admit it The Working Man stopped The City Slickers denying us Leaving the EU that pretty much sums the job up

 

[deleted user 837354]

I have lived in or on the edge of the countryside most of my adult life and I just think most of the general public think of it as a free theme park, somewhere to look at the view, walk their dog, leave its poop, get back into the car and drive home.
Villages that were once full of farm workers are now commutor villages, and apart from the looking at the odd old tractor on a run, they have no idea what work goes on in the fields around them. There was a discussion on village Facebook page on what was the pile of stuff in the fields, and it was really funny the ideas they came up with.
Its to be expected really. For a short period I lived on a village housing estate, no one knows or cares about anyone, I was popular because I became the drop off for the parcel couriers, so they had to knock on my door. They walk their dog to the nearest footpath, let it poop, and walk back, and rarely talk to anyone. In eighteen months one set of neighbours never spoke to me, when I complemented them on their front garden they couldn't wait to scurry round the back.
They only value what they pay for, so the more farmers can work out what they can sell, to the day trippers, even if its just a parking space, somewhere to sit and have a picnic and sell them a very expensive coffee and cake, perhaps the better off they will be. You can not educate people you have no contact with.

We lived as tenants in a brand new development in a small village for 13 months and it was exactly as you describe- no one talked to anyone largely, you might as well have all been zombies. It was basically all townies who had managed to secure themselves a slice of old England but they really didn't get village life.

 

[Hilly]

The agricultural industry gets nearly all negative press from the media ,conservationists, professors,people like Chris Packham/George Monbiot etc, on how badly the countryside is being managed /devastated by modern day agriculture.

As I drove through Cheltenham the other evening,back to our country abode,I thought to myself "I wonder how often people living in towns go out in to the countryside for a drive and a nice rural walk," and what do "THEY", ordinary every day general public (by that I mean those that have no connection with the countryside for their livelihood) think of the lovely countryside that the farming industry has created over hundreds of years. If they, the public think the countryside is being badly managed, WHAT ARE /WERE THEY EXPECTING when they visit the countryside??????
Has any farming organisation every conducted a large survey of the general public asking "Is the country side as you expected it to be, if not in your opinion what was wrong about the countryside , compared to how you imagined it to be???"

They don’t give a sh!t they don’t even care about their towns and city’s most are a bit dirty and horrible so they need to sort their own mess out first.

 

[Ukjay]

They don’t give a sh!t they don’t even care about their towns and city’s most are a bit dirty and horrible so they need to sort their own mess out first.

Sorry, whilst I get what you are saying in part, you speak as though farms are all swanky and clean areas - whereby I think the same can be said of both sides.

 

[Ffermer Bach]

The majority of them do not care or know. A lot of them, even people who actually live in rural housing, do not understand what goes on, or why. They would only complain about the noise or smell or the cow muck on the road. All they want is an endless expanse to walk their dogs on and initiate passive area denial operations with their excrement.

That said, I do make an effort to talk to the people I happen to cross paths with from time to time. I usually use the most technical language possible, which must go some way to inform and educate whilst helping convince them that we are not all a bunch of slow-witted dungers.

we camped on the national trust farm at the foot of Snowdon this summer, and I strolled over to chat to the farm manager, he said that most of the campers have no interest at all in the farm itself. Even though it is a fascinating farm, having the side of Snowdon as part of it's open hill and I was told used to be part of the biggest sheep farm in Europe.