What food is U.K. self sufficient in ???

curlietailz

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Sedgefield
Just pondering upon what foods we are self sufficient in.
I know the figure on the whole is about 60%. But surely that includes all the stuff we eat that cannot be grown here ie bananas, etc
If we had to become 100% self sufficient in food what would our diet look like ?
 
Just pondering upon what foods we are self sufficient in.
I know the figure on the whole is about 60%. But surely that includes all the stuff we eat that cannot be grown here ie bananas, etc
If we had to become 100% self sufficient in food what would our diet look like ?
Wheat and barley carrots

diet bread from uk wheat turnips swedes carrots lamb
we would have less chicken cheese and out of season veg tropical fruit grapes



the issue is a bit academic
we imported French wheat during the napolionic wars
 

7610 super q

Never Forgotten
Honorary Member
We could easily be self sufficient is everything that doesn't need a heated greenhouse ?
I see a large tomato grower in Southern England has given up because gas is too expensive now to heat the greenhouses. :(
We need a concerted approach, fracking, grants for horticulture, greenhouses etc. And all this re wilding guff in the bin where it belongs.
 
Margaret Beckett said in the early 00s that " the world would be our bread basket" ,at the time she was secretary of state for the environment. That was 2 fingers to the farming community, they'll realise now how precious local food is and by that I include all the British Isles, time for farming to be respected again and not for free,don't want a clap either, what government would scrap the sfp when there need big investment in food, my father used to say people have forgotten the war, ww2 and real hunger
 
but I’ve been out and bought a load of veggie seeds, potato setts and onion setts already. Plan a bigger veg patch this year


Slowly been scaling up, probably going to end up getting a small green house. I'd hope dearly to sell any over production at the farm gate because THAT is what I like doing. Making high quality food for people to eat and seeing smiling faces - might even get a compliment.

Thinking about getting some chickens so we have a good supply of qualtiy meat & eggs - will feed them off the Wheat cleanings. Thinking of creating a run with sections to sow & strip feed. If it gets large enough the muck will go towards the Wheat crops. It won't be much at the start but might get to feed an acre or so.

I'd love for it to become part of the farming cycle but want to have some fun & pleasure first.
 

DRC

Member
I’d not be too worried if my diet was only lamb, beef, pork and bacon , milk, oats, wheat products , eggs, potatoes and the good old fashioned British veggies. Brussels sprouts, turnip, parsnips, carrots and cabbage.

but I’ve been out and bought a load of veggie seeds, potato setts and onion setts already. Plan a bigger veg patch this year
We put up a 30x16 ft polytunnel during first lockdown , added various outdoor beds and used troughs we don’t use anymore .
grow all year round pretty much and had potatoes broccoli and carrots with todays dinner .
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melted welly

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
DD9.
We’d be self sufficient in a lot of fruit and vegetables easy enough if we accept that it requires freezing in order to supply out of season. And we have the production capacity to be self sufficient in meat and fish I’d imagine.

but don’t think we’re self sufficient in processing capacity in order to take the production to market
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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  • 75-100%

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  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 6 3.2%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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