A new open letter to Andy Burnham from Jamie Blackett.
He explores the challenges facing British farming, from food security and drought to land management, agricultural support and the future of rural communities.
Read the full piece → https://t.co/8nkj5ZlzAH
Expert’s curse - is it our downfall?
Emily Graham asks whether our own knowledge could actually be making it harder to engage people outside the countryside and fieldsports world.
Read more → https://t.co/8nkj5ZlzAH
#scribehound#fieldsports#countryside
A fish from Saddam Hussein’s private lake
It sounds unbelievable. But Andy Ford’s latest Scribehound story is about much more than an unlikely catch.
Meet Ben Stoten, the ‘Amputee Angler’, and discover the role fishing played in rebuilding his life. 🎣
https://t.co/8nkj5ZlzAH
70% of farmers in England are over 55. Just 5% are under 35.
So who will take British farming forward?
@AdamHenson meets the #youngfarmers already finding new ways to build resilient businesses. What he discovers is worth a closer look.
https://t.co/dKtcRQqNET
"In a world as complex and quickly evolving as this, rewilding isn’t the threat to food security - it’s become a scapegoat when it should be considered part of the solution."
Dominic Buscall writes on #ScribehoundCountryside
Roger Morgan-Grenville explores the looming water crisis in the UK, highlighting how decades of neglect, over-abstraction, weak regulation, and public indifference are pushing our water systems and rivers to the brink.
Read more on #ScribehoundCountryside
Post-Brexit farm policy promised a greener, more independent future - but many English farmers now face uncertainty, unpaid environmental work, and collapsing incomes.
As old EU subsidies vanish and new schemes stall, decades of progress risk being undone.
Tom Martin debunks 10 of the most common myths about solar - from harming wildlife to wasting land - and explains how solar can boost biodiversity, protect soil, work with grazing livestock, and power the UK more sustainably.
Read more on #ScribehoundCountryside
"No two seasons are ever the same - the weather, the flowers, and the bees themselves each write their own story."
Read more - https://t.co/8VfJXDBRBM
Emily Graham writes on #ScribehoundCountryside
"Have you noticed a sudden increase in the number of ponies in your area recently? I don’t mean an unprecedented rise in the number of pony club rallies or an influx of happy hackers – or even ponies pulling sulkies down the main road." - Camilla Swift
"Over-zealous officials recently decided to ban chicken shows in a bid to curb avian influenza. Critics say they're making a terrible mistake. And shooting could be next in the firing line. Here's why..." - Guy Adams
Read more - https://t.co/FJBom3FMCN
"Stepping onto global stages has been a dream. Stepping off them, I’m reminded that success for women still comes with scrutiny, judgement and questions about family life."
Claire Taylor writes on #ScribehoundCountryside
Scotland’s largest wildfire on record has scorched over 11,000 hectares - and the damage runs deep. Peat fires still smoulder underground, releasing centuries of stored carbon. The science is clear: fuel load matters. But will policy catch up before the next blaze?
"My cars are both awful and brilliant - and one might win Goodwood Revival approval"
Jonathan Young writes about the joy of owning classic cars - but not the models you might expect on #ScribehoundCountryside
With soaring costs, poor yields, and relentless weather extremes, many farms are facing a year with no profit at all. It’s a stark reminder that the food on our plates begins with the resilience of those who grow it.
Adam Henson writes on #ScribehoundCountryside
"The supermarket has not just cheapened food; it has cheapened our sense of food."
Read more - https://t.co/u2nNZmJrox
Sam Carlisle writes on #ScribehoundCountryside
"Going back to London, after being in the countryside for a year or so, I realised how different the 'noise' was. My body and mind were in constant fight or flight mode."
'The Unexpected Comfort of Countryside Sounds' - Zoë Colville writes on #ScribehoundCountryside
"He's battled the water companies to keep our rivers clean. Are they hitting back by burning down fishing huts? Or are vandals responsible? Donny Donovan refuses to back down after a series of arson attacks."
Andy Ford writes on ScribehoundCountryside
'How Farm Diversification Became a Minefield of Meddling'
Jamie Blackett writes about the joys and frustrations of holiday letting in the context of farm diversification.
Read more - https://t.co/CeIeOU55Bs