Britain may need to 'dig for survival', agriculture minister says..

[truman]

Right, fields are left as set aside land. The eu will pay a farmer x amount for them not to grow crops - let it go back to nature. This helps the soil (and nature) recover. It's been done in Europe for hundreds of years, and with intensive farming techniques, it's vital. Do you know where they don't do it ? Brazil, where you'll find swathes of desert after farmers over there have sucked the life from it.

 

Do we need to farm every square foot ? Chem would have us turn the peak district into a subsistence farming shanty town. Is set aside corruption proof ? Of course not but in theory it's well worth doing.

 

And here's me thinking it was to avoid the EU having to buy all the excess produce because of guaranteed priced due to the CAP. (Butter/grain mountains,wine lakes etc.etc) The farmers were producing too much for the market..

[Anna Glypta]

Right, fields are left as set aside land. The eu will pay a farmer x amount for them not to grow crops - let it go back to nature. This helps the soil (and nature) recover. It's been done in Europe for hundreds of years, and with intensive farming techniques, it's vital. Do you know where they don't do it ? Brazil, where you'll find swathes of desert after farmers over there have sucked the life from it.

 

Do we need to farm every square foot ? Chem would have us turn the peak district into a subsistence farming shanty town. Is set aside corruption proof ? Of course not but in theory it's well worth doing.

 

Correct. It is called leaving fields fallow. It is part of normal crop rotation, and it allows land to recover and helps rid the land of pests that develop if it isn't done.

 

I suppose to OP has never been involved in any form of agriculture and bases the thread on his knowledge of growing a cactus in a plant pot.

 

http://thelatticegroup.org/let-the-field-lie-fallow

 

Leaving a field to lie fallow simply means leaving a paddock or field to be unseeded, uneaten, and unspoilt for a season or more. Farmers let fields lie fallow because it is one of the best ways to allow the land to replenish its nutrients and regain its fertility without resorting to the application of fertilizers. It also helps prevent erosion as the roots of the plants left to grow on the land help to hold the soil in place against the ravages of wind and rain. Sounds extremely important for farming doesn’t it? Sad thing is, farmers have so many demands on them that most don’t let fields lie fallow anymore, or at least find it difficult – and this in turn is slowly sapping the ground of all its cornucopian goodness.

[truman]

Correct. It is called leaving fields fallow. It is part of normal crop rotation, and it allows land to recover and helps rid the land of pests that develop if it isn't done.

 

I suppose to OP has never been involved in any form of agriculture and bases the thread on his knowledge of growing a cactus in a plant pot.

 

"Set-aside is a term for land that farmers are not allowed to use for any agricultural purpose. It was introduced by the EEC in 1992 as part of a package of reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy to prevent over production. It applies only to farmers growing crops."

 

http://www.ukagriculture.com/crops/setaside.cfm

 

Seems more of an economic tool to me...

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Set-aside

[Anna Glypta]

"Set-aside is a term for land that farmers are not allowed to use for any agricultural purpose. It was introduced by the EEC in 1992 as part of a package of reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy to prevent over production. It applies only to farmers growing crops."

 

http://www.ukagriculture.com/crops/setaside.cfm

 

Seems more of an economic tool to me...

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Set-aside

 

You seem to be trying to miss-represent your own link..

 

Let me help you.

 

Set-aside is a term for land that farmers are not allowed to use for any agricultural purpose. It was introduced by the EEC in 1992 as part of a package of reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy to prevent over production. It applies only to farmers growing crops.

 

In the first year of the scheme farmers had to set-aside a minimum of 15% of their cropped farmland for the harvest year of 1993. By the year 2000 the figure had dropped to 10%. In 2007, following significant rises in grain prices across Europe, the EU decided that for harvest 2008, the set-aside rate would be zero. It is currently unclear how long the zero rate will remain.

[truman]

You seem to be trying to miss-represent your own link..

 

Let me help you.

 

Set-aside is a term for land that farmers are not allowed to use for any agricultural purpose. It was introduced by the EEC in 1992 as part of a package of reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy to prevent over production. It applies only to farmers growing crops.

 

In the first year of the scheme farmers had to set-aside a minimum of 15% of their cropped farmland for the harvest year of 1993. By the year 2000 the figure had dropped to 10%. In 2007, following significant rises in grain prices across Europe, the EU decided that for harvest 2008, the set-aside rate would be zero. It is currently unclear how long the zero rate will remain.

 

No undermining at all...it was done for economic reasons rather than crop rotation..now grain price is high (without the EU having to buy it and "stockpile" it ) farmers are free to use all their land if they wish..

[Anna Glypta]

No undermining at all...it was done for economic reasons rather than crop rotation..now grain price is high (without the EU having to buy it and "stockpile" it ) farmers are free to use all their land if they wish..

 

I didn't say undermining. I said you were miss-representing. TOTALLY DIFFERENT THINGS.

 

Set aside hasn't existed for years, which is a shame. It allowed farmers to replant hedgerows and leave nature corridors along the edges of fields. It also cut down the need for fertilizer and pesticides. Now we are paying a price for over farming land, because the bees are in decline.

So I don't know what point the OP is trying to make. It is only by allowing some land "time off" that our vital insects, and wildlife can survive.

[saunaman]

What about the idea of "guerilla gardening" , ie planting fruit n veg in public places for the public to enjoy and help themselves ? Is this illegal or can we just take small plants and grow them in public areas for everyone to just help themselves when the plants come to maturity ?

 

Does anyone know the legalities surrounding something which could bring positive benefits to communities?