OF&G :: The blog

Worrying results from a survey carried out by Graig Producers and Caledonian Organics suggest that up to half of their members could be thinking of reducing stock numbers or even pulling out of organic production.

The chief reason for this finding is cited as rising feed costs, something we’ve been raising the flag over for some time now at OF&G. We simply don’t have anywhere near enough organic arable farmers in the UK, despite the fact that there’s a good premium available for their product.

If the results of the Graig Producers survey bears any reality to the picture across the country it could be bad news indeed as demand for organic produce only continues to grow. The two groups have around 500 members (including OF&G licensees), although apparently the findings are extrapolated from just 83 responses - which probably gives a fairly wide margin for error, but is still telling:

Results from the survey of Group members, across Wales, the Borders and South West England, showed that 36% will reduce stock numbers, and a further 9% will leave organic farming, if feed prices remained at 2006 levels or above, and there was no increase in organic lamb and beef prices. In Scotland the figures were slightly lower at 23% saying they would reduce numbers, and 8% preparing to stop farming organically.

This is just one of the signal flares going up at the moment about the organic arable shortage, with a major UK processor about to start making justifiable noise on the topic too (I don’t think they’ve said their piece publicly yet though, so I won’t jump the gun and name them!).

The feeling here is that there’s an inbuilt nervousness about making the switch to organic from a spray-dependent system that many are comfortable with. And with general grain and protein prices high, the incentive to take any risk is hugely diminished. What more can the industry do apart from educate and inform farmers about the rewards of going organic? OF&G is taking more steps to do just that, but ultimately the decision is in the hands of the individual farmers…

Our friends at Garden Organic, the UK’s leading organic growing charity, are flushed with joy at the moment with the expansion of their successful reed bed system which has been filtering their sewage for the past 15 years.

[Notes: I think that will be enough of the toilet humour and I have to hold my hands up to stealing Garden Organic's own headline - it was just too good not to use!]

Garden Organic has expanded the existing set up to cope with growing staff and visitor numbers at its headquarters in Ryton, Warwickshire:

The environmentally sensitive, wetland technology area disposes of all effluent generated on site with the help of gravity, a series of pools with graded aggregate filters and the purifying powers of the Common, or Norfolk Reed (Phragmites australis) to cleanse waste water without the use of chemicals.

But the best bit of all is that the entire reed-bed system has been allowed to develop into a broadleaf woodland conservation area covering more than two acres and turns what was nasty, noxious waste into a wildlife garden bursting with biodiversity.

Reed beds are a great concept - taking what is otherwise a potential pollutant and which has to be extensively cleaned or discharged into the landscape or ocean - and turning it into pure water and a wildlife habitat to boot!

You have to think (note lack of science or research behind that statement) that organic producers who have land available for such a system would be in the perfect position to create more reed beds in this country, taking their organic credentials to another level of commitment. Garden Organic are a great example and teacher.

Take a look at their site for more info…

On the day that we breathe a collective sigh of relief that the results of two more suspect
FMD cases have proved negative in initial tests, it is reported that there is growing concern among scientists that the deadly bluetongue virus is not far from UK shores.

The disease is a killer to livestock and is spread by midges, which makes it very hard to control, according to news from Organic Inform. Click here for the Organic Inform coverage…

It’s been a couple of weeks where you find yourself considering what’s really appropriate to write in a fairly lighthearted forum such as this blog. Most people in and around farming probably haven’t felt very lighthearted (better note that I’m referring to the Surrey FMD outbreak so that it makes sense if anyone looks at this in the distant future!).

So on that note I’ll stick to a bit of tale telling that might amuse a few:

Guesses welcome on which well-known agricultural college was responsible for a herd of stampeding heifers through a quiet village on Wednesday (yes, movement ban still in place). It seems they’d been moved to the adjacent yard from the field for a visit from the vet but the apparent lack of a qualified farm gate security technician (you can see what I’ve done there..) led to chaos.

It was with some surprise that householders gazed out of their windows to see about a dozen of the beasts chewing on their hedges while the rest took off hell-for-leather down the lane - in the direction of a busy B road.

Local info has it that the end result was a call to the police to stop the traffic while the round-up took place.

What can you say, apart from “whoops” and perhaps “I want my hedge back!”.

Having been assailed by the travails of our glorious leader to actually get onto the Royal Welsh site, we can now present a not-so-exclusive image of some of our team at the show.

I can confirm that model releases have been signed and any copyright issues settled to bring you the following photo of (left to right): Mari Jones, OF&G Inspector, Jenny Bibb, Certification Officer, and Research and Development Officer, Steven Jacobs.

It did cross some mischievous minds to open this up as a caption competition, but Jenny is already mortified at our choice of photo anyway!

Next time you see us at a show, don’t forget to drop by for your stylish new OF&G pen…