This really is a tumultuous time for conservation and farming. A climate emergency, flooding, leaving the EU, new environment and agriculture bills in government on top of all the usual uncertainty that farmers deal with at any time. But reflecting on this at Easthall Farm, one thing remains constant- our passion for growing food while sustaining biodiversity and preserving the countryside for future generations. By thinking about future generations, we can focus on the impact of our actions today.
As farmers and conservationists, we don’t know what the future holds but continue regardless. We don’t know what sort of business we will have in the future and with such uncertainty in the next few years, we need to prepare for many different scenarios. Short term thinking is important but we need to be focussed on future generations. Just as previous generations thought about us as they planted trees that they would never appreciate, so famers today need to imagine the future. This is about being a ‘good ancestor’.
This series of blogs will be exploring issues of sustainability in farming. Based on what we are doing at Easthall Farm, I will be looking at how we can have wellbeing, sustainability and prosperity. These terms need to be explored and redefined. Prosperity is not about ‘money in the pocket’ in the short term. It is much more. It is about living well and living within environmental limits, what can be termed sustainable prosperity. It needs us to focus on the countryside and community to be enjoyed by future generations as well as those living now.
The calls for ‘living well’ also challenges farmers to think about our roles. Part of that is growing wonderful food, but also doing this while protecting the countryside, encouraging biodiversity and creating space for good livelihoods for many others. It is also about encouraging access to nature, something that is shown to be vital for wellbeing.
Previous blogs on this site have shown how we try (in our small way) to bring food and conservation together working with the Wildlife Trust and the Jordan’s Farm Partnership. There is a growing movement of growers pushing “Nature Friendly Farming” and sustaining the soil. There is also work with children to get them outdoors and learning in nature. As a certified Benefit Corporation (BCorp) we focus on the impact we are having around us, for now and for the future.
All this is done with future generations in mind. And at the start of a new decade, with the changes swirling around us, I take a break from trying to plan a business for an uncertain future by planting trees with friends and neighbours, not knowing who will enjoy them or what sort of world they will have been left by us. I wonder what sort of ancestor they will think we have been.