NFU members across the region marked Back British Farming Day with a series of activities designed to highlight the importance of homegrown food production and the contribution farming makes to rural communities.
The Back British Farming message was highlighted at two Countryside Days held in the region. One was in Somerset where county chair Mark Humphry showed local councillors and other key stakeholders around his 450-acre dairy farm at Isle Brewers near Taunton.
Attendees were able to see a renewable energy project that will generate electricity for the farm from gas captured from a slurry lagoon and heard about some of the issues surrounding watercourse maintenance in the county, as well as the problems caused by the long, hot summer.
On the day itself a similar gathering was held in Cornwall where guests looked around Trendeal Vean, a beef farm near Truro run by Laura and Sam Awdry, where problems caused by the recent bluetongue outbreak were highlighted.
The work of the NFU featured at both events with county advisers Emily Martin and Ben Gallant talking about some of the issues the union has been tackling on behalf of members, including rural crime and farm resilience.
The same messages will be emphasised at a Countryside Day due to be held in Devon at the end of the month.
The weekend before Back British Farming Day farmers and members of the public attending Dorset County Show pledged their backing for British farming, with the NFU stand hosting a special display.
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Meanwhile regional board chair David Chugg travelled to Westminster to attend the NFU’ s Back British Farming reception, where NFU President Tom Bradshaw launched the Ready to Grow report.
Following the presentation David, national dairy board chair Ian Harvey and South regional director Tom Rabbetts were able to discuss the report with MPs from across the region.
David said: “I think it is great to see so many farmers and growers getting out there, showing what they do and having those conversations about the importance of our farms, food supply and everything else they contribute.
“The resilience of our food systems and the challenges for farm businesses have been raised at the highest level of Government by the NFU but it is also vital that we are showing what we do in our towns and cities, meeting the public and having proper discussions with decision makers on the ground.
Tom Rabbetts added: “Our region is a critical component in delivering food security and with the right policies and investment from government, both local and national, we can build greater resilience into our domestic food production system and ensure farmers and growers can continue producing food for 29 million households alongside their important role managing the countryside.
“The NFU will continue to drive for that change so are farms can thrive for generations to come.”