National Trust MyFarm Experiment Falters

MyFarm, the National Trust’s experiment to involve the general public in farming decisions is closing down due to lack of demand.

Launched in May 2011 the idea was that for a joining fee of £30 people could vote on various farming decisions which needed to be made on the Trust’s 1200 acre organic farm in Cambridgeshire, and the farm manager, Richard Norris was obliged to enact whatever plan got the most votes. People voted on issues such as which crops to plant, and what breed of beef cow to rear on farm.

Despite the Trust’s 3.7 million members, and a massive publicity campaign at launch, the numbers signing up fell well short of the 10,000 required.  A reported 29,000 people went on to the internet on the first day to see what the project was all about, but a recent article in the Telegraph says that the number of people enrolling stalled at under 3000, with the Trust refusing to confirm exact figures. And this despite a decision in May 2012 to abolish the joining fee.

So what issues does this raise.

Well, it demonstrates that if the general public think something this a bad idea then no amount of money, publicity or clout will turn it into a good one.

We do not know what turned the public off and it is a puzzle given that most other pieces of information suggest that farming holds a fascination for many.

Could it be that those who went on to the website realised that the premise was unrealistic in that  a financially vital decision was being made by committee in just a few days and on the basis of few facts and less experience. Perhaps the unreality was exacerbated by a feeling that the Trust is wealthy enough for a bad decision not to lead to financial ruin. Perhaps some realised that the results of their decision would not be available for months if not years, which can be unsatisfying in today’s climate of instant gratification.

In truth the MyFarm experiment made farming a game and trivialised its importance. It was interesting that the Telegraph article appeared in the week that Farming Today on radio 4 was covering the issue of why youngsters seem not to understand that farming is a highly skilled and technically demanding career and Farmers Weekly published its survey showing that the average farm manager’s salary is a respectable and competitive £50,000, a number that does not include non cash benefits such as a car or rent and council tax payment. By contrast MyFarm gave the impression that farming could be done with little expertise and a seat of the pants approach.

The NT should be applauded for trying something new, and for its efforts to reconnect the general public to farming.

But this experiment did neither they nor the farming profession any favours.

My Shameful Secret - I'm a Meat Eater

So the hoo-ha about meat eaters destroying the planet has surfaced again, this time via a Times interview with Lord Stern, noted scientist and author of the 2006 review of the cost of tackling climate change. The Times front page headline announced "Climate Chief: give up meat to save the planet", and in the body of the interview Stern reckoned that people's attitudes would evolve until meat eating became unacceptable.

So, is meat eating about to become a shameful secret, admitted, like listening to Country and Western music, only to one's most trusted friends,and undertaken behind closed doors. Will meat eaters, driven underground by public opinion suddenly feel the need to burst out of the closet, shout about their meat eating, and join "Meat Pride" marches through the streets of London? Will, heaven's above, the nanny state actually ban meat eating?

To be fair, on BBC's Today programme Lord Stern started by saying that the Times headline was "unfortunate", and that his message is about global leaders needing to take climate change seriously with meat eating being just one of many factors which need consideration. Too late. The headline writers have roared into action.

The voice of reason needs to speak up.

For starters, sheep and cattle are vital to preserving the character and biodiversity of the British countryside. They graze on moors, hills and coastlines, keeping land that cannot be cultivated for grains or vegetables from becoming brown stretches of dead bracken incapable of supporting plants or wildlife. The National Trust understand this, as does Natural England. Both have been active in reintroducing cattle to ungrazed stretches of the countryside, resulting in more rare plants and bird life. Perhaps they could speak up.

Meat, as the Food Standards Agency on its website and Times nutritionist Amanda Ursell both point out, contains essential nutrients in an easily absorbable form. The FSA says " Meat is a good source of protein and vitamins and minerals such as iron, selenium, zinc and B vitamins".

There's also the very practical issue that if there are no cows then there are no milk and dairy products.


And farming is a voice which needs to shout very much louder, communicating their plan (assuming there is one) to minimise farming's environmental impact.