organic news

Feb 25, 2017

  • At a meeting with English Organic Forum on 31st January Farming Minister George Eustace MP confirmed that existing organic farmers and new farmers who want to convert to organic can apply for support under the Countryside Stewardship scheme for the next two years
     
  • The Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) reported in January that ‘The H5N8 strain of the disease has been confirmed at two separate poultry farms in Lincolnshire, at a premises near Settle in North Yorkshire, and at a premises in Carmarthenshire, Wales, and restrictions are in place. The same strain has also been found in wild birds in England, Scotland and Wales. If you keep poultry – whether on a commercial scale or simply a small backyard flock – you are now required by law to house them (keep them under cover) or otherwise keep them separate from wild birds.’ Full government details and advice are available here.
  • The Organic Trade Board and Organic Denmark have secured a grant of EUR 10.4 million (£9 million) to promote organic products in the UK and Denmark between 2017-2019. The campaign is intended to boost retail sales, increase jobs in the sector and raise awareness about organic food. Here’s how The Guardian reported this on 15th January: https://goo.gl/rHcm4j
     
  • There’s a Forum 21 one-day conference to demonstrate the benefits of pasture fed food production. on Friday 21st March in Minehead. The speakers are practising farmers, land managers and conservationists. For full details and to book, go here.


  • There’s still time to apply for the 3rd Organic Farming Innovation Award; the deadline is 31st March. Every three years, at the Organic World Congress (OWC), IFOAM-Organics International, the Rural Development Administration (RDA) of the Republic of Korea, and the IFOAM Technology Innovation Platform (TIPI) award outstanding organic innovators with the Organic Farming Innovation Award (OFIA).
Classifieds – Autumn Equinox ’23

Classifieds – Autumn Equinox ’23

Welcome to the WWOOF UK Classifieds section. Here, you can find postings from members and other friends of WWOOF UK regarding opportunities, job listings, property advertisements and more. Have something you’d like listed in our Classifieds section? Send us an...

Hive mind – letters to the editor – Autumn Equinox ’23

Hive mind – letters to the editor – Autumn Equinox ’23

Do you have a question for the ‘hive mind’? Do you have any answers to these questions? Do you have any top tips you want to share? Feel free to email the editor – editor@wwoof.org.uk Slugs galore! The latest question for the hive mind is...

Seasonal recipe – Autumn Equinox ’23

Seasonal recipe – Autumn Equinox ’23

Parsley Pesto Do you have a glut of parsley? We don't have enough customers for our luscious crop of parsley so we're enjoying it in bulk! But maybe you have a plant that's gone a bit mad in your greenhouse or herb garden and want to prune it back? Serves: 4 + •...

Barn to be wild

Barn to be wild

An opportunity to live in the Brecon Beacons Ten years ago I bought a dilapidated stone barn high on a hill in mid-Wales. I had been visiting the area for several years, staying in my campervan, walking and exploring. I started to look for somewhere to make a more...

The joy of reciprocity

The joy of reciprocity

By Sue Pritchard My WWOOFing relationship started at a tough point in my life. Newly divorced, a single parent, with caring responsibilities for my own parents, and running another business off the farm, I was hugely relieved that I had managed to keep the farm - our...