Over thousands of years of British farming, techniques have changed. Organic farming focuses on the whole system, from the welfare of people and animals to plant health and taste. Fi Darby visits an organic farm in Devon to find out more
WALK: Riverford, Devon
It is easy to forget that most of the countryside landscapes we love are looked after by our farmers and growers. From Devon’s patchwork fields to remote Highland crofts, the food this hard-working community grows doesn’t just impact our nation’s health and economy, it has far-reaching effects on our local and global environments.
LAND LONG WORKED
Although the term ‘agriculture’ originated in the 17th century, we have been growing in the UK since prehistoric times. We don’t know exactly what turned our hunter-gatherer ancestors into farmers, but as different influences came and went, so did our farming methods. The Romans rotated crops with fallow fields, the Danes and Saxons opted for strip farming, and the Normans liked eating pork. The 1800s initially saw a golden farming age for the UK but the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846 allowed cheaper imports, and by the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, we were importing half our food.
YIELD OF OUR ISLANDS
Farming in the UK is still as important as it always was. In 2020, it provided half of what we eat, employed around 500,000 people and contributed 0.5% of our gross domestic product. Our farmers and growers are responsible for animal and plant health as well as our natural environments. They look after 33 million sheep, 5.1 million pigs and 9.6 million cows, as well as growing an impressive yield of cereals, oilseeds, sugar beet and horticultural crops. There are more unusual crops too; we can now drink tea from Scotland, sample ostrich from Lincolnshire and enjoy quinoa from Essex. If we choose, we can support our wine industry and shop for local cut flowers. The UK is a bountiful place, and it’s easier than ever to find out more about our national produce.
If you want to eat local food or learn more about how it’s grown, you have many options. There are more than 1,500 farm shops across the UK, the 2022 County Show season isn’t over yet and our farming communities offer farm stays, petting barns, farm trails and tours all over the country. To really immerse yourself in farming techniques, why not volunteer to help out? WWOOF has been linking visitors with organic farms since the early 1970s.
RIVERFORD REVOLUTION
The name Riverford is now synonymous with organic farming and veg boxes, but back in 1986, its beginni
