2014: Year of family farming

2014 is the international year of family farming, but what does that mean for you if you don't happen to have your own family farm?! The focus on family farming for the year has been declared by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, to highlight the important role that family farms play in the world's food production, and to raise awareness so that this production can be optimised.

So what is the importance of family farming? Across the world, family farming helps preserve traditional food products, and helps safeguard the sustainable use of natural resources. Ultimately, it provides small-scale farmers with the opportunity to help boost their local economy. By focussing on family farming for the year, the aim is to help increase awareness and understanding of the challenges faced by smallholders, and to find effective ways of supporting family farmers.

Many small farms lack the resources needed to succeed and keep going through difficult times, whether that be through weather conditions, financial issues or lack of manpower. By raising awareness throughout this year, the hope is that governments and other bodies will be forced to direct more help to family farms across the world, of which there are over 500 million. Family farming is of course important in the UK, but even more so in poorer, underdeveloped countries where running and taking care of  land can mean the difference between feeding their families or going hungry. One of the aims of this year of family farming is to try and eradicate hunger and poverty, and ultimately to improve the livelihoods of farm owners across the world which in turn will improve global food security.

Why not be inspired by this year of family farming and get out and planting veg in your own garden or allotment? Or take a trip to a local farm with the kids this summer holidays? Have a look for some local farms in the Milton Keynes area to visit, click here.

Open Farm Sunday

Tomorrow is 'open farm Sunday' and sees farms across the country opening their gates to the public. It's a great opportunity for everyone to see how farms are run, and to meet some of the farmers who grow our food and take care of the countryside. Different farms are offering different experiences, some providing just a simple walk-through and look around the farm, while others will be hosting a variety of actives to entertain the whole family. Between them, the open farms show the real diversity which exists amongst British farming, and allow the public to understand a bit more about how it all works.

With recent studies finding that one in three children have never heard a cow moo, it's more important than ever to get involved in the countryside, particularly to educate our children in their surroundings and in the nature which is often right on our doorsteps or just a short trip away.

One of the farms open, local to Milton Keynes, is Browns of Stagsden, Bedford. They will be opening their gates between 10am and 4pm for the day, and visitors will be able to see how food is produced and what goes on at the farm. There will be something to do for all the family, including bouncy castles, face painting, craft stalls, local food and demonstrations. There will be animals to see, and tractors and combines to climb on, it's set to be a fun and interesting day out!

More open farms can be found on the official event website, so why not take a trip out this Sunday and find out something you didn't know before about how the farms around you work?! Don't forget to pack your wellington boots!

Mr Fothergill's Nation of Gardeners Campaign

In the last issue of the Phonebox Magazine you'll have noticed a feature about the Mr Fothergill's Nation of Gardeners campaign, with an interview with the local representative for Buckinghamshire, Diana Herniman. 

We found out about the campaign and what it requires of it's 12 gardeners across the country, with the aim of discovering more about the way in which plants grow in different locations around the country, and how, where and when they grow the best. Diana had been discovering that many of her plants were the first to bloom and quickest to grow compared to the others, an interesting point if you're a gardener in the Olney area.

We've grown quite interested in the campaign, and have been following it's progress on the official blog. If you're a keen (or budding) gardener it's well worth keeping an eye on the progress, as you're more than likely to pick up some interesting tips. One of the most interesting and useful things being studied during the experiment, is the differences in growing certain plants in the autumn compared to in the spring, letting you learn from the experiment rather than having to risk your own plants.

Having seen how well plants have grown in Diana's local garden, it's pretty inspiring to try at home for yourself. Knowing that you can grow your own beans, garlic, fruit etc. and grow them in abundance, makes it seem well worth it! Think of how much you'll be saving from not having to buy certain things in the supermarket, not forgetting how much better home-grown foods are bound to taste. Why not keep track of the Mr Fothergill's Nation of Gardeners campaign while planting your own seeds? It's time to go green!