Saturday saw a good turnout for the “West Grinstead” Ploughing Match. It dates back to 1871 when the countryside buzzed with innovations in farming and shows were designed not only for competition but education. They helped improve the quality of livestock and inspired a new generation with ideas on how best to increase production to feed the growing urban population. Today’s show blends modern farming with lots of reminders of the past – a steam plough and, taking us back even before horse-drawn ploughs, the oxen shoe discoveries of the metal detectorists.
Next year’s show on Saturday, 16th September is close at hand – at Itchingfield and will be well worth a visit.
Agricultural Shows may have started as a means to educate farmers but the farming sector has an important job in keeping informed all of us who no longer have a close connection to the land.
This becomes more vital as we look to a post BREXIT future. Last week I was appointed to act as a parliamentary aide to the Department tasked with developing the EU strategy. I was pleased to already be scheduled to meet with groups already focusing on the possible implications. The Sussex Wildlife Trust has over 30,000 members and exists “so that future generations can experience the joy and well-being that comes from connecting with nature in Sussex” it was good to see their CEO to talk through the Trust’s priorities. I also met local members of the National Farmers Union who are very positively engaged on the challenges and opportunities of leaving the EU.
While there are now very few in Horsham that work in the sector the reality is that we all have a huge interest in the future of farming. The UK is 60 per cent self-sufficient in food which is good for reducing food miles and for food security. British food can be relied on to have high animal welfare standards. British farming over the generations has produced the countryside which we love and is famous the world over. How farming and the countryside evolves matters to us all.