Tiverton and Honiton MP Neil Parish has secured a Westminster Hall debate in Parliament to discuss the scientific models used to measure the Carbon Footprint of the beef cattle and livestock sector as well as the environmental benefits of livestock farming.
The hour and a half debate is taking place on Wednesday 26 June in Westminster Hall and follows on from a four month inquiry coordinated by Neil Parish as chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Beef & Lamb.
Specifically, the inquiry examined issues around the carbon footprint of our farming systems and the...
Deborah Custance-Baker is preparing her Large Black pigs in readiness for the judging rings at the Devon County Show next week (May 16-18). Deborah, from Silverton near Exeter, is pinning her hopes of success on two youngsters and is hoping they will give her the edge over her arch rival. “I have been practicing walking round the field to get them used to the stick and board which is used to steer them. They are typical "teenagers" and sometimes conform but quite often they don’t. It could be interesting! “They will need to be washed and then oiled up to make them gleam in the sun at the...
When 25-year-old Charlotte Slee from North Devon brought three Jacob sheep 10 years ago, little did she think it would be the start of a prize-winning flock. Now she runs the Halsbury Flock with her brother Christopher, aged 22, on their parents' farm at Buckland Brewer near Bideford. At this year’s Devon County Show - May 16-18 - they hope to recreate the triumph of last year when they went away with a coveted Special Prize (for the most points gained by a livestock exhibitor aged under 35) and an armful of rosettes. Charlotte, who works full time on the farm, said: “Last year we had...
Preparation has started on the build for this year's Devon County Show on 16-18 May. A team of eight contractors are making the showground home for the next month as they build marquees equivalent in size to approximately four football pitches. Show Secretary Ollie Allen said the early days of the build were a testing time for the team. “This is a really big task!” she said. “In marquee-building terms, it’s equivalent to scaling Mount Everest! “Each year, Danco, the marquee contractors, put in some new recruits with the more established staff members and within weeks, sometimes days, it is...
Police in South Devon are reminding dog owners of the need to keep their animals under control following an attack on sheep in the Bala Brook area of South Brent in February 2013. Police enquiries have yet to identify the white Jack Russell and a small brown Poodle/Terrier type dog that were chased off during the incident on 7 February. The sheep suffered minor injuries. A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said, “Owners must ensure their pets are not allowed into any fields with livestock.
“Walkers in the countryside should keep their dogs in sight and always on a lead...
