Our Field Weston updates

I have seen the Loomio message and received the email about the farm visit Tony, thank you. Unfortunately I can't make the visit on the 30th, I have a new baby boy and my husband is away that weekend. I hope it's a productive gathering!

Dear Tamsyn
Very many thanks for sharing your wonderful news. Many congratulations.
Thank you for finding the time to confirm that you are reading the Loomio correspondence. Best Tony (Allan)

Hi all. Just a quick reminder that I have two car spaces available for Sunday's farm visit. It sounds like it's going to be an interesting day and hopefully as lovely weather as today! If you want picking up from Cockfosters station on Sunday at around 11am please let me know.

Hi Wendy, do you still have a space in your car for Sunday?

Hi,
I have sent apologies already but to be clear I am sorry that I will not be able to come to the farm on Sunday. I'll be at the Essential Trading Open Day in Bristol all day.
Hope all those who do get along to Weston Farm this weekend have a great day.
Cheers, Steven

FARM VISIT - SUNDAY 30 SEPTEMBER
1 Final Agenda and advice on getting to Lannock Manor Gram, SG4 7EE- is attached in case your filing is flaky like mine.
2 I shall arrive at Stevenage on the 10.41 am from King's Cross arriving AT 11.06 AM - to organise taxis. I shall stay until 11.40 am
3 I shall be wearing a dark brown jacket.
4 Don't forget to bring a snack and a drink.
5 Amir Kassam has just published a very usefu review of the global adoption of CA. It is attached.
I am looking forward to a very stimulating day. Thank you John and the Weston Team for devoting your precious time to the OurField project.
Thank you Steven [Jacobs] for your comments on glyphosate. The topic will be discussed. We should note that CA reduces the application of glyphosate from 4 or 5 applications to one per year. The exposure of groundsmen - as in the California case - is a particular version of the Round-up problem. CA farmers are very angry with the chemical farming fraternity.
Be assured we are aware that the system needs to be regulated.
Best Tony (Allan)

@johnanthonyallan @christinelewis1 @oliverrubinstein @wahome @darren4 Thanks to all who organised the farm visit today, it was a great day wandering around the farm and chatting all things grain. And glyphosate of course, there was lots of chatting about that!

Although those of us there voted on the type of grains we would like John to sow for us within the next few weeks I don’t think the consensus on ‘to spray or not to spray’ was as clear cut as both may still be options available to us. Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong though and forgive me for only relaying part of today’s discussion but I realise time is short at the moment and wanted to make a proposal.

I also realise the last vote included the following step “Use the least amount of glyphosate which John and Richard Harding believe is necessary to terminate the remaining crop” but following discussion today I would like to suggest we hold another vote on whether this step should be included or not. @grahamehunter is this something you can maybe set up for us to vote on quite quickly?

The farm visit was very enjoyable and it was good to meet those members who could make it to Lannock Manor Farm. I shall be circulating a short DRAFT report/minutes for those who attended for editing.

Meeting the cows grazing OurField was the big moment. As cows do they greeted us loudly and stood close as we discussed the future of the field. They looked in very good shape. John has devoted a lot of time, energy and investment on fencing and electric fencing. As a consequence our venture has a number of important options in our project to regenerate the health of the soil.

I have been becoming more and more dissatisfied by the voting process. Its outcomes are in my opinion as dangerous as the Brexit referendum. Think - our first decision to sow spelt.

As a group we do not have a level of experience to understand the risks with which we engage. We cannot even frame the options effectively. I shall abstain on all future votes if we continue with this approach.

We need to prioritise our understanding of the food production system and the constraints and accounting systems faced by farmers in the sector in which the Weston farm operates.

We also need to be aware of the special role played by the Cherry family and their staff in UK cereal and livestock farming. If we want to have an impact it should be on the food choices of irresponsible fellow food consumers who are manipulated by the corporates.

Thank you John - and everyone at Weston - for having us visit especially in the circumstances of the past week when you lost your mother and have been so busy with getting the other fields prepared and drilled.

Tony (Allan)

And here are a couple of photos - inspecting the soil with the cows and the pile of our Spelt in storage.

Dear Christine

Many thanks for the photos.

Best

TonyA