“They farmed without ‘thank you’s, they farmed without praise, they farmed in the hottest and coldest of days.” ~ Anonymous
It is the 6th August, which means just one thing: Farm 24 2020 is here! The Farm 24 or 24 Hours in Farming initiative is the UK agricultural industry’s biggest online event with a simple main aim: to highlight the pride behind feeding the nation.
This year has been an interesting year for farmers, as it has for most people. But through the panic, the furlough scheme, the bulk buying and the isolation, farmers have been doing what farmers always do- ploughing on through the stress and uncertainty and working around the clock to put food on our plates and clothes on our backs.
So I am writing this post as my contribution to the 24 Hours in Farming initiative, which is even more important this year than ever before. Farmers work tirelessly all year round and they don’t do it for the money (there isn’t any!!), nor do they do it for the praise and appreciation, again there’s not much of that flying about either! Most of the time, everybody is working away through thick and thin for one reason: they are proud to do what they do. Proud to feed the country, proud to provide clothes, proud to keep our countryside in pristine condition, and proud to keep animals and give them the best life they possibly can. The farm is not just a workplace: it is a home, it is a heritage, it is a way of life and the dedication associated is second to none. If you’ve read my blog posts before (especially ‘Farm 24’, ‘Febru-Dairy’, and ‘Proud to Milk Cows’ – go have a skeet!!), you’ll know about my part time farm work and how amazingly proud I am to be part of the tireless operation behind feeding the country.
The quote at the top of this post is taken from a poem I came across towards the beginning of lockdown. The full poem (written at the bottom of this post!) tells a story of the country entering into lockdown, with food disappearing quickly off the shelves and panic settling in. It then takes a turn to focus on the farming community and beautifully highlights the resilience and strength of the world’s farmers, and points out that it goes largely unnoticed by the public. With this in mind, #Farm24 is the perfect opportunity to showcase our brilliant British Farmers, and to say thank you for their dedication and diligence. Here’s to Great British Farming!
They ran to the groceries, they filled up their carts
They emptied Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Spar
They panicked and fought and then panicked some more
Then they rushed to their homes and they locked all the doors.
The food will be gone; the milk, eggs and cheese
The yoghurt, the apples, the green beans and peas
The stores have run out, now what shall we do?
They’ll be starving and looting and nothing to do.
Then they paused and they listened for a moment or two
And they did hear a sound rising over the fear
It started out far, then began to grow near.
But this sound wasn’t sad, nor was it new
The farms were still doing what farms always do.
The food was still coming, though they’d emptied the shelves
The farms kept it coming, though they struggled themselves.
Though the cities had forgotten from where their food came,
The farms made them food every day just the same.
Through weather and critics, and markets that fall
The farms kept on farming, in spite of it all.
They farmed without ‘thank you’s, they farmed without praise
They farmed in the hottest and coldest of days.
They’d bought all the food, yet the next day came more
And the people thought of something they hadn’t before
Maybe food, they thought, doesn’t come from a store.
Maybe farmers, perhaps, mean a little bit more.
~Anonymous
Barking Mad 