Sustainable farming seems to be so important now, critical really with massive consequences already gearing up before our eyes with poor health, climate change and biodiversity collapsing. I wasn’t convinced being vegan was the solution, thanks for clarifying that in the video.
I’m 15 minutes in and I’m throughly enjoying this interview. I think I have stumbled on the really big issue. Organic and locally produced food is probably 2-3 times more expensive than other food. I have priced up our weekly shop (and I probably buy around 20% sustainable) and my food bill would more than double. We make from scratch 90% of our meals and have an allotment. The middle class can afford to change but for millions in this country, they have no hope to afford this food sadly. (I understand that the cost of sustainable / organic food would come down the more that people buy it but I’m not sure how more people can afford to at the moment.)
I’ve watched it all now - Patrick is one of the good guys! I need to check out the sustainable food trust. I would query that only 10% disposable income is spent on food - possibly 10% of income - these days most people’s income is taken up by rent (if they rent) or mortgages!
Absolutely...and this has always been the sticking point in my reasoning...if you take the average working family struggling with the cost of living, it's common sense that their weekly shop will be a far higher percentage of their "disposable" income than middle class professionals...Ugly although it is, look at the relative market shares of Tesco (nearly 27%) and say Waitrose (under 5%) - figures from www.kantarworldpanel.com/en/grocery-market-share/great-britain - and ask yourself why that is...it isn't a lack of taste or aspiration - it's cost. I'd contend that for most hard-pressed working class families, the weekly shop is a much larger percentage of their "disposable" income than 10%, and there simply isn't the scope to make a voluntary choice to change...put simply, if you're on a tight income would you choose a supermarket mild cheddar at £5 a kilo or Hafod at up to £25 a kilo to put on your kiddies toast? Nobody's knocking Patrick Holden because undoubtedly much of what he says is quite right - just looking at the practicalities of life...
Being from the U.S. I thought Patrick was spot on when he said the Covid death toll of nations had to due with the health of the nation. I never really thought about that, but it has to be a true spot-on statement. Interesting interview. It really makes me think about my eating habits and lifestyle. I am starting to understand your mission more now. Thank you Richard great job.
So much common sense in 20 minutes. Its unbelievably simple and straightforward that it beggars belief we are where we are! Sadly the big food companies are behind the current state of play and most people don't know/care. Well done both for explaining it in simple to understand language for the viewer.
Wow! That was certainly worth the long drive. What a brilliant interview Richard. I hope this will be shared far and wide to help spread this important message. We've been trying to follow such principles for many years, being as selective of our food sources as we can afford. It is not easy and certainly not cheap in cash terms, but the long term health benefits will hopefully make up for this. Children are the biggest challenge. They mostly hate change and love the familiar. To the kids, food is the junk that marketeers keep pushing in front of them. Our kids are used to a diet of home-cooked, non processed foods, but when they invite their friends around, it is a challenge to get them to eat anything, because what we are giving them doesn't come out of a familiar brand's package :-(. There is certainly a lot of work to do.
Excellent interview Richard! I had the pleasure of attending one of Patrick’s presentations in 1988 and his message remains the same today as all those years ago. Three other important people still campaigning on these issues are Professor Eric Millstone, CBE, Sussex University (Food and Agricultural Policy), Professor Tim Lang, City, University of London (Food Safety Standards) and Professor Jonathon Porritt, CBE. I first met Jonathon on 6/10/1984 and was massively impressed by what he said. It is utterly appalling that their policies have not been implemented. To prevent future pandemics we must change our ways and change them fast! On a practical level I buy organic onions, carrots, free range eggs and room to roam chickens from the supermarkets, which are relatively cheap. When consumers switch, the retailers will also switch. The NHS spends £134,000,000,000 a year treating many diseases that are totally preventable and which are caused by our lifestyle and what we eat. Local authorities also spend an additional £500 million each year promoting health and trying to prevent disease. The cost of not changing is only going to get bigger and bigger, until a time when it be becomes unsustainable to continue that high level of funding. Sadly I suspect we will not change our ways and thing are going to get massively worse, especially when the soil in the UK has become regraded and damaged. Most soil experts agree that we have only 60 harvests left before the soil becomes permanently damaged 🤭
I've always made my meals from scratch and have encouraged my daughter to take an interest in wildlife and nature. We are mostly vegetarian now, but I very much doubt we would go back to being full time meat eaters. I very much enjoyed your interview, he certainly knows his stuff! I do think though certain people will not have enough money and now the pressures of covid with more people being made unemployed and reliant on food banks, it may be even more difficult for people to afford good, healthy food. Jamie Oliver had done a lot to encourage us all to eat healthier and his friend Jimmy of Jimmy's Farm. We all need to do our bit to become a healthier nation.
Really enjoyed this interview. Patrick sounds so eloquent and passionate and it’s wonderful that you are getting an opinion directly from a practitioner and not just ‘from a couple of books’! Well done Richard. I was also glad to hear that all the blame is levelled at farmers who, it seems, are stuck between a rock and a hard place. I hope that more videos like this will be forthcoming. Again, a great video and I appreciate you making it.
Thank you for an excellent video. I’ve always found Patrick Holden inspiring and it was good to be reminded of why. He speaks such common sense and with such clarity.
This is such an important message and has somehow got to be spread widely . The only way the population will be able to understand the problems the country has got into boils down to education at all levels and as was mentioned someone in a position of power or popularity to fully back the importance of change. The cost of organic /sustainable food is beyond SOME families but so many more COULD afford it if they were convinced of the importance of the right food for their families' health. Thanks Richard for the chance to listen to Patrick's views and introduce me to Hafod - I will ask my local deli to try and stock it! Also Holden is a great name ( my maiden name)!
Really informative and well presented video .Regardless of one's opinions on climate change , this way of farming and food production in general would benefit everyone in so many ways.
Fantastic interview thoroughly enjoyed it. Patrick is our neighbour and we certainly see the difference in the wildlife, floral and fauna, being surrounded by his land, it’s wonderful to see and we feel very privileged to have an organic farmer as our neighbour. And I can honestly say his cows are some of the healthiest, happiest cows I have seen, we love interacting with them every day, each one has her own personality, they are beautiful 😊
This is so interesting, and it makes you think where your food comes from and what you want to do to eat more healthily. Great video Richard very interesting.
JOHN (JACK) B. FOSTER passed away Thursday, January 23, 1997, (www.findagrave.com/memorial/38933827/john-b._%22jack%22-foster) owned and operated his own farm for over 40 years. He was a well respected and progressive farmer, whom was very active in the Sustainable Farming Movement. Mr. Foster was my neighbor whom farmed on the back side of our family farm. Another great video Vobes!
Highly interesting stuff Richard, excellent interview, yet one major detail not mentioned. 250 years ago the worlds population was 1 billion people. Then came the Industrial Revolution, from which came the ability to support more and more people. The existence today of 8 billion people is the root of most problems we face. Where is the scale of operation to grow enough food for 8 billion people sustainably? And not until today's 8bn. reverts to 1 billion will today's problems ever be defeated. Who knows? Maybe in the long run Coronavirus will bring such a situation about and eliminate climate change at a stroke as a bonus....
I am not sure there is an issue here. I understand that with sustainable farming, we can actually feed 10 billion, locally. We may not be able to give everyone strawberries all year round, but then having season food is a delight in itself.
Very interesting. I hope those that need to watch this video will watch it. It's about time farming in general moved in a more sustainable direction for the good of us all.
Thanks for this brilliant video. In the US (I don't know about the UK) mega-corporations, including agri-business, pump millions, if not billions, of dollars into the pockets of our politicians so nothing ever changes. There should be a premium to farm with pesticides, chemicals, antibiotics, etc. instead of the other way around. It irks me to walk into the supermarket and see some items labeled "organic." Organic should be the norm and labels should be required for all foods produced with the aid of pesticides. On my planet that is the way it will be!
Well done for this video it's so inportant to let people know about real farming we can feed every one with food if done right way and look after wild life keep up good work on subjects
The more I think about this the more I come to the conclusion that men and women have forgotten how to live (or appreciate) simple lives. We don't have to live like medieval peasants, but there's far too much 'noise' and (hope this doesn't sound too sententious) ambition of the frivolous kind in everyday life for my liking. There's great value in simplicity, and this type of farming and food production is aligned to that. Alas, I fear the money and 'efficiency' aspect will be too hard for most people to wrap their heads around in order to propagate organic farming beyond a niche market. I hope I'm wrong though. Thanks for the video Richard.
Eminently sensible sounding man. However, I'd like to see peer reviewed research that confirms and illustrates to what degree the claims the food we buy in the shops is inadequate. Not arguing or disagreeing, but if what he is convinced of is actually easily demonstrated it would convince more people to chose differently when shopping. Polluter pays is a principled stand, in a world where we are so distanced from the consequences of our actions it's hard to connect cause with effect.
Thank you so much for this video. What a great interview with Patrick and Richard you held your ground with those huge cows. If only we baby boomers knew in the 70's what we are learning now. Thank you again.
Patrick really knows his stuff when it comes to farming, however I would have to strongly disagree with his comments on man made climate change and the use of the word ‘sustainability’ - a term frequently used by Agenda 21 / 2030 globalists.
That was extremely interesting. It has made me think about what I will be buying. I have to watch the pennies but I feel that there is room to incorporate some of this but the general message he is putting across makes great sense. I will look into this further and I feel a little enthused by what Patrick had to say.
Another problem is that people just aren’t interested. Even if governments and big media owners started talking more about sustainable farming, would the majority care? Is there more good than evil? Maybe
If we know that how we farm and eat food is generally not benign why dont we change it? Mainly because we dont experience nature as part of ourselves which in reality it is! As long as we dont understand that fact we will continue to treat nature like a resource and not a family member!
Sustainable farming seems to be so important now, critical really with massive consequences already gearing up before our eyes with poor health, climate change and biodiversity collapsing. I wasn’t convinced being vegan was the solution, thanks for clarifying that in the video.
I’m 15 minutes in and I’m throughly enjoying this interview. I think I have stumbled on the really big issue. Organic and locally produced food is probably 2-3 times more expensive than other food. I have priced up our weekly shop (and I probably buy around 20% sustainable) and my food bill would more than double. We make from scratch 90% of our meals and have an allotment. The middle class can afford to change but for millions in this country, they have no hope to afford this food sadly.
(I understand that the cost of sustainable / organic food would come down the more that people buy it but I’m not sure how more people can afford to at the moment.)
I’ve watched it all now - Patrick is one of the good guys! I need to check out the sustainable food trust.
I would query that only 10% disposable income is spent on food - possibly 10% of income - these days most people’s income is taken up by rent (if they rent) or mortgages!
@@MrGreatplum I fear that the only way to get sustainable food into the lower income 10%+ of the population would be via the Food Banks :-(
Absolutely...and this has always been the sticking point in my reasoning...if you take the average working family struggling with the cost of living, it's common sense that their weekly shop will be a far higher percentage of their "disposable" income than middle class professionals...Ugly although it is, look at the relative market shares of Tesco (nearly 27%) and say Waitrose (under 5%) - figures from www.kantarworldpanel.com/en/grocery-market-share/great-britain - and ask yourself why that is...it isn't a lack of taste or aspiration - it's cost.
I'd contend that for most hard-pressed working class families, the weekly shop is a much larger percentage of their "disposable" income than 10%, and there simply isn't the scope to make a voluntary choice to change...put simply, if you're on a tight income would you choose a supermarket mild cheddar at £5 a kilo or Hafod at up to £25 a kilo to put on your kiddies toast?
Nobody's knocking Patrick Holden because undoubtedly much of what he says is quite right - just looking at the practicalities of life...
What an intelligent and interesting man. Loved this interview - so full of valuable info!
Fascinating.......lovely man and he soooooo loves his cows and the environment .
Being from the U.S. I thought Patrick was spot on when he said the Covid death toll of nations had to due with the health of the nation. I never really thought about that, but it has to be a true spot-on statement. Interesting interview. It really makes me think about my eating habits and lifestyle. I am starting to understand your mission more now. Thank you Richard great job.
So much common sense in 20 minutes. Its unbelievably simple and straightforward that it beggars belief we are where we are!
Sadly the big food companies are behind the current state of play and most people don't know/care.
Well done both for explaining it in simple to understand language for the viewer.
Wow! That was certainly worth the long drive. What a brilliant interview Richard. I hope this will be shared far and wide to help spread this important message.
We've been trying to follow such principles for many years, being as selective of our food sources as we can afford. It is not easy and certainly not cheap in cash terms, but the long term health benefits will hopefully make up for this. Children are the biggest challenge. They mostly hate change and love the familiar. To the kids, food is the junk that marketeers keep pushing in front of them. Our kids are used to a diet of home-cooked, non processed foods, but when they invite their friends around, it is a challenge to get them to eat anything, because what we are giving them doesn't come out of a familiar brand's package :-(. There is certainly a lot of work to do.
Excellent interview Richard! I had the pleasure of attending one of Patrick’s presentations in 1988 and his message remains the same today as all those years ago. Three other important people still campaigning on these issues are Professor Eric Millstone, CBE, Sussex University (Food and Agricultural Policy), Professor Tim Lang, City, University of London (Food Safety Standards) and Professor Jonathon Porritt, CBE. I first met Jonathon on 6/10/1984 and was massively impressed by what he said. It is utterly appalling that their policies have not been implemented. To prevent future pandemics we must change our ways and change them fast! On a practical level I buy organic onions, carrots, free range eggs and room to roam chickens from the supermarkets, which are relatively cheap. When consumers switch, the retailers will also switch. The NHS spends £134,000,000,000 a year treating many diseases that are totally preventable and which are caused by our lifestyle and what we eat. Local authorities also spend an additional £500 million each year promoting health and trying to prevent disease. The cost of not changing is only going to get bigger and bigger, until a time when it be becomes unsustainable to continue that high level of funding. Sadly I suspect we will not change our ways and thing are going to get massively worse, especially when the soil in the UK has become regraded and damaged. Most soil experts agree that we have only 60 harvests left before the soil becomes permanently damaged 🤭
What an inspiring man. Having been scoffed at for many years for seeking organic and free range food it is comforting to know this
I've always made my meals from scratch and have encouraged my daughter to take an interest in wildlife and nature. We are mostly vegetarian now, but I very much doubt we would go back to being full time meat eaters. I very much enjoyed your interview, he certainly knows his stuff! I do think though certain people will not have enough money and now the pressures of covid with more people being made unemployed and reliant on food banks, it may be even more difficult for people to afford good, healthy food. Jamie Oliver had done a lot to encourage us all to eat healthier and his friend Jimmy of Jimmy's Farm. We all need to do our bit to become a healthier nation.
All I can say is a huge 'Thank You' for this very interesting interview. We need more people like Patrick Holden in the world.
We certainly do!
Really enjoyed this interview. Patrick sounds so eloquent and passionate and it’s wonderful that you are getting an opinion directly from a practitioner and not just ‘from a couple of books’! Well done Richard. I was also glad to hear that all the blame is levelled at farmers who, it seems, are stuck between a rock and a hard place. I hope that more videos like this will be forthcoming. Again, a great video and I appreciate you making it.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for an excellent video. I’ve always found Patrick Holden inspiring and it was good to be reminded of why. He speaks such common sense and with such clarity.
Well that summed it all up! Fascinating stuff. I wonder how many people realise that although 'good' food costs more, you need less of it.
‘Harry’s Farm’ is an excellent site explaining the situation modern farmers are in
Patrick explained the situation very well. Just a shame Governments haven't taken it on board.
This is such an important message and has somehow got to be spread widely . The only way the population will be able to understand the problems the country has got into boils down to education at all levels and as was mentioned someone in a position of power or popularity to fully back the importance of change. The cost of organic /sustainable food is beyond SOME families but so many more COULD afford it if they were convinced of the importance of the right food for their families' health.
Thanks Richard for the chance to listen to Patrick's views and introduce me to Hafod - I will ask my local deli to try and stock it! Also Holden is a great name ( my maiden name)!
I think the way to inform is via social media and 'homemade' videos like mine by many other likeminded thinkers. Cheers, Linda.
Very interesting and informative. Yes we need to take vitamins if we eat junk food, but the best way is to eat the better products.
Absolutely!
fascinating. Wish we could do more.
Great enlightening interview which sadly makes you realize what damage we are doing to our world. cant wait to try Patrick's cheese, thanks Richard
Patrick's cheese is very tasty on toast!
Really informative and well presented video .Regardless of one's opinions on climate change , this way of farming and food production in general would benefit everyone in so many ways.
Fantastic interview thoroughly enjoyed it. Patrick is our neighbour and we certainly see the difference in the wildlife, floral and fauna, being surrounded by his land, it’s wonderful to see and we feel very privileged to have an organic farmer as our neighbour. And I can honestly say his cows are some of the healthiest, happiest cows I have seen, we love interacting with them every day, each one has her own personality, they are beautiful 😊
How wonderful. It is a lovely part of the world. Patrick was so welcoming to me. Thanks for watching.
Very interesting video Richard. Cheese sounds good. Robert, Cambridge, NZ
Many thanks
Very interesting. I’ve been eating mainly organic for three weeks now and feel so much healthier.
Keep it up
Probably the best half hour programme currently available on this subject that I have seen. It needs much, much wider circulation.
This is so interesting, and it makes you think where your food comes from and what you want to do to eat more healthily. Great video Richard very interesting.
Love it Mr Vobes! Fantastic image quality and editing too. More like it. Videos with purpose! Cheers
Thank you kindly
What a brilliant video. Much was learned and we will definitely look out for Patricks podcasts . Thank you.
Some fascinating stuff on their website. Cheers guys!
JOHN (JACK) B. FOSTER passed away Thursday, January 23, 1997, (www.findagrave.com/memorial/38933827/john-b._%22jack%22-foster) owned and operated his own farm for over 40 years. He was a well respected and progressive farmer, whom was very active in the Sustainable Farming Movement. Mr. Foster was my neighbor whom farmed on the back side of our family farm. Another great video Vobes!
Brilliant interview and loads of great facts. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Highly interesting stuff Richard, excellent interview, yet one major detail not mentioned. 250 years ago the worlds population was 1 billion people. Then came the Industrial Revolution, from which came the ability to support more and more people. The existence today of 8 billion people is the root of most problems we face. Where is the scale of operation to grow enough food for 8 billion people sustainably? And not until today's 8bn. reverts to 1 billion will today's problems ever be defeated. Who knows? Maybe in the long run Coronavirus will bring such a situation about and eliminate climate change at a stroke as a bonus....
I am not sure there is an issue here. I understand that with sustainable farming, we can actually feed 10 billion, locally. We may not be able to give everyone strawberries all year round, but then having season food is a delight in itself.
Very interesting. I hope those that need to watch this video will watch it. It's about time farming in general moved in a more sustainable direction for the good of us all.
Excellent interview, though I think Patrick's estimate of just 20% of population not being able to afford better quality food is off.
Brilliant episode Richard, I loved Patrick's enthusiasm a great inspiration.
... a very interesting & useful vid , many thanks ... ;o) ... mb
Another excellent interview. Patrick speaks perfect sense, education is the key to it all as ignorance is the biggest hurdle us farmers face.
Thanks for this brilliant video. In the US (I don't know about the UK) mega-corporations, including agri-business, pump millions, if not billions, of dollars into the pockets of our politicians so nothing ever changes. There should be a premium to farm with pesticides, chemicals, antibiotics, etc. instead of the other way around. It irks me to walk into the supermarket and see some items labeled "organic." Organic should be the norm and labels should be required for all foods produced with the aid of pesticides. On my planet that is the way it will be!
Well done for this video it's so inportant to let people know about real farming we can feed every one with food if done right way and look after wild life keep up good work on subjects
Really interesting Richard
The more I think about this the more I come to the conclusion that men and women have forgotten how to live (or appreciate) simple lives. We don't have to live like medieval peasants, but there's far too much 'noise' and (hope this doesn't sound too sententious) ambition of the frivolous kind in everyday life for my liking. There's great value in simplicity, and this type of farming and food production is aligned to that. Alas, I fear the money and 'efficiency' aspect will be too hard for most people to wrap their heads around in order to propagate organic farming beyond a niche market. I hope I'm wrong though. Thanks for the video Richard.
Totally agree - its seems we only find this out in our later years too!
Eminently sensible sounding man.
However, I'd like to see peer reviewed research that confirms and illustrates to what degree the claims the food we buy in the shops is inadequate.
Not arguing or disagreeing, but if what he is convinced of is actually easily demonstrated it would convince more people to chose differently when shopping.
Polluter pays is a principled stand, in a world where we are so distanced from the consequences of our actions it's hard to connect cause with effect.
Thank you so much for this video. What a great interview with Patrick and Richard you held your ground with those huge cows. If only we baby boomers knew in the 70's what we are learning now. Thank you again.
Our pleasure!
I used to vote Green, but single issue parties tend to be unpalatable when the bit you agree gets lumped in with more questionable ideologies.
My sister worked for the green party for a while and said they were a bunch of nutters.
Wow very beautiful and intresting.
Patrick really knows his stuff when it comes to farming, however I would have to strongly disagree with his comments on man made climate change and the use of the word ‘sustainability’ - a term frequently used by Agenda 21 / 2030 globalists.
That was extremely interesting. It has made me think about what I will be buying. I have to watch the pennies but I feel that there is room to incorporate some of this but the general message he is putting across makes great sense. I will look into this further and I feel a little enthused by what Patrick had to say.
Another problem is that people just aren’t interested. Even if governments and big media owners started talking more about sustainable farming, would the majority care? Is there more good than evil? Maybe
I agree - life is too easy and the health benefits are too far down the line for most people to worry about.
Do you no what it takes to get a question ask in parliament online questionnaire
Sorry I don't know.
Farming sustainably supports its own argument. Mixing in the irreversible climate change hysteria is not necessary.
If we know that how we farm and eat food is generally not benign why dont we change it? Mainly because we dont experience nature as part of ourselves which in reality it is! As long as we dont understand that fact we will continue to treat nature like a resource and not a family member!
We moved from the land to the towns and cities and soon forgot the country ways.
i you had cows would you name them richard? i would call mine silly stupid daft and brown)) gl