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[CLKD]

Ribena farmers in Suffolk and Essex set to raise bar on environmental work


They'll be telling us next that babies are found under goose berry bushes 

[AgathaC]

Talking of Ribena, can I recommend the TV series “Inside the Factory”? One of the episodes in series 4 was about Ribena, from the harvesting of the blackcurrants to the pressing of them, right through to the bottles on your shelves. Absolutely fascinating, all the episodes and great to watch with children and grandchildren too. For example, the blackcurrants are pressed in July at cider mills which are idle because no apples yet. Other great episodes were the biscuits, the fishfingers, the Christmas Cakes! Totally random post but if you haven't watched it, please do! P.S. also how the mayonnaise is altered to suit the tastes of different countries, etc. I'll stop now and let you watch xxxx

[Two hoots]

I love inside the factory, but it's a dangerous programme  after the Christmas episode showing boxes of chocolates being made I had to buy one 

[Gangan]

Ribena farmers in Suffolk and Essex set to raise bar on environmental work

They're following the currant trend.

Gangan x

[CLKD]

    

We loved the 'inside the factory' programmes, have seen a few 2nd and 3rd times.  The public have no idea how food gets to the shelves, we have become so remote from farming practices etc..  Even myself, who was raised in the Fens. 

[CLKD]

I have been back to my childhood farm in recent years.  Farming has changed so much. No resting of fields anymore so the quality of soil is souring.  Also, the Fens have HUGE areas that are un-cultivated due to HUGE puddles.  Water should not stand in the Fens  defeats the object of the drainage system.

Last Autumn I was watching people picking pumpkins.  By hand. For hours.  Most of them from Poland and Romania.  Only a 1st World country would grow produce which is going to be thrown  .

We have always had Eastern Europeans collecting produce where I came from.  As well as travellers, the same families would stay on the same farms 4 generations.  Granny had the money each evening and would hand out pocket money on a Sat. night, sometimes there would be Police intervention if 'Billy' didn't get what he needed to go drinking  .  They came for the soft fruit picking B4 going up to Scotland to pick tatties.  Schools used to shut for 2 weeks for the strawberry picking.

It's a lonely old job these days - tractors do everything except make a cuppa it seems  .  Suicide rates are high.  Because hedges were grubbed out often crops have to be sown several times due to 'drift'.  Add to that our wonderful climate which can put sewing back for months  .  I like receiving up-dates from Vine House Farm via e-mail to see what's happening across the Fen.

I can't understand how the produce grown in the UK reaches the shops so cheaply.  Years ago every farm had a combine harvester and we were used to getting behind one in a queue whilst it was being moved from field to field.  Same with cows being walked back for milking twice a day. 

[Two hoots]

For such a small island we have such varied lands, the farm I can see from my windows has cows, it's too hilly here for crops other than grass, believe it or not but there are lots of sheep in Wales  which means snowy white lambs in the fields soon.

When I've been on holiday to Norfolk / Suffolk I really like to see the different countryside, a field with poppies growing near the edge of the crop is so beautiful. It's the only time I've seen a hare, we were driving along a lane and it ran along in front of the car 

My father in law was born in London and remembers goong to Kent to pick hops in his school holidays.

[CLKD]

Oh hopping.  Yep.  Fresh air and exercise after being stuck in the City. 

There was news yesterday about an ewe birthing 7  - I think 4 survived.