By Barbara Cossins.

We’re sixth generation farmers at the family farm in Tarrant Rawston and are lucky to have the next generations coming along, we hope, to keep the farm safe for the future.
You can never be sure that younger people will want to farm but agriculture has fantastic career potential. It’s not just about driving a tractor, tending the animals or growing crops – it’s science, biology, physics, technology and much more.
As I have said many times, farming, hospitality and the medical care industry need to work together. We need to look after ourselves and others, as well as thinking about diversification, innovation and our carbon footprint, for the growth of agriculture and food production.

As a young teenager, I was a member of Blandford Young Farmers’ Club. The movement was, and still is, the most wonderful organisation in bringing together like-minded people who love the outdoors life. Young farmers have fabulous social events, fun and learn along the way. It’s a joy to see the organisation is still thriving and it’s also a great dating agency – trust me, I should know!

I’m thrilled that I have just had two new young people join my team, one a butcher apprentice and another an apprentice chef. With staffing issues everywhere in the world – yes, not just here in England, it’s happening everywhere – it was a joy that younger people want to learn these trades, especially as both industries have seen difficult times in recent years.

In all food-focused industries, it’s hard dirty work, long hours in all weathers, on your feet all day with a smile on your face when dealing with the public. Please remember that when you eat in a restaurant or pop into a bar for a drink with friends.
All industries are struggling to make investments at the moment, as everything is so uncertain. With rising costs, we all need to stay positive and be confident we have a great future in food production here in the UK and investment in the next generation is a key part of that.
We all need food on the table to feed our families and that will never change.

The game season is well on the way this autumn. I love to see game on the menu at my restaurant. It tastes great, is wholly seasonal and super healthy, so let’s enjoy eating it with all the autumn and winter vegetables available. It’s another meat that’s fantastic to cook in the slow cooker, which I talked about recently in the New Blackmore Vale .

Back on the farm, we are getting ready for winter, bringing in the young animals from the fields to protect them from the bad weather and feed them the grass we cut back in May and June. It’s good to see our winter crops are growing well because of the fine weather we had during early autumn.
Until next time folks, eat seasonally and locally when you can – and support our British farmers and food producers.

Barbara Cossins is founder of Love Local Trust Local; www.thelangtonarms.co.uk; www.rawstonfarmbutchery.co.uk; www.lovelocaltrustlocalawards.co.uk