Summertime means show time! Penny Mills, Director Devon CPRE
We’ve had a particularly busy summer season this year, attending several one-day agricultural shows – Mid Devon, North Devon and most recently Okehampton, and the Mullacott Alpaca Day – as well as the Devon County Show, which we’ve never had a stand at before. We were at Exeter’s Westpoint Show Ground for three days in May, and that’s where we launched our Decimation Game. It’s what we call our Cow-conut Shy, where you have three balls to try to knock a line-up of toy sheep and cows off their perch. It’s gone down a storm, attracting interest from children, adults and families. Behind this light-hearted fun, there’s a serious message because the Government has announced its intention to take 10% of farmland out of food production. What on earth would that mean for the countryside?
Throughout the summer, we’ve been raising awareness about this on our stand. We’ve had new flyers and newsletters printed, as well as new merchandise, including Devon CPRE badges, car stickers and little stick-on cows. People are very interested, and everyone we’ve spoken to has agreed with us – they’re all concerned about the type and amount of development eating up our farmland, not just in Devon but across the country. For example, in Norfolk and Lincolnshire, tens of thousands of acres of prime agricultural land are under threat from mega solar farms. In Devon, 10% of farmland equates to around 188 square miles. That’s three-quarters the size of Exmoor, or 700 average-sized Devon farms. Massive new housing developments are also swallowing up valuable farmland, which could and should be used to produce food.
It’s great to attend these country shows because you get to meet and speak to so many different people, and not just local people. Visitors come from all over Devon and neighbouring counties – Dorset, Somerset and Cornwall, and even from overseas. These shows are a very traditional day out, and we’re keen to support them. I’ve always loved coming to see the animals, always beautifully turned out, and all the different crafts, as well as sampling wonderful food and drink from regional producers. I think it’s a great way to support them and the farming community as a whole.
CPRE is all about protecting the countryside and supporting rural life. So many old traditions seem to be dying out, which is such a shame. So, I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to celebrate what’s special about Devon’s countryside and connect with our supporters. I would say the overwhelming majority of people we’ve talked to agree with us; they’re concerned about the loss of farmland and the future of farming, including the consequences of the new inheritance tax, and we’ve enjoyed hearing what they’ve had to say.
See our short film: