Supporting local organic farmers is a way to strengthen communities, promote sustainability, and improve personal health. They provide fresh, healthy produce, and also help the planet (and look after animals better). It costs a little more, but your community is the richer for it. Even if you just make simple swaps (say buying organic apples from farm shops).
Help farmers by following the countryside code to protect livestock (and dogs). Report concerns of farm animals to RSPCA (or Crimestoppers to remain anonymous).
If you sell at markets, know which plants, seeds & flowers are toxic to pets. So you know to inform and educate shoppers.
Supporting local farmers also helps to keep money within the community, and reduces road traffic (25% of our road traffic is from lorries, sending food to supermarkets from central distribution houses).
Many small farmers can’t afford the time and money to certify with Soil Association. So sometimes, just go on trust. Ask farmers how they grow food. Especially if you eat meat or dairy, ask how the animals live (are they free-range?)
Do they let calves stay with their mothers (rather than shoot the babies or send them off to be made into veal?) Do the baby chicks survive, or are they culled as in most of the egg industry?
Asking questions helps you to decipher which farmers are looking after their creatures. Same with fruits and vegetables. Do local apple farmers grow organically, or do they spray shellac (dead insects) on their apples to make them waxy, like supermarkets?
Buy asking questions and supporting farmers who grow organically, you are voting with your pocket about the kind of food you wish to eat and buy. It also encourages small local farmers to adopt organic practices.
Charities that Help Farmers
The Farming Community Network has helplines to provide feed for livestock, and help for finances and tenancy.
Hen Helpline is run by a charity that rescues chickens (and roosters) designed to be killed, after end of egg-laying life. The free helpline helps with anything chicken!
Find info on preventive/treating common conditions at Homeopathy at Wellie Level (courses are endorsed by vets).
The Transfarmation Project can help set livestock farmers up with seed and help to grow hugely profitable oats (for the oat milk industry), leaving existing animals to live out lives in peace, and saving long-held family farms from folding.
