So, are we all enemies of the state now?

I'm not a farming expert either. However, home grown food doesn't always reduce carbon footprint, if it can't be grown efficiently. For example, it's more efficient to import some crops in winter from the Canaries (or elsewhere), where they can be grown with less energy.

No recipe for grass soup here I’m afraid.

I did post that I was not an expert in farming.

I do know that anything home grown reduces the carbon foot print of imported food products and therefore helps the planet.

MaizieD

GrannyGravy13

I am not a fan of this current Government, and I admit that my knowledge of farming is lacking.

I interpreted this and some other earlier Government discussions as aiming for a higher percentage of food (both crops and animals) to be home grown.

If she wants more homegrown food what is she going to do about the fact that it will be unaffordable for a significant number of the population?

Maybe the idea is that the plebs will have to eat grass because they can't afford anything else.

PS. I'm sure somebody has a tasty wartime recipe for grass soup.

GrannyGravy13

I am not a fan of this current Government, and I admit that my knowledge of farming is lacking.

I interpreted this and some other earlier Government discussions as aiming for a higher percentage of food (both crops and animals) to be home grown.

3b land isn't suitable for high value crops. The biggest problem with growing fodder this summer wasn't solar panels but drought, so I would have thought anything to address/mitigate climate change should be encouraged.

Ooops! I meant "leafy lanes" in my previous post.

GrannyGravy13

I am not a fan of this current Government, and I admit that my knowledge of farming is lacking.

I interpreted this and some other earlier Government discussions as aiming for a higher percentage of food (both crops and animals) to be home grown.

If she wants more homegrown food what is she going to do about the fact that it will be unaffordable for a significant number of the population?

I am not a fan of this current Government, and I admit that my knowledge of farming is lacking.

I interpreted this and some other earlier Government discussions as aiming for a higher percentage of food (both crops and animals) to be home grown.

Sounds like she will have the country all trussed up with nowhere to go. A lack of trussed in her people?

Katie59

Whitewavemark2

The latest enemy is ?

BREAKING: The government has unveiled exciting plans to ban solar projects from farms and worsen the climate crisis. I can confirm this policy has nothing to do with fossil fuel companies donating to the Tories

The solar projects in this area have been done on low grade land so this initiative would make little difference, in fact it’s that grade of low productivity land that goes into environmental schemes.
The Solar projects that do get approval will have to be close to population centers for technical restrictions imposed by National Grid.

According to the Guardian article, the land which would be affected (3b land) makes up 41% of the land area of England, so that's a lot of land.

In this area, opponents of solar farms are mainly people who like taking their dogs for walks along leafy lines and like looking over hedges at fields rather than glass panels.

I'm puzzled by this. According to the Guardian article, the ban will affect 3b land, which (according to the government website) is:

"Subgrade 3b – moderate quality agricultural land
Land capable of producing moderate yields of a narrow range of crops, principally:

cereals and grass
lower yields of a wider range of crops
high yields of grass which can be grazed or harvested over most of the year"

So it affects mainly grazing land, not land used for crops for human consumption. My understanding is that fields with solar panels can still for animal grazing.

I must admit I find it contradictory. I thought Truss' idea was to leave everything to the market and encourage growth, so why is she apparently introducing more- red tape and restrictions and restricting growth of renewable energy? If farmers want to make more money from their land by installing solar panels, shouldn't the free market economy allow them to do so? After all, farmers haven't exactly been treated well post-Brexit.

Whitewavemark2

The latest enemy is ?

BREAKING: The government has unveiled exciting plans to ban solar projects from farms and worsen the climate crisis. I can confirm this policy has nothing to do with fossil fuel companies donating to the Tories

The solar projects in this area have been done on low grade land so this initiative would make little difference, in fact it’s that grade of low productivity land that goes into environmental schemes.
The Solar projects that do get approval will have to be close to population centers for technical restrictions imposed by National Grid.

Whitewavemark2

GG sorry not to get back. Actually wasn’t from the Guardian article, but it says much the same thing.

Farmers are also being discouraged from creating areas of greater diversity on their farmland.

What is actually happening is

Because of the dry summer and shortage of fodder environmental areas can be used for grazing.

There was a widespread take up of environmental schemes in the last 2 years, the government do not want more schemes when food prices are high

Farmers produce food, what they dont has to be imported, global prices are high priced in US$, and we have weak sterling. Other countries have reversed environmental schemes the UK has not - yet.

GG sorry not to get back. Actually wasn’t from the Guardian article, but it says much the same thing.

Farmers are also being discouraged from creating areas of greater diversity on their farmland.

GrannyGravy13

Whitewavemark2

The latest enemy is ?

BREAKING: The government has unveiled exciting plans to ban solar projects from farms and worsen the climate crisis. I can confirm this policy has nothing to do with fossil fuel companies donating to the Tories

Are you referring to the article in the Guardian regarding reclassification of farmland?

Do you mean this article GrannyGravy?

www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/10/ministers-hope-to-ban-solar-projects-from-most-english-farms

Freedom2017

I’ll admit I’ve been a Tory voter for many years. However Liz Truss has put the final nail in the coffin as far as I’m concerned. I will never vote Tory again.
And even although I am Scottish and live in Scotland I’ll never support Nicola Sturgeon or SNP. Let’s keep the UK together.

Thanks Freedom. I really believe that we need to stay united and work towards making the U.K. a good place for everyone to live in. We need a period of stability for a while. Then we can rebuild our relationship with Europe and who knows where that might lead.

Whitewavemark2

The latest enemy is ?

BREAKING: The government has unveiled exciting plans to ban solar projects from farms and worsen the climate crisis. I can confirm this policy has nothing to do with fossil fuel companies donating to the Tories

Are you referring to the article in the Guardian regarding reclassification of farmland?

These pesky would-be solar farmers are clearly part of the anti-growth coalition - and so enemies of the people.

Just as well Liz spotted that. Isn't she amazing?

The latest enemy is ?

BREAKING: The government has unveiled exciting plans to ban solar projects from farms and worsen the climate crisis. I can confirm this policy has nothing to do with fossil fuel companies donating to the Tories

I love a good non-sequitur.

I’ll admit I’ve been a Tory voter for many years. However Liz Truss has put the final nail in the coffin as far as I’m concerned. I will never vote Tory again.
And even although I am Scottish and live in Scotland I’ll never support Nicola Sturgeon or SNP. Let’s keep the UK together.

Still for those of us interested, this parliamentary session should be interesting, although tbh I think I would settle for deadly dull for a period of reconciliation and recovery.

I wish I found it amusing.

Perhaps 'amusing' wasn't quite the right word 8growstuff*. It's just that, when someone whose Leave vote has helped to land us with an ultra neo-liberal government posts a 5 year old article which has turned out to be utterly wrong in its premises/promises, laughter seems the only alternative to crying...

Don't a lot of writers like the sound of their own voices?

My growth is much like most with an exception, it doesn't assume that Christians have a monopoly on being the "right" or only way! Most if not all religions eschew the principles of kindness generosity, putting others first,helping defend the weak/less fortunate and all other good ways of living life. The Christian mafia is one thing I don't like about the charities front in UK, they always conveniently 'forget,' all the other fantastic works carried out by all the other wonderful church,/;religious groups we have in our great Mish mash of British society whilst conveniently 'forgetting' all its own cruel and inhuman practices in the not so distant past in its efforts to destroy all opposition. Live and let live for all I say.

I have read and listened to lots of articles etc talking about replacing Truss.

It appears that there isn’t a single MP of PM calibre? in the Tory party, which is why they will almost certainly Cling on to her. But they are also panicking because she is the most unpopular PM in history, and the way things are at the moment they will lose the election big time.

The other issue is that the Tory party is massively divided so her position and ability to govern is heavily under question.

Division occurs not just between sides but also within the different factions, so we have divisions over the economy and tax. Benefit cuts, planning, environment, Brexit (a dead duck walking), and NI. Amongst other divisions.

Crisis talks this week according to the Guardian.
www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/09/truss-and-kwarteng-will-face-fury-of-tory-mps-in-week-of-crisis-meetings
The Telegraph was one of many reports about Ben Wallace, easily searchable on Google if you want to find out more.