Rotten pork

Only "rotten" pork arrives from other countries? Not "rotten" chicken, beef, lamb, etc for "sandwiches" (that may or may not exist)?

GSM I wasn't referring to you, I had no idea what cars you own, and to be honest I am not that interested. I was just surprised that another GN member should notice or care about these things.

So right Norah. Great fun. I can’t imagine it ever ceasing to be fun.

Katie59 I did visit with a friend last summer, we did feel outclassed, my Toyota did look out of place amongst the Range Rovers and Porsches.

Surely you know some people enjoy fast cars, no matter their occupation. 'Let the horses out to run' comes to mind. My husband adores 'letting the horses out to run'. It's fun, simple as that.

Germanshepherdsmum

I have never pretended to be ‘old money’, *MOnica and neither has my husband. We’re not. He drives a Range Rover because out in the sticks and with dogs, it’s practical. I drive a Porsche because I love it - not to be ostentatious.

Indeed.

We live in the country with pets and have a sizable family.

Of course I drive a Rover, it is however old and quite reliable on our rutted grounds. In fact my husband drives a big 4x4 also, same reasons, German manufacture. No ostentation here.

I have never pretended to be ‘old money’, *MOnica and neither has my husband. We’re not. He drives a Range Rover because out in the sticks and with dogs, it’s practical. I drive a Porsche because I love it - not to be ostentatious.

Katie59

Apparently we don’t have an organic farm shop in this county, the farm I found is an online seller but the website doesn’t work so I guess they’ve given up, so the closest organic outlet is Daylesford.

I did visit with a friend last summer, we did feel outclassed, my Toyota did look out of place amongst the Range Rovers and Porsches. We did have a coffee and cake but the organic meat and produce was 3 and 4 times supermarket prices so my purse stayed in my pocket. It was obviously the place to be “seen” amongst the Cotswold set, as we left the boss arrived in the JCB helicopter, so they are not going to be short of cash anytime soon.

If anyone is gullible enough to believe that there is a significant difference between conventional and organic food they deserve to pay 4 times the price as a penalty, if you don’t like what Tesco stock, your local farm shop has a range of alternatives at a modest premium, it will be red tractor approved.

What I especially object to is the way that organic producers “rubbish” everyone else and they are the only ones that care, it’s not true everyone cares.

Perhaps you have misjudged the farm based on cars, perhaps not. You do realize farmers drive Rovers to get round their land, correct?

Yes, organic and sustainable land practices are best for the animals and for the land/environment where we all live.

I'm thinking you may be misinformed regarding sustainability.

organic and PfL farming is about environmental concerns like global warming, protecting and sustaining the soil, not just meat quality

Absolutely this.

Sorry, Katie59, you are talking nonsense. You completely do not understand that organic and PfL farming is about environmental concerns like global warming, protecting and sustaining the soil, not just meat quality.

It is about using farming methods that reduce emissions, respect the animals and ensure that they have a life that is as close to their wild habits as possible, grazing the same crops, ut with protection from starvation while at the same time , ensuring that they get medical treatment when needed.

This means lower stocking rates, no feeding of cheap dense calorie rich foods, which are unsuited to the animal#s digestion, which inevitably increases the cost of production. Red Tractor and other classifications are about product safety, minimal welfare standards but with animlas being kept at standards well below organic and at variance with PfL, and feeding them feedstuffs like maize and soya that are hugely environmentally damaging and which leads to meat having such a huge environmental footprint.

I find your comments about cars at Daylesford, quite odd. DH likes cars he can tinker with and has a fondness for SAABS, we have always gone anywhere and turned up for the smartest events in cars that are up to 20 years old - and not polished up to the nines. No one ever bats an eyelid, or treats us any differently. Old money has always been unostentatious.

As this has degenerated into such unpleasantness I shall no longer reply to your posts.

Blimey katy59 your classism and sheer unpleasant post says it all I think!

And for what it is worth - of course I don’t waffle on about where I buy my food - my guests would think it a bit strange if I did. I take their compliments with good grace and carry on talking about more interesting stuff.

What I do know is that the product I eat from my choice of organic farmer is far superior to anything I have ever eaten from an animal conventionally reared. Those guests who sit at my table always comment without knowing that it is organic grass fed free range.

I’m sure you enjoy the kudos of telling them it’s organic from Cxxxxxx Farm hoping they havn’t read the newspaper reports and reviews on that establishment

See PM

Apparently we don’t have an organic farm shop in this county, the farm I found is an online seller but the website doesn’t work so I guess they’ve given up, so the closest organic outlet is Daylesford.

I did visit with a friend last summer, we did feel outclassed, my Toyota did look out of place amongst the Range Rovers and Porsches. We did have a coffee and cake but the organic meat and produce was 3 and 4 times supermarket prices so my purse stayed in my pocket. It was obviously the place to be “seen” amongst the Cotswold set, as we left the boss arrived in the JCB helicopter, so they are not going to be short of cash anytime soon.

If anyone is gullible enough to believe that there is a significant difference between conventional and organic food they deserve to pay 4 times the price as a penalty, if you don’t like what Tesco stock, your local farm shop has a range of alternatives at a modest premium, it will be red tractor approved.

What I especially object to is the way that organic producers “rubbish” everyone else and they are the only ones that care, it’s not true everyone cares.

Katie the industrial operations you mention are not factory farming of animals.

Well regardless, what I do know is that factory farming is not the way I would want any animal to be treated. In some cases it is cruel in the extreme, denying a sentient being its natural existence and right to live without fear or pain. I cannot be part of that.

I have a choice and try to exercise it as best I can.

Others seemingly choose to ignore or give no thought to the animals existence before death, and that is their choice.

What I do know is that the product I eat from my choice of organic farmer is far superior to anything I have ever eaten from an animal conventionally reared. Those guests who sit at my table always comment without knowing that it is organic grass fed free range.

The proof is in the pudding as it were.

We do have one genuine organic farm that has a farm shop in this county, it’s at the opposite end of the county and I don’t know them personally. They have a small dairy herd and fatten beef and sheep, I’m going that way tomorrow morning I’ll call in.

Close to me the farm shops don’t sell organic meat, they do sell quality meat conventionally reared, trying to stock both probably would not work.

Germanshepherdsmum

Are you seriously suggesting that welfare is no better in organic than factory farming?

Many of the Organic farms ARE industrial operations

Katie59

Insulting, well they couldn’t do it unless they had a lot of other income because they are certainly not making money out of it.
My main objection is the way that the organic movement rubbishes conventional farming yet they are only 2% of the indigenous food we eat in the UK.

WW2 cut and pasted a whole advert lauding organic venison when almost all venison is free roaming, welfare is no better in an organic system because there have been incidents on organic farms

Well, it's not insulting to use ones income on organic sustainable farming. Who are you to say what other do with their money?

Are you seriously suggesting that welfare is no better in organic than factory farming?

Insulting, well they couldn’t do it unless they had a lot of other income because they are certainly not making money out of it.
My main objection is the way that the organic movement rubbishes conventional farming yet they are only 2% of the indigenous food we eat in the UK.

WW2 cut and pasted a whole advert lauding organic venison when almost all venison is free roaming, welfare is no better in an organic system because there have been incidents on organic farms

Isn’t it better for wealthy landowners to do some good with their land rather than just sitting on it? The King has done very positive things with Sandringham since taking over its management a few years ago. How very insulting to say that landowners who produce organic meat and other food are doing it as a hobby. Should they indulge in factory farming instead? I’m sure that would make more money.

Katie59

Knepp Castle another large fortune selling organic as a hobby

So?

Yes but I can experience the benefits to wildlife and flora every day. Whatever your views on wealthy landowners, if they do good with what they’ve got I will support them. I have watched the change over the years and it is absolutely astonishing. The animals “manage” the land the result is huge biodiversity.

Knepp Castle another large fortune selling organic as a hobby

Knepp looks a good alternative, but only sells beef, pork or venison - that is because of the way they are re-wilding and managing the land.

It is glorious leading up to summer from this time of year.