On Thursday evening I took part in an event in Ely where the RSPB laid out our Fens Futurescapes plans to a room full of farmers and others. It was also by way of a big 'thank you' to farmers with whom we have been working in the Fens for years on farmland bird recovery projects.
It was nice to see the event and the project covered very positively in Farmers' Guardian and Farmers' Weekly.
Several farmers on the night came and thanked me for the help of local RSPB staff in filling in forms (at no charge) which led to HLS agreements coming their way and for the RSPB's campaign over the summer to protect agri-environment funding from potential government cuts. It was very easy to 'love these farmers to bits' - because they are 'stepping up for nature'.
This was the type of event that cheers me up. I had a stinking cold, had been late to bed the night before, early up that morning and had an almost 2 hour drive home from Ely in front of me - but as I left I was buoyed up by the warmth of the farmers in the audience and the obviously good working relationships that we have with them.
The Fens are special - big skies and open landscapes. Together we can fill the air with the sound of buzzing bumblebees and singing skylarks - we can turn up the volume on the Fenland Futurescape.
No mention of the vast peatland areas being farmed and the addition to atmospheric CO2 that this causes by acccelerating the decay of the peat resources. Hammer the horticulturalists for peat use but ignore the effect that the farmers are having. Double standards here from the RSPB
Well done Mark but redkite only needs to look at lots of RSPB comments and indeed your blogs to see what farmers would call criticism and for sure redkite would as well if he was a farmer.It would certainly be nice if N F U and RSPB had a better relationship but as individual farmers are more than happy to have a amicable relationship why does it matter and the criticism just grates with ordinary farmers who do not forget may not be members of N F U anyway,think a large % are not members and I would suggest that the criticism which I suspect is meant to shame them in fact hardens their attitude to wildlife improvement which however much Mark makes out is profitable is only profitable for wildlife and the farmers own enjoyment and pride not in money terms.Of course Mark knows all this but would be a pity to share with this blog and general public.
Think this blog from Mark would do more good if read by farmers than dozens of critical blogs so WELL DONE MARK,think I would be able to say on farmers behalf who do not read your blogs it is much appreciated especially as now wildlife friendly farmers getting criticised for food prices going sky high because food production suffering because ground going for environmentally beneficial schemes,farmers in a no win situation.
That's all very hearting Mark. It all helps to disprove that cliam by the NFU and CLA that the RSPB is always criticising farmers. This shows it is quite the reverse.