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ClimateNE & Climate Change Schools Project support the move to a low-carbon, resilient economy and help businesses avoid risk and realise commercial opportunities. Posts by Jen Atkinson, Krista McKinzey and Harriet Thew » It has been an interesting weekend .....starting with the Northumberland and Durham's National Farmers Union(NFU) centenary celebration dinner at The Hilton, Gateshead. The food was very good but there is a certain irony in the location but why not....the urban/rural interface is important.
It was a full spectrum of ages and money raised was for the RABI - the farming industry's own charity for those on hard times........speaking to many of my friends at this glittering event and you soon realise that farming still contains a wide range of economic situations.
Friday also saw a new Government department which will represent climate change and energy.....interestingly that amounts to about half my day to day activity. I'm pleased but worry for Defra which only had one policy....climate change! With that gone they need a reason for being!
Saturday saw my farm being shot across by my landlord as tourists came to visit the Black Olive Cafe at the farm steading - now a Business Park...thus showing three alternatives for economic activity for this land and the people on it. Choice is a good thing, although I accept that for many people it pushes them out of their comfort zone.
Today has seen a nice traditional day, an hour of paperwork before the family got up; one son farming with Grandad on grandparents day, one daughter at a sleepover and that leaves two daughters to go to church with. The communion service was effective, the sermons theme the importance of focus, how appropriate for so many areas of life. Lunch - locally sourced lamb bought from Turnbull's, the butcher in Alnwick for lunch...children and adults leave clean plates....Dad is proud.
Walk out to our woods to see how the trees I planted some 18 years ago are doing and pick the last of the brambles and the first of the sloes. Very little of either - not good for a family trying to live cheaply but well!! Then the sort of magic moment that the countryside can deliver to humanise one.......I walked ahead of my wife, kids and two dogs (as you do if you want to see the wildlife), sat down on a timber bench we had put in and two dragon flies settled on my hand - they were actually brown hawkers Aeshna Grandis no less and were happy to sit on me in the waning sunshine.
Like the dragonfly...time to enjoy the Autumn sun and focus on the important things. Recessions are good for this approach - as you will see when it officially arrives!
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