The current edition of Farmers Weekly contains an interview with George Monbiot – here it is
And here is the editorial
I was pretty surprised to find this – farming at the moment is really on the back food – looks like there will no access to the Single Market and George Monbiot’s views are now becoming pretty mainstream! Something else for the farming lobby to counter.
A Dartmoor blog 
Hello,
Please kindly give us the link to the editorial.
Many thanks,
Jan
It’s the second graphic in my piece
At RAC Cirencester in the 50s I was struck by the dedication of young chaps that had been able to be on the yard sweeping up after milking at 6.30! I can’t believe Monbiot has been one of these dedicated countrymen.! I have always been a bit sceptical of pop stars and celebs who suddenly knew more about rearing animals than we did.
When I moved to Wales to farm beef and sheep after a few months in New Zealand I found myself amongst hard working Welsh traditional farmers and an influx of young College trained from across the borders. One such was Rex Patterson son John who was milking 100s of cows in Pembrokeshire. The Patterson system was to use a milking bail up on well drained hills in all seasons of the year! ( I don’t suppose Monbiot tried that! ) we used to meet up with John and Ruth and discuss an easier more profitable life.
At that time you could be subsidised by the Australian government to go and farm in New Guinea . The grass there was growing and still is , I am sure, about 1 inch per day! I remember well that John had discussed it with his father who came back with the advice, ” you can produce food cheaply in the world but you have to transport it to people that have money to buy it!
Not long after that I decided to,venture into 10 holiday cottages from built from our old Welsh buildings . Diversification from our own farm in the UK. We had a restaurant and found that shopping in Bookers saved money. How ever beef steak that we bought from them was practically inedible. The Welsh butcher in Carmarthen put us right with typical Welsh humour when I complained. We usually put it on our feet instead of shoes.
Food security,means supplying the best bred and reared cattle from the Uk uplands! The market is on our doorstep and we can produce the best beef from traditional cattle and sheep in our uplands.
Last January our food deficit was an eye watering £8 billion! Why does Monbiot dream of ruining our Upland pastures and importing beef and lamb from miles away.
Our great advantage is to have Rothsmstef, North Wyke Okehampton and Welsh plant breeding in Wales with IBERS researching. It leaves us far ahead of our competitors in EU or elsewhere in the world.
Fairfax MRAC.