Farming Today

Original version

BBC Radio 4 LW

Magazines & Reviews

Factual: Science & Nature: Nature & Environment

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

BBC Radio 4 FM

Farming Today: 19/04/21 Soil, Rural tourism, Potatoes

farming-today_monday_1211_getty.jpg

19/04/21 Soil, Rural tourism, Potatoes

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 19/04/21 Soil, Rural tourism, Potatoes

Why and how we should care for soils. Rural tourism. Tough times for potato growers.

Why soil health is vital to our food and biodiversity.
Scottish farm tourism.
A triple whammy for potato growers - Brexit, Covid and rules which make them tricky to store.

Soils are seen by some as the Cinderella of the environment, but soil scientists say they're vital for cleaning water and storing carbon and it's about time we monitored them as regularly as we would our cars.

Scotland's rural tourism businesses are gearing up to welcome visitors once more. Caroline Millar runs luxury holiday cottages on her family farm near Dundee. She's fully booked until September, but a lot of her guests are rescheduling holidays they should have had 12 months ago.

Importing potatoes may be easier and more cost effective than storing home grown ones - so says one grower and supplier who warns that trade complications after Brexit, rules on chemicals, and lockdown are making life very difficult. Chris Marshall who farms in Cambridgeshire says since a chemical treatment was banned here, British potatoes are harder to store.

Presenter = Charlotte Smith
Producer = Rebecca Rooney

BBC Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Farming Today

19/04/21 Soil, Rural tourism, Potatoes

Genres

Brand

BBC Radio 4 LW

About BBC Radio 4