By Alasdair Crosby. Republished with kind permission from the Jersey Evening Post
It might seem unusual to make a thematic trio of these subjects, but it really should not be much of a surprise. Music… the countryside has always had an impact on music, be it Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, Canteloube’s Songs of the Auvergne, or The Wurzels with their Brand-New Combine Harvester.
And Faith…. many of the Parables from the New Testament seem to have been stories told for a rural audience, all about sheep farming, vineyards, sowing and harvesting, and disputes about rates of pay for farm labourers.
Combining these three themes was Patrick Holden, the executive director of the Sustainable Food Trust. He is also the former head of the Soil Association and patron of the UK Biodynamic Association; and received the CBE for services to organic farming in 2005.
Our conversation took place sitting at an outside table on a warm and sunny day in early September. He had been invited to speak at the Regen Gathering, but at least part of our conversation is applicable to this current season of faith, feasting and joyful song.
Music: yes, of course it can be inspired by the countryside, but he was asked, is there any real connection between music and farming?
‘Well, not enough,’ he admitted. ‘I was born a Londoner, a child of the 1960s, and what developed my love for nature were farms and visits to farms. But there was also music. Think back to the music of the late 1960s and early 1970s, to Woodstock, and to Neil Young’s song, After the Goldrush, with its lyrics: ‘Look at Mother Nature on the run in the 1970s.’
‘Music was a major influence on me, and it made me want to do and be something positive for farming and the natural world. I don’t think that between then and now there has been enough recognition of the power of music to influence people, and I do believe that music is a powerful influencer, in the same way that Bob Geldorf devised Live Aid and Band Aid in the 1980s. Why not have a Regen Aid music festival? There are people in the music world that do care about these things.
‘The Coldplay group sponsored the Sustainable Food Trust throughout their world tour, not with much money, it is true, but with videos and publicity. That is a musical influence, isn’t it? Music is emotional, it touches people, so I think the power of music could be harnessed more in the support of nature and the countryside. I think music is an important part of the changes that are needed.’
We then moved on to the subject of faith communities and their relationship with the natural world.
‘At the core of most faith communities is respect for our relationship with the earth. I think that relationship has become atrophied. And yet there are millions of people who belong to faith communities.’
The Church of England is a notable example. And recently the author and somewhat heretical biologist, Dr Rupert Sheldrake, has been working with Patrick on bridging the gap between science and spirituality, asking whether farms could even be considered ‘holy places’. Dr Sheldrake is a supporter of the British Pilgrimage Trust.
Both he and Patrick wish to bridge the gap between spirituality and science; Dr Sheldrake is involved with the British Pilgrimage Trust, and offered Anglican parishes a donation to have a Rogation Festival at its traditional time in early summer, before the Feast of the Ascension.
Patrick continued: ‘Rogation focuses on asking God for blessings on the land, crops, and community through prayer, fasting, and processions. It often involves “beating the bounds” or blessing fields to ensure a good harvest and protection from disaster.
It is a blessing on the land and relates to agriculture. Rogation is one of many traditional Church festivals and holidays, but they have mostly all disappeared, these days, their purposes forgotten.
‘Rupert said that if a parish wanted to bring back a Rogation Festival, he would pay them a grant of £500 to pay for the ingredients of a meal that would celebrate that festival. He was overwhelmed with interest from hundreds of parishes that agreed to do that. It is making the Church more relevant. In a way, the Church has become a bit fossilised and lost touch with its natural supporters. But it could come back, couldn’t it?
‘That’s just the Church of England — other faiths are available! Or to quote from the British Pilgrimage Trust: “Bring your own beliefs”. It organises walks between holy places, maybe between farms, or rivers. You might have a view about a holy place that is not necessarily Christian, but you can still celebrate it. I think the power of the faith communities behind this agenda is one of the ingredients of its success.’
Patrick also has a farm in west Wales, which has been funded by his ‘day jobs’ at the Soil Association and then at the Sustainable Farming Trust.
‘When we started our farm in 1973 there were 3,000 small dairy farmers in west Wales – now there are only a handful left – most of them large farms, as these are the only survival strategy for farmers. The message is still from conventional industry: get big, get intensive or get out. The reason why we are not a statistic in that loss — we have less than 100 Ayrshire cows — is that we make and sell raw milk cheddar.
‘I do think there is a movement of change. The number of people interested in applying to go on a course in agriculture has changed dramatically, just this year. The applications are up — but I don’t think that most people want to do factory farming. They want something that is culturally fulfilling, which makes them feel proud to be a producer of nutrient-rich food, and which is supplying local markets. They don’t want to join the rat race of industrialisation.’
In July 2024 the Sustainable Farm Trust launched ‘Beacon Farms’ — a growing collective of farmers rebuilding the connection between the end consumer and the people, places, and practices that create the highest quality meat. The members are
British farmers who rear their animals with care, taking pride in producing quality food whilst working with the land.
‘It is a combination of rewarding small-scale, regenerative farming, that delivers climate, nature and social benefits.’
A year later, there are now 50 farms in the UK that are members of this network, which has now been launched in Ireland as well.
‘We would absolutely love farmers who would like to be more involved in education, particularly children, to join our network, here in Jersey. ”Beacon Farms” — just think of it: farms that are not just producers of food, but places of reconnection with nature and the general public, starting with children. If a child, during their primary school education, visits a farm not once, but repeatedly, where good food is being grown, they would never be the same again. You will have planted a seed – metaphorically and literally maybe – in their imagination.’
‘One of the missing links in all this is to get the power of public opinion behind the changes. But that leads to the exam question: how do you educate the public? That brings us back to the power of music, and linking in with some of the faith communities. But the biggest thing is to invest in getting children — in particular, but actually also all of us — on to farms, that are telling us a good story about sustainable production.
‘We are on the cusp of change. Now, we need to harness it.’
