Wild Dorset
THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN' Adam Simon, Tamarisk Farm
L
eila and I were speaking in the Houses of Parliament recently. Farming organisations are being consulted on the proposed Environment Bill, which is to replace CAP as support for agriculture, and the Landworker’s Alliance invited a few farms to illustrate to MPs, DEFRA and policy makers how we are delivering ‘public goods’ via agroecological farming as well as making a living and producing good food. Jyoti from Fivepenny Farm brought a feast using only local organic food for them to share as they listened. Many came to understand the issues, others came just for the 36 | Bridport Times | November 2019
food but were drawn in by the ideas. Our presentation was mainly about what we are doing well and are proud of, however planning what we would say made us think again about why we are doing what we do, how we got here and where we might go next. Ellen’s parents, Arthur and Josephine, started here in 1960. Their initial reason for coming to West Bexington was to have a good place to bring up their family and good food to feed them. With a background studying geography and anthropology and influenced by Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, they were aware of the danger