Petition And Plea To Isle Of Wight Council To ‘Invest In County Farms’

Monday, 20 April 2020 15:57

A petition has been launched asking the Isle of Wight Council to invest in local county farms - which a Niton and Whitwell parish councillor claims would “save lives”. EXCLUSIVE Islanders have expressed an interest in “getting into the farming system” on the Isle of Wight in a bid to make us more resilient with food supplies during the coronavirus crisis. County farms are often seen as a stepping stone into the agricultural industry - rented out to first-time farmers by the local authority. None exist on the Isle of Wight today. Niton and Whitwell parish councillor, Alison Logan told Isle of Wight Radio: “What we want is an investment by the local government into county farms so we can provide employment, food resilience, less food miles and generally good practices in farming.” The Island Regenerative Action Impact Network Facebook page (Island RAIN) has been set up in light of the pandemic to raise awareness of the fragility of our food supply chains. Nearly 1,000 Islanders have signed up to find a way to be “a solution to the climate crisis rather than a problem” and how to get involved in the agricultural industry on the Island. Ms Logan added: “The price of land has been a huge problem for people stepping into farming, what we want is the local authority to invest in county farms...You’re going to provide jobs, food resilience and they [the Isle of Wight Council] are making their money in an asset that is local.” She said her message to the farmers on the Island is “how can we help you and how can you help your community?” It comes as the National Farmers Union (NFU) recently put pressure on the Government to allow furloughed workers to seek alternative employment on farms across the UK. More than 26,000 have already signed up to the national scheme and the NFU’s vice chairman Tom Bradshaw said it will prevent farmers from facing a staff shortage. A spokesperson for the Isle of Wight Council said:

“The council is working with key rural stakeholders in helping ensure the rural economy on the island can respond to the current challenges it faces and plays an active part in our future recovery.”

The petition can be found here.