Supporting local farming during Covid-19
By Jayne Manley, CEO
I’m sure many of you, like me, have been acclimatising to staying at home: working from home, having the kids around, being on your own, finding ways to keep busy and exploring what a ‘new normal’ is all about. Of course, every aspect of our life and nature is connected to another – as environmental philosopher John Muir said:
“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe”
Our lives have changed so much in three weeks, and yet our very basic needs are now more important to us than ever before. Food, fundamental to all our needs, has begun to occupy more of our thoughts and time than before coronavirus: what do we want to eat, is it available, can we get to the supermarket or can it be delivered? Food is essential sustenance, but it can also offer comfort at times like these.
At Earth Trust we champion local food as part of a resilient, equitable system where food production and a healthy environment go hand-in-hand. Buying locally and supporting environmentally friendly business is a strand of Earth Trust DNA.
Just before the latest restrictions came into place I went to film on the Earth Trust Farm. I know many of you will be keen to see the connection between what we are doing this Easter on the farm and coronavirus, so now seemed like a good time to share it with you – I hope you enjoy watching the video below:
Food produced locally can:
• Be fresher and more accessible, as local producers operate within local communities and can sometimes deliver directly to you
• Support local businesses and local people in work
• Have fewer food miles – and as the food doesn’t spend as much time being transported, this reduces the carbon released into the atmosphere.
On the Earth Trust Farm we work closely with Farm Step Tenant farmers. Together we are exploring what sustainability could look like; caring for some of our most iconic and loved landscapes, and protecting the ecosystems that we rely on. Finding solutions to the environmental challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change remain at the forefront of what we do.
As we talk about food and supporting local businesses, I also want to take a moment to thank you for supporting Earth Trust. We need your support now more than ever before, and hugely appreciate the donations that have been made so far.
For those of you considering how you can help in these difficult times, if you are able to make a donation to Earth Trust your gift will help us weather the Covid-19 storm and continue with our mission to seek and demonstrate what we need to do locally that contributes to a healthy planet for us all.
Stay safe,
Jayne