Down on the (environment friendly) farm
Many Harpenden townspeople, especially comparative newcomers to this part of Hertfordshire, might be unaware – notwithstanding the pressures of potential erosion of the Green Belt – how much open countryside , specifically farmland, there is close by. It was something brought home quite graphically by Stuart Roberts, the third-generation member of his family to manage the 300 acres of Hammonds End Farm on the south side of Harpenden, as the main speaker at the Harpenden Society’s Spring Public Meeting at Katherine Warington School.
He was keen to highlight his role as a traditional farmer, endeavouring since he took over the business from his father in 2012, to uphold a policy of working hand-in-hand with nature, regarding himself not just as a farmer but also an environmentalist.
Despite ever greater pressures to cut the cost of food production, it had to be recognised that farming remained the vital fabric of the countryside, which accordingly needed to be protected from what were often short-term strategies which threatened future productivity of the land. Back in the 1970s/80s there was, said Mr Roberts (without a specific reference to chemical fertilisers) often a failure of many farmers to appreciate that, as a custodian of farmland, ‘you cannot take more than you put in’.
At Hammonds End the aim was accordingly to achieve a ‘balanced environment’, with a mixture of livestock and arable farming, cattle, sheep and poultry being reared alongside the growing of crops including wheat and rye, both of which went into bread some of which was made locally – and sold directly to the public – by Redbournbury Mill.
Mr Roberts said he liked to practice what he preached in environmental terms of his diet. And though he even agreed to some extent with vegans and their avoidance of meat and dairy products, his personal experience of needing at one stage to drastically lose weight, led him to simply cut down the size but not the variety of his meals or the quality of their ingredients.
Another aspect of his environmental concerns as a farmer was a recognition of climate change and the need to retain the areas of woodland at Hammonds End as well as the many hedgerows, to absorb carbon from the atmosphere. It was hence deliberate policy as far as possible to avoid cutting back hedgerows between fields.
He added that as well as being environment friendly, he and his management team strove to also be ‘public friendly’. Most of the footpaths through the farm are open to walkers and organised visits by interested local groups have been a feature in recent years, participants usually sitting on straw bales on a trailer pulled by a tractor, often with Mr Roberts at the wheel providing a running commentary.
Mr Roberts wound up his presentation with a plea for governments ‘to get out of the way’ of agriculture and avoid administrative meddling in the way farming is organised, and has been organised fairly successfully for generations on the four or five family-run farms around Harpenden, including Hammonds End.
The slide presentation can be downloaded by clicking here.
Getting diet to boost mental health
Following Stuart Roberts’ theme at the Harpenden Society meeting, of environment-friendly farming’s contribution to an overall healthy lifestyle, local food nutritionist Katharine Tate, ( also known as The Food Teacher™ ) under the heading of ‘Looking after the Grey Matter!’, put forward her professional advice, clearly reviewing the role of diet in determining mental health in particular.
Studies into gradual cognitive impairment – often heading towards dementia – had, she said, indicated a link to blood sugar level in one’s metabolism, where the carbohydrates in white starchy food and the stimulants found in fizzy drinks and caffeine were best avoided, as well as the so-called ‘trans fats’ common in ultra-processed and ‘junk food’.
When it came to ‘dementia risk’ there were, said Katharine, inevitably numerous lifestyle influences, but the positive role of a ‘healthy gut’ ranked alongside restful sleep, set against such damaging influences as lack of exercise and anxiety.
In summary, Katharine outlined her ‘top tips’ for a healthy lifestyle, one best designed to combat cognitive impairment and the possible onset of dementia. These were to regulate blood sugar level while nevertheless consuming a range of nutrients including plenty of protein. Away from dietary considerations, she stressed the desirability of older people to ‘keep moving’ and to maintain mental stimulation, via hobbies, social activity and acquiring new skills.
NB. The meeting opened with the Society AGM and all the appropriate votes and accounts approval.
The slide presentation can be downloaded by clicking here.