Helen Macdonald says animal, which tested positive for bovine TB, has defenders in New Zealand, Malaysia and EuropeThe owner of Geronimo the alpaca has welcomed the support she has received from around the world as she continues the fight to stop her a…
Geronimo the alpaca given 24-hour reprieve
Owner receives word that officials will not try to enforce warrant before 5pm on FridayGeronimo, the condemned alpaca, has been granted another 24-hour reprieve, with its owner claiming the UK government hopes she will carry out its “dirty work” and pu…
Not enough turkeys for Christmas due to Brexit, poultry producers warn
Government urged to relax UK immigration rules after one in six jobs left unfilled since EU departureUK poultry producers have warned that serious staff shortages caused by Brexit could mean there are not enough turkeys to go round this Christmas.This …
Final legal effort to save Geronimo the alpaca thrown out by judge
Gloucestershire owner’s lawyers lodged application to halt animal’s destruction at high courtA last-ditch legal attempt to save Geronimo the alpaca has been rejected by a high court judge.A “human shield” of supporters and newspaper reporters remains a…
‘A perfect storm’: UK beet growers fear Brexit threatens their future
They produce half the country’s sugar needs, but expect new trade deals to make their tough situation worseIn a field in Norfolk, the sight of lush green leaves sprouting from the soil are giving farmer Ed Lankfer cause for optimism. “I think this is o…
Rewilding: should we bring the lynx back to Britain?
Reintroducing the big cats could control deer numbers and enrich ecosystems but farmers and the public need reassurance, say expertsThe maverick rewilder Derek Gow is wearing an extremely small pair of coral pink shorts as he introduces his three new E…
Guess who’s coming to dinner? Roadkill placed on ‘sky tables’ to lure rare birds of prey
Farmers are laying out carcasses to tempt vultures and eagles back to the UK countrysideWhen a griffon vulture last year graced the UK with its presence, awed birdwatchers from across the country gathered in the Derbyshire moors in the hope of catching…
‘Ten years ago this was science fiction’: the rise of weedkilling robots
The makers of robot weeders say the machines can reduce pesticide use and be part of a more sustainable food systemIn the corner of an Ohio field, a laser-armed robot inches through a sea of onions, zapping weeds as it goes.This field doesn’t belong to…
Cairngorms crofters: ‘We don’t follow a capitalist grow-grow-grow model’
Lynn Cassells and Sandra Baer say buying croft allowed them to farm based on regenerative principlesRewilding 5% of England could create 20,000 rural jobs“Farming with nature is really not idealism,” says Lynn Cassells. “It’s not a nice thing to do on …
Hemp milk claims to be the greenest yet – but is it any good?
Newcomer on dairy alternative scene is vegan, sequesters carbon and increases biodiversityI’m sitting in my kitchen, about to try my first sip of a milk that is vegan, sequesters carbon and increases biodiversity. Dairy milk has a high carbon footprint…