Looks like we'll be one of the estimated 49% of fruit & veg farmers fearing they'll go out of business this year. Turns out trying to set up a market garden from scratch in the scottish highlands with no experience of running a self-employed business during some of the worst growing weather that anyone can remember was a bit of a tall order. Partner is sick of throwing good money after bad (albeit some of it from the bank of mum & dad) and can't say I disagree when all of the signs are pointing towards:

**CAPITALISM SAYS: NO, FUCK YOU**

Will be winding things down over the rest of the year and looking for a different position where we're not on the hook for absolutely everything and have some degree of income security. An education in what a nightmare it is trying to run your own business, if nothing else...

Anyway, you can sign the Soil Association's open letter at the link below fwiw, and support your local producers if you can. Remember you're still going to need to eat when the supermarket shelves are empty. A good idea to learn to grow your own too, or at least do some foraging if that's not an option.

cheers,
I

*****

https://act.soilassociation.org/save-our-fruit-and-veg

Save our Fruit and Veg

The UK imports 80% of our fruit and nearly half our veg

We urgently need more home-grown fruit and veg, or we face disaster for supermarket shelves, our health, and the environment

Fruit and vegetables are the foundation of a healthy country. Yet right now, the UK’s growers are at breaking point.

Less than 2% of UK farmland is used for fruit and veg production, while nearly half of all growers fear they could go out of business within a year. Meanwhile, the UK imports over 80% of our fruit and nearly half of all our vegetables. This is simply unsustainable – we need to act now to boost home-grown fruit and veg.

Add your name today, and join a community determined to protect and grow UK fruit and veg

A perfect storm of rising costs, limited labour, unpredictable weather and low profit margins is threatening to put hundreds of our fruit and veg growers out of business.

What’s more, the UK’s heavy reliance on imports of fruit and veg is bad for our food security. Worldwide shocks, like the war in Ukraine and extreme weather patterns, show how a fragile globalised food system can easily lead to empty supermarket shelves.

This is also a profound crisis for our nation’s health. Only a third of UK adults are eating their recommended 5-a-day, falling to just 12% in children. That could have catastrophic effects on the long-term well-being of our country.

UK growers need to be supported to grow more fruit and veg using nature-friendly farming practices - like organic - without the fossil-fuel based fertilisers and pesticides that harm our wildlife and waterways.

We need urgent change

Fruit and veg production is the vital link between public health, food security and environmental sustainability. We're calling for urgent action from the UK government to help:

Double the percentage of UK land used to grow fruit and veg
Increase demand for fruit and veg - starting with supporting schools to serve up healthy, veg-packed meals for children
Increase fruit and veg production through nature-friendly practices - like organic - that will protect wildlife and nourish the soil

Join us in standing up for UK growers, and supporting a sustainable future for fruit and veg. The health of the country depends on it.

Research and References

'Fruit and veg production is the vital link between public health, food security and environmental sustainability. We're calling for urgent action from the UK government'

Soil Association, Sustain, Wildlife Trusts (2024): Home-grown: A roadmap to resilient fruit and vegetable production in England

'Nearly half of all growers fear they could go out of business within a year'

Riverford 2023: Get Fair About Farming campaign

'Meanwhile, the UK imports over 80% of our fruit and nearly half of all our vegetables.'

Defra 2022: Latest Horticulture Statistics

‘Worldwide shocks, like the war in Ukraine, show how a fragile globalised food system can easily lead to empty supermarket shelves.’

The Guardian (2023): Why are UK supermarkets facing fresh food shortages?

‘Only a third of UK adults are eating their recommended 5-a-day, falling to just 12% in children.’

The Food Foundation Peas Please project: https://foodfoundation.org.uk/initiatives/peas-please