The buck stops here

It’s time we as consumers realise our own power to change things, and reconnect with our farms, says Sybil Kapoor

This May, the National Trust launched a radical social experiment. Under the title ‘MyFarm’ (my-farm.org.uk), they invited up to 10,000 web users to actively manage Wimpole Home Farm in Cambridgeshire, entirely over the internet.

Once a month Richard Morris, the farm’s manager, will ask for instructions on a particular farming decision. Over the next three years, every farming dilemma will be posed, from whether to sow clover in the hope of rain to how to make rare breed pigs more profitable. Morris will set the parameters of each choice and offer further sources of information. A panel of experts from the RSPB, National Farmers Union, LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming), the Soil Association and Savills Agribusiness will then post their views on the consequences of the different choices. Registered members can then further discuss the issues online, before the decision is put to the vote.