Crisis for the farmers, help the Farm Crisis Network keep food on the table.

Hi, I’m Joanna, thank-you very much for showing an interest in my blog. Firstly, I think you should know a bit about what my campaign is. Basically, farmers are not being treated fairly enough; they suffer from financial, physical and mental problems and do not get enough support from the government and general public. I hope that once you have read my blog you will understand the problems farmers face, what the FCN do to help the farmers overcome their problems, and possibly consider donating to the FCN or going along to a fundraising event, or simply spread the word. My blog is mainly based on dairy farming as my parents and family farm on a dairy farm so I have experienced all the problems myself and know most of the side effects.

An example of the FCN helping someone is this case. A man’s wife was suffering from cancer, he had to do all of the paperwork that she would have normally done, plus all of the manual work he originally did. Because of all the stress he was going through, he began to make mistakes in the paperwork and got into trouble with the Single Farm Payment Agency. Someone referred him to the FCN, they talked to the Government and he now receives the appropriate benefits he deserves. Without the FCN he wouldn’t have been able to cope which would result in him having to close the farm because there would have been too much stress to handle.

The FCN provide volunteers in each county who walk along with the farmer until their problem is resolved. They do not just abandon the farmer however; they can carry on seeing them for further reassurance and guidance. They can liaise with professionals such as accountants and the government, the FCN give them friendly back-up and can help organise their way of handling all of the many issues around the farm.

One of the biggest problems is the milk price; on average, it costs more to produce a litre of milk than the companies pay for it. This should change. You may be thinking how does this affect me? Many farm businesses are going bust because of the profit loss, resulting in less milk and other dairy products to be available. Soon there will be hardly any left; all of the larger businesses such as Dairycrest where the milk goes to once it has left the farm will not gain enough profit, therefore they will close down leaving plenty of unemployment.

To find out more about the Farm Crisis Network, visit http://www.farmcrisisnetwork.org.uk/.

Please answer the following questions in the comments so I can tell how your thoughts have changed and how effective this blog has been.

1. Were you aware before of how many problems farmers face?
2. Had you ever heard of the FCN before now?
3. Do you now understand more about what the FCN does to help farmers?
4. What is your opinion of the FCN?
5. Would you now be prepared to:

• Make a donation,
• Fundraise for the FCN,
• Attend a fundraising event for the FCN,
• Or just spread the word about the FCN to your friends and family.

Thanks again for taking the time to read my blog,
Joanna.