Cusgarne Organic Farm

I interviewed Greg Pascoe, an organic farmer who runs Cusgarne Organic Farm the other day. He's a gregarious fellow, very intelligent, good company, and a thinker. He has been described as “what Liam Neeson would look like if he was a farmer” so you can imagine I had a very enjoyable few hours.

He is passionate about eating decent, fresh, organic food that is local (not flown from the other side of the world) and is also very concerned about the farming industry. I heard on the radio the other day that the average age of a farmer is 58. As Greg said, “it doesn't take a mathematician to work out what will happen to farming in the next ten years. Farmers' sons don't want to take the work on because it's too hard, the hours are too long, you can't make a living and you can't find any woman who'd want to share that life.”

He is also very concerned about the fact that few people buy local produce (though farmers' markets are helping that).

He said, “The way I see it, most people are stuck in a situation where they don't care about the countryside; they don't care that they are supporting supermarkets who are screwing producers in this country and screwing their neighbours – they don't care that the countryside that they look at is where their food comes from. By supporting that regime they are helping the destruction of a way of life. Also they're paying quite a lot for that privilege”

He continued, “According to a book called “Tescology”, 50% of people who shop in Tesco's come out feeling depressed, and here in Cornwall over 50% of their grocery bill is spent in the Tesco in Truro.

“I'd like people to be aware of that and I think people can do more good with the way they spend money than with their vote. They can make more difference more quickly and do it every week.”

The recession is hitting us all, but his prices, for vegetables in particular, are generally lower than the supermarkets – so what do you think?

Would you – or do you – buy your vegetables and meat locally, cutting out the supermarket?