Meeting with Dartmoor Hill Farmers
Meeting with Robert and John Savery and Russell Ashton in South Brent
This was another opportunity to hear about the issues facing hill farmers and the difficulties of maintaining this fragile environment with falling incomes from the single farm payment system.
Dartmoor is essential as a resource for clean water and South West Water is now implementing a system of blocking water courses to increase the amount of peat for water storage on the high moor. This will impact on the grazing available to hill farmers in the future.
We must see that they are fairly rewarded for their efforts in order to maintain stock levels, so essential to maintain the quality of moorland vegetation and natural habitats. Environmental stewardship payments should be priced to fully reward upland farmers and attract young farmers onto Dartmoor.
We also need fair labeling of food so that naturally produced meat from Dartmoor can attract the premium it deserves.
