WHAT is RURAL?  

By Alasdair Crosby, editor RURAL magazine, the RURAL website and RURAL POST e-mail newsletter When asked that question, I generally answer, so as to give a brief reply: ‘Well, it’s the Jersey equivalent of  Country Life, except we don’t do Girls in Pearls and we aren’t kept afloat by the estate agency sector’. At the […]

FROM  OUR ‘OFF THE ISLAND’ FARMING CORRESPONDENTS

David and Wilma Finlay have a dairy farm in western Scotland: Rainton Farm, Gatehouse of Fleet, Castle Douglas, Galloway. The intensification of dairy farming has been a concern of theirs for many years, so they have been working hard to come up with a different solution. In his words: ‘Our big idea? A new method […]

WELCOME TO THE GREAT RE-THINK!

By Colin Tudge ‘This is just to alert you to my new website, ‘Colin Tudge’s Great Re-Think’ (www.colintudge.com) which is intended to complement the College for Real Farming and Food Culture and the Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC).  ‘The core idea — which as far as I am concerned is also the idea behind the […]

JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA’S SPRING CONCERT, ‘NORTHERN LIGHTS’

Saturday 15 April 2023 – Les Quennevais School Concert Hall – 7.30pm After a hugely successful Christmas Concert when the audience’s imagination was taken to Latin America, Jersey Symphony Orchestra turns to northern Europe as inspiration for the Spring Concert. ‘Northern Lights’ takes place at Les Quennevais School Concert Hall on Saturday 15 April at […]

GRAHAM BELL – R.I.P

A few years ago, RURAL magazine organised a series of lectures, titled, What’s for Dinner?, on various aspects of farming and food production. The talks were given by speakers from the UK and their visits were sponsored by the Howard Davis Farm Trust and the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society. One of these speakers, […]

GARDENING FOR BATS

An on-line talk: Gardening for bats and other wildlife, is taking place on 22 March, starting at 7.30 pm, hosted by the Jersey Bat Group. The seemingly small changes that can be made to our green spaces and gardens, especially the way we manage them, can actually add real benefits for wildlife. This talk will […]

WHAT DO DAIRY FARMERS DO ALL DAY?

The Jersey Dairy has launched a fun competition for local children to win a farm tour during May half term.  It is part of their latest ‘Meet Our Farmers’ campaign, asking local children what they think dairy farmers do all day. All parents need to do is ask their child that question… What do Dairy […]

THE FUNNIER SIDE OF BRITAIN IN BLOOM

This is the title of an event held by the Jersey Gardening Club on Tuesday 21 March: a talk by Rae Beckwith. Rae is a R.H.S. Britain in Bloom judge and chairman of the Northern Group of the Daffodil Society. Rae is coming over to Jersey to judge the daffodil classes at the RJA&HS Spring Show at The […]

UPDATE FROM THE ROYAL JERSEY AGRICULTURAL AND HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

THE QUEEN’S GREEN CANOPY The RJA&HS will be planting a copse at the Showground: ‘The Queen’s Coppice’ to commemorate the legacy of the Society’s late Patron, HM Queen Elizabeth II.  Members have been invited to sponsor a tree and come to the Showground to help with the planting.  The design and names of sponsors will […]

WAULK THIS WAY AT AUCHINDRAIN, FOR HOMESPUN HARMONIES

Once a month, during most of the summer season, visitors to Auchindrain, Scotland’s last remaining ‘living museum’ township, can listen to the ladies of Sgioba Luaidh Inbhirchluaidh (Inverclyde Waulking Group) make a tuneful appearance. Together since 2000, this ten-strong women’s band has performed their traditional Gaelic waulking music at Auchindrain for 15 years and have […]