I can’t believe that we are already in April. Where has the time gone? The start of 2025 has been an exceptionally busy time for Love Local already.
Sponsors Blanchards Bailey will At our next networking session on 10th April, sponsors Blanchards Bailey will talk us through the new employment laws introduced this year – essential knowledge for both business owners and employees. From National Insurance changes to the rising living wage, navigating these updates has been a minefield. Managing cash flow in 2025 is no easy task with the ever-increasing costs of running a business.
Coming to a farm near you
On a brighter note, the Love Local Trust Local team will be back at Dorset Spring Show this year – do come and say hello if you’re attending! We’ll be showcasing some of Dorset’s brilliant food producers and highlighting why supporting British – and especially local – food matters now more than ever. You’ll find us in the demonstration tent on both days, with fantastic producers ready to chat, share their stories and answer your questions. We were thrilled by the support last year – let’s make this one even better!
We must send a big thank you to our loyal supporters Blanchards Bailey, who are once again sponsoring our attendance at the event. We’ll have some tasty nibbles for you to try – and hopefully a few new things to learn and take away too. The show takes place over the May Bank Holiday weekend (3rd–4th May), and we’ll be sharing more details soon.
We’re also looking forward to hosting Open Farm Sunday again on 8th June here at Rawston Farm. It’s a brilliant opportunity for local people to come and see what’s growing and happening on the farms around them – farms are open across the country, and you can find the one nearest you here.
If you some to Rawston you’ll be able to explore your local food supply chain, find out how we grow corn for bread and beer, watch the cows being milked and learn where that milk goes – into butter, drinking milk and cheese. It’s a great family day out and a valuable chance to see where your food really comes from.
It’s bonkers
It’s never been more important to keep growing food here in the UK. In today’s unstable world, relying on imports is a dangerous game – especially with climate change, shifting politics and muddled legislation in the mix. Successive governments have failed to recognise just how critical our own food security is. The fact that we only produce half of what we eat in England is nothing short of a scandal.
Thankfully, British consumers seem to be waking up (unlike our politicians). More people are getting behind their farmers and recognising the value of homegrown food – and that gives us hope. Opening conversations and inviting the public onto farms is a vital part of that food conversation.
Everyone should understand how their food is produced, where it comes from and also just how high British standards are. Our farmers are among the best in the world – which is why everyone wants to eat our meat. Here’s the absurd part: farmers can often get a better price by exporting than selling meat to feed their own country.
It’s bonkers.
We should be eating more of our own food. Somewhere along the line we’ve lost our connection to local, seasonal, proper food. Many people aren’t feeding themselves well – and plenty wouldn’t even know how to peel a potato, let alone where it was grown. Education is key. And at Love Local Trust Local, we’ll keep championing better labelling, clearer information and stronger support for our farmers. We’ll keep telling people what’s grown and made here in Dorset – because that’s how we protect the future of British food.
