Mid-way through Fair Trade Fortnight, a Fair Trade breakfast has been held at the Broughton Hall near Skipton. With the message ‘Stand up for Farmers’, there was information about how farmers in developing countries can be helped, as well as an emphasis on the problems facing dairy farmers in the local area.
Representatives from several churches in the area head from speakers including Andrew Ayrton, (pictured below left) a tenant dairy farmer at the Bolton Abbey Estate who spoke about the need to support local farmers by purchasing locally produced milk.
Andrew says that as a tenant farmer it is uneconomic for him to construct large indoor cattle sheds to keep cows indoors throughout the year with very large farming unit. His cattle are outside for a least half the year grazing on his farm at Eastby and his milk can therefore be classed as “free Range”.
Local co-ordinator, Liz Roodhouse of Craven Development Education Centre (pictured above right addressing the meeting),? said, "Local dairy farmers are also
facing enormous challenges. After all, milk is a key ingredient of most people’s breakfast. We can all be agents for change by choosing to buy FairTrade products and buying locally produced milk – Morrisons provides choices on their shelves now and customers can choose to pay 10p extra – and by getting the message more widely known."
More about the Fair Trade 'Stand up for farmers' campaign here
Pictured above, (left-right) Revd Louise Taylor-Kenyon Vicar of Embsay and Eastby, Paul Irven of St Stephen’s Skipton, Andy Ryland Diocesan Rural Officer, Liz Roodhouse, Skipton Fairtrade Group, Andrew Ayrton Dairy Farmer from Eastby