100 years of county smallholdings celebrated
Warwickshire County Council has been celebrating 100 years of small holdings with the planting of an oak tree at Swan Farm in Grendon near Atherstone.
The outgoing Chairman of the County Council, Councillor Peter Barnes, visited the farm with the County’s Head of Environment and Resources, Martin Stott.
The tenant Mr Richard White planted an oak tree and showed his flock of lambs to Cllr Barnes who is himself a farmer and to Mr Stott.
The first small holding to be leased by the county, back in 1909, was Northfields Farm in Priors Marston which extended to 198acres and cost £5674. The County Council’s small holding estate now covers some 2,000 hectares.
The small holdings provide opportunities for careers in agriculture and rural enterprise. The estate can also contribute to ‘community growing’ by the provision of allotments and horticultural strips.
Warwickshire County Council’s small holdings are an important part of the Warwickshire landscape and they are a significant source of high quality local food.
Martin Stott said: “Small holdings continue to play a critical role in the life of rural Warwickshire and in preserving rural enterprise. They are becoming increasingly important as we try to reduce ‘food miles’ and promote local food consumption.”