Today's News - 24 October 2012

“We want to help to make healthy, sustainable food available to everyone – as a right, not a privilege. That’s the core objective of the project I’m running in NI, to try to establish Sustainable Food Communities.”
Jim Kitchen, Northern Ireland Sustainable Food Communities Coordinator – The Belfast Telegraph – 24 October 2012
Find out more about Sustainable Food Communities

In a field of their own
Jim Kitchen, the Soil Association’s Northern Ireland representative, tells the Belfast Telegraph why he’s so keen to keep it local. Of the Sustainable Food Communities project in the country he said “we’re looking for people who care about what they eat. I’d like to think that includes organic gardeners but it also embraces restaurateurs, allotment growers, dieticians, bakers, butchers and bloggers, small food shopkeepers, fishers and farmers.”
The Belfast Telegraph (24 Oct, p.8)
Find out more about Sustainable Food Communities

Campaign challenges destructive power of agro-chemical industry
Activist and best-selling author Anna Lappé is on a mission to show there is a more natural and sustainable way of feeding the world.
Guardian Sustainable Business (23 Oct)

Badger cull postponed until 2013 – video
The environment secretary, Owen Paterson, tells MPs a planned badger cull has been postponed until summer 2013. Paterson says the government remains committed to the cull, which has faced widespread opposition. Paterson denies a u-turn, saying there were cost and logistics problems for a cull this autumn.
The Guardian (23 Oct)
Badger cull delayed as minister blames weather and Olympics
The Telegraph (23 Oct)
Badger cull U-turn: Precious time has been wasted on this foolish policy
The Guardian (23 Oct)
Welsh disappointment at badger cull cancellation
Farmers Guardian (24 Oct)
Poll: Your views on the badger cull news
Farmer Weekly (23 Oct)

The urban farmers that are growing food – and growing jobs
Take one piece of disused land, turn it into a farm - and create jobs and training while you're at it. Channel 4 News has talked to two schemes who've been recognised for their pioneering work.
Channel 4 News (24 Oct)

Prostrate asparagus: A plant at risk from garden invaders
Escapees from our gardens are threatening the existence of some of our rarest wild plants, argues Andy Byfield of Plantlife.
The Guardian (24 Oct)

Composting: Make your own black gold
At the heart of any great garden is great compost, but Sarah Raven has never quite mastered it. She visited Yeo Valley Organic Garden to learn from the experts.
The Telegraph (23 Oct)

Growers battle ‘worst autumn in memory’
Growers are warning the worst autumn many have ever seen will have significant implications for their own profitability and on the size of the 2013 harvest. High rainfall levels through ht epast three months have left many farmers unable to travel on ground, preventing them from drilling winter crops.
Farmers Weekly (24 Oct)

MP backs British pig farmers
Another MP has thrown his support behind the campaign to save British pig farmers. Neil Parish, chairman of the all party parliamentary group on pigs and poultry, has pledged his support for the Save Our Bacon campaign and has called for shoppers to support pig farmers by buying British.
Farmers Guardian (24 Oct)

Farming Today
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside. Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Ruth Sanderson.
BBC Radio 4, listen again (24 Oct)

And finally…More Daily Telegraph readers’ pictures of autumn colour
The Telegraph (23 Oct)