What's the true environmental impact of beef farming in UK plus why I've taken up kite-flying..

Sdílet
Vložit
  • čas přidán 2. 07. 2024
  • Beef farming is certainly under the spotlight right now as concerns are raised about its environmental impact from the release of climate damaging methane but is that really the case for grass-fed beef here in the UK?
    Prompted by a recent BBC2 Horizon programme, 'Feast to save the Planet' I investigate whether the media are telling the public a true representation of the facts behind farming (mainly grass-fed) UK beef.

Komentáře • 1,4K

  • @stephensimpson3352
    @stephensimpson3352 Před 3 lety +350

    Harry.................NEEDS TO BE HANDED THE JOB AS ........Top AGRICULTURAL MINISTER FOR UK🇬🇧👍❤️🎬

    • @TheByard
      @TheByard Před 3 lety +15

      Back in the 1960s I used to watch a farming program on the BBC, maybe it's time to bring a good one back, but it must tell the true facts no a one sided one.

    • @Pilkboi
      @Pilkboi Před 3 lety +16

      Fat chance, hardly any minsters have ACTUAL experience in the field of their roles. Disgusting

    • @TheByard
      @TheByard Před 3 lety +8

      @@Pilkboi The fisheries minister couldn't even name fish species

    • @rogerhudson2814
      @rogerhudson2814 Před 3 lety +3

      Is the Farming minister a farmer?
      Now we are not governed by the CAP farming,fishing and food should be a ministry back at the top table, it was down graded into a mere part of environment because decisions were made by the EU.

    • @sq1rlsqu4d
      @sq1rlsqu4d Před 3 lety +1

      "as top agricultural minister for the whole of the EU and the UK" (FTFY - despite the CAPS ranting like a madman, you are quite correct ;)

  • @Hutchslover
    @Hutchslover Před 3 lety +250

    Full disclaimer: I'm a conservational biologist. Something to note with any research that makes it to the popular press: we, as scientists, have no influence over what a journalist might conclude from our findings or which aspect he might highlight. This is incredibly infuriating but also highly frustrating. We work on these publications for weeks, months, years and decades to deliver accurate and replicable results only to see them taken out of context and fitted to a narrative that it was never intended for and subsequently ridiculed and discarded.
    The point you make here is perfectly put. It can't all be on a global scale, because it shouldn't be in the first place. It's about making reasonable decisions.
    Livestock as such can't be demonized as the sole reason for our deteriorating environment. While there are lots of problematic practices around the world concerning livestock (cf USA, Argentina,Brazil to name a few famous examples) the practices you outline here are not only good but they're actually used in conservation. I can't speak for the UK, though I imagine there are similar projects there, in continental Europe we use livestock to regenerate ecosystems. It's good practice and also important to communicate to the general public.
    It's much more important to reflect on own actions than trying to shift blame according to a narrative. Overconsumption is a problem with any good, that applies to meat as much as to anything else. With meat there are some thermodynamic intricacies to be discussed as 1kg of meat theoretically needs 10kg of carbohydrates and protein to be generated. But that just means consuming consciously, as everything else as well. Eating less meat and of higher quality is good, but also eating what's locally and seasonally available is crucial. Producing locally and sustainably with the resources available and without shifting environmental impacts somewhere else is what we should focus on. Grocery shopping on farmers markets, re-establishing the connections to our land and the people that harvest it.
    These discussions can't be held unilaterally. Farmers, scientists and the general public should be much more involved in finding long term solutions and helping each other rather than playing the blame game. This would not only help each entities credibility, it would also help the general progress in which we tackle many of these complex issues. The BBC unfortunately doesn't seem to agree.

    • @lewis72
      @lewis72 Před 3 lety +22

      I agree.
      The BBC seem to have their own agenda, which more and more people are beginning to realise.
      Even my parents, well into their 70s, realise that the BBC is biased in many areas.

    • @stonemarten1400
      @stonemarten1400 Před 3 lety +8

      Very good post, thanks. I’m a naturalist also with a conservation background and acknowledge that most farmers and land managers love and wish to protect the countryside, wildlife and landscape. In the UK at least, it doesn’t take much good practice advice and modest incentive for farmers to embrace improvements to the environment if they are not already managing their land in a sustainable and wise manner.

    • @jon4539
      @jon4539 Před 3 lety +13

      The BBC will be closed down soon,English people have had enough of them

    • @lewis72
      @lewis72 Před 3 lety +14

      The BBC should be relocated to North Korea. They'd be great there.

    • @tinniswood2577
      @tinniswood2577 Před 3 lety +9

      BBC needs a good swill out of the PC parasites.

  • @roberthiggins6401
    @roberthiggins6401 Před 3 lety +34

    Not a rant at all Harry! This is what needs to be broadcast on mainstream television.

  • @ReclusiveDuck
    @ReclusiveDuck Před 3 lety +48

    "On the BBC I had a sort of table thumping moment"......I think there's a lot of people who can relate to that.

  • @nicklewis1475
    @nicklewis1475 Před 3 lety +417

    Nail on the head Harry, yet again. So fed up with selective facts, I started a degree in envirnomental science 2 years ago, trying to find the truth. If the green vegan brigade took time to look at the damage almond milk, rice, avocados etc do to the environment, the soap box wouldn't seem so high!

    • @harrysfarmvids
      @harrysfarmvids  Před 3 lety +229

      Thank you. It's very hard to find the truth, as you say. We do have to look at climate change on a global scale, it's no good doing it in the UK but not in India or China, for example. But to not question why a cow is producing methane, or whether it is part of the natural carbon cycle is simply making facts you have available to fit your story.
      One thing my journalistic background taught me is editorial integrity is everything and once you've lost it, it's gone for ever. I worry some of the stories the BBC has put out recently may have damaged its authority for ever.
      Good luck with your studies, the truth is out there but when it comes to environmental stuff, it takes some finding!

    • @bejay69
      @bejay69 Před 3 lety +52

      @@harrysfarmvids It's what happens when you hire activists instead of journalist.

    • @malcolmhardwick4258
      @malcolmhardwick4258 Před 3 lety +13

      @@harrysfarmvids Well said harry !

    • @malcolmhardwick4258
      @malcolmhardwick4258 Před 3 lety +29

      And the rainforest cleared for their beloved Soya.

    • @kenneyflynn4951
      @kenneyflynn4951 Před 3 lety +16

      Marvelous informative as always Harry. Your brilliant at explaining things. I have no farming background and came from your car show just to look when you started the farm video and I’m hooked. I learned a lot from you.
      Thank you.

  • @mattshaw9449
    @mattshaw9449 Před 3 lety +31

    A properly logical conclusion regarding the beef there. Very nice to see in this absurd world these days.

  • @JonBushell
    @JonBushell Před 3 lety +265

    Eating seasonally will help environment too. We shouldn’t be able to get strawberry s in the winter.

    • @michaelgurd7477
      @michaelgurd7477 Před 3 lety +17

      Correct just look at where the fresh produce in our shopping baskets come from. All over the world and a lot of it comes to us by the worst polluters of the lot, planes.

    • @harrysfarmvids
      @harrysfarmvids  Před 3 lety +70

      That too. It's all got too easy!

    • @rtratt06
      @rtratt06 Před 3 lety +41

      I generally agree about seasonality, on the other hand we have a strawberry producer in Somerset who grows in greenhouses supplying ASDA in the off season. He uses recycled wood chippings to heat his greenhouses when he has too but other than that it's fairly low input. some times in the year he's the sole supplier to ASDA. just wanted to put that out there to say it can be done in this country.

    • @cv97035
      @cv97035 Před 3 lety +6

      Correct! In Greece we now have tomatoes all year long, which is against nature!

    • @tobiasliebstvonobelitz6554
      @tobiasliebstvonobelitz6554 Před 3 lety +10

      Not correct - you can sustainable and locally grow strawberries in stacked indoor farms they are both more efficient and take up less space than the traditional method.

  • @johngeekieart
    @johngeekieart Před rokem +3

    So well presented, I am an artist and paint out in the fresh air in Yorkshire. I often meet farmers in the Wolds who are always happy to talk and appreciate me listening to their issues with farming. The land is beautiful up here and is down to their hard work and husbandry. Looking at your video puts me back into the land. Learning more about farming is now an issue for me and a farmer friend regularly feeds me ‘Farmers Weekly’ which I devour with great interest. Thanks for putting it together so professionally.

  • @rfpho1456
    @rfpho1456 Před 3 lety +77

    The problem isn’t sustainable farming. It’s low cost food (50p burger anyone) that demands high intensity low cost production for cheap food which promotes high carbon produce.
    We should try to eat better - and that probably means less .
    But that’s not a headline is it.

    • @danielmarshall4587
      @danielmarshall4587 Před 3 lety +2

      Very good point. My first job from school was in the clothing industry UK, an industry that has now almost disappeared now in the UK. Clothes are as cheap if not cheaper now than they were back when I started work.

    • @michaelgurd7477
      @michaelgurd7477 Před 3 lety +3

      Perhaps if we paid a proper fair price for our food to the farmer instead of subsidies and middlemen (supermarkets and big dairy's) driving the price down then the food we put on our table would be of a far higher quality.

    • @mignik01
      @mignik01 Před 3 lety +4

      I've been a student in the UK and expensive food wasn't an option. Also if you keep banning stuff they will move to other countries where they simply don't care.

    • @michaelgurd7477
      @michaelgurd7477 Před 3 lety +1

      @@mignik01 Harry highlighted your second point with Oil Seed Rape where a neonicotinoid seed dressing is banned in the EU and UK so shortfalls are made up with imports from The Ukraine.

    • @dustinwillis3261
      @dustinwillis3261 Před 2 lety +2

      @@danielmarshall4587 here in the USA , a lot of the clothes we buy are made in China . These politicians sold us out to CHINA . Prob 99% at big corporate stores is all Chinese junk

  • @uniqprojects381
    @uniqprojects381 Před 3 lety +6

    I love your vids Harry , both the garage and the farm , what I like is the honesty of laying out the costs ect and the way you explain things so we can understand what actually is happening on farms in our country , some of us may know someone in the farming world but most of us have no idea, and you bring it to us in a friendly and informed way , well done , keep up the good work

    • @harrysfarmvids
      @harrysfarmvids  Před 3 lety +9

      Thanks. I guess it helps having an journalistic background and making sure you get your facts right. Editorial integrity is everything, which I sometimes think the BBC has forgotten..

  • @robkay2474
    @robkay2474 Před 3 lety +6

    Thank you Harry, as a town boy and petrol head, this channel has really enlightened me.
    Keep it up, one of my favourite channels.

  • @UKFilmDesigner
    @UKFilmDesigner Před 3 lety

    Harry I have to thank you. I am not a farmer (I am a film writer/producer) but I am an avid consumer of beef. As I write there is a beautiful piece of organic British topside resting in the kitchen! It's so refreshing to hear someone talking sense, complete sense, about this most demonised of industries.
    I'm not adverse to a bit of Harry's Garage either!...one of your legion of fans and a local.

  • @petergalbraith3422
    @petergalbraith3422 Před 3 lety +4

    Great video Harry, as always. It's a real pleasure to listen to somebody that actually looks at ALL the facts and produces a scientific, factual analysis of what's actually going on. Our media, as well as our government, could learn a thing or two. I'm not going to hold my breath, it's much easier to bark up the wrong tree, right?!

  • @MrEMrC
    @MrEMrC Před 3 lety +4

    Such a well composed piece. It is a symptom of the dumbing down of broadcasting that broadcasters think they can get away with milking the zeitgeist and playing to the galleries. There seems to be no compulsion to go for the whole story, but to select the bits that feed the narrative. Excellent stuff Harry, I hope those kites work!

  • @veemcg3682
    @veemcg3682 Před 3 lety

    As a new subscriber I am very appreciative of your knowledge and your ability to explain and communicate that to those of us who are not farmers and only have what the media tell us to go on. You are farming in a more natural way that respects the animals and the land as well as the customers as far as I can see and your arguments seem well thought out and reasoned. Thank you so much for helping us understand the reality of things here. God bless from Northern Ireland.

  • @winewithchris5577
    @winewithchris5577 Před 3 lety +3

    I applaud and admire your analysis on British grass-fed beef. COngratulations and thank you for spreading the word!

  • @derekwarner6898
    @derekwarner6898 Před 3 lety +12

    Excellent rant, thank you for clarifying the beef situation in your usual clear and informative way.

  • @superseven7947
    @superseven7947 Před 3 lety +36

    Well Said Harry! As a sheep and beef farmer in Northern Ireland I couldn't agree more. The Beef and lamb produced in Britain and Ireland are the best in the world. Our Animals are well cared for and extremely well regulated

    • @kusaweir3074
      @kusaweir3074 Před 3 lety

      Well cared for? You have them killed. That's not how you care for an otherwise healthy animal which would choose survival over death.

    • @legin3753
      @legin3753 Před 3 lety +7

      @@kusaweir3074 🤡

    • @capnskiddies
      @capnskiddies Před 3 lety +1

      @@kusaweir3074 That's what farming does.

    • @jamesd3002
      @jamesd3002 Před 3 lety +2

      @@kusaweir3074 you kill poor broccoli 🥦

    • @benhar1829
      @benhar1829 Před 2 lety

      New Zealand has better beef and lamb then you

  • @digitalimager4946
    @digitalimager4946 Před 2 lety

    Hear, hear. A grand job. I’ve been fascinated by your channel. I was brought up on a farm in the East Riding of Yorkshire in the 1950s and very interested in how things are done now. I discovered you from Harry’s Garage. Another passion. Great cars 👍🏻🇬🇧

  • @andrewknight9080
    @andrewknight9080 Před 3 lety

    Thoroughly enjoyed that Harry. A very balanced and informative viewpoint. As Hutchslover eludes to below, eating seasonally and more importantly locally produced produce is key to addressing many of the issues the media like to press home. It has alway amazed me that it's often cheaper for me to buy New Zealand lamb rather than locally produced Welsh lamb. How can this be when the Welsh lamb is produced within 5 miles of where I live? This seems crazy to me! I stumbled on Harry's farm from watching your content on Harry's garage and have to say I'm hooked! Nice one Harry.

  • @jooky87
    @jooky87 Před 3 lety +38

    Man, I like Harry’s Farm almost more than Harry’s Garage...

    • @philipmulville8218
      @philipmulville8218 Před 3 lety +3

      I agree with you. Really great stuff. For some reason Harry’s video about rebuilding a collapsed stone wall on his farm struck a chord, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Such a likeable fellow.

    • @andy5619
      @andy5619 Před 3 lety +5

      They're both brilliant - thanks Harry!

  • @aaronbiggin1103
    @aaronbiggin1103 Před 3 lety +19

    I do like a well informed rant. I have friends and family in farming both arable and live stock, and they are fed up with being demonised, because as you said most of the info on the news doesn't represent the UK farmer.

  • @canatik1621
    @canatik1621 Před 3 lety

    Thank you Harry. It’s work like this that encourages people to look beyond eye catching headlines and not simply jump on the bandwagon because it’s “perceived” as the right thing, when there is a possibility it isn’t and/or makes no real difference.

  • @ralphbradley
    @ralphbradley Před 3 lety

    Long time viewer/lurker but subscribed and wanted to comment. Thankyou for a very thorough and balanced discussion on the topic! I've said to others when complaining about a wood burning stove, "what happens to the co2 if the tree ends up rotting...?", the same thing!! Appreciated your extra details on the case of beef farming though, especially the stat of emissions from growing rice!
    Another sad fact that is missed is the energy used to produce the crazy 'meat' alternatives (in the lab) but also how well (or not) the body can actually digest these highly processed products.

  • @captainsaus6740
    @captainsaus6740 Před 3 lety +5

    Top work Harry, very informative as per usual. I think you are overdue a slot on the BBC to give yours / beef farmers point of view on this increasingly covered issue.

  • @markspeller5722
    @markspeller5722 Před 3 lety +17

    Well said once again Harry, I've said before you learn more from Harry in 20 minutes than all the other fluffy biased outlets.

  • @neilfairless4589
    @neilfairless4589 Před 3 lety

    Harry, subscribed to your garage channel a long time ago, this video got me subscribed to your farm as well. Great delivery.

  • @wilkitcher6960
    @wilkitcher6960 Před 3 lety +1

    Excellent video Harry
    I’m heavily involved in Regenerative agriculture and the biggest battle we face is the perception of farming created by the media. The fact is, in a perfect farming environment, cattle are an integral part of the life cycle and are necessary when looking to move away from synthetic ferts and sprays. Unfortunately that doesn’t make for sexy headlines.
    I’m all for grass fed cattle used as part of a mob grazing cycle and I’m vegan!

  • @stephenauty3370
    @stephenauty3370 Před 3 lety +91

    Eating less but good quality meat is the way to go...taste so good.

    • @TruthTortoise81
      @TruthTortoise81 Před 2 lety

      I don't eat meat. Nobody needs to eat meat.

    • @juku619
      @juku619 Před 2 lety

      @@TruthTortoise81 You maybe dont need to eat meat, but then you have to get Iron from other methods. Also have you thought other people like the taste and feel of meat and want To support beef farming?

  • @clifforddark
    @clifforddark Před 3 lety +3

    Harry, I really enjoyed your “rant” you really want too get that info to the average Joe Public, so informative of what the farming and countryside is all about, Thanks

  • @pdalia
    @pdalia Před 3 lety

    This is a gem of video, thanks Harry. Just shared in a group or voisin rationale grazing here in Uruguay 🇺🇾, 12 million cattle heads and over 80% of production made in open range pastures . Hope some day you can come or the other way around when all this covid thing finish. Cheers!

  • @drivingthought5983
    @drivingthought5983 Před 3 lety

    Well said that man! Top work Harry. I saw a quote this week - If you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything. Too many people are so easily led by selective information that’s thrown in your face on tv without knowing the true facts.

  • @rennaaa6667
    @rennaaa6667 Před 3 lety +45

    I think a lot of people confuse beef production with how it's done in the USA, where it's mostly done on constrained land in pretty inhumane conditions.

    • @JohnnyMotel99
      @JohnnyMotel99 Před 3 lety +13

      Unfortunately, industrial beef farming (not only in the USA) is the ONLY way man's craving for super cheap animal protein can be satisfied.
      Harry and other smallholders like him are being slowly squeezed out by the mega-farms.
      I don't see the UK Gov making life any easier for the small farms.

    • @georgedoorley5628
      @georgedoorley5628 Před 3 lety

      @@JohnnyMotel99 very true ..........uk gov will most likely ramp up a cheap food policy , regardless of standards ect ........

    • @andrewg.3434
      @andrewg.3434 Před 3 lety +1

      As a ranching and feedlot operation in the Central Basin of Washington State, USA, we are trying to be as efficent and resposible as possible with resources. With an annual capacity of ~40,000 head, we are trying to turn commdities into beef as fast as possible. Studies have been conducted that show that cattle are just as happy being on a small lot as a big pasture, as long as they are with their penmates. our cattle stay on lots of 50 or 100 from birth until packing, this eases stress and creates a higher quality product. The effiency of having 15 guys and 280 acres feed that many cattle is incredible, if all those cattle were out on pasture, they would be tended by hundreds of ranchers spread over hundreds of thousands of acres all around the PNW. In the feedlot, the cattle are always well taken care of, sick ones are taken to a sick pen, where they can recuperate with other animals, and recive close attention and good care. We try to move cattle in as low stress of a way as possible, because that stress will damage the meat, and cause us to recive a dockage at the meatpacker. To finish them any other way is not financially viable for the amount of beef that is needed to supply the meatpackers and the meatloving people of the USA.

    • @andrewg.3434
      @andrewg.3434 Před 3 lety

      @@tomrobinson2914 A grass fed animal will never grade as well as a grain fed one. The hanging weight of the carcass of grass weight is always less than a grain fed one. The fat marbling and distribution always grade lower i.e. choice vs. prime. This video by the bearded butchers does a great job of explaining it in layman's terms czcams.com/video/yomerhQkpSc/video.html . What this translates to is that a grain fed beef (feedlot finished) is going to be juicer and more flavorful than a grass fed been(pasture finished) which can be gamier and not as tender. so, to use your argument, yes, do consume the higher quality product. Our current CAFE regulations require that American cars must meet a certain level of emissions standards in order to be legal, and with the surge in electric and hybrid vehicles, we are steadily getting cleaner fleets in general. As to your parting shot, our overweight population could use to eat les carbohydrates and fatty foods, consume more protein and exercise more often.

  • @jolark2259
    @jolark2259 Před 3 lety +6

    I love this channel. I have no interest in farming until I see a Harry’s Farm video. I learn something every time. Thanks Harry!

  • @yeracj2799
    @yeracj2799 Před 3 lety +1

    Harry. Yet again, a great video. As previous comments said, you hit the nail on the head.
    I'm tired of the of the media both in the UK and in Ireland presenting lazy data.
    Our farming representatives need to educate the public. It's a matter of survival now. The ways things are going we will be out of business because of mis-information. Brazilian and Argentina beef will take over. Where did you take the information slides in the video from?

  • @WhosPhotoTube
    @WhosPhotoTube Před 3 lety +1

    Well said Harry. The grazing cattle in the your field with the May Flower, buttercups and clover is a wonderful image to the eyes.

  • @elliottwhitfield1046
    @elliottwhitfield1046 Před 3 lety +7

    Well said about the beef farming situation Harry. Best wishes

  • @philby999
    @philby999 Před 3 lety +5

    I’d personally like this vid to be shown on BBC Countryfile - better than the environmental drivel they normally spout. “Table thumping” moment - love it! Keep up the good work Harry!

    • @CanadairCL44
      @CanadairCL44 Před 3 lety

      There is so much misinformation and disinformation broadcast these days. It makes you wonder what the real agenda of that programme was. I got rid of my TV when I woke up to these shenanigans!

  • @ColinMill1
    @ColinMill1 Před 3 lety +1

    Thanks for this. There needs to be a serious push-back against the MSM and what amounts to propaganda against UK beef and sheep farming. I live in the Peak District and used to work at the summit of Great Dun Fell in Cumbria (where the radar dome now sits) and the people who turn such steep upland areas into productive agricultural land deserve our wholehearted support and not the denigration to which they are currently subjected.

    • @harrysfarmvids
      @harrysfarmvids  Před 3 lety +1

      Thanks and so true. The upland farmers of the UK are the real heroes in all of this, carrying on the tradition of upland farming, which is a flipping tough way to make a living. I simply don't get this sudden obsession with methane emissions from livestock in the UK. If it was such a problem, then why wasn't it a problem when UK livestock numbers were much higher?
      Also, livestock don't create the methane from nowhere, the composition of methane (carbon and hydrogen) are in the cellulose and starch the cow is eating, so it's just the natural carbon cycle in balance. Only man creates any additional release of CO2 from farming livestock, via burning fossil fuels or adding inputs like fertiliser, etc. which has nothing to do with the innocent, grass-eating cow!

    • @ColinMill1
      @ColinMill1 Před 3 lety

      @@harrysfarmvids Many thanks for the reply. I should perhaps say that my reason for being at Great Dun Fell in the 1970s and 80s was to perform cloud physics experiments (it was a handy location for it being in cloud for parts of about 250 days a year). We had no idea at the time that, as the “indirect aerosol effect”, it would take on central importance as one of the primary areas of uncertainty in the whole climate change issue. I do worry that it has been deemed necessary to convince the public that the “science is settled” as, in reality, there are huge areas of uncertainty - not that there is climate change, but that we have a total unarguable understanding of the causes.
      Clouds interact with a very high proportion of the incoming and outgoing radiation of the Earth and imperceptibly small changes in the lifetimes of clouds or their albedo (reflectivity) could have a huge effect on the radiative balance. The received wisdom is that everything to do with clouds is driven by the greenhouse gasses. This overlooks the very real possibility that our changes in land usage, deforestation, etc could have made slight changes to the cloud condensation nucleus (CCN) spectrum that, quite independently of the greenhouse gasses, could be a significant contributory factor in changing the radiative balance of the planet. We still have a far from perfect understanding of the organic sources of CCN (trees, etc)
      Unfortunately, CCN are difficult to measure and we have effectively no historical data to use as a baseline and we still don't make extensive accurate measurements of CCN.
      Of course this comment will get me labelled (not for the first time) as a denier - such is the politicisation of the issue.

  • @RhysMorganpewpew
    @RhysMorganpewpew Před 3 lety

    Insightful, articulate and fact sourced. Harry, you really do these videos well. If the world could take the initiative and deep fact check stories (no use calling it factual news) the planet would be all the better.

  • @coco-m6603
    @coco-m6603 Před 3 lety +14

    Harry, thank you so much for this. I was so angry watching that program, couldn't believe how badly it had been researched. I've read some of the facts you relayed in Diana Rodgers Sacred Cow book and now film. Another problem was the lack of info on nutrition as if that didn't have a place in a discussion about food - what? And the portion sizes were not comparable - tiny bit of soy product against a huge steak. Thanks again Harry, the programme makers need to be consulting experts like you and also not being so shoddy about research. Collette

    • @davidwebb2318
      @davidwebb2318 Před 2 lety

      spot on, there is no point in comparing 200g of protein in a steak meal and 40g of protein in a vegetarian meal and saying they are equivalent meals from an environmental point of view. If they are going to be compared then meals with the same amount of protein needs to be compared.

    • @ricktd6891
      @ricktd6891 Před rokem

      CO2 caused catastrophic global warming is a scam.

  • @iandervan8221
    @iandervan8221 Před 3 lety +33

    Fair play to you Harry putting the facts out there as they are. The BBC and RTE here in Ireland give out the same rubbish. It seems that national broadcasters have a major issue with putting out the truth with facts.

  • @SilentDMotorShow
    @SilentDMotorShow Před 3 lety

    Hi Harry! You are my hero! You basically summarized the book 'Sacred Cow' in a short video! It's such an important subject, with so much dis-information, you may wanna consider making an even shorter video with just the grass feeding/C02-part, so it would be easier to share and get that information out there. Either way, thank you for talking sense!! Greetings from cattle farmer in training from Norway.

  • @tomheath5014
    @tomheath5014 Před 3 lety

    Excellent video Harry and really enjoyed listening to some actual facts on beef production here in the UK. It's a pity that the BBC don't look at it from a balanced view. Hopefully they will in the future as we all spread the message. Best wishes, Tom

  • @markw4263
    @markw4263 Před 3 lety +5

    Very informative, included a Lot of things I hadn’t considered. Harry is pretty smart!

  • @johnfox4691
    @johnfox4691 Před 3 lety +3

    Thank you, very interesting and informative. Lot of things I didn't know.

  • @lindosland
    @lindosland Před rokem +1

    I love these videos; so good to see a proper rational discussion of the facts. Until I saw this I thought I was the only one talking about the Bison and the Deer! One thing you didn't mention - bison were a great deal heavier than our farm animals, and presumably produced more methane in proportion to weight. That suggests that bison produced more methane in the past than current beef farming does!

  • @stephenbrent
    @stephenbrent Před 3 lety

    Great video. So important to get a balanced view of these things. Thanks to Harry for providing it.

  • @Northstar36
    @Northstar36 Před 3 lety +14

    Why haven’t you been snapped up by the BBC as a presenter, you’re the best thing on Utube, full stop.

  • @persevere777
    @persevere777 Před 3 lety +12

    I think the story for environment change from eating beef , comes more from industrial beef farming,( gmo feed and antibiotics given to cattle, in the states) and cutting down trees in the amazon forest area to create pastures to raise cattle, , if the land itself can raise and maintain a number of farm animals safely, and humanely , then that process makes sense , manure and chemical runoff from industrial farms hurt everyone.

    • @harrysfarmvids
      @harrysfarmvids  Před 3 lety +25

      Fully agree about the industrial beef farming happening elsewhere in the world.
      What I'm hoping is people in the UK start to realise is raising beef on grass that can't be used for anything else, is actually a very sustainable way of farming and should be supported.

    • @persevere777
      @persevere777 Před 3 lety +8

      @@harrysfarmvids i follow Harrys garage religiously , and have just recently subscribed to this channel and i fully appreciate the quality of the presentation that is shown, on how and why jobs are done on the farm. Thank you for bringing to light the beef situation living in the states i have refrained from eating animals on a personal choice, but i would and never will, tell people what they should or shouldnt do on a personal choice, thank you for this channel and always look forward to excellent content on both channels

  • @ernied3123
    @ernied3123 Před 3 lety

    Great, clear explanation of the difference in techniques. The sooner we all want grass fed beef the better, with the added benefit of beautiful looking farms.
    Thanks Harry another great video.

  • @jackbrenny9576
    @jackbrenny9576 Před 3 lety +1

    Well done for a wonderful explanation of beef farming. Very interesting and worthy of a university lecture, no way could this be interpreted as a rant ,Thank you Harry.

  • @tobywells2625
    @tobywells2625 Před 3 lety +15

    I would love to see “J Class” accreditations being introduced to the farming sector based on Harry’s analogy

  • @ConquerDriving
    @ConquerDriving Před 3 lety +38

    Thanks for the information Harry, very insightful and I can enjoy beef without guilt now. As long as it's grass fed.

    • @ajackofspades
      @ajackofspades Před 3 lety +4

      I wouldn't say without guilt, you're still taking the life of an animal. But you can feel like you're contributing a bit less to the destruction of the environment.

    • @EP-bb1rm
      @EP-bb1rm Před 3 lety +2

      "Grass fed" only means it was on pasture for 180 days a year. The rest of the time it can be in sheds being fed hay or silage, or anything else.

    • @jakespooner8567
      @jakespooner8567 Před 3 lety +7

      The way that Harry produces is better than factory farming, no question, but it would still better to cut beef out completely. Land that can't grow crops could be returned to wild flower meadows or woodland.

    • @johnmorris5618
      @johnmorris5618 Před 3 lety +2

      @@EP-bb1rm I take your point about the definition but both “hay” and “silage” are “grass”. Just dryer or wetter depending on the circumstances.

    • @matthewjenkins1161
      @matthewjenkins1161 Před 3 lety +3

      @@jakespooner8567 Well Harry is a Farmer and I fail to see how income can be generated, from wild flower meadows or woodland?
      It certainly isn't in the majority of taxpayers benefit to purchase that land for such purpose.
      Maybe you could buy it, if Harry is happy to sell?

  • @Cotlandfarmer
    @Cotlandfarmer Před 3 lety

    Great video Harry, grass fed meat and dairy is the way forward for UK/ world agriculture. Two inspiring programmes I've watched recently are, "Kiss the ground" and "sacred cow". Looking forward to more of Harry's Farm. 👍

  • @garyjolley2955
    @garyjolley2955 Před 3 lety

    Great content as usual Harry. Your videos are like small Insightful documentary’s, very informative and interesting. Keep up the good work.

  • @colinjones2505
    @colinjones2505 Před 3 lety +3

    I was never really that interested in farming, until Harry popped up. Learning so much now, and finding it fascinating. Learnt so much about methane and Co2 emissions etc in just 20 mins. Thank you!

  • @ghostrider7688
    @ghostrider7688 Před 3 lety +5

    Great job Harry true gent and a well needed ambassador for beef farming . Get this mans presentation to the Prince of Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Let Harry make his case 💪

  • @daveeveritt3626
    @daveeveritt3626 Před 3 lety +2

    Fantastically explained Harry, well done, some people need to hear the bigger picture and have a better understanding

  • @jamesdecross1035
    @jamesdecross1035 Před 3 lety +1

    Totally agree. Also, you make such a good point to counter the trophic-levels argument. There's a lot to be said for trophic levels (where only 10% of the solar energy captured is passed from one layer to the next). But, you or I cannot eat the grass. Grass is everywhere. It is one of the Worlds most common biomes.

  • @jonathanbeale3978
    @jonathanbeale3978 Před 3 lety +24

    Thank you Harry for educating us and giving us the bigger picture. This is why I watch this channel, to learn where my food comes from and effort that goes into producing it.

    • @ricktd6891
      @ricktd6891 Před rokem

      You didn't get educated. That would involve telling you it's a scam.

  • @kirmy1
    @kirmy1 Před 3 lety +3

    Another sensible well researched argument from Mr Metcalfe. If only some ministers were as sensible as him!

  • @SnapographyAP
    @SnapographyAP Před 3 lety +1

    Very well presented. Hopefully the BBC will be knocking on your door now that they are increasing educational content👍

  • @brucedriffill7668
    @brucedriffill7668 Před 3 lety

    Very well explained and researched piece. It's very easy to look at one part of an issue and miss the much bigger picture.

  • @timgosling6189
    @timgosling6189 Před 3 lety +45

    Good piece Harry; if only the facts were more fashionable than opinions. You keep making it, I'll keep eating it!

    • @ricktd6891
      @ricktd6891 Před rokem

      Facts prove CO2 doesn't control the temperature of Earth..

  • @WilliamStevens007
    @WilliamStevens007 Před 3 lety +4

    Such a well-balanced view from Harry about Beef production in this country. I remember when I was on the farm everything was fed on grass when they were out and round bale silage and cake. That was it. So agree with every single word Harry.

  • @struancochrane753
    @struancochrane753 Před 3 lety

    Once again Harry, you have explained a complex issue very plainly, well done. My farming "boat" is an extensive Organic beef farm near Poole in Dorset.

  • @SnakeyUk08
    @SnakeyUk08 Před 3 lety +1

    Fascinating insight from Harry as usual ...quite odd i get a advert for coconut milk half way through lol

  • @Ingens_Scherz
    @Ingens_Scherz Před 3 lety +24

    Solid gold. Balanced, objective, no-nonsense insights from an expert in his field (as it were). Should be shown in schools.
    Not that many decades ago, it would have been.

    • @michaelfraser5723
      @michaelfraser5723 Před 2 lety

      depends on the school

    • @ricktd6891
      @ricktd6891 Před rokem

      Nope. CO2 doesn't control the temperature of Earth. Climate change is natural.

  • @alliedfroth
    @alliedfroth Před 3 lety +17

    Superb Harry, You should be invited onto the BBC & explain this to the ill informed

    • @cbrboy76
      @cbrboy76 Před 3 lety +1

      The bbc having someone on who is inteligentent and gives honest facts, dont be so foolish.

    • @gerrywatson261
      @gerrywatson261 Před 3 lety +1

      Think Harry would be wasting his valuable time! 😂

  • @garethd4948
    @garethd4948 Před 3 lety

    As always, a top video. Never let the facts get in the way of a good story. And at least now the squirrels that were nibbling on the combine hoses and pipes last window will be a bit more protected from the elements (with it being in a proper shed) - so you're doing an extra bit of environmental conservation! Keep up the good work - both with farming and the videos.

  • @regmac64
    @regmac64 Před 3 lety

    Great educational video thanks Harry. I live in Kinsale and can attest to the fact that a) Irish beef is great because it's grass fed year round, and b) judging by the local soccer pitch, the "black shadows" do deter the grazing birds.

  • @cormackeenan8175
    @cormackeenan8175 Před 3 lety +6

    Harry, could you please do a video and on the effects Brexit is having on farming , i know you have the integrity to give us the good, the bad and the down right ugly.
    I lay my cards on the table I’m a avid remainer, but i like to base my arguments on empirical evidence ergo my request.

  • @TraditionArt
    @TraditionArt Před 3 lety +24

    Best wishes from Germany to you ❤️🇩🇪❤️

    • @chriswalford4161
      @chriswalford4161 Před 3 lety +2

      🇪🇺- minded. Sad we’ve left. I know it’s not perfect, but.......

    • @TraditionArt
      @TraditionArt Před 3 lety +2

      @@chriswalford4161 👍🏻❤️

  • @danielmarshall4587
    @danielmarshall4587 Před 3 lety

    Another very interesting video Harry thank you. Also.... very happy to hear "gin palace" being used. OUTSTANDING.

  • @abccba3903
    @abccba3903 Před 3 lety

    Excellent vid Harry, love your detailed analysis on cars and now farm related matters, thanks.

  • @Barkerboy1616
    @Barkerboy1616 Před 3 lety +8

    Really nicely explained Harry, long live the Rolls Royce cow.

  • @jasonperry1444
    @jasonperry1444 Před 3 lety +6

    I’m no expert Harry, far from it but I recently watched “Cowspiracy” on Netflix and the whole beef production to feed global population (not Uk specifically) means it’s unsustainable for the planet, they did a part on grass fed which is far better for the environment but I think they said if you produced all beef from grass fed beef (better beef, more humane, better flavour) you’d need to convert half the worlds land mass to grass pasture. Like I said I’m no expert but it doesn’t appear sustainable longer term full stop at the rate we are currently consuming beef.. vid content is excellent btw. Cheers

    • @slikasrick
      @slikasrick Před 3 lety

      That movie is full of lies, sorry but it is,

    • @sparkyplug28
      @sparkyplug28 Před 3 lety +2

      Does the program tell you how much land you would have to covert to rice fields if we all stopped eating beef?!

    • @lukio12
      @lukio12 Před 2 lety

      @@sparkyplug28 To grow 1kg of beef takes like 100x the land area required to grow 1kg of rice. Eat beef if you want but it is an undeniable fact that it is insanely bad for the environment.

    • @sparkyplug28
      @sparkyplug28 Před 2 lety

      @@lukio12 only the land where beef graze is impossible to grow rice. Of course I’m sure eating just rice gives you a good diet 😂

  • @donalmilmo-penny3085
    @donalmilmo-penny3085 Před 3 lety

    Great journalism; this should be shared far and wide.

  • @JJ-zg1hh
    @JJ-zg1hh Před 3 lety

    Another video which made me think. Well done Harry. A balanced discussion is required here. I eat much less beef these days but if I knew it came from your farm I think I'd put it back on the menu!

  • @intergalacticsucker1724
    @intergalacticsucker1724 Před 3 lety +15

    Exactly how you say “it doesn’t sell the newspaper” . We know what’s going on Harry.
    Respect and greetings from Slovakia 🇸🇰

  • @thomasfromswindon7609
    @thomasfromswindon7609 Před 3 lety +6

    Slightly off topic. Most of the weight of a supermarket lorry's load is liquid. i.e. Drinks , a lot of it bottled water . less than 10 is dairy or meat. This does have a huge impact on fuel which, of course impacts CO2 emissions. I am a Lorry Driver who delivers to a supermarket.

  • @lucifarian93
    @lucifarian93 Před 3 lety

    I like the idea of the combine which does 'everything' is going to sit on the very spot of the machinery it replaces. I never knew there was so much in it! Thanks Harry .

  • @SenthooranKath
    @SenthooranKath Před 3 lety +1

    Been following your channels for a while now! Looking to get into farming myself one day. Great analogy about how general the term boat can be

  • @Gorbyrev
    @Gorbyrev Před 3 lety +4

    You can't beat a bit of urban middle class outrage to skew an argument. That was an excellent explanation of what British farmers have been doing for generations. Cows are carbon neutral. That is how it is for any animal husbandry that respects it's natural habitat and diet. Disclaimer: I am both urban and middle class!

    • @robi4387
      @robi4387 Před 3 lety

      Ooooh oooh oooh. Steady on my dear chap. One shouldn't write on here with a middle class, middle aged or middle english accent. No one will believe you. More inclined to believe mad Russian scientist - see comment above.

  • @dykehead1
    @dykehead1 Před 3 lety +7

    Harry needs to become the voice of agriculture. The go to person for all TV and radio interviews

    • @ricktd6891
      @ricktd6891 Před rokem

      Nope. He doesn't know CO2 caused catastrophic global warming is a scam.

  • @carolinemiles5971
    @carolinemiles5971 Před 3 lety

    Harry, we have been binging your videos starting from the beginning and we think you are, GREAT!!! . After watching this morning we think you need to have a slot of Country file on BBC1. Even having your own half an hour programme. We have learnt so much about wheat yields etc from you, we feel we could run our farm ourselves, lol. We live in the south east corner of England on the edge of Romney Marsh, spending loads of time out in the morning frost and mist as keen photographer's. Keep up your great videos and positive manner......... Caroline and Vince....

    • @lindosland
      @lindosland Před rokem

      No, why support the BBC who get it wrong and care more about viewing figures than content truth. He HAS a slot here, it's the new media source, the most watched by youngsters, who shun the BBC, and not controlled by programme commissioners and editors. Most smart TVs can view You tube easily.

  • @crgmrgn
    @crgmrgn Před 3 lety

    Wonderful, just the balance and depth that you are looking for from trusted sources, which the BBC used to exemplify, but now panders to the short sharp shock headline approach, shallow in approach and far too much spoon-feeding, both of their sources and to their audience. Harry, you're a breath of fresh air in this field as you were to automotive publishing with Evo, long may it last.

  • @Jack-cu7rl
    @Jack-cu7rl Před 3 lety +16

    another issue is brazil, cutting down acre after acre of rainforest and burning for space for cattle. How about we also focus on stopping deforestation

    • @andy199121
      @andy199121 Před 3 lety

      What do you think the UK was before it became a huge farm? Aha deforestation isn’t just a problem in Brazil, Borneo, Congo etc just happened beyond living memory in Europe.

    • @naturshoot8448
      @naturshoot8448 Před 3 lety +1

      So deforestation in Indonesia for Palm Oil (plants) hasn't been an environmental disaster then?

    • @SteveT3D
      @SteveT3D Před 3 lety

      Its up to Brazil to do what it wants with its rainforest, sorry, but do you actually a want a world government or something?

    • @andy199121
      @andy199121 Před 3 lety

      @@naturshoot8448 absolutely has, but they would call us hypocrites considering the whole of the UK is a farm where it was once Atlantic rainforest.
      Most of the palm oil grown is for the processed products the west buy in supermarkets.
      So you do have to be careful when we start to witch-hunt these people, we are effectively saying it’s ok for us to do it but because your ancestors respected the land you cannot. A lot of them hate what western capitalism has done to their rainforest but they feel they have no choice, so when we turn around and tell them off I can understand why they tell us to piss off.

    • @slikasrick
      @slikasrick Před 3 lety

      Yes that is what we have to do, but why are they cutting down the forest? 1 for soy which goes to China. Nothing to do with our beef and two for cattle who have been moved from the grass lands Because they are growing sugar cane in the traditional grassland,

  • @afon_s
    @afon_s Před 3 lety +35

    everything Harry talkin about is interesting)

    • @fisherh9111
      @fisherh9111 Před 3 lety

      Harry is the most interesting man in the world.

  • @peterchilcott4192
    @peterchilcott4192 Před 3 lety +1

    Harry - a farmer's wife who is also a Professor of Entomology is researching the impact of cows (Dexter's in her case) on sequestered carbon levels in the soil. She is studying dung beetles and similar invertebrates because grass fed ruminants also improve biodiversity enormously. On global warming your soil has been grass for decades and so carbon levels are probably pretty stable, but if you transferred your cows to another field that was newly put down to grass the sequestered carbon would increase quite dramatically, making the whole operation (assuming no external inputs) carbon negative!

  • @lewismcnicholas2631
    @lewismcnicholas2631 Před 3 lety

    Fantastic video Harry - I hope more people continue to shout about how sustainable well reared beef in the UK is!

  • @markreed1604
    @markreed1604 Před 3 lety +3

    Great informative video as normal... If I was going to be critical.... you missed an opportunity for some Packham Bashing....

  • @uzogsi
    @uzogsi Před 3 lety +7

    Good guy Harry treating his Combine like his Countach

  • @NoGoodHandlesComingToMind

    6:47, awesome. Great looking birds!
    Regarding the commentary about the steep hill at 8:45, what would the breakeven period be if you were to terrace that land out by excavating the hillside into a series of stair-like, flat plateaus wide enough to fit the equipment? I imagine it could take a decade or more, but it piqued my curiosity.
    9:15, "worms operating" sounds very hardcore in relation to their role on the farm.
    10:15: woo, Octopus! Love it.
    11:25, very gorgeous and artful photo.

  • @swiper1818
    @swiper1818 Před 3 lety

    Very informative and interesting - as you point out so much depends on how the animals are raised - in addition, this form of animal husbandry is vastly more humane than feedlots etc...

  • @charlo125
    @charlo125 Před 3 lety +26

    That kite's pining for the fjords Harry.

  • @gwill983
    @gwill983 Před 3 lety +7

    Absolutely spot on about the beef farming. I recall one “vegan” moron on This Morning some time back and he had no relevant points to the uk beef farmer what so ever, he just shouted everyone down who didn’t agree with him and seemed to think all beef farming was cattle-lots as you described in the US and also South America and Russia. That’s the issue with mainstream media and in particular with the beeb, they give far too much support to the in vogue minorities rather than giving well informed well balanced information from all parties involved.

  • @stepheneldridge6998
    @stepheneldridge6998 Před 3 lety

    Well said and explained Harry, I live very near the Goodwood Estate and their way of producing beef seems very sustainable. I long ago decided that cheaply, possibly cruelly produced beef, chicken etc was not for me...I still eat it but a little less often and am happy to pay a higher price for sustainably produced, quality meat. I'm afraid changing the mindset of American consumers and producers is another thing...especially the beef 'factories ' of South America, Brazil, Argentina, etc! . Cheers, Steve

  • @AndySnap
    @AndySnap Před 3 lety

    Excellent video, very informative. And interesting to see the old grain store, full of 70's tech, all preserved thanks to launching Evo magazine... eh Harry?! The Collecting Cars podcast with Chris Harris was great!