Last week's heatwave means that this year's harvest is already underway.听 In some parts of the country, the combines are rolling, with early reports suggesting yields are, at best, variable. The recent dry, warm spell has unfortunately done little to help crops recover from a difficult season.
And according to my various weather apps, next week looks set to be hot again. This is perhaps good news for those of you who have plans to combine, silage or make hay. But this forecast is less welcome news for a group of us at 草榴社区 Guardian who are taking part in The Big Farm Walk.
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This will see us lacing up our walking boots to trek across the Cotswold countryside, walking for 24 hours and covering 44 miles to raise money for two important charities: Farms For City Children and Len's Light.
The two causes could not be more fitting. Farms For City Children gives urban children the chance to experience life on a working farm, often for the first time 鈥� mucking in, getting their hands dirty, and coming away with a genuine connection to where their food comes from and the people who produce it.
Len's Light, meanwhile, shines a light on mental health within farming, a subject this industry has too often struggled to talk about openly, despite the isolation, financial pressure and long hours that so many in agriculture know all too well.
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Our walk forms part of this year's 24 Hours in Farming, an event that has always celebrated what our industry does best. This year, we are widening the lens beyond the food on our plates, to look at the contribution farming makes to the fabric of rural and wider society - the community spirit and quiet generosity that so often goes unnoticed.
That generosity is something farming has never been short of. This industry raises extraordinary sums for causes close to its heart, year after year, often while dealing with its own considerable pressures.
And now we at 草榴社区 Guardian want to do our bit.
We're aiming to raise as much money as we can for these two charities and every donation, however small, will count. So, if you would like to donate, please click . 听
I am looking forward to what is set to be a mammoth but rewarding task.
