North Somerset Agricultural Show

I don't think this is the first time I've been to this show, I believe I visited it many years ago on a particularly cold wet day.
Today it was amazingly sunny and following many weeks of dry sunny weather, the conditions were perfect. This was, I believe, the first show of the season in this area so, there were many apologies for the capricious behaviour of some of the animals being shown. The cattle are my favourites though I was seriously impressed by the sheep and the enormous variety being shown.There were a few pigs - interesting but didn't seem to be the top of anyone's list.

And could we ignore the Alpacas - the favourite animal of the season - bred for their very expensive wool, not their meat, the are not only very cute but, are very productive. Not having worked with them in any way I don't know the pitfalls and drawbacks of farming them so, don't go investing in a herd of alpacas for your back garden- though it is tempting- they are like overgrown standard poodles or even teddy bears - just joking!
I love the animals best of all but, when I look at them being shown( and I know they are out of practise or have never experienced this before) I think, when I come back in my next life I don't want to be a Llama or a cow, or a pig, or a sheep( worse still a 'butcher's lamb' - what if they could read the labels), or even - those fashionable animals of the moment the alpacas. At least they are not bred for their meat but, for their wool.

That said, I'm not a vegan nor even a vegatarian. I think, if we all were, there would be no place on our planet for many of these animals- they would be in competition with us for the land and as the dominant species, for now, we humans will consider the needs of humans - but, this is another debate! With regret, I think that by eating these animals we ensure their futures and their ensured place on our human planet.
As a vegetable grower I am seldom faced with this issue but, it is a fact. My belief is that - if we all gave up eating meat and used the land to grow crops which could 'feed the world', there would be no room for our traditional farmed animals.

Well, next time I will deal with perennial herbs- not so controversial. It might need a couple of blogs.
Do get back to me with your opinions. I would love to have a dialogue with you all.



And, what a cute whippet - just a visitor!