Rural business vital to economy – Defra
Friday 06 FebruaryEngland's rural businesses will be vital in helping the country through tough economic times, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said yesterday (Thursday)

CLA backs MP’s move to protect supermarket suppliers
Friday 06 FebruaryTHE CLA is supporting a push to protect British food producers from supermarkets pricing power.

Better controls needed in future F&M outbreaks – CLA
Thursday 05 FebruaryTHE environment and rural affairs department Defra has accepted criticism of its handling of the 2007 outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Surrey – but farmers and landowners are anxious that the lessons learned must be put into action in any future outbreak.

Spring sends out first signals
Thursday 05 FebruarySPRING’S first fingers are creeping out of the fridge door in between cold snaps according to nature watchers contributing to the Woodland Trust’s Nature’s Calendar seasonal survey for 2009.

High Court delivers blow to Hunting Act
Wednesday 04 FebruaryThe High Court has today upheld the quashing of a guilty verdict in the case of the first huntsman to be prosecuted under the Hunting Act - rejecting an appeal by the Crown Prosecution Service.

“Hungry gap” for farmland birds
Wednesday 04 FebruaryAS ARCTIC weather threatens the survival of millions of British garden birds (see News, yesterday) another threat has emerged to teir farmland cousins thanks to research on the effects of spring ploughing.

Deadline looms for housing site appeal
Tuesday 03 FebruaryLANDOWNERS in the Yorkshire Dales National Park have just 24 days left to help ease the demand for affordable housing.

Stranded by snow? So feed the birds
Tuesday 03 FebruaryPEOPLE stranded at home by the heavy snowfall are being asked to fill in some of the time on their hands...by feeding the birds in their gardens.

Gaps in Government broadband plans
Monday 02 FebruaryA PLEDGE by Gordon Brown last week that every home in Britain will be given broadband access has one major flaw, say rural business owners: it fails to explain how remoter countryside villages will be hooked up.

Hawes creamery wins new contract
Monday 02 FebruaryTHE Wensleydale Creamery at Hawes has invested £360,000 in new machinery – and it’s paid off after winning another large contract with a leading national food retailer.
