Interview questionnaire

 

The questions below were used to guide the farmers’ interviews.

 

BACKGROUND

How did you get into farming?
Has farming changed much while you've been doing it?

Does your family help out on the farm (farming/support/decision making)

Who else works on your farm?

What is a typical working day for you?

Are there any occupational hazards?

CONTACT

 

How do you keep in touch with what’s happening in the UK and abroad?

How do you communicate with other farmers (pub, NFU, internet chat
rooms)

 

Do you have any contact with farmers in other countries?

 

Where do get advice on growing/rearing from? (vet/agronomist..)

Do you listen to the Archers!?

Do you listen to Farming Today?

 

Are you a member of the NFU?

Do you feel well represented it?

 

CRISIS

 

Do you feel there is a crisis in farming in the UK?

What about the rest of the world?

What do you feel has caused this?

 

Is exporting the right answer?

Would joining the euro be good for farming?

Do you feel government policies are helping farmers like you?

 

What do you think about the recommendation of the Food and Farming
Commission to switch from subsidising production to environmental subsidies?
How much have you seen the wildlife change on the farm?

 

GROWING/REARING

 

How do you decide what to grow?
What varieties do you grow?

Is there anything you’d like to grow that you don’t?
Where do you buy seeds from, or other farm inputs (eg fertiliser)?

Do you buy in new seeds each year?
Do you use Integrated Farm Management?

BUSINESS
Do you take part in any labelling schemes, like red tractor or RSPCA's animal
friendly mark?

Who do you sell your crops/animals to?

How do you get them to them?

Where are your crops/animals sold after harvesting/ slaughter?
How much control do you have over setting the price?
Who do you feel has the most control over farming today? (land owners, politicians, EU, big companies, supermarkets)

 

What role do you feel supermarkets play?
 
How much time do you spend on paper work?

What bit of paper work takes up most of your time?
How important do you think subsidies are to farmers?

 

Can you think of a system that would work better than subsidies?

Do you think of your business as successful?

Do you have set-aside? Or any other schemes?

Have you ever considered going organic?

What do you think is the future of organic farming?
 
FAMILY

Did you meet you partner through farming?
As far as the family goes, what are the ups and down of living on a farm?

Who will take over the farm when you retire?

FUTURE

 

Have you become involved in the issue of hunting at all?

Might your farm be amalgamated when you retire?

If you weren't farming what else do you think you'd do?

Have you thought of diversifying?

If you could change some aspect of your work as a farmer, what would you
change?

What advice would you give to someone starting in farming today?
Do you think of farmers – and yourself – as custodians of the land?

What do you think the public’s image is of farmers?

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