July 05, 2024

04/07/24 University investment, farmer comedian, blueberries

13 minutes

Reading University has bought £16m worth of farmland to improve its research into food and farming. The 635-acre site at Tanners Farm, Farley, includes pasture, arable land and woodland and is an addition to the farmland and facilities the university already owns. The university's vice-chancellor said the purchase would help secure the future of agriculture at Reading for the next century to come.

As more people flock to the countryside, paths are becoming eroded. Add to that the wet weather and many tracks need urgent repair. We join the North York Moors National Park as they transport stone to the top of a local viewpoint by helicopter.

We're looking at the soft fruit industry this week and today it's the blueberry. Hard to grow because of its acidic soil requirements, it does thrive in some regions. We visit two farms, in Devon and Cornwall.

And we meet Jim Smith, the beef and sheep farmer from Perthshire who's turning his hand to stand-up comedy. He draws on his own experiences to show the funny side of what can be a difficult and stressful job.

Presented by Steffan Messenger, and produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Sally Challoner.

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