Women's Hour

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Originally broadcast on: http://radiosoapbox.com Radio Soapbox

Women's Hour broadcasts live every Sunday at 7:00p.m. uk time. 

Welcome to another engaging episode of Women's Hour, broadcasting live from radiosoapbox.com and streaming on Rumble. I'm your host, Shelley Tasker, and today we have a mix of personal anecdotes and insightful discussions lined up for you. We start with a humorous yet dramatic story from my own life involving an unexpected visitor, a mistaken identity, and a bit of chaos that could rival a soap opera. This leads to a conversation with my co-host, Jo Wood, about the challenges of balancing work and health during the holiday season.

We then delve into the world of farming with our guest, Maria, a young farmer and Instagram influencer. Maria shares her experiences and the importance of transparency in farming, especially in the face of challenges like inheritance tax and public misconceptions about farming practices. She passionately discusses the need for better understanding between farmers and consumers and highlights her efforts to educate the younger generation about agriculture.

Maria also shares personal stories from her life on the farm, including the joys and struggles of family farming, and her plans to engage with schools to teach children about where their food comes from. We explore the broader implications of farming policies on food prices and the environment, and Maria offers a fresh perspective on the role of farmers in achieving sustainability.

Join us for a lively discussion that combines humour, personal stories, and important insights into the world of farming and beyond. Don't forget to like and subscribe to stay updated with our latest episodes.

[00:00:56] Unknown:

Good evening to all of you beautiful women out there and the occasional gentleman that's listening in too, and, well, I'm shocked at the amount of men that listen actually, but everyone is welcome.   Welcome to Women's Hour,   broad casting live from radiosoapbox.com.   It's good to have your company. I'm also streaming live on Rumble.   Just look at the name, Shelley Tasker, and, you know, hit the like and subscribe.   Today's date, Sunday, 15th December 2024,   which is, like, under 2 weeks away before the big day,   so all is good.  

So great show lined up,   providing everything goes to plan.   The last couple of weeks, I've tried getting   the young farmer on Marie Wall in Alston, and we've had a few problems because of storms last week and stuff. She had no, Internet connection, and I'm hoping we've got the right link tonight. But if it all falls through, I will just bore you to tears with things going on in my life.   Anyway, as usual, we're joined by the wonderful, awesome young Jo Wood. Good evening, miss young Jo Wood.  

[00:02:00] Unknown:

Hello, miss Tasker. How are you?  

[00:02:04] Unknown:

I'm okay.   I'm currently,   oh,   day 1 of a bit fluy.   Been in my gym jams all day.   Bliss.   Aching. Yeah. I know. But it's always on its run up to Christmas, isn't it? This week,   I've got new work, loads of stuff to do,   and it's like, oh, I mean, if I feel like this on Tuesday, I won't be going out and doing my Christmas shopping, but   hey ho. It's, it's been good. So how are you?  

[00:02:31] Unknown:

I'm I'm okay. I'm good. I'm tired. I'm sure I say that every show.   I'm sure I do.   But yeah. Yeah. I've had a busy, busy week.   So, yeah, I'm,   I'm I'm somewhat apprehensive   now about having some time off   kind of over Christmas   purely because of what you've just said. You know, you've stopped working, and it's always   typical, isn't it? When you stop working and your body slows down a bit, you then get ill. And I'm thinking, oh,  

[00:03:04] Unknown:

I don't wanna get ill. Don't wanna get ill.  

[00:03:07] Unknown:

Yeah. Yeah. I've done I've done the vast majority of it, but,   of drama. There was drama in this house last night, Jo. Oh, tell me. I love you. Honestly, it could have been a soap opera. So I'm upstairs with Piran messing around on his computer with him, trying to get things fixed,   And then the dog starts barking, going nuts.   Oh, jeez. I'm thinking, oh, I just heard the door go. So I come downstairs, and I'm like, Wes, is that you?   And I couldn't hear anything, but the dog is going nuts.   And then this woman has walked into my lounge.   You what? Yes. Walked into my lounge absolutely,   paralytically drunk.  

Oh my god. I know. And   I was like, you're you're so and so's daughter from across the road, aren't you?   And, she just wouldn't make any sense, and I thought I'm sure that's so and so's daughter across the road.   So I kind of marched her across the road the best I could,   and there was no answer at her sister's house. And, like, the whole family, like, live in, like, a house next to each other and stuff, so I thought, we'll go and knock on the mother's door, you know, but this is a little elderly lady   in her seventies.   And I'm, like, don't   Sorry. No. No. The late no. This lady that appeared at my house, she was probably   early to mid twenties   Oh, okay. I would say.  

So I'm saying to her now, she's undoing all of her door locks and everything, and I'm saying, don't worry. It's Shelley from across the road.   And I'm saying to her, I think I've got your daughter   here that's really, really drunk.   Uh-huh. And she's like, oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. Well, which one? And I was like, well, I think it's Belinda.   Anyway, by now, this person has disappeared again, and I'm thinking, where's she gone? Oh, my god. She's come back into my house.   What? I know. God knows. I just attract all sorts. And,   so I come back in the house, and the dog is going absolutely nuts, and parents come, like, what's going on? And this woman is crouched down behind my radiator   in my lounge.  

Oh, wow. And by now, I've, like, lost it. I'm, like, get up. Get out of here now. Yeah. Fucking it out. And I've grabbed   her. I've got, like, got her outside, and I thought right I need to phone the police because   it I don't, you know, I don't think she was any trouble. I didn't want to shift her out in the road because she could just about stand up, you know?   So I phoned the police,   and they're like, well, do you think she needs an ambulance? And I'm like, no. No. I said she can hardly stand up, but I can't just kick her out on the road because   she's just gonna pass out and get run over or something.  

Anyway, so now a man comes up from next door,   and he says, oh, my days. What's happened? And I explained, and he said, well, I've known this person for about an hour. We got a taxi   up the road together,   and she was supposed to be going on further up the road to Troon, but she must have got out the taxi   when I got out   and just come into yours.   Oh, so she didn't even live, like, in your immediate area? No. No. Her friend lived in Troon who she was out with for the night, but then then get this get this.   It said, and by the way, he said it's not a girl, it's a man.  

Stop it. No. It was an attractive woman, but it was a man.   And I witnessed then because this girl, man,   wanted to weave, was leaning up against my car and just weeding the hedge and stood up and weaved. Now that's what men do.   So   Oh my god, Shelly. I know. So lock your doors, everybody.   You know, it was quite harmless,   but the adrenaline   got all evening then I was pumped right up,   and the police arrived and you know they tried getting some scents out of her him,   and I just said you're wasting your time because they can't even say their name, they can't say anything.   Oh my gosh. So they managed to get her in the car   and that was that.  



[00:07:13] Unknown:

Oh, nice.  

[00:07:15] Unknown:

Yes. Yes. So   that was very   a very big drama in my house last night.  

[00:07:22] Unknown:

That always happens to you, doesn't it? Just random  

[00:07:26] Unknown:

people just coming in. What about that person that you said you come home and they were like walking down your staircase? You're like, what you doing? Yeah. Oh, that was a carer because there's a few streets in our area that are named the same. Right. They were spent they were supposed to go up to the next village,   but of course I walked in and they were walking down my stairs,   and I was like, who who are you? And I was like, oh, I'm so sorry. I'm here to see so and so. This is 28 whatever street. I said, yeah, but it's not the right one. I said, yesterday morning, we had nurses turn up at the door. Oh, hi. So I phoned the agency, and I just said, can you just get them to read the postcode and not the first line?   Yeah. So,   and then last summer, we was in the garden. And I was out there with the kids and this random guy   walked around and he said oh can I talk to you about photography?  

And he was a right weirdo.   Only got on his bike with all of his bags, but yeah, so 3 random people in the last year. And, I mean, I wouldn't say we live in a dangerous place, but what is the world coming to?  

[00:08:31] Unknown:

Yeah. Yeah. It's  

[00:08:35] Unknown:

it's a funny old place, isn't it? Because back in our day, if you were that drunk, you just wouldn't leave the spot on where you got drunk, if you know what I mean? You'd like if you if you were in a pub and you got thrown out and you were that   absolutely wrecked, you'd probably just end up sliding down the wall of the pub. You know, you you just wouldn't even go anywhere.   But now people seem to think,   oh, well, look. I'll get in this taxi. This person's going in the direction.   I'll tag along with them, and you almost make other people   responsible for you.  



[00:09:14] Unknown:

Yeah. Well, I I think the taxi driver kicked her out   because he didn't even know you know, the other guy would have said, oh, she's going up to Troon, but he wouldn't have been able to get any sense out of her as to where she was going,   so  

[00:09:29] Unknown:

yeah.  

[00:09:30] Unknown:

And her on the side of the road. But then how brazen just to go, oh, I'll just try this house, see if it's open. They were just off their face, Jo. Honest to god, you couldn't you couldn't get a word out. The worst thing was then, obviously, the lady across the road, I'd got her all worried thinking that her daughter   was out there, and then I had to explain to her. I said, don't worry. It's not your daughter, but it looked so much like a daughter.   And she stood there as well, and she said, my God, she does look exactly like her, don't she? Right. I had to say then, do you know actually that's a man dressed as a woman?   And she was like, oh my goodness. I could have been manhandled or anything.  

She was funny, and then she was on the phone to her daughter Belinda, who I thought it was, explaining all the drama that was going on. But That that is  

[00:10:21] Unknown:

drama and a half.  

[00:10:22] Unknown:

Drama and a half. Yeah. So, yeah, I couldn't get back to work then, really, because it was only, like, quarter to 9 by the time all this had happened, and it was, like, heart racing all evening. But, you know, I wasn't scared or anything. It's funny how adrenaline takes over, and, you know, my dog can be a pain in the neck, but afterwards, oh, I gave him a massive chew. I was like, you're a bloody guard dog. You are. You're amazing.   Oh. Tell me, if he wasn't barking, she might have come straight in and just, like, crashed out on my couch or anything. Yeah. Yeah. But he knew. And it's weird because, you know, occasionally,  

[00:10:57] Unknown:

he he'll sort of have a little bark at me, like a oh, oh, it's you type thing, but he never goes on. So he really knows the difference between   people that are semi familiar to him to outright strangers and what the hell are you doing in my house? Get out.  

[00:11:16] Unknown:

Yeah. Yeah.   They're clever all things. That's for sure. Definitely.   Anyway,   that's that's my drama. Of course then, I had to text Darren, and he was at work gigging, and I said, if you haven't started playing yet, give me a quick call. If not, don't worry. And he's like, we've just started playing. What's up? So I've had to message him now and say,   oh, I've just had a random stranger walk in the house, and I've had to call the police blah blah blah,   and that person was actually a man and not a woman.   And he's trying to count carry on playing the guitar there and reading all of his messages.  



[00:11:51] Unknown:

I'm so sorry. You can't make it up. No. You don't. No.   Oh,   that's just so funny.  

[00:11:58] Unknown:

Well, yeah, I'm over it now. Anyway, that's that's my exciting news of the day. So what have you been up to? Before we get on to the powerful woman of the week, what have you been up to? Because you've been powerful in your own right doing your whole activism and farming stuff. What have you been up to?  

[00:12:16] Unknown:

What have I been up to?   So   I know I know I went somewhere on Wednesday. Don't ask me   where or what.   Not because it was secretive, purely because I can't remember. I did ah, there we go. It's come back to me. Went up to the livestock   market.   That was a little bit of drama.   Not as exciting as yours. Went up there, all was good, you know, handing out our leaflets,   talking to farmers,   Lodge and Thomas, you know,   codes, the solicitors,   sort of all of the farming people that were up there.   And,   I caught sight of   4 young   adults,   3 boys, 2 girls, and I thought,   oh, they don't look sort of like farm y children. When I say children, these children were, like, you know, early twenties.  

And, I was, like, okay. Well, you know, maybe maybe their parents are here or or something.   And that was that.   I then had to go out   to sort of where the entrance to livestock market is because farmer Pete had parked his tractor there.   Big sign on it, end inheritance   tax for all.   You know, we had buy British, British, support your father, all of that malarkey going on. So I went out there,   and as I was just talking to somebody that was coming in   and giving them a flyer through the car window,   I caught sight of the 4   youths   walking past me, and I'm, like, oh, okay. You know, they're they're bored, going into town.  

Finished my conversation with the person in the car and then looked over, and they're putting something on the   tractor. So, of course, I go straight into oi oi mode,   literally   pole vaulted over the cattle grid. How I didn't get my foot caught and ankle broke, I never know.   And, I I sort of went up to him and I said, what are you doing? And they said, oh, oh, we're just putting a flyer on the tractor.   Well, as I pulled the flyer off, oh my days.   Oh my days.  

[00:14:40] Unknown:

Were they not supporting the farmers?  

[00:14:43] Unknown:

Well, yes and no. They had 2 flyers. The first flyer was,   let's say,   70%   in favor of the farmers.   But given their age, they've been indoctrinated   to, you know,   fear of God, climate change, we've got to get net zero, and all that malarkey.   But the second flyer   is what enraged me somewhat.   I just totally   lost it. I was talking to them like I was scolding   naughty little schoolchildren.   Their second flyer   said,   blah blah blah blah blah. We support farmers.   However, it's been brought to our attention.   Farmers' Movement Cornwall,   are operating   under the guise   of neo nazi,   antagonists.  



[00:15:42] Unknown:

Oh, my days.  

[00:15:44] Unknown:

And I I   and they had written that in bold print,   so that's what stood out to me. And I was, like,   don't think you're going anywhere.   I says, and don't think I won't blooming stop you. Yes. I will put my hands on you, and I will physically stop you. You need to do some explaining.   I mean, given their due, they didn't try and run off, and,   you know, they weren't they weren't confrontational.   They were very confident and firm in their own beliefs.   They had told me   a name   that they believe that is in our group that is a   anti semitic,   neo nazi   communist.  

And then I said, okay. Well, that's one name. Give me the others. And they were going, well, we don't know them by name, but then they pulled up their website or whatever it was, and they were, like, pointing people out. And I was just going, well, I can categorically tell you that's not what happened.   We don't have those type of people in there.   You you basically, I was saying you need to take me to your leader. I says, because you guys have not done all of this research by yourself. You've been told this. No. No. We know it. We know it. I   gave him my email address, and I said, well, you need to contact me because we'll be setting up a meeting to put you straight.  

Didn't think I'd hear anything from them. I didn't, but Pete did later that evening.   So we're just waiting whether to see if they have the courage of their convictions and if they come forward and, have a meeting with us because that was slanderous.   You know, fortunately,   there were some other people up at the cattle market, the livestock market, that went round all the cars that they had put flyers on and took them off before   anybody had got to see their flyers.   Wow.   So that was a little bit of drama.   I had   Thursday   off,   so I really didn't do anything. I don't even think I got dressed that day.  

But then that was Thursday. And then Friday,   I did housework. I had to do shopping,  

[00:18:10] Unknown:

then I was out with you and others. Wasn't that a lovely evening? Oh, it was. Such fun. Such fun. I did I did feel a little bit worse for wear   yesterday morning when I woke up. Really?   Yeah. Well, when you're waiting an hour for your food and you've devoured a bottle of wine, it's the wrong order, really, isn't it?   Well, to be fair,  

[00:18:34] Unknown:

it was more than an hour. It was, like, an hour and a half, hour and 40 minutes. That was, like, just crazy.   So that was a late night,   and, oh, and I had to video it. I didn't send it to you, but,   I thought, no, I'm gonna make my point. As I got down to   a level crossing,   I was held up because a train was coming. That's the 4th time.  

[00:19:02] Unknown:

Every time I come to your house, I get stuck at that point. Do you think I feel? I always said I'd never live this side of the railway.   Drives me nuts.  

[00:19:11] Unknown:

Yeah. Absolutely   infuriating.  

[00:19:14] Unknown:

So, yeah, that was late night, and then I had an early morning because I had to get up and go over to some old store, do  

[00:19:19] Unknown:

because I had to get up and go over to some   old store, do some errands over there.   I was hoping that I would have come back and had a little bit of a nap for   2, 3 hours.   But Farmer Pete had brought   the time forward slightly,   for us to go over   and arrange   the area   where we were having the meeting.   And we got there, and we opened the gate, and the field   was full of sheep.   The farmer had not taken   out. And I'm like,   Pete, I'm no farmer. I can't be herding sheep.   I've got boots on, and I've already got sheep poo on them. I'm not happy.   He said, no. No. No. We won't have to herd them. He says, I'll leave you here at the gate. I'm gonna go down to the bottom field where the shed is. I say shed. It it's a barn. It's like a converted barn. He said,   just whatever you do, keep them away from the gate. And I'm like, you've got to be kidding me. Oh, no. As soon as he was outside, Shelley, they made a beeline for me.  

Beeline.  

[00:20:31] Unknown:

Oh, I wish you filmed it. Sounds hilarious.  

[00:20:33] Unknown:

Yeah. I was like some mad woman waving my arms around to, you know, a flock of sheep,   to to much, you know,   amusement to them. I'm sure they just sort of looked at me, carried on about their business, thought, no. We'll come up to the gate if we want love. They did, and then they walked off. So   that was that, and that was another late night. And then I had a very early morning   having to get up for work today.  

[00:20:58] Unknown:

Well, bless you.   You're working hard. You deserve an award.   You do. It's it's a lot trying to fit in all the activism around work and stuff, isn't it? All the meetings you're doing and stuff. It is because, you know, you're also on your phone,  

[00:21:13] Unknown:

sort of people messaging or people,   you know,   I don't know if we had spoken about this, but we are now sort of collaborating  

[00:21:23] Unknown:

with a national group called Farmers to Action. So there's a  

[00:21:24] Unknown:

a national group called Farmers to Action.   So there's a separate sort   of website   private members area for that.   So I'm constantly in attrition   against   us   and   get   on   with   our lives. I'm attrition against us and  

[00:21:51] Unknown:

get on with our lives. And then you'd be bored.  

[00:21:55] Unknown:

I I you know, we have this conversation quite often. I I quite like being bored. I'm I'm okay sitting doing nothing. I really am. Yeah. I know.  

[00:22:05] Unknown:

Yeah. I mean, I get a bit bored. I've been, you know, literally done nothing all day, so,   yeah. I need to be active.   Anyway, I did find time to find a strong woman's story,   Good. I was given the tip-off by our lovely Patrick Chanel, actually, who I know is listening. Good evening, Patrick.   He slipped in a couple of names, and I was like, do you know what? I've never heard of any of those. And I suppose going on with the weeks of this, we're just going to find   you think how many powerful and amazing women there are in history. So it shouldn't be hard, really, but right. So this lady is mother Cabrini.   Have you heard of her before?  

No.   Right. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Italian,   was born on the July 15,   1850   and lived till 22nd December 1917,   but she's known as mother Cabrini.   She was an Italian American Catholic   religious sister, a nun, and she founded the mission she   founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Heart of Jesus, which was a religious institute that was major support to her fellow Italian immigrants in the United States.   Her congregation provided education,   health care, and other services to the poor.   Mother Bikini became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1909.   And on the 7th July 1946,   mother Cabrini became the first US citizen   to be canonized by a saint by the Catholic church.  

She had entered the United States via New York City and is now the patron saint of immigrants.   Yeah. I know it seems a bit funny with the way things are with immigrants at the moment,   but back in the day. So mother Cabrini is the first woman to have paid state to have a paid state holiday named for her in the United States.   The color Colorado General Assembly passed the act that established Francis Xavier Cabrini Day as an annual legal state holiday on the 1st Monday of October.   It repealed Columbus Day. It was passed on 10th March 20 20, signed by the governor on March 20, 2020,   and effective   from September 14, 2020,   and first celebrated statewide in Colorado on the October 5th 20 20.  

Her annual Catholic feast day is a beautification day anniversary,   November 13th,   so in her in her early life,   she was,   she was the youngest of 13 children of farmers,   and only 4 of the 13 survived behind beyond adolescence.   Wow. She was born 2 months early. She was small and weak as a child and remained in delicate health throughout her life.   During her childhood, she visited an uncle,   a priest who lived beside a swift canal.   While there, she made little paper boats, dropped violets, called the flowers missionaries,   and launched them to sail to India and China.  

At 13, Francesca attended a school run by the Daughters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,   and 5 years later, she graduated with a teaching certificate.   After her parents died in 18/70,   she applied for admission to the Daughters of the Sacred Heart of Arluno.   Oh, decline.   Decline. Sorry. It's just Maria. She's early. She's organized.   Okay. How organized?   Bear with me, people. Bear with me.   Mama. I will yes. That's it. Yeah. I will call you in 2 minutes.   Bless her. Right. At least we've got connection. That's something. Right.   So, basically, in November 18 80, Cabrini   and 7 other women who had taken religious vows with her founded the missionary sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  

She wrote the ruling constitutions of the religious institute,   and she continued as its superior general until her death. The sisters took in orphans and foundlings,   opened a day school to help pay expenses,   started classes in needlework, and sold their fine embroidery to earn a little bit more money.   The institute established 7 homes and a free school and nursery in its first 5 years.   Its good works brought Cabrini to the attention of Giovanni Scalbrini, Bishop of Piet Casenza   and of Pope Leo the 8th.   So she went to seek permission from the pope   to go and do a missionary in China, but instead, he urged her to go to the United States, and he said not to the east, but to where the west is, to where the Italian immigrants are flooding in.  

So she left for the new, for United States, arriving in New York City on March 31st   along with 6 other sis sisters.   In New York, she encountered disappointment and difficulties.   She obtained the archbishop's permission to found the Sacred Heart Orphan Asylum in rural West Park, New York, later renamed Saint Conbrini Home.   She founded 67 missionary institutions   to serve the sick and the poor long before government agencies provided extensive social services.   So she was naturalized as a United States citizen in 19 09.   She died from chronic endoicaritis.  

I can't say it. Endocarditis   at at the age of 67 in Columbus Hospital in Chicago,   and her body was initially interred at what became Saint Cabrini Home, the orphanage she founded in West Park, New York.   And in   1933, her body was exhumed and divided as part of the process towards sainthood.   At that time, you'll love this,   her head was removed   her head was removed and is preserved in the chapel of the congregation's   international mother house in Rome.   Her heart is preserved   in Coddogno   where she founded a missioner order.   An arm bone is at her national shrine in Chicago,   and most of the rest of her body is at her major shrine in New York.  

So there we are.  

[00:28:07] Unknown:

Oh my days, and people think I'm a little bit odd about wanting to have a cat stuff.  

[00:28:13] Unknown:

Exactly. Exactly.   And me with my nan's ashes in my drawer and, you know, she's got her head somewhere, her arm somewhere.  

[00:28:21] Unknown:

We we are positively normal people, Shelly. Absolutely.  

[00:28:28] Unknown:

Wow. So that's mother Cabrini. Yeah. And What?   Yeah. And the Americans said they get the 1st Monday off in October as a national holiday every year.  

[00:28:38] Unknown:

Wow.   Yeah. Wow. She was a busy lady. She's very busy.   Quite selfless sort of, you know, doing it for the impoverished   and,   well, down and out people probably in that time. Yeah. In that.  

[00:28:56] Unknown:

Yeah.  

[00:28:57] Unknown:

So there we are to my powerful woman of the week, my lovely.   Wonderful. Thank you for that. That's alright. I aim to   educate, and it's your turn next week.   Oh my gosh. Not my days. Yeah. Well, you've got another one coming up right now. Yes. I'll be listening to that. Yes. Do so. I'm looking forward to chatting to her. Fingers crossed connections will all be working. Well, thank you, miss Young Jo Wood. I'll let you finish up work, and, I will catch you during the week.   You too. Take care. Thank you, darling. Take care. Bye bye. Bye. Bye. Right.   Let's get our next guest on the line.  

This young farmer,   Maria,   She's won the young farmer of the year. She's got a massive following on Instagram, and since this has all been, like, getting   quite fired up down here in Cornwall, she's played a massive role in the farmers movement,   and   her Instagram well, I've just sat down and watched her for, like, an hour. There's so much to watch. I actually feel like I know this woman.   Anyway, let's get her on, and let's see what she has to say.   Right.   We're ringing. Fingers crossed. It's all gonna work.   Good evening, Maria. Hello.  

You're nice and loud. Great stuff.   Yes. We are live. Can you hear me? I can hear you, lovely. Yeah. And we are live.   So, yeah. Thank you for spending well, sparing half an hour.   It's been,   can you hear me alright?   Can you hear me, Maria?  

[00:30:43] Unknown:

Hello?  

[00:30:46] Unknown:

Oh, we've lost her.   Let's try again.   We got a hello. That's a start.   Hi. Can you hear me now? I can hear you now, lovely. How are you?   No. It's not gonna work. Hello? Can you hear me, Maria?   No. We're gonna have to try Skype. It's ringing, but we can't hear the noise.   Let's see. I don't know if she's joined Skype.   I did send her all the link and everything, but she is   a busy lady. Let's see.   See if it works. Hello? Hello? Can you hear me?   No. You can't. It's a it's a messenger thing. It is it has to be   Skype.   Let me just message her, and we'll get a song on.  

God. I tell you what, all these audio settings and everything it's all the software. I like to make it run   on the radio show. It's, it can be quite confusing.   Hopefully, she'll download Skype quickly, and we'll get her on. But for the build up, let's play a nice, good old traditional   farmer's   song. Now let me see where is it.   If you're in the UK, you will undoubtedly   know this song.  

[00:32:08] Unknown:

I threw my tractor through your a snack last night.   I threw me benchmark at your dog to keep quiet.   That was what I'm telling me   that you're more vidin' me.   Come on now, darling. You got something I need.   Because I ain't got a brand new combine harvester and I'll give you the key.   Come on now, let's get together in perfect harmony.   Oh, you got 20 acres and you got 43.   Now I've got a friend you come by our sister and I'll give you the key.   She will laugh.   I'll stick by you, I'll  

[00:34:23] Unknown:

Right. I just wanted some farmers music while we were waiting for you.   How are you? Prerecording or live? It's live, lovely.  

[00:34:31] Unknown:

Yes. That's fine.  

[00:34:33] Unknown:

I've I've given you an introduction,   and I've said about the amazing work that you're doing in your Instagram, and you're you're the young farmer of the year this year.   Oh, Maria,   I said to you the other day, I just fell in love with your story, and I just feel like I know you. All of your Instagram videos and stuff.  

[00:34:54] Unknown:

Yeah.  

[00:34:54] Unknown:

Share a lot on there, really. I really enjoy it, though, and making new connections through it as well. Yeah. I don't think you realize, like, you've got women farmers to a whole new level. You are a sexy woman farmer.   You are. You're in your little vest tops and stuff getting changed, and, you know, you look amazing. And I see some of the comments, and I think all these young men are like,   whoo. Tell us about how did you get into this whole making a Instagram and really getting into what's going on with the farmers? Tell us a bit about your story.  

[00:35:28] Unknown:

The whole reason I do it is because I feel as an industry now more than ever, we need   transparency.   Ambushing farmers one after the other from the government in 2,001   to then straight after having the restrictions with foot and mouth   and then on to this whole new game of veganism and   everybody being so scared of it and not knowing what it was gonna mean and us just getting slandered   And then straight on now to   everything that's going on with the inheritance tax. And I think as a lead up of all of that, our industry is closed off to the general public so much   that the general public have no idea where their food comes from anymore because   we're all too scared to share it as a whole.  

So that's why I do it, to bridge the gap between farmer and consumer   and try and educate   those that otherwise wouldn't have   any idea of what happens on farms and meet new farmers along the way and just, again, create great connections.  

[00:36:28] Unknown:

Well, I just feel like you've taught me so much on your little videos. Just,   it's it's lovely. It's almost like I know your dad and and your dear grandpa.   I'm sorry that you lost him earlier this year. It's been a bit of a whirlwind   for you. On that same day, you lost a calf as well, didn't you?  

[00:36:46] Unknown:

Yeah. Yeah. It was   a month or so after as well. We lost my uncle and then my godfather was a month after, so it's been a really rough year this year, but it's also been a really exciting year.   Right. Okay. Well, that's good. There's just been like, we found out we're having a second child.  

[00:37:04] Unknown:

We've upped numbers on the farm and it's there's always a silver lining, isn't there? Yeah. There is. You you got to be positive about it, and I think your videos, I mean, I don't think they are so entertaining, you and your dad's relationship.   You hitting posts in and stuff, and it's lovely to see a woman do that because I've never really you don't really hear about women farmers, do you?   Maybe you know me because you do it.  

[00:37:28] Unknown:

Yeah definitely and I feel like that's very much a stereotype as well so like you wouldn't see it unless you're on a farm where the women were really involved with it and I've watched my mum be a farmer   247,   my gran, and my great gran as well when I, she passed away when I was 8, but I have very fond memories of watching her out milking cows until she was   really, really old. And,   yeah, so I've grown up around women farmers, and it's not been something that's   unusual to me or the community around us. Right.   But to see further afield that it's not as common is   it surprises me a little bit  

[00:38:05] Unknown:

because I'm not used to not seeing it. No. I think that's why you've made it so massive because it's like, who is this young farmer?   Yeah. And you're a photographer as well, aren't you? I'll have to like Yeah. I do a bit of photography. Yeah.   Wonderful.   So, you're expecting baby number 2,   and I've loved watching the videos of you taking your little is it a little boy you've got at the moment?  

[00:38:28] Unknown:

Yeah. My son Samuel.  

[00:38:30] Unknown:

That's it. Yeah. And he's out when you can in the pushchair,   falling asleep in the pushchair where you're doing your jobs and stuff like   that. It's really got me into, like, wow. This this whole family farming stuff. I can see why it must create such a love, really.  

[00:38:46] Unknown:

Yeah. I have dug myself a hole though because if I'm ever like like at the moment I was like right I'm gonna spend a few hours wrapping some presents. He was like absolutely not, mum. We're not staying inside.   I'm gonna kick up until we are back outside getting muddy and I was like okay I've dug myself a hole here.   How lovely to have a child that wants to be outside. Side. Oh, he loves it. If he's not outside, honestly, he's having a meltdown.  

[00:39:09] Unknown:

Yeah. I just see that as like the perfect way of life. You know, I've got an 11 year old that's glued to his screen,   and, god, I would love to be out there showing him the ropes, not that I know the ropes,   but watching you   perform a caesarean with a vet and because you were a veterinary nurse as well, wasn't you? And then deciding I was. Yeah. To give it up.  

[00:39:29] Unknown:

Yeah. No. To take on the family farm. Yes. So I stopped   being a veterinary nurse,   when I was expecting my son, when I went on to maternity leave. I came back to the family farm, and   I'm very grateful I did come back when I did because I learned so much. Like, I've always been on the farm. And if it was any other job, you would say it was full time hours. But because you're a farmer and I had another job as a veterinary nurse, I wasn't like, to me, it wasn't doing it full time. Right. Does that make sense? So I was, like, doing 2 jobs full time, but I wouldn't have classed it as that. I would just say I was just doing veterinary nursing a bit far away on the side.   And I'm so glad I came back to the farm when I did because, obviously, I got almost 3 whole years of working with my grandpa,   like Yeah. Free time in my eyes.  

Oh, that's wonderful. And we've learned so much in that time because he he was the patient one. He was the one who taught me how to drive a tractor when I was younger, got me through my tractor test,   helped me pass my car test. Like, he has taught me every machinery job there is to know where my dad doesn't have the patience for it.   Like,   I I think sometimes you can see that in my videos. Like, come on. Get on. We've got something to do here. And I'm just like, no. We need to learn. Come on. Yeah. Well, you were winding him up in one of the videos that I was watching earlier asking him what every button did and stuff, and he's pretty patient.   Yeah. Definitely.  

He he's got a very good sense of humor. I mean, he's got 2 daughters. He's got to be patient, hasn't he? Oh, definitely. Definitely. There's not much choice. And what what is your husband a farmer as well?   Yeah. My husband's   you can't recall as a first generation farmer because his dad had a few sheep, but   he's started from scratch on his own farm, and he blows my mind. He's incredible with what he does.  

[00:41:15] Unknown:

Wow. And you're what? A 5th generation farmer?  

[00:41:18] Unknown:

Yeah. 5th generation on this farm. Yeah. Wonderful.  

[00:41:21] Unknown:

I know what I was going to ask you. I wanted you to explain to the listeners   all about this inheritance tax because   I speak to so many people that seem so confused about it all, and everybody always thinks, oh, I've never known a rich I've never known a poor farmer yet,   because you farmers have got loads of money.   You've got all your land and everything. Yeah? You're loaded. That's so much money, honestly.   You lose it all day long. Yeah. Yes. And that little bit of inheritance tax, it's not going to affect you at all, is it? Could could you explain a bit more about that, please?  

[00:41:55] Unknown:

For anyone listening then, that was me full blown sarcasm.   So   let's put into earnings into perspective first. So   let's take our fund, for example,   earns around these are rough numbers, earns around a 130,000   last year. Now you're thinking, well, you're in, like, triple figures of earnings.   However,   only around 12% of that was profit. So just over $10 of that was profit.   That's then to be split between 4 people and some put into the bank for next year if it's a rainy year. So, like, if we don't grow enough corn, we then have to put money aside just in case we need to buy food for our animals to live. Mhmm.   So as you can imagine, that's a very small earning and yes, that's like £2,500   each way between us. There's 4 of us that work on the farm. My gran,   my mum, my dad, and me, and my sister. So that's 5 people. My mum and dad share a wage from the farm   and you tend to find that's the same on every farm even though we're all   working on farm as much as we can whenever we can.  

It's just not enough. So put that into perspective when I then say the next sentence.   So this in the   taxes we pay throughout our lifetime, we pay taxes on literally everything everybody else does at a 20% rate   and that could be on the food we eat,   the food we bring in from our cattle, the cattle we sell, the cattle we put into transport. Literally everything we buy and sell,   we get taxed on and we're one of the only industries that don't get paid a bit more profit on top of what we sell.   So that's   obviously the same as everybody else. We pay our taxes. Now someone brought out a figure back along and it was like under 5%   of the nation pay inheritance tax   because a lot of people don't have   that inheritance there. And if I were to   inherit   from my grandparents who don't farm, if I were to inherit their property,   it would be like an added bonus when they pass away. So it wouldn't be a property I've had anything to do with.  

And if I were to pay inheritance tax on that,   that's fine. Like, I'd probably sell the property and keep the money or find a way to make the money if I could if I was in the position to be able to. So it's added extra gift. However, if I was to if I were having to pay inheritance tax   on this farm and the house that's me having to pay inheritance tax on my own home and my own livelihood   when I haven't been earning a fair wage my whole life and that goes for just about every family farm unless they've diversified into something incredible.   So I'd have to pay, again, inheritance tax on my own house and on my own livelihood. There's no other industry that is expected to do that   so why should we be expected to?  

And   there's there's a lot of other factors to it and it's just such a shame that   the government hasn't seen this from our point of view. And what other factors are we talking about?   So again, the earnings, like, it's not gonna work,   and also the fact that it's going to affect the nation as a whole.   So this could see an increase in   food prices for everybody   because imports   are cheap,   but we don't necessarily   need imports at the moment. We already supply over 60% of our nation's food.   So really we could get away with cutting imports back a little bit and keeping the options down a bit more.   However,   if the imports then realize that, hold on, you don't have enough farmers in your country. You don't have enough food. They could easily put the price of our imports up and the price of our food up and control our prices.  

And you might say, yeah, but that might not happen because your farm will go to another farmer.   There's somebody else that wants to do it. Land prices are that phenomenal nowadays,   but it's not gonna happen.   It's gonna go to development especially properties like mine. It's in a really scenic location next to lots of different towns. I'm not gonna say whereabouts, just Cornwall,   and this will be grabbed up straight away. We've already had so many other people interested in buying our land and we've just said no, like, it's for farming. We want to produce food. We don't want that.   And so it's gonna see farmland go into hands of developers or people that need a new IT site to put all of their   technology on or solar panels.  

I mean,   the government is saying we're gonna be doing more for the environment and encouraging people to put in solar panels and things like that. Why don't we do what the French do and put solar panels above car parks in certain areas so you have an area where you can shelter your car from the harsh wind or rain or sun   and it's also creating energy.   Yeah. And just about every supermarket in France has that so then they don't need the farmers to do it because they highly respect their farmers and they know   that they need to support themselves.  



[00:46:57] Unknown:

Yeah. Definitely.   There are so many other ways, but I think they're so set on this moment achieving net 0, aren't they, which   is just a joke.  

[00:47:06] Unknown:

Our   industry   is one of those that is in the highest of cutting down on net 0.   If you look at the figures from 10 years ago to now, it's absolutely   phenomenal how much our industry has done.   Like, we are absolutely making steps in the right way   as fast as we possibly can.  

[00:47:28] Unknown:

Would you say then that   I mean, I don't believe in the whole geoengineering   thing and stuff. I don't believe that the climate is at risk because of cow farts and stuff like that. I really don't. What's your thoughts on that?  

[00:47:42] Unknown:

I've just me and my sister went away for a quick break, for a night up to a city and I looked out the window and I was like, there's no way   all of Cornwall produces   more   bad gases than this city right here.  

[00:47:58] Unknown:

Yeah. Yeah.  

[00:48:00] Unknown:

That's my answer to that.   The methane gases   produced by our cattle also get absorbed by our land.  

[00:48:07] Unknown:

Yeah. And then just keep converting it back to CO2.   You've got what you say in the cities,   all of the   vehicles and stuff like that, all the pollution,   it's gotta be a lot worse, but they are blatantly picking on the farmers.  

[00:48:23] Unknown:

Yeah. And it seems to be something that's quite regular. Like, even there was someone released the other day,   saying that there's so fewer hedgehogs nowadays in the countryside than there is   out in cities. There is more in cities   and I was like, yeah, but hold on. You've   stopped. Like, I'm not saying whether I support or don't support. Like, I'm not giving my opinion on that. But,   they have said   they haven't mentioned the fact that they haven't like, they've stopped the badger culls. There's lots more badgers. They stopped the hunt. There's lots of small foxes.   They haven't mentioned any of that, which all eat   hedgehogs.  

Right. But they've just said that it's the farmer's fault. That's what they've said.  

[00:49:04] Unknown:

Yeah.   Most people, they just read that in the papers, and they don't entertain the thought about thinking about it, do they? They've just been like this by the mainstream media and it's like this is what's happening.  

[00:49:16] Unknown:

Yeah. Just ignoring the complete   other side to it. Just reading one side of the newspaper and not the other.  

[00:49:22] Unknown:

Yeah. I think this goes on with everything to be honest with you, but I mean definitely the farmers movement at the moment, I think it's quite exciting   because I've just seen the way that, you know, for years we're like how are we going to get out of this system, out of this hellhole, and   I think it's brought all the farmers together   and it's made some of them realize that actually, do you know what? We can sell our products to other places. It doesn't have to be the supermarkets because people want clean food.  

[00:49:49] Unknown:

Yeah. Definitely. I wish as a whole like, all farmers within the UK would just sell privately.   Yeah. Yeah. Like, show straight to the butcher or straight to the consumer and just go like that because then we would   have a say. And I think   all of this is a problem of a lead up of over time,   We've   just   not noticed what's happening. So, like, now the supermarkets are so in charge of our food prices   that  

[00:50:15] Unknown:

we don't get half the profit we should be getting from it. No. If anything, quite often, you're on a loss, aren't you? Because of contracts and stuff.  

[00:50:22] Unknown:

Definitely. We'll take our wool prices, for example. We, we shed   over 400 sheep this year,   and each sheep was around £3 each to share,   give or take.   And   we got £250   back. That's not profit. That's all together. We got £250   back.  

[00:50:41] Unknown:

Oh, that's a pittance really, isn't it? Yeah. And  

[00:50:44] Unknown:

in the past, I've seen people accuse us of, like, bad animal welfare because we're shearing sheep to torture them. If that doesn't confirm that we do it for welfare and welfare   only I'm not sure what will.   No. Like we'll literally make a loss every year just from our wool and that's because   as a whole wool is not valued but also   many generations ago we were all signed into the wool board   or not all but many farmers were signed into the wool board because the prices were good back then.   Whereas now   the prices aren't there.  

[00:51:17] Unknown:

Yeah. And that's one aspect actually I've not even thought about the whole wall thing. It's all been mainly food and stuff, but yeah. Yeah. There's Crikey. Yeah. There's a lot of things that farmers produce that  

[00:51:28] Unknown:

aren't being   thought of.  

[00:51:30] Unknown:

No. No.   And I mean, I can vouch for how you look after your lambs because I've I've never known I've watched a video on your Instagram earlier of you putting on,   a little coat on your baby lambs to keep them dry. Yeah. I got a new one. I was such a thing.  

[00:51:46] Unknown:

Yeah. No. It's great. And they're biodegradable   as well so they'll fall off when they get too big so they won't suffocate them or anything. They'll just fall off and biodegrade but we pick the red ones so we can pick them up so so they don't have to biodegrade and the sheep doesn't accidentally eat them or anything. Right. But, back to what we're seeing just now, it's not just,   food and things like that. We've got a   flower farming family upcountry   And, like, it's gonna be everything that's affected by this because it's gonna be the flower farmers as well. They're in it too.   And   it's it's just the more you think about it, the more you realize how much farmers really do produce.  

Yeah. Nearly every day. No. That's that's mother's day out the window.  

[00:52:25] Unknown:

Yeah. Well flowers aren't cheap anymore, are they? You can't get you can't really get anything for under £2.  

[00:52:31] Unknown:

No. Definitely not.  

[00:52:33] Unknown:

No. I'll have to play that in mind as well. So yes. No. It's just for everything, isn't it?   Absolutely. I've become a bit obsessed with it all now because I'm just seeing everything that goes into food, and I, you know, I shop local, my butchers and stuff,   and, of course, we've had the recent scare of the whole bovir   ingredient being added   to cows. Yeah. And does that affect you or is it just lambs that you farm?  

[00:52:56] Unknown:

No. We've just got beef, sheep and herbal, and, our carbon footprint   is very low because we only feed forage base.  

[00:53:03] Unknown:

Right. Right.   Very interesting. There it is. I feel like I could just join the farm, you know.   Yeah. Come along. Come along, Maria. A team but, you know, perhaps there's something that they should do for kids for, like, work experience. Go and spend a day at the farm. See where your food comes from. See how we look after the animals. I mean, these are life skills and the essentials.  

[00:53:25] Unknown:

That's something I'm looking into doing. So at the moment, I'm just,   in the running. It's I'm just talking to schools at the moment.   Going out to primary schools in my area and just talking to the kids about where their food comes from, making it fun,   and potentially going in once a term so like 4 times a year and just like   showing them what's happening on the farm during that term.  

[00:53:45] Unknown:

Oh that's amazing.  

[00:53:47] Unknown:

Really so so they can like look forward to doing it and I'll have like loads of activities and things like that just to   make them excited about   hearing about a farmer and hopefully that will see more people come into our industry as well. Definitely.  

[00:54:00] Unknown:

Oh, that would be wonderful. I'm concerned there how you're going to fit it in, Maria.   You're   expecting you're already working on on a farm, but where there's a will, there's a way. I do think sometimes the busier you are, you just get things done, don't you? You get it. You get it. Oh, that does sound fascinating because I know I bore some of the people I work with, and one of them joked the other day and said, oh, it's Shelly from the Good Life again.   It's just because I've become so interested, and I'm always trying to tell them what they're eating and,   you know, trying to share a few facts and things just to get people thinking, really.  



[00:54:35] Unknown:

Yeah exactly yeah and when you're talking about supermarkets I was thinking I was like you can see exactly where people get the idea that farmers make loads of money from   like not only from our big houses and things like that that we bought for pittance many generations ago   but   also, the fact that when they go into supermarkets, all they can see is the prices rising on the shelf. They can't see why. They can't see who's getting the money.   I can guarantee you the farmer is not getting the increase in money.   They're the middleman. Yeah. Yeah.  



[00:55:05] Unknown:

I've spoken to a couple of farmers actually like about the prices of milk and stuff and how they're just losing actually, but they're already signed into contracts. They can't do anything about it.  

[00:55:15] Unknown:

Yeah. I don't know who thought contracts were a good idea, but I cussed them.  

[00:55:20] Unknown:

It's the same people that invented usury, I expect.   Yeah, the way of the world unfortunately.   But this battle, I do think we're we're gonna get somewhere with it because we had to it's like almost like we're going back to the beginning before   farmers used to sell their food locally before supermarkets came in the game,   you know.  

[00:55:40] Unknown:

I think supermarkets really do have a lot to answer for. Oh, definitely. You can you can say they give people jobs and they make it convenient,   but   there would have been the same amount of jobs. No. There would have been more jobs back in the day when you had the local grocery store next to the butchers, which was next to the card shop,   and next to everything else you could ever think of. Like, you would have had more jobs. You would have had better prices,   and mental health rates would have been so much more positive   because you get out and about, you see people, and you feel productive when you're doing it. Whereas when you go to a supermarket, you tut and you hiss when you walk past someone.  

Yeah.   But you don't like, my gran used to have it as a tradition when my grandpa was around. Every single Monday, she would go into our local town and she would go into the butchers and the local newspaper store and   the bakery and everything else and she would know all of them. She'd have a conversation with all of them.   And you're the only people she wanted to see other than friends and family   after he passed away   was the local butcher and the local newspaper lady and the local baker.   They've become that far into her life and it got her out and about and she said that I really needed that so like me and my sister now go with her every 2 weeks it is now, because she doesn't need as much food now and   we go in and we see them all and it's just really nice seeing that connection and just makes you realize if we all did this and all went around to, like, the local village and made a connection  

[00:57:09] Unknown:

and just had a great time whilst we're shopping just slowed down that little bit more, Mental health, actually, would be so much better. Oh, definitely. Because I I find more and more, it's always the elderly people that they want that conversation with people. Of course, it is. They don't see anybody. I mean, I go to my butchers and I love them all down there, and one of the girls there, she's been there since she was 18 and she's just had a baby, and I did some photographs for her yesterday.   But the connection,   when I go in there to have my weekly chat,   although it was quite stressed in there yesterday because obviously it's the build up to Christmas, and Yeah. One of our local butchers in the town, the last High Street butchers, are shut down, so now they're all coming to him, which is great,   but it's literally the busiest time of the year for them.  



[00:57:51] Unknown:

Yeah. I bet it is.   Probably very stressful for them, but I bet they get such a cheer out of it as well. Oh, definitely.  

[00:57:59] Unknown:

I love our butcher.   He's 77.   He should have retired long ago, but that's his life, and he's been widowed. I think, again, it keeps him going. He's got a purpose. He's got people to see.   Yeah, definitely. Yes. Shop locally. Well, we've come to the end, Maria. That went really quick. I knew it would.   Thank you so much for sparing the time. I know how busy you are, and it's been a real pleasure to capture your stuff. I'll continue following you in stuff, and perhaps come on again in 6 or 7 months' time when you, like, gone a bit further and you've got some more stuff to share. It would be brilliant.  

[00:58:33] Unknown:

Yeah. No. That would be absolutely brilliant. I'd love to do that. Yeah. Do that. What's your name on, Instagram, Maria?   Yes. I've got Instagram and TikTok. My name is maria warren 1124.   Do you want me to spell that out? Maria warren1124.  

[00:58:48] Unknown:

I will write that in the comments in a minute so that people can find you.   Great stuff. I urge it because it's just relaxing watching, actually. I've learned loads watching your videos.   I'm doing a bit of a Vlogmas at the moment, so it's a video almost every day when I have time to do one. Great stuff. Great. Well, keep up the good work, my lovely, and, I look forward to watching your progress and, find out more about what you're gonna be doing in schools and stuff.   No. Thank you so much for having me on. I've really enjoyed it. Oh, bless you. You're welcome. You take care, my lovely, and we'll speak again soon. Thank you so much. Soon. Bye. Thank you. Bye. Bye.   Wow. It was worth the wait. What a wonderful woman, and I believe she's only 23.  

Anyway,   that's another hour gone. I will be back   the same time next week. Have an awesome,   awesome week, guys.