Former NFU President Graham Ward suggests that global warming is turning the north east into the ‘new garden of England’.
Ward, executive consultant for Snaith Salads, argues that climate change has lead to a hitherto unseen variety of crops grown in England’s coldest region.
Leeds is home to Britain’s northernmost vineyard, and nearby, Makins grows strawberries, while Baarda’s eco-powered tomato-growing super-plant harvests 52 weeks a year just outside Billingham.
Ward is highly optimistic for the region. “We’ve got the land,” he argues. “This part of the world hasn’t yet been concreted-over. Wages are still low. With rising temperatures, we can become the backbone of English agriculture.”
