Another brilliant idea has occurred to me, and like all ideas, I don’t know if someone has already done it, if it’s total genius, or (more likely) total nonsense.
But I’m going to share it with you all anyway, so please bear with me.
I was driving my tractor the other day and the radio was talking about the rise of online dating.
Whether you’re looking for a long-term relationship or just a one-off, this is how most couples meet these days.
See: Privately funded natural capital planning: things to consider
About the Author
Will Evans
Farmers Weekly Opinion Writer
Will Evans works with his wife and parents, farming beef cattle and arable crops on 200 hectares of land near Wrexham in North Wales.
During my youth in the 1990s and early 2000s, internet dating was not common.
So when I explain to my many daughters that the now Mrs Evans and I first met when we actually spoke to each other at a YFC dance, I get the usual reaction of incredulity when I tell stories from when we were younger: “Wow, that’s strange!”
Find your soulmate
That aside, it got me thinking about the whole concept of a matching service.
That day I had already been contemplating a new environmental plan and what could be done on the farm with the right level of support, so the two ideas collided and I had a lightbulb moment.
What if there was a simple app that connected farmers with private funding for on-farm environmental projects?
There are no middlemen squeezing huge profits out of operations, no government complicating things with unnecessary bureaucracy, just connecting us in a non-profit way.
Here’s how it works: first create a profile, something like “Will Evans, Mixed Farming, Wrexham”.
I want to add a picture of myself squinting into the sun like in a terrible photo, looking about 20 years older than my actual age. FW This page advocates its use.
Then I add what I’m looking for and how it benefits nature on our farm.
It could be a very basic request – a few hundred metres of hedgerow, a livestock-proof fence on either side, and a few trees planted about every 10 metres.
Or maybe we have more ambitious plans: double fencing all the existing hedgerows that don’t have fences, planting trees in some tricky corners, putting up fences and solar pumps to stop cows getting into waterways, and funding the agroforestry project we’ve started to consider.
Happily ever after
Post photos and videos, describe it all nicely, explain the possible environmental impact and how much each action will cost individually or the entire project, and then just ask who can help.
In return, whether you’re a large construction company, a multinational airline, a football club, an environmentally conscious local SME or even a supermarket chain, you can offset your emissions by supporting family farms, improving biodiversity and sequestering more carbon.
An added benefit is that you get to show your clients the work they’ve paid for, proving to them that they’re doing something good for the planet and local communities.
Maybe you’ll enjoy it all too.
If I have a stressful day at the office, I can quickly access Google Earth to see where improvements can be made, or even pick up the phone to see what types of birds and insects I saw that week.
So, what do you guys think? Swipe right for yes, swipe left for no.