04/09/06
Farm Radio is an internet radio station aimed at people interested
in farming and the countryside. It is proving a great success, clocking
up nearly one million hits on its web site in the past year.
Trevor Bailey
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The station, launched in Dorset in November 2003, aims to create stronger
links between rural communities. Professional farming journalists and
volunteers from farming backgrounds, make the programmes which cover
up-to-the-minute farming issues. Each month a new edition of Farm Radio
is available to listen to online and all previous programmes remain
on the site.
Farm Radio is funded by the EU LEADER+ scheme, the South West
Foundation and the Sustainable Development Fund. LEADER+ is a European
Union programme, managed in England by Defra, to help rural communities
improve their economic prosperity and quality of life.
The project is the brainchild of Trevor Bailey and John Holman,
of Dorset's rural media charity, Trilith, which has existed for
22 years. The idea arose after John and Trevor heard from farming
families that the closure of virtually all of Dorset's livestock
markets had led to the loss of business and social contact.
Trevor said:
“We wanted to find a way of helping farming families keep
in touch with developments and other people's experiences in agriculture.”
The station is now building on its success with a partnership
with two Irish community-run radio stations, Raidió Corca
Baiscinn, Co. Clare and West Limerick Radio, Newcastle West.
Through the partnership the stations will visit each other to
find out more about their work and share ideas on how to reach
their rural communities. Each station will also broadcast programmes
made by their counterparts, to give people in their community an
insight into rural issues in a different country.
Farm Radio can be found at: www.farmradio.org.uk
For more information on Farm Radio, please contact Trevor Bailey
on 01747 840750 or John Holman on 01747 840727.
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