August 2022 State Fair Edition

legislation. Because of the push for all agriculture production to be net-carbon zero, these farmers were not just concerned about sustainability for the well being of the land, but because they are required to do so. It is important to note that in many cases these farmers are relying on substitutes to make their endeavors profitable, or are being paid greater amounts to manage herds and land rather than make a profit on their products. In the United States we put a great amount of value in what our rights as citizens are. This is also very true of our neighbors across the Atlantic, but our class was shocked to learn what one of those rights is β€˜β€˜the right to roam.’’ The largest landowner in the United Kingdom is the government and its agencies, followed by the royal family, and other existing lords, estates, and aristocrats. This means that the majority of citizens, and particularly farmers, are tenets. Some family farms will spend multiple generations developing land for agricultural use only to be forced out at any given time. Because of this, the right to roam lets citizens travel on any land regardless if it is privately or publicly owned. Driving through the countryside and seeing people hike through fields and pastures was truly a foreign concept as it is hard to imagine anyone passing though our properties in the United States without consequence. Throughout the trip, we visited many beef and lamb operations and learned that the systems used to grade beef in the United

436

Powered by