Killing in the strawberry fields.
Fragrant and juicy, there’s something so quintessentially English about strawberries and those long sunny summer days.
Known to be locally grown and available in supermarkets within hours of being picked they have that unmistakable fresh smell and flavour. However a terrible dark side to strawberry production in Staffordshire has been discovered.
Tom and Val Busby originally established soft fruit production at Dearnsdale Farm in Staffordshire. It’s one of many fruit farms owned by the extended Busby family in the wider area.
They focus on growing strawberries in polytunnels. These have proved to be very unpopular with many of their neighbours because of the noise and disturbance generated, in the peace of the countryside, by the wind and rain beating against the plastic sheeting even for long periods when the polytunnels are not in use.
Son Thomas and daughter Claire now oversee the Busby family operation which produces over 1200 tonnes of soft fruit per season. This is to fulfil their main contract with Tesco stores in the region as well as with other Busby clients such as Chatsworth Farm Shop.
Badger protectors have found cage traps in strawberry fields belonging to the Busby’s. The very same type of trap that held the innocent victim who was filmed being brutally shot at point blank range recently.
That blameless badger condemned by cruel ruthless politicians, cruel greedy landowners, the cruel ignorant NFU and cruel lazy farmers. That badger who represents so many thousands of other badgers. That badger who suffered a horrific and lingering death.
Soft fruit is not at risk of bTB nor do the Busby family farm dairy or beef herds alongside their horticultural businesses.
Like us, you may be wondering why established and successful strawberry growing horticulturalists, who supply a major supermarket like Tesco amongst other well known and esteemed outlets, are involved in badger culling?
Why would they be willing to risk their reputation and have the quality of their produce forever questioned for being known as tainted with the blood of innocent badgers?
You can ask them those questions as well as any others you may have here:
01785 780715
You can also ask Tesco why their strawberry supplier is involved in the badger cull and whether Tesco believes this will be acceptable to their customers:
Please make full use of the Freepost address below.
UK customer enquiries
Tesco Customer Services
Freepost SCO2298
Dundee DD1 9NF
Tel: +44 (0) 800 505555
Email: customer.service@tesco.co.uk
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