\u200b\u200bVisions of the future help us shape the present. What are the dominant visions of future food production in the UK? And what visions do farmers themselves hold of the future of farming? To answer these questions, I will spend three months cycling across England this spring, stopping along the way to interview women in farming communities for my PhD research. By cycling a cross-section of the country, I hope to speak with women across different geographic and farming contexts, allowing me to \u201ccollect\u201d a range of visions for the future of farming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why are you studying visions for the future?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Images of the future \u2013 both the images we hold in our heads and the more physical visual representations of the future \u2013 shape the decisions we make in the present. If you search Google Images for “future farming,” you get a very specific vision of the future \u2013 a high-tech vision where our food is grown with the help of robots and drones instead of farmers. In my fieldwork, I’m interested in seeing how people who grow our food imagine the future of farming in England. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Why are you focusing your research on England?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
When I first started talking about doing a big cycle ride for my PhD, I was planning on cycling from Land’s End to John O’ Groats, with research participants in England and Scotland. Some of the people in my research groups suggested I should, therefore, also include Wales and Northern Ireland and I felt like the trip was just getting too big for me to manage, so I decided to focus my project on food production in England. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Why are you focusing on women’s visions of the future?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
A lot of historical work exploring visions for the future have focused predominately on how men imagine the future. The farming industry (like cycling), remains very male-dominated, so I’m curious to speak with women about how they view the future of farming and food production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Why are you cycling for your PhD fieldwork?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
There’s lots of reasons! I realised if I wanted to collect visions of the future of farming across different farming contexts, I would need to travel to different parts of England. I haven’t learnt how to drive yet and public transport in rural areas isn’t always reliable, so I realised cycling would be the best way for me to get around. It’s also a more environmentally friendly way of travelling across the country and will allow me to really experience the varied landscapes of England as I move through the countryside. I’m also hoping the trip will generate some media interest and get people talking about the future of farming!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
When are you planning on setting off?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
I’ll be starting my trip at Land’s End in Cornwall in mid-April 2025. I’ll spend the next 12 weeks cycling across England for my fieldwork, before ending on the England-Scotland border near Carlisle in early July.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Where will you be stopping for your interviews?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
I’ll be splitting my time between “cycling weeks” and “data collection” weeks. My interviews will take place near: Okehampton (Devon), London, Wisbech (Cambridgeshire), Market Rasen (Lincolnshire), Stokesley (North Yorkshire), and Penrith (Cumbria). If you live near one of these areas and would be interested in being interviewed for my research, please do fill out the form on the right hand side of the website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Where will you be staying along the way?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
For the most part, I’m planning on camping at established campsites along the way, so here’s hoping the weather stays dry! I’ve built in extra time into my schedule to rest and relax, so will also stay with friends, as well as at hotels and hostels at various points along the route.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u200b\u200bVisions of the future help us shape the present. What are the dominant visions of future food production in the UK? And what visions do farmers themselves hold of the future of farming? To answer these questions, I will spend three months cycling across England this spring, stopping along the way to interview women in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2325,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n