A quirky look at the industry that also supports rural charity
While it might be tempting to review the latest blockbuster set to boost the sales of the rural charity RSABI by drawing up a list of what one liked most about it, that would be to steal the idea behind the book.
For the book of Farming Facts and Fake News brims full of lists tracked down, chased up and collated by brothers John and The Scotsman farming contributor Andrew Arbuckle – the team behind Farming is a Funny Business, which was similarly packed with agricultural jokes and anecdotes and has raised £50,000 for the charity since its publication two years ago.
But the new paperback does not set out to compete with the Guinness Book of Records – and no promise of objectivity is made by the authors or contributors in the eclectic catalogue of information, which rang- es from the essential to the irrelevant but which is always entertaining.
“If you are looking for details on the biggest turnip or the heaviest yield of grain, this is not the book for you,” reads the pair’s preface. “We have included many lists that might provoke an argument but few that will settle a dispute.”
The book’s bravest move is perhaps to close with a list of the 12 most influential people in agriculture. An easy way of making 12 good friends – and hundreds of enemies. But – spoiler alert! – the duo manage to wriggle out of offending anyone who might feel miffed at being excluded from the list.
The book retails for £10, with all proceeds going to RSABI and will be available direct from the charity, at all good agricultural venues and events (and, no doubt, some of the bad ones too…).