The Minister for Farming joined with Trudy and members of her local faming community farmers in Nether Wasdale this month.
Victoria Prentis MP visited the Sawmill Cafe and Farm shop in Nether-Wasdale to meet with staff to understand more about the struggles and challenges that come with opening and running a new business during a global pandemic.
Formally a working sawmill, the cafe, situated on the River Irt was bought by Julius Manduell and family in 2016 who converted the mill and restored many of its original features including a watermill which hadn’t turned for more than 50 years.
The visit also saw the Minister meet with local farmers to discuss commons work and management projects in Copeland.
Trudy said: “It was my pleasure to welcome Victoria Prentis, Minister for Farming, Fisheries and Food, to Nether Wasdale.
“Minister Prentis and I, along with colleagues from Defra and the National Trust, met with representatives of the Federation of Cumbria Commoners and the Nether Wasdale Commoners Organisation to discuss commons work and management projects.
“There is no other industry where knowledge and experience is passed down the generations more than farming. Farmers know their land best.
“Myself, the farmers, the National Trust and the commoners associations all recognise this and we ask the Minister to consider making our area a special case when deciding nature-based farming policy.”
