- The World Cup of Food – Having friends over to watch the World Cup? Chef Miranda Gore Browne has cooked up a football feast focused on the three host nations – Canada, USA and Mexico – with British ingredients!
- Climate farming – We chat to farmers Jason and Katharine Salisbury from Suffolk who farm Guernsey cows to make cheese and even have their own milk vending machine.
- View from the Farm – The changeable British weather is proving a major worry for Joe Stanley in Leicestershire.
- Country ramblings – Dudley Edmunds looks at the nature and folklore of July.
What’s in this issue?
Staggeringly, there’s thought to be about 15 million dogs in the UK. They’re our most faithful friends and loyal cheerleaders. And one of the most exciting things about getting a dog is… getting a puppy! That joyful, unbelievably cute ball of fur and energy. But, as Carolyn Menteith sets out in her column on pages 62-3, getting a puppy might not always be the smart choice for a prospective dog owner.
As much as a pup is probably the sweetest thing since an eight-year-old Shirley Temple tap-danced onto the silver screen, they will utterly take over your life (and your house). “Puppies don’t do ‘convenient’ and they don’t have an off-switch,” says Carolyn. You will become their teacher, leader, mentor and cleaner-upper. So, as much as they’re an adorable dream, they might not always be the best option.
But there is a solution: a rescue dog. Some of these dogs have had a bad start and need extensive work and rehabilitation – and that can be off-putting – but many are there because of owners’ changing circumstances, family bereavement, financial crisis, accidental or irresponsible breeding… any number of reasons that are no fault of their own.
Elsewhere in this edition, and with the World Cup upon us, our regular cookery writer Miranda Gore Browne has put together a veritable football feast, based on the tournament host countries – Mexico, USA and Canada – but made with British ingredients! From beef empanadas to traditional burgers and even a Canadian poutine with pulled chicken, there’s enough to feed your starting XI. So, if you have friends and family popping round to enjoy the game, why not have a go at some of these great recipes and cheer your team on.
Also
in this edition…
- Rescue me! While most prospective dog owners think they want a cute puppy, often they don’t. A well-socialised rescue dog could be just the ticket.
- Feathered Focus - Focus on the Dorking breed, why chickens need to synthesize vitamin D, and why chicks are ahead of their time.
- Buyer’s guide – Hi-tech kit to take on your camping travels - such as off-grid showers, coffee makers and pizza ovens.
- Nature magpie – This month, Dr Daniel Allen looks at the golden-ringed dragonfly.
- Branching out in wartime - Dr Tessa Dunlop chats to 103-year-old Hannah Potter about her wartime experiences as a lumberjill.
- Age-old craft - York Minster has a centuries-old tradition of supporting the next generation of craftspeople through apprenticeships and our latest ‘In Pictures’ focuses on the work of stone masons.
- Music of the land - Traditional folk songs tell the story of past rural lives, and there are benefits to be had by keeping them alive today, says Dudley Edmunds.
- The Great British History Quiz – Think you know a lot about history and the countryside? Pit your wits against our historical quiz!
- She grows veg - Lucy Hutchings gives us her top tips on what unusual veg to grow this summer.
- A touch of Frost - A judge at this year's Royal Welsh, Adam Frost takes his gardening knowledge to the heart of the farming community, writes Kitty Corrigan.
- A field of dreams - As one farm-gate closes, another opens for flower grower Sarah Gray as she explains her path through the flower industry.
- What’s cooking in my kitchen? Featuring James Boniface from the Castle Inn, Castle Combe.
