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BBC News
12 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
'Staffordshire council farm gave us a foothold in farming'
For more than 100 years, the county council in Staffordshire has rented out farms it owns to help give a foothold to people who want to forge a career in the has offered couples like Richard and Rachel Moss the chance to start out in dairy farming and grow their like Richard and Ella Upton have used it as a stepping stone to taking on larger private scheme began in 1908 and was then extended after World War One to provide ex-servicemen with opportunities to work the land. "The starter farms are definitely a good thing for people wanting to get into the industry," Mr Moss said."It gives those people that haven't got the opportunities of a family farm at home a chance to do it themselves.""You've got to put yourself out there," Mrs Moss added. "You've got to believe in yourself that you can do it."The couple took on their first council farm tenancy in 2019, and after two-and-a-half years moved to a larger holding near Stafford. Today they own 180 cows. Staffordshire County Council said it currently had more than 60 equipped farms and rural property covering about 6,500 are available to new starters and those developing a farming business, with the majority being used for dairy rest are used for rearing beef cattle and sheep and a small amount for growing crops. 'Stepping stone' It is an example of how the council supports a key part of the rural economy, according to deputy leader Martin Murray."As a largely rural county it is a priority for us to support agricultural enterprise and we're pleased to be able to do this through our thriving farms estate," he said. Farmers Richard and Ella Upton are now leaving their council farm for a 500-acre holding on the Chatsworth estate in said their tenancy in east Staffordshire had been a "stepping stone" when they started out in Upton's father is also a tenant farmer on a Staffordshire council farm, as was his grandfather."I'd always wanted to be a dairy farmer, having grown up working with my dad on his holding, so securing my own council farm was the obvious route," Mr Upton grew his herd from 40 to 120 cows, and said without the Staffordshire holding he did not feel he would have been successful applying for his Chatsworth tenancy. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Metro
25-05-2025
- Health
- Metro
This Japanese walking trend can make you live longer — but it's so annoying
First we had Hot Girl walks, then London's 'mega walks' took over. Now, there's a new walking routine getting the girlies talking – and it hails all the way from Japan. Japanese Interval Walking is relatively easy to master, as all you need to do is walk at a quick pace for three minutes, then slow down for three. The fast pace should be enough to get your heart rate up considerably (if you have an exercise watch, it should be between 70 and 85% of your maximum, which you can calculate by subtracting your age from 220). During the slow pace, you can take it easy again and whack it down a notch. For this little break, you should be strolling – and letting your heart rate come down to between 40 to 50% of your maximum measure. Got the gist? You just need to repeat five times for a 30-minute period. And the best bit? All you'll need is your trainers and something to time yourself with – even if it's just your phone, or even a good old-fashioned watch. Naturally, it's taken the internet by storm. Over on TikTok, @paigepaxtonsnyder tried it as a 'fun way' to get her steps in. In her view, it kept exercise 'interesting' – and she levelled it up by wearing a weighted vest, all while staying in Zone 2. @organicpilates is also a convert, and particularly enjoys doing it on a 'sunny day' to 'increase happiness.' We could all do with topping up our dopamine levels, that's for sure. The benefits of interval walking are myriad, too – with one study published in UC Davis concluding that it typically helps you to burn more fat and muscle, if that's something you're looking to do. Plus, HIIT exercises can lower both blood pressure and heart rate – both things that can help you live longer – but you'll need to make sure you come prepared, as if you go too hard too soon, then you risk being left with injuries to either your muscles or joints. Metro's Lifestyle Editor, Rachel Moss, tried Japanese Interval Walking on her lunchbreak. Here's how she got on: 'Call me old before my time, but I'm obsessively into walking. I put up with a 90-minute commute into London for easy access to the Chilterns at weekends, I holiday in the Lake District, and I'm currently nerding out with Kerri Andrews's book, Wanderers: A History of Women Walking. 'But Japanese Interval Walking? Never again. More Trending 'It's somehow the worst of both worlds. Not quite the calm joy of a walk, not nearly the endorphin-pumping release of a run. Instead, it feels like I'm perpetually late for a train I never catch. 'Just as I start to enjoy the slow pace and notice my surroundings or, I don't know, breathe , my phone buzzes and its sprint-ish mode again. 'Speaking of phones, you're glued to it the whole time. Never mind being good for your blood pressure, interval walking is so annoying, I can feel mine rising through sheer frustration. View More » 'The one benefit, I suppose, is that I've squeezed some exercise into a day that I wouldn't have done otherwise. But the hyper-scheduled trend destroys everything I love about walking – the mindfulness, the freedom, the quietly revolutionary rhythm – so for me, it's a no.' Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: Deaf woman, 25, who took her own life was 'failed' by mental health services MORE: Want Pedro Pascal's toned arms? Personal trainers share how to get them MORE: I shared my lowest moments on my Instagram story — I don't regret it
