Revamped nursery rhyme puts spotlight on farmers’ woes

A familiar nursery rhyme has had an update, putting the focus on the difficulties the farming community currently faces.

Titled “E-I-E-I-Woe”, the song is a “protest” version of “Old Macdonald”, featuring updated lyrics to reflect industry challenges.

See also: Impact of educating children about farming revealed

It is sung by a group of British farmer’s children and can be downloaded from either Spotify or Apple Music – with all proceeds from the downloads going to the We Are Farming Minds charity.

The lyrics are based on research by butter brand All Things Butter, which is behind the reimagined version of the song.

The song reflects changes in farming, but also hopes and determination for the future, with a smart, modern spin on the lyrics and a funky (farm)house beat.

Toby Hopkinson, co-founder of All Things Butter, says: “The challenges affecting our farmers are heartbreaking.

“We’re delighted to partner with We Are Farming Minds, farmers and their families with this project to help raise important funds and awareness of the issues facing this industry today.”

© All Things Butter

Survey 

To determine the lyrics of the charity single, All Things Butter commissioned a survey of 2,000 British farmers to understand what keeps them awake at night.

It found that nearly half of UK farmers (48%) are deeply worried by inheritance tax, and one in three (34%) are battling the relentless stresses of unpredictable British weather as recent storms and unseasonal snowfalls have caused devastating crop losses.

A fifth (21%) of farmers – equivalent to 41,800 British farms – even fear their farm may not exist in 10 years’ time.

The survey also showed almost half (42%) of farmers now believe “there’s no money in farming anymore”.

To make ends meet, a quarter (27%) of farmers said they had turned to opening farm shops, while a staggering 40% have taken on second jobs to keep their businesses afloat.

Emily Jones at We Are Farming Minds said: “Initiatives like this are vital in raising awareness and ensuring that British farming remains sustainable for generations to come.”