In a potato field near the Netherlands’ border with Belgium, Dutch farmer Jacob van den Borne is seated in the cabin of an immense harvester before an instrument
panel worthy of the starship Enterprise.
From his perch 10 feet above the ground, he’s monitoring two drones—a driverless tractor roaming the fields and a quadcopter in the air—that provide detailed readings on soil
chemistry, water content, nutrients, and growth, measuring the progress of every plant down to the individual potato. Van den Borne’s production numbers testify to the power of this
“precision farming,” as it’s known. The global average yield of potatoes per acre is about nine tons. Van den Borne’s fields reliably produce more than 20.
That copious output is made all the more remarkable by the other side of the balance sheet: inputs. Almost two decades ago, the Dutch made a national commitment to sustainable
agriculture under the rallying cry “Twice as much food using half as many resources.” Since 2000, van den Borne and many of his fellow farmers have reduced dependence on water for
key crops by as much as 90 percent. They’ve almost completely eliminated the use of chemical pesticides on plants in greenhouses, and since 2009 Dutch poultry and livestock
producers have cut their use of antibiotics by as much as 60 percent…
It’s the grassroots political movement whose launch nobody could envy. Now, social media channels for Activate, the centre-right attempt to emulate Momentum’s youth appeal, appear to be at war with each other over backing for Jacob Rees-Mogg to be Britain’s next
prime minister.
On Twitter, the @ActivateBritain account has tweeted a string of anti-Theresa May
images and issued an “official statement” endorsing the MP for North East Somerset as the next Conservative leader…
It was September 1738, and Benjamin Lay had walked 20 miles, subsisting on “acorns and peaches,” to reach the Quakers’ Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. Beneath his overcoat he wore a
military uniform and a sword — both anathema to Quaker teachings. He also carried a hollowed-out book with a secret compartment, into which he had tucked a tied-off animal bladder
filled with bright red pokeberry juice.
When it was Lay’s turn to speak, he rose to address the Quakers, many of whom had grown rich and bought African slaves. He was a dwarf, barely four feet tall, but from his small body
came a thunderous voice. God, he intoned, respects all people equally, be they rich or poor, man or woman, white or black.
Throwing his overcoat aside, he spoke his prophecy: “Thus shall God shed the blood of those persons who enslave their fellow creatures.” He raised the book above his head and plunged
the sword through it. As the “blood” gushed down his arm, several members of the congregation swooned. He then splattered it on the heads and bodies of the slave keepers. His message
was clear: Anyone who failed to heed his call must expect death — of body and soul.
Lay did not resist when his fellow Quakers threw him out of the building. He knew he would be disowned by his beloved community for his performance, but he had made his point. As long
as Quakers owned slaves, he would use his body and his words to disrupt their hypocritical routines…
IMO Car Wash, 2 Bicester Rd, Kidlington OX5 2LE, United Kingdom.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Good value, so long as you buy what you want and don’t let your eyes start drifting up the board (“for only a pound more… for only another pound more…”). Sometimes long queues,
ocassionally to the point where the nearby junction is impacted – avoid if there are more than two cars waiting to go in!
El Mexicana, 92 Gloucester Green, Oxford OX1 2BU, United Kingdom.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Excellent food served promptly by friendly staff. The soft tacos and the sweet potato fries are particularly good. Licensed, so you can have a beer or an adult-slushie with your food,
too.
Reward card scheme requires a mobile, which could be good if you like that kind of thing (Me? I’d prefer a bit of cardboard or plastic in my wallet any day!).
This review of originally appeared on Google Maps. See more
reviews by Dan.
, .
Rating: ⭐⭐
Confusing duration options when parking. Pay machines were out of order, and telephone payment system kept reverting to assuming I was driving our other car and couldn’t be persuaded to
remember the current one. Lots of spaces and a good location, but for the time being I’d rather park elsewhere and walk, or else just get a lift to the station!
The Key Medical Practice, Exeter Close, Oxford Rd, Kidlington OX5 1AP, United Kingdom.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Professional, clean surgery with a caring, compassionate staff. Sometimes hard to get an appointment or even to get through on the phone at peak times.
University Parks, S Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3RF, United Kingdom.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Beautiful, well-maintained, sprawling parks owned by the University. Great spot for a picnic or the sport of your choice, or just a delightful walk. Note that no bicycles are allowed
even if not ridden!
This review of Boots originally appeared on Google Maps. See more
reviews by Dan.
Boots, 6-8 Cornmarket St, Oxford OX1 3HL, United Kingdom.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Large, conveniently-central branch of this chain store. Good range of products. Knowledgeable staff at well-stocked pharmacy. Reasonable lunchtime “meal deal”. Lunchtime queues are
often long, even for self-checkouts.
Sainsbury's Petrol Station, 289 Oxford Rd, Kidlington OX5 2PE, United Kingdom.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Reasonable filling station: all the common fuels, plus (free) air. Sometimes very busy, and an awkward exit that involves a late-merge into a queue of traffic leaving the supermarket,
which means you’re at the mercy of others to let you merge (and at busy times you can wait a while). Only possible to exit onto Southbound carriageway, but Kidlington roundabout nearby
if you need to turn North.
The Cake Shop, 123-127 Avenue 4, The Covered Market, Oxford OX1 3DZ, United Kingdom.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
We’ve had several custom-made cakes produced by The Cake Shop – for a wedding, for birthdays, for a corporate event – and have always been impressed by their ability to turn our ideas
into confectionery! They’ve always been happy for us to try samples of the cake and cream fillings that they’re proposing for a given design and to explain to us what they can and can’t
do within the limitations of icing (and how they might work around them!). Much of their work is showcased in their window (which seems to have a perpetual throng of tourists) and their
website so you get every opportunity to judge for yourself how these imaginative cakesmiths can make your party extra-special.
