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Making a mark on the farm: the marks and traces of farm animals and infectious diseases in northern England

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Beth ClarkORCiD, Dr Amy Proctor

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).


Abstract

© 2024 Royal Scottish Geographical Society. Farmed animals are expected to move through farmed spaces in certain ways to maximise their productivity. These spaces are also designed to limit the movement of disease-causing organisms. However, both types of lifeforms do not always move in expected ways. We focus on the mark-making of these organisms to explore: 1) the evidence of their movements through farm spaces; and 2) the effects of these movements on managing farm animal disease. We explore these questions via social-scientific and artistic practices. The social science draws on in-depth interviews with UK cattle and sheep farmers, and farm advisors. The artistic component draws on work conducted by an ‘artist in residence' engaging with farm animals and farmer-livestock relationships. Farm animals and infectious micro-organisms were found to move in different ways and create different marks and traces across farms, bodies, and how diseases were managed. These lifeforms often frustrated biosecurity practices of exclusion and enclosure and existed on a spectrum of disease risk. Human actors needed to learn to become attuned to lifeform movements in order to enact disease management. We conclude by suggesting a continued focus in future social-scientific research on how the ‘sub-animal body' contributes to the enacting of farm disease management.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Mahon N, Finan S, Holloway L, Clark B, Proctor A

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Scottish Geographical Journal

Year: 2024

Pages: ePub ahead of Print

Online publication date: 11/07/2024

Acceptance date: 27/03/2024

Date deposited: 24/07/2024

ISSN (print): 1470-2541

ISSN (electronic): 1751-665X

Publisher: Routledge

URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/14702541.2024.2343951

DOI: 10.1080/14702541.2024.2343951

ePrints DOI: 10.57711/v8eb-de31


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Funding

Funder referenceFunder name
Wellcome Trust
Wellcome Trust 209818/Z/17/Z

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