Can we really turn back the clock and apply these principles in Britain? The Prince of Wales has created a small Transylvanian wild-flower meadow in the car park at Highgrove and is eager to expand it. Akeroyd, however, has urged caution. “He mustn’t let the seed get out to the wider countryside as the plants are genetically different and they will hybridise with the local plants.” Page agrees that meadows such as this will only ever be a demonstration; we’ve moved on from horse-drawn ploughs and scythes, he says, but we can look to Transylvania as an example of how small is beautiful. “Farmers in Britain believe they have to increase their herd size and farms to make money, but size does not always equal profit,” he says.