The Farmers Club Issue 275

Farmers Club HARVEST 2018 • ISSUE 275

www.thefarmersclub.com

INSIDE Farming progress p6 50,000 litre cows p8 Knowledge transfer p10 Club AGM report p12 ‘Hope’ land p16 Biological control p17 Cereals sector seminar p18 Chef’s mushrooms p19 Under 30s farm walk p21 More Club news p22 INSERTS Harvest Festival New Year’s Eve Gove’s Club talk FC/BCPC cereals seminar Bellini and Mantegna Visit Herefordshire Tour

NFU President Minette Batters on Brexit Exclusive briefing for Club members at AGM Luncheon (p13) www.thefarmersclub.com for the latest Club news

Farmers Club Serving the farming industry for 175 years 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL Patron – Her Majesty The Queen

Contents

FRONT COVER NFU President Minette Batters with Club Chairman Peter Jinman at the Club before the AGM Luncheon in the Farmers Suite.

Pic: Minna Rossi Photography www.minnarossi.com info@minnarossi.com Disclaimer: The articles published in The Farmers Club Journal do not necessarily reflect the views of The Farmers Club. No responsibility for the quality of goods or services advertised in the magazine can be accepted by the publisher.

Advertisements are included in good ­­­­ faith. All rights reserved.

6

3 Chairman’s Comments

Reflections on two wonderful visits to Isle of Man and Norway

4 Club News

Update on a phenomenal Summer Shows season

6 Business perspective

NFU, AHDB, HSBC, Andersons and Waitrose advice on how farms should be responding as Brexit pressures build

8 Boosting dair y

8

Farmers Club Charitable Trust beneficiary takes a detailed look at ways to improve dairy profits by extending cow life

10 Knowledge exchange

The innovation supply chain is fractured and UK farm productivity is suffering. AIC suggests a solution

12 Club AGM

2019 Chairman is second in two years from Herefordshire; Vice-Chairman to bring a flavour of Scotland

13 Batters on British farming

Championing farming’s cause in the great Agriculture Bill debate. NFU President Minette Batters sets out her stall

14

14 Manx visit

Outside the EU, off-shore from the UK and focused on making the most of its farming opportunities. Club visits Isle of Man

16 Hope value

When does ‘hope value’ for development land become a tax liability, and what can you do about it?

17 Biological barriers

Bio-control of crop pests is being blocked by bureaucracy.

A Club member puts the case for a more benign approach

17

18 Your har vest in stats

NFU campaign to raise awareness of arable output

19 Chef ’s mushroom quest

Visit to an amazing Leics fungi farm

21 Under 30s Spring farm walk Suffolk farming in focus for Under 30s

22 More Club news 23 Club Information and Contacts 02 • The Farmers Club Harvest Journal 2018

Chairman’s Comments • Peter Jinman hence our trips to the Isle of Man and Norway.

Some were surprised the Isle of Man is outside the EU. Although just off mainland Britain, it is a stand-alone British Protectorate, with its own fully functioning parliament, Tynwald, the oldest in continual existence in the world.

The very warm welcome our group received from members on the Island, and the honour of having a Club member and Past President of the Island’s Parliament as a speaker, the Chief Minister as a guest, and the Chief Executive of the island’s Department of the Environment, Food and Agriculture as speaker and guest, ensured members learnt of the difficulties of farming on an island, where everything must be made or imported, and where the market is either local, or export, at a cost that can make it less competitive.

Chairman’s Comments “The messages of selfreliance, and of dependency, were clear, as was the need to ensure exports meet the importer’s requirements, legally and by specification.”

I AM writing this with the show season in full swing. The best of British agriculture is on display at over eighty country, county and national shows, and it has been my pleasure to visit some on behalf of the Club to hold Receptions. The turn out and the weather has been splendid. It is nice to see members in their native habitat, and wearing their best ‘plumage’!

Each event has its own character, reflecting the local countryside, or the breeds of livestock and types of farm machinery on show. The magnificent display of Suffolk Punches, Lleyn sheep or Hereford Cattle filling the judging ring, or the main ring filled with Best of Breeds, shows the quality of livestock this country can produce.

Shows are not just shop windows though.

They are for business too, and with that comes politics. I thought the Secretary of State might think I was stalking him, as he seemed to be at every show I attended. Of course, it could be the other way around! I just hope the educational experience I had was replicated for him, although his questioning seemed tougher than mine, which was usually: ‘how do I get a room?’.

EU fringes I was keen for Club members to have the opportunity to visit countries outside the EU,

Herefordshire farm visit Grassland, hops, cattle and cider, broilers and soft fruit – farming in Herefordshire is full of contrasts, as the Club’s October Study Tour is sure to discover. See enclosed Application Form.

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@thefarmersclub

As ever discussion with some farmers on the island did not always tally with the words of the politicians. But the messages of self-reliance, and of dependency, were clear, as was the need to ensure exports meet the importer’s requirements, legally and by specification. Some visitors envied the equivalent of the basic payment scheme, which is paid in tranches over the year, and on time!

Norway insight Norway provided a further insight into life outside the EU, as one of four countries in the European Free Trade Association, and also within the European Economic Area. The speaker on our first night made clear that Norway exports to the EU, taking, but not making the rules under which it is able to do so. As in the UK there were concerns about labour, as maturing EU countries develop better economies and labour that used to travel no longer needs to, or wants to.

The size and scale of the fish farming industry was clearly of interest, as was the size of the sovereign wealth fund. Both are the world’s largest!

Our next trips are in the UK, first to the thoroughbred breeding and racing industry around Newmarket, and then Herefordshire, which used to be known for its grassland, hops, cattle and cider, but now gives planners headaches with poultry sheds, soft-fruit polytunnels and worker accommodation.

Agriculture Bill The long-awaited Agriculture Bill should be announced by the time this is published, and with it the future for the industry should become clearer. My visits around the country have clearly demonstrated the diversity of production, in terms of size of enterprise, weather dependence/ resilience, manpower and technology requirements and, in some areas, reliance on support payments, that are encompassed by the deceptively simple single word ‘farming’.

The Farmers Club Page

www.thefarmersclub.com • 03

Andrei Spence • Club News

Club News Busy and diverse – early Summer at the Club

At the Suffolk County Show, the Chairman and I decided to take a different tack, holding a breakfast event on the first day.

A superb Suffolk breakfast was enjoyed by 71 people, followed by an excellent talk from Suffolk Agricultural Association President, and prominent Club member, Lady Hazel Byford.

June started with a wonderful Club trip to the Royal Opera House for a new production of Swan Lake, by the Royal Ballet Company, preceded by supper at the Club and followed by spirited discussion of the production in the Club bar afterwards!

The following Monday Anita took a party of 25 on a three-day Club trip to Norway (full report in next Journal). This was followed by the Royal Three Counties show, attended by 60 members, where we heard from local farmer Bill Quan on a number of issues impacting the local agricultural scene.

WHAT a very busy and very diverse time we are having at the Club this Summer writes Club Secretary Andrei Spence, with a huge array of events in the Club, in London, around the UK and overseas too.

It all started with the Chairman leading a party of Club members to the Isle of Man, where they enjoyed a wide-ranging programme of events, whilst at the same time taking in the breath-taking panoramas (p14).

The ‘Show season’ started in Northern Ireland with our traditional pre-Balmoral Show dinner at the Titanic Exhibition Centre in Belfast. Over 60 people turned out on a glorious evening in sumptuous surroundings overlooking the slipway where the great liner was built. A good meal was followed by an impromptu photo opportunity on the replica grand staircase of Titanic, made from the original drawings. Following dinner, an excellent talk was given by Declan Billington, CEO of Thompsons, who was forthright and challenging on the issues over the Irish border in particular and the effects on future trade. A great evening all round, followed by a superb day at the show.

04 • The Farmers Club Harvest Journal 2018

The day after, the Chairman and I were at the Devon County Show, again in glorious weather, where we met a good number of members before our afternoon reception, at which 37 people listened to an excellent short piece from Sir Harry Studholme (Chair of the Forestry Commission), met friends old and new, and took the chance to talk with both the Chairman and myself.

The Under 30s embarked on their Spring Farm Walk weekend in mid-May (p20), which preceded one of our largest events of the year, the visit to the Chelsea Flower Show. Lunch was enjoyed by 80 members in the Farmers Suite before hearing a passionate and interesting talk from Peter Seabrook MBE, gardening columnist at The Sun newspaper and former BBC presenter of the Chelsea Flower Show. A coach took members to the show were Mr Seabrook gave personal tours of his own remarkable exhibit. Although a long day, feedback was very positive.

We also took 75 members to the Hampton Court Flower Show, where we enjoyed glorious surroundings and afternoon tea, all preceded by brunch at the Club.

On 20th June, we travelled to Scotland for our pre-Highland Show dinner, this year at one of our reciprocal clubs, the New Club in Edinburgh. We were looked after superbly, enjoyed fabulous views of Edinburgh Castle, and the evening was rounded off with an exceptional double act of speakers, horse racing trainers Lucinda Russell OBE and Peter Scudamore MBE (eight times Champion Jockey), who trained the Grand National winner One for Arthur in 2017. 82 members enjoyed a superb evening and a great show followed.

A week later the Club was at its penultimate show of 2018, the Royal Norfolk Show, where about 80 members attended our afternoon reception, which was addressed

by Mr Richard Hirst, a prominent local farmer and past winner of Norfolk County Farms Small Farm Business Competition.

Back in London, members’ cultural needs were fulfilled with a visit to the National Gallery to see the Monet art exhibition, including many rarely-seen exhibits from private collections, to which the incomparable Anne Haworth provided an excellent preview over lunch in the Club beforehand.

The beginning of July saw the Club’s Annual General Meeting, with some important decisions made on office holders, rule changes and a motion (p12). After the AGM the very busy new President of the NFU, Ms Minette Batters, talked about her first six months in post at a critical time for the industry, and the country (p13). Thus ended a very busy, very diverse period of Club activity.

Club News • Andrei Spence

GDPR REMINDER The GDPR consent forms I enclosed in the Spring Journal have had a good initial response with over 62% completed. I would urge the remainder of the membership to do likewise, please, so we can get this finalised. If the form has been lost, the General Office can provide further copies. It can also be downloaded from the website.

Club Calendar Diary Dates Here are just some of the Club events planned for the coming months. More event details can be found on the back cover of this Journal, at www.thefarmersclub.com/events, in Club e-newsletters, or from Club Administrator Anita Kaur (020 7930 3751 extn 103) e-mail: administrator@thefarmersclub.com

Nomination Form There are up to four places on the General Committee available at the end of the year.

This issue of the Journal has a Committee Nomination Form for those who wish to stand for office. The deadline is 14th August.

Please do contact me for any guidance required.

AUGUST Canal Cruise & Gin Distiller y Tour - FULL Friday 3rd August Canal Cruise

Tower of London & Ceremony of the Keys - FULL Friday 10th August

Harvie Peebles I am very sorry to report the news that Mr Harvie Peebles sadly passed away on Saturday 23 June 2018. Harvie was known to many of us at the Club and had been a staunch supporter for almost 20 years.

Cheerful, having time for everyone and an impish, infectious sense of humour, his passing is a real loss to the Club.

John Pombo letter Mr John Pombo wrote me a letter in early June expressing the wish that I pass its comments to the membership: “I would like to express my sincere thanks to both you and Virginia and to ALL of the Farmers Club members and staff for their generosity towards my retirement fund and for their friendship and support over the last 17 years. I miss all of them and the team I have left behind, but at the same time I am enjoying my new lifestyle, spending more time with my family and grandchildren. Please pass on my thanks to everybody”

LONG SERVICE It gave me great pleasure to formally pay tribute to the continuing hard work, dedication and loyalty of two staff members recently: Greg Barthelmy who leads the maintenance team, and Mary Ayodele part of the housekeeping team.

Each has clocked-up 20 years of service to the Farmers Club and on behalf of the membership and their colleagues were presented with gifts, flowers and some libation to mark the occasion.

• More Club News on p22/23

Five-course Seafood lunch on Regents Canal, City of London Distillery visit, and supper in the Club afterwards

Syon House & Park - FULL Thursday 16th August Tower of London

SEPTEMBER Under 30s Autumn Dining Evening Friday 21st September Club Visit to Newmarket - FULL Wednesday 26th - Friday 28th September

Syon House

OCTOBER Trip to Herefordshire Wednesday 3rd - Friday 5th October Application form in this Journal

Har vest Festival Ser vice & Supper Tuesday 9th October Traditional church service and Club supper.

Application form in this Journal Bellini & Mantegna

Bellini & Mantegna Friday 19th October Lunch and talk in The Club and visit to National Gallery. Application form in this Journal

Under 30s Autumn Farm Walk Friday 26th - Sunday 28th October

Under 30s

NOVEMBER Monday Evening Lecture Monday 5th November Speaker: Rt Hon Micheal Gove MP, Secretary of State, Defra. Application form in this Journal

DECEMBER Statoil Masters Tennis Friday 7th December 2018 Newmarket

Supper in The Club and Royal Albert Hall visit.

Details to follow

London International Horse Show Thursday 20th December Supper in The Club and visit to Evening Performance at London Olympia. Details to follow

New Year’s Eve Black Tie Dinner Monday 31st December Michael Gove

Application form in this Journal

www.thefarmersclub.com • 05

Charles Abel • Brexit issues

Don’t await Brexit before adapting your farm Work to be the best now, rather than waiting for Brexit outcomes before acting, farmers are being urged.

Charles Abel reports

AS Brexit negotiations continue farmers are being urged to address business issues urgently, with a strong focus on supply chains, rather than await a golden dawn of clarity, which will probably never come.

Access to support payments and EU markets, combined with reasonable prices, means farms should use this pre-Brexit honeymoon to prepare for change, AHDB chair Peter Kendall told farmers at the Cereals 2018 event. “Why defer being better,” agreed Jeremy Moody, secretary and adviser to the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers. “By the time we reach the mid-2020s there will be other changes to be paralysed by.”

“There is no point where we are going to get a clear Brexit outcome,” stressed Richard King of the Andersons Centre. “We’re going to have transition periods, customs periods, and even if we get a stable EU deal, there will be deals with Brazil, China, whoever. There is no day when we’re going to get a stable situation. Brexit is going to be an ongoing process of change and upheaval.”

Food Secretary For its part the NFU was working to convince Government that profitable farming was essential to a green Brexit, said NFU President Minette Batters. “The world’s eye is on this market, and Michael Gove can make a difference, provided he sees Brexit as commercial. But if they get the food and production part of policy wrong they will never be able to deliver a green Brexit.”

06 • The Farmers Club Harvest Journal 2018

Brexit issues • Charles Abel To show MPs how the arable sector underpins the entire £112bn food industry the NFU has created a Your Harvest campaign, including a Westminster launch, MPs being invited onto farms, and trailer signs to promote the message to the public, explained NFU Combinable Crops Board chairman and Essex arable farmer Tom Bradshaw.

Furthermore, with UK farmers meeting some of the highest food standards in the world, but doing so at some of the lowest costs of production, fairer supply chains were needed, added Ms Batters. To address that more rigorously the NFU has taken on a competition lawyer.

Second-guessing forever Meanwhile, a recent AHDB survey showed half of all farmers were waiting to see how Brexit developed before deciding what to do. “We could be guessing and second-guessing forever,” warned Mr Kendall. “We need to start thinking about the future and how to respond now.”

Allan Wilkinson, head of agriculture at HSBC, agreed. “We are going to see things happening in the next 3-5 years that we have never even thought about. But don’t wait for them to happen before developing the business. The best farms have been focused and have got on with their plan, despite what is happening around them.”

He urged farmers to focus on supply chains, which saw the UK market as “up for grabs” and were becoming better organised, rationalised and tailored to meet customer needs. “It is surprising how small the global food system is and how the demand for higher standards is ever increasing.”

Meeting those needs is key, and they aren’t always obvious, he noted. A Chilean avocado farm he visited recently had kitemarks for US, EU and Chinese markets, and it was China that was demanding the highest standards, and paying the highest price.

Closer to home Waitrose was looking for far greater transparency in raw material supply chains, to protect its brand and meet corporate social responsibility goals, explained Duncan Sinclair, agricultural manager at Waitrose. So far 600,000t of feed grain for 2000 contracted UK livestock producers had been mapped. Now an Innovate UK project is looking to UK-grown beans to displace imported soya, bringing performance and welfare benefits to chicken, duck and pork supplies. A similar process is being pursued for Waitrose’s organic produce.

False security Better farm returns, buoyed by the 15% currency boost, could be lulling farmers into a false sense of security, warned Andersons. “Direct payments have stifled innovation and there are probably a lot of lazy businesses out there,” agreed David Hurst, farm manager for event host Robert Law.

Remove support payments, factor in depreciation and finance costs, and many farms are running at a net loss, expalined Nick Blake of Andersons Eastern. Cheap money was compounding the problem. “There are farms that would be in big trouble if interest rates went up to 5%.” Economies of scale are proving hard to realise, with management costs under-mining potential gains. Farm rents would clearly need adjusting as 40 years of under-pinning by farm support comes to an end, he added.

Greater business flexibility was key, which could mean wording contract farming agreements more carefully, smarter crop and variety choices, a look at joint ventures, improved marketing, and maybe purchasing machinery instead of locking into hire purchase agreements, Mr Blake advised. “In such uncertain times flexibility is going to be worth paying for.”

“A good plan executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week” – US General George S. Patton.

“It is a mindset too. It is about being prepared to drop an enterprise, or switch to a different way of doing things, about being hungry for knowledge and not carrying on doing the same thing,” he added. “For the best 25% of businesses the fundamentals have not changed with Brexit, because they’re concentrating all their efforts on being the best, being prepared to change, and walking away from things if needed.”

Bayer: no gold-plated farming, please!

After the largest investment in agriculture ever - the E62billion purchase of Monsanto – Bayer has called on Defra to fast track its UK farm policy and ensure it is commercially attuned. “Buying Monsanto has been a sizeable bet on the future of farming, so what we don’t want now is a gold-plated, boutique UK agriculture, which is very pretty, but produces food which is too costly to buy,” said Mike Muncey, Bayer’s UK and Ireland head of business. He urged Defra to support early access to new products and technologies, so UK farmers could flourish post-Brexit. Gene-edited crop trials were seen as a promising first step. But the neonicotinoid ban showed the precautionary principle could trump regulatory compliance, despite no regulatory hurdle being failed. That raised grave concerns for the up-coming endocrine disruptor review. As the Monsanto name disappears, its Dekalb oilseed rape varieties and RoundUp total herbicide will join Bayer in the UK, while Bayer’s hybrid wheat goes to BASF.

UK Soil Health To better co-ordinate efforts to improve soil health a new umbrella group was launched at Cereals to pool information, promote best practice and develop new approaches. “Farmers need to treat soil as a living part of the farming system and to focus on soil husbandry, rather than seeing it as a management issue, to be resolved with machinery alone,” commented Elizabeth Stockdale of NIAB. A standardised approach to organic matter reporting, as for P and K, would be another key issue. More ambitiously, it was suggested Mr Gove could adopt the earthworm as his symbol!

www.thefarmersclub.com • 07

Charles Abel • Charitable Trust

Towards a 50,000 litre dairy cow

Maximising the lifetime output of dairy cows was the focus of a Farmers Club Charitable Trust-funded study by Aidan Cushnahan of Northern Ireland’s College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise at its Greenmount Campus. Charles Abel reports UK DAIRY cows currently produce an average of around 27,000 litres per lifetime, with a host of stress factors preventing a theoretically possible 50,000 litre output. Greater efforts to move towards that goal could boost farm profits and cut environmental impacts, by shifting replacement rates, calving intervals and anti-biotic use, and improving public perceptions and marketing opportunities.

While individual cows within a UK herd may on occasion produce 100,000 litres in their lifetime, they typically achieve far less, from an average of 3.6 lactations. Even the top 25% of herds achieve just 35,000 litres per cow (14.4 litres/cow/day) from a 6.7 year lifetime.

The stress factors limiting output are no surprise – the challenge is how to minimise them, which researchers are tackling in Canada, the USA, the Netherlands and Ireland, with interesting results.

08 • The Farmers Club Harvest Journal 2018

Farmers Club Charitable Trust beneficiary Aidan Cushnahan of Northern Ireland’s College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise at Greenmount travelled to all four countries, to find out more, visiting research centres and farms with anything from 35 to 35,000 cows, as well as meeting experts in the UK. He found three key factors could help UK dairy farmers improve lifetime performance, and describes each in his report, which can be found on the Farmers Club website (details below).

In summary: • Manage transition cows more effectively, with a special focus on sub-clinical ketosis • Aim for an average first calving age of 24 months for heifer replacements, by accelerating calf growth to nearer 1.0kg/ calf/day from birth to weaning • Use cross breeding to secure genetic gains

Aidan Cushnahan of CAFRE Greenmount.

“Reducing replacement rate is key.

Figures from CAFRE benchmarking and AHDB Milkbench+ show average replacement costs of £220240/cow, but a range up to £450/cow.

In an average UK dairy herd of 142 cows that difference equates to almost £32,000/year.”

Charitable Trust • Charles Abel Transition cows suffering from hypocalcaemia and/or ketosis are more likely to suffer from other transition disorders, cutting milk ouput by up to 650kg per lactation, according to Dr Stephen LeBlanc and Dr Trevor DeVries at Canada’s University of Guelph. Sub-clinical ketosis typically affects up to 40% of a herd, and can further depress output, with affected cows more likely to suffer later in life.

To help identify and treat ketosis early, monitoring for beta hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) is advocated, with benchmarking against industry standards.

Measures also need to be in place to reduce the pre-calving drop in feed intake. Access to feed is critical, so aim for more than 75cm feeding space per cow. Diets fed to transition cows also need to better meet the nutritional needs of the different stages of the dry period.

Similarly, after calving, cows needed to maximise their feed intake. Increasing feeding space to 60cm per cow and adjusting the timing and frequency of feed delivery were all shown to be beneficial.

Better breeding Making more of hybrid vigour, with better crosses, could help a lot. Dr Frank Buckley at Teagasc Moorepark found Holstein Friesian x Jersey cows had higher fat and protein yield, better fertility and better survival rates than Holstein Friesians. Indeed, farmers in Ireland who used cross-breeding were on average E90/ha better off than those who did not.

But Moorepark work was in a low-input spring calving system. Could such benefits be had in more typical UK systems? Dr Brad Heins at the University of Minnesota in the USA has looked at three-way crosses, with some promise, using a Holstein x Montbeliarde x Viking Red cross, with the Viking Reds emerging from genetic development work using Swedish Red, Finnish Ayrshire and Danish Red. Trials of the system, known commercially as Procross, on eight commercial units in Minnesota, show potential. Montbeliarde crosses matched Holstein milk volumes, but with more fat and protein, while Montbeliarde and Viking Red crosses showed better fertility and survival rates.

Other breeding technologies, in particular the use of genomics, could also improve cow longevity, Dr Cushnahan notes.

Zero dry period At Wageningen University in the Netherlands Dr Ariette van Knegsel has shown that reducing the dry period, or even eliminating it, may have merit over a cow’s lifetime. Such an approach, in some cases, did cut milk yield and colostrum quality, and raised cell counts, but fertility was improved, so calving intervals were reduced, and specific dry cow therapies, including anti-biotics could be reduced.

For some older cows, with high yields and lower cell counts, the dry period could be cut to 30 days or even zero.

• Use more milk replacer (900-1000g/calf/day) than traditional with crude protein content raised to 24-28% to boost growth • Offer calves more concentrate from a few days after birth • Rear calves in warm, dry, draught-free conditions • Weaning should be gradual from 56-63 days

More generally, rearing heifers to calve at two years was found to be an essential element of maximising lifetime performance. Analysis of milk recording data from Northern Ireland by CAFRE has shown that for every month’s increase over 24 months, total lifetime production is expected to decline by 600 litres.

Dr Cushnahan concludes that improvements already made in dairy herd fertility and mastitis management in the UK, combined with improvements in transition cow management, calf rearing and new breeding technologies could go a long way towards the UK dairy industry achieving an average herd lifetime yield closer to 50,000 litres/cow.

At Cornell University in the USA Prof Mike Van Amburgh, and research staff at Trouw Nutreco, confirmed this, showing calves growing at 1kg/ day from birth to weaning developed into cows with enhanced lifetime yields. Work by Mike Van Amburgh has shown every extra 1 kg of daily LWG achieved by calves in the pre-weaning period led those animals to achieve 1,551 kg more milk in their first lactation and 2,279 kg over three lactations.

Spreading the message Learnings from the study have already been disseminated through Business Development Groups and will be incorporated into the learning materials of other educational programmes at CAFRE Greenmount. Aidan recently gave a presentation to members of the North Antrim Dairy Farmers Development Group (NADFDG) and articles have appeared in the Irish Farmers Journal.

A summry of his findings can be viewed here: https://bit.ly/2NQYLRI

Research suggests some key actions: • Calves should receive colostrum (at least 10% of their bodyweight) immediately after birth and that colostrum continue to be fed for the first four days of life

More info See the full report, other FCCT reports, and details of how to apply for a Farmers Club Charitable Trust bursary at: www.thefarmersclub.com/library/charitable-trust-reports

www.thefarmersclub.com • 09

Rob Sheasby • Farm advice

£40m/year spent on training ensures supply trade advisors are up-to-speed across all sectors

Farm advice can drive productivity Joining the knowledge chain from basic research to advice tailored to individual farms is key to improving UK farm productivity, explains AIC Chief Executive Robert Sheasby RECENT research by the Agricultural Industries Confederation shows the vital part the supply industry plays in delivering face-to-face professional advice which tailors research and innovative information to the needs of individual farmers.

AIC Chief Executive Robert Sheasby

In 2013 the AIC’s initial study looked at the ‘Value of Advice’ within farming systems. A key finding was that an ‘inner circle’ of professionals (accountants, agronomists, lawyers etc) form part of the trusted management team on many farms.

This is in line with many research findings over time reflecting the importance of third party advice, which is used to help manage 89% of all Britain’s farmland.

Towards the end of 2017, the AIC policy team updated and extended the original Value of Advice Project to look at the development and delivery of knowledge. AIC Member companies who supply professional advice and farm inputs, including animal feed, crop protection products, fertilisers, seeds and crop marketing services, were surveyed.

10 • The Farmers Club Harvest Journal 2018

The concept of professionally-qualified advice is well-established. BASIS-registered advisers have delivered advice on crop protection for over a quarter of a century and FACTS Qualified Advice has been recognised for over 15 years.

More recently, the Feed Adviser Register has been developed to bring professional standards and Continuing Professional Development to advisers supporting livestock farmers. These 5,000plus individual advisers are not just there to sell products, but to deliver a complete agronomic or livestock performance package.

Further analysis of the ‘Status of agricultural knowledge: Development and advice’ quantified the time and money industry invests to continually improve the management of agricultural systems.

In terms of generating new knowledge, AIC member companies alone invest £50m in taking concepts from applied research – undertaken by government-funded organisations and commercial businesses such as agrochemical manufacturers – and translate it into practical, advice-led solutions tailored to the needs of individual farms. The supply industry’s funding is second only to BBSRC’s.

Farm advice • Rob Sheasby The AIC study estimates most advisers, to reach the required CPD points target each year, will undertake at least 20 days of training. Across the industry, that equates to £9m invested annually.

250 230 210

Falling behind – UK farm productivity (source OECD, Office of National Statistics

190 170 150 130 110

UK

US

Germany

France

20 14

20 09

20 04

19 99

19 94

19 89

19 84

19 79

19 74

19 69

19 64

90

So, each year £50m is invested in taking applied research to the field, £40m in staff training, including £9m on CPD, to total almost £100m/year.

Netherlands

The arable and livestock expertise that exists in the UK is clearly a great resource Defra needs to take into account as it addresses future policy.

Listen up! Supply trade advisors have over 44,000 conversations with farmers every week. But the flow of knowledge from research to on-farm advice needs improving if UK productivity is to rise.

Farm advice • Most farmers have a trusted ‘inner circle’ of advisors • Supply trade invests £50m converting applied research into farm advice • Agronomic/livestock performance packages delivered • 44,000 meaningful conversations/week • £40m spent training advisers • Knowledge chain needs re-connecting

“Too often the chain of knowledge transfer that should stretch seamlessly from basic research through to in-field recommendations is lost, if not broken in places.”

This is driven by wide-ranging customer requirements, which encompass increased productivity, resilience to uncertainty caused by pests and disease, as well as wider policy goals for the environment and legal compliance.

The agri-supply sector is well established to ensure such knowledge is transferred to farmers through open days and field demonstrations. In addition, individual advisers travel down farm drives day after day to provide specific guidance that draws on the knowledge supply chain and tailors that information to specific farm needs. Given the numbers of professionally-qualified advisers, the report estimates that every week some 44,000 meaningful conversations take place supporting farmers and growers.

Industry-wide it is estimated that an additional £40m is spent on training advisers for their vital role on individual farms. This ensures the latest knowledge is always applied.

The advisory community is committed to CPD which ensures advisers are continually updated from a wide range of sources. For farmers, this delivers assurance that those they depend on for advice are staying up to date in an industry where technological advances and policy changes are continually taking place.

The latest AIC report explains that a renewed focus on developing near market research to address the pressing needs of the industry is vital, as is tailoring these findings into practical requirements of particular farm businesses.

Too often the chain of knowledge transfer that should stretch seamlessly from basic research through to in-field recommendations is lost, if not broken in places.

Progress is being made on improving the research-implementation continuum. Successful partnerships are being forged between government, agricultural and other stakeholders.

However, to realise agriculture’s full potential and address the lag in productivity an alignment of R&D is needed that is: • Focused and driven by UK farmers • Targeted to innovation with clear UK application • Efficient in delivering innovation to the market • Specific in applying bespoke advice at farm level • Widely taken up and promoted consistently by all relevant stakeholders.

Critical to achieving this vision will be better recognition of the work being undertaken by the private sector. An example of the benefits this can deliver is seen in the crop nutrition ‘bible’ RB209, where data is recognised from both research and commercial organisations. This could be the foundation for the whole industry to rebuild UK productivity in line with competitor countries.

AIC will continue to lobby for an increased acceptance of industry-generated knowledge, its integration with public funded research, and recognition of the vital role of applying and tailoring this knowledge on individual farms.

More info The full report ‘Developing Agricultural Knowledge and Advice’ can be downloaded from the AIC website www.agindustries. org.uk (select ‘latest documents’ and choose ‘aic-uk-knowledge-development-andadvice’; or: www.bit.ly/2Myz0Vc

www.thefarmersclub.com • 11

Charles Abel • Annual Meeting THE 176th Annual General Meeting chaired by Peter Jinman was held in the Farmers Suite at The Farmers Club on Thursday 5th July 2018.

The following is a summary of the Minutes, full copies of which can be obtained by email from the Secretary Minutes, Club Accounts and Annual Report The Minutes of the 175th Annual General Meeting of the Club were approved and the Report and Audited Accounts of the Club for the year ended 31st December 2017 adopted unanimously.

Club Chairman Peter Jinman noted that it had been a good year for the Club, generating a sensible surplus in the first year since Project CREST refurbishments, enabling the Club to continue to invest in its future.

AGM elects Herefordshire Chairman for 2019

Election of Club Chairman and Vice-Chairman Proposing the election of Nick Helme as Chairman for 2019 General Committee member Karen Mercer said Nick was an entrepreneurial farmer, who contracted out the farming of his 300 acres of cereals and potatoes in Herefordshire to develop a successful business as a waste recycling consultant, having previously launched the SevernWye machinery ring. He was a Nuffield Scholar and an accomplished Chairman of the Club’s House Committee.

Committee Member Campbell Tweed seconded the proposal, which was approved unanimously, with applause. Nick replied: “Being made ViceChairman was a surprise and a great honour, and it remains so now. I will endeavour to take the Club forward to the places we want it to be.”

Proposing the election of Allan Stephenson as Vice-Chairman for 2019 current Vice-Chairman Nick Helme said Allan epitomised the modern-day farmer, having had a serious business career, as a law graduate and chartered accountant, but with roots in farming in Scotland that extended back to the 1700s. He had been an influential Chairman of the AHDB’s Potato Council and was a director of the James Hutton Institute.

Seconding the proposal, Trustee Tim Bennett recalled Allan’s forceful promotion of potato interests whilst they were both at the AHDB. He felt Allan would be a great asset to the Club.

The proposal was approved unanimously, with applause.

Honorary Treasurer Committee member John Lee proposed the re-election of Richard Maunder as Honorary Treasurer for 2019. Allan Stevenson seconded the proposal, which was approved unanimously, to applause.

2019 Chairman Nick Helme

2019 Vice-Chairman Allan Stevenson

Auditors The Chairman and Committee recommended haysmacintyre continue in office. They had become an integral part of the Club team, for which they were thanked. The proposal was agreed unanimously.

Rule Change Chair of Trustees Julian Sayers proposed that current Rule 16 paragraph 3 be amended so that after a committee member has served for six consecutive years, the one-year gap that has been served before being elected again, be extended to three years, giving more opportunity for Committee Member nominees. The proposal was agreed unanimously.

Motion before the AGM A motion suggesting a change to the bedroom booking period had been received before the AGM. It was not seconded. For clarity a vote was called.

With none in favour, and no abstentions, the motion failed.

There being no further business the Chairman concluded the Annual General Meeting.

12 • The Farmers Club Harvest Journal 2018

Annual Meeting • Charles Abel Enhanced support payments and improved prices, largely thanks to currency, meant many farmers felt it would all ‘work out fine’. “There are risks and there are opportunities,” Ms Batters agreed, “but one thing is for sure, and that is that we are going to see huge change.”

A crash out of the EU to WTO rules would be “Armageddon”. Although it made no economic sense it was a possibility. Eternal transition, with years of uncertainty, was likely. It could be five or six years before effects hit farmers, and 10-15 years before trade deals were closed with the US, Mercosur and others. What happened now would set farming’s agenda for decades to come. BPS was unlikely to continue.

NFU view NFU President Minette Batters briefed Farmers Club members on industry challenges at a special Luncheon following the Club’s 2018 AGM. The AGM report appears left IN a frank and wide-ranging talk NFU President Minette Batters shared deep insights into the process of negotiating the best position for UK farming in the Brexit process at a well-attended Luncheon following the Club’s AGM in London.

European farm leaders wanted a deal, because they wanted access to UK markets. But they had contingency plans too. Irish beef and dairy products displaced from the UK were a big fear. Indeed, Ireland was at the heart of negotiations, with Commissioner Hogan’s pivotal role, the Irish border and the DUP vote all key.

Ms Batters was ‘hugely concerned’ that whilst Mr Gove stressed there would be no compromise of UK standards, imports needed to meet the same standards. UK farming could not become a National Park, suspended in aspic, sustained by Government support, and supplying artisan food to a specification only the affluent could afford.

Production standards were an NFU red line.

“We do not expect to be an industry sacrificed on the altar of trade deals. We want British farmers and growers to be the suppliers of first choice to the home market. And we expect imports to abide by the same rules.”

Sweden suffered hugely when it raised production standards, she said. Self-sufficiency tumbled, as domestic producers became uncompetitive and lower standard imports flooded in. Government initiatives were now seeking to rebuild self-sufficiency.

She felt government would not offer lower income earners unsafe, high emission cars, and reserve safer, low emission ones for higher income earners. So why do that with food? Statutory codes and regulations were also needed to create fairer supply chains.

Speaking to a room of influential industry representatives, who noted her openness and transparency about the scale of the coming changes, Ms Batters reflected on meeting Prime Minister Theresa May, the huge support of European farm leaders and Ireland’s pivotal role.

With rule books ‘shredded, thrown up in the air and everyone watching to see who caught them’, farming needed to recognise the enormity of what was at stake, and unite, she stressed.

www.thefarmersclub.com • 13

Anita Kaur • Club Tour An island life – Club tour heard firsthand about farming outside the EU.

Manx mission beyond EU A Club visit to the Isle of Man shed light on some of the issues facing farmers on the periphery of the European Union. Organiser Anita Kaur reports

CLUB Chairman Peter Jinman and his wife Gill led an early summer visit to the Isle of Man to investigate this unique island’s farming, economy, heritage and culture – all on the very periphery of the European Union.

Farm products destined for overseas markets needed to meet the importing country’s requirements in terms of legislation, and also their varied product specifications, as well as competing uphill after the costs of exporting had made them less competitive.

It was a great opportunity to visit a country outside the EU, and hear some of the challenges faced by its politicians, farmers and food producers.

Despite being so close to mainland Britain, the Isle of Man is actually a separate British Protectorate and not part of the European Union.

Our visit was based in Douglas, the island’s main town, and included a full lap of the Douglas Promenade by private horse-drawn tram, before visiting the Manx Museum for an insight into the island’s Viking and Celtic past.

The visit afforded ample opportunity to chat with island politicians and farmers, although their views weren’t always in accord. Whilst the Isle of Man’s equivalent of the basic payment scheme is paid in instalments through the year, and on time, it was all too clear that self-reliance was key, with a very strong focus on exports.

Tynwald Tour We were very fortunate to have a private tour of the famous Tynwald building, home of the Isle of Man parliament, the oldest in continual existence in the world, led by Clare Margaret Christain OBE (President of Tynwald 2011-2016 and a Farmers Club member). At dinner we were joined by Chief

14 • The Farmers Club Harvest Journal 2018

Club Tour • Anita Kaur

All aboard – visit to Sandisfarne Herd’s long-lived dairy cows.

Impressive Laxey Wheel

Horse-drawn tram on Douglas promenade

Tynwald Parliament – oldest in continual existence in the world.

Electric tram whisks travellers to Ramsey

Over 100 Sandisfarne cows have delivered more than 100 tonnes of milk each.

Minister, Robert Howard Quayle, a farmer himself, who was elected a member of the Farmers Club this July.

The sun appeared on the second day, which was fantasatic, as we visited the 22m-diameter Laxey Wheel, the largest surviving waterwheel of its kind in the world. From there we rode the Manx Electric Railway to Ramsey in the north to visit Beth & Martin Smeale’s Smeale Farm, a conservation award-winning producer of quality lamb, cereals and fruit for over 400 years.

In the afternoon we travelled to Peel Castle and Manx Kippers, in the historic fishing port of Peel, ‘Home of Isle of Man Kippers’, for an insight into the kippering process. Dinner was in our hotel, with guest speaker Richard Lole, Chief Executive of the Isle of Man Department of Envionnment, Food and Agriculture providing a very intersting talk.

The final day included a tour of the Sandisfarne dairy herd, led by Andrew Sanders, who farms with wife Sue, and sons Matthew and Julian. He explained the success of the long-lived dairy cows they raise through the Sandisfarne and Sandersfarms Herds, branded the original home of ‘long lived cows’.

Long-lived dairy cows More than 100 of their cows have achieved 100 tonnes of milk each in the past 13 years, the third highest recorded internationally. The 600 pedigree Holsteins and SWRedX have been kept in a closed herd for 40 years, requiring no specialist treatment for any of the cows in that time. The farm won the prestigious RABDF / NMR Gold Cup in 2003.

Events For information about up-coming Club events see page 5, watch out for Club e-Newsletters and check on-line at www.thefarmersclub. com/events

From there we travelled into Port Erin for lunch at the Sound Café, overlooking the Calf of Man – one of the most scenic places in the British Isles. A fascinating and enjoyable visit to a truly unique island.

www.thefarmersclub.com • 15

Rupert Bendell • Farmland

Perils of Hope Value

However, this only applies to the agricultural value of the land.

Hope value is that element of a land parcel’s value over its agricultural value. It occurs where that land has the potential for development, but has not been developed yet. Under the current rules, hope value does not automatically attract relief and Inheritance Tax is therefore payable at 40%.

Why is it a problem?

If an individual dies owning land which has recently obtained planning permission for development, then their successors can use the proceeds of the land when it is sold to pay the inheritance tax bill.

However, if the land does not obtain planning permission or has not been sold for development, there may still be Inheritance Tax due on the ‘hope value’ element of the land. The problem here is that there has been no sale and so there may be no money with which to pay the Revenue’s bill.

Rupert Bendell is a rural chartered surveyor specialising in development, planning and agricultural valuation

CASE STUDY Farmer A owns 10 acres on the edge of a settlement with an agricultural value of £100,000. The Local Council has identified it as having potential to accommodate future development. Farmer A enters into an option agreement to sell the land to a housebuilder on the grant of planning permission for, say, £5M. The planning application is recommended for approval by the Local Planning Authority, but a week before the application is heard by the Planning Committee Farmer A dies.

The following week the Planning Committee unexpectedly refuses the application.

Consequently, the housebuilder does not want to buy the land. However, the Revenue values the land at the date of death, and bases its valuation on the facts known on that day, not taking into consideration subsequent events.

It appeared almost certain at the date of death that Farmer A’s land was going to obtain planning consent, and therefore be worth £5M – giving it a hope value of £4.9M (accounting for its £100,000 agricultural value which attracts relief). This would result in a tax bill of £1.96M (£4.9m x 40% - ignoring personal allowances and a small discount for the risk of not obtaining planning consent).

‘HOPE VALUE’ – it sounds quite desirable, something we should be optimistic about.

Unfortunately, it is becoming a topic of increasing HMRC scrutiny, largely at the expense of Britain’s landowners.

What is hope value?

On death, those inheriting agricultural land are likely to benefit from Agricultural Property Relief, which grants 100% relief from Inheritance Tax.

16 • The Farmers Club Harvest Journal 2018

The situation is best illustrated by a simplified example (see panel left), which results in a tax bill of £1,960,000. Whilst this is an extreme situation, it is not uncommon for the Revenue to look at land close to settlements (or buildings with conversion potential) as Inheritance Tax targets, even if there is no development agreement or planning permission on the immediate horizon.

The issue has been augmented in recent years by pressure from central Government to build more houses, creating more land with the ‘hope’ of being developed.

How can it be avoided?

The issue highlights the importance of prudent tax and succession planning, as there are several ways to mitigate the potential tax liability.

Ensuring the land qualifies for Business Property Relief, choosing the correct ownership structure, making sure appropriate agreements are in place where the land is let out, and transferring the land to successors, are all ways in which the risk of a large tax bill based on hope value can be avoided.

Whatever preventative measures are taken, it is important to get these in train prior to entering into an option/promotion agreement or submitting a planning application. If you don’t, you run the risk of even greater hope value being attributed to the land.

Rupert Bendell MRICS FAAV Colston & Colston Chartered Surveyors, Bath 01225 904 704 rbb@colstonandcolston.com www.colstonandcolston.com

Biological Barriers • David Foster THERE are pests from various parts of the world that have become established in the UK. But the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) prohibits the release of non-native species into the environment, which makes it extremely difficult to register natural enemies for their control.

Compared to other countries, the Chemical Regulation Division (CRD) has failed to grasp biopesticide concepts, being very slow to register products containing beneficial microorganisms.

Koppert Biological Systems has found it easier to go through the regulatory process in the US than in Europe, with several products expected to be cleared in two or three years in the US, compared with six or seven years minimum in Europe.

Barriers to biological control Registering biological products in the UK can be slow and frustrating, explains Club member David Foster

The International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association is endeavouring to put pressure on Brussels to improve the current situation. KBS also has its own public affairs department lobbying relevant bodies.

Ulti-Mite Swirski is a new sachet delivery system for predatory mite Amblyseius swirski, out-performing similar products for control of young thrip larvae, and whitefly eggs and larvae.

But regulations are hindering the launch of more products.

In the UK more problems arise as separate licences must be applied for in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Approvals restricting use to glasshouse structures can also mean biological controls are unavailable for crops under polytunnels and in the open field.

Demand for biological solutions has rocketed with consumer demand for safe, residue-free produce. Some chemicals have also become ineffective, due to resistance, whilst there has been an overall loss of pesticides from the market.

In the UK Koppert now provides solutions for protected salad crops, soft fruit, top fruit, mushrooms, ornamental, amenity, organic vegetable production and botanical collections.

It started out supplying bumblebees for tomato crop pollination and biological control of key horticultural pests, including spider mite, whitefly, thrip and aphid in tomato, pepper and cucumber crops in heated glasshouses.

The company’s long-term goal is to support UK agriculture with biological solutions, including biological seed treatments, biopesticides, augmentative biological control, knowledge and advice. However, this will require major and radical changes from the many current practices, since Integrated Pest Management is still very much in its infancy in agriculture, compared to UK commercial horticulture.

David Foster General Manager Koppert UK

Biological bee boost – New Natupol Excel beehive contains UK bumblebee Bombus terrestris audax to aid crop pollination, with extra sugar water and larger colony for more pollination, and reflective cues to help bees find their way home.

Koppert UK, the country’s largest supplier of biologicals, was founded in 1981 as the first subsidiary of Koppert Biological Systems of Rotterdam, Holland, which is now a global market leader with annual turnover of 190 million euros and 1200 employees in 26 countries, including China, Brazil, the USA and Russia.

www.thefarmersclub.com • 17

Stephen Howe • Club Event

Farming Figures A look at... the cereal sector’s contribution to the national economy ...told through some key statistics

Prospects for UK Cereals

20 million tonnes

Annual grain output for food and animal feed

11,000,000 loaves Daily bread bake, using 85% home-grown grain

£4.36 billion British barley is a key ingredient in Scotch Whisky – 20% of UK food and drink exports

25 billion litres

Milk output, underpinned by UK feed wheat

£112bn

Value of food and drink sector to UK economy, underpinned by UK farming

4 million jobs Food and drink sector employment in UK

Monday 24 September 2018, The Farmers Club, London A one-day technical seminar is being held at the Farmers Club on Monday 24 September to explore ways of maintaining a profitable, viable UK cereals sector. A successful, well managed UK cereal harvest is essential for UK farmers, the countryside they respect and protect, and for the national economy, which benefits to the tune of nearly £4bn.

As the NFU’s Your Harvest initiative points out, the UK produces more than 20m tonnes of grain each year to underpin our food manufacturing and animal feed sectors (see Farming Figures left).

The event, organised by the Farmers Club and the British Crop Production Council, follows the success of last year’s joint conference involving the Club, the BCPC and the Voluntary Initiative.

This year’s seminar will consider the likely outcome of the harvest, the global position impacting on supply and demand, and the prospects for the UK industry after it leaves the European Union. It will focus on ways for growers to remain profitable against the background of the government’s 25-year environment plan, trading outside the EU framework and possible changes in farm support.

10,000 football pitches

SEMINAR PROGRAMME

400,000 cars

11:30 The performance of our global competitors – Cecilia Pryce, Head of Research, Openfield Agriculture.

Area of wildflower meadow planted by farmers

Biofuels from British crops save carbon emissions from equivalent number of cars

30,000km hedge Planted and cared for by farmers for wildlife

6 key actions

Encourage MPs/peers to: write to a Minister/ask a question in Parliament; secure a debate; vote for/against legislation/specific amendments/ introduce their own; raise an issue in media; support/form an All Party Parliamentary Group; sponsor/sign an Early Day Motion Sources: #YourHarvest, @NFUTweets, www.nfu.org.uk

18 • The Farmers Club Harvest Journal 2018

10:30-11:00 Registration and Coffee 11:00 The UK 2018 harvest – what we know to date – Cecilia Pryce, Head of Research, Openfield Agriculture.

12:00 Biostimulants – a possible solution? – Kate Storer, Research Scientist Crop Physiology, ADAS, High Mowthorpe 12:30 In the buyers’ view – Alex Waugh, Director General, National Association of Millers and Bakers (NABIM) 1:00-2:00

Lunch

2:00 Implications for the UK’s livestock industry – Jack Watts, NFU Combinable Crops Adviser 2:30 Making every hectare count – Matt Ward, Services Leader, Hutchinsons Omnia Precision Agronomy 3:00

Discussion + Closing Remarks

3:30

Close

Full programme at www.thefarmersclub.com/events The seminar will be held in the Farmers Suite of the Club. Dress for gentlemen is lounge suit.

Cost is £37.50/head including coffee and lunch. Places can be booked using the application form in this Journal, or the pdf version on-line at www.thefarmersclub.com or contact Club Administrator Anita Kaur on 020 7930 3751 e-mail: administrator@thefarmersclub.com

Head Chef & Director of Food • Paul Hogben

Mushrooms, mushrooms everywhere, and not a toadstool in sight!

Chef visits the Leics producer who supplies tasty mushrooms to the Club Restaurant

and the established ones that are now part of our everyday menus. Livesey Bros Ltd have been with us since l came on-board Established in 1985 by brothers Tim and Simon Livesey, who grew up on a farm near Ashby De-LaZouch where their father Tom once grew button mushrooms, they are now the leading producers of woodland mushrooms in the UK. Tim and Simon knew they needed to grow something different, unusual and exotic. A mushroom like no other, a mushroom from further afield. They tried oyster mushrooms, an unfamiliar yet deliciously tasty mushroom, and have never looked back, and now grow eight varieties of woodland and exotic mushrooms for year-round supply to the UK’s leading supermarkets, retailers and wholesalers.

Tim took me on a tour of the wonderful facility they have built, starting in a huge barn where straw is soaked and turned ready to bag. Each of the eight mushroom varieties grows in a different compound, which is mixed, washed and steamsterilised on-site.

Once the chosen mushroom spores are inserted into the bags they are placed on special pallets and kept in vast hanger-like buildings in a temperature-controlled environment. Each mushroom requires different temperature and humidity – some like it warm, some like it very cold! As Tim puts it: “It’s like having eight children, they all grow differently, require different levels of attention, but you have to keep your eye on them all individually, as they will always play up at some time. Luckily not all at once!”

My favourites were the stunning white enoki, produced using the traditional Japanese method in a terracotta vase with a sleeve around the neck to create the long string like stems (pic left). They thrive in frost, so the farm recreates just that environment.

“Walking down the oyster mushroom poly-tunnel was like being in a forest avenue of mushrooms, as they hung from top to bottom either side”

WHEN l first arrived at the Farmers Club my aim was to access as much British produce as l could, from large, medium and small producers, and to use their products in our dishes in the Restaurant, Bar Food and Conference & Banqueting offerings.

Those of you who notice the various changes in suppliers as we work through the seasons on our menus will have noticed the new farms we use,

Seeing the operation in progress made me think this is not too dissimilar to the way a kitchen and restaurant operates – the planning, ordering, preparation, cooking and delivery to your table.

If there are any problems along the journey, the customer might not be happy. That’s exactly how Tim and Simon see it. Enjoy!

Chef

Terrace Menu

Seasonal Restaurant Menu

We are now in full swing with our new Terrace menu, which runs throughout the summer months. It includes some wonderful lobsters, crabs and other shellfish from Portland, and caviar from Exmoor, for you to enjoy with a glass or two of fizz!

The new seasonal Restaurant menu commenced in early July with Herdwick Lamb, Goosnargh Guinea Hen, Cotswold Chicken and Norfolk Quail returning to the menu, plus Cornish Turbot & Sardines. To book a table call 020 7930 3557 (option 3) or e-mail restaurant@ thefarmersclub.com

www.thefarmersclub.com • 19

Emily McVeigh, Chairman; Scott Hayles, Vice Chairman; Anita Kaur, Secretary • U30s

Chairman’s Jottings HARVEST is a busy time for all farmers; and it is a particularly busy time of year for me too. We juggle the harvest with weddings, events and a steady stream of Glampers arriving to enjoy a summer break. It can be challenging at times but the activity on the farm creates excitement and fun.

I was delighted to welcome Under30 members to my home county of Suffolk back in May; where we enjoyed a fantastic farm walk weekend (see report right). Our next scheduled event is our Cocktail Evening and RAC Summer Ball Weekend in July.

Chris Sheldrick CEO of What3Words app will be our guest speaker.

The summer’s agricultural show season is in full swing and I have managed to attend receptions at the Suffolk Show and the Three Counties Show. It is wonderful to see the Club presence at these events, providing a great opportunity to catch up with friends and members from the Club.

Jill Willows requested that her legacy to the Under30s section of the Club be spent on educational development. In June, we were proud to launch the Farmers Club Under 30s Jill Willows Legacy Scholarship. This is an incredible opportunity to attend the 28th conference of the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth in Canada, 3rd - 8th November 2018. We will be announcing our scholar in due course and look forward to sharing their story with you all.

I hope all our Under 30s members enjoy the sunshine this summer.

Contact Emily for more information: Emily McVeigh U30 Chairman 2018/19 Kenton Hall Estate Kenton, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 6JU 01728 862062 www.kentonhallestate.co.uk

20 • The Farmers Club Harvest Journal 2018

U30s • Emily McVeigh, Chairman; Scott Hayles, Vice Chairman; Anita Kaur, Secretary

Sunny Suffolk welcomes Under 30s

Elveden estate We then visited Elveden Estate and after lunch at The Courtyard restaurant, Andrew Francis, the Farms Manager and Guy Warren, the Forestry and Conservation Manager gave us a tour. The estate is one of the largest single farm units in lowland Britain comprising of 9100 hectares. Of this, 50% is farmed and a large proportion is under environmental designation.

The estate boasts productive arable and vegetable growing land, a thriving Christmas tree and hedge growing business, as well as a farm shop and restaurant. The highlight of the visit was seeing the innovative onion production.

Elveden markets in excess of 25,000 tonnes of onions each year to the supermarkets, wholesale and processing sectors. Andrew and Guy were interesting, honest and forthcoming about farming practices on the estate and it was truly inspiring.

Diversification After visiting Elveden we went on to my family farm, Kenton Hall in mid-Suffolk, close to the town of Framlingham. The farm consists of 186 hectares of productive arable land with livestock including our herd of English Longhorn cattle, a wedding venue, glamping site, butchery facility and cookery school.

We wanted to offer members the chance to experience a true farm diversification, so we spent the night under the stars in the glamping lodge tents. After a delicious dinner, cooked by a local chef featuring our Longhorn beef, we settled down for an evening by the fire-pit.

For our Spring Farm walk twenty Under30s members descended on the peaceful Suffolk countryside for a weekend of fun and farming.

We had a fantastic group of members with some travelling from Yorkshire and Kent as well as a number of local Suffolk members.

On the Friday evening we stayed at The Angel Hotel in Bury St Edmunds and enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the Bury St Edmunds Farmers Club, a reciprocal club. Their club is situated in the heart of the town, housed in a period building with a stunning Grade 1 listed lounge.

Camgrain visit Our first visit was to Camgrain’s Advanced Processing Centre at their London Road site in Balsham near Cambridge, where Philip Darke the Operations Director kindly gave us a guided tour.

Camgrain is an inspiring success story, proving that farming co-operatives can work, and offer excellent services to local farmers. It was fascinating to learn about the logistics of this large-scale operation; when at its busiest it sees one lorry per minute pass through the London Road facility.

Adnams brewery On Sunday, we were up early, despite some late nights, and headed over to the coastal town of Southwold. We had a tour of Adnams Brewery by Master Brewer Fergus Fitzgerald.

Established in 1872, Adnams is probably bestknown as a brewer of beer in Suffolk, and although brewing remains at the heart of what they do, they also make a range of awardwinning spirits, from the same locally-sourced grains as they make their beers, in the Copper House Distillery.

We then made the most of the sunshine and headed down to the harbour and the Sole Bay Fish Company restaurant for lunch – a hidden gem and highly recommended if you are ever visiting!

We had a truly wonderful weekend. Grateful thanks goes to all those who came along.

Emily McVeigh Under 30s Chairman

www.thefarmersclub.com • 21

The Farmers Club • Club Information

Club Information 020 7930 3557 • www.thefarmersclub.com @thefarmersclub The Farmers Club Page

Office Holders

More Club News

HONORARY VICE PRESIDENTS

NEW MEMBERS EVENT

Peter Jackson CBE, Roddy Loder-Symonds, Sir David Naish DL, John Parker

In early May the Club had a low-key but important ‘new members’ reception.

These vital first contact events not only provide a great opportunity to meet new members, but to learn in more detail, and face-to-face, what the Club does, what is on offer, the ethos and the atmosphere that makes the Club so special. Those who attend find it extremely informative and also get to put some names to faces of the staff. Watch out for details of our next new members event in 2019.

Patron – Her Majesty The Queen

THE COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT OF THE CLUB 2018 VICE PRESIDENTS Barclay Forrest OBE, Sir Mark Hudson, Mrs Susan Kilpatrick OBE, Paul Heygate PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN Peter Jinman OBE TRUSTEES Jimmy McLean, Mrs Nicki Quayle, Julian Sayers (Chairman), Tim Bennett VICE-CHAIRMAN Nick Helme HONORARY TREASURER Richard Maunder IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN Tim Bennett CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND SECRETARY Andrei Spence CLUB CHAPLAIN The Reverend Dr Sam Wells COMMITTEE Elected 2016: Robert Alston, Andrew Brown (Membership Sub-Committee), Lindsay Hargreaves (House sub-committee), Nick Helme, Peter Jinman OBE

SKY DIVING TRUSTEE Farmers Club Trustee and former Chairman Nicki Quayle undertook a sponsored skydive to mark the end of her Presidency of the Rotary Club of Carlisle earlier this summer. The Club made a donation towards one of Nicki’s named charities, RABI. See www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/nicki-quayle1

Elected 2017: Kevin Beaty, John Lee OBE, Karen Mercer, Keith Redpath, Christopher Riddle, Allan Stevenson, Campbell Tweed OBE

Co-opted: Emily McVeigh (Chairman Under 30s), Jeremy Hawkins (Under 30s Committee Member) THE FARMERS CLUB CHARITABLE TRUST TRUSTEES Stephen Fletcher (Chairman), James Cross, Vic Croxson DL, Meryl Ward MBE, Des Lambert OBE, The Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Club (ex officio). Patron Mrs Stella Muddiman

NEXT ISSUE

The Autumn issue of the Farmers Club Journal, due with members in mid-September, will report on the Club’s visit to Norway, pathways for new entrants into farming, game rights, farm assistance in Ethiopia, Chef’s visit to a smoked salmon producer, flowers from the farm, and a great farm poetry initiative.

22 • The Farmers Club Harvest Journal 2018

The UK’s grain and feed merchants are raising funds to support Farming Community Network by cycling in a relay around the principal feed mills, ports, grain stores and supply trade business sites of the UK, including a stop at the Farmers Club on 19th June as they commenced their marathon 3700 mile journey.

Their goal was to raise £100,000 as they traversed the length and breadth of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, visiting over 170 different sites representing over 75 companies, to finish at Stoneleigh Park on July 31st.

“A significant number of businesses only have the opportunity to exist because they serve the farming industry,” explained Club member Richard Cooksley, one of the organisers. “With considerable economic and political pressures on farm businesses, GAFTA and the UK Grain and Feed Trade Associations, which are an integral part of the UK farming community, have committed to do something to support the industry.

“The aim of the relay is to increase awareness of the issues facing farmers and raise funds to provide on-going support for all members of the farming community and their families.”

Elected 2018: Ian Bell, Matt Dempsey (Communications SubCommittee) and Gerald Osborne Scott Hayles (Vice Chairman Under 30s)

Club Welcomes Charity Cycle Ride

CLUB TELEPHONE NUMBERS Club members are reminded that when trying to call the Club it is vital that the following telephone numbers are used.

This will enable the team to provide assistance quickly, without passing the call around the Club or the telephone not being answered in a timely way.

Reception 020 7930 3557 x 2 Restaurant Reservations 020 7930 3557 x 3 Bedroom Reservations 020 7930 3557 x 4 Club Events & Under 30s 020 7930 3751 Conference & Banqueting 020 7925 7100 Finance 020 7925 7101 Membership 020 7925 7102

FCN supports the farming community through times of stress, anxiety and depression, which can affect both farm households and farm businesses. A team of 400 volunteers, many involved in farming, work with farmers and support them as they seek to resolve their difficulties. Over 6000 people benefit from FCN’s support each year. To donate visit: www.justgiving. com/fundraising/GAFT

From left, Charles Smith CEO of FCN, Chris Roberts CEO of UM Group, Richard Cooksley BGFTA and organiser, Andrei Spence CEO of the Farmers Club, Robin Irvine CEO of NIGTA, Charles Delf, organiser and rider.

Club Information • The Farmers Club Honours and Awards The Chairman and Members of the Club congratulate the following members whose names appeared in the Queen’s Birthday Honour’s List: OBE John Alvis

Somerset

MBE Stephen Lester

Cumbria

BEM David Slack

Berkshire

Deaths It is with regret that we announce the death of the following members: Mr F Allen Buckinghamshire Mr D Allerton Essex Mrs C Bembridge Lincolnshire Mr R Browning Essex Admiral Sir James Eberle GCB Hampshire Mr J Kenyon Somerset Mr P MacCrimmon Somerset Mr H Oberst Buckinghamshire Dr D Oliver OBE Lincolnshire Mr I Harvie Peebles London Mrs M Purser Pembrokeshire New Members The following were elected: UK Members Mrs K Abrams Marquess Ailsa Mr C Albutt Mr H Barrow Mr D Bartlett Mr F Black Mr M Blanshard Mr J Blyth Mr E Caldwell Mrs E Calvert Mr P Cooke Mr C Edmondson Dr E Edmondson Mr K Gardner Mr R Garton Mr J Godfrey Mr N Hargreaves Mr W Kerton Mr A Lazenby Professor M Lee Mr K McConville Mr C McGregor Mr A Noble Mr D Owens Mr K Palmer Mr S Philpot Mrs S Proctor Mr R Quayle Mrs E Robertson Mr W Sawbridge Mr R Sheasby Mr M Stanbury Mr F Thompson Mr A Tugwell Overseas Ms A Dampney Dr E McCall Mr I Prentice

Essex Ayrshire Cambridgeshire Cumberland Durham Yorkshire Yorkshire Essex Buckinghamshire Surrey Leicestershire Surrey Down Overseas Cheshire Sussex Norfolk Worcestershire Derbyshire Devon Oxfordshire Berwickshire Sussex Herefordshire Suffolk Essex Buckinghamshire Isle of Man Northumberland Buckinghamshire Suffolk Cornwall Kent Gloucestershire Belgium USA USA

Under 30s Mr R Addison Mr H Bindloss-Gibb Miss A Clark Mr A Coles Mr L Corbett Miss H Falshaw Mr A Griffiths Miss A Guthe Mr D Guthe Mr T Hale Mr E Matthews Mr A Padfield Miss L Smith Mr J Streeton Mr A Torrens Mr S Vaughan Miss C Wainwright Miss S Worrall Associate - Whitehall Court Wg Cdr P Buttery Mrs B Cluff Mr P David Mr H Olson

Cumberland London Lincolnshire Wiltshire Herefordshire Yorkshire Shropshire Yorkshire Yorkshire Sussex Surrey Essex Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire Leicestershire Northamptonshire London Cheshire

Club Contacts THE FARMERS CLUB

Serving the farming industry for 175 years 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL

Chairman 2018: Peter Jinman

Chief Executive and Secretary: Andrei Spence

Club Number 020 7930 3557 London London London London

John Alliston Golf Day A golf day in memory of Professor John Alliston, who died in a tragic accident in 2017, has been jointly organised by the Farmers Club and the Worshipful Company of Farmers at Stratfordupon-Avon Golf Club on Tuesday 11th September 2018.

The main competition, for the John Alliston Tankard, is an individual Stableford off full handicap and is open to ladies and gentlemen who knew John, a keen member of the Farmers Club.

A team competition will run alongside.

All proceeds will go to the WCF Charitable Fund, which supports agricultural activities, including the Advanced Course in Agricultural Business Management at The Royal Agricultural University, which was run by John.

The entry fee of £65 covers the round of golf, coffee and a bacon roll on arrival, and a two-course meal after the golf. Applications are being handled

by Farmers Club member Martin Taylor (email martin1943@hotmail.co.uk).

More details at: www.farmerslivery.org. uk/news-events/events/john-allistonmemorial-golf-tournament • Other fixtures in the Farmers Club Golf Society calendar can be found at: www.thefarmersclub. com/library/golf or contact Farmers Club Golf Society Secretary Martin Shaw at: martin.edwardswale@gmail.com

Reception ext: 200/201 reception@thefarmersclub.com Bedroom Reservations ext: 204 reservations@thefarmersclub.com Restaurant Reservations Option 3 restaurant@thefarmersclub.com Conference & Banqueting Sales Manager Liza Keoshgerian ext: 109 or direct line: 020 7925 7100 functions@thefarmersclub.com Administrator & Under 30s Secretary Anita Kaur ext:103 or direct line 020 7930 3751 administrator@thefarmersclub.com General Manager Virginia Masser ext: 102 generalmanager@thefarmersclub.com Head Chef Paul Hogben ext: 111 or direct line: 020 7925 7103 chef@thefarmersclub.com Financial Controller Zarreena Neeson ext: 106 or direct line: 020 7925 7101 financialcontroller@thefarmersclub.com Membership Mark Fairbairn ext: 107 or direct line: 020 7925 7102 membership@thefarmersclub.com PA to Secretary Claire White ext: 104 or direct line: 020 7930 3751 generaloffice@thefarmersclub.com Bedrooms ext: 3+ [two digit room number] eg. ext 301 for Room1 Whitehall Court Porters 020 7930 3160 Fax 020 7839 7864 Website: www.thefarmersclub.com @thefarmersclub The Farmers Club Page THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Editor and Advertisement Manager: Charles Abel 07795 420692 E-mail: editor@thefarmersclub.com Designed and produced by: Ingenious, www.ingeniousdesign.co.uk No film or film processing chemicals were used.

Printed on Lumi Silk which is ISO 14001 certified manufacturer. FSC® Mix Credit. Elemental chlorine free (ECF) fibre sourced from well managed forests

www.thefarmersclub.com • 23

Summer 2018 at The Club

• Club OPEN all Summer • Bedrooms available throughout • Restaurant & Bar open as usual for breakfast, lunch and dinner • The Bar also open on Saturdays 11.30am – 11pm • Function space available to book lunches, dinners and meetings • Four Club Events taking place in August (details at www.thefarmersclub.com/events)