9 Farmers AUTUMN 2019 • ISSUE 282
Club
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INSIDE Club to Country p4 Gene editing p6 Farm succession p8 Urban insight p10 Summer events p12 Golf report p14 Land issues p16 Punchy poetry p17 Agri-tech stats p18 Chef’s champers p19 Under 30s p20 Cocktails Evening
INSERTS Club Christmas Card NEW Food Book Staff Christmas Fund Cirque Du Soleil
First Farmers Club Food Book on the way p15 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 The Farmers Club has a well-earned reputation for producing simply-cooked, seasonal, quality British food. A new book to champion the work of Paul Hogben, Head Chef & Director of Food, and his team is due. Photography: Jonathan Pollock www.jonathanpollock.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.
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Chairman’s Comments Final summer shows, staff Christmas fund and a fast harvest
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Club News Club to Country receptions at key farming shows a great success
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Gene editing opportunities A joint seminar with the British Crop Production Council highlighted the potential for novel breeding technologies
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Farm succession It’s never too early to start planning the farm’s transition to the next generation – and avoid the many pitfalls.
10 Urban public insights Engaging the attention of city-dwellers is a major challenge, especially when it comes to the next generation
12 Splendid summer events The Club’s packed Summer programme spanned everything from Henley Regatta to Hampton Court Garden Festival
14 Golf mid-term report
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A fine series of matches, culminating in the Club Championship
15 Club Food Book Sumptuous photography, recipes and food provenance all feature in the first ever Farmers Club Food Book
16 Land development Overcoming countless obstacles en-route to success
17 Poetr y of the land Beautifully crafted, but politically-charged – new book
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18 Agri-Tech in figures Government efforts to boost agri-food innovation – key stats
18 Club Christmas Cards Two designs per pack for this year’s Club cards
19 Chef ’s page Sampling Champagne in-situ – a tough task!
20 Under 30s Summer Cocktail Evening An inspiring evening focused on distilling gin
22 Club Information and Contacts 02 • The Farmers Club Autumn 2019
Chairman’s Comments • Nick Helme
intent on stealing the fruit. It was such a valuable crop that it was vital to safeguard it at all costs, frequently then only to suffer disaster with a thunderstorm wetting the cherries and splitting them. No wonder the entire industry has now been transformed by dwarf trees, poly tunnels and control of the entire growing process. Club blackcurrants I was reminded again of another of my early jobs as my son sets off early every morning to pick blackcurrants. In a happy twist of fate, he is working for Club members and suppliers of fruit to the Restaurant, so the fruits of his labours may soon be appearing on a plate at the Club!
Chairman’s Comments “100 acres of wheat dispatched and all baled up in an afternoon. It used to take me all week to do that with a 10 foot Massey; whatever was I messing at!”
JUST in case you miss it I need to draw your attention to my letter included within this issue of the Journal. It really is important that we properly recognise and reward the amazing support and service that the Club staff provide for us members. Please dig deep and remember that we only get this opportunity once a year! Our round of show visits has come to an end, culminating with the Great Yorkshire Show, which really was great, on such an amazing site. There can’t be anywhere else that the adjoining supermarket has to close for three days to provide a car park! The Royal Welsh was, as always, a tremendous occasion, it always feels like one big happy family. The spectacle of a veritable army of Zulus assembling and performing outside the President’s Pavilion was incredible – “Zulus sir, thousands of them”! Cherry memories At the Kent Show we were treated to a magnificent display of soft fruit, including cherries, which reminded me of my days picking cherries. One of my earliest memories must be as a toddler, clinging to the base of a 40 rung ladder whilst my mother picked cherries 40 feet above. It was often said my mother must have been “born up a ladder”! I think one of my first ever jobs was also to do with cherries. My grandfather used to say, if all you children are going to make that much noise I have a job for you. We were sent to ‘mind’ the cherry orchards at dawn, running around shouting and banging tins to scare off the birds who were
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I also did blackcurrant picking in my youth, but hand picking into trays, not with a machine as he is doing. My first real management job was at the age of 13 being sent by my uncle to supervise all the pickers in the blackcurrant fields. This involved weighing in the trays of fruit and issuing “tallies” to the pickers, which they would exchange for cash at the end of each week. To be honest I was very green on that first day and the well-seasoned pickers took the opportunity to rob me blind! Every trick in the book was foisted on me, leaves and stones under the fruit in every tray to make them weigh heavier, stealing and forging tallies, sleight of hand on the weigh scales and even bringing the same trays back round again to be weighed yet again. I got a severe reprimand at the end of that first day, a major lesson in management, and just one more day in which to get it right! Our house martins seem to have succeeded with their first hatch and are well on with the second. I am going to take the advice of a member who wrote in to suggest I create a permanent muddy puddle nearby to provide them with readily available building materials next year. Wheat dispatched On the farm, the shortage of rain mentioned in the previous Journal seemed to rectify itself with a vengeance. The irrigators barely got going on the potatoes before it was time to pack them away again and as the August Bank Holiday loomed we still hadn’t cut a single field of wheat. And then the sun and heat arrived, along with another ‘circus’, a 30 foot wide combine accompanied by a fleet of tractors and trailers. 100 acres of wheat dispatched and all baled up in an afternoon. It used to take me all week to do that with a 10 foot Massey; whatever was I messing at!
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www.thefarmersclub.com • 03
Andrei Spence • Club News
Club News Summer event success in Club and Country
attended as ever, including a visit from HRH The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. Nick Helme hosted a late afternoon reception for 42 members, with Dr David Llewellyn, Vice Chancellor of Harper Adams University as our speaker on the increasing use of technology within farming. We also heard briefly from a representative of the ‘Farms For City Children’ Charity who do much good work in Wales and throughout the UK. The Club to Country programme of outreach was sanctioned by the Committee some years ago and we have tried to adapt it to make it different, informative and enjoyable, using dinners, breakfast meetings and receptions, along with the infrastructure provided by the agricultural shows themselves, to achieve our goal of getting out of London to meet the membership on their ‘home ground’, as it were. This year, at our eight events, we have seen 353 members, representing 6.6% of the Club’s membership. This is consistent with last years’ figures, allowing for the inclusion of a couple of smaller shows this year.
Late summer was a season of broad activity, in the Club and beyond, starting just 48 hours after the AGM with over 40 members taking brunch in the Farmers Suite before a visit to the glorious Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, writes Club Secretary & Chief Executive Andrei Spence. A coach took the party to Hampton Court railway station, which preceded a short but very peaceful river crossing to the banks of the Palace itself (p12). Kent County Show The following day (5th July) Chairman Nick Helme and I were at the Kent County show for the first time in a few years, where we were made very welcome. At the President’s lunch we heard a very thoughtful and insightful speech from Lord Gardiner of Kimble, before our own reception for 42 members with Mr Frazer Thompson, CEO of Chapel Down, as our guest speaker. The following Sunday (7th July), we took 40 members for the quintessentially English ‘Finals’ day at Henley Royal Regatta (p12) – simply splendid! Great Yorkshire Show On Tuesday 9th July, the Chairman and I were in Harrogate for the Great Yorkshire 04 • The Farmers Club Autumn 2019
As summer faded, a slightly different character and mood was evinced at the Club, as the pace slowed fractionally, and the team started detailed work on departmental budgets for 2020, prior to submission to the F&GP Committee in October.
Show, and although overcast with a little rain, it stayed warm. Nick hosted a reception for 38 members and guests, including our guest speakers Rob and Heather Copley, who provided a really fascinating insight on their business and land diversifications on a farm that was unsustainable in that form alone. Their drive, determination and entrepreneurial spirit was infectious and generated another 15 minutes of questions from the clearly interested Club audience. Back at the Club, on 11th July, we hosted our latest joint technical seminar with the British Crop Production Council (BCPC) for about 45 delegates (p6). The brainchild of past Chairman Richard Butler and BCPC Board of Management member, Stephen Howe, Stephen has been the driving force behind this collaboration for the past three years. Royal Welsh Show The final event of July also marked the end of the Club’s agricultural show season. The Royal Welsh Show, celebrating its centenary, seemed as good and well-
Under 30s Summer Dinner The Under 30s held a very successful Cocktails Evening and Summer dinner evening towards the end of July, with over 60 attending and listening to guest speaker Tom Warner, founder of Warner’s Gin (p20). I am told the evening went very well!
Club News • Andrei Spence
Club Calendar Diary Dates
See back cover for Calendar of Club events
August Fridays x3 Three very successful ‘Friday’ events were staged in London during August, comprising a visit to the underground Postal Museum followed by a Thames cruise with traditional British afternoon tea; a canal boat cruise on Regents Canal with fivecourse lunch followed by a visit to the Beefeater Gin Distillery in Kennington and supper in the Farmers Suite afterwards; and a tour of Greenwich and the Meantime Brewery. All proved highly successful and were very much enjoyed by members.
Van Gogh & Figaro! At the beginning of August, Club Administrator Anita took 40 members to Tate Britain to see the Van Gogh exhibition. As has become the norm with these hugely popular events, members gathered in the Farmers Suite to hear a lecture from our expert, Anne Haworth, before settling down for lunch and then going on to the exhibition itself. Another very successful and informative trip for all. “The Club organised a fascinating, clear and helpful pre-lunch lecture by Anne Haworth at the Club – followed by a delicious two-course lunch and a well-organised coach trip to the exhibition. It was a delightful day – which we will not forget,” Philip Hawkes. Earlier in July some 20 Club members attended the Royal Opera House Covent Garden to see a production of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. A superb performance was preceded by a fabulous supper in the Club and followed by a swift jaunt back to the Club Bar to ‘critique’ what had been witnessed. A superb evening had by all, with more than a few ‘first-timers’ to the Royal Opera House.
IT System Project SPIRIT (the new IT system) continues apace with much of the interface complete and the configuration and testing phase commencing by the time you read this edition of the Journal. Once this has been achieved from the technical side, the system will be handed to us for User Acceptance Testing for our feedback on how it actually performs for us. Like all IT projects, it has had, and will throw up a few more challenges. But these are being dealt with by a significant team made up of internal and external consultants/experts and I am confident that the whole team, technical and user, will make this the success we hoped for and we will have a system that will be the envy within our sector.
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Entrance Lobby Gems! Work in the entrance/lobby area of No3 Whitehall Court is now well underway and those who have read my recent e-mail newsletter will be aware of the extent of the hidden gems (in terms of original features) that have been revealed, including original marble steps and Terrazzo flooring. The intricacy and painstaking restoration work is quite incredible to see and has put into context for me, the timelines involved with this project which hopes to complete in December 2019.
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www.thefarmersclub.com • 05
Charles Abel • Club Event
Anti-GM policy probably costs UK £400m/year – Graham Brookes of PG Economics
Breeding better returns Can new approaches to plant breeding help UK farmers? A joint seminar organised by the British Crop Production Council and The Farmers Club investigated. Charles Abel reports
New genetic techniques offer much to consumers, processors, the environment and farmers – but will the public accept them? Such were the considerations at the BCPC/Farmers Club seminar Profiting from New Breeding Techniques, chaired by NIAB’s Bill Clark.
WHATEVER the final ramifications of Brexit UK farming’s ability to remain viable will very largely hinge around how well it can adapt to change. But will it be able to use the best practices and new technologies it needs to be productive, competitive and profitable?
million kilogrammes of pesticide, which in turn reduced environmental impacts by 18.4%. At the same time it boosted farm incomes by $186bn, produced an extra 659 million tonnes of food, feed and fibre and cut carbon emissions by 27.1bn kg of CO2.
A prime example is new plant breeding technologies. They offer great potential to UK farmers, the economy and the environment. But without a change in regulation and R&D investment farmers will be unable to reap the benefits.
Meanwhile, Europe accounted for less than 0.5% of GM cropping, yet it imported the equivalent of more than 35 million tonnes of GM produce a year. The EU’s dysfunctional GM regulatory system meant commercial research had plummeted. Twenty years ago the UK had over 480 full-time staff equivalents and a GM R&D budget of £45-50m/year – that was now 10 FTEs and £1.25m.
Setting the scene seminar chairman Bill Clark, Technical Director of the National Institute of Agricultural Botany, noted that since NIAB’s formation 100 years ago average wheat yields had risen from 2t/ha to over 8t/ha, much of that thanks to plant breeding. But despite Recommended List trials showing the potential was still rising, up 0.5% a year from Brigadier in 1989 to RGT Gravity’s 11.5t/ha, the past 10-15 years had seen on-farm yields plateau. Even if the full potential of new varieties could be realised it would be insufficient to meet an estimated 50% growth in global food demand by 2030, whilst protecting the environment and coping with climate change. Economic perspective Giving an economist’s perspective Graham Brookes, Agricultural Economist, PG Economics noted genetic modification had already delivered massive benefits globally. In the 20 years to 2016 it cut pesticide use by 8.2%, equivalent to 671
06 • The Farmers Club Autumn 2019
The UK had foregone production, environmental and consumer benefits estimated at £1bn up to 2006 and probably £400m/year since then, he said. Faster to market and lower cost new breeding technologies, including gene editing, had the potential to reboot the UK plant breeding sector, with smaller enterprises able to get involved, provided regulations permitted, whether the UK was inside or outside the EU. Farmer’s view Tom Bradshaw, Essex farmer and NFU Crops Board Chairman, highlighted the iniquity of GM commodities setting global base prices, against which UK farmers had to compete “with one hand tied behind our backs”. Indeed, with the current losses of crop protection products the greatest challenge was for UK farmers was to sustain yields, never mind raise them. The neonicotiniod ban, which hit yields,
Club Event • Charles Abel raised pesticide use and increased risk, meant he no longer grew oilseed rape, cutting a key flowering crop from his rotation. Produce imported from countries working to lower standards effectively exported environmental impacts overseas. “Such hypocrisies are absolutely nuts if we want a thriving UK agricultural economy.” With climate change a major Defra policy driver the need for new technologies was greater than ever, and NBTs could help, he said. But no regulator would approve them until the public could see a benefit. More focus on environmental benefits, including wider rotations, with more flowering crops to support bees, with which the public were mesmerised, was a prime opportunity. Alison Bentley, Director of Genetics and Breeding at NIAB, said accelerated plant breeding could help the wheat crop, but that with a genome three times bigger than a human’s “it’s a genetic monster.” Even so, NBTs, including gene-editing techniques like CRISPR, ZFN and TALENS could all help, alongside new approaches to drawing genetic variation from wild relatives, faster cycling through generations and changing the way wheat hybrids function to release more hybrid vigour. But varietal selection, through the Recommended List system would need to better reflect changing demands. Suggestions that the UK climate could mirror Barcelona’s within 30 years was a case in point, as was the scope to create very specific nutritionally functional varieties. Regulatory issues Karen Holt, Senior Regulatory Affairs Manager at Syngenta said the UK’s post-Brexit Regulatory framework needed to shift from the EU model, which was unpredictable, non-transparent and unrelated to policy to one which was predictable, transparent and policy-led.
“Such hypocrisies are absolutely nuts if we want a thriving UK agricultural economy.”
Regulations need to be predict able, transparent and policy-led – Karen Holt, Senior Regulatory Affairs Manager, Syngenta.
She condemned the European Court of Justice’s 2018 ruling that all biotech varieties should be subject to GM regulation. Varieties produced using NBTs, including gene editing, should be subject to standard food and environmental regulation, as for any other new variety. Only if foreign genes were added should it be seen as similar to GM, she asserted. Many other regulators were already seeing it that way, including the USA, Brazil and Argentina. The latter had seen the approach stimulate investment by SME businesses, which outnumbered multinationals 9 to 1 in successful applications. Significantly, NBTs, especially gene editing, were undetectable in the food chain, unlike GM produce. That could create significant challenges for a paper trail of compliance, and maybe risk significant trade distortions, particularly if the precautionary principle persisted in the EU. She acknowledged that the European Commission was more amenable to gene editing than GM, but felt it could still be up to 10 years before any new regulatory system is in place in the UK. Until then, it seems, UK farming should expect little from new breeding technologies, while the rest of the world reaps colossal benefits. No level playing field here then.
Tom Bradshaw Essex farmer and NFU Crops Board Chairman
CLUB EVENTS Details of further Club Events, including the Monday Evening Lecture with Government food system review chairman Henry Dimbleby on Monday 4th November, can be found at www. thefarmersclub.com/ events or contact Club Administrator Anita Kaur on 020 7930 3751 e-mail: administrator@ thefarmersclub.com
DNA REVOLUTION NOW the science! We’re in a DNA revolution that will transform plant breeding, explained Cristobal Uauy, Project Leader in Crop Genetics at the John Innes Centre. From a cost of £100m to sequence a human genome in 2001 to under £1000 today the rate of progress was phenomenal. Wheat was now fully sequenced, generating a huge amount of data from which to construct new varieties. “But be careful with the overhype”, he insisted. “We know the location of every gene in wheat, now we need to know what they do.” He likened the genome to 3.1 million sheets of
A4 paper printed with the GACT base sequence in a 9-point font – same as the type in this Journal. Stacked together that would rise as high as the top of London’s Shard. From that stack an individual letter had to be detected and edited. CRISPR technology effectively provided the ‘Google search box’ to find that base, and Cas9 then provided the ‘scissors’ to snip it out. As the cell repaired the cut, an error could occur, creating the variation that could bring big benefits, in an identical way to the random mutations that happen in nature all the time. By repeating the process in wheat’s
three gene duplicates effects could be tripled, potentially boosting crop benefits very significantly. Current varieties could be enhanced by adding a single new trait, whilst retaining everything else that was good about the variety. Such technologies were now being used in countries all around the world, with agri-food patents accelerating very fast, including Corteva’s low gluten breadmaking wheat and higher fibre wheat in the US. He felt the technology should be linked to the undoubted upsides of cancer and leukaemia cures when talking to the public.
www.thefarmersclub.com • 07
Farm succession • Charles Abel
Farm succession
get it right
Does your farm business have a well-crafted succession plan? If not the ramifications could be considerable, as Charles Abel reports
“I’ve been in a situation where I’ve had to call the police, because family members are fighting in the yard” Siân Bushell
“Farms are more at risk from not having a succession plan than any financial, political or weather event.”
Siân Bushell, farm succession consultant
IT’S almost never too early to start developing a succession plan for your farm business. If wellcrafted it can avoid a lot of misunderstanding and grief, releasing energy and enthusiasm to drive the business forwards.
According to independent succession consultant Siân Bushell the advice is clear. “Don’t bury it and hope it goes away; it won’t. Family farms are more at risk from not having a succession plan than any financial, political or weather event.”
Such was the message from a Defra-backed discussion panel earlier this year, involving industry experts and chaired by NFYFC Agriculture and Rural Issues (AGRI) Chairman David Goodwin from Warwickshire.
Too often succession issues are triggered by a death or sudden disability. With no succession plan in place what is already a catastrophe can be made far worse.
“NFYFC wants to highlight practical and accessible measures to help start and progress succession conversations,” he says. “This issue can affect the whole family if it is not dealt with. Hopefully, we can help to break down some of the barriers. ” George Baxter, an agronomist with Hutchinsons in Cambridgeshire and NFYFC AGRI Vice Chairman, with a family farm interest in Yorkshire, feels demand for discussions is rising. “The next generation is pushing quite hard, because they can see the directions farming could take, and opportunities in diversification or new technologies, for example.” In other cases strong land values mean the next generation wants to release capital values, rather than focus on the earning capacity of the business.
Siân Bushell
08 • The Farmers Club Autumn 2019
Larger estates often see the early inclusion of the next generation, on a shared venture basis, as a way of reinvigorating the business, says Georgina Sweeting from Savills’ York office. The flipside is sons and daughters eager to get involved, but frustrated by a reluctance to engage, notes George. His advice is not to be afraid to pursue other employment, with a view to returning to the farm later. But have the succession discussion first. “Don’t leave with a vague hope of returning, there may be a disconnect of expectations, and the opportunity may not be there when you want to return.” “The importance of business and succession planning must not be under-estimated, especially during this time of policy change and transition,” adds Ashley Lilley, Savills’ food and farming director in west England and a long-time supporter of NFYFC training.
Charles Abel • Farm succession
George Baxter, NFYFC
David Goodwin, NFYFC
Starting the conversation There may be no blueprints, but the panel highlighted some key issues. First, get the conversation started. The moment needs choosing carefully – the middle of a TB test is clearly not ideal. But don’t keep putting it off and don’t let others do the same. Seek to understand the goals and concerns of all family members, and never assume. Until it is said, it isn’t part of the process. Include everyone with an interest, including siblings who may work off-farm. Omitting them can cause resentment and problems. Some discussions are better one-to-one, or with an unrelated, unbiased chairperson. Include spouses in large family meetings. Joining the business A key issue is the unspoken expectation that a person who is keen on farming will join the business at a future date, but little is said of how they will be integrated into the business and if/how/ when the business will eventually pass to them. Wrong assumptions are often made, manifesting years later as major problems, with people often feeling they have wasted the best years of their working lives. Pinpoint what is expected, what can be given, what is wanted, what is not wanted, remuneration and whether the business can support everyone. Simple issues, like working hours, can be a good place to start. Often these cause big headaches if not defined clearly. Consider who is responsible for day-to-day decisions, buying and selling, and budget and cashflow. Who attends meetings with the accountant and bank manager? “Be realistic about expectations, but also be sure to get things agreed at the outset, to avoid later disappointment,” notes George. Is everyone united on the direction of the business, the farming sectors traded in,
Ashley Lilley, Savills
Georgina Sweeting, Savills
diversification and cash availability? “Ensure everyone knows what everyone wants. Often the expectations of some family members can come as a big shock,” says Siân. Sort out payment, living arrangements, responsibilities and planned timelines for completing the succession process. The business may need adjusting to accommodate everyone’s goals, which could take years, especially if scale needs to change. Hold an annual strategic meeting to review progress and set goals, including a target date for retirement, so it isn’t a taboo subject. If the process proves difficult, consider using a trained facilitator. Choosing between asset growth and cash generation is also key. “It can help when deciding how many can live off the business, and aspirations for developing and growing the business,” says Ashley. Succession plans do not have to be equitable to be fair. “If one sibling is doing the farming, and the others are not, the split can reflect what is earned, rather than being directly equivalent,” Siân notes. NFYFC Last year NFYFC, with support from Defra and AHDB, produced the video “We Really Need to Talk”, highlighting the role of communication. “Ready and Resilient” is its successor, a guide to starting the succession journey, created by NFYFC with Savills and Siân Bushell, and supported by Defra. It involves training delivered to YFC groups by NFYFC The Curve training experts. Piloted in Nottinghamshire it is now being launched nationally.
TAX AND LEGALS Crucially, tax and legal arrangements should fit the family plan, not vice versa. Agricultural property relief and the switch from EU to UK farm support may be hot topics, which can get the conversation started, but decisions should be based on family goals first, since policies are likely to continue changing. Passing on the management of the farm business and transferring its assets should be seen as separate things, which do not have to be simultaneous. Trusts, which can seem a sensible tax strategy and way of defining the future, may not be ideal. “Trusts often show there’s a lack of trust,” says Siân. “So check why you are getting into the trust and how you will get out of it, because you can easily tie yourself in knots.”
MORE INFO www.yfcsmartfarming.org.uk www.savills.co.uk/rural www.sianbushellassociates.co.uk www.ahdb.org.uk
www.thefarmersclub.com • 09
Lydia Tyler • Urban view
Urban insight reveals challenge Farming needs to explain itself to the urban public more effectively (as the Spring Journal highlighted). Sixth-form student Lydia Tyler visited a country show on the urban fringe to find out how it is doing
“Young people once looked up to farmers, working long hours to put food on our plates. Now they look up to men kicking a ball around instead.”
A WARM sunny Sunday morning and I’m off to explore the Weald Park Country Show. With something for everyone, a country show never fails to please. But does the British public truly appreciate the hard work of farmers to educate on the importance of farming? That’s what I wanted to find out. As the lady stamped my hand to get into the show, the first stall I approached was the Woodland Trust where I met a friendly man named Barry. He tells me he has actually just come back from an arable farm, and that he had recently been pondering my first question: “How hard is farming trying to promote itself?” “Our modern-day society is so focused on technology and all that, that it isn’t about how farming is promoting itself, it is about who is sitting up and listening,” he says. Inquisitively, I delve deeper into his answer, asking how we can improve the situation. He tells me he believes programmes like BBC Countryfile are providing a real insight into the tireless work of farmers, and that the only way to really get through to today’s society is through a screen, or with events like the country show.
10 • The Farmers Club Autumn 2019
Making my way around the event, something catches my eye – a wall with paintings that appear to capture a lifetime of talent. Intrigued, I wander over, which is where I meet ‘Ron,’ a rural artist. Before speaking to him, I take a minute to admire his work, which reminds me that farms are truly where the magic happens: creativity is inspired, and work like Ron’s can take form, with no distractions. He explains that the relationship between farming and the urban public is “distant”, and emphasises this with his view that “most kids these days don’t realise milk comes from a cow.” His comment amuses me, but unfortunately, he is right, and you can only educate those who want to learn. He believes farmers markets are particularly effective at projecting what farmers really do. Intrigued about the rural topics his work focuses on, I ask him about the time he spends on farms. Farming is “less romantic” than many would think, he stresses, pointing out the difference between the way the public perceives farmers “galivanting around a field with some sheep” and how it really is: “back breaking work with little profit.” Someone else who reflects this same viewpoint is a young man named Roli, running a stall selling fresh fruit and vegetables. Both his father
Urban view • Lydia Tyler
and grandfather are farmers. He has worked in markets for 22 years, so it is understandable when he explains he has built up resentment towards supermarkets, which are “killing his trade.” “Farmers markets have gone from buzzing to struggling to compete with the supermarkets and their 20p bags of carrots.” He considers supermarkets to be wasteful, and we chat about how he donates to the Best Before charity to avoid wasting produce from his own business. When I ask about ways to improve the urban public’s perception of farming he is quick to reply: “the public would sit up and notice our work if there were no supermarkets mullering the game for everyone else.”
to farmers, working long hours to put food on our plates. Now they look up to men kicking a ball around instead.” It is a sentiment that echoes the views presented in the Spring Journal. I left the event with a somewhat heavy heart, and a realisation that farmers may never truly divert the attention of today’s young people towards the work they do, simply because teenagers do not care where their food comes from, just that it ends up on their plate. But every effort that is made, through the many, many initiatives and the countless individuals who speak up for farming, must be worthwhile. How much poorer would our nation be without at least some understanding of the work farmers do in Britain’s fields.
When I ask a lady buying strawberries from Roli’s stall what she thinks, she tells me young people are “too attracted to the convenience of supermarkets, and ignorant to the fact that farmers are making a fraction of the profit they deserve.” Reflecting on my time at the show I realise many of the people I met perceive the problem as whether the public is paying any attention, rather than how hard farming is trying to advertise itself. Many highlighted that this was especially the case with the younger generation. The change in attitudes was summarised very nicely by one visitor, who said: “young people once looked up
– attracting urban Looking the wrong way challenge. a is interest “off-screen”
Farming puts its points forwards – but is the urban public listening?
Getting city-dwellers to notice farm ing and rural issues is the heart of the battle.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lydia Tyler studies at Drapers’ Academy Sixth Form in Harold Hill, East London. She hopes to attend University ahead of a career in the media.
HAROLD HILL Harold Hill is a suburban housing estate in East London – sixteen miles from central London and The Farmers Club, and a short hop over the M25 to rural Essex. Previously significantly deprived it is now one of England’s fastest improving boroughs, following a long-term regeneration project led by Havering Council.
WEALD PARK COUNTRY SHOW Geared to entertain a predominantly urban audience of up to 12,000 people the Weald Park Country Show seeks to champion food producers, crafts and rural pursuits, as well as a host of other attractions – from celebrity chefs to wrestling and classic cars to historic re-enactment – all competing for audience attention. www. wealdcountryshow. co.uk
www.thefarmersclub.com • 11
Anita Kaur • Summer Events
Summer events sparkle Farmers Club Summer events caught the best of the summer weather – from regional shows to wonderful days in London. Anita Kaur provides a snapshot POSTAL MUSEUM & THAMES TOUR Subterranean London was brought to life with a visit to the underground postal museum, including a ride on the train system itself – a fascinating insight into the ways mail was moved around the capital and out to various parts of the country. Emerging back to ground level, members then embarked on a Thames river boat to enjoy a cruise with traditional British afternoon tea before returning to the Embankment. “Thank you for an enjoyable trip to the Postal Museum and afternoon tea on the Thames. I had a really good time,” John Purser.
CANAL CRUISE & BEEFEATER GIN So popular was last year’s Canal boat cruise on Regents Canal that we ran it again this year, following a route flanking London Zoo and on to Little Venice. On-board we enjoyed a five-course lunch, before travelling across London to the Beefeater Gin Distillery in Kennington, for a guided tour and Gin tasting. Afterwards supper in the Club’s Farmers Suite rounded off a superb day. “Simon & I thoroughly enjoyed our day. Thank you so much for such excellent organisation” Cynthia & Simon Brice. “Thank you for organising last Friday’s event. We loved every minute. The lunch was superb on the Canal boat and to finish with supper at the Club just rounded off the day” - John & Jennifer Hammond.
12 • The Farmers Club Autumn 2019
Summer Events • Anita Kaur
HAMPTON COURT PALACE GARDEN FESTIVAL One of the summer’s hottest days made tea with fizz very welcome indeed. Travel to the event included a peaceful river crossing, while the return to the Club was in good time for a change of attire for dinner in the Restaurant. A lovely summer day out.
HENLEY ROYAL REGATTA Finals day at Henley Royal Regatta attracted 40 members and guests, with Club member Tom Copas (our host) giving a ‘tour de force‘ commentary during a boat cruise along the course. Our grateful thanks go to Tom who makes this truly British event accessible to the Farmers Club.
ROYAL WELSH SHOW In its centenary year the show included a visit from HRH The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, who met Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini and Queen Pumi on the 140th anniversary of the battle of Rorke’s Drift. Club Chairman Nick Helme hosted a late afternoon reception for 42 members addressed by Dr David Llewellyn, Vice Chancellor of Harper Adams University.
GREAT YORKSHIRE SHOW Our reception for 38 members and guests had a really fascinating insight from guest speakers Rob and Heather Copley on their business and land diversifications.
GREENWICH & MEANTIME BREWERY Our private guided tour around the impressive sights of Greenwich, followed by a private tour and tasting at Meantime Brewery, proved a real hit.
www.thefarmersclub.com • 13
Martin Shaw • Golf society
Golf society update The Farmers Club Golf Society had a busy first half of the season, as secretary Martin Shaw reports
n Fordham, Denis Chamberlain, Joh ley Bag Norman
Graham Ball, Mark Jones, Edward Golland
Jean Brookes, Felicity Broomby, Hazel Byford, Eileen Hogan
OUR team matches started in late April versus the EPICS played at the lovely New Zealand Golf Club in Surrey. A closely fought match, the Club eventually won 7-5. Congratulations to Mark Jones for his hole in one on the 220 yard 7th. The match against the NFU at Newbury and Crookham was curtailed by atrocious weather. Perhaps if all matches had been completed before the hooter was sounded because of lightning, our position of 4-1 down might have improved?
Club Championship The Club Championships saw 39 golfers play at Blackwell Golf Club near Bromsgrove. The course was in excellent condition and the greens very challenging. Mark Jones, with 33 points, repeated his success of 2018 winning the Farmers Club Putter. His wife, Janina, won the ladies competition for the Eric Wilson Trophy on 31 points. Malcolm McAllister, with 32 points, won the John Roberts Cup for men over 70. John Fordham won the visitors prize. As I write meetings are set to resume in late August with the John Alliston Tankard being played at Stratford upon Avon followed by our Autumn Meeting, this year being held at Coxmoor and Lindrick Golf Clubs. My thanks to all members who have supported the society so far this season and a welcome to all new faces who hopefully have enjoyed the matches and meetings and will continue to spread the word in helping our future growth.
Our annual match with the BVAGS was this year played at Luffenham Heath Golf Club, Captain David Reading’s home course. We had a very enjoyable day on a challenging course and a rare victory over the Vets 5-3. Charles Wylie recorded a hole in one on the 152 yard 5th.
GOLF SOCIETY Any Farmers Club members wishing to play and not currently on the Golf Society mailing list, please contact golf secretary Martin Shaw by email at martin. edwardswale@ gmail.com
Scotland challenge Next was our journey north to play the New Club of Edinburgh at Luffness and the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers at Muirfield. Both matches ended in defeat, but we enjoyed great company and hospitality from our hosts.
Bob Iles, David Reading ist (Captain), Ernest Gilchr
Fourteen players represented the Club in our match versus the XL Club at Sandwich. Sadly, we couldn’t repeat the heroics of 2018, losing 8½ - 5½ in very testing weather conditions. As usual the catering at Royal St. Georges was exceptional and enjoyed by all attending. Selby Golf Club hosted our match against the West Riding NFU which was halved 3-3.
14 • The Farmers Club Autumn 2019
Kechil Gilchrist, Barbara Means, Kay Pole
Food book • Virginia Masser
“Enjoy the highly praised simply-cooked, seasonal, quality British food created by Paul Hogben, Head Chef & Director of Food, and his team” “Laced throughout with stunning photography”
The Farmers Club’s first ever book about FOOD!! A MERE six years ago The Restaurant at The Farmers Club was lucky to have three or four members dining at lunch or dinner daily, the Bar had only a small selection of sandwiches on its menu and functions were few and far between. Today, the Club has a busy Restaurant and Bar and a wide range of functions are frequently held. Many of you now bring your family, friends and guests to enjoy the highly praised simply cooked, seasonal, quality British food created by Paul Hogben, Head Chef & Director of Food, and his team. To celebrate this achievement and the Club’s simply cooked, seasonal quality British Food, sourced from around the UK, we have created a hard-back book, “FOOD at THE FARMERS CLUB.” The book takes you on a mouth-watering journey through the seasons, each one starting with Paul’s vision of the forthcoming season, his thoughts about the new seasonal menu ahead and the produce available to use.
Provenance has been highlighted along with some loyal suppliers that have stayed the course over the recent years and supported the book’s creation. A selection of recipes from dishes that have appeared on the Club menus have been adapted for home use so that you can recreate them and further modify to suit. All have been carefully tested by the Club team, friends and family. Laced throughout is stunning photography, taken by Club Photographer and now Club member, Jonathan Pollock. “FOOD at THE FARMERS CLUB,” ideal for use at home and of course those all-important Christmas presents. We anticipate delivery of the book in early October – so, in order not to miss out, please find the order form enclosed in this Journal. Virginia Masser
www.thefarmersclub.com • 15
Charles Abel • Land development
Land challenges KEY FACTS Number of Homes: 29 Site Size: 4.23acres Local Authority: West Oxfordshire District Council Promotion Agreement Exchanged: November 2016 Planning Application Submitted: February 2017 Planning Permission Granted: April 2018 Planning Permission Challenged: High Court Challenge June 2018 High Court Decision: November 2018 Sale Contracts Exchanged: April 2019 Purchaser: Private House Builder Rosconn Management Team (l-r) Daniel O’Donnell, Managing Director; Daniel Hatcher, Planning Director; Nick Carr, Operations Director.
DEVELOPING agricultural land for residential development can have its ups and downs. For one project in Oxfordshire the merits of a tenacious land development specialist became all too apparent as not one but two legal challenges were confronted.
relevant weighting of both landscape and heritage harm when juxtaposed to the acute housing need in the area, Rosconn explains. Presenting a case that makes the Planning Inspector comfortable in their decision, is crucially important, it adds.
Rosconn Strategic Land, whose Managing Director, Daniel O’Donnell, is a Farmers Club member, promotes itself as being trusted, transparent and innovative – just what the large family that owned 4.23 acres of underused agricultural land on the edge of Enstone village in West Oxfordshire wanted in a land promoter.
The four-day Planning Inquiry was a massive operation. A six week wait for the planning decision to be issued followed. All parties were delighted when the appeal was allowed and planning permission granted for 29 houses.
Following a meeting with the team and advice from the family’s land agent the decision was made. Once a number of technical issues with the application had been resolved all seemed well. That was until the planning officer for West Oxfordshire District Council advised that the application was going to be refused. “It’s fair to say we were in shock, as discussions had appeared to be travelling smoothly until that juncture,” comments Mr O’Donnell. “At all stages our landowner clients were kept calm and relaxed, reassured by Rosconn’s dedicated team that we would succeed. We took the planning refusal in our stride and immediately started reviewing the decision notice in preparation for the planning appeal.” A team was selected for the Public Inquiry, drawing on the firm’s long-standing relationships with high calibre consultants with wide experience of expert witness work, plus a particularly innovative Planning Barrister. The Rosconn team focused on the key issue of heritage and landscape harm.
16 • The Farmers Club Autumn 2019
Key to success in such cases is intellectual dexterity, enabling the Planning Witness to articulate the
But the delight was short-lived. Roll forward five weeks and a legal challenge had been issued by West Oxfordshire District Council against the Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government, alleging that the Inspector had erred in his decision by not giving sufficient weight to an emerging Local Plan. Once again Rosconn and their legal team defended the case. The High Court case was won and the planning challenge quashed, at long last leaving in place the planning permission so the land could be marketed. A private housebuilder subsequently purchased the site, ensuring 29 new houses could be built to meet the demand for much needed market and affordable housing in the area. The landowners were naturally delighted.
Landowner comment “What a journey this has been,” reflects landowner Liz Venvell. “Without Rosconn we would never have attained such a positive outcome in obtaining planning permission. Their professionalism, expertise and customer care were outstanding throughout the whole process. The family are so grateful to all those who were involved in helping us achieve our goal.”
Poetry • Charles Abel & Lydia Tyler
Poignant poetry Many believe a book’s title should be a short-cut to its simplified meaning. In Adam Horowitz’s The Soil Never Sleeps that is exactly the case.
AN eye-opening glimpse into the firmly-grounded world of pasture farming, The Soil Never Sleeps is a radical collection of poetry on humanity’s relationship with the natural world, strongly challenging many mainstream farming practices. As the Pasture-fed Livestock Association’s poet in residence, Adam stayed on four of its farms – in the Yorkshire Dales, Cornwall, Kent and Wales – over four seasons. This book’s first edition resulted and following its success he was commissioned to spend time on two Exmoor farms. This second edition benefits from the addition of new poems which address the farming challenges and beauty of Exmoor over two seasons, culminating with lambing. It is illustrated with line drawings by Jo Saunders. Horowitz allows us to see through his lens, as a vegetarian, valuing the lives of animals as more than slabs of meat. He expertly masters the balance between a political subtext and a clear portrayal of each animal, job and aspect of animal rearing. His idea of quality over price is predominantly explored in The Abattoir: It is not enough to say “it tastes good” What does it taste of? Cheap cane sugar And reconstituted fat or the depth and breadth Of a certain field, ripe at high pasture, Where the farmer ploughed nothing, Or just pricked the soil to let more water in”
Horowitz uses words and poetic devices to deliver what may not be comfortable reading for some. But the beauty and authenticity with which he delves into each farm’s holistic approach to its work, the value placed on individual animals, and the resulting fresh produce, is thought-provoking and very relevant as consumer preferences shift. “The earth moves faster than we can comprehend,” he writes, “so seek a segment, find a strand of it that you can love. Listen to the movement in one hedge. Attune to it. See what it will give, Make no demand.” Bloody Adam brings a light-hearted interlude, telling a tale of a young calf named after the writer, an animal not just characterised by its weight and potential for money making, but it’s mischievous nature too. The soil truly does never sleep and in this collection the message is that nature, farming and growth lie at the very heart of the world and should be cherished accordingly. Charles Abel & Lydia Tyler
“He expertly masters the balance between a political subtext and a clear portrayal of each animal, job and aspect of animal rearing.”
Available from Palewell Press (www.palewellpress.co.uk) priced £9.99
This poem has such an intense political tone, seeking to air issues many would prefer not to consider. Not all meat is the same, he asserts, continuing in the next stanza: “A cow with wagtail groupies, in its hoof prints, eating leaf hoppers, is not a cow passing poisons on to us,” www.thefarmersclub.com • 17
Claire White • Christmas Cards
Farming Figures
HOW
GLED
IN LAKE
TER
WIN
A look at… investment in Agri-Tech research to boost UK farm productivity … told through some key statistics
Almost halved
Profit from farming down 43%, from 1973’s £10.1bn to £5.8bn in 2017 (£4.7bn 2018)
FOUR
Agri-Tech centres: Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock (CIEL); Crop Health & Protection (CHAP); Agricultural Engineering Precision Innovation Centre (Agri-EPI Centre); Agrimetrics
OW
E SN
ON
ST P
ORE EW F
N TH IES I
N
One
Vision: Government, academia and industry collaboration to drive efficiency, resilience and wealth across agri-food sector
£4.3bn Uplift in contribution to economy if UK farming had matched USA productivity growth from 2000 to 2013
0.9% Annual growth in total factor productivity in UK; 3.5% in Netherlands, 3.2% in USA
£90m
Pump-priming capital from public purse invested via Innovate UK since 2015
105 Projects Number of research projects
98 jobs
New high-tech jobs created
192 organisations Partnerships and collaborations with wide range of businesses and bodies
35,000 farmers Total reach of Agri-Tech messaging
£60m
Investment in livestock research stimulated by CIEL – Europe’s largest farm animal research alliance Sources: www.agritechcentres.com, Farmers Weekly, FWi, AHDB.
18 • The Farmers Club Autumn 2019
Christmas Cards 2019 THIS year’s Farmers Club Christmas card pack features a combination of two original photographs entitled “Gledhow Lake in Winter” by Eugene Ivanoff and “New Forest Ponies in the Snow” by Simon Carr, (via Getty Images). The cards measure 171 mm x 121 mm (6.75” x 4.75”), are printed with the Club logo and the greeting “With Best Wishes for Christmas and the New Year”. Surplus on the sale of the cards will be donated to RABI of England, Wales & NI and the RSABI of Scotland, both of which are dedicated to helping members of the farming community facing hardship. Each pack will contain 5 of each card and may be bought at Reception or ordered from the General Office using the order form enclosed with this Journal. The price per pack of 10 cards is £8.00 incl VAT (plus £3.00 postage for orders of 5-12 packs]
PLEASE
PLACE
Y ROMPTL
RDER P YOUR O
ID TO AVO
T
INTMEN
APPO ANY DIS
Head Chef & Director of Food • Paul Hogben
In Search of “The Holy Grail” ON July 26th, that stiflingly hot summer’s day, Jelle, the Club’s Restaurant Manager, and I set off to visit some vineyards and farmhouses in Champagne, Northern France. “Why is he not visiting British Sparkling wine producers?” I hear you say…. Well, whilst an opportunity not to be missed, the majority of wine sales in the Club are not of British wine and we try to match our wines to the flavours of our seasonal menus. As we surfaced from the Channel Tunnel, the temperature outside rose and in Reims an all-time record temperature of 43.5C was recorded. Our first tour was Champagne Louis Roederer. Met by our supplier Oliver, we viewed some of the historic private rooms in the Chateau before visiting the Premier Cru village of Verzenay. Here, Pinot Noir grapes are grown for their world-famous Rose Cristal. The grapes on these vines cannot be used for 25 years and then the bottled wine is aged in chalk caves for another 10 years. Finally, after 35 years in the making, some very lucky people get to sample it. We were skilfully guided through a tasting of the 2012 Vintage, 2013 Rose and 2011 Blanc de Blanc wines back at the family Chateau. What complex wines they are….quite beautiful!
Champagne Lanson, the Club Champagne, was next on the tour. The very modern facility highlighted the start of the process for creating this fine wine. The vast wine vats are buried under their famous Clos Champagne Vineyards. The caves were awash with millions of bottles of varying sizes, laying patiently ageing and waiting for the right time to be riddled, disgorged then further aged before distribution. The majority comes to the UK. Saturday’s visit took us to a small Premier Cru Village of Pierry just south of Epernay, to Champagne Bouche, a family owned farm and producer of yet more fine vintage wines. Finally, we returned to Reims for a private tour of Champagne Taittinger. These caves were dug by the monastery monks in the 13th and 14th centuries and were shelters for the villagers during the two World Wars. Amongst the historical, stunning, cathedral-like caves, set over many levels, wine is stored up to 50 metres below ground. Appreciating fine wine and understanding the food it accompanies is key to your enjoyment of our excellent British food. Enjoy! Chef
“We try to match our wines to the flavours of our seasonal menus”
Louis Roederer Champag ne Cristal`s Pinot Noir vines and surrounding fields at Ver zenay
www.thefarmersclub.com • 19
Scott Hayles, Chairman; Eleanor Kay, Vice Chairman; Anita Kaur, Secretary • Under 30s
Chairman’s Jottings
As I write there is a grumble of combine harvesters in the distance, not only that, but OSR seed drills are out with growers testing their wits against Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle too! Good luck, and I hope your harvests went well and all your crops are by now safely stored away. I am very pleased to announce this is my first Chairman’s Jottings as a married man! Olivia and I married on August 10th, surrounded by many Farmers Club friends, many of whom married partners that they met at the Club. At our last event, our Summer Cocktails Evening, we had the pleasure of Tom Warner, founder of Warner’s Distillery, as our guest speaker. Despite the poor weather it was another record breakingevent. Tom (also a Harper Adams alumnus) gave an overview to his multiple award-winning craft gin business, with fantastic passion and energy. Thank you to all who joined us. I must also recognise members who have taken time to write/email their thanks to the Under 30s and Farmers Club teams – messages and comments really mean a lot and make the job worth doing. Thank you! It has been fantastic getting to know and meet some of our new and existing members over recent months. If you have not been to an event I strongly urge you to do so, and remember you can bring a guest if they are interested in joining the Under 30s. The Farmers Club U30s Facebook page has key dates, photos and updates on Interclub events. If you have any questions please contact me (details below) or Under 30s Secretary Anita Kaur.
Contact Scott for more information: Scott Hayles Under 30s Chairman 2019/20 07887 834159 scott.hayles@corteva.com
20 • The Farmers Club Autumn 2019
Farming is where innovation
be-gins! Under 30s members flocked to the Farmers Club on a rainy July evening for shelter, and crucially, gin. The weather meant canapés and gin cocktails were served inside before we sat down for a rambunctious meal – the room buzzed with merriment and energy, entirely fitting given our dynamic speaker, Tom Warner, founder and CEO of Warner Edwards Gin. Retreating to the family farm in 2012, after working as a coffee buyer, Tom wanted to start a business. Numerous ideas hit the wastepaper bin; essential oils, perfumes, booze… Booze? That was the ticket. After careful consideration he hit on making a London Dry Gin.
preferred Gordons! Seeking a solution Tom spotted the farm’s abundant elderflower and Elderflower Gin was born. The company retains its sustainable, ecological purpose – the honeybees that flavour the honey gin, pollinate the fruits that flavour others (see www.warnersdistillery.com).
A major milestone was when gin expert David T Smith rated Warner Edwards London Dry Gin second of 405 sampled, second only to the original Boodles. That was an irresistible calling card for Fortnum & Masons. Things started taking off.
In 6 years, 7 months and 7 days of running the business Tom has achieved a lot. Their gin is the second most stolen good in Waitrose. They are “playing with the big boys” now!
Fortnum’s sold out of Warner Edwards in a flash, other retailers became interested and Tom was soon thinking about his next innovation – flavoured gin. It seems a no brainer now, but Warner Edwards were the first to do it. Again, it sold out.
A compelling speaker, Tom spoke of more than just gin, highlighting the potential we all have as farmers. Our USP, so to speak; if we think and work hard enough, we can create something entirely unique, with a compelling narrative that can, if we get it right, propel us further than our competitors.
Inspiration for the flavoured gin came from his mother, who thought their London Dry Gin was ok, but
James Fuller Under 30s Member
Under 30s • Scott Hayles, Chairman; Eleanor Kay, Vice Chairman; Anita Kaur, Secretary
Meet the Member
Rupert Turnbull As a part of the Meet the Member initiative to see how our industry’s relationship with the public can become ‘less complicated’, under 30s Committee Member Georgina Knock speaks with Rupert Turnbull
Rupert Turnbull Twitter @roo_ bear95 Email: rupertturnbull @gmail.com If you would like your say on how to strengthen our relationship with people outside the industry, please contact Georgina: Georgina Knock @georgina_knock georgina@ sunnysuffolk. co.uk
Rupert Turnbull became a member of the Farmers Club Under 30s two years ago, after reaching the final of the Pinnacle Award for Excellence in Business Management, organised by The Farmers Club and ADAS and sponsored by the Cave Foundation. “Unlike most Under 30s members I’m not from a farming family,” he says. “I’ve always been interested in agriculture and rural affairs, having gained a range of experience on different scales and types of farms across the UK over the years, as well as spending nine months on the South Island of New Zealand last year working on mixed farms.” Lack of understanding He believes inclusivity, marketing and social media are the three main aspects that can help improve the industry’s public relations. “People outside agriculture have a lack of understanding of what we do. There’s a large disconnect between the consumer and the farmer and I believe the silver bullet is more Open Farm Sunday styled interactions with more inclusive invitations to the public onto farms/estates and educating people through social media.”
Brand images for all farms “We need to increase public perceptions of farming and brand awareness. More businesses should create their own brand image, website and specialise in marketing. The majority of farmers are not known for their marketing skills. But your customers are your biggest asset! So, as a start, I would advise setting up a local focus group in your area to ask the community what they want to see in their local area – collaborate, integrate and share ideas, because you may be surprised what you find. Analogies help explain “Word of mouth is powerful, so whether you tell people what and why you’re doing things on farm, through your phone, on social media or articles in a local newspaper, it can influence people’s perceptions positively on our industry. People don’t realise our investments. Using common analogies that people can relate to will help address these knowledge gaps. For example, a combine harvester costs around £580,000, which is the same price as a decent sized house! “A main problem I see in the shooting industry is that we do not have enough customers, because the meat is not presented or marketed correctly. Granted, there is an expense with extraction of lead, for example, but we mainly export most of the game birds to Holland. There’s an opportunity to strengthen collaboration with chefs and restaurants.“ He is frustrated by the current lack of Broadband connectivity to farms. “Technology is not going to be taken up on farms, if there is insufficient signal and tools in place.”
www.thefarmersclub.com • 21
The Farmers Club • Club Information
Club Information 020 7930 3557 • www.thefarmersclub.com @thefarmersclub The Farmers Club Page
Office Holders
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL, ROYAL ALBERT HALL
Patron – Her Majesty The Queen HONORARY VICE PRESIDENTS Sir Mark Hudson, Peter Jackson CBE, Roddy Loder-Symonds, John Parker, Norman Shaw CBE THE COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT OF THE CLUB 2019 VICE PRESIDENTS Barclay Forrest OBE, Mrs Susan Kilpatrick OBE, Paul Heygate PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN Nick Helme TRUSTEES Jimmy McLean, Mrs Nicki Quayle, Julian Sayers (Chairman), Tim Bennett VICE-CHAIRMAN Allan Stevenson HONORARY TREASURER Richard Maunder IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN Peter Jinman OBE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND SECRETARY Andrei Spence CLUB CHAPLAIN The Reverend Dr Sam Wells COMMITTEE Elected 2016: Nick Helme, Peter Jinman OBE Elected 2017: Kevin Beaty, John Lee OBE (House SubCommittee Chairman), Karen Mercer (Communications Sub-Committee Chairman), Keith Redpath (Membership Sub-Committee Chairman), Christopher Riddle, Allan Stevenson, Campbell Tweed OBE Elected 2018: Ian Bell OBE, Matt Dempsey and Gerald Osborne Elected 2019: Ms Fiona Fell, Meurig Raymond CBE, John Hardman, Andrew Brown (re-elected) Co-opted: Scott Hayles (Chairman Under 30s), Eleanor Kay (Vice Chairman Under 30s) THE FARMERS CLUB CHARITABLE TRUST TRUSTEES Stephen Fletcher (Chairman), Vic Croxson DL, Meryl Ward MBE, Des Lambert OBE, Nick Green, The Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Club (ex officio). Patron Mrs Stella Muddiman
FRIDAY 24 JANUARY 2020 Luzia: A Waking Dream of Mexico, takes you to an imaginary Mexico, like in a waking dream, where light (“luz” in Spanish) quenches the spirit, and rain (“lluvia”) soothes the soul. With a surrealistic series of grand visual surprises and breath-taking acrobatic performances, LUZIA cleverly brings to the stage multiple places, faces and sounds of Mexico taken from both tradition and modernity. OUTLINE PROGRAMME 5.00pm 2-course supper with wine in the Club 6.30pm Depart by coach for the Royal Albert Hall 7.30pm Performance begins 10.15pm Performance ends (Coach returns to the Club) (approx.) The event is limited to 35 places. Cost is £145 per person. All applications should be received by 25 October 2019. If oversubscribed places will be decided by ballot. To register interest apply on-line at www.thefarmersclub.com or complete the enclosed booking form.
ELECTRONIC DEVICES No electronic devices can be used in the hallways, Bar, Lounge or Restaurant, unless for the purpose of quiet reading. No calls can be received or made in these areas. Calls can be taken on the Terrace. THE SHAW ROOM can be used for meetings of up to three people. Electronic devices may be used but must be set to silent and vibrate. No calls can be received or made in this area.
NEXT ISSUE
STORAGE OF SHOTGUNS Members are reminded that the Club does not hold a license for the storage of shotguns.
The Winter issue of the Farmers Club Journal, due with members in late November, is due to include reports on Club tours to California and North Herefordshire, plus November’s Monday Evening Lecture by Henry Dimbleby, chairman of the Government’s food system review.
SECURITY OF PERSONAL ITEMS Please do not leave valuables in the bedrooms, cloakrooms or luggage room at the Club. The Club will not accept responsibility for any loss.
22 • The Farmers Club Autumn 2019
Ladies Umbrella Due to popular demand we are pleased to be able to offer an elegant ladies folding umbrella. This highquality auto-opening and closing umbrella is dark green with the Club logo in white and has a smart silver handle. The umbrella is available to purchase at Reception for £17.50 – a welcome addition to the Club’s popular golfing umbrella, which is priced £30.
Phone calls Members are advised that using mobile calling platforms such as Skype, What’sApp, Google Hangouts etc can facilitate mobile phone calls (over the Club’s wi-fi) in areas of the Club where mobile phone calls are permitted, including in the Business Suite.
Club Information • The Farmers Club Deaths It is with regret that we announce the death of the following members: General Sir Hugh Beach GBE KCB MC Surrey Dr R Bruce Surrey Mr Clark Somerset Sir Philip Haworth Bt Cheshire Mr C Meadows-Smith Wiltshire Mr A Page Leicestershire Business Suite The Business Suite provides PCs, printing and WiFi for members. Meetings are prohibited. WiFi WiFi is available throughout the Club at no charge. Luggage room This is a short term storage facility only. In the event that luggage has been left for a period of over 3 months and we are unable to identify the owner, it will be disposed of. Parking The Club has no private parking at Whitehall Court. However, the Club is pleased to be able to offer all its members discounted parking with Q-Park, our preferred parking partner. Discounts of 20% are available on the day and on prebookings. The nearest Q-Park is situated in Spring Gardens off Cockspur Street, approximately 5 minutes walk from the Club. Details of this can be obtained by phoning the Club Reception on 020 7930 3557 or visit: http://www.thefarmers club.com/news/parking-5-mins-from-club
Doing our bit for the environment The Club team continues to do its bit for the environment, whether it be by recycling, upcycling or energy saving initiatives, writes General Manager Virginia Masser. In a shared building we can be challenged on a daily basis regarding recycling but we continually investigate new ways to improve. And so, to list but a few we… • have recyclable water bottles in bedrooms • have paper straws in the Bar • recycle banqueting glass juice bottles for serving milk at breakfast • have confidential papers shredded and collected • have our kitchen cooking oil collected and recycled to make bio-fuels for London taxis • recycle mini jam jars as herb pots for tables and to serve chutneys • use energy saving lightbulbs throughout • recycle all printer related items such as cartridges • recycle all batteries • recycle all fluorescent tubes and LED lamps • recycle scrap metal • have lights on sensors in some Club areas • use paper cups or our own mugs or water bottles in team areas
RECIPROCAL CLUBS UK City Livery Club, London (No bedrooms) Royal Scots Club, Edinburgh The New Club, Edinburgh Northern Counties Club, Newcastle Bury St Edmund’s Farmers Club OTHER AGREEMENTS Whilst not formal reciprocal agreements, we have informal agreements with the East India, Caledonia and Civil Service Clubs, for bedroom bookings if we have no accommodation available. The Reservations Manager will advise in this instance. If we are full, Reception also holds a list of hotels within a 15 minute walk that might be considered ‘good value for money’. OVERSEAS Queensland Club, Brisbane, Australia The Australian Club, Melbourne, Australia The Geelong Club, Victoria Royal Dublin Society, Dublin, Ireland (Bedrooms not reciprocated) Stephen’s Green Hibernian Club, Dublin, Ireland The Muthaiga Country Club, Nairobi, Kenya The Harare Club, Harare, Zimbabwe The Christchurch Club, Christchurch, New Zealand The Canterbury Club, Christchurch, New Zealand Members wishing to use any of the above Clubs should obtain an introductory card from the General Office.
Dress code • Smart casual dress is permitted every morning, Monday to Sunday inclusive until 10am. (This includes smart denim jeans and trainers). Thereafter, gentlemen should wear formal jackets and ties in all public areas of the Club. Ladies should be dressed in accordance with this. • Smart casual dress is allowed from 6pm on Friday and throughout the weekend until 10am on Monday morning. • Children should conform to the above guidelines as best they can. • Members are responsible for ensuring their guests abide by the dress code. • Reception has an emergency stock of jackets and ties if required. • The only exception to the application of the dress code is during the month of August. 1st - 31st August inclusive, the dress code throughout the entirety of the Club is smart casual for all.
Club Contacts THE FARMERS CLUB
Serving the farming industry for 175 years 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL
Chairman 2019: Nick Helme
Chief Executive and Secretary: Andrei Spence
Club Number 020 7930 3557 Reception reception@thefarmersclub.com Bedroom Reservations reservations@thefarmersclub.com Restaurant Reservations Option 3 restaurant@thefarmersclub.com Conference & Banqueting Sales Manager Liza Keoshgerian direct line: 020 7925 7100 functions@thefarmersclub.com Administrator & Under 30s Secretary Anita Kaur direct line 020 7930 3751 administrator@thefarmersclub.com General Manager Virginia Masser direct line 020 7930 3751 generalmanager@thefarmersclub.com Head Chef & Director of Food Paul Hogben direct line: 020 7925 7103 chef@thefarmersclub.com Financial Controller Zarreena Neeson direct line: 020 7925 7101 financialcontroller@thefarmersclub.com Membership Mark Fairbairn direct line: 020 7925 7102 membership@thefarmersclub.com PA to Secretary Claire White 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
2019
Club Calendar DIARY DATES 2019
Here are just some of the Club events planned for the coming months. More event details can be found at www.thefarmersclub.com/events, in Club e-newsletters, or from Club Administrator Anita Kaur (020 7930 3751 extn 216) e-mail: administrator@thefarmersclub.com
Harvest Festival Service & Supper
OCTOBER
DECEMBER
Harvest Festival Service & Supper at Club Tuesday 8th October
New Year’s Eve Black Tie Dinner Tuesday 31st December
Join us for The Farmers Club Annual Harvest Service at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, with our Harvest Festival Supper back at the Club afterwards, highlighting a wonderful array of British produce.
Applications close Friday 27th September New Year’s Eve Dinner
JANUARY
Cirque Du Soleil at the Royal Albert Hall Friday 24th January
Book online at www.thefarmersclub.com or contact Anita Kaur on 020 7930 3751 or email administrator@thefarmersclub.com All applications should be received by Tuesday 1st October.
Under 30s Autumn Farm Walk Friday 11th - Sunday 13th October See Under 30s Facebook page
Under 30s Autumn Farm Walk
Visit to Herefordshire Wednesday 16th - Friday 18th October FULL
Visit to Herefordshire
Join the Club Chairman to explore the farming, food and drink manufacturing expertise, plus culture and history, of north Herefordshire. Our tour is based at The Feathers Hotel, Ledbury and includes visits to the farms of several prominent Club members
NOVEMBER
Monday Evening Lecture
Monday 4th November The speaker for our November Monday Evening Lecture will be Monday Evening Lecture Henry Dimbleby, MBE, co-founder of Leon Restaurants and lead non-executive board member of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. He was recently appointed to lead a Government review into England’s food system from ‘Field to Fork’, so it is safe, healthy and affordable. OUTLINE PROGRAMME 5.30pm Members arrive at The Club for tea and coffee in Hudson Room 5.55pm Members take their seats in The Farmers Suite 6.00pm Monday Evening lecture and Q&A - Mr Henry Dimbleby 7.00pm Drinks and Chef’s Treats 7.45pm Completion of evening The cost per person is £20.00 including tea, coffee, wine & Chef’s treats. TO REGISTER INTEREST – Apply on line at www.thefarmersclub.com or contact Anita Kaur on 020 7930 3751 or email administrator@ thefarmersclub.com All applications should be received by Monday 21st October 2019
Application form included with this Journal Cirque Du Soleil at the Royal Albert Hall
CHRISTMAS IS COMING… Where better to celebrate a Christmas lunch, dinner or cocktail party than your very own Farmers Club. We have a host of excellent function rooms, a great pre-Christmas ambience and a very well-deserved reputation for superb simply cooked, quality, seasonal British food. To book your Christmas Function in the Club call Liza on 020 7925 7100 or email functions@thefarmersclub.com BOOK YOUR CHRISTMAS FUNCTION AT THE CLUB NOW