Farmers Club WINTER 2020 • ISSUE 287
www.thefarmersclub.com
INSIDE Chairman’s Comments p3 Club News p4 Healthier future p6 Climate change p8 Tech tie-ups p10 Club innovations p12 Charitable Trust p14 Plumb Foundation p16 Mental health p17 Farming figures p18 Chef’s page p19 Under 30s p20 Christmas card p22 Club Info p23
INSERTS Christmas Card Staff Fund Food book
Join us Comfort and leisure at home from home p12
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Farmers Club Serving the farming industry for 178 years 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL Patron – Her Majesty The Queen
Contents
FRONT COVER Your Club is a safe and friendly place to visit to enjoy a peaceful home-from-home break during the winter months Photography: Farmers Club 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. All information correct at time of publication
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Chairman’s Comments Viewed from East Lothian the coronavirus pandemic has hit the economy hard. The priority now is on rebuilding normality
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Club News Great efforts have been made to ensure the safety of members visiting the Club. Now your support is very much needed
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Farming’s healthier future Health – be it human, livestock, environmental or global – has become the biggest driver of change in farming, a leading economist observes, after scrutinising key farming reports
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All-change on climate change Business as usual is no longer an option – the world agenda has shifted and farming can exploit it to its own advantage
10 Technology link-up Connecting emerging technologies along the food chain will help farming adapt to changing consumer and retailer needs
12 Club innovations benefit members
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The Membership Bubbles initiative and a new Member Experience Manager role will serve members well
14 Charitable Trust Awards Funding for study tours to investigate agritech, fish farming, remote learning and integrated farming in the USA, NZ and EU
16 Henr y Plumb Foundation Over 100 scholars have benefited from industry mentors
17 Mental health mission Covid, Brexit, policy reform, solitude, climate change, prices – farming has its pressure. A RABI initiative aims to help
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18 Farming figures Surprising stats signal the pace of change in farming
19 Chef ’s page 20 Under 30s Chairman’s reflections on a challenging year
21 Under 30s Topic Growing a modern drinks brand during lockdown
22 Club Information and Contacts 02 • The Farmers Club Winter 2020
Chairman’s Comments • Allan Stevenson that farming is shielded from the worst of it as the nation ‘needs its food’. But some sectors have been badly hit and the added threats of a hard Brexit and a failure by the Government to support amendments from the House of Lords on the Agriculture Bill add more risks and worries to the list. At least it’s all ok in the USA! I also feel sorry for all our members who have been denied access to the many Farmers Club events and the camaraderie that we get from being in the Club with family, friends and colleagues; the networking and meeting new people. Staff You will see from the reports from our management team how tough this has been for those running the Club on our behalf and the financial impact on it. The experience of staying at the Club and its continuing hospitality remains excellent; I heard reports yesterday of some new members who have just had their first experience at the Club and loved every moment of it.
Chairman’s Comments “I must reach out to all our members and appeal to you to continue to support the Farmers Club. We need your membership and would welcome some new members too.”
WITH the continuing global pandemic dominating our lives daily, the contents of this Chairman’s Comments after six months of disruption and three months of complete closure of the Club, are necessarily and unfortunately very different from usual. Optimists Beware The last time I wrote to you was in July only two days after we had re-opened the Club to members, on a restricted basis, and I had a marvellous few days at the Club in the summer weather. I have managed two further visits since then, with an optimistic view of the way forward for the second half of the year. After the cancellation of the New Year Party, Harvest Festival service and so on at least we had one last set of meetings of the General Committee and our Committee Dinner to finally meet up and enjoy together after only Zoom calls since January; until this morning! London’s new restrictions have today forced a retreat to another dreaded Zoom meeting to discuss Club business and set a budget for 2021. Fortunately, some small events have been possible, and some are still in the calendar. But day to day changes in Government policy have made it very hard to make secure plans. At least we can still visit in a ‘family bubble’ as I understand it, so please do. By the time you read this no doubt London will be free from the Tier 2 chokehold and the bars and restaurants in my area in rural East Lothian will be open again. Trouble in the Country My heart goes out to you all as the level of restrictions on our liberty is increasing and causing terrible stress and pain to individual Club members and damage to many businesses. I’ve heard it said
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My thanks to all the staff under the leadership of Andrei and Virginia who have coped with everything so well, and to them in particular for addressing the continuing overcapacity and allied costs of the Club. They conducted the necessary operational restructuring and took the opportunity to build on the strengths of some key team members by creating new and different roles and I congratulate those who have stepped up to their new positions with cheerfulness and enthusiasm. Membership As we approach 2021 and I prepare to hand over the baton of the Club Chairman role to my friend Keith Redpath, from Kelso, I must reach out to all our members and appeal to you to continue to support the Farmers Club. We need your membership and would welcome some new members too. Please nominate someone from the farming community for 2021 and also keep the Under 30s membership growing from strength to strength. They are our future. Looking Forward It would seem that our challenges with COVID will continue into next year, to some degree, and without any certainty in our operating environment we can only keep close to and support the strong team at the Farmers Club and visit as much as we are able to. At home we can all find comfort from nature in our rural environments. Walking with dogs in the countryside can be a wonderful respite from the daily news from the miserable media and Alison and I are fortunate to have amazing beaches and golf clubs at the door at home. Even in a Scottish winter there is much to enjoy in our natural world. #Comeback2021
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The Farmers Club Page
www.thefarmersclub.com • 03
Andrei Spence • Club News
Club News
Welcoming Club needs your support right now SINCE the last Journal life at the Club has continued as normally as possible, implementing Covid-19 measures in full, as we have done ever since re-opening back in July, writes Club Secretary & Chief Executive Andrei Spence. But the challenges we face remain huge, and we need your support. Comments from members and guests who have stayed, dined, attended an event or simply popped in for a drink, have been overwhelmingly positive, which has certainly made our efforts to provide a safe place in which to enjoy the facilities very worthwhile. We look forward to welcoming many more of you, as circumstances permit. However, I do need to be very clear just how challenging the past seven months have been for your Club, which continues to use cash at a higher level than it is generating it. As you would expect, we have taken measures to mitigate this, in a way that has not affected the Club’s investments (at this stage), which are there to protect the long term future of the Club.
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I am in regular contact with the Trustees, Chairman and Honorary Treasurer to ensure we strike the right balance. I have had to take the most unpalatable action, after consultation, of making 25% of our existing staff redundant. This was in direct consequence of the fall in trading at the Club and the lack of occupancy, which may continue for some months ahead, plus the ending of the ‘Furlough’ scheme in October. We will be with this remaining level of staffing for the time being, and have taken the opportunity to re-organise some departments, to reflect business levels now, but also to prepare a springboard for the eventual rebound in activity, precipitated by what we perceive to be huge, pent-up demand. Subscription renewals What is now critical is member support for the forthcoming subscription renewals in November. Membership numbers, plus novel ideas like our membership Bubbles, are now the critical pathways to initial
recovery from what is effectively, nine months of none or very much reduced commercial activity. I hope more members will be able to re-visit the Club early in 2021 and take advantage of its first class food, service and facilities. I therefore urge you to support the Club and renew your membership, not only as a huge support to your Club now, but in anticipation of enjoying its environs in the not too distant future. Despite the exceptional conditions we have managed to put on a number of events, including art talks and ‘around the table’ dining experiences. We have also planned a series of evening Knowledge Exchange lectures, in addition to a number of Christmas events in London – all of which will be fully compliant with prevailing Covid regulations. These have been well supported, with members very pleased and feeling safe and comfortable in the Club, which is very gratifying to hear. May I also thank all those members who gave their time and thought to hosting a number of those dinners. Financial pressures This has been a very difficult eight months for the Club in almost every respect. Things are very slowly improving, but the reality of the last five months of the year has been occupancy levels nudging 30% when we normally operate at over 80%. Like many others we have had to make some very difficult staffing decisions (and continue to cut our cloth) and have re-organised our services accordingly. On the upside, we have been able to put in place some short to medium term financial mitigations and I believe there will be pent up demand later next year – we must be ready for that. The Trustees and Committee have been incredibly supportive and have worked with the Club Team tirelessly to provide a bedrock of resilience and a platform for recovery. I thank them all, and the entirety of my team for the hard work and effort already applied and for that yet to come. At the end of the day, we might all emerge from this pandemic doing things slightly differently, but the heartbeat of the Club necessarily and obviously provides a constant, reassuring location for Club members that will always remain. I am confident that members will still enter their ‘home from home’ when they walk into No 3 Whitehall Court – and find it just as they would wish.
Club News • Andrei Spence
Budget 2021
My team has completed much work on next year’s budget, including round-the-table discussions with Honorary Treasurer Richard Maunder, before presenting the full budget to the F&GP Committee in mid-October. This was later than usual, so we could include more current data. Nonetheless a fair amount of uncertainty remains for some time. The F&GP is due to present the Budget to the General Committee in early November.
Club Calendar Diary Dates
See e-newsletters and Club website for details of Club events
Returning to normal
Recent weeks have seen more ‘routine’ business in the Club. Just two examples are the now annual BCPC technical seminar, held as a virtual event on-line for 90+ delegates on 22 September, and the Farmers Club Charitable Trust’s AGM and selection panel, held very successfully in the Cumber Room with social distancing.
Membership Bubbles
Following a number of requests received from members who had found themselves unable to travel to the Club due to covid restrictions, the Committee considered and approved the introduction of ‘Membership Bubbles’. These allow subscribing members to nominate close family and friends to be able to take advantage of the Club facilities in the subscribing members’ absence, until the end of March 2021. This has been a successful initiative, with over 50 members signed up already.
Christmas Cards For full details of this year’s stunning Club Christmas Card see p22 and the order form accompanying this Journal
Events planned For the first time in my tenure it is difficult to envisage what Christmas will bring, what we will be able to do, and what relaxations or otherwise might be in place. We already know the New Year Fireworks have been cancelled, and we will not hold our New Year’s Eve Dinner. However, other opportunities are beginning to present themselves. As many members continue to tell me, they are desperate to come to London, if nothing else than for
a change of scenery and doing something that is remotely ‘normal’. So, we are watchful for events members might find attractive, with your safety and comfort always at the forefront of what we do. Smaller, bespoke events consisting of small groups will be our mantra for the foreseeable future. Please keep an eye out for your Club’s e-newsletters. Just some of the Club’s London events taking place within coronavirus regulations – Titian: Love, Desire, Death at the National Gallery, Artemisia at The National Gallery, The Play That Goes Wrong at The Duchess Theatre, and Christmas At Kew at Kew Gardens. See the Club’s regular e-newsletter for details of further events…..
www.thefarmersclub.com • 05
Charles Abel • Farm policy
CHANGE is coming! Farming is set to change irrevocably. But don’t expect a revolution. Charles Abel considers the main drivers identified in a major new report
“There will be blood on the carpet and not a few tears.” “Everybody is saying it. We can’t go on eating ourselves into shorter lives; what’s the point of that?”
SMOKING took 30 years to be reined in. Salt intake is only just being tackled. Pressure on sugar has barely cleared the starting block. So don’t expect the four stalking horses of intensive agriculture to hit over-night. Trade issues, climate change, diet and environmental protection will transform UK farming – but gradually. “There will be blood on the carpet and not a few tears,” predicts Allan Buckwell, Emeritus Professor at Imperial College, author of a major
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new report commissioned by the Worshipful Company of Farmers and launched to members of the Company in the Autumn by Master David Bolton. Key drivers Brexit impacts will be felt, with or without an EU trade deal (no deal as Farmers Club Journal went to press). But the inter-connected pressures of climate change, human health and environmental protection will have a far greater impact, albeit more gradual, noted Prof Buckwell. Looking at recent expert reports including the Committee on Climate Change’s Land Use Policies for Net Zero UK, Dieter Helm’s Green and Prosperous Land, Prof Tim Lang’s Feeding Britain, the Royal Society of Arts Our future in the Land and Henry Dimbleby’s National Food Strategy (Part 1) he felt two key narratives were at play: • Plan A – the UK embraces new technologies to produce more food to feed a starving world and better meet domestic demand. • Plan B – the whole food system is broken and needs to transition to agroecology.
Farm policy • Charles Abel Paying farmers for Public Goods to deal with biodiversity issues under Plan A could combine with knowledge intensification, effectively applying more knowledge/hectare through precision farming, GPS, big data, artificial intelligence and robotics, plus new breeding techniques, and vertical production of some foods, plus insect, algal and cultured protein. But that pays no attention to over-consumption and waste, insufficient attention to restoring climate stability and biodiversity, and is maybe over-optimistic about technology, he noted. A strong lobby argues for Plan B, a transformational move to deintensification, with strong action on pollution, through regulation and taxes, and incentives for organic / agroecology / sustainable farming, effectively farming with natural processes, not against them, plus more stringent action on pesticide approvals. The downside with Plan B is that it pays insufficient attention to economic and technical feasibility, and doesn’t deal with the challenges of higher food prices and welfare and trade questions, he said.
fats and protein, plus 20-30% food waste, just doesn’t stack up. If we consume less, we need to produce less, here or anywhere else. “These are not trivial changes, they are accelerating existing trends, especially around the reduction in red meat and dairy in the diet. It sounds ghastly, and it is, but it’s not me saying it,” he insisted. “Everybody is saying it. We can’t go on eating ourselves into shorter lives; what’s the point of that?” People may make their own decisions to eat a little less meat and dairy. But without strong Government action change can be incredibly slow. Organic farming shows that – after 50 years of publicity and promotion, it accounts for just 2.7% of land use and less than 1% of food spending. With more people dying from bad diets than communicable diseases strong Government action is likely, especially as public acceptance grows. “The food industry is pressurised and acting on salt and sugar. Changes at that level can and will come about.”
“My instincts are that we have to move towards the latter, but why would we turn our backs on technology, which aids resource efficiency?” Tough on diet Alongside this Government is determined to address dietary issues, as part of its response to climate change, biodiversity and environmental protection. “The over-consumption of calories, Prophet of change – renowned economist Allan Buckwell, Emeritus Professor at Imperial College.
WCF REPORT Full report at: www. farmerslivery.org.uk
BREXIT PERSPECTIVES Basic payments ending in 2027, and extreme pressure on public finances, mean farming will need to make a ‘very strong case’ to retain its current scale of support. Trade deals will be struck, in due course, with the US maybe the toughest, due to its greater reliance on food exports, Prof Buckwell said. Devolved UK farm policies would add to tensions, while progressive divergence from the EU on labour, social and technical issues, and food standards, would create increasing, not declining, trade friction and costs. As support payments are phased out the arithmetic of farming will change. “Doing it over seven years sounds humane, not a rush, but that change in domestic policy can not fail to bring a jolt to the sector, and when combined with other policy drivers I think we will look back in ten years and see that the trend lines changed. It will not be much fun for a lot of farm businesses.”
www.thefarmersclub.com • 07
Charles Abel • BCPC/Farmers Club Technical Seminar
Climate response Climate change will remodel UK agriculture and the countryside. The fourth Farmers Club/ British Crop Production Council seminar investigated the challenges and opportunities Dr Ceris Jones
“Farm businesses – supported by Government – must be proactive about forward planning and futureproofing for a changing climate” Environment Minister Rebecca Pow MP.
Prof Steven Penfield
Stephen Howe
Ross Newham
Rebecca Pow MP
FARMING can adapt to climate change, and be a big part of the solution, if it proactively pursues a balanced approach, delegates heard at a key on-line seminar organised by The Farmers Club and the British Crop Production Council, chaired by BCPC’s Stephen Howe. Defra twin-track Whilst Government recognised farming was especially vulnerable to what is now inevitable climate change, farmers needed to play their part in responding to the challenge, and there is ‘much more to do’ , insisted Defra Under Secretary of State Rebecca Pow, via video link. Government will take strong action on climate change, through the Agriculture Bill, Environment Bill, Clean Growth Strategy and National Food Strategy (Part 2). So, whilst technological fixes are part of the solution, integrating responses with biodiversity and nature is ‘very important’. “Adapting to this climate crisis in a fast-changing world, and being able to protect and enhance our environment, whilst at the same time producing food healthily and sustainably, is really important. “This means de-carbonising while using nature-based solutions and promoting biodiversity, for example, trees planted alongside farmland
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to sequester carbon to offer benefits for flood management, soil stability, biodiversity and recreation, making farming livelihoods more diversified and resilient,” she suggested. The Environmental Land Management scheme would be the ‘cornerstone’ of agricultural policy, paying farmers to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and sequester carbon. Benchmarking and carbon accounting tools could help pinpoint emissions on individual farms. She noted that 570,000ha of the best and most versatile land was currently at considerable risk of flood-related damage. That was expected to rise to 750,000ha if temperatures rise by 2°C, and 940,000ha if they rise by 4°C. Net Zero achievable Net Zero agriculture emissions can be hit by 2040 – a full decade ahead of the Government’s national target – if a three-strand approach is pursued, countered NFU Climate Change Adviser Dr Ceris Jones. The journey had only just begun, and was an industry-wide effort, which may not mean every farm could hit the goal, she noted. And while the Environmental Land Management scheme could help, it was not enough on its own.
BCPC/Farmers Club Technical Seminar • Charles Abel Farming’s contribution would hinge around balancing reduced emissions with an almost unique ability to take carbon out of the atmosphere. Three main areas are involved: • boosting productivity and reducing emissions • carbon sequestration • renewable energy and bioeconomy. Productivity growth is vital, using improved plant and animal genetics, better farm business structures, precision farming techniques and more energy-efficient equipment. It will help meet food demand, climate change and environmental goals, and sustain farm businesses – and can be pursued by every farmer. Whilst a clear farm-level carbon market has yet to emerge, global initiatives and trading platforms are emerging, especially in large markets, such as the USA and Australia. The challenge is to start measuring carbon footprints and storage, so benefits can be demonstrated when opportunities arise. On bioenergy 40% of farmers had already invested in on-farm renewable energy projects, including anaerobic digesters, solar panels and wind power. More opportunities can be expected. Horticulture leads Horticulture shows how helpful productivity gains can be – producing more food using fewer resources, explained Ross Newham, Operations Director at Niab East Malling Research. It currently accounts for a quarter of the value of plant-based agriculture in the UK but utilises just 3% of the country’s land. “Sustainable intensification frees up land to lock-up carbon, cut flood risk and create habitats.”
GREEN AMMONIA
A century ago, apples typically yielded 4-8t/ ha, now they can yield 40-80t/ha. Cucumbers can produce as much as 980t/ha. The UK strawberry season once lasted six weeks, now it is more than 10 months. Closed systems that take complete control of the cropping environment enable huge increases in output, thanks to big efficiency gains, keeping energy and warmth circulating within units, for example, he noted. More fruit and vegetables in diets will also cut the cost of obesity to society – currently estimated at £27 billion/year. Crop adaptation Increasingly variable weather poses more challenge for UK farmers than warming alone, so finding resilient plant varieties is key, said Prof Steven Penfield, Group Leader, Genes in the Environment at the John Innes Centre, Norwich.
“Boosting productivity and reducing emissions is the most important pillar – benefiting the farm business and the planet” NFU Climate Change Adviser Dr Ceris Jones.
Whilst all UK regions will become warmer, meteorologists forecast more variable weather too, including more winter rain, less in summer (although summer rainstorms may be much heavier), more extreme flooding, and fewer autumn and winter frosts.
SEMINAR REPORT Full proceedings can be found at: www.bcpc.org/ news-opinion/ latest-news
On the upside a longer growing season could bring big benefits, especially in horticulture and soft fruit, reducing reliance on imports. Grass could benefit too, although restricted growth and crop failures could become more frequent in southern England and East Anglia. Simply bringing varieties in from warmer regions, such as Portugal, is not the answer. “But we could take such varieties and combine them with varieties we know work well here – and that is exactly what breeders will be looking to do.”
Mark Tucker
Fertiliser manufacturers are investing heavily in carbon neutral production in a bid to hit climate neutrality by 2050, said Mark Tucker, Business Development Manager & Head of Agronomy at Yara UK. The current Haber Bosch process uses huge amounts of energy, so is a big contributor to greenhouse gases. Yara’s initial target is to achieve a 10% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions per tonne of fertiliser by 2025. Longer-term a switch to electrolysis could help deliver zero-carbon ammonia, or so-called ‘green nitrogen’. But the financial investment required is huge. How such costs are passed through farmers and the supply chain to the public is a big issue. Meanwhile, farmers should enhance nitrogen use efficiency, using technology to guide
application rates. Check country of origin too, since European products typically carry a far smaller carbon footprint than similar products from coal-based systems in China and Russia. Fertilisers produced using abatement technology to cut nitrous oxide emissions also help.
www.thefarmersclub.com • 09
Georgina Knock • Technology
During Covid-19 lockdown Georgina Knock reflected on the role of technology in agriculture and how we embrace digital tools to adapt
Lessons from
Lockdown
“But whilst farming is data-rich, the information is often in silos, collected on paper or simple spread sheets, making analysis and insights tricky”
THE effect of coronavirus has been colossal. Forever an optimist, I try to focus on the lessons we can learn from challenging times. So while lockdown saw a huge surge of consumers experiencing the rollercoaster of sourcing, growing and cooking food in totally new ways, it has probably transformed the food supply chain forever. Adapting with Tech’s toolbox Coronavirus has accelerated changes in behaviour, including how people buy food. What would have occurred gradually over several years, has happened in a handful of months. More on-line ordering of goods from retailers and farm shops has shifted consumer expectations, with technology set to be an increasingly integral part of people’s relationship with food for years to come. In agriculture the tech toolbox is vast, and adaptability is one of farming’s best qualities – from crop and livestock genetics, to sensors in soil and machinery, to applying seed, sprays and fertilisers ever more precisely. Working alongside traditional farming methods these tools improve efficiency and safety, and ultimately help us produce more food whilst impacting the environment less. But whilst farming is data-rich, the information is often in silos, collected on paper or simple spreadsheets, making analysis and insights tricky.
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We routinely check the news and update our Facebook status on our Smartphones. So why don’t we track crop growth stages, for example, in just the same way? “Maris Piper has just completed its growth cycle #readytoharvest” with emojis optional My Agritech Journey Over the past few years I have enjoyed becoming more involved in managing our family arable farm in Suffolk. I am currently researching irrigation systems and the choice, like tech’s toolbox, can seem vast, especially when factoring in a return on investment to match 5, 10 and 20 year business plans. My previous roles have always involved technology – I find the possibilities fascinating. In January I joined agritech software specialist KisanHub, combining my passions for farming and innovation. For me it comes down to connection, and which tool best connects and optimises what we already have on the farm, for future-proofing the business. Remarkably, during the start of coronavirus, KisanHub had its best quarter of the past two years. More businesses were searching for tools to support and manage their teams remotely, share photos and videos for agronomy advice, and see accurate forecasting for urgent supply.
Technology • Georgina Knock As Paul Sneyd, Global Grower Manager at Jupiter Group, based in Shropshire, explains: “The challenges Covid-19 brings means having our data all in one place and full visibility of our supply chain thanks to KisanHub has been imperative. As we move forward with the demands of consumers and how they view their purchasing habits, we believe it’s important that there is transparency between seed and shelf, so everyone from our growers, customers and consumers can see we are producing food in a sustainable way.” Online world The KisanHub online platform connects supply chains from seed to sale, and supports over ten thousand growers globally, managing over 50 different crops, from potatoes to pomegranates, including major food businesses, like AB InBev, and UK-based Burgess Farm Produce and TH Clements. The online hub harnesses the security and connectivity of cloud technology, as online banking did for the finance sector in the early 1990s. It recently integrated with Farmplan’s Gatekeeper, so the two speak the same language, to gain better insights without entering information twice. Collaboration and efficiency Similar to online banking, these digital tools can provide a secure and faster way for people to collaborate and share information. Imagine farm managers, agronomists, technical managers and the procurement team all having a central source of ‘truth’ to improve efficiency through data-led decisions. This improves the reliability of data, so companies can respond faster than with traditional paper and multiple spreadsheets. For example, we have recently released a new feature: Paperless load tickets. To save time, resources and help bring farming further into the online world. To create more efficient, sustainable and resilient food supply chains, we need to embrace data, software and technology. So maybe the brightest silver lining of the coronavirus pandemic for me has been a newfound appreciation for our UK food system, and that food is integrally connected with our health and wellbeing, and can benefit hugely from the appliance of new technologies.
GEORGINA KNOCK Marketing & Communications Manager, KisanHub, Cambridge. MSc Behaviour Change, UCL. 5th generation role on family farm with Holiday Lettings diversification. Joined Under 30s Committee in 2017, focused on Communications. Email georgina@kisanhub.com Twitter @georgina_knock
Farming brief Rural Enterprise THE National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE) aims to support enterprise, resilience and innovation among rural firms and unlock the untapped potential of rural economies. Led by experts from Newcastle, Warwick, Gloucestershire and the Royal Agricultural Universities, and working with businesses, policy makers, enterprise agencies and communities, the Centre has been awarded £3.8 million of funding by Research England. In England alone, rural businesses comprise over half a million enterprises, 3.6 million employees and contribute over £260 billion to GDP. “The need to encourage and release the dynamism and untapped potential of rural areas is even greater now with the combined uncertainty of Brexit and impacts of Covid-19 and what the implications will be, not just for rural areas, but for the UK economy as a whole,” said Centre Director Jeremy Phillipson, Professor of Rural Development at Newcastle University. “The National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise can provide much of the research, knowledge transfer and support for businesses, and exemplars that are needed to do this, which is why we are delighted to help develop and support it,” added James Farrell, Head of Rural at Strutt & Parker.
www.thefarmersclub.com • 11
Virginia Masser • Club Services
Meet Craig Barclay-Godfrey, your new Member Experience Manager
Your Club has launched a new membership service. Due to the recent re-structure here at The Farmers Club, we are delighted to announce that Craig Barclay-Godfrey, whom many of you will know as our previous Conference & Banqueting Manager, has now become Member Experience Manager. Maybe you’d like to; - have a car to pick you up at a main line station and bring you to the Club - have a table booked in the Restaurant - go out for the day, but you’re not sure what’s open or where to go - arrange tickets to visit a gallery or the theatre - have champagne and flowers in your room on arrival for a celebratory surprise - make your stay just that little bit more comfortable Craig will communicate with you in advance of your arrival and he will present you with ideas, plan, organise and/or book what you need to improve your member experience. Contact Craig on memexpmanager@thefarmersclub.com or O207 930 3557 Option 2 A number of members have already used this new service; “Craig did a fabulous job of ensuring our Anniversary weekend was a delight with flowers, tickets and dinner all organised prior to us checking in. Thank you Craig”
Chief Executive & General Manager 12 • The Farmers Club Winter 2020
Club Services • Virginia Masser
Dear Member Have You Created Your Membership Bubble?
A wonderful opportunity to share your Membership of The Farmers Club with friends and family, for a limited period only. - - - - - -
Includes use of the Club, excluding Club Events Valid until 31st March 2021 (New Year’s Eve not included) Subject to availability Bedrooms at Guest rate Food & Drink at Reciprocal rates “Friends of” rates in Conference & Banqueting
If you are interested please contact Mark, Membership Secretary, in the first instance on 020 7925 7102 or membership@thefarmersclub.com to create your bubble
Chief Executive & General Manager www.thefarmersclub.com • 13
Charles Abel • Charitable Trust
FCCT Educator Four extremely capable individuals will benefit from the Farmers Club Charitable Trust’s 2020 Agricultural Educator Awards. Charles Abel reports FOUR enthusiastic farming educators have been selected to receive special support from the Farmers Club Charitable Trust, undertaking innovative studies in Brazil, New Zealand, Denmark, USA and The Netherlands. Over nearly four decades the Trust has provided close to £700,000 of funding to help agricultural educators develop their knowledge and expertise, to support a broad range of UK farming activities. This year’s successful candidates plan to take a closer look at agri-tech, fish farming, integrated
“It was absolutely wonderful to be able to gather in the Club, safely, to meet such inspiring young people all looking to drive our industry forwards” Club Chairman, Allan Stevenson
“It is such an important award, designed to help those employed in agricultural education to widen and develop their own technical expertise” FCCT Ambassador, Lisa Turner
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pest management and remote apprenticeship training. Projects will commence as soon as is practicable, with total funding from the trust of £23,300. The awards have been made despite the uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, with the selection panel delayed until September rather than the more normal early Spring date. “We nearly ran the panel in March, but at the very last-minute lockdown prevented us,” reflected Trust Ambassador Lisa Turner. “So we were really pleased to go ahead in the Club in London in September, with candidates travelling from as far afield as Northern Ireland. It is such an important award, designed to help those employed in agricultural education to widen and develop
JOHN FEGAN College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), Antrim, Northern Ireland – visiting Denmark and The Netherlands to see how technology can support remote learning for apprenticeships and work-based learning. The focus will be on training existing agricultural workers as well as those entering the industry. Finland, Denmark, The Netherlands and Germany have all reformed their Vocational Educational Training so learners can address individual competence needs by acquiring qualifications flexibly through programmes in educational institutions, workplaces and digital learning environments. The study will seek ideas to help train Northern Ireland’s intensive farming sector, with its high demand for a specialised workforce.
DR JENNA ROSS Crop Health Protection (CHAP), Sand Hutton, York – visiting major agri-tech summits in the USA and Brazil on-line, ahead of follow-up visits once Covid-19 permits. Learning from innovative farmers, research institutes, innovation networks, advisors, start-ups, accelerators and incubators will improve understanding of agri-tech’s challenges and build collaborations to support the science and innovation UK farming will need post-Brexit. Anticipated visits include Metos Brasil, a leading agritech company connecting farmers with innovation hubs, and the FAPESP Pump-Priming Awards linking UK and Brazilian scientists; plus in the USA the Western Growers Innovation and Technology Centre, FARM 2050, Royse AgTech Innovation Network and BlueRiver Tech.
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me Far rs Cl
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Awards
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Charitable Trust • Charles Abel
Charitable Trust
delighted by the high standard of applicant and really look forward to hearing how they get on with their travels in due course.”
their own technical expertise, through study activities either in the UK or abroad.” Chair of the selection panel was Prof Quintin McKellar CBE, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire, Non-Executive Director of CIEL, and Chair of the University Vocational Awards Council, Pirbright Institute Board of Trustees, and the National Centre for Universities and Business Food Economy Task Force. He was accompanied by 2020 Farmers Club Chairman Allan Stevenson and FCCT Trustees Vic Croxson and Des Lambert OBE. “It was wonderful to be able to gather in the Club, safely, to meet such inspiring young people, all looking to drive our industry forwards,” noted Farmers Club Chairman Allan Stevenson. “I was
Full project reports are available within 12 months of projects being completed: www.tfcct.co.uk • More about the FCCT Educator Awards: www.tfcct.co.uk • Closing date for 2021 awards likely to be early February 2021 • Members wishing to contact any of the award winners, with questions, contacts or advice, can do so via FCCT Ambassador Lisa Turner, e-mail: ambassador@tfcct.co.uk
DR KERRY PERKINS University Centre Sparsholt, Winchester – visiting New Zealand and The Netherlands to examine aquaculture for mussels and Kingfish (large mackerel) using land-based recirculating water systems. Visits will consider how each sector has developed in each country, and the educational deliverability of their innovative approaches. With mussel aquaculture production in its infancy in the UK, and Kingfish a new fish species for production in Europe, it is hoped that teaching undergraduate students current production techniques will help support the industry’s development, and help students understand technology advancements, as well as appreciate the benefits and drawbacks of bringing a new product to market.
DR KIRSTY MCINNES Newcastle University, Newcastle – comparing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Strategies in the UK and New Zealand, by discussing with farmers, agronomists, researchers and industry what IPM strategies are commonly used, what impacts are being recorded, and just how they are measured. Can IPM help address farming’s big challenges, such as carbon capture? Is extra support needed from science, industry and governments, and how can IPM be better communicated to farmers? Learnings will be applied to student IPM projects on University farm ‘test-beds’, with sensor-based monitoring, providing hands-on experience of new and existing IPM strategies to develop easy-to-use innovations to help accelerate uptake.
REWILDING IN FOCUS Rewilding is considered in one of the latest FCCT educator reports – and Grizzly Bears weren’t the only focus! Geoffrey Guy, Programme Area Manager, Landbased and Environmental Industries, Brooksby Melton College (SMB Group) visited North America and The Netherlands to examine the impacts of reintroduced species on rural land use and how projects can co-exist with other land users, especially farmers. A fascinating read – see www.tfcct.co.uk/ read-our-fcct-reports
ABSTRACT
a impacts of rewilding, with An investigation into the of re-introduced particular focus on the impacts species on rural land use.
By Geoffrey Guy Landbased and Programme Area Manager; Environmental Industries (SMB Group) Brooksby Melton College
ble The Farmers Club Charita Trust Agricultural Educators Award 2019
www.thefarmersclub.com • 15
John Thorley • Rural Youth
Farming brief Females in Farming HOME on the Farm is a new online network to support females in farming and farming families, created by industry ambassador, farmer’s wife and mother Milly Fyfe together with The Farming Forum, Farm Safety Foundation and The Farming Community Network. Visitors to the ‘Home on the Farm’ section of www.thefarmingforum.co.uk will find sections on: • Parenting and Children on the Farm • Family and Farming • Food from the Farm • Better Halves • Women in Agriculture “I have experienced the feelings that isolation and loneliness brings, being on my own with young children all the time with little support,” says Milly, who participated in the Farm Safety Foundation’s 2020 Mind Your Head campaign earlier this year. “Covid-19 has really shone a light on the issue of social isolation and the importance of support and conversations and this is why this forum is really needed right now. Peer-to-peer support can really help.”
“We now have people coming to us purely to benefit from a Henry Plumb Foundation mentor” HPF Chairman, John Thorley
16 • The Farmers Club Winter 2020
One of Henry’s Scholars, James Speers, with the foundation’s Patron at his Coleshill farm, with pedigree Longhorn and crossbred beef cattle in the background.
Foundation success The Journal’s recent focus on supporting young people prompted John Thorley, Chairman of the Henry Plumb Foundation, to outline its latest work
THE Henry Plumb Foundation passed a major milestones recently, helping over a hundred young people get started in the world of farming, with mentoring playing a key role. Such is the reputation of our mentors that we now have people coming to us purely to benefit from a Henry Plumb Foundation mentor. Our mentors are people who’ve built a reputation for being good farmers and sound businessmen and women, who have more than a passing interest in helping others find their way, in what is probably one of the most difficult times farming and the country have faced in peacetime. Many, but not all our mentors, are household names in agriculture, who we carefully match with successful applicants. So far we’ve had one or two hiccups, but no failures. Lord Plumb remains heavily involved and even though he’s now 96 he is in excellent health for the most part and can always be relied upon to keep us on the straight and narrow. We have helped a wide range of people become Henry’s Scholars, from those keen to get into farming/farm services through to those eager to lead the sector. One such aspiring leader was James Speers who became President of The Young Farmers
Clubs of Ulster. James was in touch recently to see what he could do in return, to help HPF become stronger, and was extremely complementary about the help and guidance he had from his mentor, George Lyons. This morning (early Oct) I spoke to Joe Rabicano to congratulate him on the success he’s having as one of the youngest tenants on a County Council Small Holding. Mentored by Andrew Blenkiron, Joe is making a very positive mark in his chosen career of farming. Next week Lord Plumb and I will be paying a visit to Ben and Emma Graves who we helped get the tenancy of a farm in Northampton. Obviously, we shall be following Government rules on distancing, but it will be nice to see how they are getting on. Last week we reviewed forty more applications, from which we are likely to interview 15 or so, by Zoom. The Foundation is very much alive, and plans to continue helping youngsters get started – for as long as there is a need and we have the financial resources.
HENRY PLUMB FOUNDATION www.thehenryplumbfoundation.org.uk info@thehenryplumbfoundation.org.uk
Welfare • Charles Abel
Mental health
matters New services on offer from RABI aim to better meet the changing needs of farming people. Charles Abel reports RABI has launched a new package of services to help young and old in the industry cope with intensifying pressures, with Defra identifying 100 distinct challenges now affecting well-being. The initiative marks a significant move by RABI to evolve beyond financial support and into the provision of services, to better meet the evolving requirements of those involved in agriculture. Confidential, easily accessible, free online support can make a real difference to a wide audience, it believes. “Managing mental wellbeing and maintaining good mental health has emerged RABI CEO as one of the most significant issues facing our Alicia Chivers sector, which is already known for its higher than average levels of stress, depression, anxiety, and suicide,” says Alicia Chivers, RABI’s Chief Executive. The online wellbeing community and counselling service features two distinct sites
“This is a significant step towards achieving our vision that ‘no farmer should ever face adversity alone’” Alicia Chivers, Chief Executive, RABI.
– Qwell.io/rabi for adults and Kooth.com/ rabi tailored to 11-17 year-olds - delivered in partnership with a specialist online mental health provider. Dedicated farmer-friendly content addresses key topics, including loneliness, Brexit anxiety, animal health, crop disease, and farm debt. Users can anonymously access discussion boards, case studies and messaging functions, plus tools to record and track progress. A chat function allows one-to-one counselling with qualified professionals recognised by The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. “We need to initiate frank and honest discussions throughout agriculture to tackle this complex subject,” Alicia notes. “Our aim is to make a real difference to the farming community that RABI has been dedicated to for the past 160 years. We believe early intervention and one-to-one support are essential to ensuring good mental health and tackling the root causes of poor wellbeing.”
Farming brief Woolly thinking? SUPPORTING the Campaign for Wool’s Wool Week from 5-18 October rural innovator Chimney Sheep championed its wide range of products made from locally-collected Herdwick wool, including 100% sheep’s wool. These include insulation, Snug Feet insoles and novel chimney draught excluders, which research at The University of Liverpool, BSRIA and BBA shows can cut energy bills by about £50 and save 250kg of CO2 per year – www.chimneysheep. co.uk
MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS • Farming faces complex challenges • Over 100 pressures affecting farmers’ wellbeing – Defra • Numerous barriers to overcome • RABI goal to ‘reach the many, not the few’ • Services and support beyond financial grants info@rabi.org.uk www.rabi.org.uk
www.thefarmersclub.com • 17
Charles Abel • EU Survey
Farming Figures X
A look at… some farming issues that emerged during Covid-19… told through some key statistics
£2/kg
Spike in Welsh prime lamb liveweight auction prices despite EU trade fears; prime cattle 15p/kg up on 5-year ave
2.23m viewers Channel 5’s Our Yorkshire Farm audience, topping 9pm prime-time slot on Aug 11
2,260t of carbon/year Sequestration by NT’s Wimpole Farm
$32billion
Record 2020 US farm support, inc Covid-19 & US/China trade war aid. $50bn by 2023
Almost a Quarter Fall in food exports to EU due to non-tariff barriers (paperwork etc) even with an FTA
0.4%
Water in UK beef production classed ‘blue’ (surface/ground), below most imports
50% rise
Jump in 2020 summer roast beef dinners
7m-high
£120m 28ha glasshouses in Norfolk set to grow 1-in-10 UK tomatoes on high trellises
81%
FWi users seeing Covid-19 rural crime rise
9 in 10
Farm shops selling more in Covid crisis, 80% adding click-n-collect and 2/3 home delivery Sources: FW, FG, NFU, Farm Retail Association, Kantar World Panel, Defra
18 • The Farmers Club Winter 2020
EU public backs CAP AS UK farming bids farewell to the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy new data shows nearly three out of four Europeans are aware of the CAP and believe all citizens benefit from it, and over half want more money spending on farmers. The EU-wide Eurobarometer survey quizzed over 27,000 respondents from 27 Member States, of which 95% felt agriculture and rural areas were important for their future, with 6% more aware of the CAP than in 2017, and 15% more thinking it benefits all citizens, not just farmers. Almost two in five people felt support for farmers was too low, up from 26% in 2017 to 39% now, with more than half feeling CAP spending should rise over the next ten years, 12% more than in 2017, and 27% ahead of 2007. Views on what the main objectives of the CAP should be were little changed, most believing that providing safe, healthy food of high quality should be the priority (62%), with 52% saying it should
also protect the environment and tackle climate change, as well as ensuring a fair standard of living for farmers (51%). Four in five respondents felt the EU was meeting its objective of providing food security, 8% better than 2017. Although a growing split believe agriculture is one of the major causes of climate change (up from 29% in 2010 to 42% in 2020), most believe agriculture has already made a major contribution in fighting climate change (55%), up from 46% in 2010. More citizens are now aware of the organic farming logo (56%), almost a third more than in 2017. Reflecting on rural issues respondents rated as ‘good’ the environment and landscape (82%), access to leisure and cultural activities (56%) and educational facilities (54%). Access to high speed internet was highlighted as the greatest improvement in rural areas (55% agree), while job opportunities had become worse (42% agree).
INSECT-BASED FEED Insect-based feeds for farmed animals could help the UK reach its net zero carbon emissions target, researchers say. A project led by Entec Nutrition – set up by two University of Exeter scientists – has won a £250,000 grant from the Innovate UK’s Transforming Food Production scheme to explore the science behind insect-based feeds for poultry and aquaculture. It is seen as a sustainable alternative to energy-intensive global feeds, which rely on volatile international imports often linked to deforestation.
Head Chef & Director of Food • Paul Hogben
Autumn: the Game Season has arrived!
Dear Members, As you read this the new Autumn menu has been launched at the Club. The Summer menu was successful, given the current circumstances, with Dorset Lobsters and Crab gracing the tables of many on the Terrace and in the Restaurant. Along with the many glasses of Champagne served… there was no better place to spend time away from the outside world. Autumn brings a different challenge to us in the kitchen. Game is back in season and the more robust and hearty dishes return, including some of your favourites. The menus we are offering at the moment are slightly smaller than you have been used to before we went into lockdown. This is based on social distancing measures in the Kitchen and the need to avoid food wastage while the Club is quieter than normal. Of course, the freshness and quality of produce remains unchanged. We have decided to run the Autumn menu until December and then introduce a new menu to run through until the end of January. This will give you greater choice during that period, which would normally have seen both the Autumn and Winter menus.
Hopefully, as we become busier and guidelines are relaxed the size of the menu can increase and more daily special dishes can be produced. Upon the re-opening of the Club the Breakfast offering had to be altered due to social distancing in the Kitchen and Government guidelines, meaning the normal Breakfast Buffet is currently not allowed. Continental Breakfast is served to you on a tray to minimise the number of visits to the table and English Breakfast options are still available. We have now also added West Country Lamb’s Kidneys, Grimsby Smoked Haddock, Porridge and individually packaged cereals to the breakfast selection, which I hope will be a welcome addition.
“Game is back in season and the more robust and hearty dishes return, including some of your favourites”
Thank you for all the lovely, supportive comments from those that have been back to the Club since we re-opened, all of which have been passed onto my team in the Kitchen. Looking forward to seeing you over the next few months. Enjoy! Chef
www.thefarmersclub.com • 19
Eleanor Kay, Chairman; Alice Hind, Vice Chairman; Anita Kaur, Secretary • Under 30s
Chairman’s Jottings
WITHOUT really noticing Autumn arrived overnight in my cottage garden. Having a garden has certainly made dealing with the ever changing Covid-19 guidance and legislation that bit easier. Covid-19 has made it increasingly difficult to organise events. Whilst we have been able to arrange some smaller dining evenings it remains impossible to replicate our usual event structure, which is typically very sociable. Nevertheless, in times like these we must make the most of getting together with friends wherever possible. Recently, I managed to take a two-week break from work. After a busy few months I hadn’t appreciated quite how much I needed a change of scene. It was lovely to make it to London for a few days. I was struck by how quiet the trains were, but I never expected the Tube to be even quieter! Everywhere felt very safe with masks and hand sanitiser aplenty. Returning to the Club and ordering a long-awaited Scotch Egg from the Bar, to enjoy on the Terrace, was simply wonderful. It was great to say hello to everyone working in the Club, the atmosphere and service was excellent as always. Changing restrictions make it difficult to predict whether we will be able to hold our November Dining – we will keep members posted. I’ll end by encouraging members to engage with the events being held by the main Club, which are – as always – open to Under 30s members. Please visit our “The Farmers Club U30s” Facebook page to keep up to date.
A Look to
the Future Much of this year’s Under 30s calendar has been a writeoff, but we managed to hold some online drinks events, a successful Cocktail Making Master Class in partnership with St Maur, and a few small Dinners in the Club. The Committee thought an update on our plans for the future might give us all something to look forward to. Events for 2020 For the rest of 2020 we hope to bring back our informal fortnightly (ish) drinks, on a variety of weekdays, not just Fridays, structured so you can dip in and out rather than commit to several hours. We will also provisionally plan some smaller Dinners, as regulations allow.
Member Survey and Feedback The pandemic provides an opportunity for us to look at our events afresh. With an increase in online events, and the potential to do more, we are interested to hear from members. We are creating a survey to gather ideas and feedback. Please take part – there may even be a prize draw! Watch out for details by email and Facebook.
Scholarships
Contact Eleanor for more information: Eleanor Kay Edinburgh Under 30s Chairman 2020/21 07964 909108 • eleanorkay@live.co.uk
20 • The Farmers Club Winter 2020
With the Oxford Farming Conference becoming virtual for 2021, and the RASC biannual conference cancelled for 2020, we are changing our usual scholarship offerings. Lower costs for OFC 2021 mean we can offer more scholarships – application details will be available in late October. We will also continue to work on an interim Scholarship for 2021 before the 2022 RASC Conference.
Committee Update After such an unusual year the Under 30s Committee held an exceptional meeting and voted to extend the terms of our current Chairman (Eleanor Kay) and Vice-Chairman (Alice Hind) by one year. In the spirit of continuity, current Committee members also have the opportunity to remain in post for a further year. We would also like to increase the membership of the Committee by creating two further seats, giving us a Committee of 11, plus two Jill Willows Scholars and Immediate Past Chair. This will help share workloads. Watch out for Committee applications opening in November.
Plan for 2021 Our current plan is to hold a delayed New Members Weekend in March, when we hope we may be able to hold slightly larger events, and to start the year with some smaller events at the Club and online. We still plan to have some Farm Walks, and depending on demand may try to hold three Farm Walk Weekends. Survey responses will help shape our plans. We look forward to seeing many more of you in the next 12 months. The Under 30s Committee
Under 30s • Eleanor Kay, Chairman; Alice Hind, Vice Chairman; Anita Kaur, Secretary IN August we hosted an on-line cocktail evening for the Under 30s, where we introduced the Farmers Club to one of our signature cocktails, the Hugo St Maur. Earlier, in May 2020, we had launched our new premium craft liqueur, called St Maur after our family name used in the middle ages. We launched in the middle of lockdown! The plans we drew up before the pandemic fell at first contact. Our milestone for our first half year of trading remained proof of concept. Do we have a great product for people to share and enjoy with friends? Will people buy more than once? Is this a really exciting and rewarding business, that fits our personal values? Now, in October, we can say absolutely yes on all three counts. But boy do we live in “interesting” times for doing business!
St Maur lockdown launch HUGO ST MAUR RECIPE We haven’t actually come across an ancestor named Hugo St Maur, but our mixologist definitely knows a good contemporary cocktail, and a Hugo is one made for St Maur. You need: St Maur, Prosecco, fresh lime, fresh mint leaves, ice. Method: Pour 50ml of St Maur into a glass, ideally a Copa de Balon. Squeeze in juice of half a fresh lime, tear and lightly rub five or six mint leaves and add with ice. Add 100ml of Prosecco, or more, to your taste, or half and half Prosecco/soda water. Gently stir. Garnish with a slice of fresh lime and sprig of mint. www.drinkstmaur.com
It took two years to develop St Maur and its branding, starting on our wedding day, with a drink we created for our guests. As we met through the Under 30s, The Farmers Club is part of the story too! We have been rewarded with repeat sales, a two gold stars Great Taste Award and shortlisting for two Great British Food Awards, and great customer feedback. Building cachet and a great story has been central, but foundational so far has been creating a really good product. Now we are learning the importance of adaptability and fast response to changing circumstances. We can take the brand in a number of directions, so finding our direction is the next milestone. Fortunately, our drink is very versatile. To make a cocktail, for example, you need a base spirit, a sweet and a sour component, and flavour. St Maur is built around those same four factors, so can be enjoyed in all kinds of cocktails, plus long drinks, a simple fizz with soda, tonic or ginger ale, on the rocks, or on its own. It suits many social settings, from wedding receptions to a kitchen supper with a friend – or behind the Bar at the Club. William and Kelsey Seymour
www.thefarmersclub.com • 21
The Farmers Club • Club Information
Club Information 020 7930 3557 • www.thefarmersclub.com @thefarmersclub The Farmers Club Page
Office Holders
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 2020 VICE PRESIDENTS Barclay Forrest OBE, Mrs Susan Kilpatrick OBE, Paul Heygate PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN Allan Stevenson TRUSTEES Jimmy McLean, Mrs Nicki Quayle, Julian Sayers (Chairman), Tim Bennett VICE-CHAIRMAN Keith Redpath HONORARY TREASURER Richard Maunder IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN Nick Helme CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND SECRETARY Andrei Spence CLUB CHAPLAIN The Reverend Dr Sam Wells COMMITTEE Elected 2016: Nick Helme, Peter Jinman OBE Elected 2017 to serve from 2018 to 2020 inclusive: Ian Bell OBE, Matt Dempsey and Revd Cannon Gerald Osborne Elected 2018 to serve from 2019 to 2021 inclusive: Fiona Fell, Meurig Raymond CBE DL, John Hardman, Andrew Brown JP (re-elected) Elected 2019 to serve from 2020 to 2022 inclusive: Sue Bullock, Sarah Cowlrick, Kevin Beaty (re-elected), John Lee OBE DL (re-elected), Karen Mercer (re-elected), Christopher Riddle (re-elected) Co-opted: Eleanor Kay (Chairman Under 30s), Alice Hind (Vice Chairman Under 30s) THE FARMERS CLUB CHARITABLE TRUST TRUSTEES Stephen Fletcher (Chairman), Vic Croxson DL, Meryl Ward MBE, Des Lambert OBE, Nick Green, James Squier, The Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Club (ex officio). Patron Mrs Stella Muddiman
Christmas card THE FARMERS CLUB
This year’s Farmers Club Christmas Card features a wonderful original photograph entitled “Highland Cattle in the North West Highlands of Scotland” courtesy of photographer Pamela Mackenzie (Instagram @nina. mackenzie). Packs are plastic free and printed on FSC accredited board using vegetable-based inks and water-based varnishes. Measuring 171mm x 121 mm (6.75” x 4.75”) cards are printed with the Club logo and greeting “With Best Wishes for Christmas and the New Year”. Surplus on card sales will be donated to
RABI of England, Wales and NI, and RSABI of Scotland, both dedicated to helping members of the farming community facing hardship. A pack of ten cards costs £8.00 (plus £3.00 P&P on orders of 5-12 packs). Payment can be added to your membership a/c. For telephone/email orders contact Claire White in the General Office (020 7930 3751/generaloffice@ thefarmersclub.com ) or use the order form enclosed with this Journal. Please place your order promptly to avoid any disappointment
Under 30s Gift Subscription
The Perfect
CHRISTMAS GIFT
Stuck for the ideal Christmas gift for your son, daughter, grandchildren, nephews, nieces….?
NEXT ISSUE The next issue of the Farmers Club Journal, due with members in early 2021, will include a welcome from the 2021 Chairman and reports on Club activities, including Winter events in London, and lessons in rewilding from a Farmers Club Charitable Trust study.
22 • The Farmers Club Winter 2020
The Farmers Club Under 30s Section is a friendly, fun and informative opportunity for younger members. The Under 30s Committee plans a diary of wide ranging events each year that are interesting, informative, “career useful” and at all times great social occasions. Under 30s membership of the Club can be organised as a gift costing between £100 - £200 for the year with no joining fee. For further information please contact Mark Fairbairn – Membership Secretary membership@thefarmersclub.com
Club Information • The Farmers Club Deaths It is with regret that we announce the death of the following members: Mr T Billington Berkshire Lady Teresa Carter Wiltshire Mr P Everett Berkshire Mr R Jones Carmarthenshire Mr W Knowles Norfolk Mr M Lester Norfolk Mr A Mure Kent Mr I Smee Wiltshire Mr A Webb Gloucestershire Honours and Awards The Chairman and Members of the Club congratulate the following members whose names appeared in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List: OBE Mrs Susan Pullen Berkshire Ms Kathryn Willard Cumbria MBE Mr Robin Apps Kent Mr Charles Smith Leicestershire BEM Mr Robert Feltwell Suffolk Business Suite The Business Suite provides PCs, printing and WiFi for members. Meetings are prohibited.
TEDDY IN TOWN The Farmers Club “Teddy in Town” awaits our younger members to take him out for the day on an adventure around town. All you need to do is collect him from Reception, take a picture of him during your outing, post it on your social media profile with the tags #thefarmersclub + @ thefarmersclub and email it to: ITmanager@thefarmersclub. com
DRESS CODE UPDATE UNTIL 1 JANUARY 2021
Club Contacts THE FARMERS CLUB
Serving the farming industry for 178 years 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL
Following announcements made in the e-newsletters, dress code in the Club has been modified to reflect the unusual circumstances surrounding Club operations and to effect a more comfortable atmosphere in the Club. Until the end of 2020, members are permitted to wear smart casual clothing in any of the Club’s rooms at any time of the day or night. Normal dress rules will re-commence on 1 January 2021
LIFE MEMBERSHIP There is still time to get Life Membership at 2020 rates. Any discounts you are entitled to on annual fees can be transferred to Life Membership rates. Payback period can be as little as 6 years. Contact Membership Secretary Mark Fairbairn (0207 925 7102) membership@ thefarmersclub.com
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.
CLUB PRICE CUTS From 15th July 2020 to 12th January 2021 only Bedrooms, food and non-alcoholic drinks in the Club will cost you less due to the VAT cut from 20% to 5%.
Chairman 2020: Allan Stevenson
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
Make the most of this great price reduction.
www.thefarmersclub.com • 23
Re-Schedule Your Special Occasion… 2020…the year of cancelled special occasions, family get-togethers, functions, and events. Whether it be a Birthday, Anniversary, Prize-Giving, Wedding, Graduation, Christening, whatever the occasion, if you are looking to re-schedule in 2021 book your Club……
Contact Liza, our Conference & Banqueting Sales Manager, on: 020 7925 7100 or functions@thefarmersclub.com who will be delighted to assist you.
2021... the year to celebrate!
