Autumn 2009

Cutting greenhouse gas emissions and averting world climatic chaos Article and diagrams on pages 12-13

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INSIDE… • Club Information Sheet • Staff Christmas Fund • Wine-Tasting Evening • New Year’s Eve Party • AGM Notice (page 22) • Christmas Card (page 22) Please note your individual Club membership number, printed on your Journal envelope.

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CHAIRMAN’S COMMENTS • John Reynolds

CHAIRMAN’S COMMENTS • John Reynolds

THE FARMERS CLUB Over 160 years of service to farming 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL

contents

Patron – Her Majesty The Queen

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Chairman’s Comments John Reynolds reminds members that harvest is a time for sharing and being grateful for the gifts that life brings.

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Cutting Greenhouse Gasses Aubrey Meyer explains why Contraction and Convergence is the only way to reduce greenhouse gasses and avert global climatic chaos.

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Harvest, globally, is a time of sharing and gratitude for the gifts life brings So, although it felt a little strange at the time, one of our very first jobs when we arrived home from our holiday was to choose the Farmers Club Christmas Card for 2009, because, as always, the profits go to support the RABI and RSABI.

Food Waste Recycling WRAP Director Dr Richard Swannell shows how the recycling of food waste can be a lucrative way of supplementing farm income, Pitfalls of Public Access Harper Adams Senior Lecturer Carrie de Silva warns about the pitfalls of public access to land carrying livestock.

10 Meeting 21C Needs James Robertson, Chairman of Agrovista, sponsor of the Club Journal envelopes, describes how his company is geared up for the 21st century.

12 English Food and Farming Jane Craigie gives examples of how EFFP is strengthening the bond between big-name food and drink brands and British farmer suppliers.

14 Turf Grass Farming Dr Mark Bartlett, of Cranfield University, used a Club Trust bursary to compare turf farming methods in the US with those in Britain.

16 Young Entrants Rhydian Scurlock-Jones explains why preparing a good tender is the key to success for would-be young entrants to farming.

17 Texas Jersey Cheddar Roger Trewhella reports on a Texas dairy with a growing demand for Jersey milk to make premium cheddar cheese.

18 Reducing Methane Emissions Andrew Shearer’s company, Neem Biotech, is developing a garlic-based feed additive that cuts methane emissions from ruminants by 24 per cent.

19 Under 30s 21 Whitehall Court Ramblings 22 AGM Notice 22 Club Christmas Card 23 Information and Diary Dates 24 Back Cover The Club Dining Room has been completely refurbished.

Come and see – and try it – for yourself.

FRONT COVER Climate change could have an effect on all of our lives unless steps are taken to control greenhouse gas levels n the atmosphere.

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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WHEN I’m at home and tasks are not too pressing, I like to accompany Janet to our local Friday Market. Uppingham is a busy little town, with a thriving sense of community and ‘real’, old-fashioned shops.

My favourite place is the ironmongers, where you can often find me tucked between the shelves, idling away a bit of time inspecting various nails and tubes of glue, or reading the instructions on the back of interesting bottles of patio cleaner.

Around the town, we often bump into farming friends. So, on my return from holiday, I was soon able to catch up on the progress of this year’s harvest. I understand that, once again, it has been a frustrating business, involving endless false starts and delays, particularly in the north of the country.

Although we frequently assume that luck plays a big part at harvest-time, it requires a great deal of patience, skill and planning to bring in the crops. Whatever the situation, our farmers and farm managers should be congratulated on their ability to work round the problems and get the job done; it’s not an easy time for anyone, old or young, and the whole family feels the pressure.

We should also spare a thought for those who’ve faced harvest alone this year, with no-one to share their struggle. It’s situations like this which keep the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution very busy immediately after harvest time, as the charity exists to help those who are troubled, face hardship, or need emergency funds.

whole way of thinking and, consequentially, our whole lifestyle.

In the past, all but the wealthiest farmers needed to co-operate to share tools and machinery. Now, many foresee a time, in the very near future, when farmers will be getting together to share resources and produce energy. The technology is already available to allow us to generate our own power from solar, wind, water and underground sources.

Of course, choosing a card with universal appeal is hard, but we hope you’ll like the picture and the format we’ve chosen.

Next year is RABI’s 150th anniversary and we do hope you’ll support it by buying at least one pack of the Club cards, or even one more than you usually do. You can make a purchase next time you visit the Club, or place an order by turning to page 22 of this Journal.

This is also the time of year when we ask you to make a donation to our Staff Christmas Fund. This year, staff members have had to manage a great deal of change and, amid all that, have had to cope with the loss of a much loved colleague. I know you will bear this in mind and, once again, give as generously as you can.

Similar problems Janet and I took our holiday in France. We have friends who live down in the south west, where large fields of wheat, soy, maize and sunflowers dominate the landscape. The harvest was practically complete, and we were honored to be invited to celebrate at the local hunt barbeque, or Grillades des Chasseurs.

It was a perfect opportunity for the whole community to stop for a few hours and celebrate, not only the turn of the farming year but also the bounty of the countryside.

We enjoyed copious amounts of food, including regional dishes and wild boar from the forest, all accompanied by a good supply of locally-produced alcohol. After four hours of bonhomie, I definitely felt my French was vastly improved!

France always seems to me to be much more ‘at ease’ with its rural lifestyle, but our friends were quick to point out that their communities face the same problems as ours. When they moved to their village six years ago, there was a butcher, a baker and a post office, but now they have all gone.

THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Autumn 2009 • www.thefarmersclub.com

These ideas are not ‘whacky’; they make strong commercial sense. Most of all, they are motivated by that which is to our industry what the Hippocratic Oath is to medicine… sustainability.

Greater forces Congratulations on becoming ARAgS Congratulations to Club Committee members James Cross and John Stones for being awarded Associateship of the Royal Agricultural Societies, granted in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the understanding, efficiency and well-being of agriculture. Our pictures show James (left) and John being presented with their certificates by RASE President Adele MacNicol at this year’s Royal Show.

Their local mayor is pressing hard for derelict buildings to be renovated to provide accommodation for young families, as they feel they need a good generation mix to keep the rural economy alive. Of course, this is exactly the problem we are facing in the UK, which led me to wonder whether, as this is a problem right across Europe, it might be time to press Brussels to give it a higher priority.

Policy U-turn?

After the celebrations, we returned to our friend’s home to recuperate and settled down to watch the British news. And would you believe it, there on the screen was the Minister himself, Hilary Benn, praising the work of British farmers and explaining how vital their role was in ensuring we had food security in the future.

He went on to talk about the importance of local sourcing and, finally, of the need to reduce the carbon output that relates to food production. Clearly, he had taken his holiday in Damascus.

Now, while I am prepared to be gracious and to welcome him in, I do feel he has come a little late to the table. As an

industry, we recognised a long time ago that there was a pressing need to increase the UK’s independence with regard to the supply of food. We also realised that we had to lower the carbon footprint of the food supply chain and to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel.

If Mr Benn’s words truly do indicate a U-turn in policy, we shall need to see some clear indication that money and resources will follow.

For example, as we know, innovative bioscience can both increase production and reduce the carbon footprint linked with a commodity. Crops which have been genetically modified to require less pesticide and less fertiliser, which are drought resistant, and which can be utilised in their entirety, are of far greater value to the food economy and leave a far lower carbon footprint.

Yet, so far the Government has failed to make any clear commitment to GM. Having said all this, it’s easy to fall into the trap of seeing our activities separately and not recognising that, if we are to slow climate change, we will need to adjust our

www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Autumn 2009

When you finally get to read these Comments, harvest celebrations will be well underway and we shall, with the usual sense of relief, be belting out those familiar words: “All good gifts around us are sent from heaven above.

So thank the Lord, oh thank the Lord, for all His love.”

Traditionally, all over the world, communities draw together after harvest to celebrate success and commiserate with failure. It is a time of sharing, as we remember and support those who, through poverty or ill-luck, have less then we do.

Harvest suppers are occasions for feasting and for generosity, but under the jollity lies a sense of humility, as we acknowledge that forces greater than man have shaped the farming year.

As we manage our animals and crops, we often grumble that the elements work against us, as well as for us. However, this year, as we gather together, we might be mindful that sun, the wind, the rain and the soil will become even more valuable to us as miraculous sources of energy.

And perhaps we should also recognize that the Good Lord blessed us with two other great gifts - intellect and common sense and, if we are to find solutions to our problems, we shall need to make good use of them, too.

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CLIMATE CHANGE: CONTRACTION AND CONVERGANCE • Aubrey Meyer

CLIMATE CHANGE: CONTRACTION AND CONVERGANCE • Aubrey Meyer

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change meets for the fifteenth time in Copenhagen on 17-18 December to further its aim of halting the rising concentration of greenhouse gasses (GHG) in the atmosphere. Musician turned environmental activist Aubrey Meyer gives his reasons why Contraction and Convergence (C&C) is the only way to achieve this objective and avert the world from climatic chaos.

Integrated approach is needed to solve GHG problem faster than we create it THE United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was agreed in 1992 with the objective of halting the rising concentration of greenhouse gas (GHG) in the atmosphere. In 2009, efforts to this end remain insufficient and the danger of ‘runaway’ rates of global climate change taking hold are increasing.

In December this year, the fifteenth conference of the parties to this convention takes place in Copenhagen. The call for an effective global deal is increasingly urgent.

The science-based, global climate policy framework of Contraction and Convergence (C&C) offers a model for this.

We are all both circumstantially and legally bound by the UNFCCC objective.

Compliance is governed by the need for finite answers to the questions: “What is a safe GHG concentration value for the atmosphere?” and “What is the scale of the full term emissions contraction event required to achieve it?”

• The calculation of equal rights to the global total of emissions permits to the global total of people consuming within that limit, but allowing for different rates of convergence and even a population baseyear to be considered.

So C&C puts the goal focus of the UNFCCC process in a structure of reconciliation. From this it becomes possible to go beyond the merely aspirational character of the current debate around the UNFCCC, to a rational and constitutional global agreement. This is preferable to assuming any inequality of rights.

As the original authors of the UNFCCC understood at the outset, embracing this primary question of the sufficient, and indeed the proportionate response, is fundamental to the whole global engagement. The Kyoto Protocol avoided this.

The Figure shown here charts the UNFCCC Objective and Principles and the

OBJECTIVE Contraction & Concentrations

Development Benefits of Growth versus the growth of Climate Change Related Damage Costs.

Columns one and two address the objective and principles of the UNFCCC. Columns three and four compare the development benefit of growth with the growth of climate damage and costs.

The left hand side of columns 1 and 3: • Expanding fossil fuel emissions of CO2, measured in billions of tonnes of carbon between 1800-2000.

• Rising concentration of atmospheric CO2 as parts per million by volume (ppmv) between 1800-2000.

Possible ‘futures’ are on the right, where the key questions are in four columns: • Column 1: Contraction and Concentration.

What is a safe level of concentrations and, in the light of sink failure, how rapid must contraction be to avoid GHG concentration going too high in future?

PRINCIPLES Precaution equity Contraction & Convergence

• Column 2: Contraction and Convergence.

What is the rate of the internationally equitable agreement necessary to ensure this level is not exceeded?

• Column 3: Contraction and Conversion.

What is the rate at which we must convert the economy away from fossil fuel dependency?

• Column 4: Damage Costs and Insecurity.

What is the environmental and economic damages trend associated with this analysis?

Each Row has a different level of Risk projected across the four columns: • C1 (bottom row): Acceptable Risk. Global GHG emissions contraction complete by 2050, so concentrations end up around 400/450 ppmv with damages potentially still under control.

• C2 (middle row): Dangerous Risk. Global GHG emissions contraction complete by 2100, so concentrations keep going up through 550/750 ppmv with only the illusion of progress maintained, while damages are going out of control.

scenarios or rates of change that are linked to the objective of the UNFCCC, where three levels of risk for stabilising the rising concentration of CO2 are understood in the light of the rising fraction of emissions that stays airborne.

finite calculus of collective responsibility, and so keep focused on the imperative of solving the problem faster than we are creating it. Communicating and implementing this remains the primary challenge for all of us now.

As Column 3 shows, we are caught in trends of causing global climate change much faster than we are mitigating it. Treating climate change as a global emergency is now long overdue and responding proportionately is vital. Unless the risk analysis is focused by this understanding, our best efforts will be in vain.

With the C&C operational framework, we can compare how much must be achieved globally to avoid dangerous climate change, with the widening margins of error in which we are becoming trapped.

According to the re-insurers, the weatherrelated damages trend is growing at twice the rate of the global economy, see Figure column three. To prevent this damage trend from running out of control, emissions need to contract to zero globally by 2050 if it is to be fast enough to stabilise atmosphere GHG concentrations at a level that prevents change accelerating uncontrollably.

• C3 (top row): Impossible Risk. Global GHG emissions contraction complete by 2200, so concentrations keep going up through 550/950 ppmv while the illusion of progress is being destroyed, damages costs are destroying the benefits of growth very quickly and all efforts at mitigating emissions become futile.

This is corroborated by the latest coupled climate modelling results from the UK Government’s Hadley Centre, published in the IPCC Fourth Assessment. While the notion of global emissions control is certainly heroic, the only vector of the problem over which we can still posit direct control is our GHG emissions and, thereby, the level to which GHG concentrations and temperature will rise in the future.

In each graph, different futures are projected on the right-hand side as

With this integrated approach we can more clearly visualise the challenge within a

DANGEROUS CLIMATE CHANGE Damage Costs & Insecurity

UN/STABLE DEVELOPMENT Contraction & Conversion

Because of weakening sinks, analysis now shows that to stabilise GHG concentration in the atmosphere below the level that prevents dangerous rates of climate change taking hold, requires a rate of overall emissions control that is faster than was previously assessed. Instead of 100 years, we now realise that to reduce human CO2 emissions and other GHGs in the atmosphere to zero globally, we have fewer than the next 50 years [IPCC AR4 and Hadley Centre, 2007].

C&C starts with an integral response to the Convention’s objective and allows for a full term "framework-based market" where: • Equity as collateral is the 100% entirety of the emissions contraction event necessary for concentration stability.

• The social equity as the equal per person claim on the same 100% throughout that event but softened by convergence.

• The commercial equity is the shares predistributed this way sum to the same 100% and are tradable, so as to accelerate the positive sum game for the emissions-free economy that must emerge if we are to prosper in the future.

This puts rational principle ahead of stochastic practice, so the former guides the latter. In practice this is flexible, and will create a lucrative framework-based market for the zero emissions industries within a future structure that corrects and compensates for the asymmetric consumption patterns of the past, while saving us all from dangerous rates of climate change.

C&C overcomes the stand-off where a onesided agreement is not an agreement and where half an argument is not, nor will ever become, a whole solution. It recognises that separate development is not sustainable development.

UNFCCC makes C&C generically true, but C&C is a calculus built on this truth that strategically focuses the negotiations at the UN Climate Convention on two finite, global indicators:

Many now call for this to be the basis of the post-Kyoto global deal.

• A trajectory to a safe and stable atmospheric GHG concentration limit, linked to calculations of the future global emissions contraction in carbon emissions consistent with that.

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There are more complicated ‘alternatives to’ and ‘derivatives from’ C&C that defend the ‘evolutionary’ nature of the politics.

They include the Kyoto Protocol, which sought to interpose a partial and random market-based framework in support of the UNFCCC. But there is no evidence supporting claims that guesswork at the margins will generate a sufficient response to be effective.

• For further details about Aubrey Meyer and his work on C&C, visit www.tangentfilms.com/CandC26jun09.pdf & www.tangentfilms.com/WTCApromo.wmv THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Autumn 2009 • www.thefarmersclub.com

www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Autumn

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RECYCLING FOOD WASTE • Dr Richard Swannell

RECYCLING FOOD WASTE • Dr Richard Swannell

Food waste recycling can be lucrative means of supplementing farm income WHILE some farmers have diversified into sectors such as tourism, sport and leisure to supplement their income, others are capitalising on another potentially lucrative market… food waste recycling.

There are now several large-scale sites operating in towns and on farms in the UK and more are set to open as the government and other agencies actively support their development, through initiatives such as the Environmental Transformation Fund (ETF). The ETF, which was launched last year, has recently announced funding for five groundbreaking AD projects across the UK.

This market is growing apace as more local authorities collect food waste separately in a bid to meet tough legislative targets to cut CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste sent to landfill.

Not only is food waste recycling an environmentally sound business move, it can also generate valuable by-products, which can be used or sold by farmers.

Furthermore, farmers can receive a gate fee for processing food waste collected from local councils and businesses, including food manufacturers and caterers.

There are two key methods for processing food waste in the UK. The most common method is via In-vessel Composting (IVC), which produces compost that can be used as a soil conditioner or fertiliser. The other method, which is coming to the fore in the UK, is Anaerobic Digestion (AD), which generates renewable energy and a nutrient-rich soil bio-fertiliser called digestate that farmers can use as a costeffective alternative, or supplement, to inorganic fertilisers.

IVC systems treat food and garden waste mixtures in an enclosed environment, with accurate temperature control and monitoring. In addition to obtaining a valuable source of organic matter for their land from their IVC, farmers can also make extra money by selling surplus compost.

One farmer who has successfully diversified into organics recycling is Mark Bennion and his wife Anne, who have a 1,200 acre farm in Dymock, Gloucestershire, where they grow potatoes, wheat, oilseed rape and herbage seed. They diversified into compost production five years ago after the foot and mouth outbreak forced them to abandon their livestock business. Although their animals did not contract the disease, the couple were severely affected by low commodity prices for their stock.

They initially received planning permission to compost up to 5,000 tonnes

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This process generates biogas (a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide), which can be used to generate electricity and heat to power on site equipment on farms.

The excess can be supplied to local businesses or the National Grid.

to run the IVC from a combined heat and power unit (CHP), which is fuelled by crop waste.

of garden waste in open windrows.

However, as the business has taken off and extra capacity has been needed, the couple have obtained funding to build a 25,000 tonne capacity IVC, to process garden and meat included kitchen waste.

They use most of the compost they produce on their farm and haven’t needed to apply phosphate or potash since they started doing so. They have also made further savings by reducing their nitrogen inputs. The remaining compost is sold to local farmers.

The Bennions are working towards BSI PAS 100, the nationally recognised specification for compost. This is a sound business move, since it gives purchasers peace of mind about product quality, as compost produced to the specification must meet minimum quality criteria and process control requirements to ensure its fitness for use.

They also plan to work in line with the Quality Protocol, which reduces the regulatory burden on compost production and use by defining when compost ceases to be a waste.

Since installing the IVC, the couple have further enhanced their business by generating most of the electricity needed

CHPs simultaneously generate electricity and heat in a combined and highly efficient process. In addition to providing most of the energy needed to run the IVC plant at Rose Hill, the CHP also generates some surplus energy at off peak times and this is sold to the National Grid. Any extra power needed to run the IVC at peak times is purchased from the National Grid.

The Bennion’s unit, which is a Talbott BG 100, takes oversized woody material leftover from the composting process and a variety of crop waste from the 1,200 acre farm on which it is based, including potatoes, oilseed rape, cereals and grassland. It processes about 600 tonnes of material per year.

The 100 metre long and 28 metre wide IVC building incorporates two mixers, which are 90kw each, and 15 fans which are between seven and 11kw each. In addition to powering these, the boiler, which produces 100kw per hour of electricity and 200kw of hot water, is used to blow air through the compost and woodchip to dry it.

It also heats the compost intake building and this helps to speed up the composting process. In addition, it powers the farm office and is used to dry grain.

Another method of processing food waste is Anaerobic Digestion (AD). This involves breaking down biodegradable material, such as food waste, waste-water, waste paper and animal waste, in the absence of oxygen using naturally-occurring micro-organisms.

THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Autumn 2009 • www.thefarmersclub.com

In addition to taking material from local authorities and businesses, AD plants can provide an outlet for a variety of waste from the farms on which they are based.

Such material, which could include, fruit and vegetable waste, and even manure or slurry, can then be used to generate income.

One company that has turned farm waste to its advantage is BiogenGreenfinch, which identified the process of AD as a means of dealing with the pig slurry generated by its sister company, Bedfordia Farms.

Its commercial Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plant at Twinwoods, Milton Ernest, Bedfordshire, was developed in 2005. It processes 12,000 tonnes of pig slurry from Bedfordia Farms, as well as 30,000 tonnes of food waste each year. The food waste comprises municipal food waste collected from towns in mid Bedfordshire.

This scheme initially started as part of WRAP-funded food waste collection trials and, due to its success, has recently been rolled out by Mid Bedfordshire District Council to include 54,000 houses in the county. The remaining food waste comes from additional municipal food waste collections and commercial food waste, from outlets such as hotels and restaurants.

In addition, some London local authorities are collecting, bulking and shipping to the site.

The BiogenGreenfinch Twinwoods AD plant is the first successful, commercialscale food waste plant in the UK to use the bio-fertiliser back on its own land. This means it offers a closed loop system since it grows grain for food production using the bio-fertiliser made from the pig slurry.

Such a system brings numerous benefits.

Not only is money generated from gate fees and renewable energy sales, but fossil fuel-based fertiliser is no longer being purchased, which generates cost savings of around £250-300 a hectare.

The heat and biogas generated by the process can also be used to run the plant or converted into 1.2 MW/hr of renewable electricity… enough to power over 1200 homes. Other potential uses for the power are also being pursued, such as using it to run vehicles.

Farms and agricultural holdings have the potential to make excellent organic recycling facilities since existing farmland, equipment and buildings can be adapted to handle the material. In fact, the Association for Organics Recycling (AFOR) estimates that about 11% of source segregated waste was processed on farms in the UK in 2006-7.

To set up a production facility, farmers need first to establish whether they have a sufficient supply of feedstock. Most food waste that is processed is collected separately from households by local authorities.

However, the commercial sector, which deals with food waste from supermarkets, food manufacturers and other processors, is a largely untapped market and one that is likely to take off for a variety of reasons. For example, recent legislation, which requires businesses to treat all waste before sending it to landfill, plus ever increasing landfill costs, have made waste disposal an expensive process. Also many businesses are keen to enhance their ‘green’ and corporate social responsibility credentials.

Animal By-Products Regulations (ABPR), so the facilities must also be approved by Defra’s Animal Health Department.

AFOR puts the capital cost of setting up an IVC plant at a minimum of £1m and estimates that it would take between 12 and 18 months to get the business off the ground. The time frame for setting up an AD plant is similar to an IVC, but the capital cost of the equipment is likely to be at least twice as much.

However, capital costs do depend on the existing infrastructure and facilities at the farm, and savings can be made from adapting existing concrete areas and buildings. Also, since IVC and AD plants are modular, they could be initially built on a small scale and then extended as required, enabling farmers to reduce their initial set up costs.

Other sources of funding are listed in an online guide produced by WRAP which can be downloaded from www.wrap.org.uk/composting To conclude, the food waste sector offers exciting new business opportunities to farmers who have suitable premises on which to set up IVC or AD plants. As local authorities and businesses come under increased pressure to change the way they handle food waste, the organics recycling industry is poised for further expansion and we expect to see new markets open up for compost/digestate and new processors enter this fast-growing market.

Furthermore, as the organics recycling industry grows, new markets are expected to emerge for food waste derived products, including its use in soil manufacture and for industrial cropping, such as bio-fuels.

• Article author Dr Richard Swannell is Director of Retail and Organics, WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme). For further information about organics recycling visit w w w. w r a p . o r g . u k / c o mp o s t i n g ; w w w. o r g a n i c s - r e c y c l i n g . o r g . u k ; www.environment-agency.gov.uk; or www.sepa.org.uk

The next step is to apply for local authority planning permission and an Environment Agency waste management licence. All municipal kitchen waste is subject to the

• Copies of ‘The State of Composting 2006/07’ can be found at www.organicsrecycling.org,uk and downloaded free of charge.’

www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Autumn 2009

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LIVESTOCK AND PUBLIC ACCESS • Carrie de Silva

LIVESTOCK AND PUBLIC ACCESS • Carrie de Silva

What law may apply where people are injured by livestock while on public footpaths or other land with public access? What precautions might stock keepers take to try to prevent incidents and legal liability?

Carrie de Silva, Principal Lecturer at Harper Adams University College and Director of the Equine Law Centre, poses the problems and provides some answers.

Beware the pitfalls when public crosses land carrying livestock FOR AS long as livestock has been actively managed, stock keepers have been subject to claims in the event of someone being injured.

Given the potential for animals such as cattle and horses to cause serious injury or death, such claims may involve long, expensive and harrowing court actions with the prospect of heavy compensation awards. People want compensation where they feel injuries are the stock keeper’s fault but, more particularly, because they need money to make up for lost earnings, provide for their families, maybe adapt accommodation or for medical treatment or long term care.

Such monies can be obtained through personal insurance, but in our jurisdiction we rely on ascribing blame… fault-based compensation, with the actions often led by insurers Raising particular concern has been the increasing awareness among the rural community of cases involving people injured by stock while walking on public footpaths. This area was extensively considered in the recent judgment in Shirley McKaskie v John Cameron (1 July 2009, Preston County Court).

Where someone suffers injury as a result of an encounter with animals while walking in an area with public access, a number of laws might be involved.

The occupier of land has a duty to take reasonable care to ensure visitors are reasonably safe, under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957, and additional care may be required where children are known to

be involved. This duty is very limited with regard to the land on public footpaths and access land, but remains relevant with regard to injuries caused by livestock kept by the occupier.

There is a lesser duty if the injured party is a trespasser and, contrary to the occasional tabloid headline, it is, rightly, not easy for trespassers to obtain compensation. Under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1984, there is only a duty of care where the occupier is (or should be) aware of the danger, is (or should be) aware of the trespasser and the danger is one against which they could reasonably be expected to offer protection.

These statutory duties are essentially an extension of the basic law of negligence which raises similar principles and considerations.

There might, if the incident occurs in a place of work (e.g. farm or riding school), be criminal responsibility under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (and related provisions), where there is a duty on employers and the self-employed to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in their employment are not exposed to risks to their health or safety. A serious injury to a member of the public on a farm or other business will inevitably involve investigation by the HSE. Finally, there may be recourse to the Animals Act 1971. The contentious element of this provision is that there may, in certain circumstances (but certainly not with all injuries involving animals), be liability in the absence of any fault. Thus, even if claims under negligence or the

Occupiers Liability Act fail, as the defendant took all reasonable care, they may still be liable under this Act. The Defra consultation regarding possible amendment closed on 19 June 2009.

Important case The case cited earlier is of interest to anyone who holds land over which there are public rights of way. John Cameron, a Cumbrian farmer, had just such land which he had farmed since 1965, latterly holding sheep and a suckler herd. The 20 cows grazing where the accident occurred comprised mainly Simmentals or Simmental cross, along with their 21 calves (of between 5 and 9-months-old) and one Simmental bull.

The injured party, Ms McKaskie, had only seen sheep in the fields in question during the few months that she had used the path as the cattle were wintered indoors and had only recently been turned out.

The accident occurred on a path some way off from the designated pathway. This gave rise to questions of trespass but given the lack of signage, that anyone without an OS map would take the unofficial route as there was a well worn track, the knowledge of the farmer that the short cut was used and the fact that locals directed the claimant along the unofficial route, the court rejected this claim.

On walking with her Jack Russell through the field in May 2003 Ms McKaskie was seriously injured by cattle, requiring hospitalisation for more than a year. There were no witnesses other than the claimant.

The farmer, hearing cows bellowing, saw something being thrown about by the cattle which he initially thought was a dead calf but which was, in fact, the claimant.

Expert witnesses were called by both parties on farm management and on veterinary matters. The court favoured the evidence of the experts called by Ms McKaskie in both areas.

As would be expected with a farm that was acknowledged to be well run, by an experienced and generally well informed farmer, there were many matters of agreement between the experts, but also areas of disagreement.

Points of interest arising from the expert commentary include the issue of continental breeds of cattle being more unreliable and volatile than domestic breeds. This was generally accepted although one expert felt that this could be overstated, not all continental breeds being more difficult than all native breeds, with rearing and management having a significant impact.

Another point of disagreement was in establishing when the cow-calf bond diminished, crucial in assessing the level of danger to humans (particularly those accompanied by dogs). The claimant’s expert felt that the bond could be strong up to 12 months and beyond. The expert called by Mr Cameron virtually discounted the significance of the bond with calves over five months.

The court found in favour of Ms McKaskie, with both a breach of duty of care by having cows with calves, of largely continental breeding, (i.e. a combination which he should have been aware might pose a threat to walkers with dogs), in a field crossed by public rights of way, as well as liability under the Animals Act.

Confusion arises in this area as there are few concrete rules other than the ban from keeping dairy bulls in fields with public access1. Information from the HSE (‘Cattle and public access in England and Wales’2) and the NFU (‘Livestock on Rights of Way : a Guide to the Law’3) are particularly helpful. The following summary of current guidance and judicial statements is not a substitute for referring to the full guidance documents,4 seeking advice and assessing specific circumstances.

The industry leaflets explain good risk assessment practices in considering whether stock should be in fields with public access, noting particularly bulls, the animals in question and any special circumstances, for example cows with calves, stock boisterous after being indoors or recent treatments such as castration or de-budding of horns.

Where there is any doubt over whether animals should have public exposure always try to seek fields away from rights of way, or consider temporary fencing if practicable.

If alternative fields are not available consider well signposted diversions for the public (although there would still be the right to follow the official footpath). With a long-term problem, landowners should contact their local authority for advice on changing the route.

There should be clear signposting to keep walkers on designated routes.

The usual advice is to have clear and appropriate signage. This is problematic where access is permitted (as opposed to ‘keep out / danger’ signs). Signs regarding bulls are clearly understood by farmers and the public.

The problem, considered extensively in the case, arises with notices such as ‘suckler cows with calves’. The average walker may not understand the significance of such signs, so more detail would be required to be meaningful. However, signs which seek to deter users of public access ways are unlawful5. And if the sign indicates animals are actually dangerous, there would be clear liability.

The NFU has recently produced a sign which would appear to avoid the above problems by stating: “Your dog can scare or harm farm animals. Keep it on a lead around livestock, but let it go if chased by cattle.” This sign is available to NFU members by calling NFU Call First on 0870 845 8458.

Adequate insurance covering trespassers as well as others is, of course, a must.

The need for general good husbandry is vital in both avoiding problems and evidencing due care, with regular inspection of stock, gates and fences, signposting the public to shut gates, and having self-shutting gates or cattle grids, where appropriate, to ensure that, where particular choices of fields and fencing have been made, they serve the purpose intended.

Final thoughts Some express concern when faced with cases such as McKaskie that the odds are against animal keepers. But serious accidents in such circumstances are mercifully rare, if heavily reported, and following industry good practice (admittedly not always easy) will help to prevent accidents or avoid liability in most situations.

We will look with interest at the outcome of any appeal by Mr Cameron in the McKaskie case, but the result in the County Court underlines, rather than changes, existing advice, illustrating that the courts may well not consider keeping cows with (even older) calves in fields with public access to be the exercise of reasonable care.

In contrast, there are a number of recent cases6 where a lack of care cannot be established and accident victims have thus not succeeded in negligence claims, the philosophy being that accidents happen and are not always someone’s fault.

• Carrie de Silva is a Principal Lecturer at Harper Adams University College and Director of the Equine Law Centre. For details of seminars, talks and workshops on law and tax for farms, rural or equine businesses contact Carrie on 01952 815304 or cdesilva@harper-adams.ac.uk

Notes: 1 Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 2 www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ais17ew.pdf 3 NFU Business Guide Ref. 068.

4 In addition to the NFU and HSE leaflets, see ‘Managing public access : A guide for land managers’.

Booklet CA 210 the Countryside Agency, ‘Signs on access land in England: Guidance for land managers’.

5 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, s57.

6 Eg, MacClancy v Carenza [2007], Cole v Davies-Gilbert, and others [2007], Poppleton v Trustees of Portsmouth Youth Activities Committee [2008], Bourne Leisure v Marsden [2009].

8

9

AGROVISTA • James Robertson

AGROVISTA • James Robertson

Agrovista UK is the sponsor of the envelopes in which The Farmers Club Journal is delivered to members.

As a thank you for its support, the Club invited the company to tell members a bit more about itself.

Managing Director and Group Chairman James Robertson does so.

“There has been a lack of quality young people entering agriculture, although it’s improving now as our industry provides a good stable future rather than many of the more glamorous careers in cyclical industries,” says Mr Robertson.

Geared up to provide advice and services meeting the needs of 21st century growers chemistry for old problems such as wild oats, blackgrass and broadleaved weeds in sugar beet, to name a few.

“Brought up on a farm in Perthshire, and being the youngest son, getting a job was a priority. After studying at Edinburgh, a career in the agrochemical industry was set, and I joined Fisons Agrochemical Division as a graduate trainee.”

Mr Robertson adds: “The issues facing a world of approaching 10 billion people are water, food and energy. Put simply, there is not going to be enough to go round. Throw in the effects of global warming, and the picture, worldwide, doesn’t look at all good.

Agrovista Chairman and Managing Director James Rober tson

AGROVISTA UK Limited has a pedigree that has been established for more than 60 years as a leader in the supply of agronomy advice and crop protection products to the arable, fruit, vegetable and amenity markets. The company can trace its roots to Dr Walter Ripper and Cambridge Pest Control, set up on 14 April 1939 and listed as “Consulting Entomologists and Spraying Contractors”, to Fisons and Boots Farm Sales when these were household names in the agriculture of the day.

Agrovista is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marubeni, the $100 billion world-class corporation involved in most aspects of everyday life from food to energy and machinery to raw materials.

James Robertson, Agrovista Chairman and Managing Director, comments: “When I joined Fisons, there were Fisons, ICI and Boots Farm Sales staff up most farm drives!

They were pioneering days, with new

“However, Northern Europe is well placed to capitalise, as our projected climate is still conducive to growing arable crops. Yields, though, have not developed over recent years, and with cereal and oilseed rape plants physiologically capable of a higher yield, the challenge is on for us all.”

There are also the challenges facing UK agriculture, from loss of active ingredients, increased red-tape and growing public awareness of food production and food miles, and the ever present debate on GM technology.

The industry is under threat from legislation, environmental and other pressure groups that do not really understand or are not interested in the end result of their lobbying. Access to chemistry in the vegetable area is now a problem and even the oilseed rape crop will be impossible to grow if the few remaining options disappear.

We have a responsibility to develop techniques to cope with this trend and to

“Agrovista recognises the value of its staff,” he adds. “We’re not a manufacturer; we don’t make products and don’t have patents. Our strength is in our people and our policies.

be able to provide high-quality food for UK residents

“We operate a flat structure, allowing staff to be involved in the company’s policies.

Bureaucracy and egos stand in the way of successful business practice, hold back progression and protects weak leaders”.

To act on and cope with the changing demands of the marketplace requires a continual development of business focus.

Gone are the days of simple, prescriptive advice across all farms and fields.

With 125 qualified agronomists and amenity specialists working in partnership with its customer base, modern technology and techniques are making their role holistic agronomy, not just chemical advice.

The Growers Choice Insite Trials programme lies at the heart of the company’s technical success, providing upto-date unbiased technical information.

“It’s interesting to see the move in the source of research, following the demise of tax payer and manufacturer-funded research,” says Mr Robertson. “Our company is now key to developing strategies for agronomic issues.

“For example, our blackgrass site at Maidwell, Northants, is recognised as being the best in the industry. This sits alongside the huge 72-acre Stoughton site.

“There are also other regional sites feeding in local results to allow a national and regional view to be taken. Fee-paid

consultants use it to widen their knowledge based on this problem, and see firsthand the solutions being developed.

“The manufacturer’s role is to discover, register and bring products to the market.

Ours is to work with our growers on the appropriate use, both in active ingredient and dose-rate for their situation.”

Traceability and the interaction in the food chain with the processor, retailer and consumer are the drivers in modern food production and retailing. High standards of record keeping with customers are maintained with regular and thorough training, and all staff are equipped with the latest field recommendation and recording software to satisfy the requirement of assurance schemes and other protocols used in crop production.

This is all supported by an efficient storage and distribution system from 18 locations covering all of the UK. The health and safety of our staff and customers are an important part of our daily work, and investments have been made to increase and modernise our logistics operation to stay ahead of new and developing legislation.

Over the past two years, recognising the emphasis on health and diet, the company has expanded its vegetable division and formed a fruit agronomy team. In the fruit area there was a gap in the existing service offered to growers. Bringing innovation such as the Growers Choice Interactive

10

The view within Agrovista is that the next generation of GM technology has to be accepted in Europe, otherwise the EU will not be part of the next stage in agricultural development throughout the world. Water and nutrient utilisation, starch content and yield improvement are all aspects that could improve with GM technology. In addition, crops grown for biofuel could be more viable commercially as energy costs continue to rise.

Agrovista provides a comprehensive range of agronomy services and advice packages to suit different businesses, and understands the need to tailor specific services, whether for agronomy, business advice, supply, finance or technical support to client needs. Its trials and development activity is industry-leading in innovation and breadth of research.

THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Autumn 2009 • www.thefarmersclub.com

Service, using live weather data from a network of weather stations coupled to RIMPRO pest and disease prediction software, subscribers can access live graphs showing weather data, scab infection risks and codling moth flight activity… all industry leading technology.

This not only reduces the amount of active used by better targeting of spray applications, it also reduces the risk of residues being left on the fruit.

To target key nutrient products and specific soil based insecticides, Agrovista precision services offer a full range of analytical services as well as technological solutions such as DGPS mapping, soil mineral nitrogen sampling and nutrient and pest mapping. Professional business services are provided through agrogate and its team of consultants, who can advise on land use, catchment farming and other environmental schemes important for the modern farm business.

As with most parts of agriculture, age profile and succession is a problem.

Consequently, Agrovista operate a graduate recruitment and staff development programme, in addition to a student placement policy.

www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Autumn 2009

Agrovista is committed to the care and protection of the environment, reinforced by continual training and educational programmes undertaken by staff. The company aims to have a co-ordinated approach to environmental management, whether it be in-field use of products, storage or transport and the handling of products. A full waste re-cycling plan, working right across the company, is now in operation.

In conclusion, James Robertson says: “Although we are part of one of the largest corporations in the world, Agrovista is run as a self-contained company with its own unique culture… one of innovation, support and challenge for ways to improve the company.

“We are really excited about the opportunities that agriculture presents in the future. The industry is starting to get recognised as being fundamental to the wellbeing of society.

“These are challenges we have to face as a business. To be successful, you cannot afford not to invest in the future. British agriculture is important, and with the pressure on demand, it will become more so within the next generation and beyond.

• Agrovista can be contacted by telephone on 0115 939 0202 or by emailing enquiries@agrovista.co.uk To learn more about the company visit www.agrovista.co.uk 11

ENGISH FOOD AND FARMING PARTNERSHIP • Jane Craigie

ENGISH FOOD AND FARMING PARTNERSHIP • Jane Craigie

Farmers become an essential part of food chain

by forming partnerships with big-name brands end market and a degree of assurance for business investment (eg, production facilities or changes to enterprise output),” he adds. “For some sectors (such as the British pork industry), the lack of such commitment from supply chain partners continues to stifle investment at production level.”

EFFP’s business ethos is to help farmers and their food chain partners to build longterm, mutual benefits. So it’s interesting to look at some of its recent work to see how its track record is looking.

PARTNERSHIPS between big-name food and drink brands and British farmer suppliers are getting stronger and are likely to be an integral part of supply chain relationships of the future, suggests Siôn Roberts, Chief Executive of English Farming and Food Partnership (EFFP).

“To put it bluntly, global agriculture has reached a ‘tipping point’ and life will never be the same again for food processors and manufacturers, as they try to deal with ongoing market volatility and the prospect of raw ingredient demand outstripping supply,” he says.

Over the past five years, since EFFP was founded, there has been a marked stepchange in the way British farmers are perceived as suppliers to retailers and to food manufacturers. And EFFP has been instrumental in brokering deals between the farm gate and big-food-business.

The Carling Barley Growers Group EFFP has been working with Molson Coors, in partnership with Frontier Agriculture, to establish a Carling Western Growers’ Group for sourcing 20,000 tonnes of the company’s barley requirements from around 70 UK growers. Carling is brewed with 100% British barley and the company sees groups like this playing an increasingly important role in barley supplies going forward.

According to the brewers’ Jerry Dyson; “Great raw materials are essential to brew great beer, and this group allows Molson Coors and farmers to work more closely together to ensure the growing of high quality malting barley.

“In partnership with Frontier Agriculture, we wanted to build a relationship with the right sort of grower that went beyond the annual contract transaction. The Carling

Western Growers’ Group has made threeyear commitments to supply barley to Molson Coors.

an essential part in ensuring the continued momentum and direction necessary to guarantee the Group’s longevity.”

“By building great working relationships, with trust on both sides, and establishing a forum, not only is there a focus on barley quality but also on opportunities for adding value to both the grower and Molson Coors.”

Farexchange Yorkshire Supported by Yorkshire Forward and operationally led by EFFP, Farexchange was created specifically to ensure sustainable and secure food supplies by linking Yorkshire and Humber’s farmers, food companies and retailers more effectively. The Farexchange initiatives include:

Setting up the group coincides with Carling’s national 100% British Barley advertising campaign and farmers have had the opportunity to meet the Carling marketing team and understand how British barley has become the central proposition for the Carling brand in the future. All this has led to a greater understanding between both ends of the malting barley supply chain.

Commenting on EFFP’s role, Jerry Dyson says: “EFFP was the broker and driver behind this initiative and its track-record in the sector has allowed any suspicion among growers to be overcome. EFFP assessed the appetite of growers for this type of group by surveying them and has acted as a mediator between Molson Coors, Frontier Agriculture and the growers.

“EFFP’s other virtue is that it has a track record in setting up similar groups and contract agreements in other produce sectors, for example with McCain’s and potato growers,” he adds. “One of EFFP’s key roles going forward is that it will play

At the company’s annual conference, to be held on 3 November 2009 (see panel for more details), farmers and the food chain will come together to hear how the two ends of the chain are increasingly working together for mutual gain.

Commenting on the agreement, EFFP’s Andrew Loftus - who set up the deal said: “The fixed price contracts negotiated afford the farmer a better return, so by working together they get a better deal, which they couldn’t have achieved if negotiated individually.

“North York Moors is the largest area of open moorland in Europe and the grazing of animals plays a crucial part in maintaining the unique landscape.

We believe that, by establishing guaranteed secure supply chains, it can halt the decline of sheep flocks in this important wildlife habitat.”

• Swaledale lamb into M&S - Farexchange is also looking at establishing a supply chain with Marks & Spencer for pure bred Swaledale lamb from the Moors.

• Muntons Malt Supply Chain Farexchange brokered a deal between many of Yorkshire and Humber’s barley growers and the brewing industry, known collectively as the Muntons Malt Supply Chain Ltd (MMSC). In an agreement between Muntons Plc and two farmer co-operatives, Openfield and GrainCo, the partnership has secured unique contracts between MMSC, farmers and Muntons’ major distilling and brewing customers.

“The drivers for individual food and retail businesses vary, but the supply agreements we have helped establish are all in the same vein,” Mr Roberts explains. “For the food manufacturer the goals are security of supply, the specificity of raw ingredients (ie, a selected variety of wheat or barley for milling or brewing), the quality of raw ingredients and explicit contract arrangements.

“For farmers the partnerships are all about contract commitment, dialogue with the 12

• North York Moors lamb into ASDA – Farexchange has helped develop an innovative supply chain where a group of upland sheep farmers, Seven Hill Farmers Ltd, will have their own-brand product stocked in Yorkshire stores as unique ‘seasonal specials’ sourced from the Moors.

In a deal which should amount to £1 million over three years, Seven Hill Farmers will supply ASDA with up to 1200 lambs every month from September to mid December.

THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Autumn 2009 • www.thefarmersclub.com

In addition to environmental and energy benefits, farmers in the MMSC scheme profit from fixed forward pricing above the benchmark for feed wheat and trouble-free storage at a superb new Muntons facility.

Much of the EFFP 2009 Conference will touch on the importance of partnerships in the food chain. Speakers include Jonathan Warburton, Chairman of Warburtons, who will describe the company’s supply chain partnerships as ‘Seed to Crumb’ and an essential part of the business retaining its position as the number one bread brand in the UK. Over a decade ago the amount of Hereward wheat grown by farmers was in decline, which was of concern to Warburtons, as it

relied on Hereward to help produce its premium quality breads. Centaur Grain (since merged with Grainfarmers to form Openfield) assisted Warburtons in understanding the key drivers behind farmers’ decision on whether or not to grow Hereward and worked with the company and growers to develop a contract that rewarded farmers for growing what is a lower yielding variety.

EFFP’s Siôn Roberts emphasis that the partnership commitments outlined above add value throughout the chain. “As the economy moves out of recession and food industries start to grapple with the new market paradigm,” he says, “the words of business author Robert Porter Lynch seem appropriate: You cut costs to survive, but you innovate to prosper.”

• EFFP publishes the quarterly publication VIEW, which contains commentary on the economic and strategic issues driving the food chain. To register for this free-of-charge publication visit www.effp.com/view

EFFP Annual Conference The sixth annual EFFP Conference will be held at the Plaisterer’s Hall, London, on 3 November. The fully catered conference will start with refreshments at 10am and close with tea and a chance for networking at 4pm. Lunch is included within the ticket price of £145.

It will focus on ‘Routes out of Recession’, and speakers include: • An opening address from Jim Fitzpatrick, Minister of State for Food, Farming and Environment, • Marc Bolland, Chief Executive of Wm Morrison Supermarkets, will talk about how this supermarket has bucked the downward trend for the sector, where the opportunities and challenges lie for the sector and the importance of farmer suppliers to the Morrisons business.

• Jonathan Warburton, Chairman of Warburtons, who will be discussing how quality through all aspects of the organisation, and specifically the agricultural supply chain, has contributed to this growth, as well as giving his view of what will be important going forward, • Tim Slater, Managing Director of DHL Supply Chain for UK and Ireland, will share DHL’s approach to facilitating supply chain collaboration across leading industry sectors and will reflect on DHL’s

www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Autumn 2009

first year of working in the UK grain sector in partnership with Openfield, sharing the key learnings and achievements and how this proven model can be leveraged for the benefit of the wider agri-food sector.

• Peter Kendall, President of the NFU, will discuss the role farmers’ play in the food supply chain as it continues to evolve, particularly in light of the transition from being an industry reliant on productionrelated support towards a sector becoming more market aware. He will suggest that the recession might have come at a good time for many farmers, with a hint of higher prices, reduced competition from imports and consumers remaining more interested than ever in the provenance of food.

• A panel session chaired by Adam Leyland, Editor of The Grocer will probe four businesses on their continued success, despite the recession. Panellists are: Christopher Mack, Executive Chairman of Fresca, the fresh produce business behind the innovative Thanet Earth; Nick Vermont, Regional CEO of McCain Foods; Arthur Reeves, External Affairs Director for Dairy Crest: and Andrew Keeble, founder of Debbie and Andrew’s Sausages.

Numbers are limited and will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. To register your place, go to www.effp.com/routes 13

TURF GRASS FARMING • Dr Mark Bartlett

TURF GRASS FARMING • Dr Mark Bartlett

Dr Mark Bartlett, Academic Fellow in Sports Surface Technology at Cranfield University, used a Farmers Club Charitable Trust bursary to visit the United States to compare methods of turf farming with those used in the UK. Here is a précis of his report.

Bursary gives opportunity to compare turf grass farming in the US with UK I RECENTLY travelled to the east coast of America to make comparisons between turf grass production systems there and those of the UK. The environmental costs of turf grass farming are considerable, requiring similar levels of nutrient and agrochemical applications and considerably more irrigation than cereal crops.

Against the back drop of the Presidential election, global house and financial markets in turmoil and a $700 billion bank bail out, I travelled to the University of Florida and then on to Pennsylvania State University where I visited a wide range of turf grass farming operations.

These two universities are home to some of the most noteworthy researchers in turf grass science. Their separation by nearly 1,000 miles but on similar longitudes means that in sub-tropical Florida warm season turf grasses are grown, whereas in temperate Pennsylvania cool season grasses are more common. A key difference between these grasses is that warm season species are more commonly grown as vegetative propagules or sprigs.

I visited a total of thirteen turf grass farms on a range of different soil types and size of farming operation. Each farmer answered a range of questions, in five broad categories about crop types, nutrition and water use; their farming operations and diversification; and approach to agrochemical usage.

Analysis of this data showed three distinct groups, based on their soil type.

Florida organic matter soils. In southeast and southwest Florida much of the most fertile farming land is high organic matter peat soils (between 85 – 95% organic matter). Formed in similar processes to the Fens of Lincolnshire, the high macro nutrient content of the soil makes them an ideal growing media.

This environment means that low input agricultural systems dominate. Typical crops in this area are vegetables, sugar cane production and turf grass.

The turf grass species grown in this area are typically Zoysia grasses, a broad leaf 14

robust grass that is widely used in landscape gardening. Typically, the farms in this area are large - up to 300ha - growing almost exclusively turf grass (Plate 1).

Plate One

The low-lying land and organic soils mean that irrigation is by ditched water table management. In this production system the harvest is through slabs of turf, rather than roles: the process removes up to 60mm of the organic soil per crop.

One of the most significant problems that farm managers have in this area is keeping the grass maintained. The low risk of frost, high nutrient status of the soil and abundant water mean that crops commonly reach maturity in 8-10 months.

a

The mineral soils also mean that turf grass sprigs can be easily harvested. One farm has developed machinery to wash all soil from the sprigs, which means that they can be distributed worldwide without the requirement for specialist licensing.

Pennsylvania mineral soils. Central Pennsylvania has four distinct seasons, with a growing period similar in length to the UK; from mid-March to midSeptember. The most notable difference is that the Pennsylvanian maximum summer temperature approaches 30°C with high relative humidity. Winter temperatures also dip to approximately 0°C as a January average, with increased chance of snowfall.

Plate Three

a

b

c Mineral soil tur f grass production in Central Florida. (a) Ribbons of tur fleft in place for vegetative re-population of the tur f grass field. (b) Pop-up irrigation heads watering tur f grass. (c) Rotar y arm field irrigation system, which irrigates a total area of 3 ha.

Plate Four

Other agricultural production in this area is dominated by maize and other cereals and livestock.

b Southern Florida tur f grass farms. (a) Tur f grass field production, with two 3.5 ha fields separated by a drainage ditch. (b) A typically high-organic-matter-soil field recently planted with Z oysia grass.

Plate Two

By using cooled water for the washing and air freight, turf grass from this farm has been delivered as far as the Middle East and Jamaica (Plate 2). Even with the high levels of mechanisation this production technique remains highly profitable.

The friable nature of the soils that these turf grass farms are on mean that limited amounts of soil are lost from the field. A typical turf grass cutting depth on farms in this area is 12.5 mm.

The rapid drainage rate also increases the need for fertiliser – typically a 10-20-10 – applied both at establishment of the crop and throughout its duration. Significant pest problems are also common, typically related to plant parasitic nematodes, requiring considerable pesticide and fumigation treatments.

The consequence of a climate where turf grass can be successfully grown from seed means that there is a much reduced scale of turf grass production, representing a similar proportion to that of the UK.

These conditions mean that fungicide and pesticide applications are common, with most farms spraying preventively rather than curatively.

Florida mineral soils. In Central Florida the soils are characterised by high sand contents and very low levels of organic matter, as little as 0.5%. The climate and soil conditions are ideal for citrus crops, including orange, lemons and limes. Turf grass farming is less dominant in this area, but the soil type means that the turf produced is ideal for the more specialist market of sports facilities.

Ribbons of turf are frequently left in the field so that vegetative propagation can take place and regenerate the field crop without the need for further sprigging of the plants (Plate 3a). A typical natural soil drainage rate for farmland in this area is approximately 450-500 mm per hour, so irrigation is required on a daily basis (Plate 3b and 3c).

The level of mechanisation on Pennsylvanian turf grass farms is considerable. As well as the requirements of drilling, maintaining and lifting the crop, there is typically a requirement for stone removal from the field. The freezing cycles lift stones to the surface, which damage both seed drill and turf cutter (Plate 4).

Turf grass in Pennsylvania typically takes between 10-16 months to reach maturity, and it is commonly held that a crop has to go through a winter before it is ready for harvest.

Fertiliser regimes are typically an 18-6-6 application, made approximately every two months during the growing season.

Irrigation, from potable water or pumped from the local aquifer, is made either from rotating arm booms (Plate 3b) or travelling boom irrigation systems.

Farm manager Rex Cunningham explains to Professor John Cisar how the sprig cooler and washer works at Environmental Tur f Inc, Central Florida.

THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Autumn 2009 • www.thefarmersclub.com

Agrochemical applications in this turf grass production system are limited.

Pre-emergent herbicides are commonly applied, but pesticides and fungicides are

a

b

Tur f grass production in Central Pennsylvania. (a) Tur f grass cutter standing in a field of perennial r yegrass. (b) Waste stones removed from field prior to autumn drilling.

applied much more sparingly than in Florida or the UK. The research study trip has allowed me to foster growing links with two major turf grass programmes in America at an early stage in my career. Without doubt, these relationships will be of great use, both personally and to research students under my supervision: a Cranfield Sport Surface Technology MSc student carried out his thesis research at Penn State University in the summer of 2008. Similar exchange programmes are currently being prepared for a student exchange with the University of Florida.

www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Autumn 2009

I would like to thank The Farmers Club Charitable Trust for funding this project, and giving me the opportunity to undertake such a unique visit. My thanks are also extended to Professor John Cisar, his staff and students at the University of Florida; as well as Professor Alfred Turgeon and the rest of the turf grass faculty at Pennsylvania State University.

• Dr Mark Bartlett can be contacted at Cranfield University by telephoning 01234 750111, ext 2778, or by emailing m.d.bartlett@cranfield.ac.uk

15

YOUNG ENTRANTS • Rhydian Scurlock-Jones

JERSEY CHEDDAR • Roger Trewhella

Preparing a good tender is key to success for young entrants While little can be done by young applicants to reduce the potential disadvantage in terms of rent payable, plenty can be done in other ways to improve their chances.

With this in mind, Savills has joined forces with the Tenant Farmers Association and the National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs (NFYFC) to provide three regional training days, funded by Defra, for any member of the YFCs who would like a chance to improve his or her tendering skills.

lock-Jones Rhydian Scur HAVING recently had personal experience of letting a commercially viable farm by public tender, one thing that became evident was the lack of tenders from young and hopeful new entrants to farming.

The training day covers all the basics of farm business tenancies, provides a view of the tendering process from a tenant perspective, and a view of how best to present a farm tender from a landlord's perspective.

A golden rule for any tender application is to read almost forensically what is expected in the tender invitation/particulars.

The scarcity of farms available to rent means that every one that does come up represents a vital opportunity for the younger generation. The median age of farmers is still rising, going up in 2008 to 59, from 58 in 2005.

Landlords will have carefully decided on the terms/letting/use that they believe is best for the farm in order to meet their objectives. Therefore, to produce a tender application which differs from what is asked is a risky option.

Tendering for a tenanted farm is one of the easiest ways a young person can enter the farming profession, largely because it does not require a significant capital outlay to purchase land. With this in mind, one would expect landowners and their agents to be inundated with applications from new entrants… but this is not the case.

However, this should not discourage brave new-thinking entrepreneurial plans, as these can be looked at in a positive light, but it may be worth including them as an addition to the proposal.

Those new entrants who have been brave enough to submit a tender often face very strong competition from local commercial farmers looking to take on additional acres, who are often in a position to offer higher rents due to economies of scale and the fact that their start-up costs are likely to be considerably lower.

Each landlord will have differing objectives and being tuned in to their history and future motivations will assist in crafting a tender document reflecting what is expected. Local knowledge is imperative and using every opportunity to ask direct questions to the landlord or his agent can often give an indication of what is expected.

The landlord and his agent will often be happy to discuss, within reason, some pre-tender questions.

Tenant Farmers Association Chief Executive George Dunn is pleased to support the training day organised by NFYFC and Savills.

“Putting together a proposal to rent a farm from a landowner is not something that many agricultural colleges include as part of their curriculum,” he says. “It’s of great importance that those wishing to rent holdings know how to structure a tender document and conduct themselves if selected for interview for a farm.

“The training day provides the young people involved with both a landlord’s and tenant’s perspective of the whole process, which should stand them in good stead in the future.”

The training being provided is in addition to a competition run by the NFYFC. The Federation includes a farm business development competition in its national competitions programme, which is judged by representatives from the TFA and Savills.

Competitors use the particulars of a casestudy farm which they can view to prepare and submit a business tender before being interviewed by a panel of experts.

This year’s competition was won by Nicola Hamer and Jack Hopkins, students at the Royal Agricultural College. Winning team members are awarded Oxford Farming Conference scholarships to continue their personal development.

The investment of time by all involved in these training days will, hopefully, be of benefit to young entrants and, thus, to the quality of future tenders received.

• For more information on the training days contact Sarah Palmer on sarah.palmer@nfyfc.org.uk or by calling 02476 857213. Rhydian Scurlock-Jones is based at Savills, Telford, and can be reached on 01952 239 529 or by emailing rsjones@savills.com

Club member Roger Trewhella reports on a recent trip to Texas, where everything is ‘big’, including the panhandle-based Hilmar Cheese Company, Dalhert, and its demand for Jersey milk to make premium cheddar.

Jersey milk proves ideal for Texas-made cheddar FIFTY per cent of the milk going into cheddar manufacture at the Hilmar Cheese Company’s Dalhert plant, Texas, is produced by Jerseys, with another 20 per cent coming from Jersey-crosses.

The ideas behind the whole Hilmar operation have been driven by Richard Klaus, one of the twelve Californian Jersey farmers who established Hilmar in 1984. Since that time, there has been extensive investment into cheese manufacture research.

The Dalhert operation was opened in September 2007 and buys 100 truckloads of milk every day, totalling 2 million litres.

Across its two factories, in Texas and California, Hilmar manufactures 40 varieties of cheese, mainly cheddars and Monterey Jacks. The company now supplies 16 per cent of the US cheese market.

Cheesemaking secrets Two factors appear highly significant to the closely guarded secrets of the company’s success.

• First, all milk is standardised for butterfat and protein levels before the manufacturing begins.

• Second, the company uses four different starter cultures, depending upon the level of maturity sought by customers.

Within four hours of arriving at Dalhert, the milk has been converted to 40lb blocks of plastic shrink-wrapped cheese. It is stored on site for another 12 days before being transported to storage facilities, owned on a joint venture basis with Hilmar’s customers.

All shipments come with instructions about maturation times, and all cheese, including ‘Vintage Cheddar,’ is recommended to be consumed within 90 days of manufacture.

Farmer payments The jointly-owned storage arrangement obviously reduces the cash required to run the Hilmar company. It means that supplying farmers are paid for their milk every two weeks.

Farmgate prices are based on a calculation of the cheese yield, which will be obtained 16

THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Autumn 2009 • www.thefarmersclub.com

Right: Dair y farming Texas style. This herd in the panhandle is typical of the large scale units ranging from 2,500 to 7,000 milking cows that are supplying the Hilmar Cheese Company.

Both cheese factor y and herd sizes are set to double over the next twelve months, just two years since the plant became operational.

from the milk’s compositional quality.

There are adjustments for transport costs and a premium is paid to reward environmental stewardship on the farms.

The company is already looking at rewarding carbon footprint reductions too.

Hilmar negotiates annual supply arrangements with its customers, and these are translated back into daily delivery schedules for each farmer. Farmers producing in excess of the negotiated contract are responsible for marketing the extra truckloads. This means transporting it to neighbouring States.

Why Texas?

Hilmar plumped upon Dalhert, in the Texas panhandle, as it was viewed as ‘cow friendly’ as well as having excellent crosscountry rail links.

As Texas is only 50 per cent self sufficient in milk and dairy products, the legislature is supportive. Climate in the higher, northern, part of the state is better for cattle. Beef ranchers have always known this, as one-quarter of US beef is produced there and more than one million cattle are on feedlots at any one time.

Top right: A selection of the 46 Gold, Silver and Bronze medal winners at the Nor th American Jersey Cheese Awards.

Bottom right: The Hilmar Cheese factor y at Dalher t, Texas. New in autumn 2007, it is due to double in capacity in 2010.

There is low humidity, and night temperatures are moderate in summer, reducing heat stress on cows. Winters average around zero degrees centigrade, although northerly winds can bring severe snow storms.

Future plans The Hilmar cheese plant and all supplying farms have been designed so that each can double and then triple output. The first expansion phase at the cheese factory is planned to be completed by autumn 2010, with the largest dairy herd of 7,000 milking Jerseys set to double at the same time.

Two thousand five hundred cows, and multiples thereof, are deemed to be the optimal profitability unit.

Now dairy herd numbers have increased from 20 in 2001, with 20,000 cows, to 80 units and 195,000 cows in 2008.

The Dalhert region gets 18 to 22 inches of rain a year and is serviced by an underground aquifer estimated to have supplies for 85 years… although the proliferation of centre pivot irrigators is extracting water at a colossal rate!

www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Autumn 2009

The 24,000-head heifer ranch contract rears for all milk-supplying Jersey herds.

Sexed semen is used across all animals 17

METHANE REDUCTION • Andrew Shearer

U30S • Luke Paterson, Chairman; Gemma Partridge, Vice Chairman; MaryAnne Salisbury, Secretary

Club member and ex farmer Andrew Shearer, Marketing Director of Neem Biotech, is developing a garlic extract, containing allicin, for use as a livestock feed additive. In vitrio tests by Aberystwyth University show it to reduce methane emissions from ruminants by 94%, along with improvements in livestock weight gain.

Now, he seeks the help of other Club members in carrying out on-farm tests.

Garlic feed cuts methane emissions while raising production efficiency NEEM BIOTECH – a company which specialises in developing technology to extract active compounds from plants and marine biomass - holds a granted patent for the volume production of allicin, a bioactive compound from garlic.

In a research collaboration looking at plant extracts for ruminant methane reduction with Professor Jamie Newbold, Aberystwyth University, it was found that this garlic extract was the most effective at reducing methane from more than 2,000 plants tested.

In an artificial rumen model at Aberystwyth, it was shown to reduce methane emissions from ruminants by 94%.

In a later in vivo study in sheep, there was a 15-25% reduction, along with improved liveweight gain and wool growth.

We are currently involved in a Defrafunded project to develop further data for registration and commercialisation of the product.

Another Neem Biotech director, Professor Jeremy Stone, has developed the brand name ‘Mootral’ for this product, so that it can be developed into Mootral low-carbonbranded products. The business model being developed is to trade carbon credits with organisations such as airlines, who need to offset their carbon emissions.

The intention is to offer it free to farmers who sign up to the scheme, with potential for surpluses paid to them as dividends and offering them a means of selling their products under the Mootral brand.

As well as methane reduction, our garlic extracts offer several other important commercial advantages, including increased milk and meat production, potential against bovine TB, mastitis, intestinal worms and a strong immunoboosting mode of action.

The product has strong anti bacterial, anti fungal, anti protozoal, anti viral and pesticidal properties.

We are currently undertaking testing to confirm these and would be interested to hear from organisations who can work with us to achieve this.

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We are very excited about how much we can improve livestock health, while, at the same time, contributing to reducing livestock methane emissions, methane being at least 25 times more potent (though new figures suggest this could be as high as 72 times) than C02 as a greenhouse gas.

We are keen to work with farmers and the livestock industry to develop the necessary further data needed to register the product as a zoo-technical feed additive.

We are the only Club within the Inter-Club to hold our own events for our U30s’ members. Interestingly, although not the oldest Club involved in the Inter-Club, we do have the oldest U30s’ section, established in 1964.

The article below, written by Jo Paterson, will show you what a top evening it was.

Emailing invites I see the main Club is trying to catch up with us, in collecting emails by offering a

This has been an active year for the company, including our coming a close second. in the Financial Times Forum for the Future Climate Challenge Competition, seeking solutions to climate change. We were chosen by an eminent judging panel, including Sir Richard Branson, and also by public vote.

We’ve also been approached by CNN, which has done a feature on us as part of its EcoSolutions project.

With such publicity for our product we are deriving increased interest internationally, from Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and Asia.

As our Chairman and CEO David Williams says, “Methane has suddenly become a hot topic in relation to global warming and climate change. I’ve been invited to speak at a climate change conference in South Africa recently, where farmers in the Western Cape are very worried about how the changing climate will affect their farms and farming practices.

THIS harvest was a lot less protracted than the last, with yields after the dry spring much better than expected. Let’s hope drilling is as clear-cut – allowing you to attend forthcoming U30s’ events – while, fingers crossed, we wait for cereal prices to pick up.

Our Inter-Club crawl was sold out within 15 minutes of tickets going on sale. This prompts me to remind you that if there is an event you would like to attend, let us know and we will try to book tickets for you.

Mark White

I was involved in a UKTI Trade Mission to Auckland, New Zealand, earlier this year, where there was a great deal of interest in our work, as the NZ government had started taxing farmers on the methane produced by their livestock, though this was later scrapped due to its unpopularity.

More recently we have learned that we have reached the final of The World Challenge Competition 2009, which included some filming of the project for the BBC. Voting for this will take place in the autumn.

Chairman’s Jottings

Executive directors, from left, Mark White, Dr David Williams and Andrew Shearer

“Reduction in methane produced by ruminants will be a quick solution and have a big impact in the short term on the increase in greenhouse gases, as well as benefitting the livestock farmer. A 20% reduction in methane production results in 1.5 litre increase in milk per day per cow.”

Neem Biotech would be delighted to hear from farmers, landowners and the livestock industry who would like to work with us in this project.

• Andrew Shearer can be contacted by emailing andrewshearer@neembiotech.com For further details about the company visit www.neembiotech.com

THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Autumn 2009 • www.thefarmersclub.com

case of Farmers Club wine if you fill in and return your details. My apologies for not offering you a tipple.

We are regularly emailing and texting the U30s. If you are not receiving these emails and texts, and would like to or wish to be removed from such lists, please let me know on 07775 618297 or email me at luke@porterag.co.uk

It was on to dinner next, hosted by the Reform Club… a very grand place, with a famous entrance hall that formed part of the James Bond set! Once dinner was polished off, we headed for familiar territory… our very own Farmers Club, where U30s Chairman Luke Paterson introduced everyone to our surroundings, more wine flowed and, before too long, we were off to our final destination, the Savage Club.

This dinner will be the first held by the U30s at the Club on a Saturday.

Consequently, I look forward to welcoming many of you from further afield.

Emails and texts have vastly improved communication with members. We hope you have found that invites sent by email are much easier to; reply to and/or to forward when inviting friends.

Luke Paterson

For those of you not receiving the out-of -Journal updates: • Ian Piggott is giving up his time to speak at our September dinner. Ian is the founder of Open Farm Sunday and will be talking about reconnecting farming with the public.

• Corfe Castle, Dorset, is the venue for our October farm visit, when we will see sheep milking, sea kayaking and much more. Please ask for full itinerary.

Rain can’t dampen spirits on superb Inter-Club crawl IN EARLY August eight U30s Farmers Club members headed into the rain to join members – 73 of us in all - of other London clubs at the Royal Overseas League for the start of the annual Inter-Club pub crawl. After a brief history of the Club and a few glasses of Champagne, it was off to the Army and Navy Club for more drinks and some very welcome warm canapés.

• November will see Guy Smith return to the club as a speaker for the U30s. I’m not sure, as I write, what Guy’s subject will be, but you can be sure that he won’t disappoint.

And, yes, it is as it sounds, with ladies only welcome before 6 o’clock and only on one evening a week. The Savage Club has a long affinity with music, so it was with little surprise but great delight that we were treated to a band and more revelry.

On behalf of everyone who attended, I would like to thank all the clubs for being very generous and welcoming hosts.

Even the constant torrent of rain could not dampen our spirits and a great night was had by all.

To anyone not sure whether to go another year or not, my advice would be to give the Inter-Club a whirl. I met some great people, made some new friends and got to have a snoop around some amazing London pads!

www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Autumn 2009

Jo Paterson

The happy couple U30s Chairman Luke Paterson and Jo Franklin were married at St Faith’s Church, Kelshall, Herts, on 11 July. The couple are pictured at Dilham Hall, Dilham, Norfolk, the family home where the reception was held.

Future Events Saturday 28 November Dinner with Guy Smith The Farmers Club

•

Friday 29 - Sunday 31 January New Members’ Dinner and Winter Event The Farmers Club

19

RAMBLINGS • Stephen Skinner

RAMBLINGS • Stephen Skinner

Club looks and feels splendid as many rooms get makeover We also have, of course, a new Head Chef, Jeff Plant, and a new deputy, Andrew Tea, so I’m looking forward to the future with great expectation.

We’ve also created a purpose-built Business Suite, where members and their guests can either use a Club PC or use their own laptops.

We’ve provided both a Wireless and Ethernet connection capability, and thus, hopefully, see an end to members being scattered all over the Club desperately trying to find both a signal and space.

Finally, we’ve also spruced up the main lounge, with new furniture and fittings, and will shortly THE SUMMER complete the refurbishment of three more closure has come bathrooms as part and parcel of our longer to an end and the term aim of bringing them all up to date. refurbishments are all but complete. To date, the response to my letter giving an The dining room has had a wholesale overhaul update on the various changes that are (see back cover) with new decoration, lighting, happening has been excellent, but I’m sure curtains, tables and chairs. I think it looks there are still a few who have yet to respond. If excellent but, of course, it’s the member’s you haven’t, why not take two minutes to views that matter, so I await your judgement complete the very simple form I sent out and with interest. pop it in the post to us?

Busy show season ENOUGH of the domestics, though. The summer gave me a chance to reflect on what for the Chairman, his wife Janet and me has been a very busy show season.

All the shows were of a very high standard, with a few truly exceptional.

Thank you and well done to the chairmen of the shows, their committees and, of course, the chief executives and their staff who not only put on such good shows but who also provided outstanding support to The Farmers Club when needed.

What the shows demonstrated, though, was that there is enormous interest among the public to see what the agricultural sector has to offer and, at the same time, that there are great opportunities.

At the risk of speaking out of turn, the lessons I took away from having seen so many shows this summer is that those that keep agriculture at their heart and strive for quality in all they present and do are the ones which really capture the imagination.

NOT QUITE UNDER 30s DINNER The not quite Under 30s Dinner will be held in The Farmers Club on Friday 6 November starting with drinks in the Bar from 7pm followed by dinner in the Eastwood Room at 7.45pm.

This very successful event in now an annual fixture in the Club diary. Last year we had 35 members and guests attend a most enjoyable evening at the Club, with quite a few staying on to take advantage of the excellent weekend package of two nights bed and breakfast and dinner on the Friday evening. It is excellent value for money.

Dinner, bed and continental breakfast for one night costs £75.00 and for two nights (dinner on Friday plus bed and continental breakfast on the Friday and Saturday) £100.00.

Dinner only on the Friday is £40.00, including two glasses of wine with the meal.

After the success of the visit to the theatre last year to see ‘Avenue Q’ it has been agreed to repeat this. Therefore, if you would like to attend the trip to the theatre, I will need to know

20

THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Autumn 2008 • www.thefarmersclub.com

www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Autumn 2009

numbers well in advance to book tickets. I would be most grateful if you could email or ring me ASAP to let me know if you wish to be included.

A letter and application form, with full details of the event, will be sent to all members on the event mailing list. Having looked at the Club membership list, we have more than 500 members between the ages of 30 and 40 and we are keen to encourage as many of those (and of course the over 40s) as possible to get involved with the Not Quite Under 30s.

If you would like to come to the dinner, or have any ideas about future events for the Not Quite Under 30s, we should be delighted to hear from you and will, of course, add your name to the event mailing list.

You can get in touch with MaryAnne Salisbury by emailing u30s@thefarmersclub.com or by phoning 020-7930 3751.

We look forward to hearing from you.

MaryAnne Salisbury Event Organiser

21

Club Information & Diary Dates

THE FARMERS CLUB

The Secretariat 020 7930 3751

THE FARMERS CLUB Over 160 years of service to farming 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL

Patron – Her Majesty The Queen

THE FARMERS CLUB CHRISTMAS CARD 2009

NOTICE OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING NOTICE is hereby given that the One Hundred and Sixty-seventh Annual General Meeting of The Farmers Club will be held at 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL on Wednesday 9 December 2009 at 12 noon.

1. Minutes To approve the Minutes of the One Hundred and Sixty-sixth Annual General Meeting of the Club.

2. Accounts To present the Annual Report and audited Accounts of the Club for the year ended 30 June 2009.

Image Copyright Sebastian Knight 2009, used under license from Shutterstock.com

This year's Farmers Club Christmas Card is entitled Scottish Highland Cow, Up Close and has been specially sourced and designed for us by Claire Johnson of Acatos UK Ltd. Surplus on the sale of the cards will be donated to the R.A.B.I. of England, Wales and N. Ireland and the R.S.A.B.I. of Scotland, both of which are dedicated to helping members of the farming community facing hardship. We are pleased to display further information about the Club and the charities on the reverse.

The card, measures 21cm x 15cm and takes a C5 envelope, which can be posted using a standard First or Second Class stamp. The

interior is printed with the Club crest and the greeting “With Best Wishes for Christmas and the New Year”. The card is available in packs of 10 and may be ordered from the Club. The price per pack is £8.00 including VAT and postage (UK only) for an order of up to 50 cards. A supplement for postage will be charged on orders of 60 cards or more.

Please place your order quickly to avoid any disappointment.

Members are requested, if possible, to collect their cards from Reception due to the cost of postage which enables the Club to make a larger donation to the charities.

✁

Christmas Card Order Form To: The Secretary, The Farmers Club, 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL Please send me …………....packs of Christmas Cards at £8.00 per pack of 10

I will collect the cards from Reception on ………………(approximate date if known) I enclose a cheque for ……………………….payable The Farmers Club (add £2 postage for 60+ cards) PLEASE COMPLETE IN BLOCK CAPITALS

Address

Post Code Tel.No email

22

Club Information

THE COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT OF THE CLUB FOR 2009 PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN John Reynolds

020 7930 3751

TRUSTEES Mark Hudson (Chairman), Barclay Forrest OBE Mrs Susan Kilpatrick OBE, Norman Shaw CBE

Further information is available on The Farmers Club Website: www.thefarmersclub.com To register for the Members’ Area, enter your membership number as shown on the top line of the address label of your Journal and then create your username and password.

Dress Code Members are requested to advise their guests of the following: • Gentlemen must wear formal jackets and ties on weekdays. Polo-neck jerseys, jeans and trainers are not acceptable.

• There is a Club jacket and a selection of ties at Reception which may be borrowed in an emergency.

Parking The Club has no private parking at Whitehall Court and metered parking in the immediate area is extremely limited. The nearest public car park, open 24 hours a day, is situated in Spring Gardens off Cockspur Street, approximately 5 minutes walk from the Club.

Telephone: 0800 243 348. The Congestion Charge can be paid at this car park.

Mobile Phones, Briefcases and Business Meetings Mobile phones must not be used in the Public Rooms. Briefcases should be left in the Cloakrooms and Business meetings must be conducted in a private room. Members should speak with the House Manager for details.

3. Officers (a) To elect the Chairman for 2010.

Mrs N J Quayle held office as ViceChairman for 2009 and the Officers and Trustees recommend that she takes office as Chairman from 1 January 2010.

• Ladies should be dressed conventionally.

Trousers are permitted but not casual slacks, jeans or trainers during the week.

Business Suite

• Smart casual dress may be worn from 6pm Friday to midnight Sunday, smart clean jeans and trainers permitted.

This new facility is situated on the Club floor in what was the old House Manager’s office and gives members an opportunity to use a laptop or a Club PC in a tailor made environment.

(b) To elect the Vice-Chairman for 2010. The Officers and Trustees recommend that Mr R T Holland takes office as Vice-Chairman from 1 January 2010.

• Members must advise their guests of the dress regulations.

(c) To elect the Honorary Treasurer for 2010. The Committee recommends that Mr P M Heygate be re-elected as Honorary Treasurer of the Club to take effect from 1 January 2010.

4. Committee To declare the members newly elected to serve on the Committee from 1 January 2010.

5. Auditors To appoint the Auditors for 2010.

The Committee recommends that haysmacintyre continue in office.

Name

VICE PRESIDENTS John N Harris OBE MC, Peter Jackson CBE Roddy Loder-Symonds, Sir David Naish DL John Parker

S N Skinner Secretary

by Order of the Committee October 2009

THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Autumn 2009 • www.thefarmersclub.com

• Children should conform with the above guidelines.

The use of a laptop in a public room is therefore no longer allowed and must be restricted to the Business Suite only.

VICE-CHAIRMAN Mrs Nicki Quayle HONORARY TREASURER Paul Heygate IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN Julian Sayers COMMITTEE Elected 2004 Ian Lindsay, Mrs Jill Willows Elected 2005 Charles Notcutt OBE Elected 2006 Stewart Houston CBE (Chairman House Sub-Committee), Meurig Raymond MBE Elected 2007 Tim Bennett, Mrs Anne Chamberlain, James Cross Richard Harrison, Campbell Tweed OBE Mrs Teresa Wickham (Chairman Journal & Communications Sub-Committee) Elected 2008 The Reverend Dr Gordon Gatward OBE Jimmy McLean (Chairman Membership SubCommittee), David Richardson OBE, John Wilson Elected 2009 Richard Butler, John Stones Co-opted Luke Paterson (Chairman Under 30s) Gemma Partridge (Vice-Chairman Under 30s) THE FARMERS CLUB CHARITABLE TRUST TRUSTEES John Kerr MBE JP DL (Chairman), James Cross Stephen Fletcher, Vic Croxson DL Mrs Stella Muddiman JP, The Chairman and Immediate Past Chairman of the Club (ex officio) Chief Executive and Secretary Air Commodore Stephen Skinner

Diary Dates 2009-2010

Deputy Secretary Robert Buckolt

These dates are reviewed for every Journal. Please read them on each occasion, as they are sometimes revised and additional dates included.

Details of events circulated in the previous issues are available from the Secretariat at the telephone number shown above.

Club Chaplain The Reverend Nicholas Holtam 020-7766 1121 Reception & Dining Room Reservations 020-7930 3557 Accounts 020-7925 7101

Seminar on Anaerobic Digestion at Harper Adams University College Monday 12 October Seminar on Soils and Soil Management at the Lincolnshire Showground Tuesday 10 November St.Andrew’s Day Lunch at the Royal Overseas League, Edinburgh Monday 30 November Application form was in the Harvest Journal Wine Tasting and Dinner at the Club Friday 4 December Application form in this Journal

Annual General Meeting Wednesday 9 December at 12 noon in the Club Oxford Farming Conference Monday 4 – Wednesday 6 January 2010 (Visit www.ofc.org.uk for more information)

Membership 020-7925 7102 Private Function & Meeting Room Reservations 020-7925 7100 Secretariat 020-7930 3751 Personal calls for members only 020-7930 4730 Fax 020-7839 7864

Burns Supper at the Club Friday 22 January

CLUB CLOSURES 2009 Tuesday 22 December – no afternoon, bar or dinner 3.00pm Wednesday 23 December to 3.00pm Monday 4 January 2010

www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Autumn 2009

E-mails secretariat@thefarmersclub.com accounts@thefarmersclub.com membership@thefarmersclub.com functions@thefarmersclub.com meetings@thefarmersclub.com reception@thefarmersclub.com u30s@thefarmersclub.com Website www.thefarmersclub.com THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Editor and Advertisement Manager Don Gomery 01892 610628 Email: don.gomery@btinternet.com Printed by Pureprint Group, Brambleside, Bellbrook Park23 Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 1PL Tel: 01825 768811