Spring 2010 by The Farmers Club

Under 30s 2010 Diary Dates Spring Dining Evening and Port Tasting Saturday 27 March The Farmers Club Spring Farm Walk Friday 14 to Sunday 16 May Shropshire

Autumn Dining Evening with Sarah Mukherjee, BBC Environment Correspondent Friday 17 September The Farmers Club Autumn Farm Walk Friday 15 to Sunday 17 October Sussex

The Royal Norfolk Show Dinner with Sir Richard Dannatt, former Chief of General Staff Wednesday 30 June Norfolk

Winter Dining Evening Saturday 20 November The Farmers Club

CLA Game Fair Drinks Reception Saturday 24 July Warwickshire

New Members Dinner Friday 28 January 2011 The Farmers Club

Pimms on the Balcony and Supper Wednesday 11 August The Farmers Club

Winter Event Saturday 29 to Sunday 30 January 2011 The Farmers Club

For further information contact U30s Secretary MaryAnne Salisbury on 020 7930 3751 or by emailing u30s@thefarmersclub.com

An immortal memory to Scotland’s national bard (words and pictures page 17) bers Matthew Horn U30s mem Millar m ia ill W and

U30s m bers Sop and Lou em Moore Duttohine Mantell

Main picture: U30s New Members Weekend outside the Royal Albert Hall

INSIDE… Application forms for: • Royal Henley Regatta Sunday 4 July • Visit to Cumbria September • Club events at summer shows

Details on back cover about: • Under 30s Diary Dates

Please note your individual Club membership number, printed on your Journal envelope. You will need it to access the members’ section of the Club website at www.thefarmersclub.com

CHAIRMAN’S COMMENTS • Nicki Quayle

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

contents

Patron – Her Majesty The Queen

Chairman’s Comments Nicki Quayle is highly impressed by her first visit to the OFC, goes to the LAMMA machinery show, and urges politicians to put country before personal point-scoring.

NIAB/TAG Merger Dr Tina Barsby explains how the merger of NIAB and TAG will revitalise links between science and farming, enabling more food to be produced with minimum environmental impact.

Blooded at impressive Oxford Conference followed by visit to superb LAMMA show They realise they need us to feed the increasing population, and that to import all of our food is not an option if we are serious about climate change and water shortages in the rest of the world.

Risk Management Leslie Berger and Benjamin Bodart urge grain growers to become more accomplished in the use of risk management in order to achieve higher returns.

The Government’s food strategy, Food 2030, was launched at Oxford. It certainly sounded good, but lacked detail about how it will be delivered.

Mechanising Agriculture Marion King gives a potted history of IAgrE, going on to detail the vast range of engineering work done today to keep the wheels of agriculture turning.

10 Managing Farm Waste Richard Martin describes how a new website designed by NetRegs in collaboration with the NFU helps farmers deal with waste products. 12 Farming in India Rosie Bryson visited India to discover how climate change and food demands from an expanding population are encouraging farmers to modernise production. 14 Annual General Meeting 15 Lt Col John Andrews Giles Rowsell pays tribute to Lt Col John Andrews, Club Secretary 1989-95, who died in January. 16 U30s Topic: OFC Gemma Partridge tells how the many and varied papers delivered at this year’s Oxford Conference had everyone committed to ‘rising to the challenge’. 17 Burns Night Supper Stephen Skinner provides a pictorial record of the Club’s celebrations to mark the anniversary of Scotland’s national bard. 18 Under 30s 20 Chef’s Corner 21 Whitehall Court Ramblings 22 Information and Diary Dates 24 Back Cover Under 30s diary dates for the year ahead

FRONT COVER Piper Barry Ashby at the Club’s celebration of the birth of Rabbie Burns held at Whitehall Court in January.

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.

I’VE BEEN ‘blooded’! My first official function as Club Chairman was to attend the Oxford Farming Conference. It was my first time there, mainly because, in the past, early January was not an easy time to leave either the business, being the first ‘proper’ week back at work following the festivities, or the family, with children still on holiday.

However, Professor John Beddington’s paper talked about the food research strategy, which was encouraging, as the industry desperately needs this investment in new technology and genetic developments if it is to meet the challenge of doubling our food production in an sustainable, environmentally-friendly and, might I add, a profitable (something we didn’t hear much about) way. No ifs or buts, please… just give us the wherewithal to deliver. The supermarket ombudsman is a start, but the new draft Animal Health Bill is scary.

Election fever

I must say I was impressed. It is an excellent occasion, not only to debate the issues of the day but to take advantage of the equally important networking opportunities.

I suspect that, by the time you read this, election fever will be gripping the country. Obviously, politics is fickle, and who knows the outcome, especially as we are now ‘officially’ out of recession?

Oxford itself is an amazing city and took on an almost magical appearance when we emerged from a dinner at Christ Church – used as the dining hall in Harry Potter films – to find snow falling heavily. It wasn’t quite so enchanting the next day, when we battled our way north, but I’m sure the OFC organisers would be pleased to learn that we put our delegate folders to good use scraping off a foot of snow from the car.

There are many new prospective names standing for parliament this time, and I would like to think we will get a better ‘breed’ of MP… not just a career MP, but one who has had a ‘proper’ job and lived out in the big, wide world. I am not saying that all past MPs have been bad, far from it, but it’s time they stopped voting for their own pay rises and pensions, claimed realistic expenses and the ‘spin’ stopped.

There were some first-class papers, but the politicians were, probably as expected, a little disappointing. Did Hilary Benn and Nick Herbert have the same speech writer, I wondered?

It’s no wonder the majority of the population have been ‘turned off’ by politics. Perhaps I am very naïve, but my biggest wish is that our politicians start to look for the greater good of the country, rather than point scoring among themselves.

They say a week in politics is a long time. Well it’s maybe taken longer for the agricultural industry, but what a difference a few years make. Suddenly we are wanted! Politicians of all the parties are not telling us to go away, as Margaret Beckett did.

Days lengthen Thankfully, the days are at last lengthening and spring lambs are appearing in the

THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Spring 2010 • www.thefarmersclub.com

fields. I, for one, am pleased to see the back of the dark, dreary days of winter, and I’m sure you all, too, will be pleased to put behind you the cold and icy conditions we experienced in December and January – with frozen water troughs and supplementary feeding of stock in difficult conditions – and, I suspect, are now finding out how your winter crops fared. I won’t be original in querying the global ‘warming’ phenomena, Even Professor Beddington, at Oxford, talked instead about climate change! What I did find amusing is that, surprise, surprise, we discover that we farmers are heroes – custodians of the countryside, even – due to clearing snow, assisting distressed car drivers and helping the police with stranded vehicles. OK, in many cases it was to allow the delivery of feed and goods to the farm, or the collection of milk… and for no reward, just the threat of prosecution for using red diesel!

however, are the many who quietly get on with their jobs behind the scenes and who contribute to the smooth running of the Club. One thing that did sadden me was to hear that there is a small minority of members who visit the Club and do not treat it with the respect that they might. It is your Club, and I would like to think you would treat it as your own home.

Meeting members We always try to take the Club out to the members and, with the demise of Smithfield (in London) and the Royal Show, I believe it was good for the Club to be seen at the LAMMA show. This ‘working’ show goes from strength to strength, with nearly 600 exhibitors this year alone and an attendance of some 36,000. There was, to my mind, some amazingly big

machinery… mind-boggling, in fact, for a small livestock farmer. We caught up with many friends but also had the opportunity to explain who and what we are. I am conscious that, so often when one mentions The Farmers Club, people have either not heard of it or they feel it is some sort of elitist establishment and not for them. I really want to get the message across that we are a Club for all farmers and associated industries, and all have that common link. Good heavens it even allows the likes of me to join! I apologise for the many flyers contained in this issue of your Journal, but I would like to get out and meet as many of you as possible throughout the country. I do hope you find something that might not only appeal to you but also fit in with your diaries.

Delicious dining Word is getting out about how good the Club restaurant is now; something I hadn’t appreciated until I was down recently and a fine dining gentlemen’s club, called ‘The Thunderers’, was eating in the Cumber Room. Great hilarity was to be heard coming from the room, so, intrigued, I ventured in to introduce myself and discover the origins of the name. It appears that, to be eligible to speak, one must don a top hat – which I duly did – hence answering the question of the laughter. I never did discover the origins of the name, but I had a good laugh and it made my night. I would encourage all those who haven’t eaten recently in the restaurant to give it a try. As is tradition at the beginning of the year, the Chairman is given the ‘royal’ tour of the Club. It never ceases to amaze me the workings that go on behind the scenes. All members are very well aware of the ‘front’ of house staff, who do a tremendous job in looking after us and making us feel so welcome and at home. Equally important,

Publicising the Club at LAMMA Machinery Show One of Nicki Quayle’s first tasks as Club Chairman was an “enjoyable and interesting” visit to LAMMA’10 at the Newark, Notts, Showground in mid January, which had nearly 600 exhibitors and an attendance of some 36,000. She is pictured here (left) with “frozen” Club Secretary Stephen Skinner and Events Organiser MaryAnne Salisbury ‘manning ‘ a display aimed at letting a wider audience know about the Club and all it has to offer.

www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Spring 2010

NIAB-TAG INTEGRATION • Dr Tina Barsby

A national, independent centre for applied crop research and technology transfer has been formed from the integration of the operations of NIAB and TAG. Dr Tina Barsby, Chief Executive of the NIAB Group, explains how this strategic development will help revitalise the connection between the science base and practical agriculture, as well as addressing the new policy agenda of producing more food with reduced environmental impact.

NIAB and TAG integration revitalises link between science base and farming biological and other related sciences to help boost global food crop productivity, underline the rationale for combining NIAB and TAG operations.

development of improved crop varieties, to evaluate their performance and quality, and to ensure the benefits of those advances are transferred effectively on the ground.

The 18-month inquiry was set against significant and increasing concerns about the long-term security of global food crop production.

Three key aspects of the merger stand out:

The statistics speak for themselves. Every four seconds, the world has an extra ten mouths to feed. By 2030, demand for food is set to increase by 50%. Dr Tina Barsby

AT THE end of the First World War, Britain was facing a food crisis. Laurence Weaver was appointed controller of supplies at the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries. He knew that the quality of seeds and varieties, and the knowledge required to enable farmers to select appropriate types for their specific environmental conditions, was critical to the improvement of crop yields. The Official Seed Testing Station was established and Weaver launched an appeal for charitable funding to set up the National Institute of Agricultural Botany. In 1919 NIAB was established to promote ‘Better Seeds: Better Crops’ and started to carry out regional trials of breeders’ varieties, putting them into the local context and facilitating the transfer of knowledge of variety performance under conditions to which farmers could relate. Plant genetic improvement – delivered through elite varieties and quality seed – was recognised as the foundation of successful, productive agriculture. Today, slightly more than 90 years later, food security is back on the political agenda, fuelled by concerns over population growth and the impact of climate change. And, once again, the world is turning to plant genetic resources for solutions. The recent conclusions of a major report by the Royal Society, into the potential for 4

Yet millions of hectares of productive farmland are lost to drought each year as a direct consequence of climate change, while global food consumption has outstripped production in seven of the past nine years, leaving emergency grain stocks at their lowest level for decades. These are the stark realities facing global food production today. They are the reason food security and climate change rank so high on the political agenda, and why society needs to re-think its approach towards investment in modern, sciencebased agriculture. In its report entitled Reaping the benefits: science and the sustainable intensification of global agriculture, the Royal Society concluded that scientific advances in crop production – through improvements in plant genetics and husbandry methods – will be the single most important factor in helping global food supplies keep pace with demand. The report called for a doubling of UK investment in agricultural research, and highlighted the need for a more joined-up approach between the genetic improvement of food crops – using conventional, marker-assisted and GM breeding methods – and their delivery into practical agriculture through more effective crop management and agronomy. The newly merged NIAB Group could hardly have received a more compelling endorsement for bringing together within a single resource the specialist knowledge, skills and facilities needed to support the

• Shared charitable objectives. Both organisations have earned a strong reputation for independence and integrity in providing expert research, information and advice, focused on the needs of progressive farmers and growers. NIAB and TAG are both independent charities whose shared objective is to promote successful, productive agriculture and horticulture. • Complementary skills and expertise. Combining NIAB’s core skills in variety evaluation, seed testing and plant pathology with TAG’s strengths in applied agronomy research and technology transfer provides an unrivalled source of research expertise and technical services along the length of the seed, variety and crop protection pipelines. Extending the capabilities on offer within a single organisation is already opening up exciting new opportunities for joined-up research, to attract fresh talent, and to invest for the future. • Commitment to technology transfer and knowledge exchange. As the leading independent trialling organisation in the UK and embedded in agriculture, we provide a technology transfer capability second to none, delivering high quality, unbiased information to the industry in a timely and cost-effective manner. Genetic improvements need to be optimised and protected by new agronomy. Never has there been a greater need to understand and evaluate new technology, new approaches and new thinking in agriculture. The combined NIAB Group will support transfer of research into practice, and provide a clear route for farmer feedback to influence future research priorities and objectives. With headquarters in Cambridge and a

THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Spring 2010 • www.thefarmersclub.com

network of more than 20 regional centres, the combined NIAB Group has around 200 staff and a turnover of more than £12 million from a range of funding sources, including membership subscriptions, levy boards, Government, and the private sector. All income is derived from competitively won contracts. Integration of NIAB and TAG staff and resources within the NIAB Group is welladvanced, with three operational divisions established – Genetics and Breeding, Varieties and Seeds, Crops and Agronomy. With a combined membership of more than 3,500 subscribers – mainly farmers and agronomists – the merged organisation continues to operate both TAG Direct and NIAB Association packages, with surprisingly little overlap since each brand offers distinct and separate advantages.

Looking forward Looking forward, a process of consultation is underway with NIAB and TAG members to identify new opportunities to add value to subscription packages through combined services in the future. Members have been asked to continue with subscriptions in their current form until a revamped joint package is launched during 2010; subscribers will be able to choose the particular elements which match their needs. A new high-level Agronomy Strategy Group is also being formed to strengthen the two-way flow of information between the NIAB Group and its grass roots stakeholders. Its role will be to advise on the strategic positioning, industry profile and output of NIAB-TAG’s agronomy across its research and membership services.

after former NIAB Director John MacLeod – which incorporates the latest greenhouse technology and biomass heating. NIAB has also invested in the scientists, laboratory facilities and equipment needed to develop a pre-breeding capability in cereals, oilseeds and minor non-food crops, providing a unique platform to transfer basic plant science into breeding tools and novel genetic material suitable for use in commercial plant breeding programmes. The lack of public sector investment in such translation activities is now widely recognised as a major block to the delivery of step-change innovation and yield increases in the key UK arable crops. A rapid expansion in our basic understanding of plants’ genetic make-up is opening up exciting opportunities for innovation, with scope not only to improve the yield, agronomic performance and adaptability of agricultural crops, but also to improve the nutritional quality of our food and to explore potential non-food applications of crop plants as a renewable source of fuels and industrial raw materials. But while the UK’s research institutes and universities are world leaders in basic plant science, much of their work takes place in model species without being transferred to crop plants. There is a general failure to recognise the significant research effort and particularly the resource required to translate important discoveries in simple plant species, such as cress and mustard, into more complex, commercially relevant genetic backgrounds, such as wheat, barley and oilseed rape.

Currently there is no established or consistent mechanism within the public sector to ensure that important research discoveries in basic plant science are taken through to practical application at the farm level. Through the development of a precompetitive breeding capability, NIAB is seeking to bridge this acknowledged gap in research activity.

New laboratory Seed-corn investment by the NIAB Trust in a new plant genetics facility – named the Bingham Laboratory after pioneering wheat breeder John Bingham – has enabled NIAB to secure a number of prebreeding research contracts and to develop a strategic partnership with scientists at the John Innes Centre. With an expanding research programme, leading edge scientific services, and unrivalled skills in seed and variety evaluation, NIAB is uniquely placed to build on its heritage and position itself for a future in which the importance of plant genetics will undoubtedly increase. These key functions, alongside TAG’s capabilities in applied agronomy research and farmer communications, have combined to create the UK’s pre-eminent crop research, trialling and knowledge transfer centre. The timing is right. The combination of skills is right. Together, we are ready to bring these skills to support improved, sustainable crop production. • Dr Tina Barsby can be contacted at tina.barsby@niab.com or by phoning NIAB on 01223 342200.

It will also consider the NIAB Group’s application of science and its relationship with external organisations. The Group’s make-up, supported by links to revitalised local technical committees, will ensure connection across regions, farming situations and industry sectors. Joining forces with TAG complements recent developments to enhance NIAB’s own research facilities. The NIAB Trust has undertaken a significant programme of investment at the Cambridge site to support the Institute’s core activities in plant and seed testing, and to extend NIAB’s plant science capabilities. This includes a £1m investment in additional growth room facilities, and the development of a new £3m glasshouse facility – named the MacLeod Complex

James Paice MP opened the new MacLeod Complex in January 2010 – from left to right NIAB Plant breeder Phil Howells, James Paice MP, NIAB CEO Dr Tina Barsby, former NIAB Directors Professor Wayne Powell and, seated, Professor John MacLeod

www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Spring 2010

RISK MANAGEMENT • Leslie Berger and Benjamin Bodart

Club member Leslie Berger, now working in risk management training, explains why and how arable producers should become more accomplished in the use of marketing tools in order to achieve better annual returns for their products.

wise to use the futures market. What follows is an example of the thought process you need to use to formulate an appropriate strategy.

Grain growers can use risk management to achieve better reurns from the market

Step 4 – Decide which risk management tools are best and in what situations will they be most effective. Once you have determined what level of risk you face, you can then begin to formulate your marketing strategy and decide which tools will be most appropriate.

Feed Wheat Prices – LIFFE Market 2005 -2006

2006 -2007

2007 -2008

Degree of Risk

When does hedging make sense? In Europe, farmers are slowly catching up to the rest of the food industry by using the futures markets to protect themselves against price volatility. There are two situations in particular where futures market activity becomes a valuable tool for the seller in managing price risk:

2008 -2009

190 170

£/T

150 130 110

• When local cash market prices are significantly below futures prices it makes sense to sell on the futures market while waiting for better cash market prices.

90 70 50 July

December

FARMERS typically spend 90% of their time growing their crops and only 10% of their time on marketing activities. This has a direct impact on prices and, therefore, income achieved. Grain marketing experts at Offre & Demande Agricole UK Ltd (ODA) believe that taking more time to formulate marketing strategies and becoming more accomplished in the use of marketing tools can help arable producers achieve better returns each year. The same goes for raw materials purchasers as well, be they livestock producers or feed compounders. As a result of the change in direction of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) beginning in 1992, farmers now face the full force of volatile commodity prices. They need to have more tools in their toolbox to cope with this volatility and to manage their risk to get the best returns possible. Using risk management techniques can give farmers an insurance policy that can help prevent big losses. A better understanding of how these tools work will dispel some of the mystery surrounding risk management for arable farmers. Without the protection of the intervention system of price support, farmers face extreme and unmanageable fluctuations in farm income. Looking at wheat prices over the past 4-5 years, there is no established pattern in price movement across the years; therefore, the strategy from one year won’t necessarily work in the following year. 6

June

We cannot look at the past to predict the future. Farmers can improve their marketing decisions by having better indicators of price movements going forward. These indicators can help them to answer one of the most difficult questions: “When to sell?” What steps can a farmer take to minimise price risk and establish marketing strategy? Step 1 – Keep informed of market trends with fundamental analysis and key positions of stocks. The first step is to be informed about changes to cereals and oilseeds supply and demand, both globally and locally. This means keeping an eye on the major producing and consuming countries to try to anticipate the size of the crops, the trends in consumption, the factors affecting imports and exports and, ultimately, the size of world and local stocks. ODA’s research team keeps abreast of all aspects of supply and demand by reviewing official statistics from major producing and consuming countries, as well as consulting with a network of independent analysts, traders and farmers worldwide. The research team has designed its own econometric forecasting models for yield and production. The analysis goes beyond supply and demand of commodities to include key macroeconomic factors such as movements in oil prices, exchange rates, pension funds, and world commodity prices.

Regular reports identifying the key features affecting grain and oilseeds markets in each campaign can be used by farmers to help formulate an opinion on market trends and to anticipate price movement. Step 2 – Ask yourself some key questions. The next step to help you formulate a sound marketing strategy which will minimise price risk is to answer some key questions about your enterprise. These questions include: What is my cost of production? What margin do I need to be profitable? What is my selling point (costs plus margin)? When should I sell ? What are my storage/cash flow constraints? The answers to these questions about your individual enterprise, together with your opinion on market trends, will help you to determine your risk. Step 3 – Determine your level of risk. For example, if cash prices on the market allow you to achieve your selling point and you are bullish (you expect the market to go up), you are in a low risk situation so your strategy would be to wait and store your grain. Alternatively, if you have achieved your selling point but you are bearish (you expect prices to go down), you should fix your price to secure your margin. To do this, you first phone your merchant for a price. But if he is not able to give you a price, or if you consider the price to be too low, what should you do next? In this case, it would be

THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Spring 2010 • www.thefarmersclub.com

• The futures market is also the preferred choice when the buyers are not in the cash market. This example for feed wheat illustrates how farmers can protect themselves in these situations (Table One). 1/ A farmer is looking at the screen and he observes the futures market which is quoting £110/tonne for November 2010. He considers his normal, historical basis (difference between ex-farm price and futures price) which is £6/tonne at this time. Thus, his price objective will be £104/tonne. The farmer is expecting a huge world harvest so he thinks the market will go down. He would like to fix his price today by selling his grain. However, since it is a long time until harvest, he is not able to get a price on the cash market. In this case, he can use futures to protect himself by

locking in at £110 on the futures. 2/ Imagine that, in March 2010, the futures market quotes fell to £100/tonne for November 2010 delivery. The merchant offers the farmer £94/tonne on the cash market. The farmer sells his grain on the cash market; however, he has already sold his crop on the futures market. Theoretically, he has an obligation to deliver his merchandise to a registered futures grain store in the UK. In reality, his objective is not to deliver his grain but to deliver to his local merchant as he normally does. 3/ To complete the hedging operation the farmer must buy back his contract on the futures market. The farmer offsets his position at £100/tonne for the wheat he has sold in November 2009 at £110/tonne and earns £10/tonne through this hedge. 4/ The result is that the farmer gets £94 from his merchant and makes a gain of £10 on the futures market for a final price of £104/T, thus reaching his price objective. The futures market offers a farmer the opportunity to hedge to secure his margin in a financially safe environment. Moreover, if the market had increased sharply, the farmer might have bought an option to profit from this increase and get a minimum guaranteed price. ODA can help throughout the year by offering strategic advice on when to sell and how to sell. This is communicated through regular newsletters and small, informal discussion groups chaired by company consultants. The company has trained more than 8,000 French farmers since it established its first office in 1997. There are now seven offices throughout France, attracting farmers, cooperatives, millers, agri-businesses and investment companies with their practical package of services to improve grain marketing returns.

Table One – Hedging Example

ODA’s objective is to help sellers achieve prices in the top third of the market and to help raw material buyers achieve prices in the bottom third. While it is impossible to get it right every time, in 12 years of operation the company has been successful in the majority of cases. The experiences of farmers who have taken advantage of ODA’s training, information and advice services have been positive. In 2008-9 the company recommended that producers sell their wheat as it was being drilled and before the dramatic fall in prices. The strategy included the purchase of wheat options early in the season to protect against price decreases, while allowing producers to benefit from price increases. Producers following this strategy sold their wheat at £143/tonne, achieving a level far higher than average spot prices throughout the campaign. A recent survey conducted by ODA, covering the period 2006-2008, compared average prices achieved by farmers who received training, information and advice by joining one of ODA’s farmer clubs, farmers who received ODA’s training and information services only, and farmers who did not have any contact with ODA. The results (Table Two) show that farmers using the whole package of services achieved the highest prices, compared with those in the other groups. The results are not as consistent in 2007, as more farmers managed to profit from the dramatic price increases. Achieving gains like this over the longer term is much more difficult without regular information and advice. • ODA’s first UK office is directed by Alexis Pouye. For more details, or information on grain marketing training courses in the UK, contact Offre & Demande Agicole UK, Unit 3, Three Hills Farm, Bartlow, Cambs CB21 4EN, or telephone 01223 894791.

Table Two – Survey Results

Dates

Cash Market

Futures Market

Basis

Wheat

2006

2007

2008

November 09

Price Objective: £104/T

Sell: £110

-£6/T

Club members

131 c

201 c

172 c

Delivery November 2010

Expiry November 2010

(historical)

Training & Info

123 c

168 c

166 c

Non customers

119 c

181 c

151 c

Rape

2006

2007

2008

Club members

239 c

324 c

353 c

Training & Info

not available

345 c

335 c

Non customers

226 c

315 c

321 c

March 10

Results Total

Sell: £94 /T

Buy: £100

Delivery November 2010

Expiry November 2010

£94

£10

-£6/T (noticed)

£104/T 4

www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Spring 2010

MECHANISING AGRICULTURE • Marion King

Promoting professionalism in engineering to keep land-based industries on the move pressing need for better education of agriculturalists and engineers. Against some opposition, a small group of imaginative enthusiasts met in May 1938 and set up the body, which was registered in the early part of its life as ‘The Institution of British Agricultural Engineers’. A little more than a year after its birth, the Institution’s activities were interrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War, which further emphasized the importance of engineering in agriculture.

Marion King

THE STORY of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE) began in the war years. World War II was approaching and British agriculture was about to be faced with one of its biggest challenges; how to expand its arable capability, and fast. Farms in the 1930s probably only had a couple of arable fields and there was, perhaps, only one farm per parish. Horses were definitely the power behind the farm. The arrival of the tractor was evolutionary. Food was needed desperately to feed the battling armies, and the vast manpower ordinarily working on the farms was away at war. Farm tractors were the solution, providing more power and efficiency that would enable greater food production, from fewer farmers and growers, that would change the face of farming forever. In 1938 there were fewer than 50,000 tractors and less than 50 combines on British farms. But these new kings of the countryside also introduced another requirement, the

From the Institution’s earliest days its members were aware of the need in Britain for education and training in agricultural engineering. Few people today, who have completed degree or diploma courses in agricultural engineering, will be aware of the debt they owe to the work of early members of the Institution. The emphasis on the need for agricultural engineering education grew, and in 1959 the organisation changed its name to the Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE). This also heralded a period of consolidation and growth of the branch network. The momentum for improved educational facilities to complement the growing opportunities, worldwide, for agricultural engineers resulted in the government creating the National College of Agricultural Engineering. IAgrE was the first non-chartered engineering institution to be nominated and authorised for all three sections of the Engineering Council. Huge changes have taken place since the Institution’s inception, not only in the machines and equipment used by farmers and growers, but also in the concept of ‘engineering’ itself. While the original objectives are still compelling, the

spectrum of engineering activity has grown enormously to embrace not only tractors and farm machinery, but also: • Control of soil and water on farms. • Management of the environment for the production of livestock and an everincreasing variety of crops. • Processing, storage and packaging of crops. • Disposal or re-use of waste materials from agricultural production. • Design and layout of farm buildings and their equipment. • Health and safety of people working in agriculture. You could say that the life span of IAgrE coincides precisely with the development of the effective mechanisation of agricultural production in Great Britain. So the purpose of IAgrE is as relevant today as it was when it began, providing members with a status that has won recognition and gained a reputation as a significant career qualification world-wide. It is a founder constituent body of the Society for the Environment (SocEnv), an umbrella body for professionals active in the field of sustainable development, and, since 2004, has offered the professional qualification of Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv). The organisation brings together professionals from agriculture, forestry, environment, amenity and the horticulture sectors. Classified into grades from Associate and Student up to Fellow, their activities cover a broad technical and administrative range in engineering research and testing, design, development and manufacture, sales and marketing, teaching, training, consultancy and farming. A nominated body of the Engineering Council, IAgrE offers professional registration as Chartered Engineer, Incorporated Engineer and Engineering Technician to members with the relevant qualifications. IAgrE sees the skills shortage in the UK as one of today’s greatest challenges. The need for practically focussed engineers and engineering technicians is growing.

IAgrE Council members discuss continued professional development 8

The decline of engineering apprenticeships and other technological advances has THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Spring 2010 • www.thefarmersclub.com

LTA accredited technicians at the 2009 Cereals Event

reduced the demand for traditional workshop skills, but engineers and technicians are more vital than ever. There needs to be a genuine parity of esteem. The right prominence needs to be given to engineering technicians alongside chartered and incorporated engineers. Engineering and technology can influence the environment, enable communication, create wealth and change the way we live. It’s quite depressing just how far the UK education system has deteriorated and been devalued. Many school leavers do not have the simple basic educational skills, such as reading, writing and basic maths, to cope in the engineering industry. We need to stop applying band aids to the system and passing the buck of basic education to the employer. In the heyday of British engineering, apprenticeships were the norm and attendance at the local Further Education (FE) College for night classes, day release or block release, were part of the system. In addition, many of the engineering managers over the past few decades were HND or similar graduates, who had navigated their way through the FE system. The system worked, but most of this group are now close to, or well into, retirement. Who will replace them, and what went wrong? IAgrE is committed to supporting landbased engineering training initiatives which build the skills young people need for the future. As a specialist organisation, IAgrE offers professional recognition to a wide range of people working in the

application of science, engineering and technology to the land, whether it is for food or industrial production, amenity or environmental stewardship. Committed to promoting industry professionalism, IAgrE administers the Landbased Technicians Accreditation Scheme on behalf of the land-based engineering sector. This independently accredited scheme provides a common means of benchmarking, monitoring and assessing the competence of technicians, as well as providing encouragement and recognition for employers and technicians and other employees who voluntarily commit to continual professional development in pursuit of technical support excellence. It means that, by employing an LTAscheme-accredited technician or choosing a dealer with LTA-registered technicians, customers can be confident that their equipment is being serviced by the best in the industry. With the ever increasing complexity and sophistication of agricultural machinery, it is vital, too, to know your equipment will be maintained by highly skilled professionals. which provides a foundation for the future. But how will machinery change in the next 30 years? Perhaps the farm will be run from a remote operations administrative centre. But what about health and safety? How does that fit in?. Perhaps we will need to change the way we farm. Modern techniques are altering the design of equipment, with greater demand for higher-horsepower tractors that give

www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Spring 2010

ever-decreasing emissions performance. Another element is the price of fuel and move towards renewable energy sources such as biofuels, combined heat and power (CHP), and the gradual progression from diesel to hydrogen and fuel cells. Meanwhile, the EU continues to drive forward legislation on noise, emissions, machine vibration, to name but a few changes that do not necessarily help farmers and growers financially. Developments in information, communications and control technology can be expected to proceed at a pace, and will rapidly find application into agriculture and its associated sectors in the land-based industry, where they have so much to offer. Once again, engineering will provide the next step change, for instance, in agricultural production technology. New generations of sensors linked via intelligent management systems will be controlling every aspect of production – from cultivations to livestock housing – at high levels of precision to control inputs, save costs and minimise environmental impacts while optimising product quality One thing for certain is that demand for food is increasing… and the demand for further sophisticated machinery will match it. So, do agricultural engineers have the answer? If not the answer, they can certainly be part of the catalyst for change. • Marion King is Press Officer for the Institute of Agricultural Engineering. For more details about IAgrE, contact comms@iagre.org or call 01525 861096. 9

FARM WASTE • Richard Martin

New online learning tool helps clear up confusion about managing farm waste

NetRegs’ SME-nvironment report reveals that it is recognition of specific waste regulations, rather than compliance, which is the problem. The Hazardous Waste and Duty of Care regulations were both found to be misunderstood by farmers. Many had not heard of the regulations (Hazardous Waste 43%, Duty of Care 29%), meaning that they aren’t taking advantage of specific support available to help them meet the rules. The research also reveals that, while a third of farmers store agricultural waste on site, many do not recognise the important legislation which determines what can be stored, for how long and where permits are required. This research points to a need for clearer communication and support for farmers in recognising and understanding the waste regulations. All farmers produce agricultural waste as a result of their farming activities, so its

Coping with waste on Welsh livestock farm

The learning tool can be used to find out about exemptions and how to register them. When a farmer operates under an exemption, there are basic requirements that he or she needs to know, which are detailed in the learning tool.

Twyn Gwyn is a cattle and sheep farm near Pontypool in South Wales. Tenant farmers Mike and Sally Evans have farmed the land for 12 years, building their business on strong principles of sustainability and respect for the local environment.

Disposing of agricultural waste. Agricultural waste must be disposed of at a suitably licensed site. It also needs to be pre-treated prior to going to landfill. The learning tool includes details of how to find licensed waste sites and what is considered appropriate pre-treatment.

The Environment Agency has been a key source of support and assistance at Twyn Gwyn as the farm has sought to minimise its environmental impact and identify new methods for sustainable farming. The focus is on employing traditional techniques and farming on a smaller scale, with minimal use of fertilisers and chemicals.

Animal carcass waste. The learning tool also explains how to dispose of fallen stock. Regulations ban on-farm burial and open burning of carcasses or parts of carcasses. The only exemption to this is when there is a disease outbreak and it is authorised by Animal Health, or when animal remains are disposed of in certain remote areas.

Richard Martin

RECENT research by the environmental guidance website www.NetRegs.gov.uk suggests that Britain’s farmers need more help with managing their agricultural waste.

requires an exemption from the Environment Agency, such as landspreading or composting waste.

correct disposal, in line with existing legislation, is a key necessity. To help farmers, NetRegs, in partnership with the Environment Agency and other UK regulators, is seeking to clear up the agricultural waste confusion with its relaunched Learning about Agricultural Waste Tool, at www.netregs.gov.uk/farmwaste Developed in collaboration with the National Farmers Union, the learning tool provides the farming community with information on the following seven subject areas. Agricultural waste. The Learning about Agricultural Waste tool gives examples of the types of waste farmers may produce on their farms and explains what they must do to comply with their legal duty of care, look after their waste and ensure it doesn’t cause any environmental problems. Hazardous waste. Farmers need to ensure that they dispose of hazardous waste appropriately. Hazardous waste produced on farms could, for example, include smoke canisters, empty rat poison containers containing gassing compounds, empty oil or pesticide containers, waste oil and fluorescent light tubes.

The learning tool helps farmers to clarify whether individuals need to register with the Environment Agency as a hazardous waste producer. Storing waste. There are restrictions on how much agricultural waste can be stored on-site and for how long different types of waste can be stored. The learning tool provides information on how to store waste securely to avoid pollution. Hazardous waste must be stored separately from non-hazardous waste. There are limits on how much hazardous waste can be stored on a farm, which are detailed in the Learning about Agricultural Waste tool. Transporting waste. Farmers need to know who can legally transport their waste. The learning tool shows them how to check whether people are allowed legally to transport their waste and explains what paperwork is required for its transportation. Agricultural waste exemptions. Small-scale activities that are unlikely to cause pollution may be exempt from needing a waste permit. Most farms will carry out at least one waste management process that

THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Spring 2010 • www.thefarmersclub.com

Farmers can print off a two sided check-list to see if they are complying with the regulations and sign up to a monthly environmental law email update through the learning tool. There are separate learning tools specific to legislation governing Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Twyn Gwyn’s sustainable farming model means that the business produces significantly less waste than many other livestock farms. The bulk of waste is plastic from wrapped silo bales and fertiliser bags, amounting to some 1.5 tonnes of waste annually. Disposing of this waste and of the animal carcasses and manure common to a livestock farm means Mike Evans must follow the requirements outlined in the Hazardous Waste regulations. He explains: “We work hard to minimise

the waste we produce on the farm and to dispose of this in the most sustainable way possible. This is all in keeping with our traditional approach to farming. “We are not intensive stock rearers and use materials with minimal environmental impact. Our animals are fattened with grass, meaning we use few fertilisers, and we have found ways to dispose of our waste which support the local community.” In keeping with the waste regulations, Mike Evans disposes of his plastic waste through certified local authority waste collectors. His animal carcasses go to the local fox hunt which is authorised to collect animal waste. Sally and Mike use environmental guidance website www.NetRegs.gov.uk to check waste regulations and to be sure they keep on top of changing rules. “Farmers can get a bit overwhelmed with changing laws and it’s great to have a website where we can check things quickly,” says Mike. “The NetRegs’ Waste Learning Tool gives us all the relevant waste information specific to Wales. It’s a great help.”

The NFU supports NetRegs’ waste tool as a means of helping farmers manage their waste obligations with minimal requirements on their time. Environment Policy Adviser Aarun Naik explains: “Farmers are faced by a barrage of legislation and it is simply not feasible for them to spend hours reading up on every aspect of waste. We’ve supported the development of NetRegs’ Waste Tool because it helps farmers keep on top of the legislation that applies to them, without costing them time and money.” The good news for farmers is that the NetRegs’ report reveals many are already seeing the financial rewards of more effective waste management, through reduced operating costs and a more motivated workforce. Farmers’ resources are stretched, particularly in the current economic climate, but we know that investing in environmental compliance can save, rather than cost, money. We talked to farmers to

find out what they would find helpful, and our waste tool has been developed based on their feedback. The result is a single online access point to all the necessary information on waste legislation, and we hope it’s going really to help farmers. NetRegs’ SME-nvironment study shows that half of farmers are already trying to reduce their business waste, with almost

www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Spring 2010

three quarters now recycling. Although this lags behind the UK average of 84%, it points to a sector keen to improve its waste management practices, given the right support. • Richard Martin is Programmes Manager for environmental guidance website NetRegs.gov.uk Learning about Agricultural Waste can be accessed at www.netregs.gov.uk/farmwaste

FARMING IN INDIA • Dr Rosie Bryson

India seeks to give farming the boost needed to ensure a profitable and sustainable future

Dr Rosie Bryson

IN SEPTEMBER 2009 the death of Dr Norman Borlaug (1914 – 2009) was reported in many of the broadsheets. Some may have heard of him, but, I suspect, few would be aware of his significance to agriculture. Norman Borlaug, an American, is the only agricultural scientist to have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and was the grandfather of the ‘Green Revolution’. He developed hybrid wheat varieties, which resulted in the doubling and tripling of yields between 1961 and 1980 in large areas of the developing World. In a recent trip to India with Professor Paul Miller from The Arable Group, to help BASF colleagues in their efforts to support local farmers in improving their production methods, I came across another

Onion spr

agricultural ‘grandfather’. Prof. M S Swaminathan was the first recipient of the World Food prize in 1987, initiated by Norman Borlaug, and was instrumental in bringing the ‘Green Revolution’ to India.

During my trip to India I probably, only for the first time, really began to appreciate what the likely impact of both climate change and expanding populations on a developing society would mean.

Despite being 85, Prof Swaminathan is still very actively involved in agriculture at all levels, including writing in the Indian press to express his views.

It isn’t just in India that these effects are being felt. A quick look on the local television channels makes one begin to realise what impacts there may be.

It is sometime quoted that “where hunger rules, peace cannot prevail”. Indeed, the link between social stability and agricultural production has never been more important, at a time when food poverty, linked to a burgeoning global population and the very real threat of climate change, is on the minds of many politicians.

Just one example – and I’m sure there are many more – was in Indonesia, where sporadic, unseasonal rainfall is resulting in standing water, which is becoming a breeding ground for the Aedes mosquito, carrier of the fatal Dengue fever. Children and the old are particularly susceptible and die a truly horrible death.

The recent tragic earthquake in Haiti exemplifies this. A near-starving population will, at times, resort to violence, and the true Darwinian traits of survival of the fittest – which lie just below the surface in the human population – come to the fore. While academics and lobbyists continue to fight between themselves over the political rights and wrongs of how to use and interpret climate data, populations on the ground will continue to feel the effects. In the UK we can, perhaps, afford to waste time and effort on arguing and discussing the detail, but let’s face the facts… who is really prepared to say that we should do nothing to combat climate change, only to realise they were wrong when it’s too late?

According to the WHO, one child dies every 20 minutes somewhere in the world from this terrible disease. Nothing can prepare you for the first time that you arrive in India. Getting off the plane in Mumbai, the first thing that hits you is the smell resulting from 20 million people living in one city… the detritus of human existence and the pollution caused by what is laughably called a traffic system. India, as a whole, has more than 1 billion people, and the numbers are growing. Mumbai, alone, is home to the equivalent of at least one third of the UK population. But what of agriculture? India has 182 million hectares of cultivated land, divided into 106 million holdings.

A large farm would be of about 50 hectares, so a ‘small holding’ would be tinier than many UK gardens. It would be unfair to compare Indian agriculture to that in Northern Europe, but, inevitably, mechanisation is a good 30 years behind, in most cases. This is perhaps not surprising, when farm labour costs less than $1 a day, making it cheaper to hand weed and use knapsack sprayers than to buy and maintain machinery. However, that is changing, and in an article by Prof Swaminathan in the Indian Times (Wednesday. 11 November,. 2009) he stated that “two-thirds of India’s population live in [rural] villages” but that “in a recent survey over 40% of farmers interviewed by the National Sample Survey Organisation expressed the desire to quit farming” (you can do the maths). He also made another interesting comment: “agriculture can trigger job-led economic growth, provided it becomes intellectually satisfying and economically rewarding”. Doesn’t that sound just a bit familiar? Consequently, with movement from the rural communities to the urban environment, there will be a shortage of labour and an urgent need for more efficient production and technological advances. So where does climate change come in? Nearly 60% of India’s cultivated area is rain fed, and an increasingly temperamental

monsoon means that, in many areas, crop production becomes ever more precarious. Large areas rely on at least two cropping cycles per season – a poorly timed or sparse monsoon could reduce this to one – potentially halving production in some areas. There is, however, good news, too. Indian agriculture is beginning to embrace new ideas and approaches; the country already has BT cotton and may be growing GM aubergines next season. Indian farmers have an infectious enthusiasm for new ideas, and, like all farmers across the world, are fascinated by machinery and how to modify to best suit their needs. It is hard to believe that a farmer with an old example of an ox-drawn sprayer could be considered to be an ‘earlyadopter’, but he has now invested in a tractor-mounted sprayer, albeit it designed and built in the local village. Not only are Indian farmers open to new ideas and approaches, they do also have the opportunity to embrace good stewardship practises if, as a country, they are to continue developing their export market in high-value crops such as cotton, soya, mango and chilli. BASF colleagues I met are working with local farmers to educate them in how best to apply crop protection products alongside

good product stewardship. It is hard to persuade those operating sprayers to don gloves, masks and protective clothing (as well as shoes) when they are working in temperatures of more than 40oC and close on 100% humidity, but it is essential. So, too, is managing run-off into water courses as a result of irrigation, removing and managing packaging material, as well as ensuring that best practise limits damage to the environment. It was in 1972, at the UN conference on the Human Environment, in Stockholm, that Indira Gandhi said that “the health of the environment will depend on the attention we pay to the basic needs of the poor in relation to food, shelter and work”. BASF, working with Indian farmers, takes its stewardship responsibilities seriously and recognises that, alongside effective pest and disease control, education must also involve providing the means to protect both the worker and the environment. To date, I can report that Indian farmers are taking these messages on board with both a positive attitude and great enthusiasm. • Dr Rosie Bryson is BASF Development Manager for the UK, Ireland, Nordics and Baltics. She can be contacted by emailing rosie.bryson@basf.com or by calling 01359 243841.

Old spray nozzles aying

Aubergines

THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Spring 2010 • www.thefarmersclub.com

Indian Market

www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Spring 2010

Farmers u

se knapsac

AGM

JOHN ANDREWS OBITUARY • Giles Rowsell

The Annual General Meeting The 167th Annual General Meeting, chaired by John Reynolds, was held at The Farmers Club on Wednesday 9 December 2009. The following is a summary of the Minutes, full copies of which can be obtained by email from the Secretary The meeting stood for a minute’s silence in honour of John Harris, a past Chairman of the Club (1972) and a Vice President, who died in October, aged 95.

members as much as possible. David and I look forward to meeting as many members as we can, either here in London or out and about.”

Minutes, Annual Report and the Club Accounts

Proposing the election of Richard Holland as Vice-Chairman, Barclay Forrest described how they had been Nuffield Scholars together in 1979-80, Richard going on to become Nuffield Chairman in 1994-97. A Liverpool boy, he joined NAAS in Derbyshire, before farming in Devon, and now seemingly becoming the first person from that county to be proposed as Vice-Chairman.

The Minutes of the 166th General Meeting were approved and the Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 June 2008 were adopted unanimously.

Election of Club Chairman and the Vice-Chairman Nicki Quayle and Richard Holland were elected unanimously as Chairman and ViceChairman for 2010. Proposing the election of Nicki Quayle, as the first lady Chairman of the Club, Mark Hudson described her as “a superb ViceChairman”. Born in Sussex of a farming family, she worked as a secretary at the NFU before obtaining an NCA at Newton Rigg. While at the NFU she met David Quayle and they married in 1987. David became Treasurer of the NFU, leaving Nicki holding the reins at their Cumbrian farm, milking 240 cows and raising their two sons, both now studying to be vets. David himself was elected Club Chairman in 2003, meaning that he and Nicki are also the first husband and wife to have chaired the Club. “I look forward very much to a Chairman with a lady’s touch, something from which we are all bound to benefit.” Peter Jackson seconded the nomination. Replying, Nicki Quayle thanked all present for giving her the opportunity and privilege of serving as Club Chairman. “The Club has been a major part of my life for many years and is something I hold very dear. It is a haven at a time when agriculture is facing all sorts of challenges, including trying to feed an increasing population, on the one hand, while dealing with environmental challenges and climate change on the other. “My intention is to get the Club out to

“Richard is a member of the 300-Cow Club, was very involved with the Council of RABDF, served on the Milk Development Council, is a member of the Darlington Cattle Breeding Trust and was Chairman of Super Sires before it was sold on. Married to Carolyn, they have a son at home who is now doing the farming.”

professional period for the Journal.” The Chairman went on to thank Honorary Treasurer Paul Heygate; Nicki Quayle, as Vice-Chairman, and her husband David; retiring Sub Committee chairmen Teresa Wickham and Stuart Houston (being replaced by Anne Chamberlain and Richard Butler, respectively); Chairman of Trustees Mark Hudson; retiring U30s Chairman Luke Paterson (Vice Chairman Gemma Partridge taking over in February); Stephen Skinner, Robert Buckolt and all the staff at Whitehall Court; and his wife Janet, “without whom the job would have been only 50 per cent as good”.

Auditors The Chairman and Committee recommended the re-appointment of haysmacintyre, which was seconded by Paul Heygate and agreed unanimously.

Campbell Tweed seconded the nomination.

Any Other Business

Honorary Treasurer

Elizabeth Horne said she did not know a year ahead what engagements she was likely to have in London, so had difficulty obtaining Club rooms when she needed them. She asked whether the room-booking period couldn’t be restricted to six months ahead.

Paul Heygate was re-elected as Honorary Treasurer. Proposing him, Susan Kilpatrick said it was no mean feat, in such difficult financial times, that Paul Heygate and the financial team, plus Stephen Skinner, had steered the Club through stormy waters and produced such a good set of accounts. Tim Bennett seconded the proposal.

Committee Members The Chairman announced the election to the Committee of Professor David Leaver and Martin Taylor for an initial three-year term, plus the re-election for a second term of three years of Tim Bennett, Anne Chamberlain, James Cross, Richard Harrison, Campbell Tweed and Teresa Wickham. Stepping down from the Committee, having completed their terms of office, were Ian Lindsay and Jill Willows, with Julian Sayers also going, having completed his year as Past Chairman. John Reynolds also announced the intention of Journal Editor Don Gomery to retire at the end of April 2010 after 10 years in the job. “He has done a fantastic job and I think we can all agree that this has been a most

The Chairman said the booking system had been extended to a year, with bookings by credit card, in order to smooth out the issue for the majority of members. John Reynolds thanked all at the AGM and the membership as a whole for a most enjoyable year. He and Janet had travelled around the UK meeting many interesting people. He outlined some of the events he had hosted on behalf of the Club during his year in office, including the trip to Brazil; seminars on energy and food from agriculture, plant breeding, and soil and water management; social occasions such as Saint Days, theatre evenings and a wineappreciation dinner, and the Harvest Festival. John Reynolds went on to thank all those who had spoken at Club events, before wishing Nicki Quayle and the whole Club “the very best” for 2010 and beyond.

THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Spring 2010 • www.thefarmersclub.com

IF THE Farmers Club possesses a mould for producing Secretary/Chief Executives, it is surely fashioned as a look-alike for John Andrews. Disarmingly good looking, gregarious and quietly efficient, nobody was better suited to the key role in The Farmers Club that makes it such a unique home-from-home in London. His friendliness and charm, coupled with his military training, ensured that he was an excellent staff motivator, while suffering no nonsense from either staff or members. John’s tenure at the Club encompassed a period of rapid growth in the ‘hotel’ side, while maintaining the more traditional activities such as the set piece Paper Readings, The Annual Dinner/Dance at Grosvenor House during Smithfield week, and developing the Club Pavilion at The Royal Show. He also laid the groundwork for the Club regional events that now occur at all of the major agricultural shows throughout the country. The success of these events is almost entirely due to the original relationships which he forged with the various show societies. John always felt that The Club needed to be active in the countryside, as only a small proportion of its members used the Club facilities in London. He was proved correct as, very soon, the Club had a long waiting list for membership. Club Chairmen of his era had an easy life, as they knew that John would have seen to every detail before any event, thus ensuring that all ran smoothly. He had the secret of ‘eternal youth’ as, before his illness last summer, he looked hardly a day older than when he had retired from the Club in 1989. The same cheeky grin, sense of humour and friendliness that always made you feel better for having met him. Indeed, he retained this ability right to the end of his life, making it a real pleasure to visit him. John was brought up in Sussex, educated at Wellington and commissioned into the Royal Artillery. He saw service with the Mountain Gunners in Burma towards the end of World War Two, never forgetting his roots by regularly attending Mountain Gunner reunions. The Army had singled him out as having a great rapport with young people, so he instructed young officer cadets at both Eaton Hall and Sandhurst. As a retired officer, he was much in demand from the Staff College for many years, relating his wartime experiences to student officers.

John Andrews, OBE John’s love of horses saw him as Adjutant of The King’s Troop, and he commanded the regiment when it was based in Hong Kong. It was at this time, in 1958, that he married Jillian. On leaving the Army, John and Jillian settled in Hampshire, where he had bought a watercress business near Winchester. Initially, John continued running this business alongside his new position at The Farmers Club but, with the rapid expansion of Club activities, he sensibly decided to sell it. Retirement from The Farmers Club gave him more time to enjoy his many varied interests, which included skiing, shooting, yachting and visiting their home in County Kerry. More recently, he became a very keen fisherman, but his love of horses ensured that you would always find him at any race meeting at Newbury and at many other courses, too. He and Jillian were great travellers, who always seemed to be off somewhere exotic, although the garden – a great passion – could not be neglected for long. John could never be completely retired, so it was natural that The Hampshire Association of Boys Clubs (now called Youth Options) spotted an ideal Chairman.

www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Spring 2010

A highly energetic and inspiring six-year term followed, with his evident liking for young people well to the fore. In addition, John found time to work for the highly successful Romsey Show, masterminding the main ring events for many years, and finally being rewarded with Joint-Presidency, along with Jillian. Jillian has been a long-serving President of the Winchester Conservatives and, of course, John was deeply involved in supporting her, too. John leaves three children, the youngest of whom, Simon, many members will remember as a steward in the Club Pavilion at the Royal during his university vacation. There are nine grandchildren, the youngest reading their own thoughts at his funeral service in St Mary’s Church, Crawley, near Winchester, on Friday 15 January. Two of them mentioned that “Grandpa’s porridge was the best”, but added that “he was the real spark in the life of many” and that “he never lost the twinkle in his eyes”. How true, but I sum him up as a loyal, generous, trusted dear friend and gentleman. Giles Rowsell 15

U30S TOPIC: OXFORD FARMING CONFERENCE • Gemma Partridge

BURNS SUPPER • Pictures by Stephen Skinner

Another successful OFC had everyone committed to ‘Rising to the Challenge’ evidence base for the progression of farming; that is, we need science, but whose science? Tuesday was rounded off with a lively debate in the Oxford Union, where the motion that “All Farmers Should Retire at Sixty” was passed by a vote of 180 to 164. This was, however, no foregone conclusion, with the interesting proposal and opposing speeches stimulating discussion and a large number of diverse contributions from the floor, from young and not so young alike. The debate continued into the evening, over dinner in the Great Hall of Christchurch College… all very Harry Potter. Professor John Beddington, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government, opened the final day of the conference with candor and in the wake of the failure of the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference, allaying some of the ongoing myths surrounding this controversial and often misunderstood topic. For us, as farmers, the predicted 4° increase in temperature will result in an uninhabitable Mediterranean climate, with no growing potential; a stark message.

Oxford in the snow

IN CONTRAST to the cautious optimism of the 63rd Oxford Farming Conference, the 2010 council set delegates and scholars of this prestigious event the task of “Rising to the challenge”. The challenge was to increase food production by 50% over the next 20 years, while simultaneously protecting our environment and striving to maintain a competitive, profitable agricultural industry. A poll conducted at the 2009 conference revealed that 27% of those in attendance were under the age of 35 and there were certainly elements of the 2010 event which, while not exclusively applicable to the younger generation, were, indeed, extremely relevant. In his opening speech, the Rt Honorable Hilary Benn MP set out the Government strategy, ‘Food: 2030’, and described agriculture as “The progressive industry of the future”. In order to meet the growing food demands of an ever increasing world population, Mr Benn focused on the development of a resilient and competitive food chain in order to produce more food, healthy food and all in a sustainable manner. 16

Much of what was said was supported by Nick Herbert MP, Shadow Secretary for Defra, who was keen, in addition, to stress the importance of the development of the Supermarket Ombudsman aiming to produce a level playing field in order to protect small and medium businesses. The first day of the conference continued with further doses of optimism. David Brownhill, a Nuffield Scholar, spoke articulately and passionately about his venture, Merrilong Pastoral Company, five properties covering in excess of 4,000 hectares, and his desire to encourage the progression of farming through research. David has set up AMPS Commercial Pty Ltd, a group of 24 farms committed to dissemination of information, structured farming and returning profits to research; a true advocate of the progression of farming. Research continued to be the theme with Professor Patrick Wall, Associate Professor of Public Health at University College Dublin and former chair of the European Food Safety Authority, who impressed upon us the importance of a resilient

The final day ended with “Passing the Baton”, a candid insight into the lives of the Mercer family and their take on succession. The session was facilitated by Peter Leach, LLP, who was adept and sensitive in exploring the issues that frequently occur in the farming fraternity, and we were reminded that “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children”.

An immortal memory to the bard o’ human kind SCOTTISH brogue mingled heavily with Sassenach dialects when 75 members and guests gathered to celebrate the anniversary – albeit three days before the official date – of the birth of Rabbie Burns (1759-96) in the Club on Friday 22 January. As always at such Club events, it proved a most enjoyable evening, hosted by Chairman Nicki Quayle; supported by an Address to the Haggis – “That great chieftain o’ the puddin’ race” – from Burns enthusiast Tom McGillivray (who later gave

THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Spring 2010 • www.thefarmersclub.com

Club Secretary Stephen Skinner was on hand to capture the mood of this magnificent evening in pictures.

Piper Barry Ashby

Rabbie Burns

Wit of Scotland Bert Thomson toasted The Lassies

The Mercers demonstrated that their openness and honesty has allowed each member of the family to develop his or her own interests, both on the farm and away, while still having Roger to provide input from an experienced farmer and businessman. It was clear from the session that early discussion and effective communication are key when it comes to managing succession. For more than 60 years the Oxford Farming Conference had been the way to start the year, and 2010 was no exception. With the snow falling heavily as the Examination Halls emptied, I would be surprised if there was anyone who did not feel compelled to Rise to the Challenge.

his admirable rendition of Tam O’Shanter); toasts to The Immortal Memory proposed by Past Chairman Eric Wilson and to The Lassies by Bert Thomson (twice winner of the ‘Wit of Scotland’ award), this latter followed by a reply from Sandra Hood (former Assistant Chief Constable, Strathclyde Police); and much skirling of his bagpipes from Barry Ashby.

Nicki Quayle

Eric Wilson recited The Immortal Memory

John Parker and Pat Baseley

Sandra Hood replied on behalf of the Lassies

Dorothy Davenport and Robert Metcalfe

Tom McGillivray gave the Address to the Haggis and Tam O’Shanter

www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Spring 2010

U30S • Gemma Partridge, Chairman; Patrick Durnford, Vice Chairman; MaryAnne Salisbury, Secretary

Chairman’s Jottings great-grandfather in the early 1950s. It was my grandfather who started keeping pigs, originally Essex Saddleback, though he quickly decided to import Norwegian Landrace, subsequently becoming a pedigree breeder showing and selling stock nationwide. The farm has since been developed by my father and his brother into a 220-sow breeder/finisher unit, coupled with a successful equipment sales business.

I WRITE this on my return from another fantastic event hosted by outgoing Under 30s’ Chairman Luke Paterson. The record attendance at the Winter Event really did mean that Luke went out with a bang, ending what has been a hugely successful year with a function which saw plenty of new faces among a few of the more familiar variety. I have a very hard act to follow. I grew up on pig farm in North-East Essex, purchased as a small mixed farm by my

Following a brief stint at the University of Southampton, I have returned to the folds of East Anglia and to a day job in medicine, which although unrelated to farming provides me with a lot of enjoyment and interest. After all, if we don’t have food there can be no hope of health. I am delighted to introduce Patrick Durnford as the new Vice Chairman of the U30s, who has already demonstrated his exemplary organisational skills with a hugely successful Autumn Farm Walk in Dorset. Long may such successes continue.

In addition we welcome Holly Adams and Edward Reynolds to the committee for what, we hope, will be long and prosperous terms. The year ahead is set to be a busy one. Our next event is the Spring Dining Evening and Port Tasting on Saturday 27 March, followed by the Spring Farm Walk in Shropshire. I hope that, with the support of what is a diverse and enthusiastic committee, I will be able to build on the successes of our past chairmen and ensure that the Under 30s continues to thrive. As has been said by all of our past chairmen, I look forward to welcoming as many of you as possible at our future events. See the back cover of this issue of the Journal for a list of the U30s’ functions planned throughout 2010. Gemma Partridge

U30S • Gemma Partridge, Chairman; Patrick Durnford, Vice Chairman; MaryAnne Salisbury, Secretary

U30s take a ‘Duck’ in the Thames on memorable New Members Weekend ON THE last weekend in January, members of the Under 30s congregated at the Club for the annual New Members Weekend, where veterans of previous events as well as members still in university forged new friendships and renewed old acquaintances. Before Friday evening’s dinner, Luke Paterson, the outgoing Chairman, encouraged those present to get involved with the Under 30s, emphasising that “you get out what you put in”. After dinner, Luke made a presentation to Jill Willows, to thank her for her efforts as main Club Committee representative for the Under 30s, going on to welcome Teresa Wickham as Jill’s successor in the role. Taking the Chairman’s earlier words to heart, both members and guests entered into the spirit of the weekend with great gusto, conversations continuing in the bar after dinner and a few brave souls venturing to a nearby nightclub to round off the evening. At Saturday morning’s AGM, details of the year’s Under 30s’ events were finalised and

Gemma Partridge and Patrick Durnford were elected as Chairman and ViceChairman respectively. An impromptu Club tour followed, where a little of the Club’s long history was imparted and members enjoyed the spectacular views afforded by some of the rooms. After a leisurely lunch at the Club, the group departed for The Royal Albert Hall to watch the Cirque du Soleil’s production of ‘Varekai’. The spectacular stage show had something for everyone, with brilliant musicians, a stunning set, and incredible performers carrying out seemingly impossible acrobatics in extremely eyecatching costumes. Following a brief return to Whitehall Court, the group departed for a West-End nightclub, where dinner and dancing continued into the early hours.

guide assured passengers that precious little had changed on the vehicle since its construction in 1942, with the exception of the colour scheme… a fact that horrified and astonished in equal measure. Spirits were high as the tour began, but there was more than a little apprehension as the Duck hurtled down the Prince of Wales’ private slipway and into the Thames beside the MI6 building at Vauxhall. The former Chairman’s words from Friday evening proved prescient, though, for that which had gone in did indeed come out…this time, however, applying to the River Thames! Later, with the Duck safely back on terra firma and the tour over, the Under 30s members said their farewells and went their various ways, taking with them memories of what they had put in and so much more.

A good night’s sleep and a reinvigorating breakfast paved the way for the Under 30s to stroll across the Thames to embark on a tour of Westminster in a bright yellow World War II landing craft, known as a ‘Duck’. The

Peter Green

Farming ambassador pulls in the U30s on Saturday evening in late November ONE of the changes made to the Under 30s’ diary for 2009 was to hold an event on a Saturday evening, namely 28 November. Hopefully, with most of the field work behind us and before those with turkeys got stuck in, late November would prove to be an ideal date for an event.

attention, showing an aeroplane spraying a footpath containing ramblers. It also showed a silage clamp leaking effluent into a river, with fish floating on the surface.

The lack of texts we received stating ‘you clearly don’t grasp the farming calendar” confirmed this to be the case.

Basically, information being sent (to schools, for example, to get messages across to the children) is often unfounded and biased. The NFU, through its ‘Farming Matters’ campaign, with the funding from the industry and distribution by FACE, has sent out 30,000 booklets explaining just why farming matters.

However we can’t put these two changes down to why we had the first sell-out of the year. It may of been the ‘Smith Factor’ (not to be confused with the ‘Smith Period’).

The importance of this work becomes amplified when organisations such as the WWF seem to become less balanced in their opinions.

Well-known journalist, Essex wit and ambassador for the rural environment, Guy Smith kindly gave up his Saturday evening to join the U30s for dinner, providing an inspiring talk on farmers and the environment and public relations within agriculture.

Finally, I would like to mention the quality of the food served to us. Jeff Plant carved and served a mouth-watering venison dish.

A WWF poster was brought to our

If you take the WWF online carbon footprint calculator you wouldn’t be wrong in thinking the organisation is against

Guy Smith

New U Gemma3P0s Chairman a n artridge and PdatVr ice Chairman, ick Durn ford

conventional farming. I’ll stop there, before I break out into a deep Norfolk rant!

Thank you also to The Farmers Club staff and to Guy Smith for turning out on a Saturday evening and making the November dinner such a successful event. Luke Paterson

THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Spring 2010 • www.thefarmersclub.com

The London Duck tour

www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Spring 2010

ws Jill Willo

and Luke

Paterson 19

CHEF’S CORNER • Jeff Plant

RAMBLINGS • Stephen Skinner

Settling in as Head Chef and enjoying serving succulent dishes to appreciative Club diners huge success from our perspective, when we served more than 100 members in 40 minutes through a lounge buffet. Once again, the beef was centre stage and really added to compliments we received. The Ladies’ Lunch in November was another success. Here, we served prizewinning Elwy Valley Welsh lamb cannons, produced by the wonderful Daphne Tilley, and once again had some excellent feedback. Daphne supplies her lamb to many of the very best restaurants in London and elsewhere in the UK, and, as a result of her talking to me, has become a Club member. Early December’s Committee Dinner saw us offer roasted Cumbrian Galloway Beef which, as in the dining-room, went down extremely well ON THE last Friday in July 2009, at 3.30pm, I received a call from Eric Wilson, past Chairman of the Club, wishing me good luck in my new role. My time as Head Chef at The Farmers Club had begun with a magnificent gesture. In the months since then my kitchen staff and I have experienced many events, all of which the members and we have really enjoyed. On my appointment, the Secretary set me and my team some pretty demanding targets, and I’m really pleased to see how everyone has responded. Naturally, there is always room for improvement and development, but I think it fair to say that progress has been made!

The Chairman’s wine tasting evening was the highlight for me, however. Indeed, this was one of the best ever events for which I’ve cooked. We served a cushion of venison, supplied by Aubrey Allen of Coventry, with the

venison coming from the Balmoral Estate. The appreciative feedback we got was quite brilliant and really lifted the kitchen staff. After the usual Christmas rush, January brought us the Burns Night Supper; another success, I’m glad to say. Once again, we served a cushion of venison, after Cullen Skink and Haggis. Not for the fainthearted! For the February Committee dinner we cooked some wonderful Hebridean halibut and homemade paté. Again, this went down notably well. I guess the message here is that we are keen to try some different dishes, and would be delighted if members wanted to come and talk and discuss their preferences.

CHRISTMAS has been and gone and, while activity unquestionably picked up somewhat, it proved to be slightly quieter than normal from a functions-and-lunchestaken perspective. That said, room occupancy has been hugely buoyant and, as ever, it has proved a challenge to Hamid and his team to accommodate as many members as possible. Given that demand frequently exceeds capacity, we now have an arrangement with the East India Club, the Caledonian Club and the Civil Service Club to accept our members if they are able. Should you find

Spreading the ‘message’ at LAMMA machinery show

As I write, I am now six months into the job and “off probation”, as the Secretary said. I have to say I am really looking forward to the future. We have some great staff and wonderful produce, and are eager to serve you with second-to-none food in the months and years ahead. Nicki Quayle (right) with Club events organiser MaryAnne Salisbury

Club Potted Shrimps (serves four)

I am also delighted to have welcomed Andrew Tea as my deputy, who is now getting into his stride.

300g good quality brown shrimps 50g unsalted butter A pinch each of ground mace, paprika and mixed spice 1 lemon Anchovy essence

We have worked hard to improve the quality and the consistency of what we serve, not only for the big functions but particularly in the dining-room. We have changed some of our suppliers, too, and I am especially pleased with the wonderful Cumbrian Galloway beef we are now serving.

Melt the butter with the spices and stir into the shrimps, add a squeeze of lemon juice and a few drops of anchovy essence, taste and season as required. Divide the mixture into four small ramekin dishes and leave to set in the fridge. Serve with warm toast. Enjoy!

The September F&GP dinner was a real test for us, so we served Galloway fillet and, I’m pleased to say, the responses we got from all was fantastic and gave us real encouragement. A little praise does, indeed, go a very long way.

Club to scrap summer holiday closure period Finally, after much discussion, we have decided to adjust the Club’s normal closure periods and service provided as follows: Easter 2 – 5 April Club closed but rooms available. Bank Holiday 3 May Club open with weekend service. Bank Holiday 29 – 31 May Club closed but rooms available. Summer13 – 29 August Club open with service as follows: Breakfast Tea/coffee/sandwiches ‘Balcony’ menu available Bar

7.30 – 9.30am 10am - 2pm 3 – 9pm 11am – 10pm

I should stress that this is a ‘trial’ to see how popular or otherwise it may be, and the times of breakfast, etc, may change a little. However, do contact me if you have any suggestions on how we might improve on what are our initial plans.

The October Harvest Festival was also a 20

Club bustle of activity as it gears up for an exciting and challenging year ahead

THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Spring 2010 • www.thefarmersclub.com

the Club full, do please ask Reservations to explore this option, if you don’t mind staying elsewhere. I should say, of course, that you will have to pay their rates for rooms, etc, but even then I believe this represents good value when compared with the cost of equivalent accommodation in London. The dining room continues to thrive, with the evenings proving pleasingly busy. I might remind members, though, that pretheatre meals are available from 6pm. All you need to do is book at Reception, giving us reasonable warning please!

With the arrival of the New Year, we have also, of course, welcomed our new Chairman, Mrs Nicki Quayle, who led us for the first time to the LAMMA machinery show at the Newark Showground. Here we manned our little display (and froze), talking to numerous people, with the intent of letting a wider audience know all about The Farmers Club. This is not a hard sell (I wouldn’t know how to, anyway), and neither are we panicking about membership, but there is a widely held ‘urban myth’ that there is a waiting list for Club membership… which is just not true! For your information, we have a notional maximum capacity of 6,000, with membership currently standing at about 5,500.

Great sadness at passing of Lt Col John Andrews I could not possibly pass this opportunity to express my very great sorrow at the passing of one of my illustrious predecessors, Lt Col John Andrews. I only met John twice in my time as Secretary, but he impressed each time. Each and every member of staff, as well as many members, to whom I have talked to about John have been unfailingly complimentary. I was fortunate enough to attend his funeral along with a good number of past chairmen and members of the Club, and I must say I’ve never seen a more packed church. We were lucky to get in. Indeed, John Parker, John Nicholson, Guy Trehane and I ended up standing by the altar, as all the pews and the aisles were full. It was a wonderful indicator of the love and respect in which John was held.

www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Spring 2010

SAC Principal gives riveting talk On Tuesday 9 February, the General Committee was delighted to welcome Professor Bill McKelvey, Principal and Chief Executive of the Scottish Agricultural College (and Club member), as its guest of honour and speaker. Bill spoke eloquently and highly informatively on a broad range of issues, which generated much interest, both at the table and in the bar afterwards. While Bill’s speech can be found in full on our website (www.thefarmersclub.com), one of the key points raised was that there is a real need to ensure that agricultural policies across the regions are convergent and not divergent, as was apparent with devolution. Bill (pictured below) also spoke passionately and convincingly on the need for further research that is “applicable and applied” and encouraged all, particularly the young, to understand that “land based sciences are the sciences of the future”.

Enjoy day out at Henley and breakfast at Cereals Members may be interested to hear that, through the good offices of Tom Copas (past Master of the Worshipful Company of Farmers and a Club member), a day out at the Royal Henley Regatta has been arranged for Farmers Club members. A flier can be found in this Journal. I should also mention that the Club will be hosting a working breakfast on the NFU stand at the Cereals Event this year, on 10 June. Club Committee member Richard Butler, past Chairman of the NFU Cereals Committee, will be speaking, and we’ll be providing bacon sandwiches, and tea or coffee, for those who wish attend. The charge for this will be £5 a head. If you do wish to attend this talk and breakfast, please call MaryAnne Salisbury, our Club Events Manager, on 020 7930 3751. Ramblings continues on page 22 21

RAMBLINGS

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

Diary Dates 2010

Double win for Becketts with their Belton Cheese I WAS delighted to hear that Club member John Beckett, Chairman of Belton Cheese, was named Personality of the Year at the prestigious Food and Farming Industry Awards presented at the House of Commons in December.

Club Information

As though that weren’t achievement enough, John and Justin Beckett went on to be named Family Business of the Year, in recognition of the efforts of both family and staff in maintaining the tradition of excellence in cheese making.

Further information is available on The Farmers Club Website www.thefarmersclub.com

It’s the first time in the history of the event that one family has won two awards, both of which were presented by James Paice, Shadow Secretary of State for Agriculture and Rural Affairs. John (centre) is shown in our picture receiving his Personality of the Year award from James Paice (left) and Dean McKenna of McDonald’s Restaurants.

020 7930 3751

I HAVE been asked to let Club members know that applications are invited for places on the John Edgar Trust Business Management Course, to be held at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, and the Grosvenor Hotel, Stockbridge, during the period November 2010 to March 2011 and centred around one five-day and two four-day courses. Objective of the course is to develop the individual’s skills and abilities, to enable them to become a positive and powerful asset to their business and, through that, to the industry as a whole. The training is by way of a full scholarship and, consequently, free of charge. Applicants should be based in southern England and working in, or associated with, agriculture or the land-based industries. Application forms – which must be returned by 20 May – can be downloaded from www.johnedgartrust.org.uk or obtained from Course Administrator Rhonda Thompson, Business Development Centre, Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester GL7 6JS. 22

THE COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT OF THE CLUB FOR 2010 PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN Nicki Quayle TRUSTEES Mark Hudson (Chairman), Barclay Forrest OBE Mrs Susan Kilpatrick OBE, Norman Shaw CBE

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. There was an insert in the Autumn Journal (issue 222) providing full details of the Club facilities and other information for members to retain. Spare copies can be obtained by forwarding a s.a.e. to the Club Secretary.

Mrs C Veall W Ward Overseas C Casale A Page

St. George’s Day Lunch at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon Friday 23 April Application Form was in the New Year Journal

Kent Lincolnshire United States of America Belgium

Under 30s Miss E Asplin R Bower Miss V Goddard C Johnson E Knight Miss K Sealy

Essex Staffordshire Surrey Cambridgeshire Kent Dorset

Royal Ulster Show Dinner Tuesday 11 May Reply slip in this Journal

Obituaries It is with regret that we announce the death of the following members: Lt Col J Andrews OBE Mrs P Edgar R Howard-Vyse Lt Col J Inglis M Janaway H Kelsey T Knyphausen J Lyon

Hampshire Essex Yorkshire Shropshire Berkshire Kent Germany Essex

The Chairman and Members of the Club congratulate the following members whose names appeared in the New Year Honours List: MBE John S M Bower Professor Valerie A Braybrooks

Devon Lincolnshire

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. • Ladies should be dressed conventionally. Trousers are permitted but not casual slacks, jeans or trainers during the week. • Smart casual dress may be worn from 6pm Friday to midnight Sunday, smart clean jeans and trainers permitted. • Children should conform with the above guidelines. • Members must advise their guests of the dress regulations.

Royal Welsh Show Dinner Sunday 18 July Reply slip in the Summer Journal

Club Visit to the Shetland Isles Monday 24 to Thursday 27 May Cereals Event, Royston, Cambridgeshire Wednesday 9 & Thursday 10 June

Dairy Event and Livestock Show, NEC Birmingham Tuesday 7 & Wednesday 8 September

South of England Show Reception Friday 11 June Reply slip in this Journal

Westmorland County Show Reception Thursday 9 September Reply slip in the Summer Journal

The Royal Highland Show Dinner Wednesday 23 June Reply slip in this Journal

Club Visit to Cumbria Tuesday 21 & Wednesday 22 September Application Form in this Journal

Royal Norfolk Show Dinner Wednesday 30 June Reply slip in this Journal

The following were elected on 10 February 2010: Somerset Yorkshire Wiltshire Yorkshire Warwickshire Somerset Fife Somerset Berkshire Worcestershire Yorkshire Gloucestershire Hampshire Essex Ayrshire Cumberland Jersey Yorkshire Kent Gloucestershire Somerset Renfrewshire Yorkshire Lancashire Durham Yorkshire Essex Surrey Yorkshire

This facility is situated on the Club floor in the old House Manager’s office and gives members an opportunity to use a laptop, the Club PCs or their mobile phones in a tailor made environment. The use of a laptop is therefore no longer allowed in the public rooms and must now be restricted to the Business Suite.

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

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN John Reynolds COMMITTEE Elected 2005 Charles Notcutt OBE Elected 2006 Stewart Houston CBE, Meurig Raymond MBE Elected 2007 Tim Bennett, Mrs Anne Chamberlain (Chairman Journal & Communications Sub-Committee) James Cross, Richard Harrison Campbell Tweed OBE, Mrs Teresa Wickham Elected 2008 The Reverend Dr Gordon Gatward OBE Jimmy McLean (Chairman Membership SubCommittee), David Richardson OBE, John Wilson Elected 2009 Richard Butler (Chairman House Sub-Committee) John Stones Elected 2010 David Leaver, Martin Taylor Co-opted Miss Gemma Partridge (Chairman Under 30s) Patrick Durnford (Vice Chairman Under 30s)

Deputy Secretary Robert Buckolt

CLUB GOLF CALENDAR

SEPTEMBER

MAY

Autumn Mixed Meeting

Friday 4 v East India Club, New Zealand Golf Club, Surrey

Wednesday 29 Wellingborough Golf Club, Harrowden, Northamptonshire

Wednesday 19 v The British Veterinary Association, Cirencester Golf Club, Gloucestershire

Thursday 30 Luffenham Heath Golf Club, Stamford, Lincolnshire

Thursday 27 v National Farmers’ Union, Goswick Links, Northumberland Friday 28 v Farmer Members of HCEG, Muirfield, East Lothian

If you would like to become involved with the golf section, please email: secretariat@thefarmersclub.com for further details of the Club’s matches and competitions.

Envelopes Sponsorship

Wednesday 30 Club Championships, Blackwell Golf Club, nr.Bromsgrove, Worcestershire

Monday 21 v XL Club, Royal St. George’s Golf Club, Sandwich, Kent

Club Chaplain The Reverend Nicholas Holtam 020-7766 1121 Bedroom & Dining Room Reservations 020-7930 3557 Accounts 020-7925 7101 Membership 020-7925 7102 Private Function & Meeting Room Reservations 020-7925 7100 Secretariat 020-7930 3751 Personal calls for members only 020-7930 4730

JUNE Friday 4 National RABI Golf Challenge, Oswestry Golf Club, Shropshire

THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Spring 2010 • www.thefarmersclub.com

HONORARY TREASURER Paul Heygate

Chief Executive and Secretary Air Commodore Stephen Skinner

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 Meetings Office for details.

The Farmers Club would like to thank Agrovista UK for its generous sponsorship of the Journal envelopes. Agrovista is the leading research-based agronomy advice and product supply company providing solutions for arable, fruit & vegetable growers throughout the UK. For more information about the company, go to www.agrovista.co.uk.

VICE-CHAIRMAN Richard Holland

THE FARMERS CLUB CHARITABLE TRUST TRUSTEES John Kerr MBE JP DL (Chairman), James Cross Vic Croxson DL, Stephen Fletcher Mrs Stella Muddiman JP, The Chairman and Immediate Past Chairman of the Club (ex officio)

Business Suite

New Members P Avery J Bell C Calkin D Cameron T Cartwright Ms N Cooper Dr S Cummings Fawn T Eames Mrs L Janaway A Johnson P Kershaw L Lavington P Lymbery R Menhinick T McGillivray M Morris-Eyton S Pascoe J Pashley W Peppitt Mrs C Prentice Rt Rev P Price W Reid P Roger Mrs E Russell Professor A Slabas P Sleigh P Tarrant C Trollope Dr M Varley

Dress Code

Great Yorkshire Show Reception Tuesday 13 July (changed from Wednesday 14 July) Reply slip in the Summer Journal

CLA Game Fair Reception, Ragley Hall, Alcester Saturday 24 July Reply slip in the Summer Journal

FULL

Agricultural Attache B Kikaya Democratic Republic of Congo

Honours and Awards

Apply now to train in business management

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.

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

Fax 020-7839 7864

CLUB CLOSURES 2010 5.00pm Thursday 1 April to 8.00am Tuesday 6 April 11.00pm Friday 28 May to 8.00am Tuesday 1 June Wednesday 22 December – no afternoon, bar or dinner 3.00pm Thursday 23 December to 3.00pm Tuesday 4 January 2011

www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Spring 2010

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 Park Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 1PL 23 Tel: 01825 768811