SPRING JOURNAL 2014 • ISSUE 249
www.thefarmersclub.com
Farmers Club INSIDE Political pointers p4 Food chain p7 EU anxieties p9 Social media p10 Summer opening p12 Plumb Foundation p19 INSERTS St George’s Day lunch Edinburgh Tattoo Romeo & Juliet Royal Ulster and Highland Shows & Chelsea Flower Show
Kenyan insight Integrated farming and social responsibility in East Africa p14
Farmers Club Over 160 years of service to farming 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL Patron – Her Majesty The Queen
FRONT COVER Kenyan farmers are embracing integrated pest management and social responsibility as they produce for top UK retailers.
Contents
Disclaimer: The articles published in The Farmers Club Journal do not necessarily reflect the views of The Farmers Club. No responsibility for the quality of goods or services advertised in the magazine can be accepted by the publisher. Advertisements are included in good faith’. All rights reserved.
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Chairman’s Comments New Club bedrooms are welcome
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Politicians pontificate Oxford Farming Conference deliberations set tone for the year
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Farming logistics Improving the social and environmental credentials of the food supply chain is the goal of Project Scale
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Squirrel menace Grey squirrels are a damaging pest needing better control
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Lyon roars Liberal MEP Gorge Lyon tells the Club how Europe needs to brush up its act
10 Social media Farming needs to do more to embrace social media. Here are some top tips to help you avoid wasting time and money
12 Club opens for summer Summer is a super season to visit The Farmers Club. Here is a guide to what’s on offer
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14 Kenya IPM lesson Export-focused farms maximise integrated techniques
16 Farming figures Global food supply and demand
17 Rural enterprise Support for community owned shops, pubs and rural services
18 Under 30s Under 30s chairman looks forward to a new year
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19 Plumb foundation Under 30s member Milly Wastie reports on the benefits on offer from the newly formed Henry Plumb Foundation
20 Club News and Calendar New logo defines fresh focus for the Club
22 Club Information and Contacts
02 • The Farmers Club Spring Journal 2014
Chairman’s Comments • Jimmy McLean
at the Club and it is important to praise our staff for that. When good service becomes the norm, we sometimes forget to express our appreciation for it!
Club updates continue Our new committee has had its first meeting and I am privileged to have the support of four very able people to lead finance, communications, house and membership. The alterations to the ‘fourth floor’ are now complete and we are grateful for the support given by Stella Muddiman in this regard. Work has also started on the ‘eighth floor’ which will significantly improve the rooms up there. Following the committee meeting George Lyon MEP addressed our member’s lunch. George has been heavily involved, as a member of the European Parliament’s Agricultural and Rural Development Committee (Comagri), with the recent reforms. He is also Vice President of the influential Budget Committee. He provided a powerful insight into the co-decision process and some of its challenges.
Chairman’s Comments
I expect I will have many memorable experiences this year but the magnificent banquet Jane and I attended as guests of the Worshipful Company of Farmers will take some beating! The location in London’s Mansion House was very special and the food excellent. Baroness Byford, as Master, was a super host, with Lord Dobbs delivering a humorous, yet thought provoking speech.
Events proving popular
“The alterations to the ‘fourth floor’ are now complete…. and work has also started on the ‘eighth floor’ which will significantly improve the rooms up there.”
HAVING brought in the New Year quietly at home my year as Chairman got underway with the Oxford Farming Conference, a great event with many excellent speakers sharing their perspectives on the sector. Simon Coveney opened the conference with the enthusiasm and optimism you might expect from an Irish Agricultural minister – after all, agriculture and the wider food sector is a significant contributor to Ireland’s GDP. Indeed, the politicians who spoke all recognised the huge challenge of meeting the needs of a growing world population. They were followed by some excellent farmer speakers, with some very able younger farmers being the highlight of the conference for me. I am sure we will hear much more from them about ‘sustainable intensification’ in the future. On the journey to Oxford I experienced first hand some of the flooding which has affected the south and west of the country so badly. Many organizations have sought to help affected businesses back onto their feet, but this is a difficult time for them.
Club events continue to be very popular with our members, with two extra visits to the ‘Turner at Sea’ exhibition booked to meet demand. Sadly we could not do the same for our trip to Orkney – for every successful member drawn from the ballot, two were unsuccessful. Please accept my apologies, I am afraid logistics constrained the numbers. Spring is my favourite season, a season of hope and expectation, when our world wakes up from winter and we look forward to the most productive part of our year. It also brings the start of the show season and I look forward to catching up with many of you at one of our show visits or receptions. I have to admit I am particularly looking forward to visiting Chelsea Flower Show – a first for me! Jimmy McLean
On my return to London I had my ‘Chairman’s Tour of the Club’ – a fascinating insight into parts of the Club I didn’t even know existed. I was also able to meet most of our staff, who are extremely proud of the Club and do an excellent job for us, sometimes working with very modest facilities. I do think we need to recognise their value. It is too easy to speak to them only when something has gone wrong. Most of the time we enjoy very good service
Members of the Farmers Club team gather in the Eastwood Room with 2014 chairman Jimmy McLean.
www.thefarmersclub.com • 03
Charles Abel • CAP Politics
Opportunity Agriculture? Politicians had fundamentally divergent views about how they could best help agriculture at the agenda-setting Oxford Farming Conference. Charles Abel reports
“Agriculture does not get the political priority it deserves in the UK,” Simon Coveney, Ireland’s farming minister.
GROWING global food demand heralds a golden era for farming. But how politicians believe they can help farmers make the most of that varies tremendously. Ireland seems blessed with a farm minister who ‘gets” farming; little surprise maybe, given the industry’s importance to that country’s economy. But the positive support enjoyed by emerald isle farmers contrasted starkly with flat-footed Defra and backward looking EU Commissioner Dacian Ciolos. “We are at the start of a golden era for food and agriculture in Ireland, and you in the UK have the capacity to be part of that too, producing vast quantities of food, much more than is produced now, sustainably and with proven sustainability,” Simon Coveney, Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine enthused. Ireland, which exports 90% of its farm products, was strongly driven by consumer trends and what
Helping farmers grab global opportunities is an issue some politicians seem to find easier than others. Photo: Tim Scrivener www.agriphoto.com 04 • The Farmers Club Spring Journal 2014
markets want beyond its own borders, he noted. “The UK is very different. But both the UK and Ireland, and most of the EU, need to view agriculture in a global context, because that is where the opportunities lie.” Governments needed to work more closely with their farming industries, he suggested. “Agriculture does not get the political priority it deserves in the UK. In Ireland it does. We see it as an exciting growth sector. That is how it should be viewed in the UK.” Global demand meant opportunities were huge, requiring 1bn tonnes of extra cereals by 2050, 200m tonnes of extra meat, five times more than all the EU currently produces in total. “We have two decades to produce 50% more at the same time as limiting, if not reducing, greenhouse gas emissions from the sector, which amount to 29% of global emissions.” The consequences of not doing so would be extraordinary
CAP Politics • Charles Abel
Far left: Food Harvest 2020 policy champ – Ireland’s Simon Coveney. Centre: Protect productivity not inefficient producers – NFU’s Peter Kendall. Right: Integrated policies are critical for public support – EU Commissioner Dacian Ciolos.
conflict for food, water and resources. “The idea we can put a wall around Britain, Ireland, or the EU, and import what is needed, is a fallacy.” Ireland’s Food Harvest 2020 policy is pushing for one third more volume and 40% more value from the sector by 2020, with a roadmap of how to get there. The ministry is monitoring and assisting where targets are not being met. It seems to be working, with the latest export figures showing 40% growth in Irish food and drink exports over the past four years. Ireland is also addressing customer and consumer concerns about sustainability. It has carbon footprinted 36,000 beef farms already and carbon audits are being voluntarily adopted by its 18,000 dairy farms. Sustainable intensification was the key.
Generational change The new CAP aims to help farmers grasp opportunities, he believed, and key to that is speeding generational change. “We are trying to get a conversation going in farming families, across the EU, about the hand-over from parents to sons and daughters, who with all due respect better understand the complexities of climate change, sustainability and protecting the environment,” Mr Coveney noted. Irish tax laws are also being reformed to encourage long-term leasing to counter the problem for new entrants of high land prices. “We need an excited new generation wanting to get into agriculture. If we don’t do that we will not get the changes we seek.” But Peter Kendall, out-going NFU president, felt the new CAP deal failed to give farmers the right incentives. Reflecting his strongly held freemarket views he said the new CAP regime failed to adequately reflect the new reality of food security concerns, and the associated opportunities.
‘bribing’ farmers not to produce. Six key areas needed addressing: 1. Improve governance: stop trying to agree every prescriptive policy and strip it down to the bare essentials 2. Fair market returns 3. Science based decisions 4. Review of competencies: rural development should be decided nationally, for example 5. Environmental enhancement: let countries decide for themselves 6. A new European Commission: to point forwards to progress not backwards to protection
“All the talk about CAP reform has been a complete wasted opportunity,” Sir Jim Paice, former UK farm minister.
Sir Jim Paice, former farm minister and MP for South Cambridgeshire was particularly robust at the conference dinner. “All the talk about CAP reform has been a complete wasted opportunity. We should have been focused on talking about an industry free of the shackles of government and proud to be producing vital ingredients for human life. Instead we’ve looked backwards to dependency.”
Policy intervention Dacian Ciolos, EU Commissioner for Agriculture, refuted such suggestions. Food security, climate change, sustainability and biodiversity were interlinked and demanded policy intervention. Europe had to play its part in setting standards and rules, something the financial crisis had highlighted. Failing to reflect public policy demands could mean citizens were less inclined to pay higher prices for food, he argued, flying in the face of more widely felt concern about food security. Inter-connected policies answered current challenges in the long term, he said. Hence CAP greening. But there was also less bureaucracy and market management, allowing more market-driven evolution of farming sectors. Safeguarding natural resources – water and soil – was also an important area for policy.
Free market With one eye on CAP implementation, and another on its mid-term review, he said it should protect agricultural productivity, not preserve European farmers. There was no hint of a social policy in the original Treaty of Rome, he maintained. He saw the new CAP deal as a populist policy designed to defend the budget, with pillar two
NFU calls for a level playing field were met headon. “How can we have a level playing field for all aspects of the CAP, with the UK, France, Malta, Cyprus and Finland all as members? We need to deal with the differences, of the reality on the spot, and make diversity a strong line of our agri-food policy.” EU Innovation Partnerships would help in this regard, he said. cont’d…p6 www.thefarmersclub.com • 05
Charles Abel • CAP Politics
Right: Landscape and environment are as important as productive farming – Defra secretary Owen Paterson.
“How can we have a level playing field for all aspects of the CAP? We need to deal with the differences… and make diversity a strong line of our agri-food policy,” Dacian Ciolos, EU Commissioner for Agriculture.
OFC RESEARCH Farmers are too closed to developing new business structures, collaborating and investing in adequate infrastructure, Oxford Farming Conference research shows. The industry needs to move away from being wedded to land ownership. New sources of capital need exploring. Further decoupling of farm ownership from farm operation is inevitable, report author Ian Ashbridge of Bidwells said. “We are seeing investors from outside farming bringing in new sources of capital and creating opportunities for the most professional, well equipped and entrepreneurial farmers as operators.” Share farming is one example. “Its adoption requires a major change in attitude towards risk and reward, and sharing the whole value the business generates – even equity.”
Regulatory focus Budget- and flood-battered Defra secretary Owen Paterson offered little to help farmers exploit the new golden era of opportunity: a rallying call to Buy British and an on-going effort to cut farming red tape. Indeed, landscape enhancement to support rural tourism was a priority, and would probably mean 15% CAP modulation by 2016. “This is an exciting time,” he insisted. “New technologies and markets present farming with unprecedented opportunities to grow. But these will come to nothing if we don’t continue to tackle threats to our plant and animal health, and don’t reduce the stranglehold of red tape.” So Defra’s four priorities – to grow the rural economy, improve the environment and safeguard plant and animal health – were contribution enough. Farming provides over £9n to the UK economy, making it the nation’s largest manufacturing sector, feeding a supply chain worth £100bn, employing nearly 4 million people, he noted. It could grow by leveraging its robust traceability, rigorous production standards and top quality produce in export markets. But why was 24% of food consumed in the UK imported, he asked? Fruit and veg in particular demanded a stronger buy-British mentality, to counter the £8bn of directly replaceable imports. He was encouraging the public sector, worth £2.1bn in food purchases, to procure more British food. Science could help too. Last year’s Agritech strategy committed £160m, of which £70m would help commercialise new technologies, and £90m establish world class Centres for Agricultural Innovation. A new unit in UK Trade and Investment would boost inward investment and exports from the sector.
06 • The Farmers Club Spring Journal 2014
“Well-regulated GM technologies represent some of the biggest and most exciting opportunities for agriculture,” he said. He pointed to the European Academies of Science Advisory Council’s report, which highlighted the ‘compelling evidence that GM crops can contribute to sustainable development goals, with benefits to farmers, consumers, the environment and the economy’. EU licensing of GM insect-resistant maize cultivation could help open the way for GM, which although it was not a panacea, could help prevent Europe becoming the Museum of World Farming. With rural tourism in England worth £33bn it made sense to direct more CAP funding to the environment, he said. Farmers should take advantage through more diversification. He reiterated his mantra on reducing regulation, reprising Ronald Reagan’s line that the most terrifying words in the English language were: ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help’. He pledged to cut the cost of red tape to farm businesses by at least £1bn over the next five years. “We are removing £13 of compliance costs for every £1 added… and removing two regulations for every new one introduced.” Keeping policies simple was paramount, Mr Paterson insisting that he started from a position of trusting farmers, with earned recognition being a key feature. Over-complexity in the last reform had cost the UK £600m in EU fines, he noted. So, from targeted policies to free markets and facilitative government to hands-off deregulation Oxford politicians covered it all. But who is doing most to help farmers benefit from the new era of opportunity? Time will tell. Oxford 2014 videos and papers: www.ofc.org.uk
Food chain • Denyse Julien
Triple bottom line
Dr Denyse Julien is senior lecturer at the Supply Chain Research Centre, University of Cranfield. d.m.julien@cranfield.ac.uk ANYONE measuring the success of a business looks immediately to the bottom line. For many years one metric alone has been used – be it pounds, euros or dollars – profitability and success have been calculated solely in monetary terms. But we live in a rapidly evolving, fast changing world. Just think, the world population is currently 7 billion and by 2050 it is forecast to be 9.6 billion. The demand that will put on food and the subsequent escalation of food prices is self-evident. But rising fuel costs, a transport network groaning under pressure of overload, and the impact of extra production, extra miles and extra emissions on the environment also need considering. With such a scenario it seems obvious that a step change in food and drink supply chain logistics is required – a change that will lead businesses to include environmental and social criteria alongside economic factors when calculating success. This is the Triple Bottom Line, or 3BL. Of course, for some businesses the first reaction is: “I can’t afford this, it’s a luxury for big business” or “Way too complicated”. Step Change in Agri-food Logistics Ecosystems (Project SCALE) aims to challenge the status quo and look at win:win scenarios where benefits can be gained by all parts of the supply chain, whatever the size of operation. Project SCALE is an exciting three year project working across North-West Europe to increase economic competitiveness and improve the environmental and social sustainability of food and drink supply chain logistics. Funded by INTERREG IVB North-West Europe, the five partners of the Project – Cranfield University, DHL, EFFP, University of Wageningen and University of Artois – have been working together to deliver
new tools and frameworks the agri-food sector can use to improve the efficiency and sustainability of food and drink logistics. The project has moved on from the initial first phase of research, during which it analysed established metrics and developed new frameworks and tools for measurement. Now it is in the critical second phase of engaging with industry and testing the new models in three pilots, of three months each, to assess their efficacy. Businesses which adopt a collaborative approach in their supply chain, and optimise their social and environmental business practices, do so because they understand that it does not need to be a trade off, but can be synergistic and drive better business performance across the 3BL. We understand that businesses need tools to help them make the decisions that balance financial drivers with environmental and social considerations. Project SCALE aims to make that process, and the journey to sustainability, easier. The triple bottom line is going to play an increasingly important role in business, and the time to act is now…
“Businesses need to include environmental and social criteria alongside economic factors when calculating success. This is the Triple Bottom Line.”
Project SCALE Project SCALE is funded by the INTERREG IVB North-West Europe, a financial instrument of the European Union’s Cohesion Policy to support transnational cooperation. Its partners are Cranfield School of Management, European Food and Farming Partnerships (EFFP), DHL Supply Chain, Wageningen University and the Université d’Artois. www.projectscale.eu Project SCALE’s third conference on March 19th at Cranfield University will present real life examples of the tools and frameworks in action and feedback from those involved in the piloting. Register for free at www.projectscale.eu/events/ukconference
www.thefarmersclub.com • 07
Simon Lloyd • Woodlands
Grey squirrel scourge
those 26 years has seriously damaged an estimated 40% to 50% of the crop, in many cases fatally.” RFS wants more support for woodland owners to control grey squirrels and adapt woodland management practice, and for the lessons learned from collaborative approaches, such as the Grey Squirrel Control Groups within red squirrel areas and the work of the Deer Initiative, applied more widely. RFS also supports the work of the European Squirrel Initiative. Protecting the health of our woods is the Government’s highest forestry policy priority, but compared with tree diseases, there is very little scientific research available on grey squirrel controls and very little support for woodland owners to tackle the problem. Woodland owners and managers need financial and practical support to help manage this threat to the health of our woods. This is not only about keeping grey squirrel numbers under control where trees are most vulnerable to damage, but also adapting woodland management to reduce the risk. To date the focus of financial support for squirrel control has been on protecting red squirrel habitats. That has done little to prevent grey squirrel damage to broadleaved woods escalating elsewhere in the country.
Woodland owners report significant tree damage from grey squirrels. The RFS is pushing officials to address the issue urgently.
GREY squirrels pose the greatest risk to our woodland heritage, according to woodland owners and managers, prompting the Royal Forestry Society to call on the Government and Forestry Commission England to put grey squirrel control on a similar level of importance as that of tree diseases. The RFS is pressing for more research, effective support for woodland owners and managers, and a programme to increase public awareness of the threat posed by grey squirrels. The call by the RFS, the longest-established membership organisation for woodland owners and managers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, follows an online survey asking woodland owners and managers to rate the risks posed by grey squirrels, share their control experiences and suggest what support was needed. The 750 respondents were clear that grey squirrels represented the greatest threat to broadleaf woodlands, marginally ahead of tree diseases and well ahead of deer. As one respondent commented: “I replanted the major part of my woodlands in 1987 with 80% English oak. The bark stripping by grey squirrels over
08 • The Farmers Club Spring Journal 2014
Without adequate protection and adaptive management, many broadleaved woods planted in recent years risk ending up as scrub rather than reaching their potential for timber, or landscape and habitat value, and that is not an effective use of grants used to help plant them. The high risk of squirrel damage to oak and beech is a disincentive to planting them, while ash, which is relatively resistant to squirrel damage, is no longer considered to be a viable alternative. The survey results are being submitted to Forestry Commission England’s review of its policy on grey squirrels and a copy has been sent to Environment Minister Owen Paterson. Simon Lloyd is development director at the Royal Forestry Society
SQUIRREL DAMAGE • • • • • • • •
April to July (early September in high-risk years) Bark stripped around trunks impacts growth Up to 5% tree fatality Timber value lost through stem deformation, rot and broken tops Sycamore, beech, oak, sweet chestnut, pine, larch and Norway spruce most affected 10 to 40 year-old trees most vulnerable Squirrelpox virus kills red squirrels www.rfs.org.uk/news/hot-topics/grey-squirrelssurvey
Farming Brussels Policy •Arable Charles Abel
George Lyon, Scottish Lib Dem MEP, former NFU Scotland president and founding member, chief whip and deputy finance minister of the Scottish Parliament, was guest of honour at the The Farmers Club January Luncheon hosted by chairman Jimmy McLean (right).
Lyon’s EU roar Brussels needs to rethink its approach to risk. Charles Abel reports
GEORGE LYON last visited the Farmers Club 26 years ago, as the beneficiary of a Nuffield Farming Scholarship, sponsored by the Farmers Club Charitable Trust. A quarter of a century later he was back, despite Eurostar’s best efforts to keep him in Brussels. The Scottish MEP’s punctuality was only slightly impaired by a failed Eurostar train, as he arrived hotfoot from St Pancras station to address a special luncheon open to club members in late January. His timing was fortunate, allowing a taste of a particularly fine meal created by the Club’s consultant chef, starting with a sumptuous British Tasting Plate, followed by succulent braised rolled shoulder of Cumbrian lamb and Sharrow Bay sticky toffee pudding. Suitably fortified Mr Lyon provided a powerful perspective on some of the challenges emanating from Brussels. As a seventh generation tenant farmer from the Isle of Bute, off Scotland’s west coast, his feet were clearly rooted in the soil, in stark contrast to so many other MEPs, he noted. Indeed, CAP reform had been a monumental missed opportunity, Commissioner Ciolos failing to grasp the fundamental changes in the farming landscape, which had shifted from surplus to burgeoning global demand and potential food scarcity. “The new CAP deal takes us backwards, not forwards,” Mr Lyon stressed. “Demand volatility has increased, with price spikes like we’ve never seen in 25 years. But the area of land being farmed is not going to change much, and we are under pressure to conserve water, use less energy and cut greenhouse gas emissions, constraints that were not there before. Once the concern was oversupply, now it is security of supply.” An early mid-term review of the CAP was very likely.
Nonetheless, farming’s future was as bright as he could remember. “Farming is no longer part of the problem, it is part of the solution.” But Europe’s dogged commitment to the ‘precautionary principle’ was stifling progress. A legacy of BSE, when the public lost confidence in scientists and politicians, it meant innovations had to prove they were safe, a near impossibility. A better balance between risks and benefits was essential. “We seem to have lost the ability to weigh benefits against risks, so much so that banning technology has become the default position.” Biotech research had been forced from the EU, leaving cereal breeding starved of funds and yields flat-lining. Meanwhile, biotech was driving huge productivity gains in corn, soya and canola all around the world. Key pesticides were being banned for similar reasons. “Unless we can find a way to change this it will continue to hamstring the industry.”
“We seem to have lost the ability to weigh benefits against risks, so much so that banning technology has become the default position.”
The caricature of industrialised farming added to the problem, perpetuated by a protectionist south European small-farm lobby. “We need to take on the low-input lobby and show how sustainable intensification is the most efficient and most sustainable system for producing food.” As to the UK leaving the EU, he saw no net benefit. A market of 500 million people with no trade barriers was reason enough to stay in. Added to that was the prospect of the UK government failing to replace EU support payments. But environmental and welfare rules would persist, since the UK public was amongst the most demanding in the EU. Mr Lyon’s analysis met general support. Whether other MEPs can be convinced to promote farming’s interests so effectively remains to be seen.
www.thefarmersclub.com • 09
Charles Abel • Social Media
Farming in a connected world Social media is changing the way farmers do business. Charles Abel reports
“Give people something purposeful, interesting or entertaining, and they will feel they want to get involved.”
TWITTER, Facebook and LinkedIn are fundamentally changing the face of farming. But to avoid precious time and money being wasted farmers and farming businesses need a well-planned strategy to reap the potential benefits. “Farmers need to avoid the temptation to simply ‘dive in’ to social media,” says Michelle Carvill, coauthor with David Taylor of the social media ‘bible’ The Business of Being Social. “Setting things up isn’t the issue, it’s resourcing it once it is set up. Do it strategically, with a plan of what you want to say and what you want to achieve.” Farmers are rapidly embracing social media to bolster their businesses, be that through advertising for a mechanic on Facebook to attract a wider audience of applicants, networking with other farmers around the country and the world, or driving commercial operations more efficiently. In the UK 24m people access Facebook every day. For many it is the first thing they do. And it isn’t just the preserve of the younger generations. There are now as many social media users in their 70s, 80s and 90s as in their teens, noted Mr Taylor.
A useful insight into social media strategies for business.
The good news is that social media is increasingly mobile. In 2014 more people will access the internet from mobile devices than desktop PCs. “Everyone will be immersed in the media, all the time. It’s an alwayson society,” he said. Over 43% of all UK businesses use social media in some form, with 36% of consumers using social media to interact with brands. Many participate actively, putting out their own messages and information. But others simply use it as a resource, 40% using Twitter as a news feed, for example, and never actually tweeting themselves. Opportunities open to farming include: 1. Marketing – no more do you need to rely on a third party to promote yourself, your products or your services. You can do it yourself. You can create,
10 • The Farmers Club Spring Journal 2014
edit, publish and broadcast your own content. But it needs to be interesting for your audience. Traditional media was very linear, pushing messages out to audiences, whether they wanted them or not. Indeed just 14% of consumers trust advertising. By contrast 78% trust peer recommendation. On-line gives the opportunity to indulge in that, creating conversations, so you listen to potential clients, as well as talk to them. Attention is earned, instead of being bought, or begged for through advertising, or bugging people through direct marketing. Give people something purposeful, interesting or entertaining, and they will feel they want to get involved. There is an 80:20 rule, with 80% of the talk being about what is engaging and interesting, and just 20% being promotional. Talk about issues related to tractors, maintenance and longevity, for example, which promote the product indirectly. Claas, for example, showcases its products with great videos uploaded onto its YouTube channel by its customers, who share their views. 2. Networking – face-to-face communication has always been important, and always will be. But technology means it can now be done differently, allowing users to ‘virtually’ attend a conference, or communicate with individuals or groups, anywhere in the world. But be selective who you want to network with. Choose those you are interested in. 3. Customer support – once if you were dissatisfied you wrote a letter of complaint, or phoned up. Social media has changed that. In an always on-line world customer feedback is now almost instant, with 80% of customer service calls to Twitter expecting a response within an hour. If you are customer facing you have to be listening. Hours or days is too slow for a response. It’s not about lip-service, it’s about manning the channel and responding in real time. 4. Brand monitoring – your products, brands and services are being talked about on-line, so set an alert on your business or product name, maybe
Social Media • Charles Abel
Far left: Creating something audiences will find interesting is the key, advises David Taylor. Left: Be sure to have a social media strategy in mind before committing time and resources, urges Michelle Carvill.
using Google Alerts’ simple, free resource. You should be tracking what is being said, so you can respond, whether it is good or bad. If you can see a trend it can be very useful. 5. Finding information – farm media Twitter accounts, such as @FarmersWeekly, offer the opportunity to garner information, for a quick news feed. Search options allow specific subjects to be investigated. 6. Gathering support – RABDF is doing this to build support around key industry issues. The food v fuel debate is developing in a similar way. Similarly, relationships can be built on-line, so you can promote your products and services and reach out to journalists directly.
7. Socialising – social media allows for very easy communications. It doesn’t need to replace the pub, but it can complement it. It allows a UK farmer to communicate with a farmer in New Zealand very easily. Google hangouts mean a group of people can be in a room metaphorically, via web-cams, so they can see as well as hear each other. Twitter groups @clubhectare and @agrichat and @teamdairy are prime examples. “All these things are just like doing it traditionally, except the technology has changed the way they can be done,” said David. “The basic principles remain the same, it is just where we do it.” Welcome to the age of social media. www.thebusinessofbeingsocial.co.uk
www.thefarmersclub.com • 11
Mozambique
Club offers special summer opening Summer is the perfect time to visit The Farmers Club. Here we take a closer look at just what is on offer
“The Club is providing a special summer opening service, specifically geared to the needs of leisure visitors to London.”
BOOK now to enjoy all that The Farmers Club has to offer this summer. For the past three years the Club has remained open throughout the summer, affording members a great opportunity to enjoy all that London has to offer – and it is doing so again this year. Traditionally, the Club closed for two weeks in mid-August. But that all ended three years ago, when it was decided to keep the Club open, so more members could enjoy its facilities at a time when the demand from business users is substantially reduced.
our facilities for business, so the chances of securing a room are substantially enhanced,” explains Club Secretary Stephen Skinner. “We provide a catering and bar service, with the dress rules relaxed to weekend attire throughout, so it really is a very relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. For those who have visited us at this time during the past three years I think it is true to say it has been a fun time for one and all. I would really encourage members to consider making better use of this opportunity.”
Dining room This year the key dates are Saturday 9th August to Sunday 24th August. For those two weeks the Club is providing a special summer opening service, specifically geared to the needs of leisure visitors to London.
Changes in the kitchen mean British food will be to the fore. “Our super dining room, with magnificent views over Embankment Gardens to the River Thames, will be serving breakfast throughout this period,” adds new Club Manager Virginia Masser.
“Bedroom availability is excellent throughout this period, with fewer members looking to use
“On weekdays tea, coffee and sandwiches will be available from 10am to 2pm, the bar will be open
Summer in the city – book now to enjoy all London has to offer in August.
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Club facilities • Charles Abel
from 11.00am to 10.00pm and a bistro style menu will be available from 12.30pm to 9.00pm. We believe that is just what members are looking for, to set them up for a day out in the city, and provide a calm oasis of relaxation to return to throughout the day, with the bonus of a wonderful atmosphere on the balcony looking out over the Embankment Gardens towards the River Thames.”
Bedrooms There is good news regarding bedrooms too. Not only were four brand new bedrooms created at the end of 2013, but many more of the existing rooms have been fully refurbished, with fresh decoration, new fabrics, refitted en-suite bathrooms and new carpets.
The Farmers Club Balcony has a special atmosphere in summer.
On the fourth floor the Muddiman Suite has been converted into two lovely new bedrooms, a double en-suite and a single en-suite. Even more impressive is the major refurbishment of all the rooms on the Eighth floor, creating six brand new single en-suite rooms, providing plenty of options for accommodating family members and guests.
Summer is a great time to secure a bedroom booking.
Family-friendly Indeed, summer is a great time to visit the Club with the family. “One of our ambitions is to make the Club more welcoming for families. Where we can we have created bedrooms with the flexibility to accommodate extra children,” Stephen continues. The dress code throughout the summer opening period is relaxed to weekend attire. “That means smart casual, so smart jeans, trainers and polo shirts are perfectly acceptable.”
Summer at The Farmers Club – don’t miss it, urges Club manager Virginia Masser.
Club rooms
SUMMER OPENING
A major programme of refurbishments this spring means the Club will be looking better than ever by summer. The reception area will have been completely renovated, to create a brighter, more open and airy point of arrival for visitors entering the Club. The Eastwood Room is also receiving a timely make-over.
August 9th-24th – Club Open Dress code relaxed to weekend rules
“Summer in London can be a wonderful time, with so much to see and do,” continues Stephen. “I believe the Club service we have developed over the past three years gives members what they are looking for. I very much look forward to welcoming you to your home-fromhome in the capital this August.”
Oasis in the capital – with all the comforts of home.
Weekdays: Breakfast 7.30am – 9.30am Tea/coffee/sandwiches 10.00am – 2.00pm Bistro style menu available 12.30pm – 9.00pm Bar 11.00am-10.00pm Weekends: Normal service, with breakfast on Saturday & Sunday and bar on Saturday 3.00pm – 7.00pm Reservations: 0207 7930 3557 extn 204 e-mail: reservations@thefarmersclub.com
LONDON DAYS • A short walk across Hungerford Foot Bridge to the London Eye www.londoneye.uk.com/ • Riverboat with commentary from Westminster Pier (about 400m from Club) to Greenwich World Heritage Site inc. Maritime Museum, parks etc www.visitgreenwich.org.uk/World-Heritage-Site • No. 11 bus from Whitehall to Sloane Square for great shops in Kings Road and nearby www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/ • Stroll down Whitehall to Westminster Abbey www.westminster-abbey.org/ • No. 11 bus to magnificent St Paul’s Cathedral www.stpauls.co.uk/ • Walk to Trafalgar Square for world class art at the National Gallery www.nationalgallery.org.uk/
www.thefarmersclub.com • 13
Andrew Brown • Sustainable farming
African IPM insight Rutland farmer and Farmers Club member Andrew Brown found integrated farm management thriving in Kenya I HAD never been to Africa so jumped at the chance to participate in a visit organised by LEAF, DEFRA and Smiths Gore. That one week opened my eyes to the professionalism of Kenya’s exportfocused businesses, their appetite for integrated farm management and the importance of social responsibility.
Sustainable farming techniques are readily embraced to combat rampant pest, weed and disease threats.
After arriving early on a Sunday morning, and following some atrocious driving on appalling roads, past truly grinding poverty, I was very glad to arrive at Nairobi’s Muthaiga Club, which is linked to The Farmers Club in London. We had a very nice Sunday lunch there of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, in colonial opulence, just a stone’s throw away from the biggest slum in Africa. Quite an introduction! From there we headed out to the farming. In Thika ex-pats Dr Henry Wainwright and Louise Labuschagne run REAL IPM, a business which, amongst other things, harvests spiders. The red spider mite is a big pest problem in African flower production and the Wainwrights harvest tiny phytoseiulus spiders, which eat red spider mites. They were selling 30-40 million of these spiders per week, but could probably fit them all in a single suit case! They were also using beneficial fungi to suppress soilborne diseases. I think we can learn a lot from such examples, and may have to adopt similar practices as more of our pesticides are banned. Near Mount Kenya we visited an avocado farm producing 4,000t of fruit from 450ha, with each tree having its own water sprinkle to keep it productive for 40 years. Again, integrated pest management was used to limit chemical use.
IPM practices already common in Kenya could be destined for the UK as pesticide options continue to dwindle. 14 • The Farmers Club Spring Journal 2014
At Kenya Horticultural Exports broccoli and runner beans are grown for Waitrose, Sainsburys and Tesco. Grown under pivot irrigation systems the crops looked amazing. Whilst they were receiving preand post-emergence herbicide sprays, the 2,500m altitude meant the intense UV radiation was breaking them down very quickly, so there was also a lot of manual weeding. Women seem to do nearly all such work, men considering it to be beneath them. Here we had our first example of commercial support for the local community, a new maternity unit funded by the Waitrose Foundation. It was just three small rooms to cater for 50,000 people. I was shocked to learn infant mortality is 30% and adult life expectancy only 55 years. At Finlay’s Horticulture Ibis Farm, run by Marcus Rayner, they grow 230ha of vegetables and herbs on an industrial scale, producing 20t/week of runner beans and 20-30t/week of pre-packed stir-fry vegetables for export to Tesco and M&S. They have over 1,000 staff, who are all bussed in and fed on site and have access to medical care. There was 1 million cubic metres of water storage, expanding to 1.5 million in 2014. Up to 10,000 cubic metres is used each day, so a large capacity is essential. One of the down sides of farming in a poor country is crime. Finlays employs 150 guards with 60 dogs to try to keep things under control. The flip-side of that was that when a devastating storm delivered 120mm of hail, destroying all of the polytunnels and most of the crops, the business pulled together to pick itself up and get running again in very little time. Truly inspirational.
Sustainable farming • Andrew Brown
European markets are a key target for fresh produce from Kenya – with strict production standards rigorously adhered to. In the Great Rift Valley, near the Nakuru National Park, Janice and Robert Kotut have run Ravine Roses since 1998. It now spans 68ha with 1,200 workers and like many exporting farms in Kenya it is LEAF Marque and Fair Trade accredited, and senior staff are FACTS and BASIS qualified to UK standards. The roses looked fantastic and are harvested every day, year-round, for air freight at under 7C to the UK and mainland Europe, the US, Russia and Australia. We were shown some of the work done by both the Waitrose and Fair Trade Foundations here, which included a new kindergarten, a library in a secondary school a dormitory in a boy’s school and a community building with a pool table, TV room, library, sewing room and an internet cafe. A prime example of social responsibility at work. Overall I was struck by the happy outlook of so many of the local people we met. Many were very,
Women bear the bulk of the manual workload.
very poor, but were making the most of available resources and seemed happy. The integrated pest management was fascinating, and as we lose more of our active ingredients in the EU we may have to adopt similar practises. The Waitrose and Fairtrade Foundations are doing a lot of good work with local communities Of course, Kenya’s wildlife was spectacular. But beware! At the Kigio Conservancy community-run tourism venture the accommodation is in very large thatched huts, mine being 17m by 7m, with river frontage and a balcony. We were told not to walk to the bar/restaurant without a guard, as there were leopards and hippos wandering around. It was good advice. After a very good night’s sleep I woke to find a big pile of hippo poo just outside my hut. A large hippo had been within 5m of where I was sleeping, with just a sheet of canvas between us. Not what you expect in rural Rutland!
Picked, sorted, packed and shipped to a supermarket near you – fresh produce is a big cash earner and source of employment in East Africa.
www.thefarmersclub.com • 15
Charles Abel • Insight
Farming Figures A quick look at the topical issue of... global food supply and demand... told through some key statistics
1.3 billion People go to bed hungry each night
1.4 billion People aged over 20 years are obese
2.6 million/year Under 5-year olds dying due to malnourishment
Two-fold Rise in obesity since 1980
600 companies Working with UN-backed GAIN project to nutritionally enhance food for 667 million people in 30 countries
1,179 million tonnes Food lost during production/waste
US$2.00/day Money to live on for over a quarter of the world’s population
2 in 5 People involved in agriculture, globally, working on 500 million mainly small farms
101 groups Key food/farming NGOs to watch in 2014: www.foodtank.com/news/2014/01/ one-hundred-one-organizations-to-watch -in-20141
16 • The Farmers Club Spring Journal 2014
Record wind ‘windfall’ DREADFUL flooding has done nobody any favours, but record-breaking winds have boosted incomes for farmers with power-generating turbines. “For farmers who have installed turbines the silver lining proved to be record incomes from electricity generation and big savings on power bills,” says Steve Milner of farm-scale wind firm Earthmill. “As well as generating power worth over £600,000 in one month, the turbines we manage also attracted discounts on electricity bills worth more than £200,000, equivalent to an average of £2,000 per farm,” commented Mr Milner. Poultry, pig and dairy farmers, who typically consume the most power, stood to benefit most.
Across the UK wind power supplied 10% of the country’s electricity supply in December, a record month. Average power income per farm turbine was £6,000. Earthmill launched a £10m fund to provide finance for up to 100 new farm turbines in November 2013. Farmers and landowners can buy and install turbines themselves, secure finance for the capital expenditure or rent their land to third parties who take on all of the costs and risk over a lease term. There are currently around 500 live applications by farmers to install individual or twin farm-scale turbines on their land. www.earthmill.co.uk
BBQ pulled pork eggs Benedict BBQ Pulled Pork Benedict, created by the Tried and True café in London’s Putney, was crowned Most Innovative Breakfast in the ‘Best Breakfast Awards’ run by HGCA’s Farmhouse Breakfast week in January. The week attracted widespread media coverage, with breakfast pictures shared on social media sites, 1,600 resource requests and 93% more visits to the campaign website than in 2013. “Farmhouse Breakfast Week 2014 was a busy week with events all over the UK,” says campaign leader Karen Levy. “Each year we receive fantastic support from the industry and this allows us to spread breakfast messages further each year. The new concept of having the ‘Best Breakfast Awards’ has really helped to encourage consumers to ‘shake up their wake up’ and enjoy the most important meal of the day.” Left: BBQ Pulled Pork Benedict – Tried and True Cafe.
Letter to the editor Dear Sir, Now you have a corner for Correspondence, I must put ‘pen to paper’ about your “Obituaries” heading on page 23 of the New Year Journal (FCJ 248). I have been meaning to for some time especially as I note in the current list that three out of six were well known to me – one for 67 years. When you just list names only that should be headed “Deaths” and when you write stories of a life it is an obituary. The Daily Telegraph and The Times are excellent examples of the right terminology. The Editor replies: Noted and duly amended in this Journal. Yours faithfully, James G Ruddock Broyd Beckenham, Greater London
Letters to the Editor can be sent to: “Letters to the Editor” 3, Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL OR e-mailed to: editor@thefarmersclub.com
Rural communities • Peter Couchman
Community support works By Peter Couchman
Mentors drawn from within the sector are a key part of Plunkett Scotland’s service.
CO-OPERATIVE PUBS
Plunkett Scotland is now supporting community-owned facilities like Ravenspoint Community Shop on the Isle of Lewis (left) and Eriskay Community Co-op on South Uist. PLUNKETT Scotland, a new initiative aimed at delivering a comprehensive support service to enterprising communities throughout rural Scotland, has just celebrated a hugely successful first year of operations. Born out of a merger between the Plunkett Foundation and Scotland’s Community Retailing Network, it secured £50,000 of funding from the Prince’s Countryside Fund to help establish a new Frontline Service to deliver a peer-to-peer mentoring scheme and an Inspiring Study Visit scheme.
wider range of community enterprise, including community-owned shops and pubs in some of the remotest rural locations. It is managed by two experienced members of staff and eight new community enterprise mentors, with support from an advisory group comprising Carnegie UK Trust, Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Co-operative Group and Community Health Scotland.
Established in January 2013 to promote community ownership and co-operative enterprise as one solution to the challenges facing rural Scottish communities, Plunkett Scotland launched its Scottish Frontline Service in November and staged three successful local food and networking events in Shetland, Skye and West Highland, and the Western Isles, plus feasibility planning work for a community hub in Lochgoil, Argyll.
Plunkett Foundation is well known for the support that it gives to rural communities across the UK which are seeking to establish new, or maintain existing, community-owned enterprises, including shops, pubs and other rural services. It also promotes and supports the development of community food and farming enterprises, and advocates and raises awareness amongst policy makers, support organisations and rural communities themselves. There are 319 community-owned shops across the UK, 29 of which are in Scotland. So far 22 co-operative pubs have opened in the UK.
With 29 community shops in Scotland, and an ever-increasing number of enquiries, the new service extends the original CRN service to a
Peter Couchman is chief executive of Plunkett Scotland www.plunkett.co.uk www.communityshops.coop
Two co-operative pubs supported by the Plunkett Foundation have tapped into £5.5 million of new funding from the Department for Communities and Local Government. The King’s Arms in Shouldham, West Norfolk, will receive £189,000 and The Bevy in Moulsecoomb, Brighton, £130,000. The fund is part of the Government’s community rights programme to empower local communities. Each week 26 pubs close. “The King’s Arms is the last pub in Shouldham,” says Philip Harriss of Shouldham Community Enterprises Ltd. “When it closed we were determined we’d fight to save it, but we didn’t know where to start. Plunkett provided the helping hand, and the route map, that led to nearly 200 of our supporters raising £150,000 in a community share issue. Such support was crucial to us winning this wonderful grant. We can now buy and refurbish the King’s Arms, and plan to reopen it in April. We’re thrilled to bits – we’ve saved our village pub.”
PRINCE’S COUNTRYSIDE FUND The Prince’s Countryside Fund gives grants to projects that support people who care for the countryside. Established by HRH The Prince of Wales in 2010 it tackles four key issues threatening the British countryside: rural isolation, low farming incomes, the decline of rural communities, and lack of access to training. £3 million has been awarded in 3 years to support 104 rural communities and 644 farm businesses, and to train 714 people. www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk
Peter Couchman, chief executive of Plunkett Scotland
www.thefarmersclub.com • 17
Beth Hockham, Chairman; John Jacques, Vice Chairman; Lisbeth Rune, Secretary • U30s
U30s Chairman’s Jottings I am honoured to be taking over as U30s Chairman in 2014. It has been a pleasure working with my predecessor Jeremy Dyas who has worked very hard attracting a record number new of U30s members and record attendance at U30s events. I intend to build on this progress and I am delighted that John Jaques has been elected as U30s Vice Chairman. John works for Velcourt and is based in Lincolnshire. Together I firmly believe we can continue to successfully take the U30s forward. I work for FowlerFortescue, a firm that specialises in rural estate management and is based on the Fonthill Estate in Wiltshire. I run a flock of pedigree Poll Dorset ewes on my smallholding just outside Hindon in the same county. I joined the Farmers Club in 2008 and was elected onto the Committee in 2012 and thoroughly enjoy visiting the Club on a regular basis, not just for the U30s events but also to have the opportunity to stay overnight and dine at the Club. We have an action packed and exciting year ahead planned. Our next event is the Spring Dining Evening to be held at the Club on Friday 14th March. We are very fortunate to be joined by guest speaker Jim Godfrey OBE. This will be followed by the Spring Farm Walk based in Salisbury, with a visit to Boyton Farm near Warminster. Later in the year we will have a Pimms evening on the Clubs terrace and we will also be holding networking events at the Royal Agricultural College and Harper Adams University, with whom we have strong links. Whether you have been a long term member or newly joined I look forward to welcoming you to the U30s events. Please do feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
U30s Diary Dates (confirmed) Friday 14th March – Spring Dining Evening Friday 11th-13th April – Spring Farm Walk, Salisbury Friday 25th July – Pimms Evening Friday 12th September – September Dining Evening Friday 17th-19th October – Autumn Farm Walk, Cirencester Friday 28th November – November Dining Evening
Contact Beth for more information Beth Hockham U30 Chairman 07773 232264 bh@fowlerfortescue.co.uk www.thefarmersclubu30s.com
18 • The Farmers Club Spring Journal 2014
New Members Event The New Members weekend on 7th-9th February commenced with a black tie dinner attended by an amazing 82 people, including familiar faces and many new ones. I’m sure everyone will agree the fabulous meal was a testament to the skills of the Club’s kitchen staff – with smoked salmon and avocado terrine followed by fillet of beef and blood orange trifle. After the meal we migrated to the bar and lounge, briefly, before a large contingent continued the long running tradition of taking a short stroll to nearby Opel nightclub. Saturday morning saw the Annual General Meeting in the Cumber Room, where our outgoing chairman summarised an immensely successful year of high-profile guest speakers, great farm walks and the ever increasing popularity of all events. The AGM also saw the election of Beth Hockham as chairman and John Jaques as vice chair, and Bradley Etchell, Jonathan Hawking and Scott Hayles joining the committee. Unfortunately, due to advancing years and commitments elsewhere, we saw the retirement of Edward Reynolds, Gemma Partridge and Jeremy Dyas, after years of sterling service to the Club. Flowers were presented to Lisbeth Rune in appreciation of all her help and support. A light lunch was taken in the Eastwood Room before attending
Jeeves & Wooster at the Duke of York’s Theatre. This light hearted entertainment was greatly enjoyed, with catch phrases repeated throughout the rest of the weekend. Saturday evening dinner was at Chelsea’s Kings Road Steakhouse, after which the high spirits accumulated over dinner carried us the short distance to the 151 club, to dance the night away until the early hours. On Sunday morning the remaining few took a walk around town, concluding with a long lunch at Covent Garden, before going our separate ways. It was a fantastic weekend, as we looked back over a great year and turned our thoughts to the coming one, which I have no doubt will be as successful as ever. Many thanks are due to everyone involved in the organisation of this tremendously successful event. Bradley Etchell
Authors invited If any U30s members would be interested in writing an article for the Journal do please get in touch. Submissions are always very welcome – addressing any topical issue, business venture or farming insight. See “The Whole Hog” article opposite, for a typical example. Contact Under 30s chairman: bh@fowlerfortescue.co.uk
U30s • Beth Hockham, Chairman; John Jacques, Vice Chairman; Lisbeth Rune, Secretary
Getting to grips with adding value to homegrown pork – School of Artisan Food course at Welbeck Estate in Nottinghamshire was a great learning experience, says Under 30s member Milly Wastie.
Creating pork products to enthuse consumers is a key goal.
Technique to produce professional pork joints was a key lesson.
The whole hog The Henry Plumb Foundation is helping to develop the skills of farming’s youth. Under 30s member Milly Wastie explains how she benefited It is an exciting time to be working in farming, with great opportunities for young farmers, future entrepreneurs and research students. And new support from the Henry Plumb Foundation aims to aid the personal development of such young people. Funding is available for communicators and future leaders; agricultural entrepreneurs; and post graduate researchers, with up to £3,000 on offer to 18 to 35 year-olds. I was encouraged to apply last year, shortly after the Foundation was launched, and after an informal interview process with the panel of trustees, including Henry Plumb himself, I secured support for my project: Artisan butchery – making the most of your pigs. My aim was to better understand the merits of different pig breeds (including rare breeds) for diverse, efficient and versatile meat production; to produce different cuts of meat for the market; and to add value by learning different artisan techniques, including promotion of unusual / cheaper cuts. As a current leader in the farming industry and a previous chairman of the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs I am passionate about the future of British agriculture. I enjoy cooking, having learnt my basic cooking skills from Young Farmers competitions and county rallies. In 2012 I took part in ITV’s cookery programme Food Glorious Food where I used beef from the farm and organic vegetables from my Dad’s allotment to produce cheesy meatball pasta, a dish that was labelled a ‘home grown delight’. My partner Andrew currently farms beef, sheep and arable and I am keen to develop a small business on the farm rearing pigs for meat, maybe starting with 2-4 pigs to produce meat for friends, family and
“It was definitely food for thought! And I needed to find some room in the fridge at home too!!”
neighbours, before breaking into the wider market once I have found my feet. Often rare breeds have more fat content and I wanted to understand whether I could produce a product consumers would accept. I also wanted to practice what I preach and communicate the fieldto-fork message and promote how fantastic British produce is, and how good it tastes. As part of my application I attended two excellent artisan butchery courses at the School of Artisan Food on the Welbeck estate in Nottinghamshire. I learnt so much. We were given half a pig straight from the abattoir, to cut into the four primal cuts, before learning how to use assorted knives and saws to create a variety of joints. We then learned how to add value, producing pork sausages, a ham hock terrine, streaky bacon, smoked tenderloin, ox tongue, beef biltong and duck prosciutto. It was definitely food for thought! And I needed to find some room in the fridge at home too!! Significantly, the Henry Plumb Foundation trustees care deeply about your progress and want to help you along the way. A mentor is assigned to offer support, guidance and coaching, which is great for ongoing development. I’m now planning to visit my mentor in the spring and get some Gloucester Old Spots or Oxford Sandy and Blacks onto the farm. I can’t wait to start putting my learning into action. So, have a look at the HPF website and think about applying. It has been the most fulfilling experience for me, and a lot of fun too!
HENRY PLUMB FOUNDATION • Up to £3000 funding • 18-35 year-olds • www.thehenry plumbfoundation. org.uk
www.thefarmersclub.com • 19
Stephen Skinner • Club News
Club News Farmers Club logo update
Rosemary Duffy I am delighted to announce that as of writing this article, members had very generously donated over £10,000 to Rosemary’s retirement fund. The book is still very much open should you wish to contribute.
The Muddiman Suite there will be many who will say “why change”, the Committee has decided it is time for it to move on a little. Incidentally, how many of you know the lady in the logo is Ceres, the Goddess of Agriculture?
YOU are probably fed up to the back teeth with me banging on about these exciting times at the Club – but they are! There have been many changes I appreciate but all the time, while we have endeavoured to improve things, we have tried our hardest to retain the essential qualities that make The Farmers Club so unique. The Club does have to evolve to meet the expectations of our membership and adapt to the environment we find ourselves in – and this covers many areas. One aspect is the Club’s logo and the words used to support it. You will probably all be aware that practically every company that develops its ‘brand’ successfully does so incrementally. Mercedes is a good example. A bad example might be BA – remember the Margaret Thatcher moment! The Farmers Club logo has been around a long time and while I know
Bedroom Renovations As many of you will be aware, we have been carrying an extensive programme of bedroom renovation. However, many of you may not have seen the results, aware so I attach just a small selection of photographs as a ‘taster’ of the works carried out. 99% of the feedback on these renovations has been positive so why not come and see for yourself?
20 • The Farmers Club Spring Journal 2014
The logo has to reflect the values of the Club while at the same time telling our members, current and prospective, as well as staff and those who deal with the Club in so many different ways on a day-to-day basis, that we are an organisation that is not only proud of its past but is also looking to the future. The intention is to roll the logo out progressively. We are not going to throw away our crockery, headed paper, etc, all in one go. There will be a degree of natural wastage and then, when the time is right, we will introduce it where needed, not least in the new website. Indeed, the new website we are developing will not only look a lot better than the current one, but also be a lot more useful. You will not only be able to book events but also book bedrooms and pay any bills you may have. We are also endeavouring to ensure the Journal can be read easily and conveniently on the website, as well as establishing a library of useful documents that can easily be accessed. In short, the website is progressing from being a bit useful to being a vital tool when dealing with the Club.
At long last we have finished the work on the Muddiman Suite. This has been a long time coming, for all sorts of reasons, but I hope you will be pleased with the results. I certainly am. We have, in the process, created six bedrooms where there was once four and a meeting room. Thus, I hope, booking a bedroom should become just a little bit easier.
The Eighth Floor What might be regarded as the final tranche of major renovation work on the bedrooms has just started on the eighth floor. We are going to create five single en-suite and one queen-size en-suite bedrooms from the current six singles that all shared one bathroom. This work will take quite a while, but I firmly believe it will be well worth the effort.
Catering progress I am delighted to announce that Paul Hogben has just started at the Club as our new Head Chef. Paul worked with the Club Manager in her previous role and, as you might have guessed, comes highly recommended. Paul has extensive experience as both a head chef and also as a teacher and mentor of chefs too. A full profile will appear in the next edition of the Journal, but rest assured we are embarking on really raising our game in this department and doing proper justice to British produce.
Club News • Stephen Skinner
Henry Plumb Foundation funding
Club Calendar Diary Dates
More future farming talent has been recognised with financial support and mentors after a second round of Henry Plumb Foundation interviews at The Farmers Club. Nine young people with submissions ranging from entrepreneurial farming schemes and social media projects to dairy research and a drive for food chain transparency were put through their paces by HPF trustees and industry experts. “It is particularly encouraging to see these forward-thinking plans for the future of farming and to be able to help young people in their quest to enhance their lives and make a positive contribution to the industry,” Lord Plumb commented. Future applicants can submit proposals via www.thehenryplumbfoundation.org.uk The Foundation is also keen to hear from potential donors or future mentors. See page 19 for one Farmers Club Under 30s member who has already benefited.
Please check the dates carefully as they sometimes change and new dates are added for each issue. Details of Club events circulated in the previous issues are available from the Secretariat on 020 7930 3751.
MARCH Turner at Sea at Greenwich Maritime Museum – FULL Friday 7th March (also Friday 4th & 11th April)
Paolo Veronese at the National Gallery Friday 28th See page 22 for details (spaces available) Paolo Veronese
Wednesday 23rd Application form enclosed
MAY Royal Ulster Show Dinner, Ulster Tuesday 13th Application form enclosed St George’s Day Lunch
In the mid-sixties he co-founded Velcourt, now one of Europe’s leading farming companies. His energy and enthusiasm rarely wavered and he had a tremendous gift for motivating and challenging all who met him. He influenced many working in agriculture today – not just in the UK. He was a Governor of the Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester and created a scholarship at Harper Adams University for undergraduates interested in arable or dairy farming. A founding member of the 75 Club, he was also chairman of Farm Africa in the 1990s and a respected member of the Flying Farmers Association, and was appointed a Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Societies in 1993. Robin was born in Victoria, British Columbia, but moved to the New Forest with his family aged three, then Holsworthy in Devon, Dartmoor and finally Herefordshire. He is survived by his wife, Carol, their three children, Karen, Peter and Sophie and seven grandchildren.
Chelsea Flower Show Tuesday 20th Application form enclosed
JUNE Visit to Orkney – FULL
Robin Malim Robin Malim, who has died aged 80, was an inspiration to many and a visionary member of The Farmers Club who helped shape British agriculture in the second half of the twentieth century.
APRIL St. George’s Day Lunch, Butchers’ Hall
Tuesday 10th – Thu 12th
Romeo & Juliet Ballet, London Chelsea Flower Show
Friday 20th Application form enclosed
Royal Highland Show Dinner, Edinburgh Wednesday 18th Application form enclosed
Royal Norfolk Show Wed/Thursday 25/6th Application form enclosed Highland Show
JULY Annual General Meeting, Whitehall Court Tuesday 8th
Royal Welsh Show (event tbc) Mon-Thursday 21st-24th Application form next issue
AUGUST Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Edinburgh Tattoo
Thursday 7th Application form enclosed
Easter Club Closure 5pm Thursday 17th April to 8am Tuesday 22nd April. Members may book a bedroom to stay when the Club is closed on the understanding that it is on a room only basis as no other facilities are available.
www.thefarmersclub.com • 21
The Farmers Club • Club Information
Club Information 020 7930 3557 • www.thefarmersclub.com Office Holders Patron – Her Majesty The Queen HONORARY VICE PRESIDENTS Peter Jackson CBE, Sir David Naish DL VICE PRESIDENTS Mark Hudson, Roddy Loder-Symonds, John Parker, Norman Shaw CBE, Mrs Susan Kilpatrick OBE THE COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT OF THE CLUB 2014 PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN Jimmy McLean TRUSTEES Barclay Forrest OBE (Chairman), Mrs Nicki Quayle, Julian Sayers, Paul Heygate VICE-CHAIRMAN Anne Chamberlain HONORARY TREASURER Richard Butler IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN Stewart Houston CBE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND SECRETARY Air Commodore Stephen Skinner CLUB CHAPLAIN The Reverend Sam Wells COMMITTEE Elected 2009: John Stones Elected 2012: Mrs Ionwen Lewis, Charles Notcutt OBE (Chairman – House Sub-Committee) Elected 2013: Lindsay Hargreaves, Tim Harvey, Nick Helme, George Jessel DL (Chairman – Communications Sub-Committee), Peter Jinman OBE, Mrs Jo Turnbull
Exclusive Veronese visit Join Club members for an exclusive visit to London’s world-famous National Gallery for the stunning exhibition “Veronese: Magnificence in Renaissance Venice” on Friday 28 March. In the most significant collection of masterpieces by the artist ever to be displayed in the United Kingdom fifty works will be on display, many travelling to London from across the globe. Paolo Caliari (1528–1588), known as Veronese, was one of the most influential artists of the 16th century, whose works adorned churches, palaces, villas and public buildings to reflect the opulence and grandeur of the Republic of Venice at the time. Our day will start with tea/coffee at the Club from 2:30pm, before heading to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square for a private lecture, exclusively for Farmers Club Members, from 3.30 to 4.30pm. Viewing of the exhibition will follow, with drinks and a three-course dinner back at The Farmers Club from 7:30pm. The cost per person is £65 including the private lecture, tickets for the exhibition and dinner. To book your place call Lisbeth Rune, events manager, on 020 7930 3751, e-mail: events@thefarmersclub.com book on-line at www.thefarmersclub.com, or use the booking form on p22 of the New Year edition of the Farmers Club Journal. This event is limited to 30 places, allocated on a ‘first come first served’ basis.
Elected 2014: Robert Lasseter, Allan Stevenson, Alison Ritchie, Martin Taylor, Campbell Tweed (Chairman – Membership Sub-Committee) Co-opted: Beth Hockham (Chairman Under 30s), John Jacques (Vice Chairman Under 30s), Martin Taylor 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)
Chelsea Flower Show visit The Farmers Club has once again arranged a visit for 90 of our members to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show on Tuesday 20th May.
NEXT ISSUE Watch out for your Summer issue of the Farmers Club Journal, due out in mid-May, with all the latest Club news, plus reports on Herdwick sheep, a farm with 4,000 years of history, St George’s Day Luncheon, a fresh perspective on nutrition, the Pinnacle Awards for business and a preview of World Expo 2015 where food is the focus.
22 • The Farmers Club Spring Journal 2014
The day will start with a two course lunch at the Club followed by ‘An Insider’s Guide to Chelsea 2014’ by Mr Charles Notcutt OBE, a long-time member of the RHS and judge at the Show. At 3pm we will depart the Club by coach for the Show. The Show ends at 8pm and members should make their own way home. Previous experience tells us that this is a very popular event and we will therefore be holding a ballot. Please book online at www.thefarmersclub.com or return the booking form enclosed with this edition of the Journal by Monday 24th March at 11am. Questions can be directed to Lisbeth Rune, Events Manager, on 020 7930 3751 e-mail: events@thefarmersclub.com
Club Information • The Farmers Club
Deaths It is with regret that we announce the death of the following members: Mr D Bristow Kenya Mr M Broom MBE Norfolk Mr J M Childs Surrey Mr J Davy Warwickshire Mr R Earle DL Dorset Mr R Heath Essex Mr P Jennings Warwickshire Mr A Povey Berkshire Mr J Telford Monmouthshire Mrs S Ward Kent Mr M Williams Essex Mr S Woodhouse Yorkshire Honours and Awards The Chairman and Members of the Club congratulate the following members whose names appeared in the New Year Honours List: Kenneth Applebee, Essex OBE Roy Boreham, Essex MBE John Hoyles, Cambridgeshire MBE Dr Nigel Kerby, Fife MBE Mrs Marion Regan, Kent MBE New Members The following were elected: UK Members Ms M Bowers Devon Mr D Briffa Sussex Mr W Carlyon Devon Mr R Charter Wiltshire Mr T Colbert Surrey Mr F Crow Surrey Mr E Davies Herefordshire Mr R Davis Northamptonshire Mr J Drew Oxfordshire Mr T Fiducia Rutland Mr S Fleet Kent Mr W Flegg Hampshire Mr M Harrison Cheshire Mrs M Highwood Kent Mr P Hoey Yorkshire Mr K Igoe Essex Mr A Johns Devon The Hon. Michael-John Knatchbull Kent
Reciprocal Clubs UK City Livery Club, London (No bedrooms) Royal Overseas League, Edinburgh Royal Scots Club, Edinburgh The New Club, Edinburgh Northern Counties Club, Newcastle Note: We have informal agreements with the East India and Caledonian Club for bedroom bookings if we are full. Reception also holds a list of hotels within a 15 minute walk that might be considered ‘good value for money’.
OVERSEAS The Western Australian Club, Perth, Australia (Bedrooms not reciprocated) Queensland Club, Brisbane, Australia
Mr A Laidlaw Mr E Lee Mr J Lewis Mr J Marshall Mr R Matthews Mr J Oatey Mrs S Shearer Mr M Shelton-Agar Professor E Simmons Phd Mr A Simpson Mr M Verity Mr R Wadsworth Mr A Waterhouse Mr D Worth Overseas Mr J Johnsen
East Lothian Cambridgeshire Sussex Perthshire Oxfordshire Cornwall Gloucestershire Sussex Cumberland Norfolk Yorkshire Kent Cheshire Lincolnshire Overseas
Whitehall Court Mr R Granieri Mr J Nathan Mr A Scardino
London Gloucestershire London
Under 30s Mr W Ballard Mr J Bettley-Smith Miss N Brogden Mr O Cole Mr P Davies Miss O Highwood Mr T Howarth Mr S Lewis Mr O Pascall Miss E Rose Mr R Sills Miss J Simpson Mr B Smith Miss I Smith Miss M Van Geest Miss A Wilson
Kent London Cornwall Lincolnshire Radnorshire Kent Cheshire Sussex Kent London Essex Worcestershire Northamptonshire Northamptonshire Hampshire Ayrshire
Envelope Sponsorship The Farmers Club acknowledge the support of Agrovista, sponsor of the Journal envelope. Agrovista is the leading authority on all aspects of crop management advice, with many years of experience backed up with the most advanced and comprehensive range of Agronomy trials in Great Britain. For more information visit www.agrovista.co.uk
The Australian Club, Melbourne, Australia Royal Dublin Society, Dublin, Ireland (Bedrooms not reciprocated) Stephen’s Green Hibernian Club, Dublin, Ireland The Muthaiga Country Club, Nairobi, Kenya The Harare Club, Harare, Zimbabwe The Christchurch Club, Christchurch, New Zealand (Closed due to earthquake damage) The Canterbury Club, Christchurch, New Zealand The Durban Club, Durban, South Africa
Club Contacts THE FARMERS CLUB Over 160 years of service to farming 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL
Chairman 2014: Jimmy McLean
Chief Executive and Secretary: Air Commodore Stephen Skinner
Club Number 020 7930 3557 Reception ext: 200/201 reception@thefarmersclub.com Bedroom Reservations ext: 204 reservations@thefarmersclub.com Dining Room Reservations ext: 200/201 reception@thefarmersclub.com Meetings & Functions ext: 109 or direct line: 020 7925 7100 meetings@thefarmersclub.com Events & U30s ext: 103 events@thefarmersclub.com Club Manager ext: 102 clubmanager@thefarmersclub.com Head Chef ext: 111 or direct line: 020 7925 7103 chef@thefarmersclub.com Accounts ext: 106 or direct line: 020 7925 7101 accounts@thefarmersclub.com Membership ext: 107 or direct line: 020 7925 7102 membership@thefarmersclub.com PA to Secretary ext: 104 or direct line: 020 7930 3751 generaloffice@thefarmersclub.com Bedrooms ext: 3+ [two digit room number] eg. ext 301 for Room1 Whitehall Court Porters 020 7930 3160 Fax 020 7839 7864 Website: www.thefarmersclub.com THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Editor and Advertisement Manager: Charles Abel 07795 420692 E-mail: editor@thefarmersclub.com Designed and produced by: Ingenious, www.ingeniousdesign.co.uk The printing inks are made using vegetable based oils. No film or film processing chemicals were used. Printed on Lumi Silk which is ISO 14001 certified manufacturer. FSC Mixed Credit. Elemental chlorine free (ECF) fibre sourced from well managed forests.
Members wishing to use any of the above Clubs should obtain an introductory card from the Secretariat. www.thefarmersclub.com • 23
Farmers Club
Events
Application forms included in this and future Journals
Romeo & Juliet Ballet at the Royal Albert Hall Friday 20th June Supper at the Club and coach transfer to/from English National Ballet
Paolo Veronese at the National Gallery
Royal Highland Show dinner at RBS Gogarburn
Friday 28th March
Wednesday 18th June
Exhibition of key painter of Venetian Renaissance, with dinner at the Club after
Dinner on the eve of the Royal Highland Show with guest speaker Sir Malcolm Rifkind KCMG, QC, MP
Turner at Sea Exhibition at Greenwich Maritime Museum
L L FU
Friday 11th April (also 7 March 4 April) Lunch in the Club and river taxi to/ from Greenwich Maritime Museum
Royal Welsh Show Mon 21st-Thu 24th July (date tbc) Reception on the showground
Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo St. George’s Day Lunch Wednesday 23rd April
Thursday 7th August Dinner in Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
The Club’s annual luncheon event to mark the national day of England
Beethoven’s Ninth at Royal Albert Hall Royal Ulster Show dinner Tuesday 13th May Dinner with guest speaker on eve of show
Saturday 27th September Supper in the Club and coach transfer to/from the concert
Harvest Festival Service Tuesday 14th October
Visit to RHS Chelsea Flower Show Tuesday 20th May Luncheon at the Club followed by coach transfer to London’s ever-popular RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Wonderful service with the choir at St Martin-in-the-Fields followed by Buffet Supper at the Club
St. Andrew’s Day Lunch Visit to Orkney Tue 10th-Thu 12th June
L L FU
An opportunity for a closer look at the food, farming, history, wildlife and rural communities of Orkney
Friday 28th November At RBS HQ, Gogarburn, Edinburgh
Statoil Masters Tennis at Royal Albert Hall Friday 5th December Supper in the Club with coach transfer to/from the tennis
Aug 9-24 – special summer opening service, specifically geared to the needs of leisure visitors to London. See pages 11+12.