Summer 2010

SUMMER OPENING Summer is a great time to visit London – to see the sights, visit an exhibition, soak up the atmosphere at a concert, or simply imbibe the ambience of one of the world’s great capitals.

To make your visit even more enjoyable the Club is breaking with tradition and opening its doors during what have been until now its summer closure periods.

Bank Holiday 29 – 31 May 2010 Club closed but bedrooms available.

Summer 13 – 29 August 2010.

Club open with: Breakfast 7.30 – 9.30 am Tea/coffee/sandwiches 10am – 2pm ‘Balcony’ menu available 3 – 9pm Bar 11am – 10 pm Based in the heart of London the Club is an oasis of calm, overlooking the Embankment Gardens and the River Thames, yet lies within easy walking distance of the South Bank, London Eye, Trafalgar Square and all the entertainments and shopping of the West End.

Open Farm Sunday gears up to deliver National event boosts farming’s image p4

To make a booking contact Reservations.

Tel: 020 7930 3557 E-mail: reservations@thefarmersclub.com The Summer Openings are a ‘trial’ to assess popularity. Times of breakfast etc may change. Suggestions to enhance these plans to Club Secretary/Chief Executive Stephen Skinner.

To find out more about shows and other events in London visit www.visitlondon.com

INSIDE • New member profile p8 • Supermarket dominance p6 • Healthier meat and milk p10 Club balcony

Club lounge

APPLICATION FORMS • Royal Welsh Show 18 July • CLA Game Fair 24 July • Westmorland Show 9 Sept • Committee Nominations BACK COVER • Club Open All Summer Access the members section of the Club website at www.thefarmersclub.com using your individual Club membership number, which is printed on your Journal envelope

25

CHAIRMAN’S COMMENTS • Nicki Quayle

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

2

Chairman’s comments Nicki Quayle provides her perspective on the new government, CAP reform, rural broadband and a summer itinerary packed with events.

4

Open Farm Sunday Boosting farming’s image is the goal and with 400-plus farms participating this year’s Open Farm Sunday promises to be bigger and better than ever.

6

Supermarket regulation Competition should treat all parties fairly. So is enough being done to give a potential supermarket regulator teeth?

8

New member, new focus There’s a new breed of farmer in the countryside and a new breed of member at the Farmers Club. Here is an insight into this vibrant group.

Time has arrived for Government to get down to dealing with farming’s agenda ELS agreement. Most of our points are from hedge management and in-field trees and we managed to get the extra points we needed by including traditional farm buildings and maintenance of watercourse fencing. If we had incorporated 6m buffer strips around our small fields there wouldn’t be any field left! How many trees were felled to send us all the various booklets, handbooks etc heaven knows – all very sustainable I’m sure?

10 Healthier milk and meat Sophisticated research to improve the fat profile of meat and milk products is yielding exciting results at Cornell University in New York State, USA. 12 Your new editor With a farming background in Lincolnshire and 23 years of editorial experience at Farmers Weekly, Charles Abel is our new Journal Editor.

13 Spring Vivaldi concert Four Seasons by Candlelight at St-Martins-in-the-Field, with supper in the Club, was the spring entertainment.

14 NZ racehorse training Racehorses are more likely to suffer injury while training than when racing.

Experiences in New Zealand shed light on how helpful artificial surfaces may be.

16 Farming’s future The challenges facing farming are huge.

But farming is a key part of the answer to global issues too, including climate change, food security and bio-energy.

18 Under 30s Spring Dining Evening report, U30s Chairman’s jottings and U30s Topic considering Fresh Start success in Cornwall.

20 Don Gomery Denis Chamberlain pays tribute to recently retired Journal editor Don Gomery, who died in April.

21 Whitehall Court Ramblings 22 Information and Diary Dates 24 Back Cover A move to summer Club opening means members have a great opportunity to savour some of London’s delights.

FRONT COVER Open Farm Sunday gears up to deliver a great insight into UK farming.

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.

2

I have to say I am thoroughly enjoying my year as Chairman – it seems amazing that I’m nearly half way through already!

However, my commute to London by train can be somewhat trying, especially when our train brought down the overhead cables recently and we were evacuated via wooden ladders from one train to another.

Quite an experience!

It’s something we farmers don’t appreciate, just how lucky we are to literally walk out of the door to work.

Over the Easter period I was busy rolling the grassland, with David helping out.

However he was just rather too optimistic one day and managed to get the roller well and truly stuck. Our poor 2WD 6640 New Holland had no chance. Luckily a neighbour took pity and soon pulled us out with his large 4WD John Deere and kindly agreed to let us finish the rolling with his tractor. Needless to say I spent a thoroughly enjoyable time driving this ‘mean’ machine singing along to the latest hits on the radio - and at the end of the day having that enormously satisfying feeling of surveying the evenly striped fields.

I’ve also been catching up in the office completing SPS forms and renewing our

Well why not do it on-line, I hear you say. I would if I could but our internet connection is so haphazard it’s just not an option. At least we have some service, well at 6am in the morning, but some of our neighbours don’t even get that. Lack of broadband access put communities in rural areas at a serious disadvantage. We are talking about children unable to do their homework, businesses unable to compete and farmers unable to process simple things like animal passport applications and movements, online SPS/ELS application, VAT returns, online banking – and so it goes on.

As this issue of the Journal hits your door mat the General Election will be over and life will be returning to some sort of normality. The colour of the outcome may not match your personal preference, but at least government can now get down to the serious business of getting our country’s affairs back under control.

I just hope it is not a multi-coloured outcome - a hung parliament is the last thing UK Plc needs right now. I suspect we won’t like the medicine to come, but tough decisions need to be made, and we await the new emergency budget anxiously.

CAP reform Meanwhile, CAP budget reform is looming large. Number one priority must surely be to secure a good agricultural budget from the EU and our Government needs to be fully engaged in the negotiations. Once the CAP budget is known the discussions for Pillars 1 and 2 will follow. Debate on this has started, with some significantly differing views already in evidence.

My own opinion is that we must retain Pillar 1 and not dilute monies by putting

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

more into Pillar 2. The fact is that many farms would not survive without the Single Farm Payment. Whilst Pillar 2 is important, agriculture doesn’t benefit as much in the UK from this area as the rest of Europe does. We cannot be disadvantaged and need to be able to compete within Europe with a common policy - a level playing field.

Direct support for working farms is essential to sustain profitable businesses, which can in turn produce the extra food needed, without needing more land and water, or raising greenhouse gas emissions. Surely that’s a win-win for the environment too?

Interestingly, whilst at Murrayfield for the England v Scotland rugby game, I learnt from a Scottish farmer, who only lives 30-40 miles from us as the crow flies, that he is installing 3 robotic milkers with the help of a very welcome 50% grant from the Scottish Government. If we haven’t got a level playing field within the UK I’m not quite sure how we achieve that across Europe.

We really do need a COMMON policy.

This year marks the 30th Anniversary of the Farmers Club Charitable Trust (FCCT) awards and I was lucky enough to spend an extremely interesting day as part of the panel interviewing applicants. The process was ably chaired by Professor John Prescott, and as he is standing down this year I would like to thank him most sincerely for all the hard work and effort he has put in on behalf of the FCCT over many years.

The FCCT aims to help those employed in agricultural education to develop their own technical expertise, and in doing so to not only grow and widen the applicant’s own knowledge but also to benefit the students

they teach and subsequently the agricultural industry as a whole. In this issue of the Journal we have two articles by past FCCT recipients (see p 10 and 14).

The next few months are looking pretty hectic, with the Club travelling to the four corners of the British Isles – Shetland to Sussex, Belfast to Norfolk, Edinburgh to Wales, Cumbria and many places in between for dinners, receptions and visits (don’t forget to look at the Diary Dates in this Journal). David and I have just sat down to co-ordinate diaries - clearly a bad mistake, as he’s getting increasingly concerned I might be asking for an increase in dress allowance!

Don Gomery Sadly, Easter brought a great shock to all at the Club, with the death of Don Gomery, our recently retired Journal Editor. Don was taken ill towards the end of March and spent his last days in the care of medical staff at the Kent & Sussex Hospital. Our thoughts are with his wife, Pauline, and members of their family.

Don took over the editorship of the Journal from Derek Watson over 10 years ago and we will miss him greatly, not only for his diligence and journalistic expertise, but for his friendship and kindly guidance both to me and my predecessors in the writing of this Chairman’s Page. A full obituary appears on p20.

The search for a successor, which started before Christmas, yielded a list of very capable and highly qualified candidates, from which I am delighted to introduce and welcome our new Journal Editor Charles Abel. Many of you may know Charles from his Farmers Weekly days, but if you turn to page 12 we introduce him more fully.

Club chef triumphs at Hotelympia Our young chef, Ben Murphy, had great success in the cooking competitions held recently at Hotelympia in London. Ben won Gold in the British Culinary Federation Young Chef Challenge and Silver in the Major Mini Series. Ben is in the final year of a Professional Chef Diploma course at Westminster Kingsway College and helps out to great effect in The Farmers Club kitchen in the evenings.

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

3

OPEN FARM SUNDAY • Tom Allen-Stevens

OPEN FARM SUNDAY • Tom Allen-Stevens

Open Farm Sunday is as much about improving the public perception of food and farming as it is about a fun day out on the farm, Tom Allen-Stevens explains.

Whole industry benefits as farmers open their gates ONE FARMING event has not only entrenched itself in the summer calendar beside Glastonbury, Badminton and the Chelsea Flower Show, it has become a major brand in its own right.

Open Farm Sunday, the brainchild of Farmers Club member and Hertfordshire farmer Ian Pigott, stemmed from a 2005 study trip to investigate new ideas to bring people in touch with those who grow their food and look after the land.

Just five years later Open Farm Sunday has brought almost half a million visitors onto around 1,000 UK farms. Its messages are heard by tens of millions of others each year, making it one of the most respected brands the farming industry has.

The fifth Open Farm Sunday takes place on 13 June 2010, organised and coordinated by LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming). It really is the industry’s annual open day – a chance to let the public see for themselves what really happens on a farm.

“The average consumer is more than five generations removed from the land, and as an industry we have been pretty poor at communicating just what we do,” says Mr Pigott. “But rather than complain, it’s up to us to change it, and Open Farm Sunday is doing just that.”

400 farmers across the UK opening their farms to the public, supported by around 5,500 fellow farmers, farm staff, agronomists, vets and others who help run displays, tours, competitions, tastings and demonstrations – all with a simple message, conveyed with pride: this is what we do to bring food to your plate.

“The whole concept for us is to act as an interface for farmers to tell consumers the story of a working farm,” says Mr Pigott.

“Our event has grown bigger and it’s evolved, but we’ve kept that core idea – it’s an enjoyable day and a chance for consumers to ask the questions.”

Staggering reach So has the initiative delivered on Mr Pigott’s expectations? “More than I think any of us thought it would. The reach of Open Farm Sunday is staggering. It gets the right message across about food and farming to a far bigger audience than just those who actually visit a farm.”

That’s down to a PR campaign run by LEAF and PR agency Ceres. The aim is to

create a national profile for this key event and the results are impressive – 66 million media opportunities to see, with front-page coverage in the Daily Telegraph Weekend section, appearances on BBC Breakfast and accolades on Radio 2’s Breakfast Show, to name but a few.

All this costs money and takes effort. And this is where the final and essential cog of a well-oiled machine fits, to keep the rest of the mechanism ticking smoothly, reveals LEAF Chief Executive and Farmers Club member Caroline Drummond. “What is remarkable about Open Farm Sunday is the incredible cross-industry support. We are very grateful to all the farmers and helpers who do so much to provide such a range of events that represent the diversity of our industry. And also our sponsors, without whom Open Farm Sunday simply would not happen.”

Among principal sponsors are Frontier Agriculture, National Grid, Waitrose and Warburtons, demonstrating the spread of support across the industry. For 2010 they are joined by ASDA and Morrisons, showing retailers increasingly value OFS for the true insight it gives consumers into

how their food is grown and the countryside is cared for.

The event also receives generous public funding from Defra and Natural England, while the Love Food, Hate Waste and Recycle Now campaign has also joined as a principal sponsor.

Mr Pigott’s own farm open day involves 30 local farms, attracting an estimated 3,500 visitors. It’s a showcase for award-winning local beef and lamb producers, there’s a dairy farmer who makes ice cream, an apple producer with his juice and a vegetable farmer who runs a box scheme.

“They come to tell people what happens on a Hertfordshire farm.”

Visitors are encouraged to make collages out of different grains, there’s “wellywanging” for teens and competitions to identify what farm implements do.

At the same time six tractors and trailers offer guided tours throughout the day.

“We’re getting across the farming message.

But it’s not a soap box. The response is great and the feedback is fantastic – you really feel you’re making a difference,” Mr Pigott enthuses.

So how does a farmer with precious little direct marketing skills and no experience of communicating with the public stage his own event to make a difference? “That’s where LEAF comes in,” notes Mr Pigott.

“It’s the perfect organisation to run Open Farm Sunday and has done a tremendous job. It provides the support, the advice, the training and the resources – the essential stepping stones to stage your own event.”

Event organisers So far it has helped nearly 1,000 farmers become accomplished event organisers in their own right. Every event is unique and ranges from 20 people for a quiet farm walk and a cup of tea, to 20,000 with an array of events and rural treats. But all benefit from a well-structured support framework run

by LEAF (see panel).

This year Mr Pigott will stage his fifth event, one of

Open Farm Sunday champion Ian Pigott will be welcoming 3500 visitors to his Herts farm this June

All that is made possible thanks to sponsor support. “They do not just provide the cash, they support Open Farm Sunday through their organisations,” explains Ms Drummond. “Retailers promote it through their stores, others to their customers, through in-house magazines, blogs, websites and even adverts. It is this level and genuine warmth of endorsement that helps the event flourish.”

GETTING INVOLVED

advice is also available online through a new video-based workshop.

First step for a prospective host is to register on the website (www.farmsunday.org). This is the vehicle to publicise the event and access LEAF’s resources. A number of workshops are held to train farmers in the essential elements, such as publicity, activities, health and safety and communicating with the public. This

Resources available to event hosts include posters and postcards, polo shirts to kit out your team of helpers, ideas for activities to keep visitors amused and items to give out as gifts or prizes. There is also a host farmer handbook – the bible for a prospective host, detailing all the advice to ensure the event is safe and fun.

Frontier Agriculture, for example, typified by agronomist Jon Allard who helps out at Bill and Gina Quan’s event just outside Hereford.

“I’ve a genuine interest in promoting to the general public what a fantastic industry this is and what a great job farmers are doing,” he comments. “Open Farm Sunday is a good opportunity to do that and I very much enjoy being involved.”

Mr Quan’s last event was in 2008. During the day 120 turned up for a tractor-andtrailer ride through the farm’s combinable crops, potatoes, beef and sheep. At stops along the way Mr Allard contributed to the story visitors hear about how their food is grown. “I think people are genuinely quite surprised just what goes into it and how varied the end product can be.”

For Mr Allard it’s also an opportunity to highlight the role of the agronomist. “Since my grandfather farmed in Suffolk yields and quality have improved greatly, thanks to the skill of plant breeders and crop protection professionals. There’s a perception sprays are bandied about willynilly, so it’s good to have the opportunity to get across the professional approach we

Many sponsors also put time and staff resources into helping individual farmers stage well run, accomplished events. That on-farm involvement is encouraged at 4

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

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

take. An important part of the job is the care we put into environmental management and looking after birds and other wildlife. If visitors take just one new little thing they’ve learned home with them, the day’s been worth it.”

For those who take part, hosts and helpers alike, Open Farm Sunday is hugely rewarding, adds Ms Drummond. “When it comes to introducing the public to farming you are pushing at an open door.”

Wider appeal Her aim is to push the appeal wider, to bring more people a greater understanding of farming. “That is where every Farmers Club member can help.

“All of us are out-going individuals, who come into contact with people at every level of the industry. We are driven by a deepseated belief in the integrity of our industry, and that is a message Open Farm Sunday is successfully taking to a wider audience.

“The more we can encourage others in our industry to support Open Farm Sunday, the greater the spread we can achieve, and the more we can build value for the produce our farmers deliver.”

OPEN FARM SUNDAY • Promoting farming to public • 500,000 visitors since 2006 • 66 million media opportunities • 400+ farms open 13th June 2010 • 5,500 on-farm supporters • Cross-industry support • Food retailer backing • www.farmsunday.org 5

FOOD RETAILING • Kenneth Parsons

FOOD RETAILING • Kenneth Parsons

Which would scare Tesco more – people power or a grocery ombudsman, asks Kenneth Parsons, Chief Executive of the Rural Shops Alliance.

Time for new Government to get to grips with supermarket power Hilary Benn said “people power” could “help bring about a revolution in the way food is produced and sold”. The fact of the matter is that the then Environment Secretary can huff and puff till the cows go to slaughter, but unless Government gets serious about taking on the big supermarkets nothing is going to happen.

If we are going to produce significantly more food in the UK, we have to make it economic for growers of whatever size to expand output, and for a wider range of retailers to sell it. That means paying them a reasonable rate of return.

Kenneth Parsons, Chief Executive, Rural Shops Alliance

GOVERNMENT is generally very bad at joined-up thinking. However, even by its normal standards, the pronouncement from Environment Secretary Hilary Benn earlier this year that Britain must grow more of its own food ignored key decisions in other Government departments.

The Competition Commission report on the grocery industry took as a basic part of its brief that low prices for consumers were what mattered. That was despite supermarkets using their excessive market power to drive down farm gate prices for food for years.

Competition was considered to be more than one supermarket shed in a town, even if it meant only one cowshed per county.

The report did nothing to preserve a diverse and viable farm industry – that was simply not part of the brief.

The idea that competition might mean specialist butchers, greengrocers, farm shops, farmers markets and village shops, all able to sell local produce from smaller producers, did not even get beyond the silage pit in their thinking.

Even their very weak recommendations, including the appointment of an ombudsman to help suppliers get a fair deal from supermarkets, have been effectively stalled. It would seem that in government thinking, keeping food price inflation artificially low, has had a higher priority than providing a fair deal to farmers or small food retailers.

6

So, while Hilary Benn’s statement was welcome, Government, of whatever hue, now needs to put words into practice. That means appointing an ombudsman to rebalance the relationship between the big supermarkets and their suppliers, something Nick Herbert (Conservative shadow environment secretary at time of writing) supports.

Big Five The “Big 5” supermarkets in 1990 were Tesco, Sainsbury, Gateway, Safeway and Asda. Of this list, Gateway and Safeway have disappeared, and Asda has become part of the Wal-Mart empire. The big winner has been Tesco, which now has market share way in excess of any competitor.

The Wal-Mart experience in the USA highlights the potential dangers. WalMart’s meteoric rise to total domination, shows how unchecked competition will favour the largest company. That partly

stems from economies of scale, since buying by the barnful inevitably reduces unit costs. But it is also about raw market power.

Increasingly, the British market is heading the same way. Although nobody seriously expects Tesco to be allowed to knock out Sainsburys, as Wal-Mart eliminated competitors like K-Mart, the pressures are the same.

The Competition Commission’s massive report on the Grocery Market, with more appendices than a surgical ward, found the “Big 4” UK supermarkets, Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda and Morrisons, have about 60% of the grocery market. Including the second tier players, which bring the total to 14 chains, large multiples have 80% of the British grocery market. Just about everywhere in the UK is within an acceptable drive of a supermarket. I guess you could escape them on, say, Rockall! But give it time – it must be on Tesco’s hit-list.

The Competition Commission findings were based on exhaustive statistical modelling and massive research. But the conclusion was wrong. A table buried in the report, but not really alluded to in its findings, shows why.

Remember, Tesco’s net profit margin is about 5%. Had Tesco bought at the same prices as a large wholesaler it would have made a massive loss. The price differential also allows it to outbid others for development sites and set up shops that will take years to become profitable.

So why does this happen? We believe sheer, raw, 130-octane market power is to blame.

The figures show the Big 4 supermarkets, led by Tesco, demand and obtain prices lower than their smaller competitors and the difference is greater than is warranted by bulk purchasing alone.

Grocery ombudsman The Competition Commission made a few half-hearted suggestions, the main one being the appointment of a grocery ombudsman to help oversee the relationship between the large chains and their suppliers. Both Conservatives and Labour said they were in favour. But nobody is yet in place.

For the system to work it needs to be very robust – it may not be the smartest career move to complain about your largest customer’s behaviour. In practice, progress has been the equivalent of driving a diesel Land Rover with 200,000 miles on the clock in reverse gear up Snowdon.

Supermarkets, of course, have their place.

But every new branch that opens draws sales from existing shops. That’s competition, that’s life. But we have now reached the stage that shops being forced out of business are not just the bad ones.

What’s more the sheer size of the supermarkets can allow them to extend their influence into other areas, where they can do things impossible for the independent. Take Tesco for example. It has recognised consumer interest in green issues in a number of ways. It is now considering plans to promote to consumers its work with dairy farmers in the Tesco Sustainable Dairy Group. A TDSG cow logo appears on packs of milk and will soon be added to tankers and even farm signage.

This is likely to be followed by its incorporation into mainstream advertising.

corner convenience store, the village shop, the butcher, the baker and maybe even the blacksmith – making wrought iron candlesticks. They understand the community importance of the village shop and the fact that a small farm shop is directly supporting local small producers.

If consumers are concerned about animal welfare, provenance of their food and farmers being paid a fair price, then schemes like this can tick a lot of their boxes. But at the same time it opens up another area where a huge retailer can do things quite impossible for the small independent and very difficult indeed even for the likes of Londis or Booker.

Market share

Another example: home delivery of groceries. Paradoxically, for a concept that seems rooted in local service, there are enormous economies of scale. Ocado, the leading specialist in this market, partowned by Waitrose, has a huge warehouse to support its operation. Despite massive losses the City is apparently prepared to accept those, in the expectation that Ocado will achieve an unassailable position in the market in the long term.

People want low prices, they want to shop at supermarkets, but they also want their

How a grocery ombudsman can help is not easy to define. The key is to create a level playing field, so grocery suppliers and farmers providing low prices to the Big 4 do not end up unwittingly subsidising the euthanasia of the corner shop.

Governments often make pronouncements with more small print than a car hire agreement. A starting point would be to say clearly, and without caveats, what market share is acceptable for the Big 4. This very discussion should make ministers and civil servants realise the parlous state the market is now in and how it affects farmers, producers and small retailers equally.

We look forward to Mr Benn’s “people power” working effectively to support the small producer. But to be honest, we think a real hard-hearted ombudsman, perhaps somebody who has worked for a supermarket in their supplier-terrorising department and so knows the ropes, would get where we need to be a few decades quicker.

MORE INFORMATION: www.rural-shops-alliance.co.uk/

The key problem is not competition; it is unfair competition. The CC’s own figures show the Big 4 supermarkets pay on average 11% less for what they buy than the large wholesalers or symbol groups and 16% less than small wholesalers.

That differential did not faze the Competition Commission. It should have.

“People power can bring about a revolution in the way food is produced and sold” Service with a smile. But are the community aspects of village shops ignored?

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

Hilary Benn, 2010 Oxford Farming Conference www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Summer 2010

7

MEMBER PROFILE • Charles Abel

MEMBER PROFILE • Charles Abel

New additions to farming fraternity have much to offer There are some new faces in the Club and there is a new breed of farmer on the land. We caught up with one.

DAVID PEERS owns a small farm in North Devon where he breeds organic pedigree Devon cattle. He is quite successful at it too, supplying beef boxes direct to customers as far away as Scotland and London. But how did he get here? Where did he come from?

And why has he joined the Farmers Club?

Before addressing those issues, a word from our President Elect, Richard Holland: “I’ve met and interviewed six potential new members over the past two years who all went on to join the Farmers Club, and David was one of them. They come from all sorts of places – the City, medicine, shipping – and they all have something in common, having ended up with farms, from which they have a lot to offer, not only to us, but the whole of the countryside as well.”

Having been a property developer in London, David is a prime example of this new kind of landowner. “My passion was in the research of architecture, I wanted to know who had lived in it, to find its soul,” he explains. “Restoring the home of one of the most renowned painters of late nineteenthcentury Britain, Sir Lawrence AlmaTadema, for example, was great fun. But I realised, towards the end, that it was time to move on. I wanted to live in a place I recognised, and as my children grew older I wanted them to have the same kind of childhood I enjoyed.”

David and his wife, Caroline, seem to have jumped into rural life with both feet. An established bullion dealer, David is also a qualified deer stalker and a useless fisherman. But is ‘jumped in’ really right? “I was born in Cheshire – dairy country – and moved to Exmoor in my mid to late teens, so it’s in the blood really,” David enthuses.

“It’s more like a return, because I’ve always lived this way, always had a dog, always been shooting and it is good to take it further and have a greater relationship with the land.”

Free range Gloucester Old Spots add value to fresh meat sales

Enjoying a rural life - David Peers, with (l-r) family friend Maddie, son Leo and daughter Hannah

Some will have noticed by now that this new breed of farmer speaks with great colour and enthusiasm. Take a “relationship with the land” for example.

“Well, yes, last year we planted 120 trees on a bit of land that hadn’t been farmed in over 20 years,” responds David. “The old owner decided his version of farming – “letting it go back” as he called it – was well suited to Exmoor. Some called it neglect. It doesn’t matter really, but I’m not planting these trees for me – they’re for the kids. And it is a ‘relationship’, because we get involved, completely immersed, and for us it can be very intense – probably because it’s so new.

We have to do everything – estate management, tractor driving, stock handling – you name it, I have to do it and there is a mountain of work. Laying hedges gives an immediate result, but the trees are for another generation.”

These modern farmers come from a world where experience is measured by qualifications and success by the pound sign. Moving to the country is, for some, a precarious move and there can be many

hard lessons on the way. “I’m trying to get three generations of experience under my belt as soon as possible,” says David. “I don’t have a grandfather to show me how, so the only way I’m going to learn is to go and stand in a field and look at sheep. I don’t really have any other way, because you can’t get this knowledge from a book.

You have to go and do it. I get measured by the quality of my stock and, so far, so good.

We get top money for our beef and there is a waiting list for the lamb. Every customer I’ve made I’ve kept and I have more referral customers than original ones.”

Are they all like this, these ‘blow-ins’? Can they all be this dedicated? “That I doubt.

Whenever a family moves in here, the locals discuss how long they’ll last. They won’t tell me my odds but I’ve got to the point where I too look knowingly at the new arrivals, with their clean cars and sparkly kids. I wish them all well. When I got here I didn’t know one end of a cow from another!”

So how tough is it moving lock, stock and barrel? “Well I’ve landed on my feet with

“It’s more like a return, because I’ve always lived this way......and it’s good to take it further and have a greater relationship with the land.”

8

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

Multi-coloured markings reflect the challenges of sheep husbandry

More than a rural idyll, West Hele Farm is a vibrant small farm in its own right

my neighbour, I really have. He’s a real old Devonian who can wear out 3 horses in a day’s hunting, a willing teacher on all matters, great company and has 6000 chickens laying eggs for Waitrose. I couldn’t ask for better. His wife carries a whip and I think it’s for him!

more. One of those things is, obviously, food. I took my boy Leo to the supermarket the other week and put a pork chop into his hands – he rejected it! As far as he’s concerned it was all wrong, but then we’ve got Gloucester Old Spots in the orchards and we eat very, very well.”

“But it can be tough, because city living is so anonymous and here, everyone knows who you are and what you do. The rule of two generations before you get accepted is a myth – here it’s at least three generations in the grave yard! Seriously though, I don’t think that it’s when they accept you, it’s when you accept them, and that means joining in, at their pace, doing their thing.

You’ve got to get into the rhythm and if you’re not prepared to change then you might as well forget it. Here in North Devon they reckon that if you can last two winters then you should be alright.”

So why join the Farmers Club? “My other business interest – bullion – draws me to London, pretty much once a month. I was trying to find a regular stop and the anonymity of modern hotels was awful, it really started to grate. I walked into the reception (of the Farmers Club) one day and was sort of disturbed by the casualness of it all. Relaxed, gentle, quiet – not what I

David is far from unique in reflecting the changing pattern of UK farm ownership.

These new landowners have much to offer, bringing cash into the countryside, taking on dilapidated buildings and helping keep country pubs and shops open. They offer new skills and knowledge, with fresh ideas and novel approaches. Embracing their enthusiasm is a sure sign that farming continues to adapt to the changing shape of the countryside in which it operates.

NEW MEMBER PROFILE Name: David Peers Provenance: Cheshire/Exmoor/London

So what convinced David to get back into farming? Has he discovered a Devonian gold mine or is bullion the newest 21st century form of farm diversification?

“I suppose there comes a point when you see modern living as completely unnecessary. It’s too busy, too hectic and not even productive. All of a sudden you realise you want something else, something wholesome. It is nice to go on exotic holidays, but you yearn for something

expected at all. Now I’ve found my chair, the staff are just excellent and the bar suits my perpendicular style. It’s good for me – it’s my kind of place, just like home.”

Career: Property developer, bullion dealer Farming: North Devon - organic pedigree Devon beef, lamb and pork Key thought: “I’m trying to get three generations of experience under my belt as soon as possible.”

New Club member David Peers’ background is in property development and bullion dealing.

But he relishes the challenges and rewards of farming in Devon

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

9

CORNELL UNIVERSITY • Dr Sife Chikunya

CORNELL UNIVERSITY • Dr Sife Chikunya

Novel research is helping scientists address the fat profile of milk and meat products. Dr Sife Chikunya, of Writtle College, used a Farmers Club Charitable Trust bursary to visit Cornell University in the USA to find out more.

RESEARCH SUPPORT I WAS overwhelmed by the disparity in facilities between UK and US agricultural institutions. The department of Animal Science at Cornell is well resourced, with large dairy, beef and sheep units devoted to teaching, and academic and industry research.

Cornell paves way to healthier meat and milk Professor Bauman’s group at Cornell University did some of the pioneering work in this area. I was therefore greatly privileged to be able to work with his group for six weeks, re-acquainting myself with developments in this area and developing advanced technical skills.

With state of the art equipment and expertise Prof Bauman’s laboratory provided an ideal environment to acquire expertise and I benefited immensely. I am grateful to Anne O’Donnell, Mahmoud Hassan, Dr Jude Capper and Dr Kevin Harvatine for the assistance they gave me.

Sife Chikunya of Writtle College

Industry events Novel research at Cornell University could pave the way for milk to help combat cancer.

MY MAIN purpose for visiting the Department of Animal Science at Cornell University was to find out more about the latest approaches to fatty acid analysis in ruminant food products, something of huge relevance as consumers seek healthier diets.

Cornell University is situated in the picturesque small town of Ithaca in New York State, 250 miles north west of New York City. My hosts there were Professor Dale E Bauman (Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor) and his group, Prof Bauman being a world-renowned scientist working on the regulation of nutrient use during lactation, growth and pregnancy in ruminants. At the heart of his work is an exciting move to make the fats in meat and milk healthier for consumers.

The saturation of these fatty acids is a consequence of transformation, in the rumen by micro-organisms, of fatty acids consumed by ruminant animals.

In recent years, much research has focused on strategies to modify the content and composition of these fatty acids. The aim is to make ruminant products more acceptable, in line with consumer perceptions, and to comply with health recommendations.

The most noteworthy discovery in this area involved the potential health benefits of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). CLA is the collective term to describe several positional and geometric isomers (variants of the same molecule) of linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid.

My interest in the role of dietary lipids (fats and oils) in the composition of animal food products (meat, milk and dairy products) and in animal body fluids (blood plasma and semen) stems from the work I did as post-doctoral fellow at Harper Adams University College before joining Writtle College in 2002.

CLA has several potential benefits to human health:

Consumers, in their food choices, are increasingly aware of the links between different types of lipids in the diet and their health impacts. It is recognised that food products from ruminants (cattle, sheep, goats, deer etc) are high in saturated fatty acids, which are viewed negatively.

• enhancement of the immune function.

10

Alongside the detailed work on CLA I had time to attend the largest animal science meeting in the world, where over 3,000 delegates converged on the International Convention Centre in downtown Indianapolis for the joint centennial meeting of the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS) and the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA).

• lower incidence of obesity, • anti-diabetic effects, • lower blood cholesterol,

The investigation of strategies to enhance the levels of CLA in meat and milk, and its role in regulating milk fat content in dairy animals, is a current area of intense research.

CORNELL POINTERS Novel approaches to fat in meat and milk Big health benefits possible CLA lipids can: • inhibit cancer, • reduce obesity, • combat diabetic effects, • lower blood cholesterol, • enhance immune function.

New analytical techniques

I also visited the 75th Empire Farm Days exhibition at Seneca Falls in New York State. This is one of the premier farm shows in North America, attracting over 70,000 visitors from 5 to 7 August. It is an excellent opportunity to learn about new technologies, meet producers and agricultural experts, and to get familiar with ground-breaking ideas and innovative equipment.

As a result of my travels I feel I have acquired and widened the range of teaching materials for my lectures at Writtle College, at BSc and MSc level; support for student dissertations and theses at BSc, MSc & PhD levels; updated myself on recent developments in animal science to support teaching in the School of Equine and Animal Science at Writtle; and finally built important professional contacts with livestock scientists.

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

The dairy unit alone occupies 1000ha (2600 acre), housing 993 Holstein cows and heifers, of which 483 cows are lactating. The average productivity is 39 kg milk per cow per day, with a 192-day average lactation. Milking is three-times daily using a double ten herring bone parlour.

The opportunities for student learning, teaching and research at these facilities are second to none. For trial work, the Teaching and Research units charge the Department of Animal Science about $1.75 per cow per day for trials done at the facility. This is heavily subsidised, the actual cost being about $17 per cow per day.

There are also dormitories on-site at the teaching and research unit to accommodate staff and students during trials. The fee? A nominal $1 per night.

Other teaching facilities include a beef unit (100 cow and calf operation), a sheep unit (1400 sheep of which 700 are ewes), a pig facility (50 sow, farrow to finish operation) and a poultry unit (200 birds).

Most of the feed is grown on the estate, as maize 225ha (560 acres), alfalfa 220ha (550 acres), Fescue grass pastures 80ha (200 acres) and wheat 12ha (30 acres). The unit is managed to break even, generating about US$2.8 million per year in milk sales.

A key theme was the challenge posed to livestock production by global warming and potential strategies for mitigating the carbon footprint of the livestock industry.

Conclusions

• inhibition of cancer,

In trials modified rations are bringing big benefits to milk and meat products alike.

The University Research and Teaching Farm is situated near a small town called Dryden, about 15 miles from the main campus in Ithaca. Tom Eddy and Anne O’Donnell showed me around the land, which is all owned by the state of New York, which has pros and cons. For instance, it greatly restricts further development on the site. But on the other hand it reduces overheads associated with running operations at the farm.

operate an all year round calving system, with 22 to 26 cows calving monthly. The artificial insemination (AI) at the unit is managed and carried out by a local commercial AI Co-operative.

The major concern at the unit is dairy cow fertility, with a culling rate of 30%. They

CANCER-BUSTING BUTTER

Cornell University’s research farm is home to almost 1000 dairy cattle.

MORE INFORMATION: www.ansci.cornell.edu Cornell University Department of Animal Sciences www.ansci.cornell.edu/faculty/bauman Prof Bauman www.ansci.cornell.edu/bauman Bauman Research Group www.ansci.cornell.edu/facilities University Research and Teaching Farm www.asas.org American Society of Animal Science www.adsa.org American Dairy Science Association www.empirefarmdays.com Empire Farm Days

Tip-top on-farm testing facilities support Cornell’s animal science research.

USING natural feed ingredients, the Bauman Research Group has designed a diet to enhance the CLA (cis-9, trans-11) and vaccenic acid content of milk fat and collected the milk from cows at Cornell’s Teaching and Research Farm.

Collaboration with Dr David Barbano and workers at Cornell’s Food Science Department produced a butter that had a CLA content eight times that of a control butter. The results from feeding such butter to rats, and other studies, led the US National Academy of Sciences to state: “...CLA is the only fatty acid shown unequivocally to inhibit carcinogenesis in experimental animals.”

The Group notes that consumer awareness of functional foods has increased, functional foods being any food

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

or food ingredient that may provide a health benefit beyond the traditional nutrients it contains. Conjugated linoleic acid and vaccenic acid are microcomponents that impart functional food characteristics to dairy products. The Group says a market for CLA-enriched dairy products may exist and should be explored further. It has subsequently branched off to look at the effects of a high CLA butter in an atherosclerosis model, as well as on-going research to find feeding/management practices to elevate and maintain cis-9, trans-11 CLA levels in milk fat.

Source: cis-9, trans-11 CLA - A Potent Anticarcinogen Found in Milk Fat (see www.ansci.cornell.edu/bauman/cla/hum an_health/index.html )

11

NEW JOURNAL EDITOR • Charles Abel

SPRING CONCERT • Charles Abel

New Journal Editor Charles Abel joins with a wealth of experience FROM a youth picking potatoes in rural Lincolnshire to a 23 year career with top farming magazine Farmers Weekly, new Journal Editor Charles Abel has long held farming close to his heart.

Charles Abel - joins the Farmers Club team with 25 years’ experience in farming journalism.

Now living at the foot of the South Downs in West Sussex, with wife Julie and sons Daniel, William and Samuel, he started his career in journalism with the English Farmer newspaper, before studying for a BSc (Hons) degree in Agricultural Botany at Aberystwyth University in rural West Wales.

He was recruited onto Farmers Weekly’s

Machinery Desk in 1986 by former FW editor Stephen Howe, and went on to serve as arable editor of Farmers Weekly and editor of Crops, and finally Head of Content for FW Group, managing 26 journalists covering all matters farming for a range of magazines and a fast-growing website, FWi. “I’ve had a phenomenal career in farm journalism, reporting on some of the most dynamic farm businesses and some of the most awful farming crises, including Salmonella, BSE and foot-and-mouth, twice.

Through it all I’ve been privileged to work beside truly enthusiastic colleagues.

Farming really is one of the world’s great

industries, poised on the brink of a major renaissance as climate change, food security, energy issues and land use all top the agenda.”

After leaving Farmers Weekly in September 2008 Charles established his own media business, abelcomms, providing editorial content for key farming titles, corporate videos, PR for Bayer CropSciences, RAGT Seeds, Tama UAT and others, and media skills training for senior executives in organisations as diverse as the BAA, Baltic Exchange, Barclays Bank, Deloitte and the National Audit Office.

“Editing the Farmers Club Journal really is a great fit alongside my other interests and I’m very much looking forward to continuing Don’s work with the Journal, providing industry insight, perspectives on its future and a window on the vibrancy of this great Club. My one sadness is that Don and I only had the most fleeting discussions about the Journal before his untimely death.

His huge knowledge of both the industry and the Club will be greatly missed.”

Charles has been a member of the Club for over 25 years and has significant experience of reporting on farming in other European countries, including major

venture capital-funded projects in Ukraine.

He speaks some French, German and Romanian, but “nowhere near enough” Russian.

His prime interest outside work is the church, where he is an elder, Sunday School teacher and regular speaker at meetings across south-east England. He has run charities supporting orphanages in Romania and Moldova and is now actively involved in church work in Ukraine. He enjoys travelling, his favourite destinations being Eastern Europe, the tropics and Israel.

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons heralds the arrival of spring at St Martin’s OPPORTUNITIES to listen to the poetic music of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in fine surroundings come around all too rarely.

To do so in the wonderful atmosphere of St Martin-in-the-Fields church, just off Trafalgar Square in central London, was a treat indeed.

Club chairman Nicki Quayle had planned a whole evening’s entertainment, starting at the Club with drinks in the lounge, followed by a fine smoked mackerel starter and rack of lamb main-course in the dining room, then off to St Martin’s for the music.

the sense of anticipation was heightened by the wonderful surroundings, the church’s gilded splendour sparkling brightly in the candlelight beside rain darkened windows.

In the first half of the concert the London Music Arts Orchestra, conducted with panache by John Landour, gave a rousing rendition of Vivaldi’s Sinfonia “alla rustica”, followed by Pachelbel’s Canon and Gigue, Handel’s Arrival of the Queen of Sheba, Bach’s Dances for Suite No 3 in D Major and back to Handel for Alexander’s Feast.

A miserable March drizzle did little to dampen the enthusiasm as participants made their way to the church. Once inside,

The interval offered a great opportunity for the Rev Nick Holtam to give us an inspiring snapshot tour of St Martin’s. As Farmers Club Chaplain his parish not only covers a large area of urban London, including Buckingham Palace, but a very large rural area too. At the heart of it all lies St Martin’s, doing wonderful work for the homeless and vulnerable through its vibrant drop-in centre, The Connection.

Each week St Martin’s sees 20 services, 6 concerts and a whole host of activities, attracting an incredible 700,000-plus visitors every year. This oasis amidst London’s hubbub is well worth a visit, and well worth supporting through donations (see www.smitf.org). Indeed, Farmers Club members will have a chance to do both when our Harvest Festival is held there in October.

A £36m renovation of this important 13th century building has included a dramatic conversion of the crypt beneath, to provide a two floor facility for meetings, exhibitions and numerous outreach activities, including services in Cantonese and Mandarin.

Suitably inspired, Club members and their guests returned to their excellent “front-ofhouse” seats, just in time for Vivaldi’s Four

12

Club members

urch the £t36m ch Touring en redevelopm THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Summer 2010 • www.thefarmersclub.com

Afterwards, following another swift trot through the London drizzle, it was time for desert, coffee and after-dinner drinks back at the Club - the sweet notes of Vivaldi still resonating, and hopefully heralding Spring’s imminent arrival.

Charles Abel

Caption

Rev oltam explain work NoficSktHM s the artins

r Farmers Front row seats fo and guests

Seasons. The LMA under John Landour played the four Concertos, first published in 1725, with verve. One critic, writing for The Independent, was all too right in branding the performance: “....playing of great finesse....deliciously fleet and fresh.”

Architectural splendour

Descen - two flodoing into the orig rs beneat al cry h the cin hurch pt

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

Teesdal Carter from y h at K er b Club memd guest Viv Cordial (left) an

e

13

RACEHORSE TRAINING • Alison Northrop

RACEHORSE TRAINING • Alison Northrop

How can racehorse training be improved? Alison Northrop used a Farmers Club Charitable Trust bursary to visit New Zealand to find out.

New Zealand’s quest for safer racehorse training

Racecourse locations visited in New Zealand 1 Pukekohe Racecourse, Pukekohe 2 Cambridge Racecourse, Cambridge 3 Te Awamutu Racecourse, Te Awamutu 4 Matamata Racecourse, Matamata 5 Hawkes Bay Racing, Hastings 6 Awapuni Racecourse, Palmerston North 7 Riccarton Park, Christchurch

A number of recent studies suggest the risk of musculoskeletal injury increases as turf becomes harder or ground becomes inconsistent. Trainers in this study preferred a surface with a good degree of give and that was consistent; this would be expected.

There were a number of trainers who were keen to use an all weather synthetic surface, partly to avoid weather restrictions on training.

Plans to develop synthetic tracks in NZ have been put on hold for a variety of reasons including recent negative experiences in other countries. Track managers were keen to understand more about the UK experience with synthetic tracks, and trainers were split almost 50-50 between those keen to embrace this new type of surface and those that aired concerns or were only keen on turf racing.

1 2 3 4

Track surfaces 5 6

Racehorses are more likely to suffer injuries during training than racing

Interviewing racecourse and training track managers revealed the importance of tailoring surfaces to the needs of the horse

SUCCESSFUL racehorse training is all about maintaining optimum fitness whilst minimising the risks to the horse. So the quality of the training and the training surface used are absolutely critical.

lay its first synthetic fibre tracks in the next few years my Farmers Club Charitable Trust bursary was very well timed.

How the horse is trained and the type of track it trains on are both likely to affect the longevity of a horse’s career. Indeed, it is now well accepted that more injuries occur during training than on the racetrack.

I have previous experience of the New Zealand racehorse industry and Tim Mills, CEO at Riccarton Park, Christchurch in the South Island, was typical of the industry people I met, introducing me to a number of trainers at his track.

The way horse injuries in training often stem from an inability to monitor workload and fitness was discussed at the Seventh International Conference on Equine Exercise Physiology (ICEEP 7) in 2006, where the practicality of technical methods, like heart rate monitors (HRM) and global positioning systems (GPS), was keenly debated.

But while research identifying risks exists, it is unclear whether it is successfully disseminated to trainers and track managers.

The issue is further complicated, because while the UK and New Zealand commonly race on turf, much of the training is on nonturf surfaces, such as sand, dirt, woodchip and synthetic fibres. Indeed, with New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing aiming to 14

endoscopy was only used to assess a horse if performance was reduced. Some trainers had evaluated GPS and HRM in Massey University trials, but no longer used the techniques.

New Zealand 7

My first impression was of a beautiful setting with snow capped mountains on the horizon and a frosty covering to the ground disappearing as the sun rose. Riccarton Park, dating back to 1855, is one of the oldest racecourses in New Zealand and hosts the prestigious New Zealand Cup Week. Perhaps my most memorable moment was my first morning (4:30am) at Matamata where up to 750 horses train every day.

Track surface was influenced by fluctuations in the environment as well as the number of horses working on it and the way it was maintained. Maintaining tracks is far from simple, made more difficult by the trainers who, understandably, focus on the needs of their horses.

of

I also spent time with the head of training tracks at Newmarket, England, who believes the most important part of managing tracks is the way they are maintained and treated. This involves skill and care, as seen in all the track managers in New Zealand.

Conclusions Trainers were keen to discuss ideas and learn more about other methods of training. However, tools will need to become more accessible before they are commonplace. The results showed that maintaining an appropriate track is the greatest priority for a track manager.

The concepts of sustainability (social / ethical, economic and environmental) are still in their infancy in NZ racing, with priority still given to economic aspects. It is, however, likely that environmental concerns, like watering, run-off of surface constituents and surface disposal will assume greater importance.

If synthetic tracks are eventually implemented, due consideration of the track’s full life-cycle should be made.

RACEHORSE TRAINING • More injuries in training than racing

Track managers were keen to develop their tracks and kept in touch with each other as well as developing their knowledge through conferences and training.

They were also responsible for the racecourses and these were their financial priority, making economic sustainability

• Track condition critical • Split views on merits of synthetic surfaces • Benefits of technical aids unclear • Track maintenance a fine art

Several trainers discussed the difficulties of training horses using track riders that do not possess English as a first language. In these cases instructions may not always be fully understood and an accurate tool to assess work would be a benefit.

While New Zealand racing is solely on turf, there is only limited scope for training on turf. Most training tracks allocate a quota for turf training, proportionate to the number of horses in training, with the rest trained on a different surface.

Training methods Whilst in New Zealand I conducted thirty interviews with trainers and six interviews with track managers.

None of the trainers I spoke to used HRM or GPS in training programmes and

Trainers commented on the financial and time implications of such tools and that an experienced trainer can assess a horse better than a measurement that considers just one aspect of the horse. There were, however, some trainers keen to embrace new ideas and these trainers were all successful.

The track manager questionnaire considered track surface, maintenance and sustainability.

their prime concern, ahead environmental or social concern.

A non-turf training track (sand) demonstrating the effect on the surface following a morning of training

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

Non-turf training tracks in New Zealand include sand, plough and cinders, with trainer preferences varying according to individual horses and seasons.

Horses returning after training at Matamata

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

15

CLIMATE CHANGE • Bill McKelvey

CLIMATE CHANGE • Bill McKelvey

The need for unity in a climate of change Farming needs to take its rightful place at the heart of society’s efforts to tackle global sustainability issues, argues Professor Bill McKelvey, Chief Executive and Principal of the Scottish Agricultural College.

AGRICULTURE is not the problem, but the solution, to many of the issues society now faces. But for it to meet those challenges substantial investment is needed and the industry needs to unite in its call for such support.

When you stand back and look at the broad panoply of issues it is really mind-boggling.

Over the past twenty five years the number of ‘issues’ we have had to deal with, and find answers for, just seems to have kept growing – diffuse pollution, water quality, antibiotic resistance, salmonella in eggs, Mad Cow Disease, Campylobacter, E. coli O157, GM crops and now, the really big one, Climate Change.

All of this debate has now basically crystallised into a single subject – sustainability. How can we produce more food, using fewer resources, less energy, less water, whilst producing less greenhouse gas and dealing with the impacts of Climate Change?

As farming addresses that huge issue it is vital that uniform scientific approaches are used. Environmental impacts must be measured using standardized assessment tools, and need expressing per functional unit of food produced.

Thus, greenhouse gas emissions should not simply be assessed as output per animal, or per facility, but should be based on the productivity of the system, using a full life-cycle assessment approach.

For example, Swedish researchers recently reported greater ammonia volatilisation per acre from conventional dairy farms than their organic counterparts. However, ammonia volatilisation per unit of milk produced was greatest in the organic system due to reduced stocking rates and the increased number of animals required to produce the same quantity of milk.

Increasing unit productivity is part of the answer to reducing the environmental impact of farming. If we do not have efficient agriculture we do not have enough land in the world to feed our global population. World population is set to grow 50% over the next 40 years, so more food is going to have to be produced.

Sustainability Society will have to make some pretty hard choices if we are to have a sustainable future. It needs to choose how to travel, produce its energy, use natural resources, and what food it wishes to eat.

Unfortunately, it is a fact that agricultural systems produce Green House Gases in significant quantities – ruminant livestock, whether organic or otherwise, produce methane, and ploughing releases CO2. But

it is clearly ridiculous to suggest we can all become vegetarians or suddenly move from livestock to crop production across vast areas of the UK, especially Scotland, where it’s hard enough producing grass, never mind wheat!

So Paul McCartney and Lord Stern are, to say the very least, sadly misguided. But their voices have been heard by the general public and it is now time for a united fight back by land managers to say that agriculture should not be seen as the problem, but rather a major part of the solution.

We hear far too much about the negative impact of agriculture on climate – and whilst it is true that some 10% of GHGs in the UK come from land use we do not hear nearly enough about the ability of land to sequester carbon. In Scotland it is estimated that our moorlands store 170 years’ worth of Scotland’s total GHG output at current rates. They must be protected and enhanced.

Furthermore, is it right to include food production in overall carbon reduction targets, when much greater progress can be made in other areas, where real alternatives are available, such as power production?

Win-win But we should also remember that many of the mitigation measures are win-wins for

Centers of applied R&D, like the SAC in Edinburgh, need appropriate funding if farming is to fulfill its pivotal role in some of the key issues now facing society

“We need a united voice calling for a greater slice of a diminishing cake in terms of public funding,” 16

Research must be geared to practical farming

Good extension work is essential to get technical messages over to practical farmers

farming. Work undertaken by my research colleagues at SAC for DEFRA and for the Committee on Climate Change, clearly demonstrates more efficient and effective use of fertilisers (organic and inorganic), improved fertility of livestock and more efficient feed conversion, all have enormously positive impacts on carbon budgets and farm P & L accounts.

of the Technology Strategy Board with the announcement of an extra £50m for food chain Research over the next five years.

Indeed, more efficient production actually has a far greater positive impact on climate change mitigation than alternative technologies, such as anaerobic digesters.

We have an enormous education job to do.

R&D Which brings me to the more general issue of producing the relevant, useful, information we need. Scientific agricultural research and its dissemination is another key area where we need a unified voice.

Proper investment is long overdue.

It is encouraging to see the recent upsurge of interest in food security amongst the public and politicians. The conversion of the DEFRA Cabinet Secretary from nonbeliever to supporter of UK food production, and the launch of the Food 2030 document at Oxford, has been truly amazing, but very welcome.

The Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, John Beddington coined the term “ The Perfect Storm “ to describe the combined crises facing the world in terms of Energy, Water and Food supplies, all impacting globally over the next 40 years. It is excellent that John Beddington has launched the UK Cross-Government Food Research and Innovation Strategy.

We have also recently seen the BBSRC redirect its overall strategy towards the sciences relevant to food chain sustainability and we have seen the establishment of the Agriculture platform

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

Excellent initiatives, if long overdue.

But a real word of warning. What we need is useful research; that is actually translated into practice. Not only have we seen a disastrous diminution in agricultural R & D capacity over the past thirty years, but we have seen the equally disastrous effects of pumping what little money there was into basic research, much of which has not seen the light of day.

So, we need to invest more in agricultural sciences, and in their application. We have lost enormous capacity over the past 20 years with the closure of research institutes, the widespread withdrawal of universities from agricultural sciences, and the loss of integrated extension services in England and Wales.

But, most worryingly, we have lost people.

We just do not have a deep pool of researchers and teachers, and we need to very rapidly retrain consultants to meet the new challenges. We need a united voice calling for a greater slice of a diminishing cake in terms of public funding. What area of science is more deserving of such funding to preserve the future sustainability of our globe?

A very strong case is made in the Royal Society report brought together by Sir David Baulcombe of Cambridge University, which sets out the case for a further £2 billion of R & D money per year being applied to Crops R & D, for example.

But is industry brave enough to contribute more too? AHDB collectively supports about £22m/year of research and the supply industry about £50m; government supports about £260m/year and this will increase with TSB funding. A farmer survey at this year’s Oxford Farming

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

Conference showed a remarkable consensus that research should be approximately one third funded by farmers.

That would mean doubling AHDB support.

Is that acceptable?

Education Finally, education per se. As with research, we have seen the core resources depleted over the past two to three decades. We need to greatly expand education capacity, yet at SAC we are full – we are capped. At Harper Adams the same story. We need the cap removed for agriculture, it needs to be seen as a core industry for economic recovery. Again a united voice is needed to achieve this.

Those of us who are my vintage are extremely lucky to have seen an industry which many regarded as a sunset “basket case” five years ago, move to now being a “sunrise” industry. But to realise the full potential we need the wheels of innovation, research, education and development to be properly oiled.

• Based on a talk to the Farmers Club Committee Dinner, 9th Feb 2010. See www.thefarmersclub.com for full text.

FARMING RENAISSANCE? • Farming central to sustainability issues • Shift from “basket-case” to “sunrise” sector • Measure environmental impacts uniformly • Assess impacts per unit of food produced • Good scope for win-win measures • More useful research needed • Fresh focus on dissemination 17

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

Chairman’s Jottings during which we will be visiting the new dairy unit at Harper Adams College and the Sansaw Estate, who through their ethos of modern rural living have produced an award winning business park alongside a thriving mixed farm.

SPRING appears to have been and gone for many of us, leaving in its wake a trail of cold, wet weather. But perhaps by the time this edition goes to print we will see evidence of the long hot summer we have been promised!

Despite the wintry weather 34 Under 30s members and guests attended the Spring Dining Evening at The Club at the end of March for an evening of good food, plenty of chatter and a spot of port tasting, as reported by Holly Adams.

Our next event, from 14th to 16th May, is the Spring Farm Walk in Shropshire,

This summer we are pleased to be joining forces with the senior club as in previous years, in hosting a drinks reception at the CLA Game Fair on 24th July at Ragley Hall.

In addition, 2010 is the first year that the Farmers Club has hosted a dinner at the Royal Norfolk Show and we look forward to welcoming Sir Richard Dannatt, former Chief of the General Staff as our speaker for what promises to be an enjoyable and insightful evening.

U30s member Edward Reynolds has chosen an interesting topic for this Journal’s U30s article, highlighting the difficulties faced by young people attempting to enter farming at a grass roots level. He draws on the experiences of a young council farm tenant who, through tenacity and determination, has proven that

this can be a successful way into farming, I hope you enjoy reading the article.

As many of you are aware The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution is celebrating its 150 year anniversary throughout 2010. On Sunday 11th July Lizzie Benson, Holly Adams and I will be running the British 10K run in support of the good work carried out by this charity.

While perhaps not as impressive as the marathon efforts of club members in recent years, for three girls who “don’t do running” this is quite a challenge. If you feel you would like to support us in our efforts on behalf of RABI please visit www.justgiving.com/thegirlsfromthefarm where you will find updates of our training and details of the event and sponsorship.

If you are interested in coming along to any of our events, or indeed in joining the Under 30s, please do drop me a line.

Gemma Partridge gem.partridge@hotmail.co.uk 07769 930389

U30s Treading the Grapes!

FOLLOWING the sell out success of our first U30s Saturday dining evening last November, the incoming chairman, Gemma Partridge, arranged for our Spring Dining Event to be held on the last Saturday in March.

Despite it being a wet and gloomy day it didn’t seem to dampen the U30s spirits, as 34 members from all round the country came together for an evening of port tasting, hosted by Ben Campbell-Johnson, a wine consultant from the Symington Family Estate.

of five additional ports over canapés in the Eastwood Room was both informative and enjoyable, explaining not only the history of port, but also how to enjoy tasting such a range of good quality ports.

He explained the different port making processes and how these determined a port’s flavours and characteristics.

Over a delicious dinner of roast pork and seasonal vegetables we enjoyed a Symington Portuguese table wine, before moving on to desert and cheese – and tasting two final ports!

The Symington Family Estate is a family run port and wine house in Portugal, which produces some of the most well known ports in the world. It is very much a family business, with a family member directly responsible for every bottle of port produced, from the vineyards through to the blending, ageing and tasting.

Traditionally port was trodden by foot and fermented in lagares. Nowadays only 5% of port is produced this way. Symington Estate is proud to produce over 10% of its port using this technique, and while the family invests in the best equipment it is keen not to lose the traditional values and methods that are key to the industry.

Our evening started in the Cumber Room where we enjoyed a tawny port as an aperitif. Ben proved to be a knowledgeable and passionate speaker. His tutored tasting

The U30s then decamped to the bar to continue the night, while some more adventurous members headed to the recently revamped Motion nightclub to

18

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

FreshStart farming success in Cornwall IN OUR latest look at the challenges facing young entrants into farming we visit Robert Halliday, a new council farm tenant in Cornwall. What makes Robert, aged 27, different is the way he successfully won a tender and became a farmer with very little working capital.

existing buildings, were funded by an overdraft from an understanding bank. As Robert’s collateral was limited, borrowing money was not easy. “You must also remember new entrants do not receive Single Farm Payment, as they weren’t farming in the reference years,” he adds.

Cornwall County Council needs to make best use of public assets, so chooses tenants with a clear idea about the direction of their ‘business opportunity’ plan. Tending to prefer younger tenants, the council understands how prohibitive entry into farming can be.

Talking to Robert there is no doubt this is a hard way to make a living. “But if overheads can be kept down, and one is confident of gross margins and avoiding long periods without income, it can be done,” he asserts.

“After seeing the tenancy advertised [in the Western Morning News], I requested an application form, was invited to a viewing day, and reached the final group of prospective tenants,” Robert recalls.

“Vital to my application was the information I received through the Fresh Start programme in 2007, funded by central government,” Robert explains. This provided a better understanding of the nuts and bolts of applying. Combined with a degree from Reading University, he had the confidence to plan an enterprise and support it with reliable figures.

dance until the early hours.

As a result, in October 2007, Robert started his seven and a half year tenancy on an 34ha (85 acre) progressional farm (middle ranking council farm category), near Liskeard. He received help from a ‘farming mentor’, an established tenant farmer, who guided Robert during the early stages.

After a hearty breakfast the next morning, we all headed back to our various corners of the country, all a bit wiser about port, and looking forward to meeting again at the Shropshire Spring Farm Walk in May – always a good weekend.

Despite the limited availability of working capital, Robert began his business by contract rearing heifers for a local dairy farm. This was preceded by a capital outlay to re-seed pasture and fence the whole farm, so improving his Tenants Valuation.

Many thanks to the Chef and his team for another fantastic dinner, and to the new U30s Chair, Gemma Partridge, for organising what was a very enjoyable and successful evening.

Contract rearing stock reduced his exposure to market volatility and gave a reliable cheque on the doormat every month, providing the lifeblood of any new business: cashflow.

Holly Adams

Many of the initial purchases, along with the re-seeding, fencing and modifications to the

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

It may be a work/work balance, rather than a work/life balance. But by working hard, keeping overheads low and maintaining a careful eye on physical and financial outputs, Robert appears to have come through the difficult start-up period.

His business has now grown to 195ha (485 acres) of rented grass, and he has started contract managing pedigree South Devons.

Indeed, it is evident from speaking with him that he has many plans for the future. His love for the job, and resolve to make a success of the business, is clearly what makes him a success.

Edward Reynolds

Based on five-year budgets and cashflow projections, finalists were interviewed, and their plans scrutinised, to determine their financial viability and compatibility with the council’s requirements.

“Critical to my successful tender application with the Cornish Council, was attention to detail to their particular requirements for the farm,” he notes.

Risha and GemGmohil, Holly Ada a Partrid ms ge

Although the council prefers full-time tenants, it recognises alternative jobs can supplement farm incomes. Robert is no exception, working two days a week for the Duchy of Cornwall as a qualified rural surveyor. “This reduced my income dependence on the farm, and aided my

ability to administer the business.” He also works part-time on a neighbouring estate, which operates a labour sharing agreement.

Entrepreneur Robert Halliday used expertise gained through the Fresh Start initiative to secure a farm tenancy from Cornwall County Council. His business has expanded to 485 acres of grass let, supporting contract reared heifers for a neighbouring dairy farm and pedigree South Devons.

FRESH START In recognition of the importance of new entrants to farming the Government launched Fresh Start in 2004 to: • Promote an entrepreneurial culture amongst the next generation of farm business owners • Promote the use of generic business planning & management techniques • Promote farming (and its associated activities) as an attractive career option for new entrants • Develop a “matching service” to link potential new entrants to those wishing to reduce their direct involvement or retire

• Develop a national mentoring capability for all new / growing farm enterprises • Offer practical support for a continual professional development culture, to be adopted by everybody working in this industry • Stimulate existing farmers to think about their businesses in a post CAP reform environment, whether this leads to a planned expansion / a diversification or a managed exit.

The choices made could create new opportunities for new entrants

MORE INFORMATION: www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmmanage/working/new-entrants www.cornwallac.org/fresh-start/index.php

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

19

DON GOMERY OBITUARY • Denis Chamberlain

RAMBLINGS • Stephen Skinner

Farmers Club Journal Editor, Don Gomery, died on April 1st, the very day on which he officially retired from the post. Former Club Chairman, Denis Chamberlain, a life-long friend and colleague, celebrates the life of a true professional journalist. in the past 30 years to combine his career in professional communication with a role as Council member and Honorary Secretary of the Guild of Agricultural Journalists and significantly as a representative of the Guild on the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ).

Packed itinerary of events as summer show season starts THE SUMMER SHOW season is upon us and we have a packed programme of events lined up where I hope to meet many Club members, starting with the Royal Ulster Show, where Matt Dempsey is our guest speaker.

I mention this for two reasons. Firstly, to encourage those of you who have yet to sign up for this event, or any of our other regional events, to do so fast! Secondly, because recently a number of you will have seen an e-mail from the Club advertising events in your area (the Royal Ulster is the first we have tried).

His contribution is well summed up by an international colleague thus – “Don was a consummate agricultural journalist, a perfectionist in the written word and diligent in the search for truth. He was a mainstay of the British Guild – for which he had been honorary secretary for 26 years.

He was totally committed to the IFAJ, fulfilling his role as the British executive member with dedication, and he was looking forward to attending his 30th international congress in Belgium this year.”

A fine writer and a great character at Whitehall Court I FIRST MET Don Gomery in the lift of Lloyds Bank Chambers in Ipswich. I was making a slightly nervous start to an agricultural journalistic career as a junior writer on Pig Farming, Don was established as a senior writer on Dairy Farmer. Our careers and lives were destined to run on parallel lines.

The son of a Fleet Street journalist, Don had always wanted to be involved in the farming industry and persuaded his parents to enrol him first at Kent Farm Institute and later at the Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester. That mixture of writing in his blood, farming in his heart and a genuinely enquiring mind shaped a great career. Don went on to become editor of Dairy Farmer, winning agricultural writing awards and the respect of the whole dairy industry.

In the 1970s he left Ipswich and joined

Farmers Weekly where he distinguished himself as a persistent and energetic writer on the national and European political scene. He served the “Yellow Peril” first as European and Political Correspondent and eventually through the ranks to Deputy Editor. He was respected and trusted by the main political players of the day ensuring that his readers were properly and accurately informed on the key issues 20

that affected their business. He always used his strong agricultural knowledge in tandem with his journalistic flair to ensure that there was relevance and value in the articles he wrote.

In the early 1990s Don moved into public relations with Pharo Communications where he worked on a number of national accounts.

To the Club’s great benefit, he has, for the past decade edited the Farmers Club Journal and it was my great pleasure to renew a working relationship with him during my period as Club Chairman. He also worked in a similar capacity with the Worshipful Company of Farmers.

Members will remember the silver-hair and ready smile behind the Club camera capturing the atmosphere on Club outings or at the many shows and events we attend.

He brought unerring judgement and relevance to the articles he wrote and commissioned for the Club journal. A stickler for good grammar, syntax and accuracy he was a great custodian of the Journal which members value so highly and it grew in stature and value during his stint in the Editor’s chair.

In addition to “the day job”, Don found time

Another colleague posted the following tribute: “Don served the IFAJ as Chairman of the Professional Development Committee, and as one of the honorary auditors. Apart from committee work, Don’s ready wit, his fantastic memory and willingness to share his experiences with other journalists were always evident at IFAJ events. Don was an excellent ambassador for his Guild and for his country. He provided an exemplary link between the British Guild and IFAJ, bringing the best of British ideas and experiences to international gatherings and faithfully communicating IFAJ matters to UK Guild members.”

Those and other tributes paid to him over the past few weeks from journalists across the world bore testament to a man who always found the time and patience to help others. IFAJ had English as its working language but international colleagues have praised his help for those who didn’t have English as their first language and his thoroughness in completing even the most complex of tasks.

On the home front, he complained bitterly when it was announced that last year was to be the last ever Royal Show. It was the 49th that he had attended and the closure denied him a half century!

With his passing the Farmers Club, the agricultural media and the industry in the widest sense loses a dear and valued friend.

It’s a loss we all share with his family but a life we celebrate for all its variety and colour, the warmth it brought to us and the many memories we will hold.

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

Plans are underway for London 2012 Olympics

I hope these messages encourage you to join fellow members at the events the Club is holding. Naturally, I appreciate a number of members do not have e-mail and therefore the Journal will remain the main source of information, as it always has done and will do for many years to come.

However, while we have the technology to communicate with members by e-mail, we should use it. But I assure you we will not bombard you with e-mails!

Activity within the Club has remained buoyant, particularly with bedroom occupancy, and the onset of spring has brought the balcony into its own.

Club comforts: in London or at the summer shows

I should also say how heartened I have been to see and hear the positive comments regarding the quality of the food served in the dining-room. Head Chef Jeff Plant and his team have made great strides and are looking to improve yet further. So, do give us a try – and bring a friend or two along too!

The London 2012 Olympics present a wonderful opportunity for members to combine a stay at the Club with one of the world’s premier sporting events. It is an opportunity we intend to make the most of and the planning is well under way.

To co-ordinate the Club’s arrangements the General Committee created a sub-group under James Cross to establish how the Club could best position itself for such a major event. A key issue has been to draw up some guidelines on how members might apply for rooms and any conditions that may attach with this. The following has been agreed.

We understand tickets for both the London Olympics and the London Paralympics will go on sale in 2011 (no specific time yet). It is our intent to publish final details for Club bookings shortly before this date.

Great sadness as Club loses two great friends

For those with access to the internet do visit www.tickets.london2012.com for the latest ticketing information and to sign up to be advised as soon as tickets for specific events are available.

It is with great sadness that I must report the death of Don Gomery, our recently retired Journal Editor. Don was taken ill in late March and died at the Kent & Sussex Hospital on April 1. Our thoughts are very much with Pauline his wife and their family.

The current plan is to operate two room application windows. The first will be for members only (therefore, no guests of members beyond partners). This will be limited to bookings for a total of four nights during the complete Olympic/Paralympic period, which is Friday July 27th to Sunday September 9th 2012.

I only knew Don for a very brief two and a bit years, and yet in that time he became a wonderful friend, advisor and confidant.

Professional to his core, he worked tirelessly at producing the Journal and as Secretary to the Guild of Agricultural Journalists. He knew what would work and what would not and knew how to get

novices such as I producing copy that ‘scanned’. And yet, what I remember most of Don, was his humanity and his humility.

There was no hubris with Don. He liked people and people liked him and he went about his business quietly and effectively.

He let the story do the work. He was a very special man and will be missed by us all.

We were also saddened to learn of the sudden death of Judith Walker, wife of Roy, Club Chairman in 1997. Judith brought a wonderful sense of grace and contentment to the Club. She too will be greatly missed.

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

The second period of potential booking will start immediately after this, during which members can apply for further rooms, as well as guest rooms. The principle behind 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

Ramblings continued from page 21 this is to provide as many members as possible with the opportunity to stay at the Club during this unique experience.

The charge for members will be based on the prevailing Farmers Club rate. However, there will be some extra charge, due to the additional services we intend to provide, such as opening the restaurant earlier in the morning and closing later at night; providing additional reception services; and potentially, other services as requested by members. There will be a premium on guest rooms which is greater than the current premium, because of the anticipated demand. Prices will be made clear when the application window opens.

We intend to make meeting rooms available for letting at more commercial rates and would also like to offer members and or their guests the opportunity to hold receptions / cocktail parties / lunches / dinners etc. If you should know of groups or individuals who would like to take advantage of holding such an event in our unique position, do please let us know.

Club Information 020 7930 3751

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

Dress Code

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.

• 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.

Obituaries It is with regret that we announce the death of the following members: P Adams R Bennison Sir George Burton J Freeland D Gomery E Hardcastle R Hardman J Hardy H Macwatt John C Paterson OBE L Turtle

Oxfordshire Kent Suffolk Berkshire Sussex Sussex Hampshire Thailand Kent New Zealand Essex

The following were elected in February and March 2010:

Great Yorkshire Show reception cancelled We had intended holding a drinks reception at the Great Yorkshire Show this year. Unfortunately, due to numerous conflicting events already being held, we have decided to cancel this year’s event and look to future years for taking the Club back to this splendid show.

Dining room breakfast time changes After careful consideration, the General Committee has agreed to a slight amendment to the opening times for breakfast on weekdays. From 1 June 2010, breakfast will be served from 7.30am until 9.30am. This change has been made to allow our staff more time to prepare for lunch service.

22

Dr C E Baxter Mrs R M Blackmore Mrs L M Burditt Mrs M M Carter-Motley A Christian D Darsey J Davies Mrs J M Davies E S Dawes Mrs L Derry A J Elms D M T Gwyther C G Landless R S Lasseter A J H Murdoch J R Taylor J Peck P Phillips J S B Phillips D F Poolman Miss H Roberts C Smart D J Staveley R S Stephenson Mrs C S Stevens T J Swiers Dr A Wells Overseas Miss L Foster Under 30s J Bracewell W Bracewell W F Cartwright-Hignett T C Copas K R House M A Lyons J Nunn D E Paull G P Trippick Whitehall Court Mrs J Hall

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.

Cereals Event, Royston, Cambridgeshire Working Breakfast - Thursday 10 June Application form was in the Spring Journal

Members are requested to advise their guests of the following:

New Members

Olympics 2012: nearly time to book tickets and Club rooms

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

Diary Dates 2010

Staffordshire Worcestershire Nottinghamshire Staffordshire Carmarthenshire Kent Kent Berkshire Kent Buckinghamshire Sussex Somerset Oxfordshire Dorset Somerset Lincolnshire Cheshire Yorkshire Kent Worcestershire Warwickshire Dorset Lancashire Staffordshire Suffolk Yorkshire Warwickshire Spain Lancashire Lancashire Wiltshire Berkshire Somerset Hampshire Suffolk Cornwall Somerset Buckinghamshire

Royal Norfolk Show Dinner Wednesday 30 June Application form was in the Spring Journal

Visit to Sheffield Park Garden, East Sussex Tuesday 26 & Wednesday 27 October Application form in the Harvest Journal

Great Yorkshire Show Reception Tuesday 13 July Application form in this Journal

LLED CANCE

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.

CLUB CLOSURES 2010 11.00pm Friday 28 May to 8.00am Tuesday 1 June

CLA Game Fair Reception, Ragley Hall, Alcester Saturday 24 July Application form in this Journal

Mobile Phones, Briefcases and Business Meetings

Wednesday 22 December – no afternoon, bar or dinner 3.00pm Thursday 23 December to 3.00pm Tuesday 4 January 2011

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

NAME

COLLEGE

SUBJECT

Dr Richard Byrne

Harper Adams University College

Rural civil contingency planning: promoting food security and resilience through effective preparations and response–learning from the Canadian experience.

Plumpton College

Reciprocal Clubs

Industry training and sustainable wine production in a cool climate context in Washington State and Oregon.

UK Royal Overseas League, Edinburgh

Dr Andrea Humphries

Harper Adams University College

The study of anaerobic digestion in California and Germany.

OVERSEAS The Western Australian Club, Perth, Australia (Bedrooms not reciprocated) Queensland Club, Brisbane, Australia Royal Dublin Society, Dublin, Ireland (Bedrooms not reciprocated) The Muthaiga Country Club, Nairobi, Kenya The Harare Club, Harare, Zimbabwe The Christchurch Club, Christchurch, New Zealand The Canterbury Club, Christchurch, New Zealand

Mr Adrian Love

Sparsholt College

The development of fish farming in Uganda.

Dr Dominic Moran

SAC Edinburgh

The management of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions in the USA.

Dr Victoria Sandilands

SAC Edinburgh

Gain further knowledge of poultry agriculture at the Avian Science Research Centre, University of Guelph, Ontario.

Dr Debbie Sparkes

University of Nottingham

Soil and water conservation methods in Australia.

Dr Federico Topolansky Barbe

Royal Agricultural College

To evaluate the impact of environmental practices on the competitiveness of Uruguayan broiler firms.

Members wishing to visit any of the above Clubs must obtain an introductory card from the Secretariat. To see their contact details, go to www.thefarmersclub.com and click on links at the foot of the home page.

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

TRUSTEES Mark Hudson (Chairman), Barclay Forrest OBE Mrs Susan Kilpatrick OBE, Norman Shaw CBE VICE-CHAIRMAN Richard Holland HONORARY TREASURER Paul Heygate 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

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) Chief Executive and Secretary Air Commodore Stephen Skinner Deputy Secretary Robert Buckolt Club Chaplain The Reverend Nicholas Holtam 020-7766 1121

2010 CHARITABLE TRUST BURSARY AWARDS

Mrs Joanne Cowderoy

PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN Nicki Quayle

Co-opted Miss Gemma Partridge (Chairman Under 30s) Patrick Durnford (Vice Chairman Under 30s)

Royal Welsh Show Dinner Sunday 18 July Application form in this Journal

Parking

The Farmers Club would like to thank Agrovista UK for renewing its 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.

Harvest Festival Service at St. Martin-in-the-Fields followed by Buffet Supper at the Club Tuesday 5 October at 5pm Preacher: The Rt. Revd. Dr Anthony Russell, The Bishop of Ely Details in the Harvest Journal

The Royal Highland Show Dinner Wednesday 23 June Application form was in the Spring Journal

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.

Envelopes Sponsorship

Club Visit to Cumbria Tuesday 21 & Wednesday 22 September Application form was in the Spring Journal

South of England Show Reception Friday 11 June Application form was in the Spring Journal

Business Suite

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.

Westmorland County Show Reception Thursday 9 September Application form in this Journal

THE COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT OF THE CLUB FOR 2010

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

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 Fax 020-7839 7864 E-mails secretariat@thefarmersclub.com accounts@thefarmersclub.com membership@thefarmersclub.com functions@thefarmersclub.com meetings@thefarmersclub.com reception@thefarmersclub.com reservations@thefarmersclub.com u30s@thefarmersclub.com events@thefarmersclub.com Website www.thefarmersclub.com THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Editor and Advertisement Manager Charles Abel 07795 420692 Email: editor@thefarmersclub.com Printed by Pureprint Group, Brambleside, Bellbrook Park23 Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 1PL Tel: 01825 768811