Summer2012

SUMMER JOURNAL 2012 • ISSUE 238

www.thefarmersclub.com

Farmers Club INSIDE Boost for beef p4 Ideal meeting rooms p9 Farming cartoonist p12 Yams and bamboo p14 Night at the opera p17

INSERTS Annual Report & Accounts Committee nomination form Humberside & Yorks visit Summer event booking

Business star Farming’s newcomers shine in Pinnacle 2012 p6

Farmers Club Over 160 years of service to farming 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL Patron – Her Majesty The Queen

FRONT COVER Joe Fisher from Newcastle University won the 2012 Pinnacle Award for business management

Contents

Disclaimer: The articles published in The Farmers Club Journal do not necessarily reflect the views of The Farmers Club. No responsibility for the quality of goods or services advertised in the magazine can be accepted by the publisher. Advertisements are included in good faith’. All rights reserved.

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Chairman’s Comments Weather tops the agenda

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Boost for beef Rising prices should be no cause for concern, with consumer demand for beef remaining as strong as ever

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Pinnacle of achievement Leading college students pitch their business projects to a Farmers Club panel in pursuit of this prestigious award

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Travel awards A total of £18,500 has been invested in seven new overseas projects to boost the productivity of UK farming

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Meeting your needs Whether it is a social function, small business meeting, or a larger presentation, Club meeting rooms can deliver

10 St George’s & St Patrick’s Days Events are well received by members

12 Farming in the frame

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Cartoonist Chrys captured the very essence of British farming.

Now his iconic art is being offered back to the industry

14 Exotic crop options Could yams and bamboo feature on UK farms? We investigate

17 A night at the opera Aida at the Royal Albert Hall wins acclaim

18 Under 30s Spring dining event success and plans for the summer

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19 Countr yside learning Under 30s aim to back this worthwhile initiative

20 Obituar y: David Quayle Greatly respected Chairman in 2003

21 Whitehall Court Ramblings Horse Guards Avenue update

22 Information and Diar y Dates

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Chairman’s Comments • Paul Heygate

Chairman’s Comments A project of such complexity and size was never going to be easy, and this is proving to be the case.

AS I sit in my office writing this article it is raining, I can see the river outside the office rising and I have had a telephone call from our Norfolk farm saying they have had 40mm of rain in a week. It is good news for drought stricken parts of the country and pleasing for me as the Club visits our farm in Norfolk in May. For everyone in my business Easter is probably the trickiest holiday period to organise.

We have to manufacture and deliver seven days of products in five days, so considerable planning is required, particularly at our bakery, where we produce short shelf-life products.

Full use is made of the latest electronic technology to meet exacting time schedules and fluctuating orders, which can vary greatly according to the weather.

At the same time we must watch costs, particularly distribution. The latest budget has not helped us with our fuel bills, but I promised I would not be political during my year, so enough of that. The challenges are immense throughout the food industry, from farm to fork, to control all our costs and the pressure shows no sign of easing.

This same pressure applies to our Club and it is very pleasing to continue to see such good figures coming through from all sections. The increasing use of our facilities is very encouraging and bodes well for the future.

As Chairman I was a guest at the Honours Lunch for Members of the Club at which 90 people sat down to eat in the Dining Room and Eastwood Room. I particularly enjoyed meeting so many of our Members and soon realised how

far and wide our Membership is spread and how much they enjoy coming to the Club for such occasions.

At the St Patrick’s Day Dinner and celebrations in the Club the toast was proposed

by Richard Wright, who fronts BBC Ulster Radio’s farming programme. Our Farming Today programme is at 5.45am, their equivalent 7.00am – quite civilised! The Club returns to Northern Ireland for the Balmoral Show in May, probably the last time the show will be held on its present site. The Club holds its dinner on the showground on the Tuesday evening, which is always well worth attending – Irish hospitality knows no bounds.

In June the Club visits Scotland for the Royal Highland Show with a dinner for Club Members and their guests on the evening of Wednesday 20th June. Our speaker for the evening is Mr Gareth Baird, farmer and Commissioner and Non-Executive Board Member of the Crown Estate in Scotland.

On the evening of Wednesday 27th June we are holding a reception at the Royal Norfolk Show. This is all part of our plan to continue to take the Club out to the country.

The weekend events at the Club celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee are already oversubscribed, with 100 attending the Sunday lunch, some 50 plus for dinner on Sunday evening, and all rooms fully booked. This type of response is a wonderful reward for the thought and planning that the staff and officers of the Club are giving to meet Member’s expectations.

Looking further forward, the visit to Yorkshire is now finalised and will include visits to a biodiesel reclamation plant, Aunt Bessie’s Yorkshire Puddings, the Vivergo ethanol/butanol plant, Tom Megginson’s anaerobic digestor plant and a visit to Tim Rymer at Rymer Farms, which will include a cookery demonstration. I hope this visit and the visit to Norfolk in May will give Members a good opportunity to see some of the diverse ways in which farm crops are now being used.

In March, I and nine past Chairmen of the Club with many other Members attended the funeral of the late David Quayle in Cumbria.

It was a great tribute to see so many Club Members, industry leaders and local Cumbria friends there to support Nicki and her family and say farewell to someone who had touched so many in his life.

Finally, I cannot finish without giving an update on No 1 Horse Guards Avenue. A project of such complexity and size was never going to be easy, and this is proving to be the case. We are still in discussions with the owner, but as you will all appreciate, while the proposal to purchase and develop the site is exciting, we must ensure we do not over-commit ourselves.

Paul Heygate

www.thefarmersclub.com • 03

Beef sector

Are you paying too much for your steak?

The long-awaited rise in beef prices is good news for everyone – including consumers, explains Joanne Pugh, assistant director of the National Beef Association

Welcome rises in the beef price are not expected to impact consumer purchasing patterns and should do little to adversely affect the structure of the industry, says the NBA

IT wasn’t long after the beef price finally began to make meaningful movements in the right direction that people started worrying and asking how far it could go before there would be a consumer backlash.

Never mind that the majority of beef farmers have been struggling to make a living for many years, some not even covering costs let alone making enough for much-needed investment in their businesses. Or that much of the price rise has been eaten up by similar increases in inputs. Instead, the concern was about whether supermarket shoppers and restaurant goers were paying too much for their steaks, roasting joints and mince.

This concern is, of course, well placed and completely justified – our industry will vanish if consumers stop buying beef. But we must be

04 • The Farmers Club Summer Journal 2012

careful such concern is well placed and not clever rhetoric from those buying beef wanting to force the price back down again.

Cattle prices are 20% higher than they were a year ago, yet retail prices are up only 10-12%. This is not a sustainable situation – but the NBA would like to see retail prices move slightly further upwards, rather than farmers having to relinquish the more favourable figures they have been seeing.

This may well result in consumers buying less, but UK consumers are incredibly loyal to beef, from everyday mince to prime steak on a special occasion, and there is nothing to suggest it will disappear from shopping trollies completely. Current trends suggest consumers are buying less red meat on two-for-one and similar promotions, resisting the temptation to buy more meat than they want, just because it is

Beef sector

heavily discounted. But they are still buying beef, even in these difficult economic times.

So while it is true a further rise in retail prices will have a slight negative impact on sales, it is wrong to argue this will fundamentally damage the structure of the industry.

The supermarkets will be alright, because selling less but for a higher price will maintain their income.

In fact, recent figures from Kantar World Panel, the most authoritative and accurate monitor of retail purchase patterns, suggest retail beef sales rose by almost £19 million in the three months from December 2011, even though 7% less beef was sold.

The processors will be alright, because more and more new export outlets are opening their doors to UK product and every single one is increasingly desperate for beef. In 2011 alone, export certificates were secured for 37 new non-EU countries.

The farmers will be alright, because rising demand on a worldwide basis will ensure healthy competition for the stock they produce. There is no surplus of beef anywhere in the world, meaning it is virtually impossible to snatch up pockets of cheap beef and lever down the price of domestic cattle.

And the consumers will be alright, because the future of the UK beef industry, producing top quality, completely traceable, high welfare product will be secured. The beautiful countryside around them will be maintained and rural communities will survive.

Even better news is that this “perfect storm” of rising demand and falling supply is not going to disappear overnight. Hungry countries like China and Russia are soaking up all the spare beef the world can produce, and are being joined by South Korea, Egypt, Iran and others.

At the same time, South American countries, including Brazil, Argentina and other former “big players”, are producing less beef and eating more themselves; and even the world-dominating USA has recently reached the point where it is importing more beef than it is exporting.

By comparison, the EU is a net exporter and sold three times as much beef onto a desperate international market in 2011 compared to 2010.

There are those who are sceptical, perhaps rightly, about following the sheep sector and becoming increasingly reliant on exports. But we are a long way off exporting as much beef as we do lamb and cannot afford to ignore the opportunities on offer.

One thing these changes do mean though is that we are increasingly at risk of some unexpected food scare or unforeseen disease outbreak. So it is the responsibility of us all, wherever possible, to ensure we do nothing to jeopardise our ability to sell beef outside of the UK. In turn, the NBA will continue to work tirelessly to ensure everything possible is done to enable (if not encourage) beef farming in the UK. Whether it is ensuring a high profile for beef in the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, negotiating the best deal for bovine EID, or trying to find a way for business to operate under increasingly onerous TB rules, we remain dedicated to representing all beef producers in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

UK BEEF VITAL STATISTICS • Total herd (Dec 2011): 1,679,000 head • Total output (2011): 937,000 tonnes • Prices (AHDB R4L): ~ 26 March 2011 288.2p/kg ~ 30 March 2012 345.8p/kg (+57.6p) • Total exports (2011): 142,500 tonnes, worth £437m Source: NBA and EBLEX

Europe’s biggest beef event in 2012, Beef Expo, is on May 23 and 24 at Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire. Organized by the NBA its theme is “Making a difference to your bottom line”.

Wednesday, May 23rd • Tours of two local farms: 1) Paul Westaway and wife Kirsty run 230-head on 55ha (135 acres) at Dymock, Gloucestershire, including a pedigree Aberdeen-Angus suckler herd and finishing unit for Holstein bulls and Angus cross Holstein heifers in association with Blade Farming.

2) Charles and Sue Warner, son Roger and wife Laura, finish more than 1,000 cattle a year at Tirley, Gloucestershire. Bought-in stores are mainly 12 month Friesian-type steers finished fast on a combination of grazing (in the summer) and total mix rations on the 160ha (400-acre) farm.

• UK Genetics Showcase, preliminary classes of National Spring Spectacular show and grand parade of stock from most UK breed societies.

• Beef Industry Dinner and award ceremony for the NBA/Farmers Guardian Beef Stockman of the Future Competition.

Thursday, May 24th • Trade stand show opens • Question Time session to quiz industry experts • Top cattle exhibitions in the National Spring Spectacular Show Information and tickets at www.beefexpo.co.uk Entrepreneurial beef farmer Paul Westaway is hosting visits to his operation at Dymock, Glos

www.thefarmersclub.com • 05

Pinnacle awards

Farming’s new blood compete for 2012 management award Business acumen was rewarded in the 15th Farmers Club Pinnacle Awards, reports Charles Abel

WINNER: Joe Fisher, Newcastle University, with Pinnacle Award presenters William and Caroline Alexander Structuring a water-tight tender to secure a contract farming agreement on 100ha of additional land 4 miles from Newcastle University’s 150ha Cockle Park mixed farm was the challenge. Joe, from Saxondale, Notts, developed realistic plans to bring the land back into arable with access tracks and a block-cropped wheat, barley, rape rotation. A progressive move to min-til across the enlarged farming operation would cut fuel costs, boost organic matter and aid timeliness, the Sumo Trio one-pass cultivator, Simba Horsch drill and larger tractor being sourced secondhand. Marketing would be 50% sold forward at a price to lock in a profit, and 50% through a North East Grains pool. Some rape would go for coldpressing for local sale.

“TWENTY years from now you will be more disappointed by what you didn’t do, than what you did. So grab the opportunities and go for it.”

Such was the advice to 2012 Pinnacle Award finalists from Caroline Alexander, who with husband William developed the hugely successful Hop Shop and Kentish Lavender diversifications at Castle Farm near Sevenoaks in Kent.

“I’ve been so impressed with the professional presentations and the fantastic business skills we’ve seen today,” William added. “We’ve seen the passion, expertise and enthusiasm required to really succeed in business.”

Pinnacle 2012 Award winner was Joe Fisher, a final year student at Newcastle University, who secured the Nickerson Cup and a cheque for £2000.

Hot on his heels were silver award winner Adam Watson of SAC Aberdeen, and bronze award winner

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Claire Blackler of Bridgwater College, Somerset, who won £1000 and £600 cheques respectively.

All finalists received Farmers Club membership for a year and a £300 cheque for their college.

Having clear business ideas and the passion to push them forward are the keys to success, William continued. Selling dried hop bines for interior decoration proved highly successful, and still is. But while an extension into dried flowers caught the tide of fashion at the time, it didn’t last. “Markets change very quickly. You have to adapt,” William noted.

For the Alexanders that meant switching to lavender, of which they now grow 85 acres for scent and food uses.

Contingency plans help too, and not just for things going badly. “Whether you need to shore up or expand the business, you’re going to need more money.” Clear personal objectives are also vital.

Pinnacle awards

SILVER: Adam Watson, SAC Aberdeen Which will it be: new varieties and/or CO2 storage for the 2.2ha blueberry operation; gps technology to more accurately fertilise potatoes and combinable crops; or a biomass burner to aid grain drying and secure Renewable Heat Incentive payments? Adam looked at the relevance of each technology to the family farm near Newbigging, Brechin and applied full sensitivity analysis to his comprehensive costings to assess potential payback periods. With an £8700 annual diesel saving and £37,000/year RHI income the £110,000 bale-fed boiler project won hands down.

RUNNER-UP: Thomas Bishop, Royal Agricultural College Converting traditional farm buildings beside a busy Berks commuter route into a farm shop supplied by local farms already involved with a 7000 acre arable contracting operation would offer a great provenance story to the affluent local community.

On-site butchery would underscore the local produce for local people message.

RUNNER-UP: Rachael Blyth, SAC Ayr Developing a petting zoo, rural themed soft play area and cafe alongside an existing Museum of Rural Life and 1950s Working Farm attraction could bring 50,000 visitors a year thanks to ideal location within an hour’s drive of 70% of Scotland’s population. Hygiene would be a key issue to prevent health problems.

“Stick to what you enjoy,” stressed Caroline. “It is what creates the passion to put in the hours to really develop the business.”

The Pinnacle Awards, sponsored by The Farmers Club, the Cave Foundation and ADAS, saw eight finalists undertake a day of panel interviews and platform presentations at the Farmers Club, chaired

by Professor David Leaver, president of the British Institute of Agricultural Consultants.

Fellow judges were Roy Walker, who created the Pinnacle Awards in 1998 with funding from the family’s Cave Foundation, Farmers Club chairman Paul Heygate, Farmers Club Journal editor Charles Abel and senior business management consultant Tony Turner of sponsor ADAS. Competition to demonstrate robust business analysis, realistic budgeting, problem solving and innovative business structures was closer than for

RUNNER-UP: Robert MacKinnon, SAC Ayr Scoupz is the snappy name for a new preservative-free Ayrshire-milk based Scottish ice-cream brand, to be manufactured onfarm, using local ingredients including Glenfiddich whisky and traditional Scottish tablet – like fudge, only better!

Promotion via social networking and free tastings were key considerations.

BRONZE: Claire Blackler, Bridgwater College Low input, low output dairy farming, with a clear eye on the environment was Claire’s goal and she applied all her passion for farming to develop a robust business plan to pay a realistic rent and generate profit from a 140ha dairy and arable farm at Curry Mallett, Somerset. Clear costings showed how a 120 head Holstein x Friesian dairy herd could yield a modest 7000 litres/cow/year profitably, whilst also contract rearing 80 heifers for a neighbour. Contingency plans to cope with underperformance or disease were in place.

RUNNER-UP: Christine Thomas, Royal Agricultural College As a Royal Welsh Show cookery competition winner Christine was keen to convert newly redundant buildings on the family dairy farm near Carmarthen into a cookery school to meet the curriculum needs of 27,500 school children living within the county, as well as adults. Her ability to teach in Welsh was a major asset.

RUNNER-UP: Alex Turner, Reading University Expanding a high-output three-times a day milking herd to better utilise a 50-point rotary parlour would involve buying 50 in-calf heifers and having 50 contract reared in year one, plus a further 20 in year two, to create a herd of 540 Holsteins. Changes to slurry and silage storage and cow housing were carefully costed.

several years, noted Professor Leaver. “In particular there was a very clear trend for college and university students to address the whole food chain from producer, through processor to end retailer, which is very healthy indeed.”

Mr Walker added: “We’ve had 15 years of Pinnacle Awards, which amounts to over £100,000 of funding through the Cave Foundation and 120 finalists, many of whom have gone on to be key players in the food, farming and rural industries.”

High calibre candidates delivering interesting and enlightening case studies impressed Mr Heygate.

“It’s very good news for farming.”

Mr Turner endorsed that: “If these finalists can put their undoubted skills to practical use then they are destined to do very well in the food, farming and rural industries.”

www.thefarmersclub.com • 07

FCCT awards

£18,150 invested in new farming projects SEVEN exciting new research projects have been given the go-ahead in the latest round of funding from the Farmers Club Charitable Trust.

The Trust, which celebrated its thirtieth anniversary in 2010, has invested over £500,000 sending UK agriculturalists across the globe to broaden their experience and facilitate the exchange of academic knowledge.

This year’s successful candidates are: Kate Hutchinson, SAC Edinburgh: travelling to Germany to investigate the potential for more anaerobic digestion on Scottish farms, focusing on the use of manures and biomass rather than waste materials.

Sian Ringrose, SAC Edinburgh: investigating the potential for more effective systems of ‘knowledge mobilisation’ as it is known in Canada, by visiting the University of Guelph, in Ontario, where multi-media communication is a key feature.

Philip Watson, SAC Dumfries and Galloway: learning from Denmark's experiences in reducing incidence of Salmonella Dublin, a cause of abortions and potentially fatal diarrhoea in cattle, from 26% to 12%, by using ELISA testing to target carriers in the herd and adapt management accordingly.

Nicholai Thomasin-Foster, Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester: investigating how best to balance the role of college farms between commercial operations and their use as an agricultural teaching resource.

Wanda McCormick, Moulton College, Northants: travelling to Romania to investigate traditional livestock farming methods in the High Nature Value

region of Transylvania, with a view to establishing a student exchange programme.

Domenica Gentile, Harper Adams University College, Shropshire: investigating demographic issues behind food culture, by comparing food purchasing habits in southern, central and northern Italy with those in the UK. Neil Ridgway, Walford and North Shropshire College of Agriculture: investigating the potential to combine robotic milking for high yielding newly calved cows whilst continuing to use the conventional parlour for lower yielding later lactation animals, in Germany, the Netherlands and UK. “This is one of the strongest groups of applicants we have had for a long time”comments FCCT chairman John Kerr. “It is particularly encouraging to see so many young applicants, and hear their enthusiasm for bringing their plans to life in a very dynamic and engaged way.

“As the farm education sector faces up to change, and the same financial constraints as the rest of the country, the Farmers Club Charitable Trust is proud to be able to support the future of agricultural education, by funding those who teach and disseminate knowledge to the next generation, by furthering their own experience both at home and overseas.”

The Trust has also invested £12,000 in sending four potential future industry leaders on the Windsor Leadership Trust course.

The closing date for FCCT applicants is midFebruary each year. The Trust always welcomes new funds by way of donation or legacies. Contact Club Secretary (snskinner@thefarmersclub.com) or FCCT chairman (john@kerrfarms.com).

Water issues IN a year when water shortage and drought has been so topical, Club member and farming consultant Lindsay Hargreaves suggests we need to look beyond our own shores when considering water consumption.

Each person in the UK uses about 150 litres/day for basic living needs, such as drinking and washing.

But another 3500 litres/person/day are embedded in our lifestyle.

Take a cup of coffee, for example. The water it represents is far more than the water boiled to make (Left) Embedded water has a huge role to play in water resource management, says Lindsay Hargreaves

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Domenica Gentile

Wanda McCormick

Philip Watson

it. When the water used to grow, process, transport and market that coffee is taken into account, plus the water involved in other ingredients, maybe milk and sugar, 150litres is soon arrived at.

Precise calculations of embedded water are open to debate, and estimates vary, but a cotton shirt is considered to represent 2500 to 4100 litres of embedded water, a pint of beer 130 litres, 1kg of wheat 1300 litres, 1kg of eggs 3300 litres and 1kg of beef 15,500litres.

Significantly, 70% of the embedded water consumed in the UK comes from overseas, making the UK a massive importer of embedded water, and a massive exporter of water stress. Many developing countries seek lifestyles like ours, further adding to the pressure on global water resources.

Meeting rooms

“Our rooms are decorated to a high standard and we can offer a range of audio visual equipment, including PowerPoint projectors, flat screen TVs, teleconference facilities, flipcharts and pens, display boards, and microphone sound equipment.”

For social functions the Club can accommodate a drinks party for 80 people or a dinner party for up to 45. Special events such as weddings and anniversary parties can be held at weekends, with members choosing anything from a finger buffet to a sit-down banquet. “Chef and his staff are only too happy to oblige.”

“Costs are hugely competitive for a central London venue and even compare favourably with out-of-London venues” notes Mrs Wilson.

Standard booking periods are 8.00am-1.30pm; 2.00-6.00pm or 6.30-10.30pm, with bookings running across several periods charged the full rate for each period. Shorter booking periods can also be arranged and charged at a pro-rata rate.

Meeting your needs

(Top) Cumber Room – just one of the Club’s portfolio of rooms ideally suited to private functions (Middle) Forty Room provides the best technology for today’s business meetings (Bottom) Meeting rooms manager Lynne Wilson organised almost 1100 events at the Club in 2011

WHERE better to hold a business or social meeting than at your very own Farmers Club, right beside the River Thames in central London, close to numerous top attractions, and with superb transport connections to the rest of the UK and beyond.

“Our elegant function rooms have first-class catering to match their modern facilities, ranging from simple but sumptuous sandwiches to sit-down meals of several courses,” explains meeting rooms manager Lynne Wilson.

“Whether it's for business or a private function, and whether you want a stand-up or sit-down meal, you'll find the Club willing to do its utmost to meet members' requirements.

“In 2011 we supported nearly 1100 events from short meetings of an hour or two to large meetings, conferences, breakfasts, lunches and dinners. We have many customers who come back time and again, because they know they will get the service they want and the comfortable ambiance for which the Club is so well known,” says Mrs Wilson.

BUSINESS The Club has five main meeting rooms, two of which (Committee and Hudson) can be combined to make one large conference room capable of seating up to 70 in theatre style or 40 in board room style.

“It’s quite an asset, it allows us to be very flexible with what we can offer, really tailoring our facilities to what customers want, no matter how large or small their planned meeting,” says Mrs Wilson

Eastwood Overlooking the River Thames, and with access to its own terrace with river views, this elegant room can seat up to 50 people in complete comfort or hold up to 80 for a stand-up drinks party.

Cumber Ideal for members who want a more intimate setting for the smaller meeting, lunch or dinner party, seating up to 16 people, 25 theatre style or a maximum of 30 for a drinks party.

Committee The largest meeting room, capable of seating up to 22 people boardroom style, or 40 theatre style.

It can be combined with the adjoining Hudson Room, by opening a partition between the two, to give boardroom seating for 40, or theatre style seating for up to 70. As with other Club meeting rooms, the Committee Room is well lit, and can be equipped with audio visual aids.

Hudson As noted above, separated from the Committee Room by partition doors, this room can seat up to 18 boardroom style or 30 theatre style.

Forty Recently refurbished to a high standard and with modern audio/visual facilities, this room can seat up to 12 people in board room style and is, consequently, suitable for the smaller meeting.

Muddiman The Muddiman Suite is the smallest of The Farmers Club meeting rooms, capable of seating up to eight people in board room style and enjoys a notably quiet position. It is, consequently, ideal for the less formal meeting of only a few people.

• For more information visit www.thefarmersclub.com and click on the “rooms” tab, then “functions & meetings”. To make a booking call 020 7925 7100 or e-mail functions@thefarmersclub.com or meetings@thefarmersclub.com

www.thefarmersclub.com • 09

Spring events

St George and the ecosystem OF all the heroes of England to celebrate at last month’s St George’s Day luncheon at Butchers Hall in London guest speaker Lord Selborne selected 18th century Natural History writer Gilbert White.

White’s observations of the countryside around the speaker’s home village of Selborne in Hampshire, and his quest to better understand the relationships between plants and animals, in an effort to boost the rural economy, was a quintessentially English activity, he explained.

Indeed, White’s passion for studying and accumulating data over a number of seasons, led him to be seen by many as England's first ecologist and one of the founders of modern respect for nature.

That said, he would never have embraced such ugly phrases as biodiversity, sustainable development or ecosystem services, noted Lord Selborne.

Speaking after a fine luncheon, sponsored by EBLEX and BPEX, which included sumptuous individual steak and kidney suet puddings with seasonal vegetables, Lord Selborne compared White’s philosophy with the context of today’s sad decline in support for farming research and development.

“If Gilbert White returned today I think he would approve, on the whole, of what he saw. A number of things would surprise him: the tidiness of the countryside and the detail of modern farming systems, because in his day crops failed so often.

“He would be surprised at the autumn planting of crops, the lack of animals on many farms, and above all he would be astonished to find the production of fertilisers from industry, not manures. But I think that enormous breakthrough would have delighted him, disproving the theories of his contemporary, Malthus [that the population would eventually collapse when

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it became impossible to feed all the people].”

White would regret so few workers being employed on the land, and the impact of tidy farming on the number of birds on farmland, he noted. But above all he would be impressed that he would no longer be considered eccentric in his views.

Indeed, without a proper understanding of ecology it is hard for farmers to meet their responsibility to pass on a farm in a better state than that which they had received it, Lord Selborne noted.

Against that background it was concerning to note that the need to spur farm production, the key to rural prosperity, was being so ignored by Britain’s education system. “Quite frankly I think universities are opting out. There is nothing like the support we need at that level, or in further education, apprenticeships, mentoring, training and qualifications.”

By contrast he commended the government’s newly created Rural and Farming Networks. As Environment Minister Richard Benyon said at their launch: “We are giving rural communities a new voice, so that their interests will not be neglected

by Government as they have been in the past.”

The steady decline in applied farm research needed reversing Lord Selborne insisted. “Through the work of government chief scientist John Beddington I do think this is starting to happen.

“Farming faces many issues, but I think we are up for the challenge. The potential for agricultural research to disprove Malthus is still there, with the aspirations of institutes like John Innes, Rothamsted and NIAB to help global production achieve its targets.”

(Above) Butcher’s Hall provided a grand venue (Below) Lord Selborne paid tribute to England’s father of ecology Gilbert White

Spring events

Industry’s fine future

(Top) Three generations of the Morrow family: (back l-r) Peter, Robin and Christopher, together with Frances and speaker Richard Wright (Above) The Club’s own leprechaun for one evening only – bar manager John Pombo!

(Above right) Anne Morrow led some fine singing of Irish melodies

SHAMROCKS decorated the dining room tables, Club staff dressed up for the evening and guests were entertained by one of Ireland’s top farming journalists and broadcasters as St Patrick’s Day was celebrated in fine fashion at the Club on Friday 16th March.

Although professing to have once been a “townie” who studied economics at Queen’s University, Belfast, guest speaker Richard Wright moved into farm journalism 28 years ago and developed a well-earned reputation as a key commentator on all matters farming, and the European Commission and CAP in particular.

His radio show, Farm Gate, is broadcast by BBC Radio Ulster at twenty to seven every morning, and retains a strong agricultural focus, reflecting the importance attached to the industry in Northern Ireland. Quite a contrast to Radio 4’s Farming Today, aired at 5:45am and pursuing topics with an increasingly tenuous connection to farming, noted Club chairman Paul Heygate.

Mr Wright’s comments were preceded by dinner in the Club dining room. A warming soup of mutton, cabbage and lentil was followed by sirloin of beef, with Guinness, mushroom and button onion sauce and seasonal vegetables. The well-hung beef came from Ron and Sheila Clarke’s herd of 50 Irish Moiled Cattle, including followers. British White Cattle and Kerry Bog Ponies, a breed developed to help with the extraction of peat on the Emerald Isle and now recognised on the show circuit, are also kept on the farm near Gillingham in Dorset.

Mr Wright noted that St Patrick’s efforts to drive snakes from Ireland may not have been such a great task compared with the challenges farmers now face with single farm payment applications and livestock movement records.

But he saw a bright future for farming and not just because there would soon be 9 billion mouths to feed. A fast emerging middle class in developing countries around the world, all with money to spend on Westernised diets, was the key, he suggested.

"It is hard to see agriculture's future as anything other than positive."

He noted that 2012 marked the 50th anniversary of the CAP. Brussels mandarins had considered celebrating that milestone, but had rightly chosen to mark it instead. "The CAP was born of a great fudge in Brussels, even though there were only six member states involved at the time."

Had it been a success, he asked. “It sought to guarantee food supply, which it has probably done, but not terribly well. It sought to protect farm incomes, which it has probably done too, but again, not terribly well. And it sought to provide value for money for taxpayers, which it has done, but again not terribly well.”

Ultimately the policy will have to change, if for no other reason than the EU’s continuing expansion, most particularly into Turkey, he felt. "The CAP will have to become looser, letting member states implement policies as they see fit for their own industries."

He felt current commissioner Dacian Ciolos was unlikely to lead such radical reform though. "If he wanted to be a true reformer he could push for it this time round. But I don't think he will. I think we will see him stitch together a compromise instead."

www.thefarmersclub.com • 11

Farming heritage

Farming in the frame Fun board game (above) – “bank manager refuses loan – go back to start”, “everyone else has good grain yields – sulk and miss two turns”, “John Cherrington becomes Minister – advance to Finish.”

Chrys’s pithy cartoons need to be revered, honoured and appreciated, says Club member and former Farmers Weekly/British Farmer and Stockbreeder staffer David Waugh.

FAMOUS cartoonist “Chrys”, whose pithy caricatures and poignant farming sketches entertained readers of the British Farmer and Stockbreeder magazine in the 1950s, is back in the news.

More than 200 of his original cartoons have come to light after being kept safe in an attic for almost four decades by Farmers Club member David Waugh of Ockley, Surrey.

“I’ve had these wonderful pieces of art in the loft for years and felt it was high time we did something with them,” he says. “They need to be revered, honoured and appreciated for what they are.”

As an amateur artist David was mortified when he found the original artworks abandoned in a skip during the 1975 departure of British Farmer and Stockbreeder owner IPC Agriculture and Construction Press from its 166 Fleet Street premises, fondly referred to as ‘farming’s archive factory’.

“I noticed two big bundles tied with string in one of the army of skips being used to remove all the ‘extraneous material’ that couldn’t be accommodated at the new offices in Sutton. Once I’d unwrapped them and realised what they were, I was just amazed.

After all these years I still can’t believe how anyone

12 • The Farmers Club Spring Journal 2012

could be so crass as to dump such creative and beautiful work in a skip!”

With these unique pen and ink images destined for landfill or incineration David stepped in and rescued them all. IPC chairman John Harris, who was a chairman and vice-president of the Farmers Club, subsequently applauded David’s initiative.

Cartoonist George Chrystal was born in Aberdeen in 1916. After serving in the RAF as a pilot-instructor in the Second World War, he went to Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen. He later produced sporting cartoons for the Scottish Daily Mail before joining the Daily Mail as a political cartoonist and in 1960 the now defunct News of the World. He contributed to Punch and his cartoons regularly featured in Farmer & Stockbreeder and its successor British Farmer & Stockbreeder from the 1950s. He died in 1972.

Chrys, whose work was heavily influenced by Carl Giles, excelled in highly politicised cartoons, particularly the hot topic of the time, the UK’s potential accession to the Common Market. He also captured more timeless themes, like the role of health and safety legislation, farming shows, the relative merits of livestock breeds and the many trials and

Farming heritage

White Paper fatigue! – “Darn it Mabel, the pattern seems just the same as the old.”

On the arrival of the Charollais - “It makes you Common Market lot look a bit cheap, does it not, Frenchie!”

Booming livestock exports – “Hey fella, we’re from Texas and we don’t aim to be outdone by no goddam senator from Utah. How much for the whole show!”

Common market jitters – “come on in, the w-w-water’s f-f-f-fine!”

tribulations farmers face every day.

Now, more than forty years later, David wants these evocative cartoons to be enjoyed again. “If I don’t do something to bring them to the industry’s attention I am as guilty as the skip man.”

Cataloguing all 200-plus pieces is proving time consuming, but some of the most politically-charged are already being displayed by the Political Cartoon Society (www.politicalcartoon.co.uk), with price tags of £255-295 each.

David is eager for the farming industry to see more of Chrys’s works and hopes some can be displayed in public rooms and bedrooms at the Farmers Club. “It is the heart of farming in the UK, so it is fitting,” he notes. Others may be sold or auctioned in support of the Farmers Club’s potential acquisition of Number One Horse Guards Avenue.

Plans for wider awareness are being looked at and when they are finalised, the remainder of the cartoons will be made available to the farming community. “They cover a huge range of topics, from farm politics to food policy, and national shows to on-farm activities. It is a rare opportunity to acquire some truly original works.”

Whisky ENGLISH Whisky in a Farmers Club engraved decanter makes a splendid addition to the drinks cabinet or a magnificent gift, enthuses bar manager John Pombo. “It is a mature whisky produced by Club member Andrew Nelstrop in Norfolk, available peated or non-peated, which members can try before they buy at the Club.

Compared with £30 for a bottle of Glenmorangie from the supermarket it really is a rather nice memento for every member to have at home.”

Price is £45.

www.thefarmersclub.com • 13

Farmers Club Charitable Trust

Exotic crop options Could ethnic field vegetables and bamboo be UK crops of the future? Farmers Club Charitable Trust beneficiaries Russell Sharp and Malcolm Goodwin of Moulton College visited Japan and China to find out

(Right) Yams are a key crop in Japan (Below) Yams are planted 25cm apart and grown on a netted support

(Right) Washed and packed class 1 yams retail for £4 a pair in Japan

Yams

Russell Sharp of Moulton College visited Japan

IN Britain we love ethnic world cuisine and ship in vast amounts of the basic building blocks, of fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs to ensure its authenticity.

So, with such a ready market on the doorstep, why aren’t more British farmers growing these crops?

Several challenges arise. Not least is a lack of available information, knowledge and skill on growing such crops on a commercial scale in the UK. An added problem is that the key texts are in foreign languages, and there are no established distribution networks for the end product here in the UK. But a farmer currently growing cabbages could probably turn his hand to growing Chinese Cabbages quite easily, should a distribution network and financial incentive be put in place. Maybe the same could apply to other ethnic crops.

An initial desk study identified suitable crops, of which the Chinese Yam (Dioscorea oppositifolia) was selected for further investigation. It is fully hardy in the British Isles and is eaten in significant volumes by Asian communities here.

14 • The Farmers Club Summer Journal 2012

Although called ‘Chinese’ yams, cultivation was investigated in Japan, as its agriculture is closer to the UK’s; being mechanised and high input, using synthetic fertilisers and less reliant on cheap labour.

Yam growing starts with spring planting of seed tubers, akin to potatoes. Yams require extremely deep soil cultivations, down to at least 1m, which restricts the crop to sandy soils in the southern sections of Aomori province, on the northern tip of the main island of Honshu.

Local agronomists say the main challenge is the laborious construction of a frame for the fully hardy herbaceous perennial vines to grow on. The crop is harvested by machine each year from beneath the vine, so frames cannot be kept in place, as with other vine crops, like hops or grapes.

In Aormori the yams are normally harvested by a machine running along the beds to scoop out the yams. Alternatively, the area between beds can be dug out and the yams pulled sideways from their rows. That causes less crop damage but is more labour intensive.

Concerns that the British summer may not be hot or sunny enough to produce large tubers are unfounded. Nematodes are controlled by soil treatment before cultivation.

Yam tubers are extremely tolerant to post-harvest storage, with simple refrigeration able to keep them edible and turgid for many months. Harvest is in early November, although farmers often leave half their crop in the ground for harvesting the following summer.

At the packing house tubers are washed, graded, then either chopped and vacuum packed for sale, or peeled and placed in water for transport to a processing unit. The longest and roundest yams are considered class 1 and fit for sale in top supermarkets, while more ovate and/or shorter tubers go free packed to markets.

The main culinary use in Japan is as a cold grated topping for noodle soup. But tubers are also sometimes fried and included in noodles themselves.

Packed class 1 yams sell for £4 a pair in Japanese supermarkets.

Yam health products are also being developed, with extracts claimed to help boost the immune system; possibly due to unique steroid biochemistry.

So, how effectively could oriental crops be grown in the UK? Hopefully, field trials at Moulton College will help provide answers.

Farmers Club Charitable Trust

Bamboo BAMBOO is a grass, an extraordinary grass. Its woody stems can grow 30 metres high, with culms 30cm wide. Although mainly thought of as an ornamental plant in the UK, its immense commercial potential has been recognised and exploited for millennia in China.

Worldwide around 2.5 billion people prize it for being fast-growing, renewable and having strength comparable to steel, whilst also being very lightweight. It is used in construction, food, furniture, transport and leisure, and is an excellent sequester of carbon, which releases lots of energy when burnt, making it an exciting potential bioenergy crop.

The single most economically important genus, Phyllostachys, grows in the north of China around Beijing and in Shaanxii province, where climate, temperatures and growth rates are similar to the UK. Plants strong enough to crop can be established in two to three years and plantations are entirely controllable with herbicides.

Bioenergy As a potential biomass crop bamboo has significant advantages over alternatives such as Miscanthus and Panicum. The Gross Heating Value (the energy it releases during combustion) is about 8% higher than Elephant Grass and comparable to woody feed stocks. Yet bamboo’s short cropping cycle surpasses traditional forestry timber production and is equivalent to short-rotation coppice, but with less management. Moreover, bamboo is a more effective carbon-sink (often cited as being CO2 negative) and is able to grow on more marginal land.

Phyllostachys outperforms grasses as its moisture content is as low as 8%, compared to around 20% for Miscanthus. That reduces pre-processing drying time and transportation costs. Also, and importantly, harmful pollutants like sulphur and nitrogen and troublesome particulates in the form of ash residues are significantly lower.

China’s annual energy demand is projected to increase by 5% each year up to 2015. Its Five Year Plan for Renewable Energy Development suggests greater biomass production, particularly in the colder

Northern provinces, with plans to increase capacity to 30 GW per year by 2020, using bamboo as well as poplar, willow and Yang grass (Leymus chinensis).

Our Department of Energy and Climate Change is committed to 15% of energy coming from renewable sources by 2020, and believes bioenergy might account for half of that.

The International Network for Bamboo and Rattan in Beijing considers bamboo to be a serious contender for biomass production and the European Community has funded a consortium of nine partners across five European countries to establish Bamboos for Europe research. Initial trials on the continent show yields of up to 15tDM/ha/year.

Two potential barriers are supplies of commercial plant stocks and the labour-intensive traditional cultivation methods. But cutting-edge technologies being developed in Belgium, such as micropropagation and tissue culture, are producing large volumes of plants for establishment. Forage or modified sugar-cane harvesters appear suitable for harvesting.

Clearly, bamboo farming is actively being investigated in Europe. UK farming needs to consider greater collaboration and integration with the Bamboo for Europe partners, perhaps in combination with small-scale farm trials, such as those at Moulton, maybe with government sponsorship.

(Left) Malcolm Goodwin of Moulton College visited China (Above) Bamboo - an incredibly diverse crop product (Main picture) UK bamboo growth rates could easily match those in parts of China

www.thefarmersclub.com • 15

Farming Views

Farming Views

Club Member Chris Jordan ran the London Marathon for Cardiac Risk in the Young

Farming Figures

25% Britons unconcerned by GM foods, compared with 17% nearly a decade ago, says British Science Assn

500 litres

Water to grow wheat for one small bread loaf in China, with groundwater irrigation pumps nationally creating CO2 emissions equivalent to New Zealand’s total

6,953,613 head Throughput of Kansas City stockyards in 1923

$25.3m Loss made by Black Earth Farming on 326,000ha of Russia’s most fertile soils in 2011, due to weather, logistics and storage problems

110,000 teenagers Members of on-line “Make Mine Milk” Facebook community, helping lift 2011 milk sales volume by 1.2%

260 million EU consumers farmers can market to directly using website www.farmer2family.com

40%

Share of global economy held by emerging markets like Brazil, Russia, India and China

16 • The Farmers Club Summer Journal 2012

MARATHON CHRIS Jordan, an Under 30s member from Hertfordshire, successfully completed the London marathon on Sunday 22nd April to support Cardiac Risk in the Young.

Having only found out that he had a place to run 10 weeks before, and not having run a marathon or even a half marathon previously, he undertook an intense programme to catch up on the recommended training period of approximately six months.

Unfortunately, a knee problem all but stopped training in the two weeks immediately prior to the race and hampered progress on the day.

“It meant I was forced to walk for a mile during the race,” he reflects.

Nonetheless, Chris was delighted with a time of four hours, 17 minutes and 18 seconds for the 26 miles and 385 yards course.

“I was hoping to run below four hours, would have been happy below 3hrs 45mins and delighted below 3hours 30mins. So it was frustrating not to run to my full potential,” he comments.

His supporters gathered on the Farmers Club’s terrace, with its

superb location overlooking Victoria Embankment, where up to 37,500 runners completed their penultimate mile of the race.

After the event Chris joined the group for celebratory drinks and lunch at the Club.

“The whole day was very enjoyable, with perfect weather for the race and a fantastic atmosphere throughout the course,” he recalls.

Every week twelve people under the age of 35, who are otherwise fit and healthy, die of an undiagnosed cardiac condition in the UK. Cardiac Risk in the Young (www.c-r-y.org.uk) raises funds for screening young people aged 14-35, undertakes research into Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS), raises the profile of SADS and provides professional bereavement support for affected families and friends.

With fundraising continuing until 31st of May, Chris is keen for any further sponsorship in pursuit of his £1750 fundraising target – see http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ ChristopherJordanLondonMarathon 2012

Your e-mail address The Club is keen to have up-to-date email addresses for all members, so you can be kept informed of upcoming events and Club developments, such as the potential acquisition of One Horse Guards Avenue. The Club currently holds a total of 3553 e-mail addresses, out of a possible 5397.

That is just 66%. So please take a moment to send you e-mail address to update@thefarmersclub.com. The Club will continue to post information about the Club and events to Members who do not have e-mail.

Club Event

A Splendid Opera

By Lauren Wade WHAT a superb evening we had attending the magnificent Aida opera at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Arriving at the Club at 5pm we were met by our very cheerful events organiser MaryAnne Salisbury, who provided our tickets and invited us through to the Lounge before dinner was called in the Eastwood Room.

The food was excellent – king prawn, mango, lime and salmon salad for starter and stuffed saddle of lamb for the main course. John, Haffa and the waiting staff served everyone quickly and efficiently, which meant there was no need to hurry. Indeed, Club chairman Paul Heygate was able to share a few words with us before we all boarded the coach for our brief journey to the Royal Albert Hall.

We arrived at the Royal Albert Hall in good time and stopped within the shortest possible walk to entrance 3 – great planning MaryAnne! It really is so nice being picked up from the Club and returned by coach, so civilised.

Hot on the heels of the huge success of the fifth revival of their smash-hit production of Madam Butterfly, in a water-filled Royal Albert Hall, Raymond Gubbay and the Royal Albert Hall’s new production of Verdi’s Aida met the highest expectations.

This epic work explores the devastating consequences of a classic love triangle between Ethiopian slave girl Aida, the King’s daughter Amneris and Captain of the Guard Radames. Culminating with the final entombment as the opera draws to its tragic close, this intense drama gave Verdi the perfect opportunity to compose some of his most poignant arias and powerful music.

On arrival the scene that meets the audience is of an archaeological dig in ancient Egypt. Initially this seemed somewhat strange. But it could have been stranger still if we had just sat down to see rocks and sand! Such excellent staging in-the-round.

From the time we took our seats to the dramatic end we were simply transported to another land, captivated by the entire cast. This included Indra Thomas as Aida (soprano), Tiziana Carraro as Amneris (mezzo Soprano) and Marc Heller as Radames (tenor).

David Kempster played Amonasro, the King of Ethiopia, with his powerful baritone voice.

The dramatic conclusion finds Radames buried alive in a tomb. But Aida is hiding in there too. He sings to her: “Morir! Si Pura e bella� (“To die! So pure and lovely!�). Amneris weeps and prays to the goddess Isis. A spell-binding moment!

The whole opera was sung in Italian. But we were able to read the sub-titles in various places around the Hall from our superb seats, just one row from the stage. Truly, an evening to remember!

Aida as an opera in the round proved to be a sensational event

Club visit to Royal Albert Hall, with dinner at the Club before, was a real hit

Top prices Paid for parcels of 10 or more trees. Best quality replacement willow sets supplied as standard.

Free advice always available.

Courteous and friendly service.

More details at www.cricketbatwillow.com/treeswanted.php

! " # ! ! "

www.thefarmersclub.com • 17

Rhydian Scurlock-Jones, Chairman; Jeremy Dyas, Vice Chairman; MaryAnne Salisbury, Secretary • U30s

U30s Chairman’s Jottings THE Under 30s committee set out earlier this year to increase its profile within the industry and showcase the advantages of membership. We are now delighted to be supported by our new webpage which provides an excellent and modern platform for us to communicate with our members and those wishing to find out a bit more about us – do please take a look (www.thefarmersclub-u30s.com) to see our diary of forthcoming events, reports on past events and a lot more!

I recently attended a reception at the House of Commons hosted by Countryside Learning, a great rural charity providing true results and I am delighted that we have been able to inform members of their work and achievements through this Journal (see article on p19).

There are a number of awards available for enterprising young individuals within the industry and I was delighted that we were represented at the Trehane Trust Scholar’s dinner held at the Chesterfield Mayfair Hotel where Dr Chris Brown, Head of Ethical and Sustainable Sourcing for Asda Stores was the guest speaker.

Forthcoming events: 1. Our Farm Walk to Pollybell Organic Farm on the South Yorkshire / Lincolnshire / Nottinghamshire border is scheduled for the weekend of 22nd-24th June – online booking on the website.

2. The Addington Fund and the Under 30s have organised a Summer Drinks Reception which is kindly being hosted by Mark Spencer MP at 6pm on the 4th July at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on the subject ‘Young People in the Industry’ – do please contact mary.bell@fticonsulting.com to book your place

contact Rhydian for more information Rhydian Scurlock-Jones 07807 999177 rsjones@savills.com

18 • The Farmers Club Summer Journal 2012

Spring dining event A STRONG turn out by the Under 30s and guests in March ensured The Spring Dining Evening got off to a great start on a beautiful balmy evening. The evening started with drinks in the Cumber Room before moving to the Eastwood Room for dinner. We were treated to a starter of duck pate on Melba toast followed by chicken and vegetables, finishing with a chocolate tart.

In a change of format for the evening, rather than the usual speaker, we were delighted that U30s committee member William Benbow stepped in to engage us in a debate about the future of farming. There seemed to be an equal number of rebuttals and supporting arguments in response, suggesting the Under 30s consider the future for the industry to be bright!

After dinner we moved to the bar where conversation flowed over a wide range of topics, with particular emphasis on the lack of rain. As the evening continued many members and guests headed out into the night to enjoy the London nightlife – a good many shapes were thrown at our usual club haunt!

A large proportion of attendees took advantage of staying overnight at the Club and a determined few even made it to breakfast the next morning!

In all, it was another fantastic evening and our thanks go to the Club for organising it. We now very much look forward to our next event, the Spring Farm Walk in Lincolnshire, from 22nd – 24th June.

U30s • Rhydian Scurlock-Jones, Chairman; Jeremy Dyas, Vice Chairman; MaryAnne Salisbury, Secretary

educators’ by offering teacher training courses to engage with teachers and make them more aware of just how much the outdoor classroom has to offer.

Inspiration With a small staff team and regional education officers, Countryside Learning is committed to using the bulk of its resources to respond to the local and regional needs of children and schools. Events range from a class size of 30 visiting a local farm to major events in inner city areas which attract up to 4,000 children over two days, providing what is often their first experience of the countryside.

Four key facts help explain why Countryside Learning feels its work is so vital: • One in five never visit the countryside – indicating that more than a million children across the country have absolutely no contact with the land.

• 21st century youngsters are more likely to have holidayed abroad than to have explored England’s fields and farms.

• A further 17% have only been to the countryside “once or twice”, meaning a third of children have little, if any, experience of the rural world.

• A fifth of children say they have never picked and then eaten fruit – one of the staples of classic outdoors life.

Offering children a taste of the land The Under 30s Committee is enthusiastic about supporting a valuable countryside charity Countryside Learning visits often provide a child’s first contact with the countryside

COUNTRYSIDE Learning, a national registered charity, provides access to outdoor learning opportunities for up to 330,000 school children every year, through a series of countryside visits to farms and estates across the UK. For twenty six years it has provided educational support to teachers, parents, farmers and estate managers, so everybody involved in its work has a safe, fun, hassle-free educational experience.

What’s more, for every pound donated to its work over 93p goes on actually getting children out of the classroom and into the countryside.

Information The focus of its work is to recruit schools across the UK to participate in specially tailored days in their area. Health and safety checks and risk assessments are provided, helping to remove some of the barriers which teachers often feel surround outdoor education. Teachers are given a fully accredited training session prior to the event to ensure they and their students get the most from their visit.

The main audience for the foundation’s work is Key Stage 2 students, aged 7-11 years, plus children with special needs. It also seeks to ‘educate the

Countryside Learning has been very fortunate in the partnerships it has established with estates and farms, with farmers helping to deliver some first class opportunities to educate children, parents and teachers about the countryside, its management and the people who are responsible for it.

It also runs Farms for Schools, a project established to help small and medium size farmers diversify their businesses and open their farms for education purposes. Countryside Learning now manages this project for farms in all parts of the United Kingdom, with FFS members currently reaching over 300,000 school children every year and total visitor numbers of nearly 1 million.

Countryside Learning helps support this quality provision through regular monthly regional conferences and direct visit support to schools and farms who are thinking of diversifying into this area.

Again this work is done in partnership with FACE and Schools Farms network to avoid duplication and contain costs.

A key part of the work is ensuring the sustainability of the farming community, by helping it diversify, paying established farmers to offer advice on funding streams, educational opportunities, health and safety legislation and many other issues to encourage greater up-take of countryside educational visits.

Countryside Learning is seeking new farms and support and the Under 30s are pleased to be working with it to assist achieve its goals.

• Further information: Gary Richardson, Chief Executive Countryside Learning 07711069092 gary@countrysidelearning.org www.countrysidelearning.org

www.thefarmersclub.com • 19

Obituary

involved with the NFU locally and at County level and his combination of quiet common sense, acute political antennae and genuine concern for his fellow farmer led him to represent Cumbria on the NFU Council. There he served on the Milk Committee and many of the Union’s technical committees.

He was elected NFU Treasurer in 1994 and served for six years – the last but one to hold that prestigious office. He managed the Union’s finances very effectively, oversaw regular surpluses and built the Union’s pension fund with diligence. Treasurer was a role perfectly suited to David’s personality - not a heavy lobbying position but one that nonetheless gave him a top table seat which he used with great effect to promote the interests of the “man in the milking parlour”, ensuring debate always recognised that farming representation was as much about people as it was policy and production.

Second home

David Quayle: Past Club Chairman and NFU treasurer David Quayle – chairman of the Farmers Club in 2003

THE day that sticks in my mind in the life of David Quayle, I was three hundred miles away from him and we never spoke. It was 2001 and foot and mouth was raging in Cumbria. I made one of a number of calls to find out how the Quayles were coping. Nicki answered the phone and said I couldn’t speak to David – “He’s in the yard supervising the slaughter of the herd. Disease was confirmed a couple of days ago” That left on David, as it did on hundreds of farmers around the country, scars that would never completely heal. When the dust settled and the compensation was paid David and Nicki did what we all knew they would. They brought cows back to Moordyke and carried on doing what he knew (and loved) best – being a dairy farmer.

Indeed, from the start there was never any doubt that David would farm cows. He was born on a Cumbrian dairy farm and, due to the tragic early death of his father, was plucked from Whitehaven Grammar School, sent for a crash course in practical farming to the then Cumberland and Westmorland College of Agriculture and, at the tender age of 17, began farming in partnership with his mother on their tenanted farm – moving to Moordyke, Wigton in 1962 to farm in his own right, bringing just 16 cows with him.

He made it work through skill as a stockman and good business management. Soon enough, though, life “just” farming would not be enough. He became

20 • The Farmers Club Summer Journal 2012

Time at NFU headquarters meant nights at the Farmers Club where he came to feel comfortable in his “second home”. He had already joined the Club Committee while still involved as Treasurer at the NFU and it was a very popular decision of that committee to elect him to be Chairman in 2003. It was a privilege for me to serve as Vice Chairman in that year. Not a natural on the public platform, it was a joy to watch David grow in confidence as the year went on to the point that he almost enjoyed his speaking opportunities! He relished every other aspect of the task and took the Club with enthusiasm to all corners of the country. Throughout the year he took great strength from Nicki’s support and, seven years later was immensely proud when roles were reversed and he was able to support his wife when she became the Club’s first Lady Chairman.

Family man A family man to his boots he shared the trauma of his daughter Susan successfully donating a kidney to his other daughter Vicky during his chairman’s year and the marriage of his son John to his Japanese wife. He espoused the case for new entrants and encouraging young people generally and he survived the “Great Fire” when the eighth floor at 3 Whitehall Court went ablaze half way through his year. He was inordinately proud of his two younger sons, Ben and Doug, and their progress at school in Edinburgh and Veterinary College in Glasgow (reflecting his own affection for Scotland).

In his time he also found time to chair the 300 Cow Club (1993); chair the Cumbria Grassland Society, serve on the old MAFF Regional panel and the Trehane Trust. His peers recognised this outstanding service by creating him a Fellow of Royal Agricultural Societies.

A few months ago we were both attending a mutual friend’s memorial. He stopped as we were walking out of church. “We’ve got to watch it,” he said with that familiar twinkle in his eye. “They’ve started drawing from our pen.” Suffice to say “our pen” is much diminished with the passing of this fine Cumbrian, farmer and friend.

Denis Chamberlain

Ramblings • Stephen Skinner

Ramblings

Summer season WITHOUT getting too carried away it is true to say the Club has had a good start to the year, both in terms of bedroom occupancy and use of the dining and function rooms. However, we would be foolish to rest on our laurels. There is still so much to do in both refurbishment and encouraging greater use of the dining-room.

Our Head Chef is looking to introduce a new, lighter menu to sit alongside the a la carte for both lunch and dinner. As many of you know there are not too many these days who go for the traditional large lunch. I accept some do, and we will continue to offer this. But we need to cater for a wide cross-section of member’s tastes.

The new menu starts in early May. The forthcoming Olympics Games have set us a number of challenges, some expected, others not. We are set to be very busy during the Games themselves, but for the week before (16th July – 22nd July) and in the period after (13th August – 9th September), we are very quiet indeed.

London may not be as busy as we all feared. So why not come and take advantage of the facilities and position offered by your Club? We will be open

and offering a service throughout, as we have during the past two summers, with weekend dress rules, breakfast as normal and a ‘balcony’ menu throughout the day. Why not make it a family affair?

The Jubilee Weekend (2nd-5th June) is looking to be one of our busiest weekends with many, many booked in for lunch and dinner. There is still, however, the opportunity to drop in for tea or a drink. So why not come and enjoy a very special event and support your Club at the same time?

Technical issues AS we move into the 21st Century we need to ensure we make best use of technology, without losing the traditional values that help to keep your Club the warm, welcoming place it is. Credit cards and e-mail addresses are a case in point.

Both have become the ‘bread and butter’ of Club operations, and while many members understand this, there are still quite a few who do not provide the necessary credit card details when making a booking, or have yet to tell us their e-mail address.

I wholly understand people’s security concerns. But please remember our annual accounts audit by haysmacintyre includes a check on procedures for protecting highly confidential information, which we have always passed with flying colours. Without your card details the time we spend on administration soon escalates and mistakes can arise. That is not welcome for you, or our busy staff.

e-Newsletter MANY of you will have seen the recent e-newsletter I sent out and the feedback suggests it was well received. However, it seems quite a few of you did not receive it, despite us having your e-mail address.

Since this is in effect a mass mailing, spam filters may be preventing delivery. So, if you did not see the e-newsletter, and would like to, do check your spam folder and tick the relevant box as required.

New lighter lunch and dinner menus now support a la carte options

Cattle collaboration FOLLOWING last year’s successful Farmers Club conference in Whitehall looking at collaboration in the European cattle industry the resulting group is making strong progress as the European Cattle Innovation Partnership.

Research managers from eight key EU states have kept in touch with conference calls and group meetings, two years of R&D results have been collated on the BiosciencesKTN website and efforts continue to avoid duplicated funding.

A joint project to study efficient resource management in dairy farming

starts with a May conference in Brussels addressing phosphates, water and power, with Martin Scheele of DG Agri attending. Led by the Netherlands it underpins an application for European Innovation Partnership funding. A co-ordinated bid for DG Research funding is also being made.

“It is very pleasing to see the Farmers Club’s initiative to foster collaboration within EU cattle research coming to fruition in such a positive way,” project instigator Richard Holland notes.

Horse Guards Avenue NEGOTIATIONS for the acquisition and development of One Horse Guards Avenue are on-going. But it is fair to say they are painfully slow. I remain forever optimistic that this project, which I am convinced is strategically very much the right way ahead for the Club, will come to fruition. But reality says our chances of succeeding are a little blurred at present.

I will let you know the moment I have any news of progress.

www.thefarmersclub.com • 21

The Farmers Club • Club Information

Club Information 020 7930 3751 DIARY DATES Please check the dates carefully as they are sometimes changed and new dates added for each issue. Details of Club events circulated in the previous issues are available from the Secretariat at the telephone number shown above.

JUNE

CLA Game Fair Drinks Reception, Belvoir Castle, Grantham

Henr y V, Globe Theatre Friday 8th

Breakfast at Cereals, Boothby Graffoe, Lincolnshire Thursday 14th at 8:30am on the NFU stand

Open Farm Sunday

Saturday 21st Booking form in this issue

Royal Welsh Show Dinner Sunday 22nd Booking form in this issue

(Not a Club event)

Sunday 17th

SEPTEMBER

Royal Highland Show Dinner

Livestock Show incorporating Dair y Event, NEC Birmingham

Wednesday 20th

Royal Norfolk Show Drinks Reception

Tuesday 4th & Wednesday 5th

Wednesday 27th

Visit to Humberside

JULY Day out at Henley Royal Regatta

Monday 10th – Wednesday 12th Application form in this issue

Sunday 1st

The Royal County of Berkshire Show Reception

Annual General Meeting at the Club

Saturday 15th

Tuesday 3rd

Honorar y Members’ Lunch at the Club

Visit to the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

Tuesday 18th

Wednesday 4th

Royal Day Out – Visit to Buckingham Palace

East of England Show Reception

Friday 28th

Friday 6th Booking form in this issue

OCTOBER

Great Yorkshire Show Dinner

Har vest Festival Ser vice at St. Martin-in-the-Fields with Buffet Supper at the Club

Tuesday 10th Booking form in this issue

Tuesday 2nd at 5pm Application form in this issue

Kent County Show Dinner Thursday 12th Booking form in this issue

Club prepared for the Olympics The Club will be extending its opening hours during the Olympics to provide the following services to members and their guests from Friday 27th July until Sunday 12th August.

NEXT ISSUE WATCH out for your next issue of the Farmers Club Journal, due out in midJuly, packed full of content, including a detailed look at the prospects for future fertiliser supply, a report from the Club’s visit to Norfolk, exciting developments with the FCCT-backed Windsor Leadership course and Shropshire’s long-established Chamber of Agriculture.

22 • The Farmers Club Summer Journal 2012

Reception

7am – 11pm

Food & Beverage Breakfast – Continental Cooked

6.30am – 9.30am 7.00am – 9.30am

Bistro menu

12 Noon – 9.30pm

Sandwiches

11.00am – 10.00pm

Bar: – Monday to Friday Saturday and Sunday

11.00am – 11.00pm 11.00am – 10.00pm

A widescreen TV will also be set up in the Cumber Room for the whole of the Olympic period.

If you are staying or visiting the Club during the Olympics and Paralympics it may be advisable to visit the following website which has a wealth of information about public transport and travel to the venues. www.getaheadofthegames.com

Club Information • The Farmers Club

Further information is available on The Farmers Club Website www.thefarmersclub.com Obituaries It is with regret that we announce the death of the following members: Mr C Neville Cambridgeshire New Members UK Members Mr P Allfrey Hon R Arundell Mr J Bloom Mr E Boyle DL JP Mr S Brockbank Mr A Burgess Mr I Clay Mr B Cowlin Mr D Crush Mr J Davies Mrs E Duguid Mr P Dunn Mr J Flavian-Erlac Mr D Gaze Mr P Goldsworthy Mr P Gossage Mr S Greenfield Mr J Hatten Colonel J Hazel OBE Ms L Hazelwood Mr R Hebditch MBE Mr W Heller Mr M Hockin Mr R Holloway Mr R Holt Mr T Hounsfield Mr R Jackson Mr A Lister Mr N Longstreet Mr J Mair Mr A Martin Miss S Morgan Mr J Morton Mrs D Mountford Mrs A Murray-Smith Mrs S Post Mr T Power Mrs S Round Mr T Rowe Mr C Sercombe Mr C Silver Mr M Strawson Mr W Twelves Mr R Wertheim-Aymes Mr J Whyman Mrs K Wilson Overseas Dr A Archer Mr P Louw

Wiltshire Dorset Yorkshire Londonderry Cumberland Northamptonshire Yorkshire Suffolk Sussex Herefordshire Yorkshire Lincolnshire London Suffolk Huntingdonshire Sussex Yorkshire Essex Sussex Hampshire Somerset Devon Devon Northamptonshire Worcestershire Lincolnshire Lincolnshire Gloucestershire Somerset Kent Hampshire MBE Lancashire Norfolk Shropshire Lincolnshire London Essex Yorkshire Pembrokeshire Leicestershire Aberdeenshire Nottinghamshire Derbyshire London Suffolk Nottinghamshire

Mr D Majeau Mr P Tormey Under 30s Mr B Etchell Mr G Fry Mr J Hawking Miss A Hescott Mr M Holdom Mr G Holliday Mr R Marson Miss A Morgan-Jones Mr J Mugleston Mr S Osborn Mr J Pickering Whitehall Court Mr M White

Overseas Overseas

Over 160 years of service to farming Lincolnshire Somerset Essex Gloucestershire Essex Cumberland Yorkshire Leicestershire Essex Essex Gloucestershire London

Dress Code Members are requested to advise their guests of the following: • Gentlemen must wear formal jackets and ties on weekdays. Polo or T-shirts, 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, with smart clean jeans and trainers permitted.

• Children should conform with the above guidelines.

• Members must advise their guests of the dress regulations.

Business Suite This is situated on the Club floor and gives Members an opportunity to use a laptop or a Club PC in a tailor made environment. The use of a laptop therefore is no longer allowed in the public rooms and is restricted to the Business Suite only.

3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL

Patron – Her Majesty The Queen VICE PRESIDENTS Peter Jackson CBE, Roddy Loder-Symonds, Sir David Naish DL, John Parker, Norman Shaw CBE THE COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT OF THE CLUB FOR 2012 PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN Paul Heygate TRUSTEES Mark Hudson (Chairman), Barclay Forrest OBE Mrs Susan Kilpatrick OBE, Mrs Nicki Quayle, Julian Sayers VICE-CHAIRMAN Stewart Houston CBE HONORARY TREASURER Richard Butler IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN Richard Holland COMMITTEE Elected 2007: Tim Bennett (Chairman House Sub-Committee) Mrs Anne Chamberlain (Chairman Journal & Communications Sub-Committee), James Cross, Richard Harrison, Campbell Tweed OBE (Chairman Membership Sub-Committee) Elected 2008: The Reverend Dr Gordon Gatward OBE Jimmy McLean, David Richardson OBE, John Wilson Elected 2009: John Stones Elected 2010: David Leaver, Martin Taylor Elected 2011: Andrew Brown, Micheal Summers Elected 2012: Mrs Ionwen Lewis, Charles Notcutt OBE Co-opted: Rhydian Scurlock-Jones (Chairman Under 30s) Jeremy Dyas (Vice Chairman Under 30s) 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 Bedroom & Dining Room Reservations: 020-7930 3557 Private Function & Meeting Room Reservations: 020-7925 7100

COMMITTEE MEETINGS General Committee – Tuesday 3rd July and Tuesday 13th November.

F & GP Committee – Wednesday 10th October.

Overseas Overseas

Reciprocal Clubs UK Royal Overseas League, Edinburgh The New Club, Edinburgh OVERSEAS The Western Australian Club, Perth, Australia (Bedrooms not reciprocated) Queensland Club, Brisbane, Australia The Australian Club, Melbourne, Australia Royal Dublin Society, Dublin, Ireland Stephen’s Green Hibernian Club, Dublin, Ireland

THE FARMERS CLUB

The Muthaiga Country Club, Nairobi, Kenya The Harare Club, Harare, Zimbabwe The Christchurch Club, Christchurch, New Zealand (Closed due to earthquake damage) The Canterbury Club, Christchurch, New Zealand Members wishing to visit any of the above Clubs must obtain an introductory card from the Secretariat.

Accounts: 020-7925 7101 Membership: 020-7925 7102 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 events@thefarmersclub.com reservations@thefarmersclub.com reception@thefarmersclub.com u30s@thefarmersclub.com Website: www.thefarmersclub.com THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Editor and Advertisement Manager: Charles Abel 07795 420692 E-mail: editor@thefarmersclub.com Designed and produced by: Ingenious, www.ingeniousdesign.co.uk The printing inks are made using vegetable based oils. No film or film processing chemicals were used.

Printed on Lumi Silk which is ISO 14001 certified manufacturer.

FSC Mixed Credit. Elemental chlorine free (ECF) fibre sourced from well managed forests.

www.thefarmersclub.com • 23

Name(s) • Article/Section

Proposal to expand and enhance the Farmers Club Acquiring 1 Horse Guards Avenue would provide: • • • • •

18 new en-suite bedrooms, giving the Club a total of 70 bedrooms A new, larger dining-room An impressive private entrance An extended balcony area, adjoining the existing Club balcony A number of large rooms, some with views over the river to the London Eye, for: – private dining and member’s family functions – meetings, seminars and potentially conferences • A larger Business Suite than currently available • One large office to house all Club staff

Keep up to date: • Visit the website: www.thefarmersclub.com and click on the “Expansion Opportunity” heading • Watch out for e-mail newsletters (send your current e-mail address to update@thefarmersclub.com) • Keep an eye on the post!

Visit www.thefarmersclub.com for all the latest project news

24 • The Farmers Club Summer Journal 2012