South East Farmer August 2022 by KELSEY Media

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August 2022

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NIGEL AKEHURST VISITS... First generation farmers embracing regenerative agriculture

Farming is changing like never before. The opportunities are out there. CLM offers new ideas with traditional values.

Premier fruit event

Farming’s Glastonbury

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www.southeastfarmer.net SOUTH EAST FARMER Kelsey Media, The Granary, Downs Court Yalding Hill, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 6AL 01959 541444 EDITORIAL Editor: Malcolm Triggs Email: sef.ed@kelsey.co.uk Photography: Martin Apps, Countrywide Photographic PUBLISHER Jamie McGrorty 01303 233883 jamie.mcgrorty@kelsey.co.uk GRAPHIC DESIGN Jo Legg 07306 482166 jo.legg@flair-design.co.uk MANAGEMENT CHIEF EXECUTIVE: Steve Wright CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER: Phil Weeden MANAGING DIRECTOR: Kevin McCormick PUBLISHER: Jamie McGrorty RETAIL DIRECTOR: Steve Brown RENEWALS AND PROJECTS MANAGER: Andy Cotton SENIOR SUBSCRIPTION MARKETING MANAGER: Nick McIntosh SUBSCRIPTION MARKETING DIRECTOR: Gill Lambert SUBSCRIPTION MARKETING MANAGER: Kate Chamberlain PRINT PRODUCTION MANAGER: Georgina Harris PRINT PRODUCTION CONTROLLER: Kelly Orriss DISTRIBUTION Distribution in Great Britain Marketforce (UK) Ltd, 3rd Floor, 161 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9AP Tel: 0330 390 6555 PRINTING Precision Colour Print

Kelsey Media 2022 © all rights reserved. Kelsey Media is a trading name of Kelsey Publishing Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden except with permission in writing from the publishers. Note to contributors: articles submitted for consideration by the editor must be the original work of the author and not previously published. Where photographs are included, which are not the property of the contributor, permission to reproduce them must have been obtained from the owner of the copyright. The editor cannot guarantee a personal response to all letters and emails received. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Publisher. Kelsey Publishing Ltd accepts no liability for products and services offered by third parties. Kelsey Media takes your personal data very seriously. For more information of our privacy policy, please visit Kelsey Media takes your personal data very seriously. For more information of our privacy policy, please visit https://www.kelsey.co.uk/privacy-policy/ . If at any point you have any queries regarding Kelsey’s data policy you can email our Data Protection Oﬃcer at dpo@kelsey.co.uk.

AU GU ST 2022

CONTENTS

NEWS & REPORTS

04 Lifeline for Ukrainian evacuees. 05 Tree-mendous success for Sussex festive farmer.

07 Big grant for start-up

REGULARS

14 MONICA AKEHURST

Fields are changing colour at an alarming speed.

19 SARAH CALCUTT 20 NIGEL AKEHURST VISITS...

Nigel visits Butterbox Farm to meet first generation farmers Gavin and Holly Morgan, a young couple embracing regenerative agriculture and building an exciting direct meat sales business model through social media.

41 STEPHEN CARR 43 ANITA HEAD 44 ADVICE FROM THE VET

2022 Fruit Focus more than matched the show’s claim to be the industry’s “premier fruit event”.

31 DEMO DAY

Same Deutz Fahr’s impressive new RVShift transmission was unveiled to the UK.

32 HADLOW COLLEGE

50 LEGAL 52 LAND AND FARMS

Kent Event Centre, Detling, Maidstone, Kent ME14 3JF

16 FRUIT FOCUS REVIEW

Another successful event at farming's Glastonbury.

Changing landscape.

23rd November 2022

Agriculture "front and centre" at Kent County Show.

24 GROUNDSWELL

46 ALAN WEST 48 NICK ADAMES Cover picture: Hadlow College ©Martin Apps, Countrywide Photographic

FEATURES

08 SHOW RESULTS

Housing preparation.

www.kelsey.co.uk

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2022

In association with

Sponsored by

Vitifruit Equipment Sales and Hire

NEWS Breakthrough brings work for war refugees and pickers for local farms.

Impressive leadership from Southern Farmers’ managing director Brigitte Fifield has given a lifeline to Ukrainian evacuees while also helping to solve the workforce crisis facing local fruit growers. With the help of a “very supportive” official from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), the agricultural buying group’s boss has co-ordinated refugees looking for a home with growers who are desperate for workers. “Although it seems like an obvious solution to two problems, the link hadn’t been made until Southern Farmers decided to get involved,” Brigitte explained. While the Home Office’s seasonal worker scheme only allows overseas workers to stay in the UK for six months, refugees from war-torn Ukraine and Afghanistan who are already in the country have visas that last for three years, and while the seasonal scheme is struggling to meet the demand from growers, many of the refugees are keen to find work in order to pay their way. “Growers have accommodation that could be used to house refugees currently stuck in hotels, but they weren’t prepared to make it available in case they needed it for their picking workforce later in the year,” Brigitte went on. Now, thanks to enthusiastic support from Peter Clark, from the DWP’s national employer and partnership team, refugees have been given the green light to work on local farms and move into the available accommodation – and given the necessary help with the paperwork. “It was a real breath of fresh air when Peter came on board,” Brigitte commented. “It was so good to be able to talk to a person rather than being pushed

REFUGEES CAN HELP GROWERS towards an online form, and he has really helped move this forward.” Peter has organised online video sessions with local farmers and growers to explain how the process works and what forms they need to fill in and answer any other questions they may have around areas such as child care. “We began working on this several months ago, initially asking Boris Johnson’s office to help us link available accommodation with people who needed it while also finding workers for our members,” said Brigitte. “It was clear that it just needed co-ordination. “When we were put in touch with Peter we discovered that there were refugees sitting in hotels and desperate to find a job and somewhere to live. Now our growers have access to an additional supply of longer-term labour while also helping people who have been forced to flee their country as a result of the Russian invasion. “As far as our members are concerned this will

make a huge difference to their season. They have been facing a desperate shortage of pickers, and when you see the work that goes in to producing these crops it’s heartbreaking if they aren’t picked because of a shortage of workers. “This has been a great example of teamwork, both amongst our farmers and growers and from the DWP, which has really got behind this initiative.” An equally positive Peter Clark responded: “DWP is working across government to support people who have arrived in the UK, to link new arrivals with valuable skills and experience with employers with job vacancies. “Brigitte has been really proactive in helping us work with local employers. With her help, we’re getting offers of new jobs and opportunities for people from Afghanistan and Ukraine, as well as support for refugees from other countries. This work is helping us support people arriving in the UK to achieve independence and allow them to play a valuable role in supporting UK employers.’’

and directing “world-leading berry research and development that supports treatment of pest and disease, crop utilisation and drives future efficiencies, including the reduction of the carbon, waste and water footprint of the UK berry industry”. Chairman Nick Marston said the launch of British Berry Growers marked “an exciting moment for the British berry industry”, adding: “Now worth over

£1.6 billion year-round, the value of the industry has doubled in just a decade. Our growers sit at the heart of the rural economy and our industry is recognised as a key contributor to UK food selfsufficiency. “British Berry Growers will champion the tireless work of our berry growers, both big and small, and support them as they adapt to the future challenges of seasonal berry production. We’re here to secure the long-term success of the British berry industry.” The organisation will continue to fund Love Fresh Berries, the organisation’s all year-round PR and social media campaign to promote strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.

NEW NAME, NEW AMBITION A new name, a new logo and a new ambition is behind a rebrand of the industry body that represents 95% of the UK’s commercial soft fruit growers. British Berry Growers has replaced British Summer Fruits, the name that the UK’s billionpound soft fruit industry has rallied behind since 1992. The ambition for the rebranded trade body is for British seasonal berries to continue to provide 100% of the UK’s needs and for industry exports to be 50% bigger than British sales volumes by 2035. British Berry Growers’ priorities include building UK consumer awareness, supporting growers

AUGUST 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

OP INI ON Tinkering at the edges no longer enough

TREE-MENDOUS

SUCCESS FOR SUSSEX

FESTIVE FARMER

East Sussex businessman Clive Collins, who set up his Christmas tree business despite being left in a wheelchair following a severe spinal injury, has picked up a £20,000 prize for disabled entrepreneurs. Clive was determined to continue working in the countryside despite being left disabled after falling out of a tree in 1990. He put his six months in hospital to good use, making plans for the business. That determination was recognised when Clive was presented in June with the £20,000 cash prize in the Stelios Awards for Disabled Entrepreneurs, reflecting the success of the Catsfield Christmas Tree Farm near Bexhill. The prestigious awards, launched in 2007 and jointly run by the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation and Leonard Cheshire, offer one of the largest financial prizes for disabled entrepreneurs in the UK. They were relaunched with new criteria this year following a two-year postponement because of the pandemic. Clive took home one of the top prizes for his work building up his Christmas tree farm from scratch over 30 thirty years, despite his disability. He says he takes pride in delivering the best quality Christmas trees in the area with an environmentally responsible approach. Clive’s ‘golden rules for entrepreneurs’ include learning about sales and marketing, having a vision for the business, cultivating – and listening to – good mentors and gaining an understanding of accounting. On his win, he said: “To be chosen as an outstanding entrepreneur gives me more confidence to move ahead with my Christmas Tree Farm business. I feel most humbled and lucky to be selected as a winner.” Leonard Cheshire Chief Executive Ruth Owen said Clive’s win showed that “disabled people can be really successful entrepreneurs and can offer so much in the workplace."

I may have missed it, but I don’t think I’ve seen much from any of the Tory leadership candidates on what they would do to support UK agriculture in this brave new world of postBrexit Britain. With our uplands now more Saharan than sunlit as climate change – or just variations in weather patterns that have been happening since time immemorial if you are one of those who don’t believe it’s a thing – restates its claim to top spot on the list of challenges facing farmers, there is a clear need for the sort of leadership we don’t seem to be getting. The war in Ukraine continues to highlight the need for the UK to be, if not self-sufficient, at least a little less dependent on imports to feed its population, but even the fallout from that conflict hasn’t prompted any shift in the Government’s unrelenting focus on the environment rather than the dinner plate. That focus has been taken up by others, with European bison this month released by the Kent Wildlife Trust and the Wildwood Trust into woodland near Canterbury in Kent. They are due to be followed by Exmoor ponies, Iron Age pigs (seriously) and Longhorn cattle. An ideal way to “demonstrate the very real impact nature-based solutions can have in solving the climate crisis”, apparently, but I doubt bison steaks and Iron Age bacon are part of the plan. While continuing talk of opening up safe corridors for exports of wheat and maize from Ukraine via the Black Sea would help with supply, UK farmers are now also facing the possibility of disappointing yields, thanks to weather that could see milling wheat toasted before it’s even been harvested. Weather has always been an issue for farmers, usually dismissed as “one of those things”, but the recent heatwave was unprecedented and must surely encourage all of to focus our minds where scientists have been focusing theirs for the past several decades. In my late teens I enjoyed the long, hot summer of 1976, but to dismiss this year’s 40 degree, recordbreaking temperatures as a re-run of that year is to channel Nelson at the Battle of Copenhagen. Tinkering at the edges so we can feel good about ourselves is no longer enough. Do we really think that replacing the little plastic straws on the sides of drinks cartons with little paper straws will make a difference? And while the bison may prove a point, they won’t solve the problem. What we need is clear Government policy that supports farming, focuses on the importance of feeding the population and helps stop the South Downs resembling the Sahara. Instead we have 'he said, she said' squabbling and petty point scoring as the far-from impressive batch of candidates fights to win the votes they need. Fingers crossed. MALCOLM TRIGGS - EDITOR

EMAIL YOUR VIEWS, LETTERS OR OPINIONS TO: sef.ed@kelsey.co.uk or write to the address on page 3 ®

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NEWS

YOUNG FARMERS’ CLUBS

BACK LOCAL BRITISH FOOD

A pledge to do more to support British farmers was one of the key messages to emerge from the 90th annual meeting of the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs, which now boasts a membership of more than 20,000 young people. The 580 YFCs across England and Wales voted in favour of a motion to source and promote British local produce for their events and activities, as well as promising to share positive farming messages in all YFC and community activities.

NEW COLLABORATION

Aled Thomas, from the Pembrokeshire Federation, told the AGM: “We need to spread the positive message about supporting local further and wider and be more united across the membership to drive the food and farming industry forward. “Agriculture is at a turning point and the time to ensure the industry is thriving for generations to come, is now. It won’t be an easy task but anything truly worth fighting for is never simple.” While the motion is not intended to force clubs to use only local British produce, the hope is that YFCs will actively consider where they are sourcing their food from for events and activities and question caterers and venues on where they source produce. Individual YFC members can play their part by using social media to promote the consumption of in-season fruit and vegetables, and, when dining out, asking restaurants about their food provenance. The motion’s aims will be supported by a campaign during National Young Farmers’ Week in October.

KNOWLEDGE GAPS

Fruit and salad grower groups have joined forces to make sure research and development continues within the industry following the demise of the statutory levy and the end of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board’s horticulture operations from next March. British Apples and Pears (BAPL), British Berry Growers, the Cucumber Growers’ Association and the Tomato Growers’ Association have agreed to a collaboration funded by a voluntary levy system that aims to achieve value for money by allowing growers to share resources and costs. Each crop association is working on a five-year plan for research and development and will consult its members over the summer and autumn. The associations are also investigating the best way of continuing the emergency authorisation and EAMU (Extension of Authorisation for Minor Use) programme, which is being run by AHDB until the end of March 2023. EAMUs give the UK horticulture industry access to crop protection products, ensuring UK growers have the tools they need to protect the health of their crops and remain competitive. Options for EAMUs from April 2023 include the collective associations sub-contracting the work or employing a new team or external organisation to do the job on their behalf. Discussions are continuing with DEFRA. Ali Capper, Executive Chair of BAPL, explained: “We are striving to achieve a lower cost, value for money R&D and EAMU programme that is effective and allows its members to benefit from match funding and R&D tax credit, if at all possible. We’d be keen to hear from members of the academic community and other horticultural crop associations if they wish to be a part of this collaborative initiative.”

AUGUST 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

NO BARRIER

The new top man at the Environment Agency (EA) has been backed by two parliamentary committees, despite their having found “some significant gaps in his knowledge”. The two committees – Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Environmental Audit Committee – gave their blessing to Alan Lovell as the new chairman of the EA at a ‘pre-appointment hearing’, which is the way preferred government appointees to significant public positions are scrutinised. Although they announced that they were “content with the appointment of Mr Lovell”, they noted “some significant gaps in his knowledge, including on the decreasing enforcement rate on key issues such as sewage discharge into waterways”. The two committees welcomed Mr Lovell’s promise to return with his views on how to fix these problems and said they were also encouraged by his commitment only to restructure the EA if he could show it would deliver “improved environmental protection”. The Environment Agency has an annual budget of around £1.4 billion and employs over 10,000 staff in furthering its goal of protecting and improving the environment in England. Aged 68, Alan Lovell is chairman of the Interserve Group Ltd, senior independent director of SIG plc and chair of Safestyle UK plc. He has chaired the Consumer Council for Water and works with several charities. Chair of the EFRA Committee Sir Robert Goodwill said he welcomed Mr Lovell’s appointment and his strong private sector experience, but added: “There’s a huge job to be done on preventing the pumping of raw sewage into our waterways. Polluters must pay, so I look forward to Mr Lovell delivering clear, measurable progress in this area”.

NEWS

BIG GRANT FOR START-UP

An exciting, South East-based start-up business that promises to drastically reduce waste and cut costs in the vertical farming world has received a major boost with a £50,000 grant from Innovate UK. GyroPlant, set up by 27 year-old Brighton-based Marcus Comaschi and now headquartered in Chichester, has developed a unique product called GrowCup™, a reusable alternative to single-use growing media for seeds. Marcus began developing his idea in 2019, backed by a £5,000 grant from the Douglas Bomford Trust. A year later he was granted a further £5,000 from Innovate UK to support concept work and prototyping. Now Marcus, who admits that the business would not have got off the ground without the funding support he has received, has been rewarded for his insight and hard work with a second Innovate UK grant, this time receiving £50,000 through the Young Innovators Next Step Awards. The awards “recognise trailblazing young entrepreneurs, accelerating their business growth to deliver an even bigger impact” and were made to 19 UK businesses, based, in the words of Innovate UK, “on their progress and their future growth plans”. Marcus explained that the idea of GrowCup™ is

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to provide a supportive, reusable and low-waste medium in which vertical farming crops can germinate and grow. “Most growing mediums, or substrates, are flown or shipped in from all over the world and are thrown away after one use,” he said. “That means even a relatively small business growing salad crops or similar can be throwing away 20,000 cubes of substrate a week, and sometimes the mesh plastic cups in which the plants are grown are also thrown away.” The GrowCup™ alternative is a small rubber cup with prongs at the base that open up to accommodate the growing roots and which holds a much smaller amount of substrate. Importantly, both from an environmental and cost-saving perspective, it can be rinsed after use and re-used, time and again. “Because of its design, the GrowCup™ uses 90% to 95% less growing medium than most single-use alternatives currently available,” said Marcus. “Given that most substrates are flown in from all

over the world, the carbon footprint is enormous, and our product changes that, as well as saving the grower money.” The Innovate UK grant will allow the final research and development work to be completed so that manufacturing can begin, hopefully later this summer. “None of this would have happened without the grant,” said Marcus, whose business goal is to work with vertical farming systems rather than selling direct to growers. Currently working alongside a multi-millionpound partner to launch the product, Marcus said the support from Innovate UK had been “amazing, not just in financial terms but because it has provided a lot of networking opportunities”. He explained: “Innovate UK has helped connect us to other likeminded people and partners in the UK, offering us networking opportunities which wouldn’t have been possible if we were on our own. We are very grateful to be selected for the Young Innovators Next Steps Award and hope that it will help us to develop and succeed globally.”

Innovate UK is currently looking for the next generation of 18 to 30 year-olds to apply to be part of the Young Innovators Awards 2022/23 cohort. Aspiring entrepreneurs can learn more at: https://ktn-uk.org/programme/young-innovators-22-23-registration/ Applications close on 27 July.

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | AUGUST 2022

SHOW RESULTS

AGRICULTURE “FRONT AND CENTRE” Agriculture returned to its rightful place at the heart of this year’s Kent County Show – both literally and figuratively. Not only did the Kent County Agricultural Society put a renewed focus on livestock, education, young people and the environmental challenges facing the industry, it changed the geography of the site to highlight the importance of cattle, sheep and pigs to this part of the world. It meant that visitors to this year’s show, the

first in three years thanks to the pandemic, were faced with pens of animals as they walked down the main access road, rather than having to hunt for the livestock in its former place to one side of the showground. While the more commercial, less agricultural aspects of the show were still there to be enjoyed by the thousands of visitors who enjoyed great

weather on all three days of the show, they played second fiddle to the animals, agricultural machinery, rural show societies and other more land-based attractions That change reflected a determination by incoming chairman Julian Barnes to put agriculture “front and centre” of the event and boost the educational and customer-facing aspects of the

> Vice chair of KCAS Jan Loraine and chairman Julian Barnes show NFU President Minnette Batters around the education tent

> Stuart Gibbons demonstrates a smoothie bike

> Stockman Laurence Angus (left) with 'Frank' the Reserve Champion Sussex from the Bowerland Herd, shown on behalf of the Horsman family, with KCAS chairman Julian Barnes and deputy chief livestock steward David Stevens

PERME SHEEP SU

EP CHAMPIO HE

AUGUST 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

HOLLY RICHARDSON C H A M PIO N

PREME BEEF SU

C H A M PIO N

HAMPIO EF C N BE

PIG

RESULTS & REVIEWS

PREME DAIR Y SU

DAVID HEASEMAN C H A M PIO N

CHAMPI IRY O DA

show, which saw 80,000 people visit the Detling showground between Friday and Sunday. The show also featured an education tent, set up by KCAS’ charitable education committee supported by a team from the National Fruit Show and LEAF Education and offering lots of practical, hands-on things for young people to do and learn from. Committee member Stuart Gibbons, helping with activities that included ‘smoothie bikes’ that relied on pedal power to make a refreshing carbon-free concoction, said the aim was to raise awareness of where food came from and how it was produced, as well as highlighting technology and sustainability issues. The involvement of the National Fruit Show team reflected another aim of the chairman and his team; to showcase the year-round nature of the extraordinary breadth of produce on offer from Kent’s growers, farmers, food and drink manufacturers and the agriculture and horticulture industry in general. Looking back on a successful first day, Julian said that alongside playing its part in educating young people, it was important for agricultural shows and the industry as a whole to move “from being mainly B to B to being more B to C” – a reference to the need for agriculture to focus on the end user – the consumer – rather than just other business customers. “We need to be talking to customers to highlight the quality of locally grown produce and the part it can play in a healthy, balanced diet,” he stressed. Julian went on: “Returning post-pandemic, we were determined not simply to replicate the 2019 event but give the new team an opportunity to put the huge menu that the Garden of England offers at the heart of the show. As we look towards the society’s 100th birthday next year, this event firmly put farming and the county’s rural sector back at the forefront.” NFU President Minette Batters toured the livestock and education areas of the show meeting handlers and young farmers before joining a lively round table session of the NextGen Fruit Group led

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by chairman Oli Pascal, managing director of Kent soft and top fruit business Clock House Farm. Picking up on the theme of winning over the public at a time of considerable change in the agricultural landscape was SEF contributor and livestock expert Mark Cleverdon, who delivered the public commentary on the show classes. “What people have got to realise is that 60% of the land in this country won’t grow strawberries, or grain, or cucumbers, but it will grow grass for grazing sheep and cattle, and that’s the starting point of a healthy, balanced diet,” he stressed. “Food security is increasingly important, particularly when you look at what is going on in the rest of the world, so we need to be growing beef and lamb to give us milk, meat and wool, not rewilding everything. We can’t import everything we need, because that leaves us vulnerable to the kind of issues now being caused by the conflict in Ukraine.” Livestock entries were strong, with the Supreme Beef Champion award presented to Holly Richardson and the Supreme Dairy Champion going to David Heaseman. Supreme Sheep Champion

> NFU President Minnette Batters

award was presented to Emma Carr. The livestock section was boosted by a large number of Kent Young Farmers, who competed against each other in their own rings close to the main entrance.

PLOUGHING MATCHES A full fixture list will be published in our September edition.

Saturday 3 September 2022 East Grinstead & Three Counties Agricultural & Ploughing Match Association Imberhorne Farm, Imberhorne Lane, East Grinstead RH19 1TX phone-alt Kate Lewis: 07811 202493 envelope-open eastgrinsteadploughing@gmail.com

Sunday 4 September 2022 Romney Marsh Ploughing Match

White House Farm, Brookland, Romney Marsh, Kent TN29 9TH – Ploughing starts at 10am. phone-alt Diana Wimble, Secretary 07821 009693

Send us your fixtures for the next issue: rebecca.farmer@kelsey.co.uk

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | AUGUST 2022

NEWS

> Left to right: Moira Bruin, Deputy Chief Fire oﬃcer; Craig McLelland, EFRS; Andy Barness, Port of Tilbury; Warren Betts, Port of Tilbury; Gary Vincent, Port of Tilbury; Marc Diggory, EFRS; Rick Hilton, Chief Fire Oﬃcer

FIRE AND RESCUE AWARD FOR GRAIN TERMINAL TEAM

Staff at the Port of Tilbury have received an award from Essex County Fire and Rescue Service (ECFRS) for the part they played in helping to tackle a major blaze at the grain terminal in July 2020. Port engineers and other advisors worked alongside firefighters to monitor the scene and minimise the impact on the grain site as the fire was dealt with over several days. ECFRS Deputy Chief Fire Officer Moira Bruin described the fire as “one of the most challenging incidents our service had faced in recent years.” She went on: “Resolving this incident successfully only happened because of the great partnership work, and despite being under pressure we worked together to find innovative solutions. We wanted to recognise the support, ingenuity, bravery and open engagement of the grain terminal management and staff and were delighted to present them with this award and invite them to be part of our own celebration event.” The fire damaged the silo tower and other equipment but no one was injured. Major building works have now seen ten new metal grain silos completed at the site. The 30-metre tall silos have a total combined capacity of 20,000 metric tonnes. Work is underway to replace the concrete silos for a return to full operation in 2023, with the original storage capacity restored.

SFI WINS SUPPORT FROM CLA The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) was quick to urge farmers to look closely at the opportunities provided by the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), launched by Environment Secretary George Eustice at the end of June. CLA South East Regional Director Tim Bamford said: “The opening of the SFI application window marks the beginning of the transition towards environmental land management schemes. We recognise it is a time of uncertainty for farmers but encourage everyone to look at the new schemes with an open mind. “Those who are eligible to receive BPS but who do not participate in existing agri-environment schemes such as Countryside Stewardship, or claim BPS on common land, can complete the application process straight away. For everyone else, they can register their interest and will be able to complete their applications in the coming weeks. “As farmers we do not have to choose between our role in feeding the nation and our role as stewards of the natural environment. We can do both. As a result, it is important that these schemes work.” The SFI is the first strand of the Environmental Land Management scheme.

AUGUST 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

NEW BASC SOUTH EAST

DIRECTOR APPOINTED The British Association for Shooting and Conservation’s (BASC) has a new regional director for the South East following the appointment of Michelle Nudds. Michelle, who joined the South East team as a regional officer in 2016 and will now head up the regional office in Horsham, West Sussex, said she was looking forward to building on her “passion and enthusiasm” for shooting. She commented: “Shooting faces both challenges and opportunities. It is my aim to see the team continue to serve and grow our membership in the South East. We have already achieved so much and I hope to take shooting and our outreach in the region even further.” > Michelle Nudds

FUTURE PROOF COOLING SOLUTIONS

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Conservative MP Sir Robert Goodwill has been elected Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. Sir Robert, who beat four other candidates for the chairman’s job, will serve to the end of the current Parliament. The election followed the resignation of disgraced ‘tractor porn’ MP Neil Parish. Sir Robert, who has a degree in agriculture and still runs the family farm in North Yorkshire which his family has occupied since 1850, is a Trustee with the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust. In his bid for the chairmanship, he said he felt “well placed to lead this committee and to hold the Government to account and produce reports which are relevant to the challenges agriculture, fishing and the environment face”.

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WELL PLACED TO LEAD COMMITTEE

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Law firm Thomson Snell & Passmore has appointed Penelope Edgar as its new head of agriculture and rural property. She will use her considerable knowledge and experience to further strengthen and grow the firm’s already excellent service offering in this sector. Penny joined Thomson Snell & Passmore’s commercial property team in 2015 and has a wealth of experience in delivering practical, expert legal advice to farming businesses and rural landowners. She has an in-depth understanding of the specific challenges and opportunities facing the agricultural community and became a fellow of the Agricultural Law Association in 2018. The firm’s well-respected agriculture and rural property team is ranked as band one in Kent in the renowned Chambers legal directory. Under Penny’s leadership, the firm has ambitious growth plans for the sector, at a time when the farming industry is undergoing a period of great change. Commenting on her appointment, Penny said: “The agricultural community has been at the heart of the firm since its inception in 1570. It is a vibrant and ever evolving sector and I am looking forward to continuing to support and advise clients in my new role.”

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FROM THE FRONT LINE

IN CONJUNCTION WITH

WELL ON OUR WAY AS

“UK FARMING PLC” “Public money for public goods” – aren’t most UK farmers already delivering? Asks Nick Ottewell, Production and Commercial Director with Laurence J. Betts Ltd.

“Public money for public goods” has been the government mantra to farmers across the nation since the exit from the EU and the removal of the umbrella of the Common Agricultural Policy. To be replaced by a brave, new, red tape-free, innovative, modern, dynamic, pragmatic, understanding, food security, common sense approach – sorry, I lost myself in a little daydream for a second there. To be replaced by a British Agricultural Policy, which seems to have “public money for public goods” at the core of the policy structure. I can’t help thinking, though, that we are already well on our way as “UK Farming PLC” to providing fantastic biodiverse habitats that can successfully run alongside intensive food production. Generally over the past 25 years I have tried to run an environmental stewardship scheme alongside the salad and vegetable production. This has broadly equated to somewhere between 10% and 15% of the total farm area being in an agreed biodiverse habitat. I have really enjoyed doing it. The photograph on this page shows a very common scene here at LJ Betts. We have a crop

of intensive baby leaf salads being grown on the main part of the field and the field corner has been chopped off. A biodiverse habitat has been created in this field corner. With careful thought, farmers can remove 10% to 15% of their land area, targeting inefficient field corners, wet areas or areas of low fertility, and provide significant biodiverse habitat while having a very slight decrease in farm productivity and potentially an increase in farm efficiency and profitability. My very crude barometer of a successful, healthy ecosystem is to measure the number of birds of prey on the farms. While going about my daily activities 20 years ago it was an exciting event to see a buzzard, but over the past two decades there has been a steady, relentless increase in the number of birds of prey on farms all over the South East. I cannot speak for the rest of the UK, but I would be very surprised if it isn’t the same trend across the nation as a whole. Within the LJ Betts business, I now manage eight farms. We have at least one breeding pair of buzzards at every farm. It has become the norm to see them

AUGUST 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

and get quite close to them on a daily basis. In the past 12 months I have seen a goshawk, a sparrowhawk, numerous kestrels, a tawny owl, red kites and – the cherry on top of the cake – barn owls. For me there isn’t a sight in British wildlife more exciting than a barn owl. They are the most beautiful birds I have ever seen. At one of the farms, we erected two barn owl boxes in partnership with the Medway Valley Countryside Partnership. They recently surveyed the boxes and informed us that we had three adults and three chicks; they will ring the chicks. So why has this happened? Because the environmental schemes on the farms are working. They are creating habitats that animals lower down the food chain can thrive in and the top predators are benefiting. So the top of the pyramid is bursting with life. The most life that I have seen in my whole career as an active farm manager. It must be a healthy pyramid. If the general public takes the time to walk in the Kent countryside and enjoy its beauty, they are now very likely to see some birds of prey, and this wouldn’t necessarily have been the case 20 years ago.

The British Association for Shooting & Conservation

REGIONAL OFFICERS SOUTH-EAST ENGLAND SEND YOUR VIEWS OR COMMENTS: SEF.ED@KELSEY.CO.UK @SOUTHEASTFARMER SOUTH EAST FARMER

HELP ‘CULTIVATE’ NEW SKILLS AND CAREERS PLATFORM Dear sir, Agriculture and horticulture’s new home of skills and careers, TIAH (The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture), is looking to recruit English farmers and growers to test and trial its services before formally launching its online platform to the industry in 2023. TIAH was formed in July 2021 as the new home of skills, careers support, training and professional development for the farming and horticulture industry. It allows individuals and businesses to demonstrate their professional credentials through continued professional development (CPD) and record keeping. With agriculture and horticulture undergoing huge changes and farmers and growers aiming to ensure their businesses are profitable and environmentally sustainable, it’s essential that the industry has a workforce that is fit for the future, which means CPD will be key. TIAH is developing an online platform that will bring together existing and new training opportunities from across the industry. We’re not looking to replace what’s already in existence but to work closely with partners across the industry to bring everything together into one central hub and make skills and career development more accessible to all. The system will signpost users to relevant training courses and information, depending on their aspirations. We hope it will make everyone’s life easier in terms of understanding what skills are needed for progression and where they can be acquired, as well as providing independent records and collating personal achievements. Before making the online platform available to the industry in 2023, TIAH is launching a pilot scheme to give farmers and growers the opportunity to help ‘cultivate’ the system in its final stages. We want to ensure that it’s intuitive to use and that the information available supports professional development in a simple yet practical way. To help us do that, we are looking to recruit active farmers and growers from across England to become ‘TIAH Cultivators’, who can help us test the system this summer. Those who sign up will have a unique opportunity to shape the future of agricultural and horticultural skills and careers services while helping to safeguard the future of the industry. ‘TIAH Cultivators’ will be asked to commit approximately 20 minutes every two weeks to test, review and feed back on various elements of the platform. You can find out more about the pilot scheme and sign up to become a ‘TIAH Cultivator’ at https://tiah.org/tiah-cultivators/. For more information contact Tess Howe on 0330 174 4290/07779 321078 or email info@tiah.org. David Fursdon, Chair, TIAH

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Title: Salary: Location:

Reporting to: Closing Date: Reference:

Regional Officer South-East (Two positions) Circa £30,000pa plus company vehicle Role 1: Home based within Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, or Middlesex Role 2: Home based within Hampshire, Surrey, or Berkshire Regional Director South-East 31 July 2022 ROSER1/JUL/2022 for Role 1 or ROSER2/JUL/2022 for Role 2

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Further information and an application form may be downloaded from our website www.basc.org.uk alternatively please contact the HR department, BASC, Marford Mill, Rossett, Wrexham LL12 0HL. Telephone: 01244 573002. Email: enquiries@basc.org.uk

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WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | AUGUST 2022

MONICA AKEHURST AT THE KITCHEN TABLE

FIELDS CHANGING COLOUR

AT ALARMING SPEED

“Make hay while the sun shines” has been easy to comply with this year. Grass growth has been good without fertiliser, but will the hot weather change this from plenty to shortage? I’ve enjoyed seeing the butterﬂies ﬂuttering in the long grass but I'm less enthusiastic about dealing with scald in lambs, a side effect of grazing it. Surplus grass that hasn’t been cut is literally haying in-situ. The fields of arable crops grown locally have changed colour at an alarming speed and combines are busy harvesting. I worry that the high temperatures will cause shrivelled grain. Meanwhile, it’s typical that our last two ewes to lamb duly produced triplets, so no chance of fostering. Reluctant to take on more lambs, I decided to try leaving them on their mothers and monitoring them. Incidentally there was an interesting discussion on Facebook as to what to do with lambs not able to stay on their mother. How to rear them, foster, bottle, bucket, machine, give away, sell as sock lambs… are they economically viable? It’s a dilemma, but as someone pointed out, what is the alternative? “Leave them for fox fodder” was suggested, but I wouldn’t want that on my conscience. One of our triplets is quite a character, full of spirit, often playing truant away from its mother’s protection. Suddenly it didn’t look so well and when offered milk drank it with great gusto, so it joined the spare lamb clan. I was amazed when I discovered this lamb’s internal arrangements are unusual in that it passes urine and faeces through the same aperture. My head questions spending

time on this lamb, but it has a zest for life so I haven’t the heart to do otherwise. It will probably wait until I’ve spent maximum time on it and then do what sheep have a reputation for doing best. In soaring temperatures, ewes, Brie (collie) and humans were all relieved when shearing day was over. I didn’t want the sheep to stand in the pen for longer than necessary, so delayed getting them in, which put us under time pressure to be ready when the shearers were set to go. The flock in the woods needed Brie’s persuasive tactics to make them emerge into the bright sunshine. Once in the pen we quickly ran them through the race, separating the lambs and releasing them back into the field, where they mostly found shade beside the hedge. The ewes ran up the ramp better than usual, probably attracted by head banging music pumping out of the shearer’s boom box. Personally I prefer the Beatles. As the shorn ewes are released from the trailer, they call for their lambs. It’s quite amusing watching the suspicious reactions of their offspring. You can see them thinking: “It sounds like mum, but she looks scarily different.” Usually after a good sniff the lambs dive in for a sneaky feed, ever the opportunists, just confirming that it really is mum. Big Bertha is not in my good books as today, while perched on the roof of the pickup concentrating on counting 50 cattle, I spotted a woolly Bertha and lambs. She scarpered as soon as she realised I’d clocked her; she must have crossed the river to evade the round up. I’ve put my shearing battery on charge and warned Brie we’ve got a challenge for later in the day.

> Cattle counting

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I think Bertha might just have made it onto the cull ewe list. I was very happy with the buoyant trade in Hailsham market for culls just before the festival of Eid. Some of our single lambs are looking like it won’t be long before they are ready for market. Our spare/sock lambs currently live in the home paddock and are intently studied by our two collie pups, now seven months old. Mollie and Tip are keen to try out their skills and I’m simultaneously looking forward to and slightly dreading the training process. Some days Brie would welcome extra help. In the meantime, as part of their socialising education, I introduced the collies to the seaside. We all had fun, so I will try to make time to repeat it. The pups also accompanied us on the start of the 1066 walk – Pevensey castle to The Bull at Boreham Street. For the last half hour their eyes regarded me, questioning: “Are we nearly there yet?”, reminiscent of car journeys with young children. When we stopped in the pub garden, the pups were exhausted and flaked out under the table while we enjoyed a nice cool beer. While we are on the subject of drinks, legal beagle daughter decided to make elderflower cordial and fizz. She requested numerous elderflower heads and promised us she’d make a delicious, refreshing drink. Legal beagle then ordered some very smart labels to put on her bottles and declared she’d be giving them away as presents. The other evening I went over to hers for grandma babysitting duties, and on her arrival

home she enthusiastically declared we should celebrate by opening a bottle of her fizz. All I can say is I’m glad we were in her kitchen and not mine; there was a loud bang and sticky bubbling elderflower was everywhere. There was about one glass left in the bottle to drink by the time we’d finished laughing. I certainly hope her swanky labels include a disclaimer. It did taste good, though. I won’t crow too much because my home baking is far from the perfection I dream about; in fact I fear my dentist will have the last laugh. The younger generation keeps banging on about the benefits of eating sourdough bread, so I decided to attend a workshop held in Tilley Lane. An enjoyable time was had by all, I brushed up on my kneading skills and we ate delicious freshly baked bread, cinnamon buns and savoury biscuits, all based on sourdough. But while my home baked bread was tasty inside, getting through the crust proved to be one challenge too far for my teeth. Fixing my chipped front tooth will be expensive. Still, we live and learn. NB I’m including a photo of Nigel and Hannah’s daughter Zinnia, showing off the homegrown flowers she is named after. Just in case, like me, you’d never seen or heard of them before.

> Mollie and Tip lamb watching

> Elderﬂower ﬁzz > Shearing in action

15 > Educating Grandma on what Zinnia ﬂowers look like > Nigel and Brie’s job is to get them up the ramp

> My Sourdough bread; getting through the crust was a problem

> Collies loved the seaside TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

> Chilling in the woods

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | AUGUST 2022

REVIEW

PREMIER FRUIT EVENT 16

Warm weather, a packed programme, product launches, topical debates and the chance to catch up with friends, suppliers and customers ensured that the 2022 Fruit Focus more than matched the show’s claim to be the industry’s “premier fruit event”. There was a purposeful feel about the show, with visitors fully engaged with the standholders, keen to learn about new and better technology and sharing ideas and information both in formal sessions and while pausing for a chat with friends and colleagues. Held at NIAB East Malling in Kent, Fruit Focus again combined research tours, NFU-sponsored fruit forums and demonstrations with a broad range of stands manned by suppliers from across the whole of the fruit industry. From agronomists to machinery manufacturers, packing specialists to robotics companies and substrate suppliers to plant nutrition experts, the show had plenty to offer and aroused considerable

> Fruit Focus panel (L-R) Martin Emmett, John Giles, Chris Newenham and Tim Mordan interest from potential buyers, suppliers and partners. The show also gave agronomists, farm managers, advisers and others the chance to earn BASIS

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continuous professional development points and gave the organisation an opportunity to highlight its new Principles of Sustainable Land Management course, which is available both online and through

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in-person training. The popular NFU Fruit Forums addressed topics including labour supply, a new technique for controlling spotted wing drosophila, reducing water and fertiliser use and the intriguingly titled Ozone nano bubble technology and the agronomic effects of root zone temperature. Growing Kent & Medway also had an increased presence at this year’s Fruit Focus, operating a new networking and information-gathering hub that also hosted a number of speakers on topics including routes to market, net zero, mentoring, funding opportunities and the search for new talent. As well as organising a number of research tours to its various East Malling facilities, including the Greentech Hub for Advanced Horticulture and its water efficient technology (WET) Centre, NIAB EMR took the opportunity to launch its new early season plum variety Malling™ Elizabeth.

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Claimed to have exceptional eating quality, the Victoria-like plum, named in honour of Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, is described as firm, sweet and juicy and delivers an impressive yield. Stephanie Dunn James, director of leading UK top fruit propagator FP Matthews, which has worked with NIAB EMR to bring the trees to market, also spoke at the launch, which included an opportunity to taste the fruit. Earlier in the day’s busy schedule, Cranfield University student Lauren Farwell was presented with the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers’ Student Prize along with a cheque for £1,500 from Berry Gardens. The PhD student was rewarded for her work on the epidemiology of Cladosporium on raspberries in the UK, aimed at underpinning the development of effective management strategies. Thomas Heaven from the University of Lincoln won the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers’ David Hohnen prize.

> Vice-chair at Berry Gardens Growers, Robert Pascall, and Chris Newenham, Chair of the Awards Council, present the 2022 Berry Gardens prize to Lauren Farwell

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | AUGUST 2022

LAND MANAGEMENT

FARMING NEEDS 'THE BRIGHTEST AND THE BEST'

One of the joys of my 25 years as a consultant has been seeing new people come into the profession and progress their careers. There is, quite rightly, much talk in the farming industry about how we should do more collectively to promote careers in agriculture. It’s important that we clearly communicate the advantages of working in this sector to young people, both from farming and non-farming backgrounds. But too much emphasis is sometimes put on the goal of owning or renting a farm, overlooking opportunities in the ancillary sectors. There is a plethora of such roles available – everything from environmental adviser to land agent – which would appeal to those seeking exciting, enjoyable careers. I always tell people that as a farm business consultant you get to work with fascinating people. Farming is, in some ways, slow moving because it’s seasonal, but in other ways it’s incredibly fast-paced because the industry is populated by innovators and entrepreneurs. They are, by definition, interesting people to work with. You also get to help shape their businesses and can have a really positive effect on the landscape around you; I’m now seeing trees I planted 25 years ago become mature woods, something which is hugely fulfilling. We have positively to ‘sell’ the attributes of such jobs to the next generation. While there are ‘lifestyle’ benefits, and working in the countryside is undoubtedly a vocation, we also need to pay competitive salaries and offer clear career progression if we’re to attract the most talented people. It’s a mistake to expect the way of life to, in itself, persuade the brightest school, college and university leavers to choose our industry. The reality is, if you don’t offer competitive salaries, you won’t get the right applicants. We’re in a horrible inflationary period. Diesel, for example, has rocketed in price compared with a few months ago, and this presents huge challenges for employers, but we can’t expect employees to work

for less than they deserve. When you look at a business’s costs, staff can often account for 30% or more of the overall overhead. This reinforces how important it is to make the correct level of investment in it, rather than seeking to make false economies. Perhaps we should change how we present vacancies? There are some great packages on offer, but this isn’t always apparent when they’re advertised because of the way the accommodation element is included. When I see, for example, a farm manager vacancy advertised for ‘£30k plus cottage’, I wonder if a better way to put it might be ‘£55k (made up of salary of £30k plus accommodation).’ In total, the remuneration represents a great package and is commensurate with other industries. That said, I always advise employers struggling to fill vacancies to resist the temptation to hire someone who isn’t quite right for the role, even if it can feel expedient to do so. In consultancy, for example, we only hire people with enquiring minds who are always asking questions and prepared to challenge the status

MARK WEAVER

Managing director, CLM T: 01892 770339 E: mark@c-l-m.co.uk www.c-l-m.co.uk

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quo. Ultimately, this is a people business, so those working in it have to be good with all sorts of people. Consultants need to be good listeners, too, able to hear what’s being said – and sometimes what’s not being said! We look for people who are bright, interested and interesting. I don’t want someone who has just graduated from university with a first-class degree and hasn’t done anything else. Work ethic is important, as well, and we expect hard work, but we’re happy to reward it. The new generation has a shift in mindset. I was involved recently in recruiting a gamekeeper – and it was refreshing to see how they view themselves as stewards of the countryside, as well as keepers of game. In the past few years, I’ve seen some really capable new entrants come into our industry. Whether it’s young farmers taking over from their parents, farmworkers, those going through a farming company’s management scheme, agronomists or the graduate surveyors we’ve taken on at CLM, the land-based industries offer great opportunities for smart, ambitious people. Let’s all carry on spreading the word far and wide that agriculture, in the widest possible definition of the word, is a great place to work. At this time of great change in farming, now more than ever we need the brightest young minds to choose the countryside as the place to carve out a career.

FOCUS ON FRUIT SARAH CALCUTT SARAH CALCUTT Executive Chair, National Fruit Show

> Jim McDougall, Founder and Commercial Director at Outﬁeld Technology, and Sam Smith

REAL CURRICULUM BENEFIT Eleven years ago, I was approached by Sam Smith, our education manager, to see if we, the Marden Fruit Show Society committee, might like to formalise our rather ad hoc school programme into something that had real curriculum benefit. She proposed that as well as educating the next generation about how fruit is grown, we could show what farming is really like and what kinds of wonderful careers are available in the fruit sector. Those who know Sam have already realised that this was an easy decision, as there cannot be a better person to enthuse people than Sam. Over the intervening years Sam and her team have visited hundreds of school classrooms, scout, guide, cub, brownie, rainbow and beaver meetings, home education groups, school clubs, careers events and public shows. They have shared slices of apple and pear, fruit crisps and fruit leather, juiced thousands of apples and berries and made many thousands of small boys giggle with comments about how the end of an apple looks like a bum… What they have been doing is multi-layered; in an utterly memorable way they have shown that fresh British fruit is delicious and enjoyable, they have embedded knowledge of food, farming and the environment in a really fun way and for the teacher they have delivered a curriculum-linked programme that aids their OFSTED targets and core curriculum goals. For the older groups, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is at the forefront, as is a cleverly crafted careers programme which, with the aid of Oculus virtual reality headsets, allows us to share the beauty of orchards throughout the year and the advanced technology within the packhouse. We can literally fly young people above James Smith’s farmyard, giving a bird’s eye view of fruit in bins and on trees and of the biodiversity that surrounds the orchards. And it’s all for free. The programme is completely free at the point of delivery, no matter the age of the child. From early years foundation skills (reception class) through key stages one to four, there is something for every year group. With the unfaltering support of our two principal sponsors, Avalon Fresh and AC Goatham, the programme has been able to grow into this outstanding, unique, offering. With the aid of OnePay we now have Blossom, our distinctive little van that brings all this knowledge to schools and events. There are also many growers and businesses that donate fresh fruit, crisps, fruit

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leather and juice to ensure that no child goes without at one of our visits. Steph Dunn James and Nick Dunn at FP Matthews get a special mention too; every single school we have visited is left with one of their wonderful trees, a lasting legacy of the beauty of British fruit. The whole team turned out for the Kent Show this year; we had a brilliant spot and got to meet thousands of visitors. With over 1,300 children actively engaged in a healthy eating/tasting great challenge, we shared a lot of healthy fruit, too. We spoke with their parents, we met a lot of teachers and community group members; we were struggling to meet demand before the event, even more so now. There is a waiting list of 200 schools, let alone the groups, which means my wonderful team will be busy for many years to come, unless we can grow significantly. If we want to continue to engage with our consumers, educate our children and inspire a new generation of young people to take up a career in the fruit industry we need to keep up this collaborative and proactive approach. It has been brilliant to work alongside other industry educators but even better to bring together different organisations within the industry to support us. Together we can make a big impact for the British fruit industry. Can you help, can you encourage an organisation to support us too, please?

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | AUGUST 2022

NIGEL AKEHURST VISITS: BUTTERBOX FARM

BOXING CLEVER This month Nigel Akehurst visits Butterbox Farm in Haywards Heath to meet first generation farmers Gavin and Holly Morgan, a young couple embracing regenerative agriculture and building an exciting direct meat sales business model through social media.

Arriving at Butterbox farm I drive past a picture postcard farmhouse and arrive in a traditional farmyard with a mixture of modern and old buildings, including a lovely old Sussex barn. I park up and make my way to the lodge, a Scandinavian-made log cabin, that is home to Gavin, Holly and their two young boys William (aged thee) and Oliver (eight months). I learn that the 388-acre farm has been in the same family for nearly 100 years. The current owner, Pat Garratt, lives in the old farmhouse and keeps a close eye on her Dexter cows when they are calving, explained Gavin. Pat and her late husband John have been longtime supporters of the breed, the smallest of the European cattle breeds (roughly half the size of a traditional Hereford cow), which until recently was rare, with only 2,050 cows registered in the UK in 2000. Thankfully, by 2007 numbers had doubled

and their popularity continues to grow amongst smallholders and farmers as efficient converters of grass. The fact the meat is much sought after by chefs and foodies has also helped their revival. At Butterbox Farm they have around 40 Dexter suckler cows and around 125 head of cattle in total. The day to day running and management of the farm is shared between farm manager Peter Froggatt and Gavin the stockman, who have both worked on the farm for nearly 15 years. Holly joined the team after marrying Gavin and moving into the newly built log cabin three years ago, just before the arrival of their firstborn, William. Chatting to both, it is easy to see why the farm and meat boxes have gained such a following locally. They love what they do and revel in ‘selling the dream’ to customers, explained Holly. When she first moved to the farm, she realised that selling direct was what they needed to do.

> Gavin, Holly and Oliver

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“It was a case of fresh eyes on a project. I could see Gavin was so great at showing people around the farm,” she said. Holly offered to lend a hand and began working part time for the farm at the beginning of 2020. “We started the whole thing during the first lockdown. The first thing I did was make some signs, pictures of us and the farm, and write about what we do and stick them up on gates as we have footpaths running through the whole farm.” To create a brand, she designed a Butterbox Farm logo, putting their small family as the face of it, and set up social media channels to tell their story (@butterboxfarm). She also built a website (www.butterboxfarm.co.uk), a central hub to make it easy for people to find them online. She began blogging and posting regularly on social media. The reaction was overwhelmingly positive, she said.

FINDING OUT WHERE YOUR FOOD COMES FROM

Before long they were inundated with interest in their 10kg beef boxes and they started offering monthly collections from the old Sussex barn at the farm. Getting the meat boxes back from the butcher, labelled and vacuum packed, they store them in second hand fridges (sourced online) ready for customers to collect them. They priced their standard 10kg box at £140 and sell out every month, she said. “Families would bring their kids and Gavin and I would spend every collection weekend showing people around the farm,” she said. “It’s a huge part of what we do - to build a bridge between the farm and our local community, making it an immersive experience. If we can just get people here once and they meet the animals, walk round the farm, you can generally get them to return as they see our farming practices and realise it’s so much better to buy their meat from a local farm,” continued Holly. They now have a sizeable following of over 1,200 followers on Facebook and a large mailing list of regular customers, enabling them to sell between two and three bodies of beef a month. Customers love that it’s Dexter beef, “which is still quite rare in this area,” explained Holly.

OTHER ENTERPRISES

In addition to the Dexter cows, the farm is home to a breeding flock of 230 Romney ewes, though most of the lambs are sold through Hailsham Market. “There is also a DIY horse livery, a shoot, a large fishing lake and some commercial lets - all bringing in vital additional income,” said Gavin. The latest addition to the farm are two Saddleback sows and a boar, with 10 fattening pigs, all living in the woods. Pigs aren’t something they’d previously considered, but beef customers kept asking about buying pork and with over 70 acres of woodland they decided to give it a go.

NON FARMING BACKGROUNDS

I ask Gavin and Holly how they got into farming? “I wasn’t academic at school and fell into farming as I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” answered Gavin. After taking a year out after school he did a carpentry course but didn’t enjoy it. He then tried his hand at landscape gardening which he preferred, working mainly outside, and picked up a job mowing the lawn at the farm. Pat the owner liked Gavin and asked him if he would do a few more hours on the farm. “I don’t know one end of a cow from the other, so you’ll need to teach me from scratch,” he told her. She agreed, putting him through Plumpton >>

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FARM FACTS

• 310-acre farm, including 240 acres of grass, 70 acres of woodland and a large lake. • 40 breeding Dexter cows, with around 125 cattle in total. • All cattle fattened at between 30 and 36 months, slaughtered at Henfield abattoir and sold direct from the farm as beef boxes. • Host monthly collection days, at which Holly and Gavin offer farm tours to customers. • 230 breeding ewes; most of the lambs are sold through Hailsham market. • New pig enterprise with two breeding pigs, a boar and ten growing pigs. • DIY liveries. • A shoot. • Fishing lake. • Commercial lets. • Plans to build an on-farm butchery. WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | AUGUST 2022

NIGEL AKEHURST VISITS: BUTTERBOX FARM

<< College on a day release course. The rest, as they say, is history. Holly was always interested in farming and helped out with lambing on a local farm as a youngster. Initially she was deterred by a careers advisor, who told her she couldn’t be a farmer unless she was born on a farm. She followed their advice and went off to do a three-year English degree but couldn’t shake the call of the land. Back home, she contacted Plumpton College and enrolled on a course studying agriculture. She met lots of great people, she said, including local dairy farmer Joe Delves, for whom she later worked before going on maternity leave and

launching the Butterbox Farm brand. Both Gavin and Holly are passionate about making farming more accessible and changing its perception in the public domain. “Often farming gets a bad press. Older farmers wear it like a badge of honour - how hard farming is and the hours you work. You have to work 25 hours a day eight days a week, they suggest. “Sometimes it’s nice to tell customers we’re off down the beach like a normal family. Farming doesn’t have to be all work and no play,” she said. “We both love talking about farming and giving it the big sell; how cool it is and how people should buy their food from small regenerative farms.”

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FARMING METHODS

“All the animals are 100% grass fed,” explained Holly. They don’t have organic status but farm ‘organically’ she said, and use no bagged fertiliser on the land. Cattle and sheep are currently set stocked and moved to a fresh field every few weeks, depending on growth rates. They make all their own hay and silage on the farm and the cattle are housed in a modern barn through the winter months, with the dung being spread back onto the land. Recently they have visited some local regenerative farmers using mob grazing and bale grazing during the winter and are keen to give both

a go, though admit getting the right electric and water infrastructure set up first is key.

SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT STRATEGY

I ask Holly which social media channel she prefers and what type of content she finds works best? “Facebook is the best one for reaching customers. We rarely advertise what we have for sale. We did do that back at the start but found it wasn’t really working,” she replied. “I noticed that as I put us in the stories more, stupid stuff that would happen - like William falling in a water trough during lambing - people would jump on the post and massively respond to it,” she added. She would then get lots of people asking to join the mailing list and now posts at least two or three times a week, which she thinks is important to keep their audience engaged. “The posts are long and bloggy. I try to make them funny. Me and Gavin had a bit of a marital the other day when we were trying to move the pigs, so I posted about that. People loved it and we got three orders. “I think it’s more people following our story and our journey. That’s what they are buying into and why they buy their meat from us.

“I use Instagram but I don’t know if that gets me many customers – it's more to reach other farmers. I started a separate account for the pigs so I can ask lots of questions about them, particularly about having them in the woods,” she added. “I use Facebook to post on all the local community sites. I’m like ‘Hi, I’m Holly your local farmer, we just live up the road’ which I think – people like. I get quite badly trolled by vegans, but I just ignore it. The few times I’ve engaged is when they say something blatantly wrong about our farm. Somebody once called me a factory farmer and so I replied with a photo of our ‘factory farm’. “I’m always super polite. I’d never judge or confront anyone – if you want to be a vegan that’s cool,” she said.

FUTURE PLANS

“Now we’re at a stage where we can customise our offering a bit, as I have a bit more time,” said Holly. “We have several regular customers, some who prefer smaller joints, and there are a couple of others who like bigger ones as they have bigger families. I’d say we know our customers really well.” Recently they introduced a 5kg box to appeal to a wider audience of couples and smaller families which means more admin but has helped them

sell nearly three bodies of beef a month. “The most volatile thing about our business is the butchery; our order can be quite fiddly and we need it all vacuum packed, which they find challenging as they don’t have the man hours to stand there.” They use the butchery at their local abattoir in Henfield, which works well, but bringing it in-house would give them a lot more flexibility in being able to offer custom cuts and having complete control over how the meat is packaged and labelled. Ideally, they would like a facility on farm and are looking into converting a couple of old buildings into a butchery. They would then look to work with a part-time retired butcher, and Gavin is keen to get involved too. “It’s a big investment,” said Holly, but with meat box sales booming they both think it wouldn’t take long to recoup and it’s another reason for people to visit the farm. Longer term they would like to run educational tours for schools and other groups. I ask what the family that owns the farm thinks of all the progress they’ve made over the past few years. “They’re delighted,” replied Gavin, “and are happy to see the farm being farmed and loved by a family as if it were their own.”

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GROUNDSWELL REVIEW

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL EVENT AT FARMING’S GLASTONBURY

Described by some as “Farming’s Glastonbury”, this year’s Groundswell event produced another diverse mix of speakers, knowledge-sharing events, practical demonstrations and down time with friends and colleagues. More than 5,000 farmers and landowners spent time at the Cherry family farm in Hertfordshire during the two-day show, learning, sharing and hearing from speakers as diverse as Guardian columnist George Monbiot, restaurateur Henry Dimbleby, whose work informed the Government’s National Food Strategy, and rancher Greg Judy, who owns and leases more than 1,660 acres of land in Missouri. Groundswell’s rise and rise as probably the best-known regenerative agriculture show in the UK has seen its fame spread overseas, with visitors from as far afield as New Zealand and Denmark attending the 2022 event. The show prides itself on being run and hosted “by farmers, for farmers”, with manufacturers only invited if they offer demonstrations or can contribute in a

AUGUST 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

practical way to the learning experience. There are no ‘sales-only’ stands. Groundswell has a “relaxed vibe”, with music, a bar and camping all adding to the festival feel of an event that nonetheless has a serious side and aims to promote the merits and discuss the pitfalls (and how to avoid them) of regenerative agriculture. Despite the festival atmosphere, Groundswell’s reputation ensures the wholehearted support of the likes of the NFU, Natural England, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, NIAB and DEFRA, with Secretary of State George Eustice this year using the event to launch the first strand of his flagship Environmental Land Management scheme. Inclusivity is a vital part of the mix, with livestock and cereal famers of all ages, genders, tenures and experience mixing and sharing information. While some have been on the regen road for several years, others are looking to find out more about the subject before taking a tentative first step. The demonstration field saw more than a dozen manufacturers showcasing

their drills, while the Small Robot Company’s ‘Tom’ and ‘Wilma’ demonstrated their spot-spraying talents to an appreciative audience. Different tents and venues, demonstration plots and other areas hosted sessions on a wide range of subjects, with this year’s sessions ranging from the Groundswell Moth Safari to Leather as an Agricultural Product: Linking Farming, Food and Design, Quick, Accurate, Cost Effective Soil Carbon Sampling, How to Think Like a Grazier and Water Management and the Future. Talks attracted healthy numbers of visitors, with the more popular sessions soon becoming ‘standing room only’. For those who missed any of the presentations, the majority of sessions are recorded and uploaded to Groundswell’s YouTube channel. Paul Cherry, family member and one of the organisers, said: “To see the excitement and positivity as well as the connections being made is simply inspiring. We are creating new pathways for agriculture.”

> John Cherry hosting mob grazing demo

Working with growers for over 80 years Providing specialist agronomic advice, services and inputs nationwide. You have a question? Hutchinsons has the answer! • • • • •

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12/07/2022 14:05

A REVIEW OF GROUNDSWELL BY

JUSTIFIED HYPE

It’s autumn 2021 and I’m in a meeting pretending not to be confused as my colleagues excitedly discuss attending a new event. I had never heard of Groundswell, but as the words “buzz”, “different”, “growing”, “fresh” and “festival’” are repeated ad nauseum I started to get the gist, writes Miles Taylor, Technical Project Manager, UPL. Come event day it’s 7am, already 17° and I’m on site in a long queue of 4x4s down a dusty track, past a camp site that I wrongly assume is full of hacked-off holiday goers. I’m lost down memory lane recalling Leeds Festival 2001 when I realise I need to find our stand to unload or our marketing manager will be on my case sharpish. As the event unfolds, I realise the hype has been justified. Having attended every agricultural event under the sun in the UK and EU, I have never been to anything like this. Thanks to a timetable that reminded me of my GCSEs, the team was still busy studying it when the first visitors arrived at our stand. With nine seminar tents, two outdoor demo areas and a book shop/signing booth, the focus of the show was clearly aimed to open debate, not just on regen ag but about the entire state of food and farming today. Instead of the usual trade shows aimed at a crop industry, it has managed to pull the public, growers, academics, industry and government bodies together on to one site to discuss food. It’s tricky to describe the overarching theme of the discussion, but if I had to it would be something like: “What’s going well, what’s going wrong, what could we do, what can we do and how do we do it?”… So basically anything, but important anything’s nonetheless. This was one of those moments when I wished there could have been three of me, two to attend talks and one to staff our increasingly busy stand as guests initially interested in our freebies became curious about our bio fungicides Iodus and Thiopron, bio insecticide Carpovirusine and our range of bio stimulants, especially Vitalroot. I managed to get to a few of the talks, though, and made some rough notes: > Miles Taylor

NATURAL CAPITAL – UNCHARTERED WATERS

With Matthew Agarwala and speakers Rueben Saxon, James Goodley, Fergus Lyon and Janet Hughes As expected, a hot topic at the event was carbon – the reasons to increase it in our soils and whether or not we can sell it. More than 10 talks focused on this new area and I counted 11 carbon capture companies exhibiting. Grower James Goodley started by voicing his overall feelings on the subject, which echoed many in the events to come. • Offsetting should only be possible for companies to do when it is vital for that carbon to have been emitted, not just green washing. • Improving carbon in his soil has taken hard work and the cost of that carbon is currently too cheap to be worth selling. • Concern that the real money being made is by carbon traders and not farmers. Reuben Saxon of Natural Capital tried to allay some of these fears, highlighting that we are all in a carbon trading market already – it’s just that we might be the ones paying for carbon through green levies, taxes or net zero ambitions. With carbon trading, growers can improve the health of their soils and be paid for it. Reuben said contracts exist that do protect growers from over exposure, and with increasing government regulations ‘bad actors’ should be excluded from the market. Janet Hughes of DEFRA then ran through the new era of subsidies, namely the Sustainable Farming Initiative. Describing it as being ‘’behind farmers rather than getting in their way”, she said these subsidies would be designed to pay farmers to produce food, take care of the environment and sequester carbon. It was highlighted that the SFI would pay for carbon-friendly actions and not carbon sequestered and would be based on trust, instead of imposing punitive penalties. However, it was acknowledged that growers would not be paid twice for carbon capture, so there would have to be a process of the public and private sectors finding a way to work together.

GEORGE MONBIOT IN CONVERSATION

With Rosie Boycott In blistering heat, it felt like the entire festival was either moving towards the Yeo Valley tent or in the opposite direction. The atmosphere was tense as the infamous author, activist and Guardian columnist faced a full crowd. George began by instilling in the crowd his enthusiasm for soil science, especially the symbiotic relationship between soil (as the host), soil fauna (as the middleman) and plants (as the provider of sugars from photosynthesis in return for nutrients from the soil). The discussion then changed to the more controversial topic of his new book, which discusses how modern farming practices have changed our soils and how it is possible they have ‘hung on’ for as long as they have. Describing the current food system as ‘systemically unstable’ and making a link to the 2007 banking crisis, George argued that increasing levels of interconnectivity and efficiency will result in a total collapse from relatively minor issues and drew a parallel between unregulated mortgages in the USA and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. After delivering his fairly apocalyptic message, George went on to describe his three hopes for agriculture. This included the development of perennial arable crops (for improved drought tolerance and soil health), a new system of ‘veganic’ horticulture developed by Ian Tolhurst in the UK and, lastly, the

AUGUST 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

VITALROOT

fiercely debated topic around protein production. George’s solution to what he perceives is an inefficient use of land for dairy and meat is that it should be rewilded and society moved to a precision fermented protein using bacteria or other micro-organisms. Question time was animated as expected, with representatives from the dairy industry speaking up, as well as members of the public concerned about the nutritious content of fermented foods. Despite many going to Twitter to declare how poorly he was received, I felt his messages were overall applauded, with comments during the talk being supportive, the challenges constructive and the applause deafening.

PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTIVATOR OF ROOT GROWTH AND ACTIVITY Contains GA142 natural extract with added phosphorus and potassium

CREATING HEALTHY PRODUCTIVE SOIL THAT GROWS NUTRITIOUS FOOD

By Jill Clapperton This wide-ranging talk was the second part of a presentation that started on day one that I was sad to miss. Jill holds a PhD in plant ecophysiology and worked as a rhizosphere ecologist for the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada organisation for 16 years before founding Rhizoterra Inc, a private company dedicated to regenerating soil life. Some major issues were discussed, including water management, nutrient leaching and soil erosion, with companion cropping and zero tillage appearing to be the solution for many of these issues. The session looked closely at the rhizosphere, especially the soil/fungi/ bacteria/worm interactions and what growers can expect when moving to a zero tillage system. The yield ‘lag’ of these systems was debated, blamed on carbon lower in the profile not being brought to the root zone by cultivation and no longer holding water and nutrients close. However, over time Jill was confident carbon would build equally through the soil profile and with it the soil fauna would become balanced. This would then lead to the benefits we are familiar with – healthier soils, healthier roots, better nutrient uptake and better water retention. Through companion cropping, the farmed area contains roots penetrating at different depths, helping to improve nutrient recycling, soil stability, water management and overall profit. There were some more left field topics elsewhere. I enjoyed a topic by antiinput organic growers who were suffering with chocolate spot but refused to use a fungicide, organic or not. I wanted to suggest Thiopron, our rainfast liquid sulphur-based fungicide, but kept my hand down for this year! I left the event exhausted, sunburnt and dehydrated but deeply inspired. Conversations on our stand around our bio-elicitor Iodus as an alternative to synthetic fungicides in arable and horticulture was well received as was the use of biostimulants like Vitalroot to enhance rooting to improve nutrient uptake and drought tolerance. Special note needs to be made of the huge array of hipster food trucks on site, offering everything from open fired ribs to flatbreads, gourmet burgers, milkshake vending machines (George must have been furious), flat whites and of course craft beer. Having a gigantic food hall gave people a place to sit, enjoy the food, take a breather, discuss and socialise. It was great to have an agricultural event where everyone involved and interested in food was present. Taking this conversation away from slanging matches on social media to a face-to-face environment resulted in a more open and mature debate. I’m already looking forward to next year, where we will be exhibiting again, even if my suggestion we camp was voted down robustly. We at UPL hope to see you all there.

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www.upl-ltd.com/uk UPL Europe Ltd, Engine Rooms, 1st Floor, Birchwood Park, Warrington, Cheshire WA3 6YN T: +44 (0) 1925 819999 E: info.uk@upl-ltd.com : @upl_uk VITALROOT contains natural plant extract GA142 with added Phosphorus and Potatssium. Use plant protection products safely. Always read the label and product information before use. Pay attention to risk indications and follow the safety precautions on the label. VITALROOT is a registered trademark of UPL. © UPL Europe Ltd 2022.

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15/07/2022 11:54

GROUNDSWELL REVIEW

GROUNDSWELL LAUNCH FOR NEW

TERRAMAP GOLD SERVICE

Attracting plenty of attention at its Groundswell launch was TerraMap Gold, a new and unrivalled soil nutritional and management service from Hutchinsons that combines comprehensive soil analysis with accurate soil mapping. “TerraMap Gold is a premium service of TerraMap that will interest growers who want an even better understanding of why the soil behaves like it does and its influence on crop performance, allowing informed soil management decisions to maximise farm profitability,” explained Ian Robertson, Hutchinsons’ head of soils.

METHODOLOGY

The launch of TerraMap by Hutchinsons revolutionised the way soil nutrient mapping was carried out, using gamma-radiation detection technology to deliver resolutions of over 800 points per hectare. This provides high-definition mapping of all common nutrient properties, pH (e.g. % clay, % sand, % silt), soil texture, organic matter and cation exchange capacity as well as elevation and the amount of plant-available water. TerraMap collects data in two very simple steps; scanning using a lightweight, all terrain vehicle fitted with a sensor and then taking soil samples to allow for each scan to be used to create the individual map layers. “The difference with TerraMap Gold is that once the mapping is done, the system collects more detailed soil samples which are then analysed through the Hutchinsons Healthy Soils Gold Level analysis rather than the standard soil sample analysis,” Mr Robertson explained. The Gold Level soil offers an in-depth soil analysis of all the key macro and micro soil properties and forms the basis of the Hutchinsons Healthy Soils Service. “Thirty-one different elements are analysed by the Gold soil test, which makes it an ideal partner for the high-resolution data of TerraMap. The benefit of this increased level of data collection is the ability to make highly informed decisions about how to manage the soils more effectively,” he went on.

IN-DEPTH INFORMATION

TerraMap Gold offers more in-depth information, such as:

BUFFER PH LAYER

“This is a different measure to the normal water pH and indicates how much reserve acidity there is in the soil, or what the resting pH of the soil is likely

to be,” explained Mr Robertson. “This is very important in understanding how nutrients cycle in the soil; phosphorous is key and has a peak cyclability between pH 6.2 and 6.8. If the buffer pH is outside these values, then the phosphate management policy needs to be carefully considered. So for example, if the field displays a large variation in buffer pH, this would mean that two phosphate management plans are required to optimise phosphorous utilisation. “TerraMap Gold service also offers cation exchange capacity and soil texture data, mapping out the soil’s ability to hold, store and exchange nutrients as well as understanding the soil’s bulk density.”

NUTRIENT RESERVES AND AVAILABILITY

Mapped layers show the total nutrient reserves and plant-available levels of all the macro elements. These are expressed in kg/Ha, which makes for easier understanding and building of nutrient requirements for different cropping situations. “There may be significant differences between the total reserves and the actual plant-available nutrients, generally caused by one of the numerous nutrient interactions within the soil,” said Mr Robertson. “As TerraMap Gold measures 31 parameters, it allows for better understanding of these interactions and how to manage them.”

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The TerraMap Gold test includes: • Active (water) pH • Buffer pH • Soil texture • Organic matter • Organic carbon • P, K & Mg indices • Boron, manganese, iron, copper, zinc, molybdenum (total), cobalt, chloride and sulphur (sulphate) • Total reserves of P, K, Mg, Ca, Na, S and Mo • Exchangeable cations (Ca, Mg, K, Na, H) • Cation exchange capacity. TerraMap is powered by SoilOptix Technology.

STRUCTURE AND CULTIVATIONS

“We know that relationships between the chemical elements in soil reserves can have a distinct effect on soil structure and workability. Couple this with soil texturing and organic matter content, and it can really help in making decisions about suitability of soils to different cultivation methods,” said Mr Robertson. “Regardless of cultivation methods applied, low calcium, high magnesium soils are always likely to retain moisture and be difficult to work and the clay and silt elements in the soil’s texture further help to predict the soil’s behaviour. Within TerraMap Gold, these are all measured and allow for cultivation strategies to be planned in conjunction with bulk amendments to optimise the soil’s structure."

> Environment Secretary George Eustice

ENVIRONMENT SECRETARY REVEALS

FEARS OVER FUTURE POLICY Environment Secretary George Eustice revealed his secret fears around implementing agricultural policy as he launched the first strand of the Environmental Land Management scheme at the Groundswell regenerative agriculture event. Explaining that the natural world didn’t always follow the rules, he quipped: “I’ve always said that every agriculture minister or environment minister comes in to DEFRA with plans for the environment. And one of the first things they need to learn is that the environment has got plans for them too, and they’re not always happy plans.” As he marked the opening of the application window for the Sustainable Farming Incentive, Mr Eustice praised the Groundswell event, commenting: “It’s amazing to see such creative thought, such new ideas being pioneered, new agronomic techniques, and in many cases of course a rediscovery of old agronomic techniques.” But he admitted to a “great fear with this journey that we’re on around future policy”, explaining: “We might have something that’s conceptually very good, that works, is the right thing to do, but then something will go wrong on delivery. And there’s a reason for that. That is because the ecosystem and our environment doesn’t always play to the rules that we set for it … it’s complex.” That complexity, he said, was why it was “important that we change the way we run the schemes, creating the space for innovation, the space to trial new things, the space to adjust things and tailor them to an individual landscape and even an individual farm”. Mr Eustice said leaving the European Union meant a welcome end to the ‘disallowance risk’, the penalty regime which had seen the UK Government fined £100 million every year “for not filling out things the right way or recording things the way the EU law required”, adding: “We’ve got a great opportunity now to do things differently, to have a different approach.” He said the Farming in Protected Landscapes scheme had proved popular because of its flexibility. “A farmer would have an idea for something that would work on his holding in that landscape, or a group of farmers would come together, and they would then talk to an advisor from Natural England and they would work out what could be done, what might change.” He added that they “also liked the fact that there were real human advisors involved”, continuing: “There’d be that human interaction, somebody who’d walk the farm, sit down around the kitchen table and put together something that worked.” The Sustainable Farming Incentive, launched on 30 June, kept “those principles of simplicity and that space for things to be done differently,” he said. “There is no application window. There’s no deadline. You can enrol any time you like. It opens next week, but if you’re too busy at the moment, and you’d rather wait until August, do it then. If that’s still too busy and you want to wait until the winter, you can join then, you can join any time of the year. And it’s a

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rolling window, it never closes. “When you join you can expect your first payment in three months, and then you’ll get a regular quarterly payment thereafter. No more racing to submit forms in time for a deadline. No more fretting that the cheque hasn’t arrived on a particular date.” Mr Eustice said the first module was around soil “because soil is absolutely at the heart of successful profitable farming. And it is also, if we get things right, the first part of our ecosystem that will start to recover”. Future modules, he said, would deal with nutrients, which would “help farmers deal with the cost of synthetically manufactured fertilisers”, hedgerows and integrated pest management, which he said had “come of age”.

John Bourne & Co. provide agricultural products and services throughout the South East.

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DEUTZ-FAHR 6C RVSHIFT 126 TO 143HP

Scan for more information on the 6C Series

RVSHIFT TRANSMISSION IT’S ALL ABOUT SIMPLICITY!

WE HAVE THE FINANCE PACKAGE TO SUIT YOU! 1+3 ANNUAL PAYMENTS @ 0% 1+35 MONTHLY PAYMENTS @ 0% 1+5 ANNUAL PAYMENTS @ 1.5% 1+59 MONTHLY PAYMENTS @ 1.5%

*Finance for business purposes only. Subject to acceptance and affordability checks. Applicant must be 18+. UK only. Promotion valid until 31.08.2022. Available on new equipment only. Payment profile of 1+3 annual payments at 0%, 1+35 monthly payments at 0%, 1+5 annual payments @ 1.5%, 1+59 monthly payments @ 1.5%. Based on maximum balance to finance of 50% of RRP. The finance product offered under this promotion is Hire Purchase. 1st payment, full VAT and a doc fee of £100 are all due on signing. An option-to-purchase fee of £100 (+ VAT) will be collected with the final payment. You will own the equipment when all payments have been made. Alternative finance options are available. T&Cs apply. Annual admin fee of £40 (+VAT). Images are for illustrative purposes only. Finance provided by BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions Limited, Northern Cross, Basing View, Basingstoke RG21 4HL. Registered in England No. 901225. As funder we may pay a commission, fee or other remuneration to credit brokers who introduce business to us, please contact them if you require more information.

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DEMO DAY

Support That Lasts a Lifetime

> Left to right: Tim Lawrence, SDF; Simon Austen; Robin Back; Colin Bell; Dave Jefferson, SDF

IMPRESSIVE NEW RVSHIFT TRANSMISSION Same Deutz Fahr’s impressive new RVShift transmission was unveiled to the UK when Romney Marsh, Kent-based Bell Agricultural hosted the first of a series of events aimed at highlighting the new technology to farmers. SDF product specialist David Jefferson confirmed that the event at the Kent Showground was the first time the all-new transmission housed within the Deutz-Fahr 6135 had been road tested by anyone outside the company. He praised the support provided by Bell Agricultural’s Robin Back, who hired the venue, provided a barbecue, invited his farming customers and brought along more machinery to complement the four demonstration tractors provided by SDF. “Robin has always been very supportive of joint marketing efforts like this one, and he embraced the opportunity to be the first main dealer in the country to be able to show his customers the new technology. With his support it has been a successful and well attended event,” said David. Those farmers who took advantage of the

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opportunity (along with the normally deskbound South East Farmer editor) had the opportunity to try out for themselves the remarkably flexible yet simple to operate RVShift-equipped 6135, in the editor’s case under David’s watchful and remarkably patient eye. The new transmission offers a highly efficient full powershift experience with 20 forward and 16 reverse gears, all controlled by a simple and intuitive control interface that rarely involves pressing more than one button. The flexibility is impressive and allows smooth gear changing under load without any loss of momentum. “The new RVShift technology offers the benefits of a continuous variable transmission gearbox but at a much more accessible price point,” said David. “It combines flexibility with simplicity and puts the driver in complete control of how the tractor behaves. Many of the parameters can be quickly and easily changed by the operator to suit the task in hand.” He cited potato harvesting as one task where

increasing the speed of the engine by a very small amount could make a big difference to productivity over a full day. “It is much easier to fine-tune the engine speed with the RVShift than it would be with a three-step semi-powershift transmission,” he said. “You don’t have to settle for ‘close enough’ any more.” A single button next to the RVShift controller on the armrest switches the 6135 from field work to fast transport mode, taking the tractor to maximum ‘take me home’ speed without the need to work through a dozen or more gears. With a steady stream of interested visitors attending the event, which also featured Deutz Fahr’s 6125 PS with a loader, a 6185 RCShift six-step model and the impressive 7250 TTV in full Warrior spec, Robin Back and Bell Agricultural’s sales manager Simon Austin were delighted with the response. The demo day, which pre-dated even the formal press launch by 24 hours, was an opportunity to show that Bell Agricultural was once again leading the way, Robin commented.

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EDUCATION

REVITALISED CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE After nearly three decades working in further education, it was going to take something extra special to give Chris Lydon an inspirational new challenge. He found it at Hadlow College, a revitalised centre of excellence that is looking to the future with new buildings and facilities, improved student accommodation, closer links with the community and a commitment to ensuring that learning leads to job opportunities. “I feel very privileged to be here and to be supporting the staff and students at this

inspirational place at the start of a new chapter in the life of Hadlow College,” said Chris, who was appointed vice-principal at the start of this year. While he has only been in his current role since January, Chris has played a major part in re-establishing Hadlow, the only land-based college in Kent, since it was taken over by North Kent College after a spell in educational administration. As an integral part of the new North Kent College set up, Chris has made sure that Hadlow has kept its branding and its individuality in

deference to a history that stretches back more than 100 years. “This is a special place with special links to the local community and close ties with professionals in agriculture and horticulture, and we value the Hadlow brand,” he explained. “It’s not a formal strapline, but I often say to staff, colleagues and students: ‘We are Hadlow’ as it sums up to me the close links between the college, the industry and the town.” As part of its review of Hadlow, the Department for Further Education (DFE) recognised that the >> campus needed support to allow significant

> Chris Lydon TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

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EDUCATION > Equestrian Centre

<< upgrading and modernisation of the site. It was in November 2020, three months after the handover to North Kent College, that Chris, with 27 years’ experience working in senior leadership roles within further education, was brought in as project director to oversee the capital programme that is now coming to fruition. That investment, under his guidance, has seen the college facilities consolidated on the main campus, with higher education student accommodation moved from Grove Farm and the glass house and motor vehicle workshop relocated from Court Lane. “Bringing the 180 units of student accommodation over to the main site has not only added a real buzz to the campus but it has allowed us to provide a much higher standard

of accommodation for both higher and further education students,” Chris explained. The new accommodation has all been created in existing buildings on the site. “Our aim is to have everything here on the main campus by September of this year,” said Chris. “Not only does that help to bring the campus to life, but it makes students aware of other opportunities. The motor vehicle workshop has close links with the ag tech facility, and it may be that some of our students will think: ‘Working on this car is fun, but look at the size of that tractor!’ And consider the possibility of broadening their skill set.” It's a reminder that at the heart of the changes and the philosophy, the message is clear. Students are at Hadlow College not just to gain a qualification or learn something new but to leave

> Fisheries management

AUGUST 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

with employable skills and find themselves a worthwhile job in an industry they love. “That really is our ultimate goal,” explained Chris. “We are teaching relevant, transferrable skills that can lead to real jobs, and working closely with farmers and growers to make sure those skills remain relevant and up to date.“ Those close links with the industry will prove critical from September 2024, when the new T (technical) Level examinations are introduced. The T Level qualification will involve each student undertaking 42 days of placement in industry, and with many hundreds of students potentially needing to find somewhere suitable, the challenge for the college is clear. To help make that change a smooth one, and to ensure that the views of employers are taken on

> National Centre for Reptile Welfare

board across the curriculum, communication with growers, farmers, farming groups, agricultural societies and others within the industry has been a critical part of Chris’s role over the past two years. He’s spent an immense amount of time talking to those at the sharp end of the industry, and in response has found them helpful, supportive and keen to see Hadlow College succeed in its aim of turning out a well-qualified, skilled, land-based workforce. It has been an interesting transition from his former roles in further education to one that is so closely focused on land-based industries. “When I first met farming groups and told them that I had no background in farming it was almost like a confession,” he said. “Now I see it as an advantage. I have been able to bring a new pair of eyes to the

Photos: ©Martin Apps, Countrywide Photographic

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job and ask questions that someone with a farming background might not have asked. “It has been a fascinating journey for me over the past two years and I am proud of what we have achieved already in such a short period of time – and what I believe we are going to achieve in the future. Working here amongst such devoted staff and with committed students is a privilege.” With up to 1,000 further education students and another 200 on higher education courses, the Hadlow campus offers a range of subjects, including equine studies, agriculture, agricultural engineering, land and wildlife management, horticulture and floristry, animal management, motor vehicle, motorcycle and motorsports, carpentry and joinery and fisheries and aquaculture. The courses are supported by high quality,

state-of-the-art resources, including the impressive glasshouse that is now being re-built on the main campus and the new motor vehicle workshop due to be in action by the start of term in September. Another exciting new development for the college is the creation of a new ‘robotic orchard’ supported by the Skills Acceleration Development Fund and recently planted ahead of the new term. Aimed at promoting sustainability, now a vital part of land-based industries, the cutting-edge orchard has been planted with vines and stone fruits and will enable students to use and learn about automated spraying, robotic harvesting and the use of drones for such things as mapping yield. After the challenges posed by Covid-19, student numbers are climbing, and the improved facilities and restructured campus are set to see that >>

> NCRW volunteers and Hadlow students in the National Centre for Reptile Welfare

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | AUGUST 2022

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EDUCATION > The agricultural engineering team

<< growth continue, said Chris. Significant investment has also seen the site benefit from a complete rewiring programme, a new IT network and new computers and other equipment. “This really is a great time to study at Hadlow,” he added. As well as offering land-based courses, Hadlow College benefits from having its own farm, which spreads across the surrounding countryside and will shortly be managed in house so that students can be involved in making decisions. The farm has a working beef herd of around 50 head of cattle plus more than 600 sheep and arable

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land that is used for growing maize and wheat. Hadlow College’s pigs are not part of the farm but are kept for animal management studies, along with goats, llamas, alpacas and wildfowl. The college also has 64 horses in support of equine studies that include sports therapy and rehabilitation. Another benefit for animal management students is that Hadlow College is home to the National Centre for Reptile Welfare, a charity that allows students to study the animals in its care as part of the deal. “It gives our students access to a broader range of animals and adds to the diversity of the

offer,” said Chris. “The college really feels like it is going places, and the sheer scale of investment shows that it has confidence in the team here to deliver a great education to the next generation of farmers, growers, technicians, equine specialists and other professionals across the range of subjects we teach.” That need to prepare students for work is a constant thread as Chris talks about the college. While other institutions offer mind-broadening >> experiences and degrees in academic

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | AUGUST 2022

EDUCATION

<< disciplines, Hadlow College is about helping youngsters transition from school to work or higher education. It’s a no-nonsense approach that has the support of the industry. “We are aspirational on behalf of our students and we are also trying to play our part in solving the labour shortages in agriculture and horticulture,” he said. “We are speaking to employers and making them part of the conversation. At the end of the day people come to Hadlow College so that they will be

able to get a job, and we are here to help them do that.” The college is also an integral part of the local community, with around 11,000 visitors enjoying the recent lambing weekend and an annual country fayre equally well supported, not least by the staff who give up their weekends to help out at such events. Students are encouraged to understand their responsibilities not just to the community within the

college but to the wider village that hosts it. Litter picking and helping older residents with window boxes are just two ways in which the Hadlow equivalent of ‘town and gown’ are encouraged to come together. “Integration is important to us,” said Chris. “We want the local community to be as proud of Hadlow College as we are of the students who study here before heading off to work in the land-based industries that play such a vital part in all our lives.”

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THE FUTURE OF HARVESTING With labour shortages being a constant battle for UK growers, Kirkland UK has researched and sourced incredible machinery solutions for this ongoing issue. Tecnofruit Harvesters supplied by Kirkland are the ideal machine for commercial orchard use. They are available in two models with various options, including a self-levelling and a semi-automatic bin trailer. Why choose a Tecnofruit? Unique from other harvesters on the market, the Tecnofruits come with incredible features: • No binning out – Load and unload your harvester from the rear using either a rough terrain forklift or a unique Z4 bin carrier. This means the harvester is the first machine to pass down the row, therefore not driving in ruts, especially in a wet season. • 24/7 after sales support – Harvest is a hectic time for every grower, which is why Kirkland is proud to support UK fruit growers with 24/7 aftersales support during harvest alongside their huge supply of parts available for any breakdown. • Cost effective – The harvesting labour cost can be reduced by up to a half, with estimated savings of about €15,000 for 10 ha (data recorded in CCA) thanks to a smaller number of operators with a higher yield per person compared to traditional harvesting systems and waste reduction. • Future proof – Tecnofruit manufacturer Darwin Harvest Group and Tevel Aerobotics Technologies have joined forces to create the world's first fully automated harvester. It provides real time information on quantity, quality, size, weight and colour of the fruit picked. Also available as a ‘bolt on’ solution as an upgrade to an existing Tecnofruit fruit picking harvesting system. Hadlow College is one of Kirkland’s customers and is excited to be part of the future of harvesting. “Hadlow College is delighted to be working with Kirkland UK on our new orchard and vineyard project. We chose the Tecnofruit Harvester as it perfectly matches our needs and allows our students to be hands on with some of the latest automation available to the industry,” said Zoe Smith, STEM Lead, Engagement and Finance. “It was available in different sizes, which meant we could pick the one suitable for us, and will also have a camera system retrofitted later this year. This camera system will allow us to scan all the picked fruit and our staff and students will then link this data with information gathered throughout the growing season from environmental sensors and drone footage, giving us a complete picture of fruit production. “We’re excited to be part of the future of fruit growing. Kirkland have been very supportive, explaining and demonstrating all the options available and helping us to select the most appropriate equipment. We’re delighted to have such partners in the industry,”

Prime Produce is another of Kirkland’s customers that is extremely impressed with the Tecnofruit Harvesters. John Clark, Head of Farming Operations, said: “Prime Produce already operates 12 Tecnofruit machines across two farms. The machines help us work faster, smarter and in a less expensive way than the traditional hand picking, laying out bin system. Positives include: • No laying out of bins in the orchard; all bins arrive on one trailer and leave on the same trailer, having been filled, on a constant loop picking up and delivering bins. • The bin team has shorter days; there is no laying out of bins at the orchard days before picking and as the last machine finishes for the day the last bin is loaded on to the trailer. • Each picker is pulled along at the speed of the machine, so no one person can slack without being noticed within the team. • Teamwork is built just by using the machines; one team leader per machine helps keep the machine working at maximum efficiency during the 8/9 hour shift. • There is less overtime due to the better use of all the pickers’ time, with all pickers working at the same speed and general team efficiency. • Quality control is essential in this business and in this case one quality controller works across six machines and can see the picking, the apples travelling to the bin and the bin filling and can look over the bins as they are dropped off the back of the machines. As he or she is moving between machines, they are able to assess what fruit is left on the trees and any that is on the floor. • Being able to have all 12 machines working at full capacity, having the option to use the machines for two eight-hour shifts per day (not having to pay overtime) if we need to bring the harvest end date forward is a massive plus for our business.”

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SEED

FERTILISER

GRAIN

STORAGE

T: 01264 321 595 www.openfield.co.uk

ELVED PHILLIPS ARABLE NOTES

Well it’s the middle of July and as far as the winter barley harvest is concerned, so far so good! With recent fine weather, we have samples of Craft malting barley in Wiltshire and Hampshire with low nitrogen, good retention and low screenings; bushel weights are around 65 kgs, with low moisture. The only problem is the high temperature at which the barley is being combined; anything over 25 degrees needs to be cooled immediately. Some samples are up to 35 degrees, at which temperature malting barley will suffocate if not conditioned and lose its germination. That brings me to another really important point. Historically, when farmers have both milling wheat and malting barley ripe they have tended to go for the milling wheat, often leaving the malting barley, sometimes with disastrous effects for the quality. That is the wrong thing to do this year! Malting barley premiums are about double that of milling wheat. They have been up to £70 per tonne recently, so please, if you have a choice cut the malting barley first. If storage is an issue, Openfield have many stores in the south and west where the risk of handling and storing malting barley can be removed by quick movement off the combine. France has completed its winter malting barley harvest and it is all good quality. Their first 25% of spring barley is also very good quality, but that was autumn planted. The bulk of their malting crop is still to come. Eventually all the ‘war premium’ contained in the wheat futures evaporated. At one point it had lost over £100 per tonne, bringing prices back to pre-war levels. We expected and predicted that. There was an over-correction as the hedge funds

SO FAR SO GOOD FOR WINTER BARLEY

sold every commodity you can think of, from UK prices will not return to the peaks we saw two energy and gold to grain. Since then the market months ago. Nonetheless, the residual values are has tried to recover, but it keeps getting knocked still way above anything you could have budgeted back by the inevitable northern hemisphere for. harvest pressure. Harvest is too close to bother speculating We seem to be trading economic recession about yields now. Quite simply, when you get it in rather than the fundamentals of grain supply and the barn, get on and sell what you need to up to demand. The big ‘elephant in the room’ (the war) Christmas anyway. is getting smaller as talks continue to establish Barley remains the most vulnerable to price ‘safe corridors’ whereby wheat and maize could drop because if the spring mirrors the winter, be exported via the Black Sea again. That apart, we will have an exportable surplus of up to three both Russia and Ukraine continue to export by quarters of a million tonnes and it will have to be whatever means they can. shipped. The new Russian wheat crop continues to grow, If the UK and Europe have only a harvest of with talk of a 45 million tonne surplus. Maybe average quality and yield, prices will fall, because Putin will claim that his “special operation” in we are too expensive to compete for third country Ukraine was just to get the price business. So malting prices and of world wheat up at a time when premium can only fall further (as ELVED Russia has its biggest harvest PHILLIPS long as we don’t have rain for the for years! Certainly, with a much first two weeks of August), so when Openfield devalued rouble, Russia stands you have the quality, sell it. to make a ‘killing’ in the world wheat market, The ‘slow burn’ market will probably be wheat making prices its farmers could never have (in the January to June 2023 position) and oilseed dreamed of. rape, so tucking some away for that, if you have Despite sanctions, there will be no shortage of the storage, makes sense. The big volatility buyers for Russian wheat; even Italy bought some has not gone away, any more than the war has. recently. Our own harvest now takes priority There will be chances to sell forward at enhanced over everything else. Without a big crop disaster carries, but please forget about what you could somewhere, which isn’t on the cards just now, have sold at and didn’t!

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prod and

STEPHEN CARR

“COME ON,

Offe in so serv your

STEPHEN, WHAT’S

ANOTHER

FIVE HUNDRED QUID?”

“£30,000,” the auctioneer shouts at me in an excited tone. The man directly in front of me has made the previous bid. It is down to me to bid next as everyone else has dropped out. My opponent fixes me with a steely gaze, daring me to lift my finger. I know I am already seriously off-wicket. I’ve done my research about the value of the tractor prior to the sale and promised myself not to go beyond £28,000 for this 20-year old, 130hp John Deere. “Maintained by the original dealer from new – what a lovely example!” chips in the auctioneer winningly. Up goes my hand. I display five fingers to indicate a bid of just an additional £500. The bidding, up to that point, has been going up in thousands. In a slightly disappointed tone the auctioneer mutters “£30,500”. I’m never sure about the tactic of making increasingly smaller incremental bids at auctions as the price of a lot increases. I hope it slows down the auctioneer and gives other bidders time to contemplate just how much money they’re spending. But I also worry that it signals that I’m near the top of my price range and so just one more bid will knock me out. Sure enough, my rival bids again. “£31,000,” shouts the auctioneer, staring at me again for a counterbid. He instructs the driver of the tractor and trailer that is towing him around the sale to turn the engine off. It helps increase the sense of theatre. I should stop. But the thought of a conversation I’ve had, minutes earlier, with a farming friend clouds my judgement. He‘s told me that he couldn’t even buy a new tractor at the moment, let alone a smart second hand one, as there is a year-long waiting list, and that every time he does speak to a salesman “they put another £10,000 on the price”. “Very low hours for its age,“ says the auctioneer, as if understanding that I am the owner of tractors with very high hours for their age. I survey the desirable, glistening green, under-worked workhorse before me and nod. “£31,500,” he shouts in triumph. I shudder at the thought that this is more than the tractor cost new. I hope that my long pause has communicated to my rival bidder that the price of the tractor is now very high indeed. But everything I do just seems to be interpreted by him as a sign of weakness and he bids again. “£32,000!” shouts the auctioneer. Sensing that I’m near my limit he goads me with: “Come on, Stephen, what’s another five hundred quid?” And with that, I smile. Unintentionally, he’s released me from the slightest desire to keep on bidding.

STEPHEN CARR Arable farmer

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AGRONOMY

PATIENCE NEEDED TO STOP SOILS SLUMPING

Over-cultivating seedbeds, or cultivating them too soon after harvest, risks damaging soil structure and impairing following crop establishment, Hutchinsons technical manager Dick Neale has warned.

Speaking at a recent Helix demonstration farm open day, Mr Neale urged growers to be patient before going onto land with the cultivator after harvest. There was a particular risk where shallow or minimal cultivations were carried out too early, leaving soils exposed to weathering for several weeks before drilling and potentially leading to seedbeds slumping, capping and being less able to allow water to infiltrate them, he said. “Poor water infiltration is a fundamental problem on many UK farms,” he said. “It is often exacerbated where seedbeds are over-cultivated or where shallow tillage is done too early in the season, leaving the same weathering time as would be allowed for deep-tilled seedbeds. All too often soils then break down too much and growers find seedbeds have slumped by the time they get to drilling in September or October.” Mr Neale urged growers to tailor cultivation timing more closely to the type of machine used, the soil type and the time required for weathering or further cultivations before drilling. But he acknowledged that workloads and time constraints at such a busy time of year, together with uncertainty about the weather as autumn approached, often made it difficult to make such a decision. Therefore, where ground had to be cultivated earlier, he recommended establishing a fastgrowing multi-species catch or cover crop to stabilise aggregates, build natural structure, retain nutrients and add organic matter. “One of the best ways to stop soils slumping is to keep growing roots in the ground at all times

DICK NEALE

T: 07774 192697 E: dick.neale@hlhltd.co.uk Canterbury: 01227 830064 www.hlhltd.co.uk

and let soil biology do the work for you,” Mr Neale commented. He said a constant supply of organic material, such as from crop residues or catch/cover crops, was essential for “feeding” the active soil biology that drove aggregation of soil particles, as exudates produced from bacteria and fungi breaking down organic matter helped bind aggregates together. “The only way to get energy from the sun into the soil food web is with a green, growing plant to feed the biology,” he said. Improving the natural structure and aggregation of soils had many benefits for crop productivity, not least in leading to better water infiltration and allowing soils to store water more effectively, he added. This would support growth during dry periods, boost the activity of worms and other soil biology and improve nutrient flow and crop uptake. Mr Neale countered suggestions that there was not enough time to establish a catch crop between harvest and drilling by demonstrating the rapid root growth that two Hutchinsons mixes (MaxiCover and MaxiCatchCrop) had put on in grow tubes in just two to three weeks (see images). MaxiCover contains eight species of legumes, forbs and brassicas, offering a diversity of rooting depths and a varied food source for soil microbes. MaxiCatchCrop contains three fast-growing species of buckwheat, mustard and berseem clover, designed to get living roots into the soil in the narrow gap between cash crops. Mr Neale advised growers looking to sow a cover or catch crop to choose a multi-species mix containing a range of different rooting types and depths. Any cover or catch crop should be tailored to deliver the functions required from it in individual situations and soil types, such as soil conditioning, alleviation of compacted layers, nutrient capture, nitrogen fixation and/or building organic matter. To find out more about Hutchinsons’ cover and catch crop options, go to www.hlhltd.co.uk/products/seed

AUGUST 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

ORGANISED CHAOS ANITA HEAD

The combine’s wheels are turning, and harvest is well and truly upon us. The crops have changed colour so quickly this season, although I’m fed up with listening to how we’ve been hotter than Greece and the global warming theory. Is the summer of 2022 turning out to be a summer of “discontent”? I think we could be well on our way to calling it that. A series of rail strikes has already brought widespread disruption to commuters and the traffic on the roads has increased significantly. Airport baggage handlers have also voted to strike in July/August, while teachers, post office workers, nurses, doctors and firefighters are all considering it over the amount of pay they receive. The discontent in agriculture is also apparent. Farmers obviously don’t have the opportunity to strike but I’m sure they would if they could (the effect could be immense if they did). Farmers are facing a “crisis of confidence”, with the rising cost of input inflation instilling an unwillingness to invest. In a recent survey, more than a third of arable farmers said they had changed their crop rotation plans in response to the soaring price of fertiliser, switching from growing milling wheat for bread to feed wheat for animals as it has a lower fertiliser requirement. Seven per cent of dairy farmers are set to leave the industry (even with a good milk price) and the National Pig Association estimates that between 20% and 25% of pig farmers will leave the industry within the next 12 months. It’s easy to understand why farmers are leaving the industry; with agricultural inflation running at 25%, many farm businesses are feeling the squeeze. Labour is still a challenge to many farmers, with the average age of a farm worker now over 52. DEFRA and the Home office seem unwilling to be of any assistance to enable foreign workers to come

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SUMMER OF “DISCONTENT” over for the harvest season. Robotic solutions are too far away to be of any benefit. As a country we find ourselves in a similar predicament to the “winter of discontent” in 1978/79. A general election in May 1979 seemed to put the country back on the right path, with Margaret Thatcher leading the way. Boris Johnson is on his way out, his skin being far thicker than any rhino’s, I fear. In the next few weeks the Prime Ministerial campaign will be in full swing. with a result being announced at the beginning of September I believe. We don’t appear to be the only country entering a period of discontent. Some months ago, I commented on the Government of Sri Lanka’s decision to ban agrichemicals and fertiliser resulting in reduced output and therefore reduced exports. This has resulted in riots and demonstrations throughout the country, leading to the effective ousting of the government. When will common sense prevail in politics? We are only ever four days away from anarchy. We need to get back to real world politicians rather than career politicians. If I applied for a job without the relevant experience, I would be refused the position immediately, but politicians seem to be able to run any department they choose without any relevant experience. School is out for summer and the child that

dislikes school intently has become the most angelic child around. Gone are the days of mummy getting slightly hot under the collar when he won’t get dressed or put his shoes on to get to school on time and, funnily enough, we have a child that’s up and dressed and raring to go at 5.30am! There was great excitement when the baler arrived in our household. I’m sure Ted’s screams of delight could be heard for miles around, and seeing it work was out of this world apparently. Ice cream runs and evening meals are back with a vengeance and a quick dip in the pool serves instead of a bath. Puppies, puppies, and more puppies; when will the house ever return to normality? I do love a puppy cuddle, but they are complete time wasters. Pony club championships are nearly upon us, with Zara having been successful in the area qualifiers. A fun-filled week awaits us. All that remains is to wish good luck to all who are collecting A level and GCSE results this month.

ANITA HEAD Farmer

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | AUGUST 2022

ADVICE FROM THE VET Photo: Paul Maguire / Shutterstock.com

By Jack Balkham

I am writing this in the midst of summer, with the showing season and months of haymaking, silaging and combining in full ﬂow. While we have seen the greatest rises in fertiliser and feed prices for many a year, the prices seen in the prime and cull markets, as well as for milk, have started, for many, to move in the right direction. Summer is a season where most of us are focusing on the arable enterprises of our farms, but as we look to the months ahead and the drilling of winter wheat, we should also be planning for housing our livestock and preparing for the winter months. Housing cattle is a time of huge change in environment and diet and can really knock back cows and calves alike. When feeding cows, we often say that we are feeding the rumen rather than the cow. The rumen contains billions of bacteria which are required to produce protein as well as vitamins for the cow to absorb lower down the gastrointestinal tract. The population of bugs varies and adapts in number and nature depending on the diet being fed, and as such will take on average six to nine weeks to adapt to significant changes in diet. Too rapid a change in diet can lead to ruminal acidosis, a serious condition of cattle which can lead to reduced intakes, weight loss, scour, liver damage/ abscessation and death. To reduce any risks, it is advisable to transition the new diet for three weeks before housing, thus preparing the bug population for the new, preserved forage-based diet. The same applies to calves, and in order to maintain optimal growth rates, creep and buffer feeding is advisable. Not only should we buffer feed and transition our cows in terms of diet but we should be planning our feeding strategy for the duration of housing. This means performing analysis on conserved silage to determine nutritive value and identify any potential shortfalls in energy, protein, minerals or other micronutrients. It also allows us to properly inventory our preserved forage to ensure we can feed a balanced diet throughout housing. Should we need to buy in, we can incorporate this to prevent further abrupt dietary changes and purchase the additional feed at the most cost-effective time by identifying the need early. One of our key decisions is when to house stock. There are many variables over and above prevailing weather conditions and preserving pastures to allow recovery and growth for the next grazing season. We are primarily concerned with maintaining optimal growth rates, and so it is important to weigh youngstock every four to eight weeks to monitor this and to body condition score adult cattle. Are they losing weight, and therefore is the grass quantity and quality what we require? Is there an underlying parasite problem? Do we need to start supplementary feeding earlier?

HOUSING

PREPARATION It is useful to assess the body condition score of adult cattle to inform our decisions as to the timing of weaning. Thin cows will benefit from earlier weaning, whereas over-conditioned cows may be weaned later on to prevent further weight gain and increased risk of difficult calving and peri-parturient diseases. Housing is a key risk period for pneumonia as cattle are brought closer together into an environment that is inherently less well ventilated than pasture. It is helpful to give the stock protection through vaccination ahead of housing to allow for the build up of immunity prior to the risk period. Discuss pneumonia risks and prevention with your vet now to maintain a healthy herd. Clipping of backs is a tried and tested method to reduce disease, which it does by reducing the sweating of cattle to reduce humidity within the sheds. Humidity and ventilation are key areas of housing as risk factors for disease and a veterinary assessment of housing can help you to identify areas to improve. When we think of housing, we often think of the need for parasite control. It is incredibly useful to consider parasite control across the year and to accurately determine the requirement to treat. While we wish to have worm, fluke, lice, and mite-free cattle it is important that we remember the risk of overtreating and the threat of anthelmintic resistance development. The aim of treating at housing is to eliminate parasite burdens at a time when reinfection risk is low, thus promoting optimal growth rates. By using faecal egg counting (which can often be done in house at low cost and rapid turnaround – contact your vet to discuss further) we can often reduce the use of wormers, prolong their usefulness and reduce the cost and labour of unnecessary treatments. When it comes to worming your stock there are

AUGUST 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

several points to remember: • Weigh the stock being treated and dose to the heaviest in the group • Correct calibration of dosing guns • Check the product is effective against those parasites present on farm • Make sure it is administered by the correct route (oral drench, injection or pour-on). Housing is also a useful time to assess mobility issues in cattle, allowing the treatment of lameness, diagnose pregnancy by ultrasound examination and have your cows’ blood sampled to identify any trace element deficiencies, guiding supplementation by bolus, feed or mineral lick. So enjoy what’s left of summer, in a beer garden where possible, pint of Hophead in hand, and plan ahead for housing. I look forward to seeing you all for a chinwag and a pint at the upcoming ploughing matches and on farm through the autumn ahead. Cheers!

If you would like to discuss anything covered in this article contact your local Westpoint practice

ANDY RICHMOND

Westpoint Horsham T: 01306 628086

JACK BALKHAM

Westpoint Ashford T: 01306 628208

EMILY PHIPPS

Westpoint Sevenoaks T: 01959 564383 E: info@westpointfarmvets.co.uk www.westpointfarmvets.co.uk

AT ASHFORD MARKET

SEASONALLY BUSY PETER KINGWILL T: 01233 502222

www.hobbsparker.co.uk As the news moves from Boris, brieﬂy to his successor, and swiftly on to the prospect of 40 degree temperatures, most of us in business have to stay calm and carry on! Easier if you are an ice cream salesman, but I bet they have issues, and far from easy if you are a livestock farmer. We have enjoyed good seasonal weather for a month now, and silaging and haymaking operations have been a dream compared to last year's muddle that carried right on through to September. Early harvesting is well underway and ease of combining and then baling makes the process more straightforward at a time when any small saving in costs is welcome. The flip side, however is that the disappearance of fresh grazing brings a tightening of options in this summer season. At the market we have remained seasonally busy, with the strong prices in both the finished beef and lamb sectors encouraging producers to market good numbers. The Muslim faith has just celebrated one of its principal festivals, and with Covid-19 having curtailed so many of their family and friendship events in the past two years it is pleasing that they have been able to go ahead unencumbered. Large numbers of lambs, hoggets and ewes have been marketed in this period and prices remained strong throughout. We don't see many store cattle in the months of July and August as other farming practices take priority, but the first of our seasonal store lamb sales takes place at the end of the month. Pressure on grazing will bring numbers forward as stock is moved from the drier South East to the west, where some more grass is available to take lambs forward to the end of the year. Current high temperatures will soon be over and, undoubtedly, something else will come to the fore. The market will react, adjust and price will balance with supply and demand. It seems simple and it is. Long may it continue!

THE HAMMER...

At Hobbs Parker we, like other businesses, are using email and social media to promote awareness of the livestock market and trading conditions and the most recent addition to this is The Hammer, a weekly email written by John Rossiter. Here's a taster from the 8 July edition: “Welcome to The Hammer, the weekly sales bulletin, and musings of the team at Hobbs Parker Auctioneers in Ashford. The biggest entry of new season lambs this year with just under 2,800 penned in anticipation of the Qurbani festival that takes place this week. Trade was flying with the larger runs of lambs on offer averaging £20-25/hd more than they did on the corresponding week last year, which did fall nearly two weeks later. For those who are not aware and in very simple terms, The Festival of Qurbani (or Eid ul-Adha) is a festival of sacrifice, within which each member of the community must sacrifice an animal in their name and split the meat into 3 equal parts. These are then distributed between the individual making the sacrifice, the individual’s family, and also one third to the poor and needy. This does help the cattle trade also, which many are unaware of, with the older cull cattle really flying this week and selling up to £1,732 from LE Humphreys & Sons. Obviously demand for these animals increases in this week and thus we see boosted prices across the board but looking ahead, demand may be a little

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less, so it is very important that you let us know what you are sending to market week-on-week.” The hammer concludes with a short preview of next week’s sales and a “joke” to bring a smile to readers’ faces. To receive The Hammer simply visit the Auctioneers pages at hobbsparker.co.uk and enrol for “Email Alerts”

Supporting the rural community for over 230 years We have a real commitment to the rural sector, providing responsive and accessible legal advice to farmers, producers and their suppliers.

If your business needs help with: • Contracts and transactions • Diversification • Property purchase and lease negotiation • Equine law • Employment If you would like help with: • Family law and divorce • Residential conveyancing • Tax planning and trusts • Wills and estate administration

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ALAN WEST SHEEP TOPICS ALAN WEST Sheep farmer

> More Sahara than Kent

TRADE STILL HOLDING UP,

BUT DRY WEATHER POSES A PROBLEM Being between standstills due to ram inspection at the end of June and the Kent County Show, the most convenient time to get some lambs away was last week to Ashford market. The Suffolk Lleyn crosses were already quite well finished and a further delay of two weeks or more, even with ever shrinking grass availability, would no doubt have pushed some of them over the top in terms of level of finish. I must admit that on arrival at Ashford, seeing a

full market plus the news of Monday’s prices falling back, I felt that things did not look too promising for the day, but, every so often it is good to be proved wrong. As things worked out, with it being the Eid Al Adha at the end of the week prices held up remarkably well, particularly for the pure Lleyn ram lambs (not up to spec as breeding rams), which as entire ram lambs often attract a bit of a discount but sold very well, with the Suffolk crosses just behind. With just a few lambs on board it seemed a

AUGUST 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

wasted opportunity not to include a couple of cull ewes in the load. Having avoided the temptation to increase ewe size, my Lleyn ewes are not the biggest of sheep, I have maintained the flock very much as the medium-sized sheep that they should be, with ewes averaging 63kg to 65kg at weaning; in spite of this they are quite capable of producing a decent pair of 40kg+ meat lambs by 12 to 14 weeks. I knew that both ewes had worked quite hard this season, each rearing a good pair of twins in spite of some questionable grass quality after the dry April; neither was carrying a huge amount of condition so expectations were rather modest. Realising more than £90 a head came as a very pleasant surprise. Although the lamb trade has come back a bit, it is in general still quite good. The decline of some 20% in the value of sterling since Brexit has bolstered our exports, with UK lamb representing very good value for continental buyers, particularly as European lamb production has fallen back by almost 4% over the past year. The combination of these factors, plus the quality reputation that British lamb enjoys on the continent, has resulted in the volume of lamb crossing the Channel now being, more or less, back to pre-Brexit levels, bolstered by a significant jump in trade during the

VET DIARY

INCREASE IN ABORTIONS 329

With autumn calving around the corner, we’ve seen an increase in visits to investigate abortions on farm. A recent investigation, with samples taken from the aborted material and the dam, came back as Neospora positive. Neospora is a protozoal parasite that is responsible for a quarter of all diagnosed abortions but can also cause still births, early resorption of the foetus or birth of Neosporapositive calves. With a complex lifecycle in which cattle are considered ‘intermediate’ hosts and dogs are ‘definitive’ hosts, the disease can be difficult to understand. Cattle can become infected in two ways, ‘vertically’ or ‘horizontally’. Vertical transmission is where Neospora passes from the dam across the placenta and to her unborn calf. Horizontal transmission is where a cow ingests Neospora oocysts that have been shed in an infected dog’s faeces. Dogs can only become infected by ingesting tissue containing Neospora, such as raw meat, aborted calf or placenta. Once infected, a cow will remain positive for life and will go on to infect 90% of her future calves, making vertical transmission a big risk. If a cow tests positive, she should not be retained for breeding. All her offspring and her dam should then be tested for Neospora, and if

the dam is positive her other offspring should be tested. Tracing the family line until you have negative results will ensure you are identifying all possible risks. The on farm example illustrated above demonstrates this. 641 was tested following an abortion, so her previous offspring were tested and came back as negative. Therefore, it may be likely that 641 was infected via horizontal transmission after these calves were born. On the other hand, 887 aborted, which led us to test her dam (686) and the other offspring of her dam (966 & 1020). There has been clear vertical transmission from dam to daughter. With no effective treatment for cattle, we must focus on prevention. So where do your risks on farm lie and how can we prevent them? Buying in Neospora-positive cattle is a quick way for the

disease to enter your herd, so testing incoming cattle is key. Only breeding from negative cows and culling positives will prevent vertical spread. Removing aborted material quickly to prevent dogs eating it and preventing dog access to the feed face and fields will stop horizontal transmission.

first quarter of this year, with France still being our main customer. Forecasts of a reduced number of lambs being produced this year should help to sustain the lamb trade for the rest of the year; the Farming Online lambing survey, even though it is a relatively low sample size (some sixteen thousand ewes), would seem to reinforce this view. Their results indicate a 2% drop in production on last year across the national flock with a rather more significant reduction of some 9% for the South East when looked at on a regional basis, a figure that represents a lot of lambs: so fingers crossed for a continued lively trade. As things really begin to dry up in the South East, some of my paddocks look rather more Sahara than Kent. The adverse weather conditions will no doubt have some impact on the distribution of lambs coming forward and will no doubt cause some distortions in the market. That said, it is not just the South East that is suffering from lack of rain; Devon and Cornwall have a reputation for their ability to grow grass for almost 365 days of the year, a reputation that still holds true for some

parts of both counties. But all is not quite so rosy even in the south west. A friend who manages a holding on the south coast of Devon seems to be in an even more difficult grass supply situation and has, as the impact of the dry weather really began to bite deep, been forced to start feeding out. It doesn’t make it any easier, but it is to a certain extent reassuring to know that there are others suffering the same problems. I’m not quite there yet, but if we don’t get some decent rain fairly soon I could be in a matter of weeks as, I’m sure, will be the case for many other producers. As with many things in life, positives are frequently balanced out by some negatives; the benefits arising from the devaluation of sterling for exports are reversed when it comes to imports. This is a factor that is reflected in the significant increase in the cost of many of our major inputs, with fuel, energy and fertiliser being particularly hard hit. Farm inflation is significantly greater than that being experienced by most of the population, something that does not appear to be recognised by government.

Contrary to what many in government would have us believe, the inflationary pressures that we are facing are not entirely due to the current very unfortunate situation in Ukraine; the impact of the Russian invasion has no doubt had an impact, but the magnitude of this is not as some would have us believe. The huge increase in the volume and complexity of post-Brexit paperwork, logistics and additional administrative costs has also proved to be a substantial disincentive to some for both exports and imports. The good UK lamb prices have also sucked in a considerable increase in the volume of lamb imports, principally from Ireland, although it has been suggested that a proportion of this may be New Zealand or Australian lamb which has been landed in Ireland but destined for onward shipment to the UK. Here’s hoping for a continued good market and for some rain in the not too distant future, although at the time of writing there is none forecast. The protracted spell of hot weather is storing so much energy in the atmosphere that when it does break it could be in a fairly dramatic way; we could see some quite spectacular storms.

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KEY Positive Negative

431

395

690

641

880

920

921

887

686

966

535

717

969

1021

698 984

1020

ISABEL FIELD

BVetMed MRCVS Veterinary Surgeon at Cliffe Veterinary Group T: 01273 473232 E: isabel@cliffevets.co.uk www.cliffefarm.co.uk

NICK ADAMES WEST SUSSEX DIARY

CHANGING LANDSCAPE

These are interesting times. Not very happy, but interesting. Farming is continuing its rapid process of moving from a stable, reliable and, if one is in the industry, understandable occupation to one that has become almost unrecognisable. For the past 50 or 60 years the seasons rolled around, mechanisation took off, taking most of the hard work out of the job but if a farmer knew what month it was he also knew roughly what he would be doing. Slowly all that began changing. The seasons remained the same but the operations altered. One saw the changing landscape as dairy farming became burdened with increasing red tape. Loss of stability was next, with the end of the Milk Marketing Board followed by the formation of the Environment Agency in 1996, run for the benefit of a quickly expanding workforce which became increasingly heavy handed as it sought, yet failed, to justify exploding salaries, backed up with little or no understanding of the diverse cattle industries, from which they intimidated so many of the good stockmen off the land. So the landscape changed, from a balanced ‘cattle/arable’ scene to enlarged fields of cereals, rape, or vegetables, now on an industrial scale and bringing with them machinery which matched that scale. Farms amalgamated, old farmhouses and farmsteading turned into fancy private dwellings and stabling for non-country families retreating from the cities. In the process, old rural communities rapidly lost their ‘farming heart’ and shared interests. We were faced with newcomers, some buying old cottages and extending them into mansions while others set about getting planning consent for another few new homes in their large old garden. Some fitted into country ways, some didn’t and happily quite soon departed. Farming itself, never a very easy living for long, has recently suffered from a madman in the Kremlin whose murderous actions have stopped

NICK ADAMES Former dairy farmer

grain exports from Ukraine and put up the price of food, fertiliser and most other farm inputs. So now the industry is torn between growing crops with rapidly increased fertiliser, chemical, machinery and fuel costs, (hopefully with higher returns to compensate in the short term) or alternately not growing anything and relying on the remnants of the old EU subsidy scheme. Or perhaps in the south relying on banking huge sums from developers to cover good farmland with hundreds of houses, as long as they themselves don’t live too close or, as we have, letting some south facing chalk downlands to a vineyard, which will probably soon be running the risk of contributing to a rerun of the 1970s ‘wine lakes’. And then there are those who listen to the likes of Chris Packham, with their idea of allowing nature to reclaim the country’s once well-tended and fertile acres, with the aim of neglecting them to allow weeds and pest species to flourish. Do they not see the impending food shortages looming to aﬄict huge areas of the earth? Do they not think Britain will need its good land to be in full production? I do admit to some guilt in this respect, in that we are giving serious thought to putting an area down to hardwoods, both for coppicing and for long term timber, but mainly as a protection from developers. Indeed, from planning officials, who bombard me with requests to enter an agreement to develop another 700 to 1,000 houses hard up against my old homestead. I would like to think that by taking the ‘tree option’, this little hamlet will manage to avoid being covered with ‘little red boxes’ for another few generations. The pressure is great, with almost weekly approaches. Not in my

> Side weeding rows of vines against the backdrop of the Downs west of Arundel

AUGUST 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

backyard, thanks very much. All instead of just getting on with farming, of which we have some experience. A lot of you will be similarly affected by these matters (which I fully understand may not all be unwanted) and have seriously difficult decisions to make. To carry on as we have spent our lives, as we have been taught and trained for, or to succumb and settle for the easier life? In many cases I can see the attractions, although the countryside will probably be a less attractive and settled place to live in the future. The recent Platinum Jubilee celebrations also brought food for thought. While many younger folk may not appreciate it, we who have lived through those 70 years have been so lucky. The continuity which Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip brought to the country has been quite astounding. Her Majesty’s sense of duty has been a lesson to everyone. She has been a beacon to the whole world. Yet there is a minority who seem to think our system is ‘so old fashioned’, who appear to think the chance of getting a corrupt crook to become president, as some have recently experienced, is preferable. I know which I prefer and like to think I am in the silent majority still. Just think, Trump as life president… rigged elections… their equally minded ‘friends’ growing wealthy at the expense of the public. As I said, interesting times. Despite which, life goes on! Most of my home farm is covered in maize on a very short-term agreement. It’s not a happy picture, very varied in fact, mainly the fault of the fertiliser price situation. I fully understand this. Reliance on digestate and minimal levels of expensive nitrogen may work in conjunction with an active dairy or suckler herd, but when the livestock are no longer around, the fertility they brought to the land soon disappears. To see fields which can grow 18 to 22 tons of greencrop maize under-producing by maybe 50% doesn’t seem to me to be a very good idea.

AT COLCHESTER MARKET

NUMBERS STILL SHORT With the heat of summer fully upon us (in mid July), we have seen another month of strong cattle prices in the prime beef ring, but with numbers still short. It is probably good that the numbers are very tight as this is maintaining the level of demand to ensure there is a realistic return to finishers. As has been said many times, the high cost of feed inputs is a very negative factor with regard to finishing beef cattle. Although there was some easing to the price of inputs towards the end of the period, they are still high. The cost of store cattle is also high, which again makes a few finishers very nervous. Best prime cattle are still trading at 270p/kg to 280p/kg, particularly for handier weights. Stronger cattle are also keenly sought, particularly for the manufacturing end as barbecues hit the heights. The cull cattle trade is also very strong and is probably at the dearest we have ever seen. There is plenty of demand for well finished cattle, but it was noticeable at the end of the period, with grass disappearing, that the few feeding cows going to the ring were more difficult to sell. Again, the high cost of feeds is affecting finishers’ views. As always, traditional cattle are selling well in Colchester, with plenty of demand. Store cattle, as mentioned above, are dear but numbers are short. This is typical of the summer months. The sheep trade continued at very high levels throughout the period, some 60p/kg to 70p/kg up on 12 months ago, which represents a remarkable turn around. Again, towards the end of the period, with the grass disappearing, more and more under finish lambs are coming forward, with buyers becoming selective. However, the season looks good and best lambs are still trading well above 300p/kg as this report was being written. Leaner lambs are less per kg but still looking well sold. Next month should see the start of larger numbers of store lambs being sold and it will be interesting to see how the trade is for those, particularly with the possible difficulty in establishing fodder crop germination. The ewe trade was also extremely strong, with good demand for all types, but again grazing ewes were becoming slightly more difficult to sell as this report was being written. We desperately need rain and little is forecast. Let us hope that things change. The pig trade has increased, with demands strong, but all finished pigs are. still being traded at less than the cost of production. The future is bleak. There was yet another health scare at the beginning of the period, with possible foot and mouth and another swine-related disease reported on a farm in East Anglia, but luckily all tests proved to be negative. This caused great concern to pig producers. The sow trade has been adversely affected by the strength of the pound against the euro and there is little light at the end of the tunnel for those wishing

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GRAHAM ELLIS FRICS FAAV FLAA

For and on behalf of Stanfords T: 01206 842156 E: info@stanfords-colchester.co.uk www.stanfords-colchester.co.uk to leave the pig industry, which is the last thing we really want them to do. Harvest is well under way in East Anglia, with oilseed rape and winter barley being cut and yields highly variable. Wheat crops are also looking light in places, with little chance that will change as crops are reaching maturity. As noted, the grain trade has slipped back from the highs of three months ago but is still at levels that give livestock finishers little confidence in finishing.

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WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | AUGUST 2022

Legal services for farmers & rural businesses Call us today or visit our website:

01227 763939 furleypage.co.uk

MATERIAL INFORMATION IN PROPERTY LISTINGS

The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 require property agents to comply with obligations to include material information in property listings. The National Trading Standards Estates and Lettings Agency Team (“NTSELAT”) has been working with industry leaders and UK major property portals on a phased plan to provide clarity around disclosure of material information on property particulars for sales and lettings. In February, it was announced that certain information should be considered ‘material’ and contained within property particulars for sales and lettings. Part A provides that from May 2022 certain information should be included in property listings. Guidance published this month is available on the National Trading Standard’s website.

WHAT INFORMATION NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED FOR SALES LISTINGS? COUNCIL TAX BAND

The seller should know this and it can be checked online. Sometimes the council tax band may be due to increase after alterations. An agent should check with the seller if there have been any significant changes to the property which may affect the council tax band and this should be noted on the particulars. If a property is exempt from council tax, this should be noted. Some exemptions relate to the occupation and use of the property, and so the exemption may not be permanent. If this is the case then the reason for the exemption should be disclosed. In the case of new builds, the tax band may not be known at the point of listing. This should be clearly stated. If council tax rates become available later, the listing should be updated.

PROPERTY PRICE

SARAH WEBSTER

Partner & Head of Agriculture and Rural Business, Furley Page T: 01227 763939 E: sw@furleypage.co.uk www.furleypage.co.uk

The purchase price should be stated as a numerical amount on the property particulars. A price range can be advertised as long as it is a true and accurate reflection of the property valuation and not just an attempt to increase the interest in the property. The NTSELAT believes that the use of ‘price on application’ (or POA) in a listing breaches consumer protection legislation and is unlawful. In the case of new developments where the price is not known, it is acceptable to advertise without the price, but as soon as the price is known the listing should be updated.

TENURE

The tenure of the property must be included. The main types of tenure are freehold, leasehold and commonhold. There may be other aspects that need to be considered, for example a managed freehold where a freehold property has common areas which are managed on behalf of all the properties. In these circumstances there are usually estate management fees to be paid and potential buyers need to be aware of the financial contributions that may be required.

AUGUST 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

With leasehold properties, it is possible that the seller may own a share of the freehold and again this should be noted, together with service charge information. The length of the lease should also be stated. In the case of shared ownership, this should be clearly stated on the listing, including details of the share being sold and any additional liabilities, payments or obligations.

WHAT INFORMATION NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED FOR LETTINGS? COUNCIL TAX BAND The same principles noted above apply.

RENTAL AMOUNT

This should be listed as a numerical amount and connected to a time period, for example per calendar month or weekly. It should also be noted whether the rent includes bills and, if so, which. The nature of the occupancy and the price for tenancy of the occupied property should be detailed. For example, for a house share the overall rental amount of the property should be listed. If a security deposit is required on lettings, details must be included. If the letting is not the type of residential tenancy which the consumer would expect, for example, an AST, then it must be made clear what kind of tenancy it would be and any consequences that may arise. Any listings with missing information will be highlighted, but at the time of writing property adverts can continue to be uploaded, with material information required being added when available. This will not always be the case; at a date yet to be decided, listings without the minimum information will not be allowed to be uploaded, which will delay marketing. While the guidance is primarily applicable to residential property, commercial properties are governed by similar regulations in the form of the Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations 2008, so you should consider the impact of this guidance in relation to any commercial listings.

LEGAL

PROTECTING YOUR WEALTH How pre-nuptial or post-nuptial agreements should be part of your succession planning. It is perhaps unsurprising to many that family farmers plough (excuse the pun) a lot of time and effort into their family succession planning. After all, we know that family farms are often historic and complex, so structuring the business or partnership in the right way helps ensure it passes successfully from generation to generation. What is not always apparent is the need to safeguard against divorce, in the unfortunate event that it should arise. Some may consider such discussions to be unromantic or uncouth, but given that 42% of marriages in England and Wales end in divorce, not including the increase that is expected following this year’s reforms to the divorce process, it is imperative that this discussion forms part of business planning, especially when multigenerational family farms are involved.

WHAT IS A PRE-NUPTIAL AGREEMENT AND HOW CAN IT PROTECT THE FARM?

Having to sell land or divert income on divorce is likely to have a devastating impact on the farm’s future and viability. A pre-nuptial (or post-nuptial) agreement is a bespoke document between a couple entering into a marriage or civil partnership which documents what they intend to happen to their money and property in the event the marriage or civil partnership were to end.

A pre-nuptial (or post-nuptial) agreement can deal with the division of assets such as property, business interests, savings and income. Within the agreement you can define non-marital property coming into the marriage, such as land and other key business assets, which could be essential in protecting the farm’s future. A pre-nuptial/post-nuptial agreement might be particularly beneficial where: 1. One of you has substantially greater capital, such as family farmland, than the other. 2. One or both of you wishes to protect assets you owned prior to the marriage, including family trusts or inheritance. 3. One or both of you has children from a previous marriage or relationship and wishes to protect assets for the purpose of inheritance planning. The agreement can give more certainty as to the financial arrangements should the relationship break down, which is why pre-nuptial agreements are increasingly popular and recognised by the courts.

WHAT CONSIDERATIONS MUST BE MADE?

Pre-nuptial agreements are not strictly binding upon the courts in so far as the courts have ultimate discretion. However, when certain criteria are met, they will be given great weight by a court considering the division of assets in a divorce and are more usually upheld. Examples of these criteria include:

SOPHIE READ

Senior Associate, Brachers LLP T: 01227 949548 E: SophieRead@brachers.co.uk www.brachers.co.uk

• Both parties providing full financial disclosure to each other. • Whether or not the terms of the agreement are substantially fair, such as whether the agreement provides for both parties’ needs in the event of divorce or end to the civil partnership. • That neither party felt pressurised to enter into the agreement. • The receipt of independent legal advice for both parties. • The agreement being fully negotiated and signed at least 21 days in advance of the wedding, although more time is safer.

WHAT HAPPENS IF MY CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE?

We all know that circumstances during a marriage or civil partnership can change, and personal circumstances may look very different a few years or so after the agreement is entered into. For this reason it is important to include within the terms of a pre-nuptial/post-nuptial agreement the triggers for review dates. This ensures that the terms previously entered into remain inherently fair. If you are thinking of entering into a pre-nuptial or post-nuptial agreement, you are recommended to seek professional legal advice.

Legal services that deliver long-term solutions to support the future of farming Maidstone 01622 690691 Canterbury 01227 949510

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www.brachers.co.uk hello@brachers.co.uk

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GLYNDE ESTATES, EAST SUSSEX Grazing and Forage Opportunities over 1,060 acres As part of Glynde Estates developing management strategy, intentions are to embrace new agri-environmental scheme opportunities and give a commitment to develop long term grazing programmes, which will enhance and develop the landscape and grassland habitats. In doing so, Glynde Estates are pleased to offer an exciting new opportunity to take land for grazing and mowing, over an important core area, extending to about 429 hectares (1,060 acres). The land will be available as a whole or in up to five separate lots. A collaborative and flexible approach is sought, with suitable farming businesses and/or individuals who are open to doing things a different way and seeking to build longer term relationships for mutual benefit. Offers by informal tender are invited for grazing/mowing licences or the Estate would be interested in tenders for an alternative dynamic management agreement of the land. A Farm Business Tenancy will not be offered. The land will be available and the agreement to start from the 1 March 2023. Tender applications must be received by 12 noon on Friday 14 October 2022. For further information and to request a tender pack please contact: Thomas Brunt 07879 420 400 tbrunt@savills.com

ESTATES

MILL AND ABBEY FARM, LEEDS, KENT 550 acres offered to let by informal tender A rare opportunity to rent an extensive block of Grade 2/3 arable and pasture land with potential for fruit production around the village of Leeds, approximately 4 miles east of Maidstone town centre. The land, totalling over 550 acres, is available in six lots with the majority being offered on farm business tenancies for up to 15 years. Tender applications must be received by 12 noon on Monday 12 September 2022 on the tender forms provided in order to be considered.

For further information and to request a tender pack please contact: Jack Curnow 01732 879 050 jcurnow@savills.com

Savills Sevenoaks 74 High Street Sevenoaks TN13 1JR

Stuart Nicholls 07786 944 666 snicholls@savills.com

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PICTURESQUE SOUTH DOWNS FARM MIDHURST | WEST SUSSEX

100 ACRES

GUIDE PRICE: £2.5MILLION

A 100-acre farm with a farm shop, café, butchery and equestrian facilities has come to the market in the heart of the South Downs. Sandilands Farm has been in the same family for many years and offers a diversified income as well as natural capital opportunities. The picturesque farm includes just over 102 acres of arable land and pasture with a small amount of mature woodland and more than 12,000 sq ft of buildings, including Sandilands Equestrian Centre. There is a fishing lake, used by angling clubs, and the River Rother runs through the middle of the farm. The farm also benefits from an abstraction licence. The current owners previously gained planning permission to convert the farm building into five luxury holiday lets which has since lapsed, though a new owner may be able to re-establish the permission.

The property is close to the popular town of Midhurst, which has a range of amenities including restaurants, pubs and shops, as well as to the commuting towns of Petersfield and Liphook. Geoffrey Jones, from the farm agency team at Savills Winchester, said: “Sandilands Farm is in a fantastic location with excellent communication links and would lend itself to tourism, commercial development, traditional farming and equestrian uses, subject to gaining the necessary consents.” Sandilands Farm has a guide price of £2.5million.

For more information, contact Savills on 01962 857441

P O T

A substantial steel framed barn and just over 29 acres of farmland situated on the edge of South Nutfield village is on the market with Batcheller Monkhouse. Access is via the main farm drive which leads to a modern Shuﬄebottom four-bay steel framed agricultural general purpose barn, approximately 24m x 15m (80ft x 50ft). The land fans out to the rear and is generally sloping down to a central valley, with fine views from some of the higher points. It includes some

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

K C I P

SMALL FARM UNIT REDHILL | SURREY

OFFERS IN EXCESS OF £500,000

29 ACRES

permanent pasture and overgrown uncultivated land, with the soil being mainly clay with seams of Greensand on the northern and southern edges. In all it is an attractive tract of land extending to approximately 29.29 acres (11.85 ha).

W W W. S O U T H E A S T FA R M E R . N E T | J U LY 2 0 2 2

Kent, Faversham

Guide Price £3,400,000 (whole)

A block of exceptionally high quality agricultural land which has been farmed by a world leading grower of non-food crops Faversham: 2.5 miles, Ashford: 11 miles, Canterbury: 10 miles, Central London: 53 miles Outstanding arable land and top fruit classified Grade 1 About 306 acres (124 ha) in total For sale as a whole or in up to two lots Will Banham 07818 237 049 will.banham@struttandparker.com /struttandparker

@struttandparker

struttandparker.com

Over 50 offices across England and Scotland, including prime Central London.

LAND AND FARMS HASTINGS | EAST SUSSEX

GUIDE PRICE: £1,850,000 - £2,000,000

ABOUT 76 ACRES

ATTRACTIVE GRASSLAND FARM An attractive grassland farm of about 76 acres operated as a Trakehner horse stud in recent years is on the market with Batcheller Monkhouse. It is situated in a rural location with wonderful views, comprising a Grade II Listed farmhouse, detached annexe, extensive range of farm buildings of about 21,000 square feet, with 25 loose boxes, 60 x 20m sand school and pasture fields. Lower Lidham Hill Farmhouse is Grade II Listed, dating from the 17th century. The property would now benefit from some updating. The main features include: • Enclosed entrance porch and inner hall. The attractive double aspect drawing room has an inglenook fireplace with wood burner. • From the sitting room there is a lobby with a cloakroom and door to a dining room. • The well-fitted kitchen has a Britannia gas range cooker and an opening through to the conservatory/breakfast room. • The first floor has the benefit of a large landing/study area. Bedroom one has a fireplace and inter-communicates with an en suite dressing room which intercommunicates with a nursery/bedroom four. • There are two further bedrooms and a family bathroom. The farm is approached from a private driveway which is shared with one other property. There is an openfronted triple-bay garage and adjacent workshop with inspection pit, and a gateway leads into the farmyard where there is a generous area of hardstanding for a good number of vehicles. The farmhouse benefits from its own 2,000 litre rainwater collection cistern. There is an additional rainwater cistern in the farmyard. The detached annexe was converted in 2012. The farm buildings are arranged around a large open concrete yard and in recent times the farm has been run as a Trakehner horse stud with the buildings comprising: • A quadruple span portal-framed barn divided into two separate stable yards

with Loddon loose boxes, one comprising twelve loose boxes and the other ten loose boxes with a central indoor school of approximately 23m x 18m. • A further steel portal-framed barn housing three Loddon Wellington foaling boxes with tack room and further storage areas. CCTV is installed. The stables have automatic drinkers. • Staff quarters comprising kitchen area and shower room with two rooms above. • A large steel-framed Dutch barn with lean-tos to the side. The land is principally laid to pasture with woodland shaws and three ponds. There are wonderful unspoilt rural views. The land extends to about 76 acres.

To view please contact the Battle office: 01424 775577

TALENTED TEAM EXPANDED Will Banham has returned to Strutt & Parker as a director, having previously spent three years within the firm’s land management team based in Lewes. In his new role he will work alongside the national estates and farms agency department, covering the South East. Matthew Sudlow, head of Strutt & Parker Estates and Farm Agency, commented: “We are committed to expanding our talented team and attracting the very best professionals the industry has to offer. “It’s no secret that we are currently seeing one of the strongest land markets since 2015, with many estates and farms going under offer for well above the guide price and the types of buyers expanding. “Our ability to respond to the liveliness of this market is only bolstered by bringing Will into the fold. He brings an excellent track record and a

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

wealth of experience in his area, making him a key hire that I am very happy to announce.” Will is a rural chartered surveyor and has spent much of his 16-year career handling the sale and purchase of farms and estates on behalf of private and institutional clients across the South East. He brings with him a thorough knowledge of the Sussex and Kent rural markets, together with valuable experience of the prominent viticulture sector, having handled the sale of the first block of UK farmland to a French champagne house in 2015. Will said: “It is great to be returning to Strutt & Parker at such a pivotal time for the sector. The team here is uniquely placed to understand key emerging markets including viticulture, carbon and re-wilding, as well as traditional farming and lifestyle buyers who have always been drawn to property in the South East.”

> Will Banham

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | AUGUST 2022

LAND AND FARMS

EYTHORNE | KENT

GUIDE PRICE: £4.5 MILLION

An attractive Grade II listed farmhouse with a Victorian walled garden, several cottages and 100 acres has come to the market near Eythorne, a rural village in east Kent between Canterbury and Dover. Home Farm is in a mature parkland setting which forms part of the original Waldershare Park Estate. Waldershare Park was laid out between 1702 and 1710 by Sir Robert Furnese, with many of the trees planted remaining in maturity today. Sir Robert’s daughter, Catherine, married the 1st Earl of Guildford in 1751 and the park has remained in the Guildford family ever since. The attractive Grade II-listed farmhouse is at the heart of the estate. The farmhouse, last refurbished in 2016, has four reception rooms, a kitchen/breakfast room, entrance hall, cloakroom and utility room. On the first floor is the main bedroom suite with dressing room and en-suite bathroom, four further double bedrooms, a family bathroom, large shower room and a study area with a staircase leading to the second floor, giving access to bedroom six which has an en-suite. Landscaped gardens surround the house to the front and back, providing views over its own parkland. There is a sheltered, heated, outdoor swimming pool with accompanying pool house and ample parking. Alongside the farmhouse is a collection of cottages and buildings, including Home Farm Annexe, Barn Cottage, Shepherds Cottage, an estate office and the village hall, which was

100 ACRES

P O T

K C I P

FARMHOUSE WITH INCOME

OPPORTUNITIES previously granted permission for conversion into a pair of two-bedroom cottages to be used as holiday lets. The engine shed, with two workshops, was also granted planning permission for conversion into a one-bedroom holiday let. In addition there is a garage, a Grade II-listed timber framed and weather boarded granary set on staddle stones, and two lodges. The walls of the Grade II-listed walled garden are approximately 8ft high, with a central entrance and secondary entrances in opposite corners. Home Farm straddles two sides of a gentle valley overlooked by the farmhouse and cottages. The farmland is mixed, comprising about 30 acres of arable, 28 of pasture and the rest, about 22 acres, woodland, tracks and gardens, including an impressive avenue of horse chestnut trees beyond the walled garden. Chris Spofforth, head of Savills South East farms and estates team, said: “Waldershare Park

is a hugely impressive estate that has a wealth of history and charm. Home Farm is at the heart of the estate. The main house is imposing, with high ceilings and good-sized reception rooms, yet it retains a homely feel. The additional cottages, lodges and buildings provide a useful income and scope for additional family accommodation or alternative uses. About 100 acres of land affords perfect protection or amenity for lifestyle buyers, who can be hands on or hands off if they wish to continue letting the land to local farmers. “Communications in this part of Kent have improved significantly in recent years, making it more accessible to London while retaining a truly rural feel. The area is particularly popular, not only in terms of the property market but with both domestic and international tourists due to its proximity to European transport links and to the heritage coast.’’ Home Farm is being marketed by Savills for a guide price of £4.5 million.

For more information, contact Chris Spofforth on 01732 879050.

AUGUST 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

Do you own land in the Stodmarsh Catchment area? All new development in this area is required to demonstrate nitrate neutrality. Offsetting the nitrate impact of these developments can provide a significant opportunity to secure a long term income on your land. This can involve taking land out of high nitrogen use (arable or livestock) or through the creation of wetlands or woods. Speak to our experts today to find out more.

batchellermonkhouse.com

CONTACT Rob Lee BSc MRICS E: r.lee@batchellermonkhouse.com T: 01892 577436

ATTENTION ALL LAND AGENTS. Are you missing out? Call Ja

nd and la e is t r e v d a n a c u Yo rmer a F t s a E h t u o S in farms 299. £ s a le t t li s a m o fr erest t in e t a e r c o t y a w A great rs. e y u b s u io r e s m o fr

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LAND DEVELOPMENT

PLANNING FOR FUTURE 58

HOUSING NEED On 28 June 2022 the first data from the Census 2021 was released. The full census was the 22nd in Britain, the first having being carried out in 1801. They have been published every decade apart from during the Second World War. From a planning perspective the census provides the “gold standard” of data collection and provides valuable counts of population and households and a range of wider information on socio-economic characteristics from which a range of services and infrastructure can be, and are, planned. The publication of the latest census also provides data which can be used to consider the accuracy of previous demographic projections. When planning for new housing, government guidance currently mandates the use of the 2014-based population projections. The Census 2021 results start to give us an indication of how communities across the country have changed over the past decade in comparison to their projections.

POPULATION PROJECTIONS

The 2014-based population projections expected the population of England to be 57,248,000 by 2021. We now know the population in England in 2021 was only 56,489,800, this is a difference of around 750,000 or 1.3%. There could be a range of reasons for these variations, including the influence of changing migration patterns as the housing market picked up from 2013 onwards and the impacts of Brexit and Covid-19 on international and domestic movement through to issues with measuring student movements. The influence of

Could your land have development potential? Find out more about land promotion.

ED BARRETT

Associate Director, Planning T: 01788 726810 E: edb@catesbyestates.co.uk W: www.catesbyestates.co.uk

AUGUST 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

these factors will vary between different places. Nationally, it is broadly recognised that we have not been delivering enough new homes. The implications of under-delivery on household formation trends, overcrowding and tenure patterns will be revealed when later parts of the census are released over the next two years. We do know that the average household size has increased marginally from 2.40 to 2.41. Such patterns have in the past indicated a combination of a constrained housing supply and a more ethnically diverse population. Those with an interest in planning for housing have taken a keen interest in the latest census results due to their potential implications for population estimates, household projections and housing need. The 2021 results do, however, need to be treated with some care given they were measured during an unprecedented snapshot in time: during the Covid-19 pandemic when restrictions were in place. Lower population growth than anticipated nationally might suggest to some that the ambition for housing growth can be reduced. Given the political fervour following a succession of electoral defeats where planning has been a factor, there is a risk that the wrong conclusions will be drawn from the census.

POPULATION GROWTH AND HOUSING DELIVERY

The census is clearly relevant to understanding the relationship between population growth and housing delivery and the implications of this on the ability of households to form in different areas. The demographic data should rightly be part of policy-makers' thinking, but must sit alongside other factors, including market signals. For example, the Government has repeatedly signaled its intention to maintain ambitious 300,000 a year housing growth targets because of its desire to address under-delivery of housing that now dates back decades. We now await the Government's proposals for the latest reform to its policy for housing, including what, if any, changes there will be to the current formula for calculating local housing need and how the Government expects local plans to address this need. If you would like to discuss how the Census 2021 results or forthcoming changes to national planning policy might impact housing development in your area, please get in touch.

LAND AND FARMS

STUNNING SECLUDED

RURAL PROPERTY HORSHAM | WEST SUSSEX

WATSONS COUNTRY PROPERTY AGENTS AUCTIONEERS

CHARTERED SURVEYORS VALUERS EST. 1873

MAYFIELD

GUIDE PRICE: £2,950,000

Furnace House and Lakes is a picturesque property situated in a rural location on the Surrey/West Sussex border between Guildford and Horsham and is accessed via a long drive in approximately 25.7 acres. This is a rare opportunity to purchase a stunning rural property in a secluded position. Furnace House and Lakes, with its secondary homes, outbuildings and elaborate buildings, presents an excellent opportunity for business earning potential. Furnace Lakes was formerly used commercially for pleasure angling, with an existing retail angling shop and café. An opportunity exists to use the property in a large number of ways (subject to any required consents) to produce a substantial annual income. An attractive Grade II-listed period farmhouse with main bedroom and ensuite, it has two further bedrooms, all overlooking the lakes, and a family bathroom. There is a screened outdoor swimming pool with paved surround, summer house, hot tub and pool building with central room overlooking the pool. There is a detached timber built annexe, well appointed internally with spacious living room. Stables Cottage is a detached timber built cottage with spacious living room with double doors to a fenced garden and sitting area, fitted kitchen, bathroom and double bedroom. The outbuildings: • Block and box profile clad storage building (approximately 1,639 sq ft) with roller shutter and pedestrian access door. • Fully enclosed and insulated building with staircase to mezzanine (total approximately 5,618 sq ft). Commercial specification. • Steel framed, block and timber-clad building (approximately 925 sq ft). Used as retail shop and café. Fitted kitchen area and external terrace. • Various sheds, containers, pole barn and horse stable. • Sited mobile home. • Lakeside buildings including kitchen, lodge and brick-built toilet block. There are two mature lakes, namely Hyes and Furnace. These lakes were believed to have been used for the production of cannons and cannon balls in Tudor times. Furnace Lake is approximately 5.9 acres, with Hyes approximately 1.6 acres, both well stocked with quality carp and many other species of fish. The lakes are in a private, park-like setting and provide a habitat for an abundance of wildlife. Furnace Lake has its own jetty for boat mooring.

42 ACRE FARM Guide Price: £1,650,000

SALEHURST

22 ACRES PASTURE Offers in excess of: £250,000

NORMANS BAY

45 ACRES

The Estate Office - Burwash Road, Heathfield, East Sussex TN21 8RA www.watsonsestates.co.uk

Tel: 01435 865077

Viticultural Land Opportunity in East Sussex Guide Price; £250-£300/acre

A rare and exciting opportunity to establish a vineyard at the heart of the English wine region. The Glyndebourne Estate is seeking expressions of interest for approximately 22.3ha of land suitable for viticulture near Lewes. We would be interested to hear from parties who might consider a long term rental, joint venture, profit share arrangement, or similar. The land is not available for sale. James Harvey 01273 407021 James.harvey@struttandparker.com /struttandparker

To view please contact the Pulborough Office: 01798 872081

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

@struttandparker

struttandparker.com

50 Offices across England and Scotland, including prime Central London.

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | AUGUST 2022

LAND AND FARMS

UCKFIELD | EAST SUSSEX

OIEO: £1.8 MILLION

ABOUT 66 ACRES

To view please contact the Haywards Heath Office: 01444 453181

VERSATILE GRASS FARM 60

Cobdown Farm is a versatile grass farm with equestrian potential, a modern two bedroom single-storey residence, an excellent range of buildings, numerous commercial opportunities and consent granted for a further four bedroom conversion of approximately 3,000 sq ft. Located in an elevated position to the north of Uckfield with stunning views towards the South Downs, Cobdown Farm is a superbly located grass farm sitting in the Sussex Weald, an area of outstanding natural beauty, with stunning views towards the South Downs. The farm has been considerably improved by the current owner, who gained consent for a modern two bedroom residence and has maintained all buildings in excellent condition. A further planning application has been approved to convert part of an agricultural barn to provide single storey four bedroom accommodation with parking to the front and garden to the rear. The farm is approached via a private drive with the land laid out on either side

of the drive and beyond the farm buildings. The land is well fenced, split into a number of fields, all with water and predominantly of Grade 3 slightly acidic and loamy clayey soil. On the western boundary is a shaw of mixed woodland. The farm boasts an impressive range of agricultural buildings, some of which are still used for livestock with others being adapted for numerous uses including storage and stabling. The buildings consist of: • Three bay enclosed steel portal frame agricultural building with lean-to sides (approximately 34m x 24m max). • Three bay open fronted steel portal agricultural building (approximately 19m x 11m max). • Single extensive former livestock building (approximately 63m x 14m max) incorporating commercial workshop and stabling consisting of eight covered loose boxes. Part of this building now has consent for residential conversion.

PANORAMIC VIEWS HASTINGS | EAST SUSSEX

Driven in to a planning mess?

We can help steer you out.

www.therpp.co.uk CRANBROOK 01580 201888

CIRENCESTER 01285 323200

office@therpp.co.uk

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AUGUST 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

GUIDE PRICE: £1,250,000

Batcheller Monkhouse has a rare opportunity to acquire a detached house with 30 acres of land, previously used for equestrian purposes. The extensive outbuildings, barn and ﬂat give the potential for home and income opportunity, with panoramic views across the Sussex countryside. Zoybank has been the family home for the present owner for the last 37 years and comprises an older-style detached house, in need of some updating and with potential to create a larger family home. A single storey groom’s flat is attached to the range of stabling but has not been occupied for a while and would benefit from some updating. The flat has the potential to be used as a holiday let with the appropriate permissions. There is a large area of hardstanding for farm machinery. The barn measures 58’8 x 28’8 and has five bays. The pasture fields extend to about 20 acres, with one field to the east accessed via a right of way down a track leading off Ivyhouse Lane. In addition, there are about nine acres of woodland and a small stream.

To view please contact the Battle Office: 01424 775577

yond to ensure students are exposed to the latest cutting edge chnologies, including robotics in the dairy and a brand new state of e art high welfare and RSPCA assured pig unit. Coupled with this, e college’s new farm shop and café open in Brighton this summer, oviding the perfect opportunity to demonstrate and educate udents in every aspect of the supply chain relating to British oduce.

LINKING THEORY

TO PRACTICE

whether your area of expertise is livestock, arable, machinery or ri-business, we’d like to hear from you.

nd out more & apply: plumpton.ac.uk/our-college/vacancies

Middle-year student successfully achieves her placement at Lambert Farm, Plumpton College's state-of-the-art pig unit. Alan Johnson reports. Our agriculture students enjoy linking the theory they learn at college to practical tasks. The Level 3 course provides a balance of practical and theoretical activities covering a range of agriculture-related subjects. Students have the opportunity to undertake visits to farms and other specialist land and environment operations. Guest speakers and employer visits are a popular part of the course, helping students develop skills to improve career prospects. The course provides a wide variety of assessment methods which match the subject and meet individual student needs. In addition, there are opportunities to represent the college by competing in national and regional competitions. This month, Casey, an agricultural student, has secured a placement opportunity to work on the state-of-the-art, newly developed pig unit at the campus Farm. She can take more responsibility for her progress and achieve excellent results in all aspects of her course. She explains: “I grew up in Burgess Hill, not far from Plumpton College. From a very early age, I wanted to be an air hostess. When I left secondary school, my college choice was one that offered cabin crew training. My application to the course was accepted at two colleges, but then Covid-19 came along and my anxiety went through the roof; the thought of being around so many people and using public transport was too much. “I decided to try something completely different

and enrolled on Level 2 agriculture at Plumpton College. I thought working with animals instead of people would help my anxiety and allow me to learn many new skills. “During my first 12 months at Plumpton College I did farm routines, spending alternative weeks in the dairy, sheep and pig unit. It was during the pig routine that I found my passion for pigs. “I currently live on the College campus for my middle-year placement, working in the pig unit with the unit manager, Steve. Steve is helping me succeed in my unexpected career choice by passing on his skills and knowledge. I can't imagine doing anything else now; I know this is what I want to do. “The piggery has two farrowing units. Each one can hold a total of 20 sows. The unit has a

main sow yard which houses over 100 sows, and then there is the finishers’ shed which holds the weaners, growers and finishers. All the units within the piggery have automatic feeders. Several pigs have EID tags that help identify where they are in the sow and farrowing unit and show how much feed they eat. “I aim to finish my Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Agriculture and, if the opportunity arises, I would like to stay at the piggery as full-time staff. I find it so rewarding watching the whole process, from serving the gilts and sows to seeing them farrow, grow and leave the farm, then start the process over again. “Plumpton College has completely changed my life and career opportunities. I love what I do.”

Visit www.plumpton.ac.uk to study a range of fantastic land and environment courses TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | AUGUST 2022

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AUGUST 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

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 

DESIGN SWA DRAINAGE

SW ATTWOOD & PARTNERS

S W ATTWOOD & PARTNERS FROM £220 PER ACRE LAND DRAINAGE

Penfold’s commercial, S W ATTWOOD & agricultural and residential LAND DRAINAGE building specialists with  FIELD MAPPING over 40 years experience  DRAINAGE SURVEYING   – Standing seam

PARTNERS

DESIGN DRAINAGE

– Snaplock systems – Aluminium – Zinc FURTHER INFORMATION – Copper

METAL ROOFING

FROM £220 PER ACRE

FOR PLEASE CONTACT US OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE: – Composite cladding – Metal cladding

– Fibre880441 cement PHONE: 01795 CLADDING

EMAIL:

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION • FIELD MAPPING • DRAINAGE SURVEYING CONTACT US OR VISIT OUR • DESIGN • DRAINAGE WEBSITE: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

cladding PLEASE james@swattwood.com – Timber cladding

www.attwoodfarms.com PHONE: 01795 880441

PLEASE CONTACT JAMES OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE

ASBESTOS REMOVAL

G&S

– Removal – Disposal – Surveys

TOM: 01795 880441 or 07943 192383

EMAIL: james@swattwood.com EMAIL: james@swattwood.com GRAIN STORAGE & TESTING

 65  LANDwww.swjfattwood.com DRAINAGE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION  PLANT HIRE OUR PLEASE CONTACT US OR VISIT CONTRACTORS INERT TIPPING Bushell WEBSITE:   I & JGRAIN STORAGE &  CLAY SALES BROWNPHONE: 01795 880441

www.attwoodfarms.

 LAND DRAINAGE Drainage Contractors EMAIL: james@swattwood.com Groundworks | Civil Engineering | Environmental  PLANT HIRE Working with farmers since 1947 Excavations | Concreting | Drainage | Infrastructure Operated Plant Hire 180 & 360 Excavators INERT TIPPING www.iandjbushell.co.uk SALES office@iandjbushell.co.uk | 020 8394 2136 |CLAY 07979 911655

 www.attwoodfarms.com

● LAND DRAINAGE ● DITCHING ● POND WORK ● WATER SUPPLIES ● SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS ● GROUNDWORKS ● PLANT HIRE 360° EXCAVATORS FOR ESTIMATES & ENQUIRIES

(01622) 890884 Email: info@brownsdrainage.co.uk

www.brownsdrainage.co.uk



CROP

 GRAIN STORAGE & TESTING  LAND DRAINAGE DRYING  PLANT HIRE  INERT TIPPING  CLAY SALES

LAND DRAINAGE, EARTHWORKS, GROUNDWORKS & CONSTRUCTION FULL LAND DRAINAGE SERVICE sportsfields, amenity and irrigation systems using Mastenbroek trenchers PONDS, LAKES & RESERVOIRS construction and maintenance GROUNDWORKS & CONSTRUCTION primary excavations, aggregate sub-base, agricultural construction and concreting

ENVIRONMENTAL HABITATS water course maintenance and improvement works

For all enquiries call 01233 860404 07770 867625 (Harvey) or 07768 115849 (Dave) TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

Manufacturers of centrifugal, low volume and portable fans, air tunnels, drive over floors, grain stirrers and gas burners

PELLCROFT www.pellcroft.com | sales@pellcroft.com | 01526 342466

To advertise in South East Farmer telephone 01303 233883

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | AUGUST 2022

CLASSIFIEDS

FENCING FOR HIRE

HIRE SPECIALISTS ACROSS THE SOUTH EAST

Redhill Farm Services: Fencing Division

ALL TYPES OF FENCING & GATES

Supplied and erected & Repairs Tel: 01737 821220 Mob: 07768 931891 Email: redhillfarmservices@gmail.com

• Toilets & Showers for hire • Large range of Temporary canteens, stores & welfare units

HAULIERS

• Effluent Tank Emptying • Events also catered for with chillers & toilets

FOUR JAYS GROUP

Tel: 01622 843135 Fax: 01622 844410

07860 728204 Hay & Straw Merchant | Machinery Haulage

enquiries@fourjays.co.uk www.fourjays.co.uk

BIG PROJECT? ON SITE? NEED A TOILET? Call QiK Group today for a competitive price

P U O R G

01233 713555

or check out www.qikgroup.co.uk

HAY & STRAW IN STOCK | ROUND & BIG SQUARE BALES

Find us on Facebook

IRRIGATION Why dig when we can trench it?

PRESSURE WASHERS Trencher with operator for installing: • Irrigation and water pipes • Utility cables and ducting • Repairs to water pipes • Impact moling

Enquiries FieldWaterInstallations@gmail.com

SALES

Est 1993

SERVICE HIRE 01825 705777

We are a leading supplier and an approved repair centre

Unit 4, 72 Bell Lane Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 1QL enquiries@pressureclean.co.uk

With 50 years trading in the cleaning industry. With our strong ties and long term relationship with the leading manufacturers

FENCING

CWP fenci f n ng

01580 891728 or 07768 626131 www.fwi-trenching.co.uk

STORAGE TANKS S hss o off tth Sm miitth he eF Fo orre esstt o off D De ea an n The Tank and Drum Experts The Tank and Drum Experts

Standing StandingSweet SweetChestnut Chestnut Wanted Wanted Standing Sweet Chestnut Wanted

Cleft post and Cleft post and railrail Cleft post and rail Cleft field gates Cleft ﬁeld gates Cleft ﬁeld gates Fencing stakes Fencing stakes Fencing stakes Straining posts Straining posts Straining posts Chestnut fencing Chestnut fencing Chestnut fencing

Tel: 07985 298221 colin@cwpfencing.co.uk 07985298221 colin@cwpfencing.co.uk Tel:Tel: 07985298221 colin@cwpfencing.co.uk

AUGUST 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

Buy from stock. Visit us to collect or same day dispatch Buy stock. Visit us to New collect or recycled same dayIBC dispatch withfrom nationwide delivery. and tanks. with nationwide delivery. Newtanks and recycled tanks. Plastic and steel drums. Water & plentyIBC of fittings. Plastic and steel drums. Water tanks & plenty of fittings.

Visit www.smdd.co.uk or call 01594 833308 Visit www.smdd.co.uk or call 01594 833308

CROSSWORD ®

VINEYARDS

COMPLETE OUR CROSSWORD TO WIN A mixed box of our 500ml sparkling ciders including four bottles of Biddies 5, Red Love cider and Biddies 8

ACROSS

1 4 7 9 11

9 10

12 14 16 18 21 24 26 27 28

12 13 14

DOWN

19 20

1 2 3 5 6 8 10 13 14 15

17 18 19 20 22 23 24

Crossword by Rebecca Farmer, Broadstairs, Kent

PRIZE ANAGRAM: Notifiable invasive weed (9,6)

To enter, simply unscramble the anagram (9,6) using the green squares.

Metor shower, 17 July - 24 August 2022 (8) Offcut, fragment, piece (5) Malling -------, new plum variety (9) Used for exercises in ballet (5) John ----, town planner and architect [Regents Park and Trafalgar Square] (4) Take air in and out of lungs (7) Agricultural competition (9,5) Garden pest; Gastronomic delicacy (6) Shipping forecast area (6) Biological catalysts (7) A fixed point in the sky (4) Silver ---------, rare breed duck (9) Rare breed equine (4,4) Lines of light from the sun (4) When a bird makes its feathers tidy (5) Equipment for horses (5) Energy, style and enthusiasm (4) Run after something (5) Man-made substance (7) Planet (5) Male deer (4) Large bird associated with stealing food from seaside visitors (4) Tropical fruit (9) Fresh grape juice containing skins, seed and stems (4) Frozen water (3) Baked flour, water and yeast (5) Insect (3) Meteor shower in late December (6) Originally called (3) Long for (5) Relating to the sun (5) LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS:

PRIZE ANAGRAM: Left behind after harvest (5)

VINEYARDS

We are offering readers the chance sparkling ciders including four

address and phone number to

bottles of Biddies 5, Red Love cider

sef.ed@kelsey.co.uk Correct entries will be entered into a draw which will take place on 23 August. The winner will be announced in the September edition. TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

and Biddies 8. For more information about the vineyards, please visit www.biddendenvineyards.com or call 01580 291726. *Subject to availability

S Y

E I

M M

M O

S 10

N F

I 15

L E S

T R

Z I

N O

I I

N 17

L 19

N 23

G E

O A

T O

O H

G 21

A E

R N

S 25

H G

E I

T 11

to win a mixed box of our 500ml

Email your replies with your name,

N E

E A

Correct answer: Phomopsos asparagi LAST MONTH’S WINNER: Jeanette Ford from Fordingbridge, Hampshire

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | AUGUST 2022

2022

For viticulturists in Great Britain

In association with

23rd November 2022 Kent Event Centre, Detling, Maidstone, Kent ME14 3JF

SEMINARS | WINE TASTING | MEET INDUSTRY ADVISORS

R U O ER Y

T E K TIC

T S I G RE

The Vineyard & Winery Show is an unmissable event for anyone working in viticulture in the UK and abroad. The Vineyard & Winery Show will provide vineyard owners, winemakers and growers with a fantastic opportunity to keep up to date with the latest technology, meet with suppliers & allied trades that are supporting the industry as well as having the chance to network with key players in the UK wine marketplace.

FREE TO ALL ATTENDEES

You will be able to meet with industry experts, learn about new technology and view demonstrations of the latest machinery. Come and taste some of the UK’s best wines – up to 100 different UK producers are making their wines available for tasting on the day.

FREE SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS

Giving you the chance to learn from industry leaders and hear about how they built their businesses. Expert speakers will cover viticulture, winemaking and marketing topics.

Vitifruit Equipment Sales and Hire

South East Farmer August 2022

Articles inside

NICK ADAMES

ALAN WEST

ADVICE FROM THE VET

LEGAL

ANITA HEAD

MONICA AKEHURST

DEMO DAY

SARAH CALCUTT

Big grant for start-up

HADLOW COLLEGE

FRUIT FOCUS REVIEW