South East Farmer November 2021 by KELSEY Media

Est 1982

November 2021

LOOKING ON THE BRIGHT

CIDER LIFE

NIGEL AKEHURST VISITS TRENCHMORE FARM TO MEET THE TEAM BEHIND THE AWARD-WINNING SILLY MOO CIDER AND WAGYU CROSS SUSSEX BEEF

NATIONAL FRUIT SHOW

Bringing growers, suppliers and buyers together again

PLOUGHING MATCHES

A roundup of results across the region

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

• Farm business & estate management • Subsidies & grants • Land sales & acquisition • Planning & development • Natural capital & ecology 01892 770339 www.c-l-m.co.uk

Better people Best placed SEASONAL LABOUR PLACEMENT

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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

NOV EMB ER 2021

CONTENTS

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 2020 © 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.

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NEWS & REPORTS Wool prices increase. Baffling decision leaves pigs at risk. Wider investment for college. Rising star Georgina Wallis.

REGULARS

SARAH CALCUTT

MONICA AKEHURST

Cover picture: Trenchmore Farm, Cowfold, West Sussex

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Nigel visits Trenchmore Farm in Cowfold,

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LAND AND FARMS

FEATURES

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PLOUGHING MATCH RESULTS

BOVINE TB

SOUTH OF ENGLAND FARMING CONFERENCE

West Sussex, to meet Rachel Knowles, one Moo Cider and Wagyu cross Sussex Beef.

Neonatal scours.

Yearly auction is like a sweetie shop.

of the team behind the award-winning Silly

www.kelsey.co.uk

The return of the National Fruit Show brings growers, suppliers and buyers together again. A roundup of some of the results across the region. Badger vaccination underway.

The role of agriculture in healing society.

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OP IN IO N

It felt like Christmas

We enjoyed something akin to Christmas morning one day last week when a mystery box of unknown goodies was left in the porch in the dead of night to be discovered and opened in the morning. OK, so the parcel was left by a van driver rather than a rotund, bearded chap in a red suit driving a sleigh, but opening the box still brought a bit of excitement to a wet Wednesday morning. Inside we found a selection of fruit and vegetables that had one thing in common – they were odd or unwanted. After being lured in by a half price deal, we now subscribe to Oddbox, a rapidly growing delivery service that works in exactly the opposite way to the supermarkets. Describing itself as ‘grower led’, the business doesn’t tell the grower what it wants; it asks the grower what is available and then finds a home for it. The other big difference is that the produce in the box is far from perfect. Undersized, a bit wonky, slightly marked – everything that the supermarkets hate, but which make not a jot of difference to the taste of good, fresh produce. Oddbox (other similar organisations are probably available) provides growers with a great opportunity to find an outlet for produce that would otherwise go to waste, and that must be good for the planet. It is concern for the planet, incidentally, that means the van arrives, Santa style, in the middle of the night, as traffic-free roads mean lower carbon emissions. The organisation also goes in for the slightly quirky, folksy branding adopted by younger, greener companies, and it certainly communicates well with its customers. Thus we were informed that the (superb) salad potatoes from Suffolk were in the box because the farmer had grown “too many” (how is that possible in a hungry world?) and that the Italian kiwi fruits (turned into jam, in case you wondered) were “too odd”. Our delving also revealed salad leaves, dwarf beans, a cabbage, carrots, beetroot, pears from Kent (“too small”), an aubergine and deliciously sweet clementines from South Africa. Yes, this is about saving the planet, not just the South East, but what a great way to make good use of produce that would otherwise be wasted. On the other end of the waste scale, of course, the Government’s steadfast refusal to acknowledge the plight of the UK’s pig farmers while bailing out a US company to safeguard supplies of CO2 seems wickedly short-sighted. The arguments have been well rehearsed elsewhere, but there is surely a particular irony in making sure abattoirs have enough CO2 to allow them to despatch livestock humanely when their lack of support for farmers means thousands of them may well face being shot on farm anyway.

MALCOLM TRIGGS - EDITOR

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

BADGER CULLING

EXTENDED

Badger culling has been extended to seven new areas in England this year and will be carried out in Hampshire and Berkshire for the first time as part of efforts to reduce outbreaks of bovine tuberculosis in cattle. DEFRA has confirmed that badger culling will take place this autumn in areas including Hampshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire, but has stressed that the licensing of new culls will end after 2022. The agency has also said work to develop a vaccine for cattle and to vaccinate badgers is also pressing ahead, while the Government will develop a monitoring system to track the badger population and disease levels. DEFRA’s objective is to reduce the badger population by 70% in line with the randomised culling trial that was conducted between 1998 and 2005 and saw a significant reduction in new TB breakdowns in Gloucestershire and Somerset, according to a peer-reviewed scientific report. A five-year badger vaccination programme in East Sussex has been awarded £2.27m and will help farmers deploy vaccinations over an area of 250 square kilometres (see Pages 46 and 47 of this magazine). Environment Secretary George Eustice commented: The badger cull has led to a significant reduction in the disease, but no one wants to continue the cull of a protected species indefinitely. That is why we are now building on this progress by accelerating other elements of our strategy, including cattle vaccination and improved testing, so that we can eradicate this insidious disease and start to phase out badger culling as soon as possible.” The Government has also announced that it will offer new support to farmers to help them improve biosecurity on farms and provide “bespoke advice to livestock keepers about the practical and cost-effective measures they can take to build herd resilience”.

NEWS

WOOL PRICE INCREASES AS NEW CARPET YARN LAUNCHED A new 100% British wool carpet yarn backed by British Wool has been hailed as “a very positive move” by sheep farmers in the South East. Wool Britannia is a 100% British wool yarn that has been developed by the Headlam Group in partnership with British Wool and with the support of the Campaign for Wool, with every linear metre including wool sourced from farms in each of the four home nations. With wool prices having been deep in the doldrums since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, British Wool says the aim of the new product, launched in September in Manx Tomlinson’s Seasonal Views wool twist range, is “to increase the usage of British wool in carpets and, in turn, help local farmers and the environment”. In the South East, sheep farmer Frank Langrish, who farms near Rye in East Sussex and is a former British Wool Chairman, commented: “This is actually a very positive move and may be more significant than we realise.” His view was echoed by South East Farmer correspondent Alan West, who described it as “really positive and a good message”, pointing out the importance of carpet manufacture to British Wool and to sheep farmers. Current British Wool Chairman Jim Robertson explained: “This is an exciting project to be involved in and one we are confident will drive significant demand for genuine British wool carpets. We will be providing ongoing support to ensure the project is a success for all parties, including British farmers.” Headlam Group General Manager Mike Dobson said Wool Britannia yarn would feature in multiple ranges following its use in Seasonal Views, adding: “We sell to over 8,000 retailers across the UK and initial reaction to the range has been extremely encouraging.” Frank Langrish pointed out that the British Wool marketing team had been trying various approaches to increase consumption of domestic wool and said it should be able to make the most of a strong price advantage because of the current cost of imports. “For those few manufacturers that are left, there is a commercial benefit to using more British wool as the cost of importing wool from New Zealand has become very expensive,” he said. “Eighteen months ago, a 20-ton container cost $2,500 US but today it is $18,000. “Normally the best carpets are an 80% wool and 20% nylon mix. Of the 80% wool element, half is often from New Zealand, so using a 100% British yarn will significantly increase the demand for our wool.”

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“Langrish Farmers has been approached by another of British Wool’s licensees, Peregrine, which wants to use wool from Pasture for Life farms for their knitwear. They need the finer wools that are often produced in the South East such as the Romney and some of the Down breeds. “This is a more important end of the market as it is high value and will make more difference to farmers than promoting wool for insulation. Wool insulation is six times more expensive than Rockwool even when the wool in it is almost for nothing.” Backing up his optimistic view of British Wool’s efforts, Frank pointed out that the price at the most recent British Wool auction had seen a “significant” 2.5% rise on the previous sale and that 99% of the wool on offer had been sold. Alan West agreed that focusing on higher value uses was an important move. “This is really positive,” he said. “Hotels and cruise ships are big, important customers for woollen carpets and this sector took a real hit last year. “Hotels are beginning to come back on stream but demand from cruise liners has been much slower to recover. In general, they will change carpets at least once a year so there is a lot of carpet involved and this can only be good for the UK’s sheep farmers.” British Wool referred to “continuing strong demand and improving prices” following the fifth sale of the 2021 season. It said that since the start of the year auction prices had increased by over 35%, with the average price in the most recent sale reaching 73p per kilo.

COMMENT – LOOKING BACK TO MOVE FORWARD?

Recent problems with carbon and carbon dioxide remind me that wool is very much part of the solution to much of this as it is a ‘carbon neutral’ product that ‘runs on grass’. If everyone wore a wool jumper instead of something made from oil (acrylic, nylon, polyester, polypropylene etc) then they could turn the heating down in their houses, save money and help to save the planet. It is also not a problem at the end of its life as it is fully biodegradable. Anyone who has ever owned a Tweed jacket will know how warm it is and how long it will last as well as looking very smart. I still have a couple of wool suits (not made from British Wool) that are as good as new despite probably being almost 20 years old. Wool carpets are also fantastic insulators as well as being able to help control humidity in houses, as the wool absorbs moisture in high humidity and releases it when humidity falls. It is also fire retardant, which is why it is used in cruise ships, hotels (the best ones, anyway!), casinos, aircraft and trains. In a fire it is normally the fumes (from oil-based materials) that kill you – wool does not pose this threat. Frank Langrish

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | NOVEMBER 2021

NEWS

BAFFLING DECISION

LEAVES PIGS AT RISK

The Government’s decision to bail out an American fertiliser company while leaving many UK pig farmers facing ruin has left Essex pig farmer Jack Bosworth “completely baffled”. Problems with labour, input costs and the Covid-19 pandemic have left the UK pig industry in a crisis Jack described as “a bloody nightmare across the board”. While his own operation, F J Bosworth and Sons, which he runs with father Stuart at Spains Hall, Willingale, is “treading water at best”, essentially because the arable side of the operation means they are not having to buy in cereals, he believes other producers are days away from having to cull animals they can’t sell for processing. The National Pig Association has put forward a number of requests to government for urgent action to solve the crisis, which stems from a labour shortage in abattoirs and in the haulage industry, but has so far not received any support. “Meanwhile the Government has paid tens of millions of pounds to an American company, CF Industries, to allow it to reopen a plant in the UK so that it can produce CO2 as a by-product of fertiliser manufacture,” Jack pointed out. “I’m very glad that CF is up and running again, but disappointed that the Government hasn’t offered more support to UK pig producers. “The lack of CO2 would have made pig farmers’ problems even worse, particularly those who use the larger abattoirs that don’t have any alternatives to stunning animals with CO2 before slaughtering them – but this bailout is only temporary and there is no guarantee that the problem won’t return. “It seems crazy to me that the Government was quick to step in to help a US-based business but has refused to come up with any kind of recovery plan for pig processors after a disastrous year that has seen farmers lose, on average, £25 on every pig they sell – even if they can find an abattoir that will take them.” Jack, who is vice-chairman of the Young NPA, said the organisation had asked the Government to bring in a 12-month ‘temporary Covid-19 recovery visa’ that would allow more overseas workers to come in to the UK to fill the vacancies in abattoirs, which he estimated had lost 10% to 15% of their workforce. “The problem may well be Covid-19 related but it’s also to do with Brexit. Whatever the cause, we need several thousand more workers so that we can

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start processing higher numbers,” Jack said. “Otherwise we will see welfare culls on farm, which will add another huge cost to farmers who have spent money feeding and rearing their animals before paying even more to kill and dispose of them.” On Brexit’s role in the shortage, Jack went on: “I think the Government thought unemployed UK people would be keen to fill the jobs, but Universal Credit seems to be the preferred option for many who would rather sit on their backsides than get a job. I appreciate that not everyone is able to work, but there are too many people being paid for doing nothing.” Alongside the Covid-19 recovery visa, the NPA wants butchers added to the Home Office’s Shortage Occupation List when it is reviewed in 2022, having had a similar application turned down this year. “We need action now, though,” he added. “The problems are really stacking up. There are just too many pigs on farm across the whole country and welfare culls are just days away. Why can a US company call the shots while UK pig producers aren’t being listened to? There seems to be a frustrating lack of leadership here.” The NPA also wants the English language requirement for overseas workers to be scaled back to widen the pool of available labour. “I understand that there are suitable workers in the Philippines who would be keen to come to the UK, but their English is not good enough for the Home Office’s visa requirement,” Jack said. Meanwhile the CO2 issue could still cause problems once the short-term subsidy ends, Jack added. “A lot of abattoirs only use CO2 these days and if there is a shortage that could be the final nail in the coffin for many UK pig farmers who will face yet another hurdle. “As an individual business we still have our heads above water, mainly because we are self-sufficient on feed as we grow wheat and barley – and our processor still uses electrical stunning – but the industry as a whole is struggling. We have all been treading water for a long while, but everyone is starting to sink a bit now.”

NEWS

ON THE HUNT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

The NFU is once again on the hunt for young people who are passionate about agriculture to join its Student & Young Farmer Ambassador Programme. The organisation is calling on 18 to 26-year-olds from across England and Wales to apply for the scheme, now in its third year. The NFU describes the programme as “a fantastic opportunity to represent the future of farming and the NFU at events including the Lord Mayor’s Show and the NFU’s annual conference, network with like-minded people and experience new aspects of agriculture, from the supply chain to politics”. One of the current South East Ambassadors is Karl Franklin, from near Whitney in Oxfordshire, a first-generation farmer who described himself as “very passionate about British farming”. While also running a gardening business – and having trained as a chef in the past – Karl is steadily building a farming business based on keeping sheep and making hay. “I rent, borrow and beg whatever land I can get and currently run 50 sheep – 40 Texel crosses and ten Romneys,” he said. He runs his sheep on a variety of acreages, cropping hay for the equine world on the bigger plots. He made 1,000 small bales and some big bales this year and trades as KF Produce, Gardening

Farmers have been reminded that excavators should never be used for lifting people, following a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecution related to an on-farm accident. Scarborough employer Gibson & Son pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £18,000 and ordered to pay £787.87 in costs. The prosecution followed a fall from height. HSE has now stressed that “excavators should not be used under any circumstances for lifting people as they are primarily designed for

and Catering. The past year was a difficult one for the ambassador programme as Covid-19 restrictions meant the group wasn’t able to get together until July, but they still ‘flew the flag’ on social media and in print. Despite the unusual year, Karl said the experience had been “massively rewarding”, as well as giving him a confidence boost and making him feel part of the world of agriculture. “It also means you get your name out there and helps with networking,” he added. NFU President Minette Batters said the Student

and Young Farmer Ambassadors were “some of the most integral people to the NFU, helping to tell the fantastic story of British farming and share their own inspiring journeys so that we can improve our industry together”. Applicants must be an NFU Student & Young Farmer member with a vested interest in the future of farming and rural affairs. They must be available to attend all the events already timetabled, be happy to speak to the media and write for NFU publications and be committed to promoting inclusivity and kindness.

> Karl Franklin

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NEWS Photos: Christopher Lanaway Photography

> Tommy Hodgins

Another South East land and environment college has invested in new dairy equipment to give its students a greater understanding of the future of the industry. After last month’s news that Brinsbury College in West Sussex had invested in a state-of-the-art milking parlour that has boosted average annual yields from 6,000 to close to 7,000 litres, South East Farmer can now reveal that Plumpton College has installed robotic milkers, sileage pushers and scrapers as part of a wider investment of around £2m. The dairy spending, alongside investment in a new RSPCA-assured pig unit and a groundbreaking biosecurity centre, sets Plumpton apart as a model of best practice for agricultural training, according to College Principal Jeremy Kerswell. “We have always focused on delivering a good quality student experience within our area of expertise, which is land-based qualifications, and on operating sustainably within a sound business model,” he commented. “I think this latest investment reflects our position as a top provider for agricultural students.” Spending at both Brinsbury and Plumpton contrasts with changes at Hadlow College in Kent, which has recently auctioned off its dairy cattle and plans to move into beef, with students learning about dairying through a partnership arrangement with a nearby commercial enterprise. At Plumpton, students will be able to get to grips with two high-tech Lely Astronauts, robot milking machines that are being integrated into the current

> Kayleigh Lancaster

WIDER INVESTMENT

FOR COLLEGE cubicle housing system – but not at the expense of learning about traditional dairying. “We are planning to split our dairy herd, which generally has 280 cows in milk at any one time, into two, so that students can learn about two different systems,” said Jeremy. The high yielding cows will go through the robots while the other half will be grass fed and milked conventionally. “It means our students will learn about traditional dairying – including the 5am starts – but will also be able to study the newest technology and how to interpret the huge amount of data modern systems provide,” the principal added. The pig unit, which will house 150 sows, also reflects the college’s broader approach to the industry and its commercial focus. The college’s new One Garden Brighton facility has a farm shop which sells meat reared on the farm and processed by the butchery training facility. “Our aim is to highlight the opportunities throughout the industry, so we train butchers and food tech students as well as tomorrow’s herdspeople and dairy workers,” said Jeremy. “That way they

NOVEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

can learn about the whole of the value chain, right through to selling the processed product in our own farm shop.” Having an outlet for the meat also removes the risk that would otherwise be incurred in expanding the piggery at such a difficult time for pig farmers. “We also sell our own wine, beef and cheese under the Plumpton Estate brand,” said Jeremy, who said the college’s goal was to give students “as diverse and enriching an experience as possible”. Plumpton is also investing in an industry standard biosecurity centre, which Jeremy said would be “more than just a place to change into your wellies”. He said no-one would be able to access the farm without being properly checked in and issued with clean equipment. “We want to model best practice,” he said. The college, which is continuing to grow and now has 1,300 16 to 18 year olds plus 500 apprentices and other adult education students, also offers other land-based courses in subjects such as horticulture and equine subjects, attracting a total of more than 3,000 students from across the South East.

NEWS

RISING STAR

There are new career opportunities for those interested in the overlap of agriculture and environment, as South East Farmer discovered in conversation with one of the region’s rising stars, Georgina Wallis.

Give us a sense of what your job involves I’m a farm and environment consultant with CLM, so at heart it’s helping farmers and landowners navigate the options, especially during this time of huge change for agriculture. It’s also about ensuring farm businesses are as profitable as they can be, while taking care of the environment. This can involve everything from filling out BPS forms to working on scrub management plans for the South Downs. Why did you choose that career? I grew up on our family farm in Bedfordshire. My dad has always been keen on conservation and soil health, so this has always been at the forefront of our business. Right now, everyone’s eyes are on agriculture and the opportunities it can bring to deliver environmental outcomes. Farming covers so much of the nation’s land area, and the Covid-19 pandemic has focused attention on farming methods and food supplies, so it feels like a time when I can make a real difference. What skills do you need? Interpersonal and communication skills are vital. I work with many different people in many different situations. It’s never just a set of figures on a balance sheet; the job is always about people and, often, families. Every farm is unique, so in each instance you have to approach the situation differently. The first task is to understand the client and work out what they want to achieve. A good consultant helps clients make informed decisions and has their best interests at heart. Did you go to college? I did a Foundation Degree in Agriculture at Moulton College in Northamptonshire. I actually worked as a catchment sensitive farming officer while studying, so that was a busy two years! I then topped that up with another two years of study to achieve a BSc in Land Management. What are the main opportunities for farmers in the South East? This is an area where there are lots of ‘protected’ landscapes and, while this can bring some restrictions on what farmers can do, it can also open up some great opportunities. Local projects, such as the new Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme, provide farmers with a unique chance to build a scheme to suit them and the environment around them. There are also great opportunities for diversification. The sheer volume of people opens doors for retail businesses, events and residential development. Agriculture and food production will rightly always remain at the heart of many businesses, though.

> Georgina Wallis travel the world and meet some fantastic people – and it certainly keeps you fit. I also enjoy spending time with my horse, Lady, and one of the highlights of my time in Sussex has been doing the 1066 Walk, which runs from Rye to Pevensey and goes through some lovely, varied landscapes, from rolling hills and marshes to the coast.

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SECTION

NEW ASHFORD BRANCH Ernest Doe Power will be opening its 19th branch later this month, when its new outlet at Hendon Barn, Woodchurch, near Ashford welcomes customers through the doors for the first time. After spending more than a year on an exhaustive search for an additional Kent site to complement its Dartford and Ringmer branches, the company – the UK’s largest agricultural and groundcare dealership – found the ideal location for its Ernest Doe Power Case IH expansion plans. While the location was excellent and the

With the UK now officially free from bird flu, the Tenant Farmers’ Association is warning poultry keepers to “remain vigilant for signs of the disease”. The Chief Veterinary Officer, Christine Middlemiss, declared the UK free from avian influenza on 3 September, but the TFA has warned that highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N8) continues to circulate in both wild and captive birds in Europe. “As winter approaches, the risk of migratory wild birds flying to the UK over the colder months will mean that the risks for domestic poultry are likely

layout of the buildings was good, the site needed extensive investment to bring it up to Case IH’s Master Dealer Standard. Building work began on 1 June and, despite material delays which mean work is still going on, the branch is now trading with a newly formed team of staff which continues to grow. The official opening will take place on Thursday 28 October from 3pm to 9 pm with a hog roast served at 6pm, at Hendon Barn, Woodchurch, TN26 3QP.

BIRD FLU AND BSE UPDATE

to rise,” the association warned members. “Poultry and captive bird keepers should maintain good biosecurity practises, such as cleaning footwear, feeding birds indoors and minimising contact with wild birds.” DEFRA and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) are monitoring the situation and have asked poultry keepers in higher risk areas (HRAs) – including parts of the South East – to be particularly

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vigilant. There is an interactive map of HRAs at www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-birdflu#higher-risk-areas-hras Meanwhile the APHA confirmed on 17 September that a single case of Classical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) had been found on a farm in Somerset but said the dead animal posed no risk to food safety and the incident did not affect the UK's ability to export beef to other countries.

FROM THE FRONT LINE

IN CONJUNCTION WITH

TIME TO SAY ENOUGH

Has there ever been a more uncertain time in farming? Possibly, but not for a very long time. The global Covid-19 hangover as supply chains across the world struggle to cope with surging demand, empty stocks and faltering production are leading to shortages and price increases that would have been impossible to imagine two years ago. Every week there seems to be a new issue and there is the nagging feeling that something is going to come along that will bring many businesses to a halt and have an unmanageable impact. On top of all this is the shortage of labour and a change in attitudes to work following Covid-19. Most food processing businesses are running at three-quarters of their normal workforce and struggling to achieve normal output. Even then the produce can’t be moved because of the chronic shortage of HGV drivers. How long is this all sustainable? Are there enough workers in the UK economy? At what point do businesses and workforces say “enough is enough”? A tipping point was found recently with the closure of CF Fertiliser factories in the UK. In the space of a few days the UK Government was forced to pay a US Corporation tens of millions of pounds to underwrite one plant’s operating costs for three weeks because the threat to the UK economy was so severe. For a government that believes in free trade and free markets this was an embarrassment to say the least. It also blows apart the argument that food isn’t a public good and can be left to private enterprise. Private enterprise saw an opportunity to hold the entire UK economy to ransom and the taxpayer has had to foot the bill. I can’t believe CF Fertilisers doesn’t forward price its gas, so when the wholesale gas prices spiked and its two plants were closed overnight, was it just naked opportunism? At the same time Boris has been trying to do deals around the world on trade while millions of pounds worth of food are going to waste here at home because of all the shortages and in cases where contracts can’t be filled. You couldn’t make it up. The irony is that because there are still no checks on imports from the EU, all we are doing is sucking in ever more imports where we can’t supply our own market. Madness. The government has told us for the past three years that food production isn’t a public good and is not worthy of any government support or intervention of any kind. That is clearly now a busted argument. We as farmers know how fragile food supply can be, and while the Covid-19 crisis will pass, there will be others. It is simply not plausible government policy to ignore British food production any more. UK farming deserves something better than last minute, costly, crisis solutions and vague promises. We need credible short, medium and long term solutions to ensure a viable food and farming industry that can supply our own market going forward. We need to take an honest look at the British workforce and understand the balance between available working people and vacancies. Every sector cannot offer endless higher pay and conditions; we will just become uncompetitive and be priced out of our own market. Where we do need to issue visas to foreign workers, we need to make sure the offer is realistic and attractive so that people come and are welcomed without altering immigration policy. We need to value HGV drivers and the work

IS ENOUGH?

David Exwood, arable, beef and sheep farmer and farm shop proprietor, Horsham, has a nagging feeling that something is going to come along that will bring many businesses to a halt and have an unmanageable impact.

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they do rather than pushing them to unsociable hours and away from villages and towns. They do a vital job and we must help them do it. We need to look at the entire food chain from field to fork and make sure there is a sustainable supply of safe, affordable British food. From workforce skills and water supply through to critical infrastructure and fair supply chains, there is so much to look at right now, not next year. DEFRA will need to develop thinking on all these things and support them with policy ideas and modest amounts of money, but it will be cheaper and easier than endless crisis management. Doing nothing and hoping for the best is no longer an option. Otherwise how will turkey make it to the table next Christmas, let alone this one?

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SARAH CALCUTT FOCUS ON FRUIT

INNOVATION, DEVELOPMENT

AND RAPID CHANGE IN UK FOOD

economy? If you are as fed up as I am, come to Detling on Well, there you are, a strong title. 20 October and share your frustrations. We have a lively debate Haven’t we got a lot to do in this SARAH CALCUTT planned and its an opportunity to have your voice heard. industry? Everywhere you turn right Executive Chair, Consumers need protecting from sub-standard food. Any now there seems to be a problem that National Fruit Show argument that they need greater choice is flawed if it’s a is threatening to prevent the industry choice that just leads to unfair food distribution and health from moving forward as it wants to. inequalities. The high standards of our industry are a source of British Apples and Pears has a stated great pride that people want to see protected and nurtured post-Brexit. target of a 60% UK market share by 2030. With an average of a million trees Food is a national security matter, and as the climate crisis continues to of the right varieties planted each year for the past decade, Britain’s orchards influence geo-politics we will begin to view food, food production and global would seem to be capable of delivering the increase in self sufficiency we need. supply chains very differently. The simple use of ‘an apple a day’ in the British But with the enormous challenge of lack of labour, low returns, increasing input Apples and Pears campaign has been part of a wider initiative to help people costs and the ever-vanishing actives list, it’s not surprising that people are make the connection between good food and good health; the encouragement looking at their enterprises and wondering what they are doing it all for. to include in the nation’s diet at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day The national food strategy was published a little while ago. I’ve been working is a huge opportunity for our sector, but sadly one that reinforces a social divide my way through it, and I wish that it joined up with everything else that we in this country. are being asked to do. I have a new role, that of non-executive director for the I have recently joined the Food Council of City Harvest, an organisation Agri-Epi centre. During my interview we discussed the dichotomy of farming all about redistributing surplus, edible food around the capital. They are policy with environmental, social, trade and immigration policies. Are we well networked, working with gleaning organisations, packers, growers wrong to hope for a utopian view of a UK where we feed a greater proportion and importers, mopping up parcels of fresh produce and protein that might of our population and improve the national diet whilst delivering a vibrant rural otherwise head to an anaerobic digestion plant or another less valuable fate. City Harvest delivers one million meals a month; food that might otherwise have gone to waste. The non-specification compliant food just needs repacking, sorting or turning into a meal for someone. They work with soup kitchens and community nutrition projects, feeding those that cannot afford to run a fridge or cooker or feed their children. The majority of the exhibition fruit from the National Fruit Show will be heading to Acton for the amazing team at City Harvest to share with people who will absolutely love to have one of the finest apples in Britain - to receive an apple like the ones we will send to the Queen, the Prince of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Prime Minster.

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TURKEY STILL ON THE MENU But pigs in blankets are off.

News that the Government is to offer visas to truck drivers and poultry workers in order to ease labour shortages this side of Christmas has been welcomed by the NFU. The decision to add 5,500 poultry workers to existing visa schemes was part of a response to broader issues sparked by lengthy queues of motorists at filling stations across the South East caused by a lack of HGV drivers. With Christmas dinner threatened by the same labour shortage that saw petrol and diesel pumps run dry, the Government added poultry workers – but not butchers – to the expanded list of visa application categories. NFU Vice President Tom Bradshaw said: “Following our letter to the Prime Minister in which we asked him to urgently implement a Covid-19 Recovery Visa to alleviate labour shortages, we welcome today’s announcement. “The NFU has worked with the wider food and drink industry to help evidence the needs of the sector and we look forward to working with government on applying the scheme for poultry and, in particular, access for smaller producers.” The National Pig Association (NPA), which claims the backlog of pigs stuck on farms has now reached well over 100,000, shared the NFU’s call for the shortterm visa scheme to be offered also to butchery workers. Chief executive Zoe Davies said: “We were extremely disappointed that the Government has ignored repeated requests for temporary visas for butchers, despite the overwhelming evidence of the impact this is having across the supply chain. “We desperately need those visas, even for a short period of time, to help us get rid of the backlog. This is not just about saving Christmas, which seems to be the Government’s sole focus, but about protecting pig welfare and averting an environmental disaster.”

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MONICA AKEHURST AT THE KITCHEN TABLE

YEARLY AUCTION IS LIKE A SWEETIE SHOP

Relationships are not good at the moment. There’s definitely tension in the air, which, when working together, isn’t easy. The day started in harmony when Brie the sheepdog made an impeccable job of penning the sheep. I set about worming, sorting sore feet and dagging any dirty behinds. Generally, Brie doesn’t trust me to manage without her vital assistance, so she watches like a hawk; when she perceives ‘help’ is needed she sails in, usually at just the wrong moment. The day was warm. I got the job done and packed up the handling system; I was tired and dreaming of a cup of tea. I jumped into Shrek (ATV) to hook on and head home. Turned the key… nothing. Is this a reoccurring theme? It was then that I noticed the plastic guard covering the battery had been removed, and I remembered seeing Brie sniffing underneath Shrek. With hindsight, maybe she hadn’t been giving the sheep her usual attention. Sure enough, Brie had chewed through a vital lead, I made a call

and husband duly arrived armed with a tow rope. I always find being towed particularly nervewracking, convinced that I’ll end up careering into the tow vehicle. Thankfully our mechanic nephew fixed the problem, so we were up and running the next day ready for more action. Brie is trying hard to make amends. She caught and held a couple of lambs that needed attention, saving penning the flock. Relationships are improving, but obtaining a vermin proof container for Shrek to reside in is climbing the priority list. This should end Brie’s distractions, and my exasperation. I’m going to have a drink to celebrate, I liked the sign outside The Ash Tree pub reading “Beer shortage, please panic buy”. You have to laugh or you’d cry. What a bonkers world we live in. I got held up by traffic queueing at petrol stations on my way to the ploughing match. Experiencing the reality of ‘fuel to forecourt supply problems’ and people panic was an eye opener. But if you need fuel for work, it must be an extra worry you could do without. Sadly, selfishness and greed

> Team work at the East Sussex ploughing match

NOVEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

is a worrying trend that is becoming hard to ignore. There’s far too much corruption going on and not enough action to stamp it out. Let’s face it, some of our leaders don’t exactly set a very good example. A re-evaluation of society’s core values wouldn’t go amiss. Perhaps I’m being idealistic, but if instead of spreading doom and gloom the media could emphasise good news, how refreshing it would be. More programmes incorporating the ethos of The repair shop or celebrating achievements, overcoming adversity etc, I’d be happy with more One man and his dog, but sadly it’s only shown once a year on Towniefile. At the ploughing match I loved watching the horses at work; such a wonderful sight. They are truly magnificent creatures. The smell of leather, horse and freshly turned soil somehow radiates a good, wholesome feeling. Accompanied by the sounds of a gently creaking harness, the ploughman commanding his horses, the stomping of their feet and the clank and swish of the plough as it cuts

> Brie says she’s terribly sorry she broke Shrek, but she just wanted to catch the mouse

> Vintage tractor, and setting up the plough

through the ground. The ploughman guiding the way with long reins and struggling to keep the plough in the ground. It looks like hard work when compared to sitting in the comfort of a modern tractor cab pulling levers. Attending was ‘tractor utopia’ for my grandsons, who loved it. I appreciate that these events don’t just happen. There’s a lot of planning, work and commitment that goes on behind the scenes by people who deserve our thanks and recognition for the part they play in keeping country traditions going. As I walked by one ploughman busily tinkering with his plough, I asked: “How’s the ploughing going?” I had to chuckle at the reply: “It’s all about the crop that comes after, that’s what matters. Come back and look at that and then you’ll have your answer”. That’s not quite what the board explaining what the judges were looking for said. But never a truer word spoken, although of course there are many factors affecting that outcome, which pretty much sums up farming. As a sheep keeper I also enjoy attending Dolphin Fair, a yearly auction that takes place in September. Putting up all those pens must be a work of art; I imagine it could involve a little bit of colourful language at times. I know that guiding sheep in and out of the sale ring and pens in an orderly fashion has its challenging moments. For those coming to buy, it’s a little like arriving in a sweetie shop, with

all colours, shapes and sizes of goodies on offer. This year the vendors of shearlings, breeding ewes and ewe lambs were well rewarded for their efforts. In comparison the ram trade seemed patchy, perhaps to a certain extent reflecting quality, but there were some rams on offer that from the buyer’s aspect appeared to be value for money. We came home with three new boys; we will suspend judgement until we see what their offspring look like. There’s been a hot debate about an advert for field workers to pick cabbage and broccoli getting paid £30 an hour, which equates to £240 per day or £62k a year. On further inspection, however it says “excellent piecework could earn up to £30 an hour”. Not surprisingly they received a record number of enquires. My eldest daughter, who works in the NHS, said she may have to consider a change of career. The HGV driver delivering some stock nuts this week did some impressive manoeuvering of his lorry in our farmyard. When asked, he admitted his salary had taken a hike recently. I’m sure he deserves it. How can city law firms justify paying a starting salary of £107,000 to newly qualified 24 year-olds? Jeremy Clarkson continues to write some amusing columns on farming, but I note that already he is hoping to turn his sheep shed into a restaurant. Is farming merely a new string to his media bow?

> Angus being introduced to the shires

> View from ploughing match site, wind turbine & South Downs

> The sheep pens are filling up at Dolphin fair

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LETTERS FACING THREE HUGE DISRUPTORS

Dear Sir, The agricultural sector is facing three huge disruptors – Brexit, climate change and Covid-19. Together, they are resulting in a food system under pressure. Recently we faced the prospect of C02 shortages, with abattoirs warning they were only a couple of weeks away from the first mass cull of livestock since the Foot and Mouth outbreak. Every aspect of the food supply chain is being challenged – labour, haulage, logistics and more. The knock-on effects are being felt at a consumer level, with empty supermarket shelves and potential price spikes, and at a farm level. Farmers are not just having to address short-term challenges around meat production and slaughter but longer-term issues around building resilience and future proofing their businesses to grow healthy crops, build biodiversity and engage society. There is very little slack in the system, but what is clear is that farmers who build resilience and put sustainability at the heart of their businesses, through the logical framework of Integrated Farm Management, are the ones who are more likely to weather these challenging times. We also need to build public trust and awareness of how critical a vibrant rural community and robust food system is to support our environment and food security – and LEAF is leading the way. Caroline Drummond MBE Chief Executive, LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming)

DON’T THEY CARE ABOUT NITRATES?

Dear Sir, I note sadly that neither Southern Water nor their watchdog the Environment Agency read your magazine, or now they can legally flush their sewage into the sea/river, perhaps they don’t really care about nitrates? Sorry I ruffled the feathers of the NFU Group Secretary at Ashford HQ (letters, October). Most farmers don`t need advice about throwing expensive nitrates down the drain. Having sent extensive historical work on nitrate leaching (both farm and sewage sourced) to him I thought he would at least acknowledge their receipt rather than bin them. I now have a reduced acreage in food production and rely on advice from a contractor specialist with greater working knowledge than I have come to expect from my local NFU source. As farms have got ever larger either by expanding or cooperating with others, the actual number of working farmers has dramatically reduced; likewise the NFU has amalgamated countless small local offices, losing the close contact of meetings (and democracy) at all levels. It does not now represent the majority of farmers, and in my case I would need to join not only the NFU but also those professional bodies representing golf, storage, quarrying, recycling and commercial letting, to name but a few. The only difference between these is that only the NFU Mutual (originally farmer owned and controlled) sells insurance, although in my case they proved too expensive. The NFU may not represent all farmers, but I am surprised that it feels it can afford to ignore useful information (accumulated during my time on the NFU Nitrates Committee including personal Ministerial briefings) offered free of charge from non-members trying to help ALL farmers. Trade unionism has an unfortunate blind spot of thinking their voice speaks for all. David Steed Manston, Kent

NOVEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

AN OPEN LETTER TO UK RETAILERS REGARDING SIGNIFICANT ISSUES WITHIN THE BRITISH PIG SUPPLY CHAIN Dear Sir, As a result of the labour supply issues in pork processing plants, we currently have an estimated 120,000 pigs backed up on UK pig farms that should have gone to slaughter. We have been doing everything we can to raise the labour shortage issue to government and spell out the impacts and consequences, but we appear to have reached an impasse. Repeated requests for support in the form of 12-month Covid-19 recovery visas have thus far gone unheeded. We are also aware that because of the current price differential, there is an increased amount of EU pork being imported into the UK for further processing, which has caused two issues. Highly processed products such as gammons needed for Christmas have diverted essential butchery staff resources away from that required for British pigs. We have also seen other products that require no butchery being imported and prioritised over more labour-intensive British products, simply to keep the supermarket shelves full. These two issues combined have resulted in a slowing down of the throughput of British pigs through plants, which is adding to the already severe backlog. We are also aware that some retailers, who have to date been very supportive of their British supply chains, are now considering moving over to EU pork because it is much cheaper. This would make our situation so much worse to the point that many more pig producers, in addition to those responsible for the 27,500 sows we already know about, would have no choice but to exit the industry. The percentage of contracted British pigs being accepted by processors has been reduced by up to 25% per week since the beginning of August and has now reached the point where some farmers are facing a welfare cull of their pigs for rendering because they have simply run out of space and have no ability to shut

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off the pig supply coming through. The only option for some will be to cull pigs on farm, which is something that we have tried our utmost to avoid, not least for those who lived through the Foot and Mouth outbreaks who will not want to relive such a heartbreaking experience. Others would have to pay for their pigs to go to dedicated slaughterhouses for culling and rendering. Not only would this be an incredible waste of healthy pigs and good pork, it would be financially ruinous and incredibly damaging for your supply chains. I am therefore asking, on behalf of my members, for you to help us by prioritising British pork through the plants and diverting butchery staff back to British pigs so we can get the throughputs back to where they need to be and start reducing the backlog to a sustainable level. This is no longer a question of cost, and need not continue indefinitely, but comes from the desperate need to reduce the backlog of pigs that we have on our farms and avoid this precipice that we now find ourselves facing. Rob Mutimer, Chairman, National Pig Association

HARE COURSING HAS MASSIVE IMPACT

Dear Sir, For many farmers, the following paints an all too familiar scene at this time of year: They have combined one of their fields and carted the grain. They go to close the field gate and, as they do so, a group of individuals driving a 4x4 attempt to force access to the land in order to go hare coursing. When challenged, the group physically assaults the farmer, leaving him or her shaken and needing medical treatment. The common perception of the poacher is the shifty, Claude Greengrasstype character portrayed in programmes like Heartbeat and Emmerdale. The brutal reality faced by many CLA members, though, is more like the scene described above than the loveable rogue taking one for the pot. Hare coursing is about as far removed from this populist image as you can possibly get. Large sums of money are bet on the outcome of matches, thousands of pounds of damage are caused to crops, violence against those who inadvertently get in the way is rife – and there are clear links between coursers and other organised criminal activity. What’s more, CLA South East, which represents farmers and landowners across Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, believes hare coursing during the day is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to wildlife crime. Night poaching can be particularly distressing to CLA members. This is where individuals, with no consent to be on the land, will use a lamp to run bull lurchers (a bull breed crossed with a lurcher) on deer or any other wildlife they come across. Others may target deer with firearms for the illicit venison trade. Again, this causes huge amounts of damage to farmland as they drive over crops and through hedges in the pursuit of their sport or to flee from the police and gamekeepers. Finally, despite having been illegal since 1973, badger baiting and digging remains a popular criminal activity in some areas. Normally taking place away from public view at remote setts, it is a crime that often goes unnoticed and undetected. However, like other forms of wildlife crime, it is becoming increasingly organised via social media. Despite this rather bleak picture, there is some good news. The CLA’s continued efforts to lobby government – alongside other organisations as part of a coalition – have secured future legislative reform on penalties for hare coursing activity, while we continue to work with the police and other agencies to make sure that rural crime stays high on the list of policing priorities. Tim Bamford, CLA South East Regional Director

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SWEEPING STATEMENTS ARE MISLEADING Dear Sir, The sweeping statements about agriculture made by celebrities such as Ricky Gervais, Joanna Lumley, Deborah Meaden, Billie Eilish and Chris Packham in the run up to the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference fail to take account of the positive relationship between UK sheep farming and the environment. Readers may have seen the calls to reduce global meat production made in a letter to COP26 President Alok Sharma and signed by 18 celebrities who have chosen plant-based diets. While the NSA recognises that it is right to discuss food production systems within the climate change debate, farming which works in harmony with nature should not be overlooked. The over-simplification of this message is misleading, not least because UK agriculture, and particularly sheep farming, is not the same here as is it in countries that do not grow as much grass as us. The UK sheep industry operates extensively on open pasture, much of which is unsuitable for other land use. Grass-fed lamb has a far lower environmental impact compared to processed foods based on soya, almonds or palm oil, with pasture also acting as a vital carbon sink. Sheep used in mixed farming systems help naturally rejuvenate soil for arable crops, and farmers of all different types work hard to find a balance between biodiversity and productivity on farm, providing thriving habitats to support and protect nature. In addition, the NSA strongly believes a holistic approach to sustainability is essential to meet environmental, economic and social goals. Jumping to the conclusion that removing farming will reduce emissions completely overlooks the contribution made by agriculture to nature recovery, landscape management and food production. It would also erode the cultural and historical value of rural communities, destroying employment and career opportunities, social infrastructure, education, social enterprise and traditional artisan methods. Phil Stocker, Chief Executive, National Sheep Association

CROSSWORD WINNER

It was with great surprise and gratitude that I received four bottles of Ortega wine from Biddenden vineyards as a winner of the September crossword competition. The wine is absolutely delicious and being very much enjoyed and I send my thanks to all involved at South East Farmer magazine. Such a wonderful treat at the start of autumn! Jane Lywood

BIGGEST FAN

Alexander is my two year old, tractor obsessed little boy. Nothing makes him happier than reading your magazine and we don’t have a bedtime story in our house – we peruse the classifieds section with our big sister Millie. Claire Hambrook-Moore

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | NOVEMBER 2021

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The Vineyard & Winery Show organisers are delighted with the number of exhibitors that have already confirmed to attend this years first ever event, with more than 70 exhibiting at the Kent County Showground, in Detling, Kent. “We have been absolutely overwhelmed with support from the trade,” commented Jamie McGrorty, “We’re very pleased that we made Publisher of Vineyard Magazine. “We are so grateful that the industry has not only discuss topics with firms such as Hutchinsons, Vine-Works, theAgrii, investment in renewable energy; our processes can be fairly energyamong intensive soothers. being got behind our new event, but also that we are able to provide visitors with so many S.J. Barnes, Vine Care and Vinescapes, With so many companies able to produce a portion of our own power - via sustainable options. There will be multiple companies offering support to every aspect of the in attendance there will be plenty of information and help available, whether for means - is important to us. As our solar system is designed to winery or vineyard supply chain. vineyards, wineries, those whocompliment may beour expanding or establishing a new enterprise. business - rather With 120 solar panels producing 30kW of power than divert our attention away from our added main focus Jamie, - we are “but if anyone still wishes to book the sun, Biddenden Vineyards “On the winery side alone visitors can look forward to seeing companies such straight from“We now can’t wait for have show day”, very pleased to have the ongoing not only made their wine process more organic, of INSURANCE the team at BeBa TAILORED HOME a system saves money. as Vigo, Core Equipment, BevTech, and Vitikit, as well as label and cork suppliers. they also have a stand andthatjoin usthem then pleasesupport do get inthey touch, because although space is now Energy so that are on hand to address any issues that present The array was fitted in 2015, and BeBa Energy UK are themselves.” Vineyard machinery buyers can view machinery on display from firms such as NP proud to fully limited weteam will make every effort to accommodate everyone who wants to be part of RIGHT DOWN TO THE support the at Biddenden’s so that they can relax knowing that their solar array will Tom Barnes, to produce power whilst they produce the Seymour, Haynes, Vitifruit, Landini, Ernest Doe, Tuckwells, Bourne Engineering andcontinue thisFINEST very special event.” Biddenden finest wines and ciders. DETAILVineyards We’ll drink to that! Bell Agricultural. Anyone interested in booking for The Vineyard & Winery show please call Jamie “Anyone seeking advice on vineyard establishment or management will be able to McGrorty on 01303 233883 or email jamie.mcgrorty@kelsey.co.uk

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WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | NOVEMBER 2021

NIGEL AKEHURST VISITS: TRENCHMORE FARM

LOOKING ON THE BRIGHT

CIDER LIFE

Nigel Akehurst visits Trenchmore Farm in Cowfold, West Sussex, to meet Rachel Knowles, one of the team behind the award-winning Silly Moo Cider and Wagyu cross Sussex Beef.

Andrew and Joanne Knowles bought Trenchmore Farm in 2012, leaving London to realise a lifelong dream of running their own farm. Initially the plan was to have a small herd of suckler cows and enjoy the good life. However, it wasn’t long before an ambitious plan was hatched to regenerate the depleted soil and develop a number of different enterprises on the farm. This involved building a new state-of-the-art farmyard, planting an apple orchard, growing heritage grains and developing a herd of Sussex and Wagyu cattle. Eight years on and the two main enterprises are cider and beef production, allied to some heritage grain and small-scale poultry. It’s very much a family run business; their son Oscar spent a few years on the farm after University. He initially shadowed their

farm manager, who then moved on. Oscar took on the role himself and, without any formal training, found himself learning from YouTube farmers like Joel Salatin and Richard Perkins. Ultimately Oscar decided to pursue other career opportunities in London, but in 2017 daughter Rachel joined the business, initially to help with their cider brand Silly Moo. She now makes the cider and looks after all the sales and marketing across the different enterprises, as well as doing the accounts. The day-to-day management and farm chores are carried out by Andrew and full-time stockman Neville.

FARM VISIT

Driving through the farm gates, the first thing I see is the large round house barn, sitting at the centre of a modern farmyard. Meeting Rachel and Neville I

NOVEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

begin by quizzing them on their enviable set up. The farmyard was designed around the round house, “chosen to maximise animal welfare,” Rachel explained. The decision was based on the research work of American scientist and animal behaviourist Mary Temple Grandin, who discovered that cows don’t like straight lines and like to be able to see each other. Built in 2012, it is used as winter housing and has an integrated cattle handling system that can be safely operated by one person. The barn also acts as a large roundabout for vehicles since it is located in the middle of the farmyard. “The only downside is that it takes longer to top up the cattle feed troughs,” I was told. Next we headed over to see a group of their Wagyu cross Sussex cattle in a more conventional-shaped

barn. They were tucking into a finisher ration of spent brewers’ grains and linseed cake – “all byproducts of human food production,” pointed out Rachel – as well as some first cut silage.

WAGYU X SUSSEX BEEF HERD

“The Sussex cows were selected for their docile temperament and ability to thrive off native grasses,” said Rachel. Crossing the Sussex with a Red Wagyu (also known as Akaushi) bull gives them hybrid vigour and, importantly, a much sought-after product to supply to the restaurant trade. The herd are mob grazed using electric fences and moved to a fresh paddock every three days (though they’ve struggled to keep up with the grass growth this year). Finishers are brought inside at around 30 months to spend their last three to six months on a finisher ration, which gives them a consistent product for their restaurant customers. When fat, batches of two or three animals are taken to Tottingworth abattoir, where they average around 350-400kg deadweight. Carcasses are collected by their wholesale customers or go to their butcher in Netherfield to hang for a minimum of 21 days before being cut up and labelled ready for their own restaurant and online shop customers.

SILLY MOO CIDER

Next to the farmyard is a four-acre cider orchard, which was planted in 2012. The trees were well laden with fruit and picking was due to start imminently, Rachel explained. There are 1,600 trees containing 19 different varieties of cider apple trees planted from

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east to west in order of ripening. Rachel explained that a minimal intervention approach has been adopted; no chemical sprays or artificial fertilisers are used and the trees produce a healthy yield most years. Picking is all done by hand and it takes around six weeks, starting in the east of the orchard and working through the different varieties as they ripen. In the past they have used Romanian pickers but in recent years have relied upon more local teams. All the apples are processed on site through a traditional manually operated rack and cloth (also known as a hydraulic bed) press. “You pile it up and the hydraulic ram presses it down – which gives great juice extraction,” said Rachel. “All the leftover apple pomace is fed to our cattle, which go a little bit silly as they devour it. Hence the name of the brand,” she added. The raw juice goes into plastic IBCs and, once fermented, into steel tanks with carbon dioxide blankets to prevent oxygen getting in - to be aged for at least six months. “No cultivated yeasts are added, so the cider develops wonderful complex flavours from the wild ferment, which is letting whatever was on the skin of the apple do its job,” she continued. The downside of this more natural, yet unpredictable, approach is the occasional off flavours from bad ferments, which they are able to blend out. Last year the farm produced around 60,000 litres of cider in total, 10,000 litres of which came from their own orchard and the remainder from apple swaps - they invite local people to bring in their dessert apples to swap for cider - and graded fruits from other farms including Ringden Farm in Hurst Green. They use a 50:50 ratio of dessert apples to cider apples, describing their style as “east coast meets west country”. East coast producers tend to use a lot of dessert apples, which results in a cider that is quite acidic, sweet and fizzy but without any tannins or flavour complexities. West country cider scrumpy on the other hand is more tannic and can be quite challenging. By mixing the two they’ve created a halfway house. Rachel explained: “You get a really nice blend of tannins with some nice acidity. It’s also quite fruity and sparkling but not overly sweet. It’s more interesting and we add fresh juice to the cider before closing the bottles.” All the bottling and kegging is outsourced to a company in Somerset. They send all the blended juice and they ship the finished product back on pallets ready to be sold. Most of the cider is sold direct to pubs in Sussex in a mix of kegs and bottles. They also work with a wholesaler who distributes into London and parts of the West Country. Prior to lockdown sales were on track for 100,000 litres a year but they have had to >> scale back their expansion plans.

> Rachel Knowles

FARM FACTS

• Regenerative, family run mixed farm business • Own 200 acres and graze an additional 150 acres locally • New farmyard built in 2012, including innovative round house barn • 300 head of cattle – 140 breeding cows, five bulls, rest for beef • Cattle 80% grass fed, 20% byproducts of human food production • Retail Sussex x Wagyu to restaurants and via their online shop. They also sell some whole carcasses to high end butchery business in Essex • Silly Moo Cider brand – currently selling around 60,000 litres annually with plans to expand this to 100,000 next year • Planted four-acre cider orchard in 2012, producing 10,000 litres of juice. Also take dessert apple swaps for cider and buy in graded fruit from other farms • New poultry enterprise – 102 free range egg layers housed in a Richard Perkins-inspired egg mobile. Have also been trialling small batches of meat birds processed in Ditchling • Grew 1.5 acre diverse populations of wheat this year. Going to resow into 10 acres until they have enough to mill. • Pop up farm shop every Saturday for online order collections • Farm events

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | NOVEMBER 2021

NIGEL AKEHURST VISITS: TRENCHMORE FARM

<< “During lockdowns we switched to online direct sales, but things are slowly getting back to normal,” said Rachel. I ask if they plan to expand their current orchard or buy in more from other farms? “It’s lovely having an orchard and it’s always a lot of fun having people coming to pick but it’s a lot of work and it doesn’t pay,” she replied. “We can’t compete with the economies of scale of larger orchards, which produce apples to the same standard as us at a cheaper price, so we’ll just buy in more in the future,” she replied.

MARKETING

Highlighting one of the key challenges – getting consumers to realise that cider costs a lot more to make than beer – Rachel said: “Typically you can only charge what you get for craft beer but it’s a completely different product. Beer is mainly water and our cider is nearly all pure juice. A brewer can make a batch every three weeks. Our cider is once a year.”

Despite this she is optimistic about the sector, with more people beginning to realise they get what they pay for. “Silly Moo bottles are £3.50 and one bottle, Silly Moo Repo, is £9, which is pushing into wine territory,” she added. The plan is to double the current volume in the next year, which should help reduce some of the production costs per unit and allow them to take on more staff as the business grows. Rachel has always loved the drinks sector, having previously worked for a startup distillery in North London as their first employee, before getting roped into the family business. “I never thought I’d work in the countryside or leave London, but I love it,” said Rachel. Her marketing skills have proved invaluable in getting Silly Moo into more Sussex pubs, now their bread and butter. In the past couple of years she has also taken on more of the Wagyu Sussex beef marketing. Currently they sell one body of beef a week but plan to double this next year and eventually get to

> Andrew Knowles

NOVEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

three bodies a week. Chefs love the meat, said Rachel. “They like the fact that we’re farmers and are willing to be flexible with our restricted supply. Most of the restaurants supplied are fairly local like Gravetye Manor in West Hoathley but we also supply several chefs in Brighton and a few in Eastbourne.” All told they have about 12 regular customers, each taking all of a specific cut, such as all the brisket or Jacob’s ladder, based on their menu. With restaurants closed during lockdown, they quickly moved online and started selling steak packs and braising packs direct. To begin with they struggled with carcass balance before moving to freezing less favoured joints and slow cooking cuts. They have since switched to letting people pick what they like – which seems to be working. Since reopening, the restaurant trade has bounced back and they continue to sell online to the public, with collections from their ‘pop up’ farm shop every Saturday. Another great outlet for them is a high-end butchery business in Essex that takes whole

carcasses and pays a premium over the larger scale wholesalers. “We pay for the slaughter but they collect from Tottingworth,” said Rachel. “They also make bresaola with our topsides which we sometimes buy back from them to supply to our chefs,” she added.

PASTURED POULTRY IN THE ORCHARD

This year the business started a small poultry enterprise on the farm, buying in 102 Bovan Brown free range hens. They built an egg mobile, based on a Richard Perkins design, on an Ifor Williams trailer so that it can be moved easily around the apple orchard. On average they get around 80 eggs a day, most of which are sold in trays to restaurant customers. They have also experimented with small batches of meat birds, which are moved daily through the orchard. When ready, at around 10 weeks, they are taken to a poultry abattoir in Ditchling to be processed.

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HERITAGE GRAINS

In the past they have grown and sold heritage grains, an enterprise spearheaded by Joanne, who is no longer involved in the business. They are still growing diverse wheat populations, developed for their soil type, but the harvest this year wasn’t great, so they are planning to resow and hopefully have enough to mill some next year. “It’s an incredible movement and my dream is to have a peasant bakery at the farm where we mill and make bread on site,” said Rachel.

ON FARM EVENTS

Rachel is passionate about building the local food movement. “It’s about connecting the community with the farm,” she said. “I want people on the farm – I want people to see what we are doing, I want to work with local chefs, I want to do events and learn from them and they learn from us.” At the time of visiting she was planning a folk band event in the round house,

working with the 3 Bros – a local burger business – to provide the food (with their Trenchmore burger). She provides the venue and does all the marketing and they share the profits, a format that works well. They recently ran a beef ragu event, and while she didn’t make “loads of money”, events of this type help bring in additional beef sales and sell pints of their Silly Moo cider on tap.

A BRIGHT FUTURE

Rachel clearly loves her role and sees a bright future for the business. Their website (www.trenchmore.co.uk) proclaims: “We believe in good food, grown well” and it’s a motto they clearly live and breathe. Trenchmore Farm is a compelling example of what it is possible to achieve with fresh ideas and the capital required to create a sustainable farming business that not only regenerates the soil but also turns a profit. I look forward to following their journey via instagram @trenchmore_farm and attending some of their farm events.

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | NOVEMBER 2021

NATIONAL FRUIT SHOW PREVIEW

‘LIVE’ AND IN-PERSON

The return of the National Fruit Show brings growers, suppliers and buyers together again

The committee of the Marden Fruit Show Society (MFSS) has expressed its delight at being able to stage the 88th National Fruit Show as a ‘live’ in-person event at the Kent Event Centre in Detling on 20 and 21 October. Ever evolving, the show will boast a number of new features this year, with MFSS Executive Chair Sarah Calcutt overseeing a series of exciting changes to the structure, governance and content of the annual industry get together. The 2021 show will be opened by Tom Bradshaw, Deputy President of the NFU who will be meeting with growers throughout the morning and attend the President’s reception at midday, hosted by current MFSS President Teresa Wickham. Key figures will include representatives of producer organisations and those with knowledge of the new Environmental Land Management scheme (ELMS). In a move to boost its environmental footprint the event has moved away from plastic packaging and will instead be using recycled and recyclable paper pulp punnets and tray liners. The show’s return is being enthusiastically welcomed by the industry as a sign that ‘business as usual’ is returning. Sarah Calcutt said: “The National Fruit Show is a much-loved industry event that delivers a useful and important forum for growers. We are determined that its new features, including the conference forum, new speakers and industry-led advice and support, really answer growers’ urgent questions. “These are unprecedented times and we are doing everything within our power to ensure that the voices and needs of growers are heard by those with decision-making responsibilities.” The show dinner and dance will bring the first day to its conclusion and will once again feature the auction and industry Bonanza Prize.

WHO’S EXHIBITING?

Currently some 90 exhibitors are booked to attend the show. The show team is delighted that many businesses who have supported the event for several decades have booked again, while there are also many new sponsors and exhibitors attending for the first time. MFSS is delighted to be welcoming international Institutions like MHA MacIntyre Hudson into the heart of the show, along with Azets, Harvest Green Developments and many more. Following its debut at the show in 2019, The Hive will return to showcase new, entrepreneurial tech-led companies that are appearing for the first time.

NOVEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

Companies announced so far in this space are: OX Truck – how do you like the idea of a self-build and self-maintaining farm vehicle? OX Trucks can be configured as a flat-bed lorry, people carrier or mobile workshop; this is an opportunity to meet Emily, the brains behind the concept, and learn how a solar-powered, build-it-yourself vehicle could work for your business. The Ox Truck team will be joined by Concordia, the BASIS and NRoSO registration desk and the amazing team from City Harvest, who will be talking to growers and packers about re-purposing non retail fruit.

WHAT’S NEW?

• On day one there will be a new conference event in partnership with the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers, sponsored by MHA MacIntyre Hudson. The event will see Master Fruiterer Laurence Olins chair a panel of speakers including PhD students and Nuffield scholars, with the session culminating with food policy expert Professor Tim Lang discussing the challenges of feeding Britain and the dichotomy of food and environmental policy. The second conference session promises to be a lively debate entitled: “How can Farmers go green when they are in the red?” Come and join in, make your opinions know, have your say! • A new competition – Britain’s Tastiest Pear – will be judged at the show, alongside the existing favourite, Britain’s Tastiest Apple. Judges include Covent Garden Tenants’ Association Chair Gary Marshall, grower Peter Checkley and John and Stuart Guest. A tray of the overall winner’s fruit will be included in the traditional basket presented to the Lord Mayor of London on 27 October at Mansion House, and the winner and their partner will be invited as guests of the Fruiterers at the lunch following the presentation. • New awards for 2021 include the Jon Jones Prize, endowed by the team he used to lead at Richard Hochfeld. The winner will be an individual who has worked consistently for the benefit of the industry, someone who has both excelled at their day job but also gone above and beyond to ensure fairness in all that they do. Nominations have now closed for 2021, but the society would like to build a list for the future. The second new award, which is open for nominations until 30 September, is the Ian Johnson Award for Practical Innovation. This seeks a solution that doesn’t involve an app, nor a computer ideally, but offers a farm-driven solution to a troublesome problem faced by many in the sector. Ian was a very practical man who liked no-nonsense solutions and this prize pays tribute to such innovation. Please send nominations to sarah@nationalfruitshow.org.uk.

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Ahead of the National Fruit Show’s live event, the Love Cider competition took place in September. Unlike the trade-focused show, Love Cider is a consumer-facing contest open to all cider lovers on the show’s social media channels. The chair of judges this year was well-known food broadcaster Nigel Barden, supported by drinks writer Melissa Cole and MFSS committee member Adrian Harris from NIAB EMR. The winners of the competition – which seeks to find the best ciders in three categories: traditional, blended and pear/perry – will be revealed at the show. In 2020, Kent Cider’s Yowler took the overall prize.

For those wishing to top up their NRoSO and BASIS points, the BASIS team will be on hand at reception to record the details of those attending. The show will be packed with the latest and best in current fruit farming technology, all wrapped around one of the best days out in the industry calendar. Don’t forget that the event is set to continue late into the night with the National Fruit Show dinner, a great night out with local seasonal food and music from industry band Bullshed (Nigel Jenner on drums is not to be missed!) The Bonanza Prize – a £10,000 solar installation courtesy of new partner Harvest Green Developments – is also awarded at the dinner. So, with dinner, dancing, an auction and prize giving it’s a great night out with friends and colleagues. With more than 240 diners attending this year, there are a few seats still available so it’s not too late to book. With Covid-19 still around, MFSS is asking everyone to register their attendance on the show website. In line with government guidance, hand sanitiser will be available at regular points around the show. Mask wearing will be left to visitors’ discretion, but current guidance will be monitored to ensure that the event is as safe as possible for attendees.

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LOVE CIDER COMPETITION 2021

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

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We have four very important businesses at the heart of our show support network – NP Seymour, Agrovista, UKCA and, new in 2021, Worldwide Fruit. Their teams will be standing by to answer your questions around new product launches, show you the latest kit, demonstrate new storage technology, talk about the latest innovations in crop management or invite visitors to taste exciting apple or pear varieties. The society is proud of its four key sponsors, which are the embodiment of what the show is about: delivering excellence in knowledge for growers.

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Complete the registration form and bring it with you on the day to enjoy free entry to the show. Alternatively, complete the booking form online at www.nationalfruitshow.org.uk/visit

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SPONSORS

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NATIONAL FRUIT SHOW PREVIEW

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Hurrah! We’ll all be together again at Detling on the 20th and 21st – and we have a great show lined up for you as well, with many familiar faces being joined by new and exciting, innovative, businesses writes Sarah Calcutt,Executive Chair, National Fruit Show. From labour providers to agritech companies, from DIY electric trucks to new apple varieties, the 88th National Fruit Show has it all. With NFU Vice-President

NOVEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

Tom Bradshaw opening the show and Professor Tim Lang speaking at the livery conference, you can be assured that your voice will be heard and your questions on our current situation answered. The past 18 months have been hard for such a variety of reasons, with the sector on the cusp of major changes, there has never been a more important time to be at the show; asking questions, seeing innovation and meeting valuable new partners for your business. We are delighted to be hosting our second Fruiterers’ Livery conference, following its success as a popular part of our 2020 lockdown virtual show. Master Fruiterer Laurence Olins will again be chairing a panel of scholars and research scientists who are delivering livery-sponsored research and development to benefit British fruit growers. The morning conference session will conclude with a presentation from Professor Tim Lang, who will be discussing how we feed Britain in the face of great food inequality and falling returns for producers. This theme will continue into the afternoon, when conference stage sponsors MHA MacIntyre Hudson will be teaming up with the Rural Policy Group to deliver a lively debate entitled “How can farmers go green when they’re in the red?” It’s guaranteed to be a heated discussion and one I would recommend that you attend. Our floorplan has had a little revision. With some mergers and acquisitions in the industry, a few names have changed, and we have several first-time exhibitors, too. We have a coffee wagon for the first time, courtesy of Bloomfields, along with new caterer Nicci Gurr, who will be making a local, seasonal menu available in the popular café and at the dinner. The dinner! You have until 11 October to book. It’s going to be amazing, with an exciting Bonanza prize from Harvest Green to be awarded. The auction is back, with lots including limited edition James Bond Champagne, press day tickets for Chelsea Flower Show 2022 and gallons of sloe gin, with music from Bullshed (sponsored by South East Farmer magazine) guaranteeing that we’ll be dancing the night away, too. Finally, thank you to everyone involved in the show and to our amazing sponsors who really underpin the important work of this charity; one of the real joys of this job is the people. The Marden Fruit Show Society was founded out of friendship and driven by the desire to showcase the very best of British fruit growing. Nothing has changed over the past 88 years; it feels good to be back, showing off what the industry does best.

TECHNOLOGY MAKES A STEP

CHANGE IN PRODUCTIVITY

FUTURE PROOF COOLING SOLUTIONS

AND COMPETITIVENESS

One of the National Fruit Show’s major sponsors, NP Seymour, will this year be showcasing two key pieces of machinery that promise to make a “step change in productivity and competitiveness”. Having supplied the UK’s first REDpulse Duo orchard defoliator to Boxford (Suffolk) Farms in August 2020, NP Seymour has since delivered another machine to Adrian Scripps in Kent and has also invested in a demo unit that has been trialled with impressive results so far this season. Developed by Fruit-tec, the makers of the Darwin mechanical blossom thinner, in partnership with ERO, producers of a range of vineyard trimmers and defoliators, the pneumatic REDpulse Duo emits a high frequency pulsating air stream to remove leaves covering apples. “Having reviewed the trial data from Boxford (Suffolk) Farms and seen the defoliator in action, we believe the REDpulse to be one of the best ways UK growers can aerate fruit, allowing for more sunlight to penetrate the canopy, which in turn increases colouration and makes picking easier,” said Claire Seymour, director at NP Seymour. Those visiting the Kent-based specialist machinery dealership’s stand at the show will also be able to see the new PODS precision sprayer system, which has come from a three-year Innovate UK research project aiming to improve the economic performance of orchards. “While current practice is to spray whole orchards at the same dose, regardless of tree structure or crop load, the variable rate sprayer we have helped develop in partnership with Hutchinsons, the Acclaimed Software Company, Outfield Technologies, Plumford Farms, Worldwide Fruit and NIAB, will apply an exact dose tree-by-tree,” said Claire. “It is this targeted approach that will allow growers to reduce chemical costs significantly while also increasing production and quality.”

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NATIONAL FRUIT SHOW PREVIEW

RECRUITMENT SPECIALIST DISMISSES

“IMPRACTICAL” ALP PROPOSALS

A G Recruitment’s Doug Amesz says asking the South East’s fruit growers to pay transport and visa costs for their seasonal workforce simply won’t work Proposed new ‘good practice’ requirements for seasonal workers brought to the UK to help fruit and vegetable growers have been dismissed as impractical and potentially discriminatory. Doug Amesz of A G Recruitment, one of four agencies chosen to recruit the 30,000 overseas workers allowed into the country to help harvest this year’s crop, doesn’t believe the ideas put forward by the Association of Labour Providers (ALP) are realistic or workable. The proposals seek to push the costs of coming to work in the UK from the applicant to the grower and suggest the recruiter should be policing the size of the workforce the growers expect to need. “It’s really not my job to second guess how many pickers an experienced, professional fruit grower is likely to need over the season, and the idea that the supermarkets will pick up the tab for bringing overseas workers in to the country is laughable,” said Doug, who founded A G Recruitment with wife Estera and is well known to growers across the South East. ALP also wants people brought in under the seasonal worker pilot scheme to benefit from a guaranteed minimum number of hours, which Doug pointed out would amount to discrimination, since those rules don’t apply to the UK workforce. “We could end up with seasonal workers from overseas being guaranteed more hours than the domestic workforce, which would not be covered by the same rules,” he pointed out. “There is no basis for that in UK legislation.” Doug said the idea that growers should pay the visa, return transport and first few weeks’ living costs for seasonal workers, estimated at around £700 for a picker from Ukraine – as well as the usual agency fee - was based on International Labour Organisation (ILO) principles. “That doesn’t make sense, though, as the ILO rules are generally used by businesses looking to take on an overseas employee for two or three years,” he said. “You can’t expect to apply the same expensive oncosts to growers who just want six months’ help with their harvest. ALP has said asking the workers to pay for their visa, travel and pre-departure Covid-19 tests “accords with UK law, but not the ILO General principles and operational guidelines for fair recruitment,” but Doug rejected the idea of shifting the costs to the growers. “Expecting growers to pay an extra £700 per picker is a non-starter, and the idea that the supermarkets will pick up the costs by paying more is nonsense,” he said, adding that despite the upfront costs, which workers saw as an investment, a picker from somewhere like Ukraine could still take home the equivalent of 12 months earnings in their own country after just six months in the UK. “That’s why they come here and why they accept the costs,” he said. Doug pointed out that the idea was further undermined by another ALP ‘good practice’ recommendation around allowing workers to transfer between employers once they were here. “I am all in favour of helping workers transfer, but if we are going to do that then it’s surely not fair to expect the growers to pay to bring them here,” said Doug. He added that without any upfront costs, workers could just see signing up with a recruitment agency as a holiday opportunity. “They can’t have it both ways,” he said. “If the grower is paying, then they must be able to expect a decent return on their investment.”

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On the issue of working hours, ALP has said farms “need to have developed effective mechanisms to forecast their seasonal labour requirements” and that scheme operators “need to test and challenge the methodology of the farms to concur that the forecast is robust”, all aimed at providing 35 to 40 hours per week per worker. Doug, though, said operators like A G Recruitment relied on the judgment of the growers. “I have a reasonable idea of their likely labour requirements, but I can’t get involved in telling a grower how much labour he or she needs. These are independent businesses handling commercially sensitive information.” ALP also wants scheme operators to collaborate on several issues including producing scheme guidance in the workers’ first language and dealing with grievances and transfer requests, areas already covered by A G Recruitment. “These things are good practice and we already do them. We are always looking to improve these practices but I’m not sure there is going to be much appetite amongst recruiters, who compete with each other, for sharing all their good ideas,” Doug concluded. “We don’t expect the supermarkets to share their best ideas with their rivals.”

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NATIONAL FRUIT SHOW

LOVE CIDER? WE DO

The National Fruit Show’s Love Cider competition finals took place in Goudhurst, Kent in mid-September, kicking off the ‘show season’ with an enjoyable, convivial vibe. 2021 marked the fifth year that the Marden Fruit Show Society has hosted the competition, with each year attracting more entries from a wider and diverse range of ciders, perry and pear cider producers. To add to the suspense, the results are being kept under wraps until the National Fruit Show on 20 October. Head judge, food broadcaster Nigel Barden, was joined by Melissa Cole, the specialist drinks writer, and Adrian Harris, representing NIAB East Malling Research, where he works as a scientist specialising in horticultural trials. This year’s competition was sponsored by Engage Agro, whose UK Sales Manager Mike Stoker joined the judges at the start of proceedings. The Love Cider competition is open to everyone via the National Fruit Show’s social media channels, with the show’s followers asked to nominate their favourite British ciders for a place in the judging line up. This year the entries were open for just over a month and after the first round of evaluation the judges tasted just over 30 different ciders across three categories, traditional, blended and pear or perry. Nigel Barden said it had been “a fine day” tasting “a great selection of the craft and small batch ciders nominated”. He went on: “To me it’s really important that these cider makers are recognised for their expertise and it’s great to see how many different types are becoming popular. “Equally, being able to reinforce the link between cider and the great depth and variety available in British Apples is vital to the fruit industry, and keeping apples at the top of the agenda will help keep growers and all of us in rude health.”

Sarah Calcutt, National Fruit Show Executive Chair, said: “The ciders tasted as part of the judging line up come from all over the UK, representing a range of styles, methods of bottling and fruit, not to mention the sheer inventiveness of some cider producers who masterfully blend flavours to create

new and thrilling combinations. “At this time of year it’s a real privilege to bring them together in one room and showcase them to an expert panel. It’s hugely enjoyable and a real inspiration to the fruit industry, which has showcased just how diversification can pay off.”

> Melissa Cole, Sarah Calcutt and NIgel Barden

IMPRESSIVE REPUTATION A flexible approach to meeting the specific needs of individual customers has given Vitifruit Equipment an impressive reputation in the world of top fruit and viticulture. The company provides a broad range of equipment and, as Sales Director David Sayell pointed out, will often “mix and match” components to make sure that the kit delivered to the orchard or vineyard does exactly what is required. The Edenbridge-based business, which has customers across the country, also hires out a fair amount of equipment, with subsoilers, rotavators, tree trimmers and battery operated pruning secateurs for vineyards particularly in demand.

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Vitifruit is a regular exhibitor at The National Fruit Show, where David is looking forward to once again catching up with existing customers and meeting new ones. “I’ve been involved with the show in a personal capacity for about 40 years, and so I know how important it is,” he said. One product that is currently proving popular is the Lipco tunnel recirculation sprayer, which achieves a high level of effectiveness with no wasted spray and can cover two rows with one pass. Electrostatic sprayers from Martignani are also popular, while Vitifruit also supplies seed drills for inter-row cultivation, heavy duty rotavators and precision weed control systems for vineyards and orchards.

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NATIONAL FRUIT SHOW PREVIEW

EASY ACCESS TO MONEY Growers who are keen to employ – and keep – the best seasonal staff will know that one of the worries facing temporary workers is getting quick and easy access to the money they have earned. Employers who can support overseas workers who are doing their best to overcome the language barrier and adapt to life in a foreign country understand the benefit of making the transition as hassle-free as possible. OnePay can be a vital part of that support, since it provides an alternative payroll solution for growers and can ensure that temporary staff who don’t already have a UK bank account can get paid quickly, something that can be very important to overseas staff. Alison McPhail, head of client engagement with the company, said the support goes beyond simply giving employees an account number. “The team works very closely with welfare officers to make sure that employees have all the support they need around being paid,” she explained. “We make sure workers get paid in a simple, swift, secure and engaging manner.” OnePay has a multi-lingual customer services team to support workers and provides information booklets in various languages, along with an app and online accounts. “Individuals can’t open accounts themselves, but during inductions the companies who use OnePay can suggest us as an alternative way to be paid.

“The process is much simpler than opening a traditional account because we work with the employer directly. There are no costs to our clients and each OnePay account holder has an individual account number, so payroll works exactly as it would when paying into a mainstream bank.” One Pay is a service partner of the Association of Labour Providers and works closely with the Gangmasters Licence Abuse Authority.

Accounts set up by OnePay can also accept business or HMRC cheques without the payee being present – useful if the worker has since returned to their home country as they can simply post the cheque back to the UK. Alison, who has seen OnePay grow from small beginnings to a 90-strong team over the past dozen or so years, is looking forward to chatting to growers who are looking to make life easier for their workforce at this year’s National Fruit Show.

A NEW CLONE OF GALA

A new clone of Gala that crops a remarkable three weeks ahead of other varieties will be on display at this year’s National Fruit Show. Sole UK distributors Frank P Matthews, working with Botden & van Willegen Nurseries, will have samples of the early Gala Wildfire® RKD (cov), which Director Stephanie Dunn James explained was a breakthrough for growers. “This is really exciting,” she said. “Gala is a staple of the fruit industry but it generally all crops within two weeks, so having an earlier clone is a fantastic way of spreading the load when it comes to picking, which is particularly useful in the current situation. “It was discovered in the US, but having trialled it in Europe and now with a major grower in the UK, we have proved that it crops 18 to 22 days earlier than all other Gala clones, not just in the UK but around the world. We will have samples at the show as well as trial trees available for planting this winter.” Based in Worcestershire, Frank P Matthews values the chance to meet growers at the National Fruit Show, which Stephanie confirmed was the company’s most important fruit event of the year. “We’re really looking forward to meeting customers face to face again this year,” she added.

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Alongside the new early Gala and existing clones of Braeburn and Gala, the nursery is experiencing an increase in enquiries for trees for use in agroforestry and other land management schemes, with nut trees in particular proving popular. “Rather than intercropping with the usual native trees, landowners are recognising the benefits of planting fruit or nut trees so that they can harvest a crop as well as benefitting the environment,” Stephanie explained.

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NATIONAL FRUIT SHOW PREVIEW

MOST POPULAR RANGE OF ITS KIND IN EUROPE

One exhibitor at the National Fruit Show that will be well known to top fruit growers and vineyard owners will be Haynes Agricultural. The dealership’s Wrotham-based fruit and vineyard sales team has been attending the show “almost from day one” in the words of fruit and vineyard sales specialist Richard Smith – and looking after the needs of growers for even longer. “It will be great to get back to the showground after missing last year’s event. It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet friends and customers at what is always a great show,” he commented. Richard’s team will be exhibiting a range of New Holland fruit tractors from across the enduringly popular T4 speciality range. “The T4 is the most popular range of tractors of its kind in Europe,” he explained. “It’s reliable, good value for money and robust enough to be used by a range of operators across a busy season.” The T4 comes in three different widths to tackle soft fruit, vineyard and top fruit work, while the power train can deliver from 75 to 107hp. The team will also be highlighting some impressive implements from Kuhn Farm Machinery, including its range of SDS side deposit flail mowers that allow growers to cut grass and cover crops planted in alleyways and automatically distribute

the mulch under the vines or trees to both suppress weeds and recycle valuable nutrients back into the soil. “It’s an eco-friendly way of dealing with grass strips between the rows and the SDS mowers have been increasingly in demand recently,” Richard pointed out. “The Haynes Agricultural team has been working

with fruit growers and vineyards for decades and has built up a wealth of experience and knowledge about the kind of equipment that can help make life easier and more efficient for growers. We also offer a great after-sales service from highly trained technicians, with someone always available on the end of the phone to offer advice and support, day or night.”

UNIQUE COOLER DEFROST SYSTEM PERFECTED Now in their fifth year, leading refrigeration experts Orchard Cooling will be back at the National Fruit Show helping growers with information on systems that support controlled atmosphere storage. The company, based at Langley, near Maidstone in Kent, offers a complete design and installation service for all types of cooling application and has an in-house service and maintenance team that responds to customer requirements as soon as they occur, including providing out-of-hours backup when required. Orchard Cooling has a strong focus on designing bespoke systems, building in efficiency and reducing the impact of refrigeration systems on the environment. It installs eco-friendly secondary refrigeration systems that use secondary fluids to limit the volume of HFC-type refrigerant needed in the chiller units. Modern pipework and controls, along with lower maintenance costs, are all part of the package. “We usually supply chillers with multiple primary refrigerant circuits to alleviate risks of losing all of the primary gas charge should there be a problem,” added Orchard Cooling’s sales and design expert Paul Kennett. The team at Orchard Cooling has also perfected a unique cooler defrost system that produces a 75% saving on energy, thanks to a warm fluid defrosting method

NOVEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

using air source heat pump technology as part of a secondary cooling system. Paul believes the system can save growers thousands of pounds each year by reducing energy consumption, an increasingly important goal within the industry. Despite its focus on modern, efficient systems, the company still installs DX refrigeration systems that are still popular with some smaller growers, but uses modern, more efficient refrigerants. Orchard Cooling is also looking carefully at future options such as CO2 – based systems, which are becoming more popular in cold stores but need expert design and installation because of the high pressures involved. The company also has considerable knowledge and experience of all types of electrical installations and can install and service many types of applications, including specialist lighting with auto sensors that can adjust light levels automatically. Another area of growth is in pump and irrigation wiring systems, along with agricultural wiring for many growers, while the company’s specialist team also works closely with UK Power Networks to deliver new power supplies. The company, which works with wineries as well as with top fruit growers, can also offer complete project management, including all health and safety requirements.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEMES

DELIVERING A SIGNIFICANT

Expert advice has helped a Kent farming business successfully overhaul its environmental schemes, helping it prepare for changes to the way land management is being rewarded while delivering a significant uplift in income. As working farm manager at Burden Bros Farms’ 1300ha arable and livestock enterprise, Ryan option to be chosen. This has been McCormack spends most of his time really worthwhile.” focused on the day-to day running of Management of wet grassland for the business. breeding waders option now accounts Like many farmers, this leaves him for 70ha of Mocketts Farm. A further little time for other matters. However, 30ha is in the permanent grassland most of the farmland is sited in a with very low inputs option. very rich environmental area on the The switches to Mid-Tier more than Isle of Sheppey in Kent, with more doubled the income the farm was opportunities than most to benefit from receiving from previous schemes and associated schemes. enabled enhanced management of Given the increasing need for this important environmental area and such schemes, environmentally and > Peter Setterfield > Ryan McCormack mixed arable landscape. economically, Ryan relies on his The correct choice of environmental experienced adviser, Peter Setterfield make up the rest. scheme options is also key to accessing payments to of Agrovista Rural Consultancy, to ensure the business The advice reflected Agrovista Rural Consultancy’s help offset the decline in BPS and prepare the business extracts the maximum benefit from them. aim to work hand in hand with the agronomy advice for future environmental policy, said Ryan. “Peter is an invaluable addition to the team,” Ryan customers receive, choosing the most suitable “One of the key things for me is that Peter and Rob said. “He is responsible for all the paperwork that environmental options that also help maximise farm Purvis, my agronomist, work as a team. The three of us enables us to farm and deals with all our stewardship productivity. sat down together when we were considering Mid-Tier programmes. Peter said: “We focused on whole-field options to see how we could best make it work. “He has recently designed two contrasting Mid-Tier as they offer the best returns, fit well with the farm’s “Rob and I share a passion for improving soil Countryside Stewardship plans that have brought cropping and provide important habitat and soil health health and air and water quality. We are driving this significant benefits across the whole farm.” benefits.” business forward, looking at regenerative techniques, The 850ha arable enterprise had been in Entry Level Whole-field options have also enhanced the arable trying different establishment methods, assessing Stewardship, with a mix of grass strips and several rotation and blackgrass control, said Ryan. “They biostimulants and looking at how all this affects our hectares of wild bird seed mix and nectar flower mix. stack up economically, compared with oilseed rape carbon footprint. A further 200ha of grazing land at Mocketts Farm, that might break even at best and first wheat full of “Peter’s expertise is evident in the way he has consisting of wetland grazing marsh and salt marsh, blackgrass.” designed the Mid-Tier scheme to fit in with those included various Higher Level Stewardship and ELS The Mid-Tier application on grassland at Mocketts aims, advising on the best options and overseeing habitat schemes. Farm was far from straightforward. compliance with BPS and NVZ nutrient planning After carrying out a comparison budget, Peter “Some of the best habitat for breeding waders while looking after the administration work to recommended three whole-field Mid-Tier options for can be found here,” said Peter. “Unfortunately, the ensure everything goes smoothly right through to the arable area; two-year sown legume fallow, legume CSS Priority Map did not include these areas. After implementation and beyond. and herb-rich swards and enhanced overwinter discussions with, and co-operation from, Kent Natural “I truly believe I have the two best professionals stubble. England, the CSS Priority boundaries have been in their respective sectors on board, and I feel the Each of these now accounts for about 25% of the adjusted, which has allowed the breeding wader business is in very safe hands.” 200ha under Mid-Tier; grass strips and seed mixes

UPLIFT IN INCOME

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WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | NOVEMBER 2021

PLOUGHING MATCHES

WEALD OF KENT Fine weather welcomes the South East’s biggest ploughing match. Peter Love reports.

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Horsmonden with his Caterpillar D2 outfit. In the vintage plough class, Austin West with his 1938 Case C and two-furrow Ransomes RSLD 9 came out on top, beating his brother with his Fordson Standard N Ransomes and RSLD 9. The Classic class was taken by C Fryer with his International B414 CKJ988C and Ransomes TS59. This class also saw Essex’s Michael Moore taking third with his Doe Dexta and well modified fourfurrow Ransomes plough to suit. The overall went to Trevor Bennett, of Hugh Lowe Farms, in the Open Reversible Ploughs class with his black MF 5713S and Lemken plough and the conventional champion was Chris Cullen of Bell Agricultural with his lovely original style Nuffield Universal 3 and Ransomes TS59. WKPMA chairman Seth Nesfield commented: “We were absolutely delighted with the success of this year’s match and the support and attendance of the public and local businesses. It was touch and go whether or not it should go ahead, as many events have been cancelled again this year, but we are so glad that we did. “We have had fantastic feedback from people attending and the rural community depends on these types of events. The money raised from the event will be donated to a number of local charities.”

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> Reversible Champion: Trevor Bennett, of Hugh Lowe Farms, who won using Lemken Plough & Massey Ferguson Tractor. Left to right, President of this years match Lesley Mannington, Trevor Bennett and Richard Thomas of sponsors BTF

NOVEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

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By far the South East’s biggest ploughing match is the Weald of Kent event that was held this year at David Gwilliam’s Honey Farm, Pluckley, near Ashford, on a fine day. While the weather was glorious, competitors complained of very hard soil compaction, although this match has come across worse since it was RESULTS 2021 restarted in 1946. Besides the ploughing, there was • Reversible champion ploughman: T Bennett a gymkhana, market, country sports, trade stands • Conventional champion ploughman : C Cullen including all the major tractor brands, steam and • Class 1 Conventional (run-round) ploughs : horse ploughing, plus the machinery parade, on 1st T Ford, 2nd P Baseby, 3rd D Hall which yours truly was invited to commentate. • Class 2 Classic class: Weald of Kent Ploughing Match Association 1st C J Fryer, 2nd A Pilcher, 3rd M Moore (WKPMA) chairman, Seth Nesfield did well to rally • Vintage A open vintage trailer ploughs: the troops to make this event happen in difficult RALL CLASSI WKPMA president, 1st A West, 2nd O West, 3rd I Linch times. Lesley Mannington, VE • Vintage B open vintage trailer ploughs: was asked to judge the Best Trade Stand, an award 1st J Dungey, 2nd G Maynard, 3rd M Maynard that went to Europlant Rentals Ltd. This reflected • Vintage C open vintage mounted ploughs: not only the stand being full of well displayed 1st D Newman, 2nd M Jones, 3rd S Day equipment but the of staff engagement. C H Alevel M PIO N • Vintage D open vintage mounted ploughs: Some 50 ploughmen took to the field, including 2nd D Smith/N with G Maynard’s EASTCFACullen, L VTanton 3rd N WrightTH EAST Ftwo AR Fowler VF crawlers, TH 1st R ALL COMM ERAL INTAG OU OU ER secondERin Class B Local Vintage OV ploughs: • Class 3 open reversible example finishing 1st T Bennett, 2nd F Martin, 3rd J Bishop Trailed Ploughs, with his four-furrow Ransomes • Class 4 local reversible ploughs: Multitrac TS43 behind. John Dungey showed them 1st M Sheath, 2nd M Howland, 3rd S Maynard all again by winning with his Fordson Standard E BE RU N DE ST T TA P B E S T TN C H Aploughs: C H AThisI Oclass R ARansomes outfit. A D E S5 • RClass local reversible also featured the M PIO N MP N 1st P Bishop oldest competitor, 81 year-old Ralph Stevens from

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> Conventional Champion Chris Cullen of Bell Agricultural who won this year with his Ransome TS 59 Plough, with this years Chairman Seth Nesfield C H A M PIO N

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> William Collard, conventional champion for the third time at East Kent

> The tossing the sheaf competition, sponsored by Charlie Worsfold of Origin Fertilisers, came to an abrubt end when one of the three finalists broke the fork. Charlie felt it was a fitting end, as he, too, is retiring this year

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> Ian Hogben, vintage championBfor the E AN T R A DKent 15th time atS TEast E ST > The Best Trade Stand, sponsored EVERSIBLE by South EastR Farmer was won by Whitehead Monckton. They produced a very nice cake forC H N the occasion! A M P I O Pictured left is Daniel Bridgeland, who is the new head of Agriculture at the firm

> The Vintage Champion Trophy, showing how many times Ian Hogben has won it

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> Sarah Ledger, who is stepping down as secretary of East Kent Ploughing Match after 11 years at the helm

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work on a farm but as a receptionist. “She’s been around tractors since she was one year old, and when she was 14 she asked me to teach her to plough,” Ian recalled. “She is an excellent tractor LV TH EAST FAR ERAL INTAG OU OV driver.” The busy and well attended East Kent match proved as popular as ever in fine weather. The prize for the best trade stand, sponsored by South East ER DE UP Farmer Cand B E S T T R A tractorH A Mtaking P I O N the form of an impressive topped cake, was won by Whitehead Monckton. E

at East Stourmouth, near Canterbury, was also a champion ploughman. Ian, who lives in nearby Preston, also farmed at East Stourmouth, at Monckton Court Farm and TH EAST FAR OU I drove a latterly at Abbey Farm, Minster. “I guess tractor every day of my working life – and I spent 50 years in the business,” he said. With around 16 people competing for the Vintage BE AN S T T second Champion Crown, Elsie’s success in coming RADE ST was particularly impressive, given that she doesn’t

Success runs in the family at East Kent.

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East Kent ploughing champion Ian Hogben looks unlikely to hand over his crown any time soon – and even when he does it looks set to stay in the family. Ian notched up an impressive 15th year as Vintage Champion at the 2021 East Kent Ploughing match, with his closest challenger one Elsie Cheeseman – his 22 year-old granddaughter. “It was a close contest but my biggest competition came from Elsie, who was just one point behind me,” he commented. “I’m going to have to stop giving her lessons.” Now retired at the age of 72, Ian puts his success down to “plenty of practice”, having first handled a tractor at the age of 12. “If I’m not any good by now, I never will be,” he joked. Ploughing is clearly in Ian’s blood. Grandfather Charlie drove steam ploughs for Wingham Engineering and Ian’s father James, who farmed

> Nonnington Farm scooped a number of crop competition awards at this year’s East Kent Ploughing Match

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | NOVEMBER 2021

PLOUGHING MATCHES

ROMNEY MARSH

Romney Marsh Ploughing and Cultivations Society chairman Ben Ashdown welcomed visitors to the society’s annual ploughing match at Ham Mill Farm, Ham Street, Kent on Sunday 5 September on what was a gloriously warm day. Local machinery dealers were out in force and the attractions included sheep shearing and an extensive dog show, as well as a chance to admire Bill Giles’ 1901 Burrell SCC no. 2386 7hp traction engine Titaness. “From a purist point of view this is one of the best ploughing matches in Kent these days,” said South East Farmer correspondent Peter Love. “It opens the season well and, despite many other things going on in the area, saw a large crowd attend – more than in 2019. “The oldest tractor on site was Austin West’s 1938 Case C, all in original condition, that was working to perfection in the trailed class with Ransomes RSLD 9 and RND bodies behind and was to take third in the Trailer Class. “Using a Lister Cockshut plough, Colin Fryer

Ploughing season starts in style. Peter Love was there. finished second in this class with an IHC 275 at the head end, and John Dungey from near Headcorn took first with his 1940 Fordson N and Ransomes Motac behind. One hundred years ago Weeks-Dungey of Maidstone were still making the semi-successful New Simplex orchard tractor, and approximately six of this make still exist today. “Oliver West was in trouble early on having re-rung the piston rings recently on his Fordson Standard N engine and not having the time to bed them in properly. This oiled the plugs up, which needed changing, and led to no opening score. Oliver was to still do well and finish fourth by the end of the day out of 15. “It was great to see C Gadsden out with the

> Oldest competitor at the match was 81 year old Ralph Stevens from Horsmonden

Fowler VFA crawler with Ransomes three-furrow behind. The oldest competitor here was 81 year-old Ralph Stevens from Horsmonden with his Caterpillar D2 and Ransomes TS 15 plough, not forgetting Ralph is a Caterpillar D8 man through and through. “The overall winner was Geoff Burse from Chichester, who took the semi-digger class with his Ford 6610 four-wheel drive with Kverneland plough behind. The reserve on the day was Ian Lynch with his Massey Ferguson 35X with Ransomes TS59 which had taken Class 2 Classic earlier. As an aside, Andy Ford with his Trusty outfit took Class 9 – horticultural – accompanied by his ever-loving spaniel Jess, who walked every step of the way.”

> Austin West was to finish third in Class 5 Vintage Trailed with the oldest tractor at the event in the Case C

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> C Gadsden C H A I O Nfrom Biddenden here with MP the Fowler VFA 40hp crawler and 3-furrow plough

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> Overall Champion on the day was Geoff Burse from Chichester with his Ford 6610 outfit a Kvernland 2-furrow on the back

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> Not far from home was P Batt and his wide track Roadless 75 with double assistor rams on the back with a much C H A MRansomes modified 111 reversible plough PIO N

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The East Sussex Ploughing Match Society held its 55th match at Preisthawes Farm, Drocmill, Pevensey. Peter Love was there to record the event with these great photographs.

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> Champion of the day Simon Tingley

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PLOUGHING MATCHES

OVERALL

WEST GRINSTEAD Sensational 150th anniversary match. steam engine display next to a line-up of vintage threshing machines. Overall champion ploughman on the day was William Tupper from Bignor with a John Deere tractor and Kverneland two-furrow plough, while Gary Rutter from Hampshire was vintage champion ploughman. “Brinsbury College worked hard preparing their cattle for the show ring, there were also a number of sheep classes and the ever-popular children’s lamb handling class won by Douwe Boers,” Rowan continued. “There was an abundant range of trade stands and exhibits, both large and small and lots of

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West Grinstead and District Ploughing and Agricultural Society’s 2021 match and show at Priors Byne Farm, Partridge Green, West Sussex, was hailed as “a tremendously successful day and a very special anniversary match” by chairman Dick Bray. Secretary Rowan Allan said the society had been “blessed with stunning weather” and RALL CLASSI VE had enjoyed that a record-breaking crowd a “wonderful” site with panoramic views across the Sussex Weald to the South Downs and Chanctonbury Ring. C H A Ford, He added: “John and Alison M P I O N along with numerous committee and other helpers, had COwelcome MME prepared the AR site beautifully TH EAST Fthe ALLto R OU ER thousands of visitors from a wide breadth of Sussex and adjoining counties.” Those visitors enjoyed 60 vintage and modern Etractor and plough combinations competing, E RU P ST TRAD C A ION M P an impressive alongB Ewith teams of horses Hplus

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> President Tim Bennett presenting the Champion Ploughman’s Cup to Will Tupper

RESULTS 2021 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

The late Dame Alice Godman’s Cup for Champion Tractor Ploughing: William Tupper The late Thomas Luckin Cup for the Best Novice Ploughing (Cl. 1): Harry O’Neill The Humber Cup for the Winner of Class 2 Ploughing: Peter Hill The John Eales Memorial Cup (Cl. 3): Ron Patience The C. Hardy Gillingham’s Cup for Best Novice Reversible Plough (Cl. 4): David Pegley H.J. Burt Special for Best Finish Class 4: Dan Vick Vernon Johnston Memorial Cup for Best Ploughman (Cl. 5: Rev. Plough): Andy Duffett The G.H. Strivens Cup for Highest Placed Plough, 3 furr & over – Cl. 5: Andy Duffett The Shell Farm Service Trophy (Reversible Ploughing Cl. 5): Andy Duffett The David Meadows Cup for winner of Premier Ploughing (Cl. 6): William Tupper Special Prize for Best Ploughing for under 21 years old: Harry O’Neill The Johnny Hawkins Mem. Cup (Champion Ploughman from Classes 1-6): William Tupper The Charles Lambert Cup for Horse Ploughing: Daniel Brown The Verrall Cup for (Class 9 Ferguson): Bernard Lewis The Leslie Weller Cup for the Best Vintage Ploughing (Trailed): Gary Rutter The Sir Michael Richardson Cup for Best Vintage Ploughing (Hydraulic): David Gill The Michael Ford Memorial Cup for Best Classic Ploughing: Bob Little The R.G. Nash Cup for Champion Vintage Ploughing: Gary Ruttter

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delicious local produce stalls, plus a colourful range of domestic and children’s classes alongside the field produce entries.” Other attractions included a funfair, falconry display, tractor and plough demonstration, the Crawley and Horsham Hounds, well-fought tug-of-war, terrier and ferret racing, gun dog scurry and clay pigeon shoot. Dick Bray said thanks were due to the committee and supporters for organising the event in less than eight weeks following the easing of restrictions in July. “It was a tremendously successful day and a very special anniversary match,” he enthused. Photos: Frans de Boer

RESULTS Photos: Lucy Carnaghan Photography

The 91st Laughton and District Ploughing Match, held at Stud Farm, Newhaven, East Sussex, proved a highly successful day on what society secretary Shauna Fenner described as “a stunning site by the sea”. The match featured a display of classic, vintage and modern tractors along with working horses, while 50 children from St Martin’s Primary School in Brighton visited the show to spend the day learning about the countryside.

LAUGHTON RESULTS 2021

• Class 1 Tractor and trailer plough (open): Max Cherry Class 1a Horticultural plough (open): Andy Ford Class 2a Special class for Ferguson tractors and ploughs: Peter Curd Class 3 Tractor and mounted plough (open): Graham Long Class 4 Tractor and reversible plough (open): Trevor Lavender Class 5 Tractor and reversible plough (local): John Smith Class 6 Classic mounted class for tractors 1960 to 1976: Ian Linch Reserve champion: Max Cherry Overall champion: Trevor Lavender > Montreal Heedless, Sussex Champion

> British Simmental and Overall Reserve Champion Sapsed

EDENBRIDGE AND OXTED AGRICULTURAL SHOW

Photos: Tim Scrivener

The Edenbridge and Oxted Agricultural Show, unusual in that it includes a full livestock display, saw thousands of visitors flock to the Lingfield showground over the August Bank Holiday weekend as they made the most of the post-lockdown opportunity to sample the country way of life. Alongside the livestock, the community show featured a busy equestrian schedule including top international show jumping and Horse of the Year Show

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qualifiers, rural crafts, new and vintage tractors, a sheep show, ferret and birds of prey displays and country sports. The popular Harwoods Land Rover Knock Out Show Jumping was won this year by local rider Harriet Keenleyside on Touch of Orlando, while the Winston Churchill Memorial Trophy was awarded to Sonny Hillier, winner of the carriage class, which featured some magnificent horse drawn carriages.

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SEED

FERTILISER

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

ELVED PHILLIPS ARABLE NOTES

History tells us that no market keeps going in a straight line, whether that is up or down, forever. Sooner or later it has to stop, if just to draw breath, then it may continue increasing or fall back. Certainly since my last article, it has gone only one way – up. My parting shot last month was: “If you’ve missed that last market high, don’t worry, it will come back again and may be higher than the last peak.” Well it’s done that alright, with UK November wheat futures trading on 30 September at £5 more than the previous high point. Before this September we have seen previous market highs which then fell by £15, only to recover later and always higher than the last peak. That’s the part that no one can guarantee. You know my view has always been that the eventual peak would be reached sometime between January and June on wheat. But, on feed wheat and barley, for pre-Christmas, the largest part of the increase is already in the price and if movement and cash flow are important for October and November, then these are good prices to be “wrong” at. The increase I expect in January/June wheat still depends on the real size of the UK wheat crop. I still say that at 14 million tonnes or less, we are likely to need imports of feed as well as milling wheat for January to June. If we do, you can add £15 to forward wheat prices, so my earlier prediction of £200 ex-farm for new year feed wheat could be on. I also said that the milling wheat market needed time to develop. Well now it has, with UK millers taking down to 12% protein, 200 hagberg and 74 kgs. I think they will need to

BARLEY IS THE

ONE TO SELL derogate further than that, especially with German ‘A’ wheat at £270 at the port; there is still some room for improvement with premiums. However, malting barley may well have reached its peak, with premiums of £50 over feed. Only once before, around 2011/2012, have we seen these values and then the UK had nothing like the exportable surplus it has this year. Even allowing for low bushel weights and average yields at best, the UK should have a surplus of at least 1 million, maybe up to 1.5 million, tonnes of barley. We have already begun our export programme for malting barley and feed. Logistically, with 3,000 to 4,000 metric tonne coasters, it will be difficult to export more than 350,000 to 400,000 tonnes as malting. That implies a surplus of malting which our domestic maltsters should be pleased to buy. So barley is the one to sell. Malting: Because of the high price, if you have good storage and quality take the bigger premium for the new ELVED year. Feed: Sell if you need PHILLIPS pre-Christmas movement. Openfield In the new year, if I am right about the feed wheat, feed barley may be carried up with

IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF YOUR SOIL

it. The United States Department of Agriculture has just surprised the trade by reporting both US corn and soya stocks at higher figures than expected, but we still await production figures for this year. So, if we get a bigger world maize crop than expected, that could affect the price of feed barley. Ukraine is the most likely source of maize that could be cheap enough to come into Europe. If you were looking for other “bearish straws in the wind”, suppose the second ethanol plant didn’t start producing in January? That could turn even a 14 million tonne wheat crop into a surplus of some sort, to avoid feed wheat imports. So, the warning from history remains that no market continues to go up all the time, except perhaps for oilseed rape, with its clear lack of supply and inelastic demand. So, there we have it. It’s a good time to be a merchant or grain producer, as the higher values should offset some lower yields. On some days the UK could be the cheapest wheat in the world, so it all looks rosy, but it could be that it will be non-grain related fundamentals that change the market. Compounders, millers, maltsters have all had a pasting with these high prices. They will get their turn one day; like the market, nothing goes in the same direction forever.

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STEPHEN CARR

ARABLE FARMING FOR A TENANT

FARMER IS A ‘TREADMILL’ To the Laughton and District Ploughing Match, although for how much longer such a greenhouse gas-emitting activity as ‘ploughing’ will be legal only time will tell. Amongst the tractors there was one fine pair of horses pulling a plough, so at least no diesel was being burnt in that case. But even with a horse, soil is still being inverted, so vast amounts of climatechanging carbon are being released into the atmosphere. And the horse also needs to be fed on grain throughout the year, which only adds further to

the carbon footprint of those large ‘foot’ prints. On display at the event were several ‘min-till’ tools which promise to reduce the amount of carbon that arable farming emits during the cultivation required to grow a crop. Promised government subsidies to adopt min-till under the proposed Environmental Land Management scheme will, no doubt, decide the degree to which we buy these expensive bits of kit, but I can’t say that the prospect of a ‘min-till match’ replacing a ‘ploughing match’ exactly sets my pulse racing. Most of the talk at the event was not about carbon dioxide but the spiralling cost of nitrogen and phosphate. Arable farmers, of course, buy these two essential plant nutrients in vast quantities as fertilisers. Unfortunately, nitrogen fertiliser is made from natural gas, the price of which has nearly quadrupled this year. The world is also rapidly running out of phosphate, so the cost of that is skyrocketing as well. That explains why, despite current high grain prices, the mood among farmers in the various tents at the event was distinctly subdued. There were also grumbles that the 2021 grain harvest had been a disappointment in the South East. Good-looking crops had only produced modest yields, with spring barley particularly disappointing

in both quantity and quality. Was it dry spells that had affected yields, we pondered? Was it a lack of sunshine in mid-summer that had done the damage? Or are ever-warming temperatures and other atmospheric changes starting to limit the potential of our crops? One thing that everyone was agreed on, however, was that the rapid run down in BPS payments over the next five years represents a potential economic crisis for all arable farmers. One cereal grower I spoke to informed me that, with a six-figure rent to pay and the BPS removed from his accounts, he would have lost £70,000 this year. He described arable farming for a tenant farmer as a ‘treadmill’. But, of course, like the rest of us at the event, he has no intention of stepping off the treadmill. Despite the environmental concerns about what we do and the economic hazards that we face, we chatted animatedly to our farming peers or those staffing the trade stands. As I left the event to go home to do some ploughing of my own, I watched the judges and stewards enthusiastically inspecting the neat furrows left by the competitors. This pretty bucolic downland scene reminded me that arable farming is more about the love of what we do than any profit that we might earn from it.

CHECK THE POLICY STACKS UP An agricultural expert is urging farmers to check their hay and straw stacks comply with insurance small print to make sure their investment does not go up in smoke. Rupert Wailes-Fairbairn, of rural insurance broker Lycetts, is concerned that many farmers are unaware that policies stipulate stack and distance limits for haystacks. He warned that if stack limits are contravened, such as by being too close together, too high or undervalued, the farmer could face significant shortfalls in the event of loss caused by accidental fire or arson. And he pointed out that with the value of hay and straw still unpredictable due to variable weather conditions, they could be faced with forking out considerable sums to replace feed, compounding the financial impact of the loss. “There is quite a lot of volatility in commodity values, influenced by many factors, not least the trying economic situation prompted by global market uncertainties,” said Rupert. “We saw hay and straw prices peak earlier this year, due to an unfavourable 2020 harvest, but this has seen a gradual downturn in recent months. “With prices varying so much, it is important that farmers take stock and determine the value of each year’s yield, to ensure that they are sufficiently covered

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in the event of a claim. “It is also imperative that farmers find out if there is a haystack limit defined by value rather than volume. If, for example, a stack with £60,000 worth of hay catches fire, there is a strong chance it exceeds the limit. Often there are distance limits written into policies too, usually 20 metres, but this can vary.”

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ANITA HEAD ORGANISED CHAOS

THE FARMING YEAR

BEGINS AGAIN

Christmas will soon be in our sights; the adverts are telling us to buy early to avoid the shortages so I shall try to be organised this year. Autumn is now upon us and the ploughing matches are over for another year. What a fantastic day we had at the East Kent ploughing match, so much to see and do and of course socialising. Who knew how novel it would be actually to socialise or even have lunch? Most of the drilling has now been completed and so the farming year begins again. During the summer months I have been searching high and low for 7kg Butane gas, which would appear to be as rare as “rocking horse poo”. The power issues that the Government has been predicting are now a reality; I fear we could be in for a long winter. Fuel prices are increasing on a daily basis and the energy crisis is deepening as we head into winter. How we fare this winter will depend to a large extent on the weather. Britain is a net importer of power, with France its biggest supplier via connectors that run through the English Channel. One of these has been shut down by a large fire at a UK power converting station in Sellindge, Kent. This blazed for more than a week, so we have the equivalent of two nuclear power stations down. Unfortunately, we’ve also been bereft of wind as of late and so the UK has also been left without another major source of power. With coal sites

decommissioned, we have no backup source for our energy. We are not the only country to be affected by these shortages; the rest of Europe is running out as well. Russia is now limiting supplies to everyone. The Government has assured us that we won’t have to turn our lights off. I, for one, have invested in torches. Looks like the Government had “an oven ready deal” with Brexit, but now we don’t have the gas to cook it on… The panic buying of fuel continues in the South East, queues for petrol/ diesel are lengthy and the government continues to advise us that we do not have a shortage of fuel. Tanker deliveries seem to arrive daily and disappear within hours. Surely no one is driving up and down the motorway to burn diesel, so the consumption rate has not increased – there is a lack of tanker drivers. I’ve had my letter from the Government asking if I can help! One government department is demanding more organic fertiliser usage while the other is shortening the window in which it can be spread. Under rule 1 of the farming rules for water, farmers are permitted to spread slurry or manure in the autumn (if there is no pollution risk) until 2022. Provided permission is granted, you can only spread on oilseed rape and grass. Looks like we shall be planting a lot of rape this year. As we struggle to keep up with the never-ending rules and regulations we seem to be continually

ANITA HEAD Farmer

bombarded with, other nations seem to suffer as much as we do. Sri Lanka took an overnight flip to being totally organic and what a disaster it has been. Sri Lanka would appear to have been hit by a serious economic emergency in the midst of a pandemic. The currency is diminishing and the cost of food is soaring; these have combined to create a crisis even worse than when the country was torn by civil war. On 29 April, Rajapaksa’s government banned the use of imported chemical fertiliser and other agrochemicals to ensure that the Indian Ocean nation was the first in the world to go with organiconly agriculture. Sugar, rice and onions etc have doubled in price, gas and oil are surging and the crops are failing or yielding a minimum of 50% less than previously expected. Tea production is now yielding over 50% less but costing 50% more to produce, with tea allegedly being the single biggest export, bringing in more than 1.25 billion dollars per year. With the failure of significant crops, the export market is diminishing by the day and cinnamon, pepper, rubber, cocoa, nutmeg etc are being exported in vastly reduced numbers, having a knock-on effect in various countries around the world. With the pandemic still in full force the tourism industry is now on its knees. Until next time, stay safe.

US LIFTS BAN ON LAMB IMPORTS

The National Sheep Association (NSA) has welcomed the United States’ decision to lift its ban on imports of British lamb, imposed in 1989 because of concerns over BSE. The NSA believes the announcement will increase demand for British sheep meat in the US and maximise trade opportunities for UK sheep farmers. A “delighted” Chief Executive Phil Stocker said the UK sheep industry “has been waiting for this for many years”, adding: “The sheep industry in the UK has clear potential to grow further but any expansion must be market and demand led. “The UK is the third largest exporter of sheep meat globally, telling us that we are good at producing sheep meat and that our supply chains are efficient and able to deliver.” He pointed out that while the EU was still UK sheep farmers’ largest export market, “access is more difficult than it was when we were part of the EU”. Mr Stocker said that while farmers “shouldn’t expect to see any sudden surge in volumes going to the US”, there was also strong demand for UK sheep genetics in the form of semen and embryos.

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AGRONOMY

For some crops, like maize, sugar beet and field brassica, the risk of wet soil at harvest and the damage it causes is ever present… but should we accept the risk of wet soils at harvest or think about building resilience into soils to cope better with the risk? Dick Neale, Hutchinsons Technical Manager, discusses the issue. We have limited options for changing the harvest timing of these crops, so later harvesting in potentially wetter periods remains the key challenge. Harvest output and logistics means the use of large capacity harvesters and trailers will continue. Field discipline, though, is a key factor that can be influenced. Dedicated trailer runs in previous tramlines are better than using random ‘shortest distance’ trailer entry and exit points, while using appropriate low ground pressure tyres, tracks, and offset axles, etc, is also important. That said, it remains the case that the biggest impact we can have is in building soil resilience to operations we know are at high risk of being carried out in wetter conditions. This is where we deviate the most from the perceived norms or needs of soil cultivation. Deeply cultivated soils have had natural structural strength removed from them. This places them at high risk of structural damage from heavy machinery at any time, but particularly in these late harvested crops. The answer to that is maintaining natural structural integrity whenever possible. Water management in de-structured soils is compromised; they dry faster and get wet quicker. When wet they are unable to support machinery

WET SOIL – AVOIDING AND RECTIFYING

HARVEST DAMAGE weight, air content is compromised and further water movement is halted once the soil is damaged. Ploughing down wet, damaged soil merely hides the fact that we have wet, damaged soil. Ploughing up dryer soils may allow crop establishment, but the roots will reach the cold, wet, anaerobic layer ploughed down sooner or later, and it remains a weak link in soil structural strength. Planning ahead for later harvested crops is vital so that soil strength and resilience can be maintained. Disrupting soils to the minimum depth required is of paramount importance in order to limit natural structure disruption and the potential for re-compaction. Maintaining aspects of natural soil structure like roots from previous crops, deep working worm populations, porosity and surface protection from residues or cover crops is a major step in building

structural resilience in soil and a key step in reducing risk for late-harvested crops. Many late-harvested crops are row crops by nature and this opens the door to utilising strip tillage techniques. In simple terms this allows for deeper cultivation and seedbed preparation in the planted row but leaves the intervening areas of soil undisturbed. The undisturbed ridges carry the harvesting machinery far better than the disturbed strips, allowing for better field access, reduced soil damage and improved water management late in the season. However, it is never a simple overnight change that brings results. While strip tillage can work well and rapidly in light soils, in stronger soils a more planned and gradual transition is required. Then, given the damage, cost and frustration late harvesting can bring, a change of approach is well worth considering.

DICK NEALE

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

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BOVINE TB

BADGER

A five-year project to vaccinate badgers against bovine TB is up and running in East Sussex. The project’s first badgers were vaccinated at the end of August 2021 in the Cuckmere Valley area – a hotspot for bovine TB in cattle. “Vaccinating the first badgers as part of the VESBA (Vaccinating East Sussex Badgers) project was quite a milestone,” explained Dr Lindsay Heasman, the VESBA Project Manager from Hurst Animal Health. “We held a farmer meeting back in June 2018 to gauge the appetite for such a project, and since then the team at Cliffe Vets has worked hard with local farmers and stakeholders including the NFU to get the project off the ground. Since 2020 we have secured DEFRA funding for the full five years, trained local farmers and obtained the necessary licence from Natural England – all in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. To actually see the first badgers being vaccinated meant such a lot to me.” Bovine TB is a devastating disease that can be transmitted between badgers and cattle. East Sussex is in the Edge (intermediate) TB incidence area of England, and a ‘hotspot’ of TB has been present in the Cuckmere Valley area for many years. TB bacteria have been isolated from badgers, meaning that the local wildlife population is harbouring infection and can re-infect cattle – but badger vaccination offers the opportunity to break this cycle. Whilst badger culls underway in other parts of England, Defra has set out the next phase of the TB strategy, which commits to phasing out culling, replacing it with more government supported vaccination, as well as increased surveillance

VACCINATION

UNDERWAY

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and a deployable cattle vaccine. The VESBA project aims to find out the key factors for rolling out badger vaccination on a larger scale. The VESBA project will vaccinate badgers across 250 square kilometres of East Sussex every year for four years – with a target of vaccinating 675 badgers annually. Although badgers can live for up to 14 years, the typical lifespan is three to four, which means that at the end of a four-year vaccination period, the level of TB in the wildlife population should have declined. With farmers adhering to biosecurity measures to reduce cattle-to-cattle and badger-to-cattle contact, as well as making responsible purchasing decisions, the next few years could see

significant reductions in TB rates in East Sussex. VESBA differs from many other badger vaccination projects as farmers are at the core of delivery, as opposed to vaccination activities being undertaken by wildlife groups and volunteers. “At the end of the day, no one knows their land like the farmers, and this is a key aspect of the project, explained Dr Heasman. “The farmers are also close at hand to undertake the daily pre-baiting which is essential for getting badgers used to entering the cage traps. Through the VESBA project, we have also trained a small group of people to undertake the actual vaccinations; these individuals are well-known and trusted in the local farming community, which is essential to maximising the amount of land that is signed up to the project.” Vaccinating badgers involves a significant amount of preparatory work. Each farm or site needs to be surveyed, to understand where badger activity is greatest. The survey maps are sent to Natural England so that a licence can be issued; badgers are a protected species, so it is illegal to “kill, injure or take (trap)” them, or to interfere with places they use for shelter or protection – setts, in this case. Once areas of activity are identified, we start introducing a food bait that badgers love; they will dig to find the bait even when it is buried a few inches underground. When badgers are reliably finding the bait points, the team will start putting out the cage traps, and as the badgers become accustomed to the traps, the bait points are moved inside them, but with the doors wired open so that the badgers can come and go as they please. After around two weeks, the traps are set ‘live’ in the evening, and the following morning at first light the team can vaccinate the badgers. Before being released, each badger has a fur patch clipped and a stock marker spray applied to identify badgers that have already been vaccinated. The process is repeated for one more day, with re-captured badgers released without a second jab. The vaccination season for badgers is between May and November, so the team is currently busy surveying and vaccinating the farms that have already signed up to the project for years one to four. VESBA is keen to hear from farmers and landowners in the target areas for years two to five.

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Those interested should contact Dr Heasman on 07912 799961 or email project co-ordinator laura.anderson@cliffevets.co.uk

Progressive approach, traditional values. 100% farm vets serving dairy, beef and sheep farms across the South East farmenquiries@cliffevets.co.uk www.cliffefarm.co.uk 01273 473232 WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | NOVEMBER 2021

ALAN WEST SHEEP TOPICS ALAN WEST Sheep farmer

A simple question, but I can almost guarantee that if you asked 100 sheep farmers the same question, you would get 100 different answers, probably more than that, while some simply wouldn’t be able to make up their mind. No doubt there would be a degree of agreement on some physical attributes - good feet, udder, teeth and so on, the obvious stuff, although the latter seems to be of diminishing importance if experiences of judging interbreed competitions in various part of the country are anything to go by; to some, breed points seem to trump teeth. I will say no more and certainly wouldn’t be so bold as to mention any particular breeds for fear of causing offence. Go beyond the obvious and things begin to get a little murkier, even when it comes to important parts of the ram anatomy such as testicles, some seemingly considering that the simple possession of a pair makes a good ram, or at least a suitable breeding ram. This view is readily confirmed by a quick look at any livestock marketing website, even some social media sites not really intended for selling. The number of euphemisms conjured up to avoid mentioning “for sale” is a testament to man’s ingenuity: “looking for a new home/postcode”, “ready to move on”, “does anybody need…”, “would make a useful addition to someone’s flock”, “looking for pastures new”, the list is endless. At least the latter has some agricultural reference; some rams seem to be particularly precious, requiring their own address and/or postcode. Rather disappointingly there seems to be an increasing number of mongrel rams being offered for sale; a few first cross rams that may have been bred with a specific purpose in mind, although this is not always immediately obvious, but many are simply “mongrels”. Many would appear to have been bred out of a mongrel ewe by a mongrel ram. Who would really want to buy such an animal? Such an approach reduces the poor ram simply to a pair of testicles on legs, something to get a few (no doubt mongrel) ewes into lamb. It completely disregards the most important aspect of any breeding ram, that is the genetic material contained within his testicles, the genetic potential that he has to improve. There is generally only one market for this type of ram (or ewe) and that is not the breeding stock market. The overriding aim of good sheep breeding should be about improving subsequent generations. That improvement may be in breed type, maternal ability, efficiency, carcass quality etc.; it is not, or should not be, about using a few mediocre ewes put to a cheap ram to produce a bunch of scrappy, poor quality lambs and then having the audacity to moan about the prices received in the market. Such an approach does nobody any favours, not individual producers and certainly not the sheep industry. It will be many of these types of lamb that will make a rather disproportionate contribution to the 40% or so of UK lambs that still fail to meet market specifications, lambs that will quite justifiably be discounted by buyers; all they serve to do is depress average market prices. Not everyone can produce top quality lambs.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN A SHEEP AND

A GOOD SHEEP?

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You simply can’t compare a well-grown Beltex cross with a lamb bred and reared on the Welsh Mountains, (but even many of the latter will at least meet market specification, even if at the lower end of the range). Their specific qualities may owe more to their origin. But we can all try; a process that will often start by purchasing (at a fair price) and using good quality, well-bred, rams. Nobody can produce a good ram for £120 to £150, so why would anybody want to purchase one? If a ram is being offered for sale at that sort of price, in all honesty it probably should have been slaughtered. It simply defies logic, but it will go on and on. I guarantee that at the last ram sale of the season, in any market, there will be buyers looking to purchase a “bargain ram”, a mediocre ram that will, no doubt, be taken straight home and, with no preparation or appropriate biosecurity, tipped out of the trailer to join a bunch of mongrel ewes. A considered first cross, that is a good hybrid, with all the advantages conferred by heterosis (hybrid vigour); OK, no problem, if it is considered and done with a purpose, but it should then be used for that purpose and that purpose only. A good looking, strong crossbred ram lamb is not a candidate for a breeding ram just because it happened to be born with a pair of testicles; neither is a Mule ram lamb (which was seen advertised this year). Mule ram put onto a Mule ewe (why else would anyone use a Mule ram?) will almost certainly not produce a Mule as we know it; any expectation of such an outcome simply demonstrates an almost complete lack of understanding of genetics, in particular meiosis, i.e., the production of haploid, sex cells. The random shuffling and reallocation of genetic material twice during the process of meiosis will result in the genetic make up of any progeny of a Mule x Mule mating being somewhere between almost 100% Blue Faced Leicester and almost 100% Swaledale, (both perfectly good breeds, in the correct environment) and almost any other possible permutation of extremes. The chances of producing a fifty:fifty split of genes to produce a proper Mule are infinitesimally small. Beyond that I must admit to a degree of bias, in as much as I am not a particular fan of sheep derived from multiple crosses, either ewes or rams; but as with many things there are exceptions, and a well-bred and carefully selected Suffolk Mule ewe just seems to work (as do a very few others). Even then, it is not unusual to find examples that probably owe rather more than they ought to their maternal grandmothers. Neither am I a particular fan of alien breeds being introduced into

AT COLCHESTER MARKET

BUCKING

THE TREND 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 Recent weeks have seen numerous challenges to the livestock industry: the disruption caused to fuel deliveries and CO2 production, the lack of skilled labour in abattoirs and, of course, Covid-19. However, here at Colchester we have continued to buck the trend, with our sheep trade continuing to be above the national average. This has simply been due to the local demand from retail wholesale butchers who have continued to enjoy an unprecedented demand for meat. This in turn has encouraged producers to go out and purchase store lambs and

breeding sheep as they see renewed confidence in the sheep sector. The cattle sector continues to see strong performance, fuelled by the reduction in cattle available for slaughter. The finished steers and heifers at Colchester are regularly traded between 240p/kg and 270p/kg, with cattle achieving £1,600 to £1,900 per head. A noticeable demand here has been for traditional bred cattle, with Hereford, Aberdeen Angus and South Devon cattle keenly sought. The cull ewe trade has eased slightly as higher numbers have been available, while the cull cow

pure-bred lines of sheep, generally done surreptitiously with a view to gaining some advantage over other breeders; such dishonesty is simply not acceptable. I have no issue with breed improvement programmes, which is what sheep breeding should be about, but they should be open and transparent, even if this process involves the introduction of a second breed, for a specific purpose, and then breeding back to the original breed. But I will say no more on that for fear of causing offence. To go on from a two-way or good three-way cross to produce four, five or six-way crosses is to fall into the same trap of denying what is simply relatively basic genetics. Some of the real mongrels produced, a cross of a cross of a cross, are straying into the realms of the geneticists who produced composite breeds such as the Meatlinc or Cambridge; the latter examples, however, were bred with a specific purpose and a high level of skill and understanding, rather than the former’s simple desire to produce some cheap sheep with little understanding of the outcome. Developing a good new composite breed is far from straightforward; I remember quite clearly John Bryn Owen’s original Cambridge flock in its relatively early days. Having started in Cambridge in 1964 as a mix of six or seven different breeds, they arrived on the university farm at Bangor (after a spell in Aberdeen) in the late seventies. Even then, well over a decade into their development, it was relatively easy to pick out examples of most of the constituent breeds at lambing time. Developing a good, synthetic breed of sheep is not achieved by simply crossing a mongrel with a mongrel and hoping for the best; it takes time, a lot of time, a good understanding of genetics, scrupulous recording and hard culling. The difference between a sheep and a good sheep is not just in what you can see (the phenotype) but is far more; it is also about what is contained within, the genotype; sadly, the latter is not quite so obvious, but a good sheep from a reputable breeder is likely to fall into the latter category rather than a nondescript “mongrel” of questionable origin. That said, a sheep with an excellent genotype is still not a good sheep if it also happens to look like a limping runner bean crossed with a doormat, undershot, knock-kneed and down on its pasterns. It still has to be a good sheep; it’s all about balance.

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market has maintained a consistent trade. The store cattle demand is good as finishers are replenishing their yards. The disappointing sector continues to be the pig trade, and we can only hope that demand increases to take up the surplus which is being placed on the market. With all the problems we have seen regarding the supply chain, hopefully the general public will come to appreciate the provenance of their food and we will get away from a cheap food culture so that British agriculture may thrive.

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AT ASHFORD MARKET

TIGHT SUPPLIES KEEP STOCK

PRICES AT RECORD LEVELS It was a good summer for sheep producers in the South East, with an abundance of keep, for a change, giving farmers flexibility in the timing of sales and favourable returns for all stock, with prices well up on recent years. The finished lamb trade has been exceptional throughout the summer, with prices benefitting from reduced supplies, with national slaughterings down 15% during June and August and relatively strong demand both at home and in Europe.

FINISHED LAMBS

At Ashford Market some 32,000 new season finished lambs have been traded to date, with overall averages often in the 240p/kg to 260p/kg bracket. Best fleshed lambs well in excess of £120 and topping at £143 for smart Beltex Cross from P Gorringe, Henfield, and an overall average of £107 per head throughout, some £22 up on the year. Well finished ad lib concentrate-fed Continental Crosses have consistently attracted premium prices, notably for quality heavyweights from C & J Georgetti & Sons, Rolvenden, often selling in excess of £120 and up to £134.50, and smart Beltex Crosses selling around 300p/kg from G H Dean & Son, Sittingbourne. The cull ewe trade has not been left behind, with an overall average of £90 throughout the summer period, up by some £30 per head on the year. Top ewes well in excess of £100, with heavyweight Continentals £186 from J Warnock & Son, Dover and £164 from N A Balcomb & Son, Romney Marsh; Suffolk Cross £145 from G H Dean & Co, Mules £123 from J Hope, Egerton and J & C Kellett, Benenden, and Romneys to £126 from G P Compton, Romney Marsh. The record returns in the finished market have been reflected in the store and breeding sheep sections. While store lambs have been relatively slow to come forward this year due to the abundance of keep and other work commitments, some 30,000 had been traded by the end of September. As usual these sales have been well attended, with regular buyers from the south west and the eastern counties competing well with the local interest. Prices have been bullish throughout, with an overall average of £85, the few heavy meat lambs around £120, best Crossbred stores generally £90 to £98, and only small long keeping lambs below £75. Romney wethers have been keenly sought after, with the best £90 plus and averaging around £80. The special show and sale of Suffolk x Mule ewe lambs attracted a good entry of just over 2,000 and trade was very brisk, with the top prize winners selling at £132 from a superb run of 500 (average for run £124.50) from D Howard Farms Limited, Brede. Other prize winners included R Price & Sons, Sellindge (second place) and E & ME Brundrett, Charing (third) both lots selling for £120.

BREEDING SHEEP

Some 2,500 breeding sheep have been offered in the September sales, with keen interest from the local producers for both the ewe tegs and flock-aged ewes. As expected, prices have been at record levels, with a large percentage of tegs in the £170 to £190 bracket and topping at £205 for strong, well-bred Suffolk x Mules from Andreozzi Farms, Petworth and Mules to £198 from Fairlawne Estate Co, Sevenoaks. There has been more interest in flock-aged ewes this year due to the general shortage of breeding sheep. A flock dispersal from A E Daw & Sons, Sandwich, early in the season, set the trade with young ewes to £175 and full mouth to £147. Other full mouth ewes in excess of £130 have included Mules to

NOVEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

ELWYN DAVIES

Reporting on the sheep market at Ashford T: 01233 502222 www.hobbsparker.co.uk

£134 from Porchester Farms, Newbury and Suffolk x Mules to £133 from C & J Georgetti and Sons, Rolvenden.

RAMS AND PEDIGREE FEMALES

The Monday evening sale of rams and pedigree females proved a success and will certainly be continued in future years. Pedigree Texel ewes topped at £455 from N J Shearman, West Sussex, while the rams topped at £660 for Texels from Kingswood Farmers. Other top prices included Suffolk Rams £620, Beltex x Charollais £500 and Charollais £600 from N A Balcomb & Son, Romney Marsh and Beltex x Texel £500 from C A Worley Farming, Chart Sutton.

BEEF MARKET

There has been similar good news in all sectors of the beef market in recent months, with tight supplies and booming prices. During the summer months national slaughterings for both clean cattle and culls have been down by some 10% and 15% respectively, while prices have improved by some £200 to £250 per head compared to the doom and gloom of 2019. At Ashford Market, clean cattle numbers are up by some 12% on the year, with the improved trade and competition attracting sellers back to the live auctions. In recent months the best have grossed in excess of £1,400, with Continental Cross heifers topping at £1,602 (267p) from A J Thompson & Sons, Romney Marsh, £1,556 (262p) from W S Furnival (Brookland) Limited, £1,573 (216p) from P Burgess, Tilbury, £1,523 (233p) from W Alexander (Shoreham) and Limousin x Friesian steers to £1,509 (233p) from A J Down, Ashford. Native bred Hereford Cross steers have topped at £1,495 (204p) from R & J Silvester, Rye and purebred Sussex steers £1,467 (228p) from M. Moncrieffe, Maidstone. Cull cows have been equally strong, with top prices regularly in excess of £1,200, notably Charolais Cross £1,445 from C & J Georgetti and Sons, Rolvenden, Limousin Cross £1,308 from K Loveridge, Rochester and Sussex £1,291 from R L Goodman & Sons, Ashford, and Holstein Friesian cows to £1,429 from Appleton Farms, Deal and Goddard & Son, Dover; £1,247 from MA & FW Owen, Hythe and £1,211 J Warnock & Son, Dover. While store cattle sales have been quiet throughout the summer, a good entry of 400 was penned on Tuesday 21 September. The sale was well attended, with buyers keen to replenish empty yards, and trade was brisk throughout with steers averaging £980 and heifers £900. Smart Continental Cross youngsters were an exceptional trade, with 10-month steers £1,180 from DG & JW Gore, Rochester, £1,150 from L Palmer & Sons, Ashford and heifers £1,075 from DG & JW Gore. Strong stores to finish short term were in short supply and keenly sought after. Top quality Continental Cross steers soared to £1,380 (PN & C Burden, Maidstone) and £1,340 (S J Theobald & Son, Brentwood) with heifers to £1,340 (R A Wade, Sandhurst). Native bred cattle were well received, with eight month Angus Cross steers topping the youngsters at £900 from Boty Farm Limited, Ashford, while stronger cattle sold readily in excess of £1,000 and up to £1,220 for Sussex steers from B Newbigging, Heathfield.

DO YOU GRAZE

RESEARCH PROVEN

YOUR CATTLE AND SHEEP

TOGETHER? While we see plenty of sheep and beef cattle on one holding, often there is no grazing cross-over or integration between the two species. Sequential grazing is where one species grazes an area first and the second grazes the same area later in the season, whereas co-grazing is when both species graze together. Here are some interesting facts about mixed grazing strategies.

HIGHER GROWTH RATES

Sheep have a competitive advantage compared to cattle as they are more selective grazers. When co-grazing, sheep select the best bits and cattle clean up what’s left behind. This is particularly relevant on permanent pasture or diverse leys, as more plant species provide greater opportunity to select. As such, lambs have the highest growth rates when co-grazed with cattle compared to sequential grazing or sheep-only grazing; this is called a facilitation effect. Unlike cattle, sheep will graze close to cattle pats, meaning that overall, there is greater pasture utilization during co-grazing. As cattle are the less competitive species, if stocking rate is too high or grass cover too low, they will suffer first, so good management is critical.

FAECAL EGG COUNTS

There are a lot of frightening facts about gastrointestinal parasites, including increased awareness of anthelmintic resistance, the few product-groups available and the accumulation effects of ivermectin residues in the environment. Residues can impact on dung-burying insects, reducing the ability to liberate nutrients and decompose faeces which enhances soil fertility. Equally, these insects reduce the parasite eggs in faeces, thus compromising the insects worsens the parasite challenge even further. Sequentially grazing cattle before sheep has been shown to reduce faecal egg counts in lambs dramatically. Co-grazing also reduces parasite challenge but not as drastically, while sheep-only systems have very high counts in comparison. This effect is seen because sheep and cattle parasites are specific to each species, so when larvae are consumed by the wrong species, they do not mature and thus the challenge on the ground is diluted.

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

While I can only touch on the very basic, there are exciting prospects for reduced methane emissions, increased carbon sequestration and higher levels of biodiversity when mixing species within an efficient grazing strategy. In terms of food sustainability and environmental awareness, this may be an exciting tool for the future. Be careful, there are a few diseases to be aware of before co-grazing these two species, including leptospirosis, BVD and fluke. Please speak to your vet about your health status and to discuss a control strategy.

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ADVICE FROM THE VET

NEONATAL SCOURS

Calf scour (diarrhoea) is the most common disease in young calves and accounts for around 50% of all calf deaths. The disease can be easily recognised, and it is important that treatment is administered rapidly in order to maximise the chance of survival, writes Tim Potter BVetMed MBA PhD MRCVS Senior Clinical Director, Westpoint Farm Vets. There are a number of different organisms that can cause scour in calves. Viruses such as rotavirus and coronavirus are widespread and commonly cause watery diarrhoea in young calves; they can be controlled through vaccination of the cows coupled with ensuring that calves receive sufficient colostrum. Various bacteria can also cause scour: E.coli, Salmonella and Clostridia all cause severe diarrhoea in calves. The two other main infectious causes of scours in calves are cryptosporidiosis and coccidiosis. These are caused by protozoal parasites commonly found in the environment on most farms. Cryptosporidiosis is seen in calves as young as > Intravenous fluids may be required for very dehydrated calves three days old, whilst coccidiosis is seen in animals from three weeks of age and can potentially lead to severe impacts on growth must be cleaned between groups. rates. Scours may not always be caused by infectious organisms. Calves will Whatever the cause, the route of infection is the same – ingestion or sometimes show nutritional scours; these are caused by inconsistency of inhalation of the organism from an environment that is heavily contaminated feeding and can be minimised by ensuring that milk is always provided in the by faeces. Hygiene and cleanliness are paramount in preventing and controlling same way, i.e. making sure that the volume, content, temperature and route of calf diarrhoea. Good hygiene must start from the moment the calf is born, administration (bucket or teat) is always the same. as many infections are picked up from the calving area. When raising calves, For all causes of diarrhoea, especially in very young calves, the main part of always remember, milk and milk replacer are ideal feed sources for bacteria. treatment is always the same; administration of fluid mixtures to correct the If not cleaned properly, milk feeding equipment can easily become a breeding dehydration and acidosis that occurs due to fluid loss from the calf’s digestive ground for bacteria. It is vital that milk feeding equipment such as bottles, teats, tract. The way fluids are given will depend on how severely dehydrated a calf is. buckets, stomach tubes, mixing instruments and storage containers are cleaned Mildly dehydrated calves (only slightly depressed, still able to stand and still with and sanitized after every use. a suckle reflex) will respond well to oral fluids. In cases where calves are severely Feeding equipment should be rinsed with lukewarm water before it is depressed and the animal is unable to stand, the advice is to seek veterinary properly cleaned in hot water with a cleansing agent. Failing to rinse equipment help immediately as the animal is likely to require intravenous fluids. before placing it in hot water can make it harder to clean, as the heat will Your veterinary surgeon will be able to advise on the most appropriate cause fat and protein residue to adhere to the equipment. After cleaning, the rehydration solutions. In general, oral electrolytes should be fed as an extra equipment should be rinsed and allowed to dry. Pay attention to where you are meal to calves that have diarrhoea. For example, if calves are normally being drying equipment; stacking equipment on the floor will undo the good done by fed twice a day (morning and evening) then oral electrolytes can be fed as an the cleaning process. additional feed in the middle of the day. Calf scour is a multi-factorial disease, and the rapid implementation of There have been suggestions that continued milk feeding worsens diarrhoea appropriate therapy is essential for a rapid recovery. The risk of the disease can and that treatment protocols should involve a period of “resting the gut” during be minimised by ensuring all calves receive sufficient colostrum, maintaining a which milk is withheld. However, research has shown that milk feeding does not good standard of hygiene and ensuring consistency of feeding. worsen or prolong diarrhoea; nor does it slow down healing of the intestine. The studies also showed that continuing to feed milk alongside electrolytes If you would like to discuss anything covered in this article contact your local Westpoint practice maintained growth and avoided the weight loss observed in calves limited to only electrolyte solutions. ANDY RICHMOND JACK BALKHAM EMILY PHIPPS It is therefore best to continue to feed milk as per the calf’s normal schedule Westpoint Horsham Westpoint Ashford Westpoint Sevenoaks and add in additional electrolyte feeds. It is essential that treatment is started T: 01306 628086 T: 01306 628208 T: 01959 564383 as soon as the diarrhoea is observed; delay will increase the probability of E: info@westpointfarmvets.co.uk treatment failure. If animals are affected with scour they should be isolated to www.westpointfarmvets.co.uk reduce the chance of spread to other calves in the group and feeding equipment

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WEST SUSSEX DIARY NICK ADAMES

EA NEGLECT PILES ON PRESSURE

This past year has not been one to bring much pleasure for several reasons, although it has perhaps brought closer the end of almost two years of the pandemic that has wreaked such havoc and worry across the whole world. On the farms we have now accepted life without cattle, or as much as we ever will. Cropping was minimal on the home farm. Laureate barley, mainly for thousands of local pigeons. On the hill farm we have been able to watch the development of the tenant’s vineyard, seen the trellis work completed, the excellent deer fencing erected to keep the roe and fallow deer away from the tasty vines; the recent growth has been pretty encouraging. Another two seasons and they should begin to see the promise of the first wine. There is much work involved there, summer and autumn. Mainly weed control, grass cutting, but as the vines grow there will be increasing calls for spraying to control fungal diseases. It’s presently all down to Emma. The rest of that farm is on annual let to neighbours who grow mainly cereals and run sheep. They are excellent cereal growers who luckily get a lot more pleasure out of producing these crops than I ever have or did. After a dry start this year they also grew a fine maize crop which will have benefitted from the high fertility the old herd put into the land for so many years. The farm up along the Arun has also been let to a neighbour who has access to a substantial extraction licence, something which benefits both of us, in as much as he is then able to sublet it, short term, for vegetable growing. This is the land which, as previously reported, has been seriously affected by ongoing neglect of the river banks, again by the Environment Agency (EA), something which, in turn, has restricted its use to spring cropping due to annual winter flooding and which has been one of our main headaches for the past few years. I hope the

NICK ADAMES Former dairy farmer

problems are now a little closer to being resolved and the situation improves. As I reported last month, the neglect by the EA has also piled more pressure on us and our neighbouring farmers here on this floodplain between Littlehampton and Bognor, where our whole drainage system has suffered so many years of inattention by the agency. This situation will continue until the authorities relearn the basic rules of drainage and then help land owners and farmers apply them. A common opinion of the EA, amongst farmers, is that they are overpaid and useless. Turning now to another big problem, farm labour, which seems to be an increasing issue both here in Sussex and nationwide. Certainly the work is not so hard these days, although it can mean long hours on big complex machinery. Neither is the financial reward poor; it’s just that the work ethic doesn’t appear to be present as it was in the past. We have always relied on cattlemen, herdsmen and stockmen and have had some of the most reliable staff one could have wished for, although over the past 10 years the ‘stickability’ of the herdsmen supplied by contractors diminished considerably. Although we were not let down critically, it was hard work breaking staff in on almost an annual basis. The one constant I have had here for the past 30 years has been our part-time calf rearer stockman, one Wally Elvin, of soccer refereeing renown, who joined me in the early nineties and has been a constantly reliable aid through illnesses, bad calvings, TB and various snow, wind and rain storms.

I think government’s abysmal record with TB, along with equally disgraceful milk prices, finally convinced all of us that there was no longer a reasonable future with cattle, and so ended my family and farm’s 125-year history as dairy farmers. Now Wally comes in four days a week to help keep things together, hedge trimming, tidying, whatever is needed and keeping me in order. He’s always cheerful, and despite slowing down a bit Wally seems determined not to retire until I do… I guess we will both be buried where we fall with our boots on! One thing he and I will need to do in the coming months is cut back our shelterbelts around the home farm. Planted and maintained for the animals as shelter on hot days, these now really need a quite severe pruning to allow the contractor’s huge machines clear passage. The biggest problem has been opening up old gateways or removing them altogether, to allow access. All the internal kissing gates, too, have been removed, although we still retain all padlocks and chains on external gates. We also use removable bollards, barbed wire and long-lasting paint as a deterrent for vehicles and trespassing children who damage everything they can get their feet or hands on. Roofing has been their favourite this last year, and I have been trying to persuade the local police that someone is going to end up dead on the concrete below if they don’t pretend to be interested and put in the odd appearance. Finally… I had a request for an interview from the BBC’s Jeremy Vine shortly after that alpaca was put down, but was not available. We agreed the photos of it being taken were open to misrepresentation, only because of the appalling behaviour of the overemotional protestors who appeared at the owner’s behest and the numbers of police needed to control them. Dairy farmers face that dilemma all the time.

> Winter 2020, the effect of the EA’s neglect of the local Rife TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

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An impressive panel of speakers will lead a thought-provoking debate at this year’s annual farming conference organised by the South of England Agricultural Society on Wednesday 17 November. Held at the charity’s home at the South of England Showground in Ardingly, West Sussex, the event will, for the first time, be available as a live stream for those who cannot physically attend. The free event, backed by media sponsor South East Farmer, takes place from 6pm to 10pm, with online access from 7pm to 9pm, and sets out to tackle a topic that reflects recent challenges including lockdown, declining mental health and environmental challenges. Conference organiser Duncan Rawson, a Nuffield scholar sponsored by the society, explained: “For those of a certain age, the world sometimes seems unrecognisable. The so-called carefree days of our childhoods have been replaced with lockdowns, loss of freedoms, polarisation of debate, contradictions such as the rise of both obesity and poverty, declining mental wellbeing and climate change. “For many, the pandemic has given them cause to take stock and ask questions about the lives we lead. It is no surprise that more people over recent months have turned to the countryside for solace. “Faced with more time at home, many started to cook from scratch. Whether these trends continue as we (hopefully) head back to ‘normality’ is a moot point, but it does raise the question: ‘what is the role of agriculture in healing society?’ “Agriculture and those who work in this sector are in a unique position; not only do farmers and growers provide the food essential for our survival,

THE ROLE OF The pandemic has given cause for many to take stock and ask questions about the lives we lead. It is no surprise that people have turned to the countryside for solace and faced with time at home, started cooking from scratch. Will these trends continue?

AGRICULTURE Agriculture and those who work in it are in a unique position – not only do farmers and growers provide the food essential for survival, they are also custodians of the natural environment. An environment that is crucial for mitigating climate, feeding an ever more demanding population and in improving our mental and physical wellbeing.

IN HEALING SOCIETY Join us online or in person to discuss this challenging and complex subject.

they are also custodians of the natural environment that surrounds us. And this is an environment that is crucial in terms of mitigating climate change, feeding an ever more demanding population and, in more general terms, improving our overall mental and physical wellbeing.” The conference has lined up a diverse set of speakers to help navigate through this challenging and complex subject. All speakers will deliver a short presentation before audience members are invited

to pose questions in person or online through an interactive messaging panel. Chaired by Anna Hill of Radio 4’s Farming Today, this year’s guest panellists are as follows: • Barbara Bray MBE, Director of Alo Solutions Ltd, will present her thoughts on the nutritional challenges facing society and the role that agriculture has to play. • Sir Charles Burrell, Owner of Knepp Estate, will talk about how rewilding has the power to

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MEDIA SPONSOR: create a more sustainable agriculture and the broader role it has in engaging society with the countryside. • Dan Burdett, manager of two organic dairy farms, will discuss how regenerative farming practices can create greater resilience in our food supply chains. • Robin Hobson, Chairman of Laurence Gould Partnership, will share his experience of working with young, disadvantaged people at Care Farm in West Sussex, and how the farm helps build confidence and self-esteem and encourages teamwork and independence. The Farming Conference is held by the South of England Agricultural Society as part of its charitable remit to fund and support agricultural education and countryside learning. The Society’s aims are to showcase agriculture, horticulture and the countryside through annual shows which raise funds for the provision of education, grants, awards, and bursaries for people with an interest or involvement in agriculture, horticulture and other land-based industries. Although the farming conference is free to attend, visitors must register in advance via www.seas.org.uk/farming-conference. For more information visit www.seas.org.uk or phone 01444 892700.

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6-10pm (Online 7-9pm) The pandemic has given cause for many to take stock and ask questions about the lives we lead. It is no surprise that people have turned to the countryside for solace and faced with time at home, started cooking from scratch. Will these trends continue? Agriculture and those who work in it are in a unique position – not only do farmers and growers provide the food essential for survival, they are also custodians of the natural environment. An environment that is crucial for mitigating climate, feeding an ever more demanding population and in improving our mental and physical wellbeing. Join us online or in person to discuss this challenging and complex subject.

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KEY PARTS NOT IN PLACE

Environmental law expert Richard Smith, a partner at Oxford based Sandstone Law, is worried that the new Environmental Land Management scheme (ELMS) will fail to attract enough farmers because key parts of the scheme are not yet in place.

The National Audit Office (NAO) has warned that “core” aspects of the scheme, set to replace EU subsidies delivered through Basic Payments, are yet to be agreed, and has warned that failing to launch

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ELMS effectively could reduce the number of farmers who participate and hit efforts to help nature and the climate. Richard commented: “It is no surprise that so few farmers have signed up for the government’s new programme when its implementation has been so slow and key elements have yet to be published by DEFRA. “A consequence of Brexit, this is the UK’s new domestic agricultural policy, with a significant number of new regulatory arrangements to support it. It will bring in major changes, with a shift away from a traditional farming industry towards a framework for environmental management. “The government wants to introduce more stringent environmental protection requirements into the farming community, but there are concerns that this programme will affect smaller farmers the most and leave them exposed to obligations and costs that make their businesses unviable. This could leave UK agriculture in the hands of large agricultural corporations. “Farming businesses operate on multi-year planning cycles, and so farmers have an understandable desire for predictability. The farming industry has been affected by DEFRA’s previous difficulties in introducing changes successfully and the scale of the change DEFRA is now taking on is much greater. “If sufficient information and reassurance is not provided to the agricultural industry through the government’s implementation of the new system and it is forced in too quickly, farmers will be unable to prepare in the way they need to.” Richard said the NAO had warned that DEFRA had yet to establish objectives for what ELMS should achieve or set out detailed delivery plans past March 2022. It also said DEFRA had failed to regain trust from farmers over its management of past agricultural subsidy schemes to ensure high levels of participation in the ELMS programme. The first stage of the ELMS rollout, the sustainable farming incentive, is being piloted with 1,000 farmers from October, with plans to launch some core elements at scale in mid-2022. Richard said only 2,178 farmers had expressed an interest in the pilot, compared with DEFRA’s expectation that between 5,000 and 10,000 of 44,000 eligible farmers would come forward, according to the NAO. He said there had been delays informing farmers what actions they would be paid for and how much they would be paid.

LEGAL

HIRING SEASONAL WORKERS With the news headlines currently dominated by reports of acute labour shortages in the food and agriculture industries, more farm businesses are looking to take on staff to fill the gaps during the run up to Christmas. Often, workers are hired on verbal contracts and it can be tempting to do so to bring people onboard quickly. However, having a written contract in place is always recommended, particularly to avoid disputes or ambiguity over what has been agreed. Since 6 April 2020 it is a legal requirement for a written statement of terms of employment (also known as a Section 1 Statement) to be given to workers as well as employees, which may leave some businesses exposed to a risk of Tribunal claims.

WHO IS ENTITLED TO THE STATEMENT?

Employees have long been entitled to receive a written statement of employment particulars, under Section 1 of the Employment Rights Act 1996. Since 6 April 2020, this entitlement has been extended to any worker commencing work after that date. This is a day one right, with no minimum service requirement. This information is usually provided to employees or workers in a contract of employment, although it can be provided separately.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE IN A SECTION 1 STATEMENT?

There are certain particulars which need to be included in the same document (also known as the principal statement) in order to be legally compliant. For workers, these particulars are: • Name of the employer and the worker • The employer’s address • The date the employment or engagement began • The scale or rate of pay, or the method for calculating it • The interval at which renumeration is paid

The importance of a Section 1 Statement. • The terms and conditions relating to hours of work, including: Normal working hours, the days of the week the worker is required to work and whether or not such hours or days may be variable and if so, how they vary or how that variation is determined • The terms and conditions relating to holiday entitlement including public holidays and how holiday pay is calculated • The amount of sick leave and pay (or where this information can be found) • Whether the worker is entitled to any other paid leave (or where this information can be found) • The length of notice required by either party to terminate the contract • The job title or brief description of the job • The expected end date, if the engagement is not permanent • Any conditions around probation periods including their length • The place of work • Whether the workers are required to work outside the UK for more than a month (and if so, what terms will apply) • Details of any mandatory training or mandatory training which the employer will not pay for • Any benefits provided by the employer which are not covered elsewhere (or a statement that none apply). Some terms can be provided at a later date, and do not need to be included in the principal statement. These include: • Information, or where to find information,

regarding pension arrangements • Details of any collective agreements • Details of, or where to find details of, any training provided by the employer which is not compulsory • Disciplinary rules and disciplinary and grievance procedures.

WHEN DOES THE PRINCIPAL STATEMENT NEED TO BE GIVEN?

The principal statement needs to be given on or before the first day of employment. The information that can follow at a later date must be given no later than two months after the employment begins.

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES FOR NON-COMPLIANCE? If a Section 1 Statement is not provided, is inaccurate or incomplete, an employee or worker can complain to an Employment Tribunal. The Tribunal will then determine what particulars should have been included, in order for the Statement to be legally compliant. If an individual is bringing another claim against the employer at the same time, they may also be entitled to compensation of up to four weeks’ pay. Ensuring compliance with the requirements around the Section 1 Statement should be a priority for any employer. If you are unsure of your responsibilities in regards to taking on seasonal workers, or on determining an individual’s employment status, it is best to seek legal advice to avoid potential disputes.

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LAND MANAGEMENT

DECISION VISION

An expression I’ve often used in my consultancy career is: “If in doubt, do nowt”. Faced with uncertainty, sometimes the right answer is to do nothing. But for many farmers, at the moment, it is not the best approach. Yes, there are many unknowns at present. Clients don’t know what the Government’s policy is, if the public wants them to produce food or be park keepers or what the long-awaited Environmental Land Management scheme (ELMS) will offer. They might be grappling with whether to use farming assets, such as grain stores or lambing sheds, in another way. Whether to expand their stewardship ambitions to get as much subsidy as possible then fit their farming operations around that. And that’s even before we get to succession planning or labour. The list can seem endless. Frankly, farming is facing a pandemic of uncertainty which can make decision-making feel almost impossible. But there is something you can and should do. You can decide what you want your business to be – and that, in turn, will help you make more informed decisions, rather than reacting to circumstances as they arise. Try to take a step backwards and ask: Where do I want to be in 10 years? What are my long-term objectives? This means you will have to ask the big questions. The strategic ones. And they can be difficult. It can involve asking yourself: Do I want to farm? What do I want to farm? What (if anything) would I like to do in tandem with my farming business? How hard do I want to work? Are my sons or daughters going to come into the business? How much debt am I comfortable with? Identify what is important to you – and it is also necessary to identify what isn’t. Be honest about which enterprises lose money – and which you don’t enjoy. Are you only doing something because dad always did it? Or is it part of the future of the business for you and your successors? The right decision may be to carry on doing what you’re currently doing (in other words, to do nowt) but you will only know that – and be able to have confidence in that decision – if you review your whole

business critically. In so many ways, farming is driven by government policy, events and the weather, so it’s easy to get into a situation where you’re constantly firefighting. A lot of farmers simply don’t have the headspace to think; this can be particularly so with enterprises such as dairying, which can involve 16-hour days, 365 days a year. Without putting too fine a point on it, a lot of farmers are constantly knackered and simply don’t have the energy to make this analysis objectively. If you’re in that situation, a big step is to recognise you’re in that situation. It might be that you’d benefit from someone outside the business asking the questions you may find difficult to ask (or perhaps don’t even realise you have to ask). It might not necessarily be a consultant; it might be an accountant, a lawyer, an agronomist, a contact or colleague or friend, as long as you can trust them to give you an independent, objective opinion and constructively challenge you. The truth is, farmers are worried about the future and how to make the right decisions. A lot of them

MATTHEW BERRYMAN

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NOVEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

want to make decisions but are understandably worried about making the wrong ones simply because of the ‘up-in-the-airness’ of everything. But drifting compounds the worry, because if you do nothing, if you don’t review where you’re going and instead make no decisions, you’re left on an indecisive path. We still don’t know what the medium-term or long-term impact of Brexit is going to be or what ELMS will offer, but we can focus on the factors we can review. My advice to clients is not to waste time and money half-heartedly exploring something that isn’t going to work anyway but to consider properly the genuine, realistic opportunities. Farming in the South East brings with it challenges, but it also brings opportunities, with so many people – some of them very affluent – on our doorstep. There will be some decisions you can make right now to protect your business and the future of your family. There are some decisions you can make right now that will put you in the best position to make sound decisions in the future when more information is available and this pandemic of uncertainty passes. It’s not always easy, but be open to possibilities. Ask yourself: Who is the boss? Is it all the circumstances around me to which I am reacting, or is it me? And try not to fear the future; grasp it.

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WATCH OUT FOR LAND

DEVELOPMENT TAX Selling development land can yield valuable extra income and might sound straightforward, but there are significant tax implications to watch out for. “The key with any land development sale is to understand the implications early in the process,” stressed Laura Wylie, senior tax manager at Old Mill agricultural accountants. “Every situation is different and could require things like restructuring of land ownership to avoid tax pitfalls.” So what do landowners need to be aware of? Sales of bare development land by sole traders and business partners normally incur Capital Gains Tax (CGT) at 10% up to the higher rate Income Tax threshold of £50,271 and 20% thereafter. However, where housing has already been built, the higher CGT rates for residential property apply (18% for lower rate taxpayers and 28% for higher rates). “Landowners looking to build property rather than sell bare land to developers are potentially going to change the nature of the disposal from capital to income (as they may be seen as a property developer),” explained Laura. “In this case, be wary of the higher 45% Income Tax and remember that there won’t be Business Asset Disposal Relief (BADR) or Rollover Relief (RR) available.” BADR (previously known as Entrepreneurs’ Relief) means less CGT may need to be paid when selling all or part of a business. All gains on qualifying assets will be taxed at 10% – to qualify, sole traders, partnerships and businesses must have owned the asset for at least two years. RR means that proceeds from the sale can be reinvested into new assets, delaying the CGT bill until the new assets are sold. To qualify, new assets need to be bought within three years of selling the old ones, the business must be trading at the point of both sale and purchase and both assets must be used in a trading business. If the land is held by a company, any gains are normally subject to Corporation Tax – at present this is 19% but by 2023 it will increase to 25%. If a landowner sells a dwelling which has been their main residence throughout ownership, there could be scope to claim Private Residence Relief to reduce the amount of gain on which CGT is payable – potentially eliminating

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any CGT burden. However, development land may not always be sold within a landowner’s lifetime. When it comes to farmland and property, Agricultural Property Relief will only apply to the agricultural value of land; all value above this may be exposed to Inheritance Tax at 40% unless Business Property Relief applies. Therefore, gifting land before death could be an option to maximise the availability of these reliefs. “It’s also worth being mindful of how long any option or promotion agreement lasts – as no one wants to be unable to do anything else on their land for 20 years,” explained Laura. And while Stamp Duty Land Tax is a cost to the purchaser, it will likely filter down to the landowner in a reduced sale price. So it’s important to get an accountant involved with the heads of terms and discussions at an early stage. “It can even influence the VAT levied on planning application fees,” said Laura. “An accountant can highlight such tax liabilities and help with decision making to best benefit the landowner and their situation.”

Estate Manager

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NITRATE NEUTRALITY

OFFSETTING SCHEMES OFFER CONSIDERABLE POTENTIAL While damage to the environment caused by waste water from new homes has put a stop to housing development in many parts of the South East, the issue of ‘nutrient neutrality’ also brings new opportunities for farmers and landowners. High levels of nitrogen and phosphate in ‘grey’ water from new homes is polluting wildlife-critical wetlands, resulting in a ban on planning permissions in areas around the Solent and in large swathes of Kent. But while on the face of it that’s bad news for those with potential housing land, in reality it offers considerable potential for farmers and landowners who can produce offsetting schemes that allow developers to go ahead with new build projects. The issue of grey water reaching vulnerable wetlands, where it encourages the growth of algae which absorbs oxygen, harming animal and bird life, has become a major problem. In response, Natural England has effectively blocked all applications that would increase the amount of nitrates and phosphates reaching water courses draining into the Solent or reaching the internationally important Stodmarsh area in Kent via the River Stour – i.e. those that are not nutrient neutral. Despite the scale of the problem, few solutions have been proposed, leaving landowners, councils, potential new home buyers and the construction industry struggling to find a way forward. In total, plans for around 20,000 homes across the Solent and east Kent have been put on hold. While the likely long-term solution is a major upgrade to Southern Water’s waste water treatment plants to filter out or neutralise the nitrate and phosphate in grey water, that’s unlikely to happen any time soon. Instead, the focus is on farmers taking land out of production, using fewer inputs or making developers contribute to the creation of new wetlands, something which could provide opportunities for farmers with relatively unproductive areas of poorly drained land looking for a new and environmentally friendly use. Our website at www.batchellermonkhouse.com

has a new Environmental Services section which covers a range of issues including nutrient neutrality and biodiversity net gain. It looks at how farmers and landowners can work with developers so we can build the new homes that are so badly needed in this part of the country while protecting our unique environment. As the website points out: “Demonstrating nitrate neutrality involves calculating the nitrogen load for a proposed development and offsetting this in some way.” Tellingly, though, it adds: “Many planning authorities do not yet have offsetting schemes in place, whilst others that do cannot guarantee spare capacity for all planned developments.” A typical offsetting scheme will involve taking land out of agricultural production and turning it into a woodland or wetland habitat. Other successful on-farm schemes work alongside productive farming activities, with both options providing nitrate credits that can be purchased by developers to enable development to proceed. Supported by expert advice, farmers and landowners can use such schemes to earn a useful income from a developer keen to find a way to allow their project to go ahead. Offsetting schemes can also be used as part of the biodiversity net gain (BNG) calculations that are due to be made mandatory and will aim to make sure all new developments in England leave

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biodiversity in a better state than it was before the diggers moved in. The issue of nitrate neutrality first came to light when Natural England discovered that the Solent, one of the most important water environments for wildlife in the UK, was being harmed by accelerated algae growth caused by waste water from new homes and from agricultural fertiliser. It told the Solent planning authorities that permission should not be granted unless a development could be proved to be nitrate neutral, something that immediately stopped not just new housing but any development featuring overnight accommodation. In what could be another opportunity for landowners to benefit from helping to ease the backlog, Wessex Water has developed a scheme which pays farmers per kilogram of nitrogen saved through good farming practices. Kent has been hit equally hard, with damage to the internationally recognised wetlands at Stodmarsh, to the east of Canterbury, leading to a ban on development that cannot be shown to be nutrient neutral across much of the county. Batcheller Monkhouse can help identify opportunities for landowners to offer sites for nutrient-capturing schemes or to adopt less chemical intensive farming methods and take advantage of the incentives on offer.

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MRICS FAAV – Partner T: 01798 877555 E: a.wilks@batchellermonkhouse.com www.batchellermonkhouse.com

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17/12/2020 15:27

ALL RISKS LTD ASBESTOS ROOF REMOVALS

Kenward Construction based in Horsham, West Sussex offer a full design and build service for your next steel framed building including composite cladding, concrete panels, roller shutter doors and bespoke designs to meet individual planning conditions. Kenward Construction also offer a wide range of services offering a truly one stop shop for your next farm building project. Demolition, plant hire, access roads, drainage, sewage treatment plants, rainwater harvesting, biobed wash downs, paving, concrete foundations / slabs, walling and site landscaping.

Arrange a site visit with one of our contracts managers to discuss your project in more detail by emailing enquiries@kenwardgroundworks.co.uk or call 01403 210218

www.kenwardgroundworks.co.uk

Asbestos roof sheeting removals Asbestos encapsulation Asbestos fire damage, clearance & re-instatement works Asbestos clearance & de-contamination Asbestos disposals by licenced registered company New metal roofs installed over old asbestos roofs Roof light & sheet repairs Gutter repairs Gutter replacements & re-lining Strip & refurbishment works Change of use projects Demolition & Groundworks

Professional Services to the Agricultural, Industrial & Equestrian Sectors

CALL TO DISCUSS YOUR PROJECT!

FREEPHONE: 01233 659129

from BT land-line

charlie.woodger@btinternet.com

To advertise in South East Farmer telephone 01303 233883

CONSTRUCTION

Agriculture ~ Cold Storage ~ Equestrian ~ Industrial ~ Waste Recycling • Agricultural Buildings • Cold Store Buildings • Equestrian Buildings • Industrial Buildings • Waste Recycling Buildings TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

01323 890403 www.danddconstruction.co.uk info@danddconstruction.co.uk

• Structural Steel • Drawing Services • Design Services • Mezzanine Floors • Custom Steelwork

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | NOVEMBER 2021

CLASSIFIEDS A1 Installations ALUMINIUM GUTTERING SPECIALISTS

LEAKING GUTTERING? Seamless aluminium guttering and gutter linings for all concrete, asbestos and metaI valley gutters. Ideal for Atcost, Crendan and Tyler type barns.

CONSTRUCTION t: t:01787 01787474217 474217 07900920023 920023 m:m:07900

SHORTLAND STRUCTURES LTD

a1dave@hotmail.co.uk e: e: a1dave@hotmail.co.uk

WE OPERATE NATIONWIDE

The material has a life expectancy in excess of 30 years.

• STEEL FRAMED BUILDINGS • CLADDING • ERECTING • • EXTENSIONS • ALTERATIONS • CONCRETE PANELS • ROLLER/SLIDING/PERSONNEL DOORS •

Please call or email for a free quote.

Tel: 01732 460912 Mobile: 07976 287836 Email: sales@shortlandstructures.com

www.shortlandstructures.com

www.a1installations.co.uk

DOMESTIC • INDUSTRIAL • NEW BUILD • AGRICULTURAL

JPR “ROOFING” & GUTTERING INSTALLATIONS LTD

Fully insured and licensed. 23 years family run business. Covering all KENT & SUSSEX New metal roofs installed over old asbestos roofs with insulation & low u-values ! Asbestos roof removals New roof replacements

Asbestos disposals

To advertise in South East Farmer telephone 01303 233883

Penfold Profiles

Asbestos removal Sheeting Guttering

Roof light & sheet repairs

RAMSA K M

Gutter repairs

Specialists in agricultural and industrial buildings

Gutter replacements & re-lining Strip & refurbishment works Change of use projects

ASBESTOS Survey Removal Disposal

Demolition & Groundworks

GUTTERS Aluminium liners PVC liners Accessories

SHEETING

Over-Cladding & Metal Insulated Roofs & Walls

Contact: Charlie, for a no obligation quotation: Tel: 07813 142145 or 01233 659129 (7 days)

Complete buildings New roof system for conversions Repairs – Rooﬂights

07864 823 476 07889 481618 penfoldprofiles@btinternet.com www.penfoldprofiles.co.uk

Penfold Profiles. Lees Paddock, High Halden, Ashford, Kent

DESIGN • PLANNING • PROJECT MANAGEMENT • DEMOLITION • GROUNDWORKS • CONSTRUCTION • FIT-OUT • LANDSCAPING

RESIDENTIAL AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIAL tom.bower@salamandergroup.net / 07507 639 560

Salamander is focused on delivering high quality sustainable developments within the residential, agricultural and industrial sectors. We offer the full range of services from planning through to completion, providing a unique perspective on how to get the most value from your assets.

www.salamandergroup.net

NOVEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

john.houlton@salamandergroup.net / 07813 747 361

CONTRACTORS Quality of work Reliability and honesty Unbeatable on price

G & S BROWN

Drainage Contractors Working with farmers since 1947

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

Specialist in the Agricultural, Industrial and Equestrian sectors.

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

www.brownsdrainage.co.uk

Steel frame supply and erect or just supply. Sheeting, cladding and oversheeting. Gutter replacement, repairs and lining. Steel frame, concrete frame alterations and repairs. Asbestos removal. Roof light and sheet changes.

LAND DRAINAGE, EARTHWORKS, GROUNDWORKS & CONSTRUCTION FULL LAND DRAINAGE SERVICE sportsfields, amenity and irrigation systems using Mastenbroek trenchers

Refurbishments and usage changes. Demolition, groundworks and site clearance.

OD & PARTNERS

PONDS, LAKES & RESERVOIRS construction and maintenance

24 hour call out in the event of ﬁre or break in.

S W ATTWOOD & PARTNERS 07784 619603 Roller shutters, sliding and personnel doors.

01227 918723 NAGE

LAND DRAINAGE

jez@JRJconstruction.co.uk

VEYING

CLASSIFIEDS

CONSTRUCTION

   

www.JRJconstruction.co.uk

FIELD MAPPING CONTRACTORS DRAINAGE SURVEYING DESIGN SWA DRAINAGE

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)

CROP DRYING

SW ATTWOOD & PARTNERS

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

ATTWOOD & PARTNERS

ND DRAINAGE

FIELD MAPPING DRAINAGE SURVEYING DESIGN DRAINAGE

220 PER ACRE

ON SIT OUR

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

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

oodfarms.com PHONE: 01795 880441

PLEASE CONTACT JAMES OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE TOM: 01795 880441 or 07943 192383

CLASSIFIEDS FROM £65

james@swattwood.com EMAIL: james@swattwood.com  EMAIL: GRAIN STORAGE & TESTING To advertise in South East Farmer telephone 01303 233883  LANDwww.swjfattwood.com DRAINAGE ER INFORMATION  PLANT HIRE OUR NTACT US OR VISIT WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | NOVEMBER 2021 TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883  INERT TIPPING  GRAIN STORAGE & TESTING

www.attwoodfarms.com

CLASSIFIEDS

HAULIERS EVENTS

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

07860 728204 Hay & Straw Merchant | Machinery Haulage

HAY & STRAW IN STOCK | ROUND & BIG SQUARE BALES

Find us on Facebook

PRESSURE WASHERS

HIRE SPECIALISTS ACROSS THE SOUTH EAST • Toilets & Showers for hire

SALES

• Large range of Temporary canteens, stores & welfare units

SERVICE

• Effluent Tank Emptying

• Events also catered for with chillers & toilets

HIRE

FOUR JAYS GROUP

01825 705777

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

Tel: 01622 843135 Fax: 01622 844410 enquiries@fourjays.co.uk www.fourjays.co.uk

FENCING Manufacturers of Chestnut Fencing Products Hardwood gates

We are a leading supplier and an approved repair centre With 50 years trading in the cleaning industry. With our strong ties and long term relationship with the leading manufacturers

STORAGE TANKS

SMITHS

of the Forest of Dean Ltd.

The Tank and Drum Experts

Cleft post and rail Stakes and posts Chestnut fencing

CWP fenci f n ng

Buy from stock. Visit us to collect or same day dispatch with nationwide delivery. New and recycled IBC Tanks. Plastic and Steel Drums. Water Tanks, IBCs & Fittings.

Tel: 07985298221 www.cwpfencing.co.uk

Redhill Farm Services: Fencing Division

ALL TYPES OF FENCING & GATES

VisitVisit www.smdd.co.uk www.smdd.co.uk

Or telephone on 01594 833308 for more information.

KING

STORAGE TANKS Horizontal Cylindrical Tanks

Supplied and erected & Repairs

From 54,500 litres to 27,250 litres (12,000 - 6,000 gallon) Single and twin compartments, with cradles

Tel: 01737 821220 Mob: 07768 931891 Email: redhillfarmservices@gmail.com

Bunded Tanks From 27,000 litres to 10,000 litres (6,000 - 2,000 gallon) With cabinet, guage and alarm

To advertise in South East Farmer telephone 01303 233883

All suitable for fuel, water and effluent Call today for details

NOVEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

Tel 01638 712328

www.thekinggroup.co.uk/tanks

CROSSWORD ®

VINEYARDS

COMPLETE OUR CROSSWORD TO WIN Two bottles of Monks Delight, two bottles of Special Mead and one bottle of Special Reserve

ACROSS

9 10

12 13 14

Crossword by Rebecca Farmer, Broadstairs, Kent

PRIZE ANAGRAM: Rare breed goat (6,8)

To enter, simply unscramble the anagram (6,8) using the green squares.

1 2

Fresh water fish (6) Metal spikes with flat head driven into wood (5) Precipitation (4) Language common to a specific region (7) Remove feathers (5) Device used to regulate a vehicle (7) Comfy (4) Legume (4) Make an exact copy (9) Young sheep (4) Zero score (3) Full length (5) Constantly try to persuade someone (3) Containing nothing (5) A planned occasion (5) Help (6)

3 4 6 7 10 13 14 15 17 18 19 21 23 24

Kent town (9) Where you park your car (5) Authentic (8) A bright day (5) Taken before a cricket match (4) Bird with distinctive feathers (7) Furniture used for dining (9,5) A tool for used for turning a bolt (7) Top priority (6) Leaf vegetable used in salad (6) Laid by chickens (4) Manoeuvre (10) World’s first sticky stamp (10) Temporary structure usually made of cloth (4)

DOWN

19 24

1 5 8 9 11 12 14 16 18 20 23 25 26 27

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS:

PRIZE ANAGRAM: Left behind after harvest (5)

Email your replies with your name, address and phone number to sef.ed@kelsey.co.uk Correct entries will be entered into a draw which will take place on 2 November. The winner will be announced in the December edition. TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

VINEYARDS

For a winter warmer we are offering readers the chance to win two bottles of Monks Delight, two bottles of Special Mead and one bottle of Special Reserve. Enter the crossword to be in with a chance of winning four bottles of our favourite wine, Ortega. For more information about the vineyards, please visit www.biddendenvineyards.com or call 01580 291726. *Subject to availability

O N

V 11

N T

O W N

D O

E N

U M

I 14

U M

L L

E 20

U 25

Y 19

U P

E 15

W D

S 13

E A

T I

W H

Correct answer: Spotted Wing Drosophila LAST MONTH’S WINNER: Carolyn Piper from Loose, Maidstone, Kent

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | NOVEMBER 2021

G IN 021 EN R 2 EVOBE ENOCT

P O th 28

ERNEST DOE POWER – ASHFORD

NOW OPEN FOR SALES, SERVICE AND PARTS • Branch and Sales Manager | STEVE PATFIELD.....................................................07917 163394 • Area Sales Manager | TOM WHEATLEY...................................................................07387 023467 • Service Manager | JANET NOAKES ...........................................................................07870 230890 • Parts and Assistant Branch Manager | JAMES EMERY...................................07385 380483 Hendon Barn, Woodchurch, Ashford, Kent TN26 3QP Tel: 01233 224860 Shop online: ernestdoeshop.com

South East Farmer November 2021

Articles inside

SOUTH OF ENGLAND FARMING CONFERENCE

NICK ADAMES

LEGAL

ADVICE FROM THE VET

Wider investment for college

ALAN WEST

BOVINE TB

ANITA HEAD

STEPHEN CARR

NIGEL AKEHURST VISITS

Baffling decision leaves pigs at risk

Wool prices increase