Farming Nick Green

Days of cheap food may be over

SUCCESSIVE governments have realised the value in keeping food prices low to help control inflation. With the increased global movement of food and a more concentrated group of retailers, this has aided each government. Food spend per household as a percentage of income in the UK in 1961 was 28.20%. In 2021 this had dropped to 10.80%.

The cost of food has reduced in significance to almost being a disposable element. Three issues are coming which will take off whatever brake food has had on inflation. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will impact on global grain supplies.

On its own, this will affect the price of anything which uses grain whether to feed animals or produce any human food which uses flour. Russia produces a huge amount of the world’s fertiliser which won’t be available to use on various crops (including grass) around the world.

This will impact on yields and mean less to go around. The public concern over global warming is influencing consumer habits and farmers are being encouraged to farm the environment rather than produce food which has the potential to reduce what is available to shoppers.

In a perfect storm these three issues have the potential to disrupt global supplies to the extent those who can’t afford the food will go hungry. As a relatively wealthy nation we will see food prices increase quite quickly.

The days of cheap food will disappear and I think as consumers we will need to think more about our own food security and, dare I say it, go back to how our predecessors shopped in the 1960s, local and seasonal.

On a more positive note the North Somerset Show is being held on the first

With NICK GREEN

May Bank Holiday. As well as it being an event which welcomes anyone with an interest in farming, food and the environment, it is part of many farmers’ “social season”.

Global pandemics allowing, these agricultural shows are fixtures in the farming calendar and a date when farmers know they can have a day away from the farm and enjoy the fruits of theirs and others labours.

Nick Green is Farms Director for Alvis Bros Ltd based at Lye Cross Farm. He is responsible for the farming and estate business and is passionate about British food and farming. As well as the business, he is involved with a number of local and national farming charities.

RECOJCB –where great minds think alike

Two of the South West’s most successful farm machinery companies have joined forces to establish the country’s first dedicated JCB agricultural dealership.

RECO JBC, based on the A37 near Gurney Slade, is the result of a long-standing friendship between Nick Heal of Redlynch Tractors, of Bruton, and the owners of Compass Tractors, of Bridgwater, Justin Nichols and Richard Parris.

They decided to join forces when the JCB dealership franchise became available last year and realised the former car showroom and garage offered the ideal location for the new venture’s HQ.

The site is run by Nick’s son, Louis, and boasts extensive workshop facilities and parts storage, with a 15-strong team, some of whom work out of either Redlynch’s depots or Compass’s base to serve area.

Both companies continue to offer an extensive range of machinery by other manufacturers such as Fendt, Valtra and Krone, as well as parts and servicing, with RECO JCB managing JCB for both.

RECO JCB covers all of Somerset and Dorset as well as a large part of Wiltshire, with five depots accessible to JCB customers. Louis said: “Around this time last year, the dealership became available and JCB approached us to see if we were interested in taking it on.

“Although Redlynch and Compass might be seen to be neighbouring competing dealers, there is an historic working relationship and it was decided to form a stand-alone company, RECO JCB from the get-go. Being a sole manufacturer dealer, it allows us to concentrate on providing the best JCB has to offer without any distractions, almost as a specialist status.”

There are some familiar faces at the Gurney Slade site. Rob Uphill, who used to run Uphill Machinery at Chewton Mendip, is involved and others include his sister Claire, who is the office manager, Alice Tucker, who is a parts adviser, and service engineer Steve Gibbs; the latter three both used to work for Smart Agri.

The first machine to leave the RECO site went to the Pennys Group who acquired a TM420S telescopic wheel loader for their plant at Green Ore. Louis said: “The response from customers has been very positive and this is an ideal location. We’ve still got some more work to do here, but JCB is a brand known worldwide and that is a real bonus. It’s easily recognisable and there is no mistaking what we do. We’re hoping to organise an open day very soon, so watch this space.

“It’s also a new venture for JBC too; we’re the only dedicated JCB agricultural dealer in the UK!”

RECO JCB’s first public “appearance” was at last year’s Frome Cheese Show and RECO plans to have stands at all the major agricultural shows in 2022, including next month’s North Somerset Show, the Mid-Somerset (they were one of the sponsors of the show society’s recent hedge laying competition), Frome Cheese Show and the Dairy Show.

Louis says it’s an exciting time for the dealership, with JCB –being the market leader which has been making agricultural equipment since 1945 – launching a series of electric-powered machines such as the 525-60E Loadall Telehandler and an electric dumpster as well as investing £100 million in hydrogen technology.

He added: “JCB are a very progressive company, always looking to the future. There are many pioneering products within the range and it’s great to represent them.

“With so much emphasis on becoming carbon neutral, electric technology is the ‘here, now and available’, but longer-term, hydrogen is going to become the fuel of the future for the agricultural industry, with them being able to farm the fuel they use.”

Louis Heal at the RECO JCB base at Gurney Slade

North Somerset Show is nearly here

ITis roughly a month until the return of the North Somerset Show, which will welcome traders, exhibitors, society members and the general public to their beautiful showground in Flax Bourton on Monday, May 2nd.

The organisation of the show is nearly completed and they are getting ready to send out the exhibitor passes and all the further information about the attractions.

Show secretary, Tim Ledbury, said: “For me the excitement is building, I have missed the anticipation of the show and the challenges that it brings.

“Having missed the last two years I am pleased to say that we can once again offer a fantastic day out for all the family. With the livestock, horses, tractor pulling and the countryside area all returning as well as the fantastic local produce in our food hall.

“A must-watch is the North Somerset Strongman competition. We have a good number of competitors so watch out for their profiles on our Facebook page.”

Advance tickets are available and are selling really well so take advantage of the discounted prices by going to their website.

Details: www.nsas.org.uk

Young farmers support Ukraine

Tractors take to the road

NORTHSomerset Young Farmers held a tractor run which raised £1,594.57 split between the Farming Community Network and refugee aid in Ukraine.

It was organised by Jay Alvis, Sam Webb, Eleanor Thatcher and Alice Joyner, and all of the North Somerset young farmers’ members.

WELLS and Glastonbury Young Farmers Club is organising its first tractor run to raise money for research into Motor Neurone Disease and club funds.

The run takes place on Sunday, April 3rd, from Melsbury Farm at Polsham, near Wells. All are welcome to take part. Tractors should arrive at 11am for an 11.30am start. l It costs £10 per tractor. For details, find Wells and Glastonbury Young Farmers on Facebook.

Rose’s gift to the homeless

A SPECIAL rose has been created in memory of Jennifer Rose Sell and will be launched at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show with the proceeds of each sale going to the BillyChip foundation for the homeless. The former Norton Hill student died in a car crash in 2019 at the age of 20. Friends, together with her family, Janice, Colin and brother Sam, decided a rose would be a fitting tribute to someone who was so gifted, creative and a keen lover of nature.

Much of the money raised came from the sale of knitted roses that were made by hundreds of people across the country. Covid put a stop to any further fundraising but by then the target had already been exceeded.

Despite the pandemic, the family continued liaising with David White at Harkness Roses to cultivate and grow the special rose in Jenny’s name. It will be launched at the Chelsea Flower Show which runs from May 24th-28th. The rose will then go on sale nationwide.

Jenny’s mum said: “A few ladies have recently sent me ‘bunches’ of spare knitted and crocheted roses left over from the fundraising campaign. I have been pinning them to tape to make Rose bunting in readiness for our local Rose launch events which we are planning for this summer.

“Thank you to all who made just one or many. You have helped make this wonderful idea and tribute to our lovely Jenny into a reality.”

The BillyChip foundation is a local charity created by the family of Billy Abernethy-Hope, from Bishop Sutton, who died in a motorcycle accident in Thailand, also aged 20. It is expanding rapidly across the country.

It was Billy’s idea before he died to find a way to support homeless people by giving them tokens to exchange for food and drink to overcome the reluctance of people to give them money.

Both families says they believe both Jenny and Billy would wholeheartedly approve.