#STUDENTFARMER - January 2018

THE BUSINESS EDITION

January 2018

BUILD YOUR BUSINESS

From food to festivals, read the step-by-step guide to building your business

A FOOT IN THE GATE

GOT LAND? GET BANDS

BACK BRITISH FARMING AT UNI

Different ways to get into the world of farming

How to set up a festival in your spare field

Get your students union to support the cause

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22 Published by: NFU, Agriculture House, Stoneleigh Park, Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, CV8 2TZ Filled with words by: Huw Hopkins, Orla McIlduff, Tom Sales, Jo Travis, Katie Gibson Designed by: John Cottle Front cover image: George Fairburn To advertise, contact: Alan Brown on alan.brown@nfu.org.uk Contact: Email: studentfarmer@nfu.org.uk Facebook.com/StudentFarmer Twitter: @studentfarmer Instagram: @studentfarmer

05 DON’T LET LIMBO GET YOU DOWN 06 FROM MIGHTY OAKES 10 FARM FEST 14 FROM MILKING TO BREWING 17 STAYING LEGAL 18 THE STUDENT FARMERS' MARKET 20 BREAD, GLORIOUS BREAD 22 FARM GIRLS 25 GRAD SCHEME – LAST MINUTE TIPS 26 START ‘EM YOUNG 29 ONE DISH TO RULE THEM ALL 35 MAKE THE LOAN LAST 36 YFC SHOWED ME THE WAY 38 NFU CONFERENCE – A SURVIVOR’S GUIDE 40 YOUR UNI CAN BACK BRITISH FARMING! I’M NOT A BUSINESSMAN – I’M A BUSINESS, MAN You’ve spent a few weeks with some home cooking, turkey dinners, off-the-chart chocolate intake and now you’re a broke ag student in badly heated accommodation.

Fear not – the latest edition of #StudentFarmer is here!

To solve the problem of no money or no food, we have put together a simple guide so you can create four meals from one batch of ingredients, and this issue also features some advice on making your loan last until the end of term.

But we also want you to start thinking about life after education, which is why this is The Business Edition. We break down everything you need to know about starting a company or diversifying a business into a simple step-by-step guide, just like a new box of Lego. We cover tax, employment and legal issues, and give you some amazing tips and inspiring ideas to help you get started.

Whether you’re interested in setting up a mini-festival on farm, want to get better university food, or if you dream of opening up your own brewery – we’ve got you covered.

If you’re too scared to set up in business yet, you can also meet this year’s NFU grad scheme peeps and get top tips from them for your application and interview.

Huw Hopkins Editor, #STUDENTFARMER @HuwNFU January 2018 / #STUDENTFARMER

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MOVING ON TO PASTURES NEW y The bubble of university will eventuall pop, and Katie Gibson has been getting used to life in the real world

As I stood clutching a champagne flute with one hand and tossing my mortarboard into the air with the other, I felt ready to breeze through graduate life. However, by September I had lost some of my graduate optimism.

The antidote to this is not to dwell on the fact I’m unemployed, but instead make the most of this valuable time. I am undertaking work placements with various magazines, helping me to get a whole lot more experience. I am beginning to see the fruits of my labour: I started out STRUGGLING WITH as the ultimate tea girl, LIFE AFTER UNI? but recently had the There are branches of the excitement of seeing National Federation of Young my name in print. It’s Farmers' Clubs around the these little moments country. To find your nearest, that help me realise visit www.nfyfc.org.uk it’s important to keep pushing for the dream job.

have helped me realise the type of working environment I would suit – they have also improved my confidence. If you get offered an interview, you should always take the opportunity – just think of it as practice.

WORK EXPERIENCE After three years of studying Rural Land Management I made the scary decision to follow my heart and chase my dream job: writing about the countryside and the people who live and work in it. Landing your dream job is never easy, and journalism jobs are notoriously difficult to obtain.

There have been times that I felt like a failure by not having a graduate job lined up. Ex-students can be viewed as lazy, even if we’re applying for plenty of jobs, and it can be demoralising if friends and coursemates seemed to have waltzed into the workplace.

SOCIALISING Changing the topic slightly from the world of work, becoming a graduate meant I didn’t just leave university, but also my ‘aggy’ friends. I soon solved this problem by going along to my local Young Farmers' Club, which was hosting a night for potential members as part of National Young Farmers' Week. After all, there’s only so long an RAU graduate can survive without hearing the words “have you seen the new John Deere?”.

JOB INTERVIEWS Graduates will know the struggle of trawling the web for jobs and completing endless applications. I have been lucky enough to bag two job interviews that were vastly different: one was almost an informal chat, while the other consisted of a timed assessment. No job offer came from either, but the experiences

APPLY FOR THE NFU GRAD SCHEME!

Still unsure what your next plan is?

The NFU Grad Scheme can help you figure that out while you learn on the job. Visit www.nfuonline.com for more information on how to apply January 2018 / #STUDENTFARMER

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If you’ve had dreams of working in farming and don’t know how, the farm gate might be a good start – as Huw Hopkins discovered

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#STUDENTFARMER / January 2018

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F

illing out applications can suck, but, sometimes, simply walking up to a farm gate and asking for work can be just as effective.

That is exactly what Callum Casey, Sophie Warner and Lewis PatillaGroom did. Now they take the reins at Michael Oakes’ farm regularly when the NFU dairy board chairman is away on business. And the trio has developed a new love for cows.

University-educated Sophie, 22, said: “We definitely have our favourites – some cows are friendly or occasionally do something funny.”

At 23, Callum is the oldest of Oakes’ acorns, but his passion started as the son of a local herdsman, and continues to this day: “You’re with them every day. You’ll have a cow that comes from a certain family that you like and you want to keep that bloodline.”

The youngest of the group, Lewis, was just 15 when he visited on Open Farm Sunday in 2016. As a typical teenager playing video games and lazing around the house, he didn’t realise there was a farm only 15 minutes away, but after his visit, he asked if he could go to watch some milking one day. And he never left.

Lewis said: “I spend most weekdays down here. There might be some days my mum can’t give me a lift but I’m here most weekdays and some weekends.”

Whereas Callum’s strengths come in the form of a lifetime’s experience, Sophie’s move from London to Lichfield at 16 saw her work hard throughout university to develop a strong knowledge

“There’s a lot more women coming into it now, but older farmers think you’re not strong enough to do certain things. Some farms I went to didn’t take me seriously, but it’s different now“ of agriculture. She said: “In college you learn the proper way of doing things, but on farm you learn the realistic way.”

Despite their different routes, they all have similar views on how a farm should be run and what to look for in a heifer – as proven in their investment of a joint purchase and ownership of a few cows, which they hope to slowly expand until they have enough to start their own farm.

Sophie is proud of the hard work and responsibility they have: “The motivation behind working long hours is the more you put into the cows the more you get out of them. The little jobs you do, you can see an instant result from it.”

She and Callum have built a strong working bond in the long days they have worked together. While seeming like chalk and cheese, they have developed attributes that complement each other, keeping each other going on tough days.

They also had high praise for Lewis.

Callum said: “For him to have the confidence and come here, initially, without getting paid. He’s really managed to prove himself.”

Sophie echoed this: “Because he’s keen, you want to take the extra time to teach him and put more time into him. If you come across as keen, people will be willing to make the effort to help you.”

Lewis has had life-changing experiences just one year into working on farm. He said: “One of the best things to have done is calving. When I was younger, it’s something I never thought I’d end up doing, especially at just 15.”

The future looks promising for the trio. Lewis moved on in September, and started studying agriculture at Reaseheath College in Cheshire. He said: “I’ve just done my GCSEs, but A-levels never appealed to me because there weren’t any subjects I liked, so once I got a job here I knew I wanted to go to agricultural college.”

The other two have plans to get their own farm, and Sophie is especially motivated. She said: “You either want to be in the industry or you don’t. There’s a lot more women coming into it now, but older farmers think you’re not strong enough to do certain things. Some farms I went to didn’t take me seriously, but it’s different now.”

And even Callum admitted to being surprised by Sophie’s talent and passion for farming. He said: “She made me see things differently. I have worked with female farmers in the past but they’ve drifted off to the vet side or left farming entirely. I now know that there’s nothing a man can do that a woman can’t. If a young woman wanted to get into farming, I’d say go for it. It’s doable – you can do it.”

Now that Lewis has gone, Sophie and Callum know they might not be with Michael Oakes forever, but they have learnt a lot from being under his wing, just as the NFU dairy board chairman has benefited from having them. He opened his farm to the public and was willing to take on young, inexperienced staff. He has had good service out of them, and has invested in the future of dairy farming.

Michael said: “When the old car factory down the road closed in 2005, not a single person came to knock on the door, even when 6,000 people lost their jobs.

But these three were keen enough to turn up and ask.”

Sometimes, that’s all it takes.

January 2018 / #STUDENTFARMER

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From the most epic, show-stopping concerts, to the quaint, comMunity gigs, festivals come in alL shapes and sizes – here’s how your farm could host the next great festival this sumMer

W

hen #StudentFarmer met with Michael Eavis (that old guy that runs Glastonbury on the right) for a tour of Worthy Farm, it became clear that one of the most valuable assets you have as a farmer (beyond the ability to work damn hard) is the land you work on. Outside the intense, alcoholfuelled weeks in the summer, the Glastonbury site rotates neighbouring sheep for pasture and dairy cows – 900 acres can be useful!

But if you don’t have the capacity or contact list to put together a line-up that will attract hundreds of thousands of punters, fear not. The few acres you have, as well your ties to the local community, means that you can still put together a profitable, kick-

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ass event for a nearby audience that could please your farm manager.

Clever folks have been doing research and stuff about something called ‘the experience economy’ since before time began (1998). It basically says that people want to spend money on unique, spontaneous, and immersive entertainment that creates a multisensory experience. So if music isn’t your thing, get creative about using the space you have: it could be an adventure festival; an arts festival; a play festival for kids; a sports festival. We’ve compiled some fantastic advice from some of the best in the business at making events happen over the next few pages – the only thing you have to do is pick a theme.

#STUDENTFARMER / January 2018

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Something completely different – The Good Life Experience event may tempt you. You can camp or bring a motorhome, but Chester is a few miles away and there’s plenty of B&B accommodation to choose from if you’d rather commute the short distance.

You want to run your own family“We’re small. We had 4,000 visitors friendly festival, but how do you make last year and we’re taking it in baby it stand out from the plethora of steps. By being independent with no events that now run every summer? sponsorship it allows us to break the Singer and radio DJ Cerys Matthews rules with hand-picked guests, much like co-founded of The Good Life the playlist on my BBC Radio 6 show.

Experience, which offers the usual The festival brings together intelligent music, camping and outdoor revelry, and like-minded people.” but also invites you to get stuck in with Last year’s line-up included Children’s crafts, food and music-making.

Laureate Michael Rosen, BBC Wildlife Cerys said: “There’s no VIP area, it’s presenter Kate Humble, songwriter hands-on. It’s great for children to get Michael Head, Masterchef winner and Wahaca founder Thomasina Miers, Roger out into the countryside and get their Phillips (the world’s leading mushroom hands dirty – it’s like the Great British expert) and author Frank Cottrell-Boyce.

Bake Off mixed with Bear Grylls.”

Sunday Times columnist and writer India If the sea of people swaying in their Knight also joined the bill to talk about thousands in front of the Pyramid her love of dogs. And Shelter also runs a Stage at Glastonbury is enough to put popular fundraising dog show. you off festivals for life, then Cerys’ It’s a wonderful setting as a s it’ – ea ar P VI it takes place at the former no ’s “There home of four-time Prime hands-on event. It’s great Minister William Gladstone.

Helen Cotterill enjoyed the ‘Bake Off mixed with Bear Grylls’ of family festivals, which is run by former Catatonia singer Cerys Matthews

The Harwarden Estate provides a stunning backdrop, coming complete with two great castles in the grounds and being just down the road from the world’s finest residential library, Gladstone’s Library.

The aim is that guests leave the festival inspired and energised, rather than exhausted and empty pocketed.

Value for money is high on Cerys’ agenda, with endless free rides on the vintage 1930s fairground and the vast majority of activities being free on entry, with no charge for under-12s.

Cerys has a love of landscape. She said: “I was born in Cardiff, moved to Swansea and visited Pembrokeshire a lot as a child as we had cousins there who were dairy farmers. I think it’s important that if you have problems then you should get outdoors and connect with the landscape.

“There’s so much pressure on young people today. If they come to the festival then they can get stuck in, cook on a campfire, learn bushcraft, make pottery, meet cool people and get a real sense of achievement.”

for children to get out into the countryside and get their hands dirty – it’s like the Great British Bake OfF mixed with Bear GrylLs”

January 2018 / #STUDENTFARMER

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Starting from scratch – Our Back Yard Orla McIlduff spoke to the driving force behind Our Back Yard Festival of Music, Sarah Champ, about the challenges and rewards of establishing a music festival Sarah Champ is a city girl.

Before moving from Cardiff to live with her partner Joe on his farm in County Armagh nine years ago, she worked as a marketing manager for newspapers in South Wales.

After moving across the Irish Sea, she studied teaching and subsequently began to work in a college close by.

Sarah said: “The festival was originally organised in 2014 to help students with a project they were doing at college. The idea arose because part of the High National Diploma course included a bit on doing live sound and the students wanted to do outdoor sound.”

The students varied from those studying sound to musicians and engineers. And Sarah knew immediately that she had the perfect area for it on the farm: “I said ‘you can do it in my back yard’ and that’s how it all started.”

The back yard in question is usually home to the four-legged livestock of Joe’s beef enterprise rather than twolegged music fans, but it makes a nice change for one day each year.

Setting up the festival was relatively simple in theory, but Sarah soon found that it was a bigger undertaking than she could have anticipated. “We had to start everything from scratch.

There were police checks, health and safety inspections, getting the council licencing sorted and not to mention finding all the suppliers.”

It hasn’t been completely plain sailing for the team. In its first year, the festival made a loss. “It needed to be run more as a business than a project, with more marketing involved

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“The students that started it have stayed with it which is wonderful. We now have several students who are now directors of the company” to be feasible. The following year we took a break and got a strategy in place, but the students that started it have stayed with it, which is wonderful. We now have several students who are now directors of the company.”

There is a committee of four who run the festival each year. Our Back Yard operates as a community interest company, the sort that is designed for social enterprises and uses its profits and assets for public good. In the case of Our Back Yard, this means that anything the festival earns in profit goes back into the pot for the following year. Although this is not the only way to run a festival, it suits Sarah and the rest of the team.

The festival attendance in 2017 was double what the original festival attendance was in 2014, and it should increase again in 2018. Acts that play at the festival include a mix of established

Irish favourites and up-and-coming local talent.

Work is already well underway for 1 July 2018, when Our Back Yard is set to be its biggest incarnation yet. Most of the committee has now moved to Belfast for work and they scout out acts for next year’s line-up during their free time, and the work experience they have since gained working on Our Back Yard has proven invaluable to them regarding the rest of their career.

From farm to festival, what started as a college project has become an important annual date in cultural landscape of Northern Ireland as well as being the perfect fusion of student life, farming and music.

For more information on Our Back Yard, visit their website at: www.ourbackyardfestival.co.uk/

#STUDENTFARMER / January 2018

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Tips to running a successful festival 1

Keeping everyone safe and happy is paramount. The Health and Safety Executive has an online resource called the Event Safety Guide to point organisers in the right direction. You’ll need to create an event management plan and a health and safety consultant can assist with this.

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Keep up constant communications with local authorities and with the community in the area of your festival.

This can be the difference between creating a smoothly-run event and it being cancelled.

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James Willis co-organises Bearded Theory at Catton Hall in Derbyshire (set for on 24-27 May 2018, visit www.beardedtheory.co.uk).

From humble beginnings as a fancy-dress party at the Knockerdown Public House in 2007, the festival has grown to welcome 10,000 music fans and 150 bands in 2017, and was named Best Family Festival at the UK Festival Awards last year.

Do you fancy yourself as a Mini-Me to Michael Eavis? Read on for some of James’ top tips to make your festival rock…

Choosing a good site is key. It needs to be accessible to transport links and requires large access roads to accommodate a number of HGVs with multiple points of entry. Overhead and underground power lines are risks that need to be considered, as well as drainage in the event of wet weather. It doesn’t take a lot of surface water during a site build for a few telehandlers to make a mess of the ground – procedures to counter this early will pay dividends.

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Keep everyone hydrated. Get a water system with adequate pressure to accommodate the extra load. Temporary solutions are available.

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Have you hired in enough toilets?

The HSE’s event safety guide will specify how many you need to get as a minimum, and it’s also important to keep them maintained by the contractor while the event is active.

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Having enough provision for litter and waste removal requires thought. Different audience demographics generate different amounts of waste, and younger crowds – not #StudentFarmer readers, obviously – tend to leave the most behind. Middle-aged people will clean up after themselves if you’ve provided enough bins, but having a litter-picking team is a good plan.

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Temporary metal roadway can be a life-saver. It’s expensive but get as much of it as possible, regardless of the weather forecast.

A sturdy stage and any temporary structures, such as large tents, need to be built to spec, meeting temporary demountable structures (TDM) and construction design and management (CDM) regulations. Hiring a structural engineer is essential. A lot of the information can be found on the Event Safety Guide.

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Don’t take on too much. Running a festival is a full-time job at the best of times, so subcontract out as much as possible. If things get bigger, it’s advisable to hire in a good site-management team that will take the pressure off the organisers during the event.

Finally, make sure you are contactable at all times on the day. It’s exciting, but this will be a busy time for you and it is also exhausting. Make sure you have fun, and get lots of help – trust me, you’ll need it!

January 2018 / #STUDENTFARMER

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Molly Chenery visited the Church Farm Brewery, a family business in Warwickshire that has become a leading light in diversification, thanks to a couple of innovative recent graduates

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#STUDENTFARMER / January 2018

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unning your own brewery is every student’s dream, but for Sam Brown, it became a reality five years ago when part of his family’s dairy farm was converted into a micro-brewery. I first met him when his farm hosted an NFU county meeting – the beer was flowing and a ploughman’s was provided (it was probably the best meeting I’ve been to).

The farm is almost self-sufficient, with a water-well right next to the brew house, as Sam explained: “We grow our own grain, Odyssey malting barley, it’s a spring crop. Then once we’ve brewed, the spent grain is fed to our herd of 100 Herefordshire beef cattle.”

Church Farm Brewery is a family business. Sam heads up the operation with his dad, Andrew, while his mum Jo takes on sales, and younger brother Harry brews and occasionally turns his hand to branding.

Sam had not long finished studying economics at Cardiff University when the transition from milk to beer started.

The family had been brewing beer on a small scale for man-cave-type parties, when they realised they weren’t half bad at it. He said: “We were lucky that we had a lot of the right equipment at the correct quality and standard, they only needed minor modifications.”

The bottling machines used to bottle the milk now bottle beer, the milk tanks are fermentation vessels and the milk receiving tank is now a mash tun.

Although much of the equipment could be adapted, the modification needed

The Church Farm Brewery process MALT BARLEY Church Farm Brewery uses only the finest hand malted Marris Otter English malts.

WATER

investment and the team received a grant from Defra for creating employment in the rural sector.

The brewing room looks like Willy Wonka’s factory. The enormous tanks will hold 6,000 pints – easily enough for a term or two at uni.

Sam loves his job and has a true passion for brewing. He said: “The best part of my job is the freedom. I can be inside managing a brew and then pop outside into the beautiful countryside to sit on a tractor or tend to the cows.”

In his spare time, Sam is studying a long-distance MSc in Brewing and Distillery at Herriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh campus. And now that his younger brother Harry has finished his Bio-Medical Science degree at Newcastle University, he is brewing with the rest of the family and has designed many labels.

On top of all that, six acres of the farm are covered in 300 cider apple trees, so keep your eyes peeled for a Church Farm cider in the near future!

#SF’s top 3 Church Farm brews Harry’s Heifer

Indian Pale Ale

Pale Ale

Aptly described as a ‘quaffable session ale’ the smooth, amber beer has a malty taste. Brewed with malts and hops, it has a hoppy aroma.

This golden, fruity and subtly hoppy IPA is full of flavour. Easy to drink, this beer wins loyal friends who will re-buy a few bottles each week.

A tangy taste accompanied with a subtle smell, this beer is for the masses. The pale ale is crisp and refreshing with a hoppy finish.

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5%

3.8%

The farm's well goes down 250 feet into the hallowed ground beneath the farm. They add nothing to the water, it’s as natural as it gets.

MASH TUN They mix the malt with water from the well to create a mash. The grain is soaked in warm water for up to two hours to convert the starches in the malt into sugar.

SPARGING The sweet wort is then collected from the mash tun and transferred to the boiler. The grains are rinsed with water to collect residual sugars.

BOILER Sweet wort is boiled along with hops to add bitterness and the aroma.

HEAT EXCHANGER After the boil, the water is cooled down to 20C via the heat exchanger.

FERMENTATION TANK Cold wort is transferred to our jacketed ex-milk tanks. Yeast is added and over the course of 2-4 days the cells ingest the sugars in the sweet wort to produce alcohol and carbon dioxide.

Learn how to brew on your farm Thinking about diversifying? These ag universities teach you to brew: •N ottingham University Masters in Brewing Science • Royal Agricultural University Wine Industry Module •P lumpton College Bachelor of Arts in Wine Business

January 2018 / #STUDENTFARMER

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LOOKING FOR A CAREER IN FARMING AND AGRICULTURE? Job Pages ent site The National Farmers Union recruitm s for rural and agricultural vacancie

jobs.nfuonline.com

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There are a lot of legal landmines you need to avoid when setting up your business. Here's top advice from some of the NFU’s best minds You’ve got to spend money to make money

There’s a lot to consider when deciding on the best tax system for you: are you going to be self-employed, a partnership or a limited company? The latter gives you certain protections, but you’ll pay corporation tax at 19%. Go self-employed and you’re personally liable for debts, but if the business is your only income you won’t pay tax on the first £11,500 profit. Then again, it’s unlikely the start-up will provide your only earnings, so you need to look at your tax affairs in the round, especially if it’s a diversification of the family farming business.

Regardless, you have to register with HMRC and keep the right records, and some things are deductible. NFU tax expert Michael Parker said: “You need to work out the turnover and costs and where you want to be in five years.”

Get help early (NFU Student & Young Farmer members can get free advice by calling NFU CallFirst on 03708 458458).

Health and safety

Your workplace must be safe and must conduct a suitable, sufficient risk assessment – the Health and Safety Executive has a template you can use.

Find it online at www.hse.gov.uk/risk/.

A risk assessment has to be in writing, and you also need employer liability insurance. Public liability isn’t a legal requirement, but it’s advisable if you have customers, contractors and delivery drivers come to your premises.

Data dues

Collecting personal data? If you think about it, every business has an element of collecting customer data.

What about those orders, customer text messages or the survey about your new pickle? There are also shops that set up loyalty cards to encourage regular customers to support them. Put simply, if it’s written down or electronically stored, make sure it’s within the scope of the Data Protection Act.

#StudentFarmer used the NFU Employment Service to put this article together.

Expert Priya Sheth said: “We love entrepreneurs, but there are things to be aware of. Luckily there are lots of places to get advice and the Employment Service can provide ad-hoc help, like drafting contracts, even if you are not at a place where you’re ready to enter into full membership.”

Doing food?

Whether you operate out of a van, have a stall at a farmers’ market or do catering from home, all food businesses must register with the local environmental health department.

Food must be labelled properly and you’ll need a written safety management system. If you handle open food, like meat from your livestock, or home-made food, it’s important to consider safety in more depth than we can put here. All staff should have basic food hygiene training and hand-washing facilities must be available. Cleaning products must be provided and stored safely.

Useful websites

STARTING OUT www.gov.uk/set-up-business GENERAL EMPLOYMENT ISSUES www.gov.uk/browse/employing-people EMPLOYMENT LAW www.acas.org.uk INSURANCE, HEALTH AND SAFETY www.hse.gov.uk or www.food.gov.uk NFU EMPLOYMENT SERVICE www.nfuonline.com/employment DATA PROTECTION ico.org.uk/for-organisations/business/

January 2018 / #STUDENTFARMER

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02/01/2018 15:38:21

The faces of

#localandfresh Orla McIldufF revisits her alma mater to catch up with some old friends and colLeagues

W

hen four PhD students at The University of Nottingham became disillusioned with the food being served on their campus, they took matters to their own hands and set up a market selling local and artisan products.

The students were unhappy about the fact that just one caterer had the monopoly on food and retail on site as they felt this didn’t complement the campus ethos, which specifically provides courses for students of veterinary, agriculture, nutritional sciences and other associated subjects.

ny “I have gained so ma y and skilLs in diplomac ing comMunication by be ee part of this comMitT in my free time” In 2011, the group held its very first market and played on the idea of local provenance to gain attention from their peers and lecturers. Luckily, the novelty hasn’t worn off and, almost seven years later, the market is still going strong.

Now, hundreds of people converge on Sutton Bonington campus on the first Wednesday of every month (during term time, of course), knowing that each stall is selling produce made or grown within a 50 mile radius of the university.

While the original market committee is long gone, its current counterpart is still going strong, headed up by its president, a final-year PhD student, Alistair Wright.

He said: “As the son of a farmer, I think it’s important that we take advantage of all the great food produced here in the East Midlands. We now have 13 regular stallholders, selling all sorts 18

of produce such as cakes, sweet treats, meat and fresh vegetables.”

Lauren Baker, another PhD candidate who has been on the committee for several years, said that she’s learned a lot from her time on the committee.

“While my academic life is purely science focused, I have gained so many skills in diplomacy and communication by being part of this committee in my free time. It’s a challenge to organise an event that brings together such a diverse range of people, but we usually manage to pull it off successfully.”

Alistair and Lauren agree that working on the market is a fulfilling pastime. “It’s a nice break from our studies each month which I think is really important when working so consistently on one topic,” said Alistair.

“With each new academic year there are also new committee members who change the group dynamic and this always revitalises the feel of the market, keeping it fresh.”

It’s a good thing that this is the case because the market’s tagline is

#localandfresh. Now well-known and loved within its local community, we spoke to three stallholders who told us their story about what Sutton Bonington Farmers’ Market means to them.

#STUDENTFARMER / January 2018

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02/01/2018 12:00:07

SUZANNAH STARKEY THE EXTRAORDINARY JOHN STARKEY BRAMLEY APPLE PRODUCTS “My family has been growing Bramley apples since 1910 when my grandfather planted what was then quite a large orchard in Southwell, Nottinghamshire.

My father, alongside scientists at the University of Nottingham, pioneered the rebirth of the Bramley with a genetic copy in 1994, preserving this special variety.

“On our farm we also grow soft fruits in polytunnels, but it’s more commercially viable for us to sell the majority of this fruit to larger supermarkets, and the 10% that we do sell privately gets bought by local greengrocers.

“However, our apple juices and compotes are premium products and need customers who are willing to pay for such a produce. Farmers’ markets are a great opportunity to see these products, because it’s a day out and an experience. The consumers here tend to be keen and interested in food and the wonderful local produce we can supply in this country. ”

JAMES LYDON BUFFALO BROWNIES “I’m the managing director of Buffalo Brownies Ltd, based in South Derbyshire, and we make dark chocolate brownies and blondies. Our business has been running for six years now, and we do quite a lot of online trade but nothing beats getting out to markets and food fairs. It gives people the opportunity to actually try our produce and sample all the flavours before they buy it, as well as promoting our brand and image.

“We also try to look at the ethics of running a business like ours. Seasonality is a big thing for us, we have special seasonal flavours such as Arcee, which is rhubarb and custard flavoured for spring, and using local strawberries for our BSB Summer special.

“Our business is brownies so we have to source some of our ingredients from elsewhere, but we do support local and British produce where possible, as provenance is important.

“We live in the countryside and understand that local farms rely on the trade we give them. The farm shop where we buy our eggs also stocks our brownies, so it’s a good example of symbiosis in supporting local businesses.”

NICKY CHAMBERS PICK’S ORGANIC FARM

“We are long-term stallholders here at Sutton Bonington Farmers’ Market, selling cooked burgers and hotdogs, but also our pre-cooked quality meat products. This particular market is only 10 miles from our farm, and we like to be able to connect with our customers and tell them the story of the produce they’re buying.

“It’s markets like this one that keep us farming. We have a small organic farm and it’s difficult for us to compete if we’re not selling directly to the consumer, and this market allows us to get a good return on what we’re producing ”

To find out more about Sutton Bonington Farmers’ Market, visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/ SBFarmersMKT/

January 2018 / #STUDENTFARMER

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02/01/2018 12:00:19

Orla McIldufF went to the World Bread Awards 2017 to find out about the best baps, bagels and bloomers made using a crop that farmers lovingly grow and harvest each year

I

f truth be told, I’m a bit of a bread snob. Growing up in Ireland where bread completes the holy trinity of staple foods (the other two being potatoes and beef, obvs), I must admit I didn’t used to eat much bread here in England, because I thought it was a bit rubbish, if I'm honest.

But after attending the World Bread Awards, I’m pleased to say I’ve been proven wrong (pun totally intended).

There were awards for various breads, including best fruit loaf, best sourdough, and even best Irish wheaten loaf (GET IN). But the award of the night, for me, was seeing Jessica Dalton – pictured right (she’s the one in the middle) – win the Tiptree Patisserie Trainee Baker award.

With farming and cooking so deeply connected, being a master baker is a career that probably gets overlooked when we leave school for college or university. Jessica, who’s 19 and studies bakery and patisserie technology at University College Birmingham, was described by the chair of the judging panel Stephen Hallam as “one to watch out for in the future”. Stephen remarked upon the fact that for the Trainee Baker category each entrant had to produce two loaves of bread that, while baked using different ingredients, complemented each other – a difficult thing to master.

Jessica was surprised to even find herself as an awards finalist: “I found the competition online and thought that

I and a few others in the class should apply for it. We had to bake one white loaf and one wholemeal loaf. I can’t believe I made it to the final on my first year entering the competition.

I love baking because it’s all about seeing the finished product and seeing the consistency if I make lots of the same thing.”

Watch this space, because Jessica will be rising up through the ranks in the world of baking like a batch loaf in a hot oven before too long.

YOU’RE GONNA HEAR ME ROAR One member of the World Bread Awards judging panel was Great British Bake Off 2015 legend and quarter finalist Paul Jagger. Best known for creating his amazing bread, he told me what advice he’d give to people who want to get into baking: “Always start with something easy, never go on from there until you feel more confident. Have all the ingredients to hand, don’t follow complicated recipes, simple traditional ones with specific and detailed instructions will help.”

Paul is also an advocate of buying locally as he says it results in the best final loaf of bread: “Ethical labels with good carbon footprints matter, and where possible I will buy local, as local sustainability should matter. I have worked a lot with food festivals this year and love to see the artisan bakers and suppliers at these venues.

Homemade and full of flavours – these products are infinitely tastier.”

I’m feeling inspired, so I’m going to go and try to bake my first ever lion-shaped loaf of bread – just don’t expect me to show you the picture of it.

20

#STUDENTFARMER / January 2018

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02/01/2018 15:36:45

ADVERTPAGES.indd 6

21/12/2017 10:14:33

Molly, Ali, Alisha and Emily have taken the NFU Grad Scheme by storm, but check the flow chart to find out who is most likely to be your BFF

EMILY ALI

MOLLY ALISHA

22

#STUDENTFARMER / September 2017

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02/01/2018 16:10:35

WHICH GRADUATE ARE YOU LIKE? START HERE

LABRADOR

SPANIEL

LABRADOR OR SPANIEL?

HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR STEAK?

EARLY BIRD OR NIGHT OWL?

EARLY BIRD

FACEBOOK OR INSTAGRAM?

WELL DONE RARE

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

TEA OR COFFEE?

NIGHT OWL

TEA

FAVOURITE ROAST?

COFFEE

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MIC

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23

02/01/2018 16:10:49

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21/12/2017 10:14:45

Last-minute tips If you haven’t completed your NFU Graduate Scheme application yet, what are you waiting for? Here are some last minute tips from 2017 grad Alisha Anstee (and a few others) NAME: Alisha Anstee GRAD YEAR: 2017 CURRENT JOB: NFU Grad Scheme – Policy Services

DON’T THINK TOO MUCH ABOUT THE VIDEO INTERVIEW It’s impossible to guess what questions will be asked so instead just do the background reading and gen up on topical issues and then just relax and picture that you are having an ordinary interview! Try not to focus on the fact that your face looks different to usual or your cat is crying to get through from the room next door (that actually happened) and just take each question as it comes and be genuine in your answers.

UNIVERSITY MOCK INTERVIEW If your university careers department runs mock assessment interview sessions, sign up! Despite leaving the mock session

NAME: Tom Keen GRAD YEAR: 2014 CURRENT JOB: EU exit and international trade adviser TOP TIP: “It sounds obvious, but mention as much experience as you can, and link to why it’d be good to have it in your role at the NFU. One of the best things about it is being asked to do many different things within one placement. By demonstrating the variety of your experience, it shows you’re capable of taking on a number of different tasks, even if they don’t directly relate to NFU work. Teaching English abroad and playing in bands aren’t things I’ve had to do since getting here, but explaining how they were useful to my skillset added depth and colour to my application.”

HOW TO APPLY

wondering what I actually gained from it, when I started to get interviews, I felt so much more at ease than I would have, particularly on the day of the first one. The tasks and characteristics that assessors seek are similar so even if you aren’t sure you’d like the graduate scheme attend all of the interviews and assessment centres as they are all great practice.

ASK GENUINE QUESTIONS Rehearsed questions play a part in highlighting how much preparation you’ve done, but at the end of the interview if there’s something that you really want to know that doesn’t sound professional, just ask. The interviewers are human and want you to feel at ease and it adds to the genuine nature of your desire to pursue the Grad Scheme.

IT’S A TWO-WAY PROCESS Attend the assessment days with an open mind of whether you can actually see yourself undertaking the roles and fitting in with the company culture, be honest with yourself. As a graduate, the world is your oyster and it is important you choose the right scheme as it may shape the rest of your career.

NAME: Gemma Harvey GRAD YEAR: 2016 CURRENT JOB: Assistant TB adviser TOP TIP: “Applying for a graduate scheme can be stressful, but you make sure that the stress does not translate into your performance. Relax and be yourself, whether it’s on your application or in your interview, this will allow your personality to shine though and give the interviewers a real flavour of what you can bring to the NFU. “Be confident in what you have to offer. You’ve read the job and person specification, and, by applying, you already know that you would be well suited to the role. Be confident and show the interviewers exactly how perfect you would be.”

Provided you are reading this in time – the NFU Grad Scheme closes on Sunday 14 January! –you can apply by visiting NFUonline.com/news/latest-news/the-nfu-graduate-scheme/. But be sure to refer to the advice above when you are preparing for your interviews and Assessment Centre sessions.

January 2018 / #STUDENTFARMER

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02/01/2018 13:02:56

Remember how boring school was? Sitting in classes learning things that would never help a future farmer? Well, Neil Satoor at Wombridge Primary School told Tom Sales how that is all changing for his students

I

t was clear from the performance tables, the 96 exclusions in three years, crisis meetings with concerned parents and 17 assaults on staff in 12 months. Back in 2010, Wombridge Primary was in a bad place.

The journey from there to May 2017, when OFSTED praised the school as “a place of high expectations, where children are eager to learn” and “lessons are exciting” has been one of hard graft.

And farming has been at the heart of it.

Head teacher Neil Satoor was named winner of the NFU-sponsored Farming Champion category at the 2017 Farmers’ Weekly Awards. He told #StudentFarmer how he and the team put agriculture front and centre: “The school’s catchment area had many challenges, but a stone’s-throw away is one of the most productive farming communities in the country. With 47,000 rural jobs in our area, it seemed sensible to design a curriculum that would link our pupils with that context.

“Food and agriculture has a presence in all of our subjects, from the diets of the Romans to the science behind our farmed environment – and the kids really are interested, so it’s win-win.”

The idea has worked. Modern farming themes help to engage Wombridge pupils and improve skills right across the board.

By making it relevant, pupils are prepared to put the graft in, and when that leads to new skills they become interested in how they fit with the farming world.

All 245 pupils visit nearby Morrells Wood Farm, a family-run beef and sheep unit, once a term as part of the school’s Farming Fridays and work towards bronze, silver and gold awards designed with the NFU and Harper Adams University. They also have opportunities to cook with ingredients they’ve grown.

“We’ve still got a lot to do, but standards in maths and English have risen each year and we haven’t excluded a single child for five years,” Neil added.

Proving that farming and technology go hand-in-hand, 112 primary school pupils have left with a GCSE in computing, after the site became an Apple Distinguished School.

He said: “The award was a true honour and I hope it sends a signal to teachers about the important role farming can play in education.”

Don’t be surprised if a Wombridge grad is spotted at your university soon.

MEET JOSHUA PAYNE

“Food and agr iculture has a presence i n all of our subjects, fr om the diets of the Romans to th e science be hind our farmed e nvironment“ 26

Joshua Payne is the NFU’s education manager. He got the job – a brand new role – that reflects an area of fresh focus for the organisation.

He will increase awareness of farming in school-age kids and help build teachers’ confidence in farming themes and how they can fit the curriculum. The former primary school teacher said he would “look at how the real-life problems farmers face can be transformed into learning experiences for children”.

“I’m thrilled to have taken up the role,” he added.

Watch this space for more in the world of education from the NFU!

#STUDENTFARMER / January 2018

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02/01/2018 13:06:01

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21/12/2017 10:14:59

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21/12/2017 10:15:14

In #StudentFarmer’s Don’t Get Scurvy series, Jo Travis takes us through making three meals from one set of ingredients

I

t’s the start of the year, the Christmas decorations have been packed away, the celebrations are over, it’s freezing cold and you have zero cash. But fret not, #StudentFarmer will not let you waste away or spend your entire loan on pizza.

As part of our latest bid to ensure that you do not get scurvy before the Spring Ball, we have come up with a way for you to feed yourself for almost a week from one basic recipe – work smarter, not harder.

You will need:

• • • • • • • • •

500g of beef (make sure it’s British, or we’ll send the lads around) 2 medium onions 1 stock cube 6 rashers of streaky bacon, chopped up 400g tin of chopped plum tomatoes Tomato puree 3 cloves of garlic Mushrooms, peppers, sweetcorn, whatever you fancy As much cheese as you can lay hands on

Additional stuff: • • • • • • • • •

Spaghetti Tortillas Rice 200g kidney beans 1-2 tsps chilli powder 1-2 tsps smoked paprika 1 tsp sugar 2 tsps coriander 2 tsps cumin

Top tip

If you invest in a slow cooker, you can reduce the stress for these dishes even further.

January 2018 / #STUDENTFARMER

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02/01/2018 17:01:36

TO MAKE Spaghetti Bolognese...

• • • •

• • •

Brown the beef in the biggest pan you can find Add the chopped onion and the diced cloves of garlic Stir in the chopped up bacon rashers, and the extra veg Put the tinned tomatoes, stock cube and tomato puree into the mixture, stir and simmer Cook the spaghetti until it is stringy and then drain Add the oregano and seasoning to the mince mix Serve the spaghetti with a generous serving of the bolognese sauce

TO MAKE Chilli...

•

Take the leftover mixture and let it cool down Drain the kidney beans and add them to the mixture Add the cumin, paprika, coriander and cumin (or a ready-made chilli spice mix) Stir thoroughly and return to the fridge, or divide into portions for the freezer Heat the chilli in a pan the following day and serve with rice

• • • •

BONUS RECIPE! •

Double the quantities and after making bolognese, use half of it to make a lasagne. Just layer the mix to sheet pasta and white sauce, top with cheese and Bob’s your uncle.

This will also freeze well.

TO MAKE Enchiladas...

• •

• • • • •

30

Take the leftover chilli and add more tomato puree, as needed Take the tortillas and divide the remaining mixture, keeping a couple of tablespoons back, and wrap them tightly Find an ovenproof dish and squash the tortillas into the dish Scatter the remaining mixture over the top of the tortillas Cover liberally with cheese – go nuts and then cover with foil Place in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees for 10 minutes Uncover and cook for another four minutes, then serve

#STUDENTFARMER / January 2018

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02/01/2018 17:01:50

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21/12/2017 10:15:31

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LOOKING FOR A CAREER IN FARMING AND AGRICULTURE? Job Pages The National Farmers Union recruitment site for rural and agricultural vacancies

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21/12/2017 10:16:52

All youR

money

problems

solved

*

So, you’ve checked your account and either there’s been a Monopoly-style banking error in your favour, or your maintenance cash has landed. Stop. Do not pass go, because that money has to last – Tom Sales has a few tips on how to do that

* Well, not all of them

CHASE THE STATUS You are now A Student – use the status.

Pay £12 for a NUS Extra card and unlock discounts on everything from food and entertainment to essentials.

You're probably not running a car, but students get a third off with a 16-25 railcard, and 30% off with a National Express Coachcard.

Spotify will give you half-price tunes, Domino’s offers a 35% slice off pizza.

Then there’s Top Shop, New Look and cinemas. But better than that, you can join the NFU as a Student & Young Farmer member for FREE and get all sorts of savings, as well as copies of this magazine and British Farmer & Grower.

Always ask for a student discount, even if it’s not advertised, and visit savethestudent.org for voucher codes.

BYOB – BE YOUR OWN (FOOD) BANK Stockpile staples like multipack beans and own-brands. Ramen noodles are currency in some prisons, and, as a student, you too will learn that with a few simple additions, a world of variation can be achieved in even the most boring meals. Share the costs of basics and visit supermarkets just before closing time to get discounts on more expensive food.

But if there‘s one top food tip? Learn to cook. Make double, treble, whatever.

Cook, eat, freeze, repeat. Start a communal cooking sesh – it’s economical and a bonding experience all in one. And if you’re looking for extra recipes, turn to page 29 or pick up the Countryside Kitchen cookbook with NFU Student & Young Famer discount at NFUonline.

THE BOOK-KEEPER For the iron-willed, this is simple mathematics. Pay the rent first – we can’t underline this enough – then get the essentials (a life-sized Liam Hemsworth cut-out is not an essential).

You should be left with X cash and Y weeks. Divide X by Y and we get the amount available to spend each week.

Digital budgeting is great, but it may help to keep a little book and actually write out expenditure. It encourages a mindful approach (just don’t lose the book). Another retro tip: go cash-only.

Remember cash? It’s what people did when time began (before contactless).

It is quite useful because you can literally see it decreasing, leaving you with a physical reminder of how much you have left.

“When it gets to the time of year when you are in the library or at uni a lot, take a packed lunch. And get a part-time job – I taught cooking classes for two-and-a-half hours a week for £40.”

Alicia Parker, NFU Graduate Scheme

January 2018 / #STUDENTFARMER

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02/01/2018 15:37:49

A FAST-TRACK CAREER Orla McIlduff spoke to Dalcour Maclaren senior surveyor Helen Frampton about how involvement in her local YFC helped her shape the new rail route

H

elen grew up on a smallholding near Cropredy in Oxfordshire, the daughter, granddaughter, and great, great granddaughter of urban chartered surveyors. She, along with several friends, joined her local YFC at Wormleighton when she was 17 and she’s never looked back.

While surveying was in her blood, Helen wasn’t sure what she wanted to do until she attended a YFC career talk and realised she could combine her love of farming with surveying by undertaking a course in Rural Property Management at Reading University.

Now a fully-fledged chartered surveyor, Helen is working on the mammoth project of HS2 on behalf of Dalcour Maclaren, working in conjunction with early works contractors Fusion and reviewing what land they will need access to for completion of the works. It helps that Helen has a YFC background because she understands how difficult it can be for the farmers when the area they live and work in is disrupted by the construction.

She said: “While my role is not working directly with farmers, it involves working with HS2 to ensure we’ve got the correct boundaries and not taking more land than required.”

Inevitably, issues come up when accessing land that was previously used for farming or belongs to an estate and one of the rural issues that Helen must be conscious of is the shooting season. “We have to make sure we’re not affecting farmers’ commercial interests, as the loss to

“We have to make sure we’re not affecting farmers’ commercial interests, as the loss to their shooting business could be quite great. We are trying to work with farmers where we can.” their shooting business could be quite great. We are trying to work with farmers where we can.”

The early works stage that Helen is involved with has an approximate end date of 2021, but that’s just the beginning.

High-speed the train may be, high-speed the construction process certainly is not.

As well as working on HS2 full time at Dalcour Maclaren, Helen was also Warwickshire YFC county chairman between 2016 and 2017, but that’s not all: “At club level, I’ve been everything including secretary, treasurer, vicechairman and chairman.

"For Warwickshire County, I’ve been head of the finance and organisation committee chair at the same time as being vice-chairman.”

It’s difficult to imagine that Helen ever has the time to commit to such impressive roles, but she’s learned a lot from them. YFC competitions in public speaking, CV writing and job interviewing have prepared her for the future.

Helen believes that she might never have found her niche in rural surveying if she hadn’t initially joined Wormleighton Young Farmers’ Club, and it’s a fantastic example of how putting yourself out there and joining a new club as a teenager can really shape your future. As for HS2, who knows when that work will be complete? We just have to hope that the results are worth the years of farmland disruption.

Want to find your local Young Farmers’ Club?

Visit www.nfyfc.org.uk for more information.

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#STUDENTFARMER / January 2018

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T

he International Conference Centre in Birmingham is a vast building that boasts 10 halls, 10 executive meeting rooms, plus dedicated registration and foyer areas over five floors. It will once again play host to the NFU Conference on 20-21 February this year.

We’re not going to lie: it’s a bit of a mission, but it is also one of the best things you could do this year.

Not only do you learn so much and meet so many people that will help you

kickstart your farming career when you’re ready, you will have access to the most important information affecting your sector and region, thanks to the breakout sessions. On top of that, there will be access to amazing food and drinks throughout the conference – and all in the name of networking!

However, the two-day assault on your mental, physical and emotional strength requires planning and preparation, so we have put together the ultimate survival guide for this year’s NFU Conference.

What’s on?

Day one

10.15am – Opening address from Meurig Raymond 10.45am – Political session with Michael Gove and Sue Hayman 2pm – Driving food production with environmental performance, Future-proofing your business by safeguarding your people, Managing change and building financial resilience, NFU Cymru: Welsh Agriculture – Embracing change for success 4pm – Commodity sessions: Dairy, Livestock, Cereals, Horticultre and Potatoes, Poultry, Sugar 6.45pm – Drinks reception 8pm – Dinner and after-dinner special guest speaker

Day TWO

9am – International trade part one 11am – International trade part two 12.45pm – Closing address from Meurig Raymond

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#STUDENTFARMER / January 2018

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Post-conference

top conference tips from an NFU lifer 1. Wear comfortable shoes

Outside London, Birmingham is one of the best cities in the country (Welsh editor Huw Hopkins insists Cardiff is a challenger though we think he might be biased). There are various things to see and if you’re coming from far away, it might be worth staying an extra day to fit in some extras.

2. Eat protein and carbs for breakfast for plenty of energy – that means we’re encouraging you to have a good cooked breakfast using the best British food.

3. Take a bag that includes painkillers, personal medicine, plasters, antihistamines, cough sweets, chocolate, cereal bars, fruit and plenty of water to stay hydrated.

8. Get to at least one session in the main conference hall.

4. Take a jacket, cardi or jumper as you could boil an egg in some rooms but others are ice cold.

9. Use hand sanitiser – you’ll be shaking hands with lots of people who handle slurry for a living!

5. Make sure you have phone numbers for everyone you’re with as you’ll all split up at some point.

10. Take your badge off when you leave the conference – not everyone there will be a fan of what you do, but we are and we want to make sure you stay safe.

6. MOBILE PHONE CHARGERS – we couldn’t survive without ours, could you?

7. Take business cards. Just because you don’t have a career, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have one. They don’t cost much, but you need an easy way to get contact details to people quickly. They should include your phone number, address, your specialism and your highest education level.

Get your tickets

activity

Cadbury World A big part of British farming history, Cadbury World is slightly outside the centre of the city but worth the extra trip. It’s not too expensive, and you get to eat lots of chocolate!

11. Pick up a conference brochure, so you know what’s happening at all times, or download the app.

12. Take earplugs, especially if you are sharing a hotel room with someone else. If you get in late, or you’re sharing with a snorer, don’t let them keep you from getting good rest for the second day.

Botanical Gardens Another great day out where you can admire some epic landscaping and stunning horticulture.

20-21

February

2018

If you would like to attend the 2018 NFU Conference, contact your region on the relevant number below for more information NORTH WEST NORTH EAST EAST MIDLANDS WEST MIDLANDS SOUTH WEST SOUTH EAST EAST ANGLIA WALES

01695 554900 01904 451550 01572 824250 01952 400500 01392 440700 01730 711950 01638 672100 01982 554200

Walkabout The unofficial post-conference afterparty heads to Broad Street where farmers take over the Walkabout on Regency Wharf. The party tends to go on late, but we wouldn’t recommend being there until last orders or it’ll make the second day of conference hard work.

January 2018 / #STUDENTFARMER

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02/01/2018 13:16:00

Does your uni #BackBritishFarming?

Students at Reading are getTing active and demanding more support for British farmers from their university - MolLy Chenery was there

L

uke Cox, a third-year agriculture student from an arable farm in Gloucestershire, felt back in 2016 that agriculture needed more support from all students and staff at Reading University.

He took matters into his own hands and put his #BackBritishFarming idea through Change It, a university platform that allows students to put forward and vote for things that matter to them.

The Reading University Student Union welfare officer Rose Lennon said: “Luke’s idea got voted in by students, which means for the next two years the union is mandated to support British farming.

Each term we will host a different event.”

On Thursday 30 November, a Massey Ferguson representing Red Tractor accompanied 20 agric-society members, as well as staff and members of the NFU. The large stand was set up at 8am outside of one of the main lecture halls, just 20ft from the weekly street food market.

Leaflets with facts and figures about the agricultural industry were handed out to the hundreds of students passing throughout the day.

Luke told #StudentFarmer: “The main aim is getting the message out there and educating people on things, such as how they can support high standards of

animal welfare by looking for the Red Tractor logo and keeping an eye on what is in season.”

Students pledged their support to British farming by signing apples and hanging them on the Christmas tree as well as taking selfies with the back British boards and posting them on their own social media.

Luke was a main organiser, with support from the NFU, Red Tractor, the university and his family. Read Uni was so impressed with the event that they spoke of the possibility of creating

Get your uni to Back British Farming Advice from Luke Cox • • • •

Get as much support as you can from fellow students Talk to your SU and lecturers – you’ll be surprised at how keen they’ll be Start early – there’s a lot to organise Try to make your stand as visual as possible with a tractor or another big symbol to represent farming and entice people • The NFU will support you for free – let #StudentFarmer magazine know, speak to the membership marketing department or the campaigns team, or contact NFU CallFirst on 03708 458458

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a committee role in the future purely for the organisation and promotion of #BackBritishFarming events.

“I’ve met loads of people on the way and made lots of contacts for the future. Hopefully, it’s something that other colleges and universities replicate, because we are the first university to do something like this,” said Luke.

He ended the day by chairing a short debate, which featuring the Reading University’s head of agriculture policy and development Professor Julian Parks, the NFU’s South East regional director William White, and Jonathan Moore, the agric society social secretary.

Professor Parks rounded off the day by challenging everyone in the room to contact their old teachers to ask if they could present and educate pupils at their old schools about farming. He said “It’s been a fantastic day, having the NFU present and the Red Tractor has been a great attraction. They have been extremely proactive in talking about food production, gathering pledges and promoting the importance of backing British farming. We all need to continue to everything we can to positively promote our industry.”

#STUDENTFARMER / January 2018

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