Farmers Club WINTER 2016 • ISSUE 265
www.thefarmersclub.com
INSIDE Holland tour p8 Brexit regulations p10 Dairy farm winner p12 Precision in USA p14 Herbicide tolerance p16 Harvest festival p17 RSPB in figures p18 Chef’s provenance p18 CIEL for livestock p19 Under 30s p20 Inter-Club p21 INSERTS Florez concert
Eustice at the Club Brexit negotiations dominate Defra debate (p6)
www.thefarmersclub.com for the latest Club news
Contents
Farmers Club Over 170 years of service to farming
3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL Patron – Her Majesty The Queen
FRONT COVER DEFRA Secretary of State George Eustice MP briefed members ahead of crucial negotiations over the future of British farm policy Photography: info@andycatterall.com Disclaimer: The articles published in The Farmers Club Journal do not necessarily reflect the views of The Farmers Club. No responsibility for the quality of goods or services advertised in the magazine can be accepted by the publisher. Advertisements are included in good faith. All rights reserved.
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3 Chairman’s Comments
Reflections on a wonderful Club year
4 Club News
Club enjoys the fruits of Project CREST refurbishment
6 Eustice on Brexit
As negotiations start on the future of British farm policy Secretary of State George Eustice MP briefs members
8 Dutch suprise
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High tech farming, flood protection, artisan food production, and culture featured as the Club visited the Netherlands
10 Brexit commission?
Is it time for an independent review to look into food, farming and environmental matters ahead of Brexit negotiations?
12 Raw milk
Raw milk sales win family farm top honours
14 Iowa precision farming
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Farmers Club Trust beneficiary reports from stateside
16 Resistant weeds
Weeds able to resist herbicides pre-dated GM by 40 years
17 Har vest home in London
Wonderful service in London and supper at the Club afterwards
18 Farming figures
Insight into the RSPB’s way of thinking
18 Provenance pointers
A look at the food stories behind some of the Club’s food
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19 CIEL backs livestock
New body aims to better co-ordinate livestock research
20 Under 30s
Under 30s chairman update
21 Under 30s Inter-club
Inter-Club offers fabulous calendar of events
22 Club Information and Contacts 02 • The Farmers Club Winter Journal 2016
Chairman’s Comments • Richard Butler Defra visit The Club has a busy schedule of events in November and December. The Minister of State for farming at DEFRA came to the Club on 7 November. Rt. Hon. George Eustice MP was a prominent leave campaigner in the Referendum and it was fascinating to hear his thoughts on the opportunities for UK farming post Brexit. The following week at a lunch at the House of Lords the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Mark Walport was to be our guest.
Chairman’s Comments “George Eustice was a prominent leave campaigner in the Referendum and it was fascinating to hear his thoughts on the opportunities for UK farming post Brexit.”
Home harvest At home this year’s harvest concluded with our maize crop, which has done really well this year. The dry sunny August seems to have really suited it well and this autumn has seen some of the best weather for planting for many years and sowing is now complete. Rapeseed has now established well, despite challenges from cabbage stem flea beetle and slugs. All in all a great couple of months on the farm, with our herd also passing the TB test and at last we are clear.
HARVEST Festival at St Martin-in-the Fields Church is always a special event in the Farmers Club calendar. This year a moving service was taken by Revd Sam Wells assisted by our Club member Revd Gerald Osborne. Everyone particularly appreciated the choir who were outstanding. Following the service the congregation enjoyed a splendid harvest supper at the Club which showcased our new Club facilities and the exceptional food our chef’s team can offer from their new kitchen.
This year as your Chairman has been a real privilege. This is my final piece for the Journal and I would like to thank all the staff and committee members for their great support throughout the year. I have also really enjoyed the opportunity to meet so many members during the year at Club events and visits. I think this is the first year the Club has also arranged two overseas trips which, although very different, proved very successful. My thanks to Lisbeth in the office for all her work arranging the many Club events.
There is a full report on the Club trip to Holland in this Journal, but my wife Sue and I were amazed by both the huge flower auction at Amsterdam and the vast glasshouse enterprise we visited. We all had time to also enjoy the history and culture of Amsterdam with our wonderful guide.
It has been an historic year for our country with the Brexit vote and a new Prime Minister, and equally an amazing year for our Club. Finally, can I wish Tim Bennett, my successor as Chairman, and Andrei and his team at the Club, every success for the year ahead.
Club members honoured at Farmers Weekly Awards Congratulations to Farmers Club member Prof John Alliston who has been awarded the 2016 Farmers Weekly Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of over 50 years devoted to agriculture, research and education, with a real passion for improving the lives of others. Fellow Farmers Club member Nathan Dellicott of Barfoot Farms in West Sussex was awarded FW Farmer of the Year 2016, as well as winning the specialist crop producer category for what was described as “a specialist crop producing powerhouse spread over more than 2,400ha along the South Coast”.
Club member John Richards of the Richards family’s Green Waste Company in Cornwall won the Diversification Farmer of the Year category, with judges praising the family’s “adaptability, strategic thinking and business nous”.
for the John Edgar Trust Management Development Scheme, and Chairman of the Henry Plumb Foundation, which provides funding and mentoring for young people seeking to enter the agricultural industry.
One of the UK’s most distinguished agricultural academics, Prof Alliston is now Emeritus Professor at the Royal Agricultural University, after 23 years at the RAU, most recently as Dean of the School of Agriculture. He is Course Director for the Institute of Agricultural Management Leadership Course, the Worshipful Company of Farmers Business Management Course and
www.thefarmersclub.com • 03
Andrei Spence • Club News
Club News
New furnishings adorn the Lounge, Bar and Terrace.
Club looked resplendent for Harvest Supper.
Club refurbishment being fully enjoyed With Project CREST now completed and the refurbishment of five Garden Suite rooms at an end, October marks the culmination of a quite extraordinary period for the Club in terms of the investment in its infrastructure and fabric. When one adds to that upgrades in WiFi provision, a further tranche of new beds (leaving only a few now yet to be replaced), and a new seasonal menu, the time had come to concentrate our efforts on the major events the Club had been looking forward to. The Harvest Festival service was a tremendous occasion where the Club and its members celebrated the blessings and bounty of the harvest at St Martin-in-the Fields, in a service officiated by the Rev Sam Wells and assisted by our own Rev Gerald Osborne. The church looked resplendent, enhanced significantly by the provision and decoration of some beautiful flower baskets and corn decorations, by Sue Butler, which later adorned the tables at a busy and vibrant gathering at the Club for our Harvest Supper. As this issue of the Journal goes to press we have just completed a couple of outstanding Club events, following the very successful trip to the Netherlands by 23 club members. On Monday 7th November, we held one of our now regular Monday Evening Lectures, at which George Eustice MP, Minister of State for Farming, Food 04 • The Farmers Club Winter Journal 2016
and the Marine Environment, gave an interesting speech and was kind enough to take a Q&A session from members, which was followed by wine and canapes. The penultimate event of the year is the Club’s attendance at the Statoil Masters Tennis tournament, with the tennis preceded by an early supper at the Club. This is a Club event that was sold out in almost record time – so do keep an eye on the Events section of the Club website to see what events are coming up in 2017. Of course, we are all looking forward to the end of year New Year’s Dinner, which marks the final event under the Chairmanship of Richard Butler, who at the stroke of midnight will hand the baton over to Tim Bennett for 2017. This year has seen a number of significant changes to the Club, in its fabric, a new Chief Executive and increasing standards of delivery of service throughout the Club. Whilst still maintaining a steady flow of improvements to bedrooms etc, the coming year will be one of improving systems and management of the services we provide and you rightly expect as the members, and building longer term strategies for the Club’s future. I think 2016 has seen enough major upheaval across the board, and whilst not complacent, I see a period of consolidation, ‘settling’ and getting used to and enjoying our new look home.
Macmillan cake sale tops £360 Thanks to the generosity of the Club Team, members, their guests, and a good number of WHC residents and tenants from other offices within the building the Club’s Macmillan Coffee Morning in September raised a marvellous £361.00 for Macmillan Cancer Support, writes Claire White, PA to the Secretary.
William Cumber It is with great sadness that I must inform members of the untimely death of William Cumber on 29th October 2016, at the age of 67. You will all know of the significant part played by the Cumber family in the history of our club, from the stewardship of William’s grandfather during the Second World War years, to his father’s Chairmanship in 1958. William was no less a supporter having been a member of the Club for almost 48 Years. I represented the Club at the funeral on Friday 11th November at Marcham.
Club News • Andrei Spence
Club Calendar Diary Dates Club member is Guild chaplain
Please check the dates carefully as they sometimes change and new dates are added for each issue. Details of Club events circulated in the previous issues are available from the Secretariat on 020 7930 3751. For more information on Club events, including further details on these events and new events as they are added to the Calendar, visit the Events area of the Club website www.thefarmersclub.com
DECEMBER New Year’s Eve Black Tie Dinner – FULL Saturday 31st December
Long-time Farmers Club member Geoff Dodgson has been appointed honorary chaplain of the British Guild of Agricultural Journalists, an organisation with close ties to the Farmers Club. Geoff, a senior consultant with Cambridge marketing agency Ware Anthony Rust, is well qualified for the role, having combined a career in agricultural communications with 25 years of serving rural parishes within Cambridgeshire. Commenting on the new position, Geoff said: “I am honoured and thrilled to have been asked to take on this role. The Guild offers a great fellowship for all involved in telling the story of modern farming and the countryside – topics very close to my heart.”
Black tie dinner in the Club with great view of fireworks.
New Year’s Eve Supper
Supper at the Club followed by Giselle ballet at ENO London Coliseum.
Monday Evening Lecture Monday 23rd January
Topical early evening lecture in the Club – speaker to be confirmed
Portrait of the Artist – FULL Friday 27th January
Giselle
Private lecture by Anne Haworth and lunch at the Club, followed by exhibition at the Queen’s Gallery.
FEBRUARY 2017 Under 30s New Members Dinner, Winter Event & AGM Friday 10th - Sunday 12th
Staff Christmas Fund As ever, following the Chairman’s letter regarding the staff Christmas Fund, the response has been as swift as it has been generous. I know I speak for all staff members who benefit from your generosity, when I pass on their sincere thanks and appreciation for your kindness in recognition of the service that they all seek to provide you with throughout the year. There is a list of members who have made such donations posted on the Club noticeboard.
JANUARY 2017 Giselle – FULL Friday 20th January
Evening Lecture
MARCH 2017 Under 30s Spring Dining Evening Friday 17th March APRIL 2017 St George’s Day Lunch Friday 21th April Monday Evening Lecture Monday 24th April
St George’s Day
Topical early evening lecture in the Club – speaker to be confirmed
Harper Adams graduation In September, I had the great privilege of representing the Chairman at the graduation ceremony at Harper Adams University and was astounded by the number and breadth of the awards and subjects that had been studied by students. It was also a superb opportunity to meet a number of Farmers Club members (some of whom I had met at the
Royal Welsh show in June). At the invitation of the University, I returned to Shropshire in late October in the company of our Under 30s Chairman, Mary Bell, in order to talk to staff and students about the Farmers Club, what it has to offer, its relevance in the wider farming debate and what the Under 30s get up to!
www.thefarmersclub.com • 05
Charles Abel • Farming politics
Eustice on Brexit Pro-Brexit campaigner George Eustice MP explained Defra’s aspirations for a new farming policy.
“I’m open to good ideas from anybody who wants to bring one to me, and it’s not just organisations I want to hear from, but individual farmers too.”
Brexit negotiations topped the debate when George Eustice MP, Minister of State for Farming, Food and the Marine Environment, visited the Club. Charles Abel reports
FORGET a level playing field for UK agriculture post-Brexit. That’s an out-dated concept with no place in future UK farm policy, members heard when pro-Leave campaigner George Eustice MP, Minister of State for Farming, Food and the Marine Environment, addressed the Farmers Club on Monday 7th November 2016. “My view is that it is something of a chimera, a mirage. We’ve been chasing this level playing field, but in fact it doesn’t really exist. I actually think it is the wrong objective to have. What I am seeking in the way we design agricultural policy is a competitive advantage. I want the best policy in the world, that gives our agriculture the strongest possible position, to be the most competitive in the world. And you get there by having good policy, rooted in the power of ideas. You don’t get there by holding hands with 27 other member states, in my view. The objective should be the high ground on the battle ground, not a level playing field.” Some listened with fascinated horror to what was felt to be a surplus of optimism. Others warmed to the theme of free-trading, democratic,
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repatriated policy. But whatever the viewpoint, there was a huge desire to hear the ideas that would underpin the architecture of a future farm policy. Mr Eustice outlined five key areas Defra was addressing, over and above the stated commitment to support basic farm payments up to 2020. He foresaw a fresh farm policy, rooted in new ideas, that within a decade would be seen as one to emulate and copy. Given the notoriously risky nature of farming there was a role for Government to help manage and mitigate that risk, he said. Current models being looked at included Canadian-style weather insurance, crop protection as in the USA, although that was seen as overly bureaucratic with high dead weight costs, or an Australian-style crisis fund with tax breaks. Public goods Agri-environment payments needed to better reflect the provision of public goods, properly costed. The market currently failed to pay for
Farming politics • Charles Abel many of those goods. Tailored local approaches, maybe at water catchment level, as well as a national scheme, were likely. What was possible and appropriate on a Devon farm could be very different from what might work on a Cambridgeshire farm, he noted. Productivity needed to improve, so knowledge transfer and deployment of new technologies would be a priority. But this would be through industry self-help groups, and Governmentbacked loans to boost investment, rather than grants. “It is not just about Government writing a cheque, but about Government incentivising ways of doing things.” Fairer risk sharing across the food chain was also needed, to build on the work of the Grocery Adjudicator, again with incentives, to ensure risks are “not dumped on farmers as they are now”. The UK would be an exemplar of animal welfare, since it was a manifesto pledge, and this would be achieved through investment and, once again, incentives, not just regulation. Welfare standards would be upheld in trade talks, he said, which Defra would help negotiate, alongside Liam Fox’s newly branded Department for International Trade, so agricultural issues were recognised. His summary? “We may have a universal support scheme in the future, and alongside that complementary schemes to help manage risk, and also funds and grants to invest for the future, and supply chain fairness, because if farmers receive a fairer share they will be less dependent on support payments.”
On the issue of pesticide regulation he felt the UK could continue to influence EU policy. “Through the Chemicals Regulation Directorate the UK brings more expertise than any other country.” But if policy differences emerged, individual importers and exporters would need to ensure produce complied with the relevant legislation in different end markets. Trade agreements Whilst refusing to engage in the likelihood, or otherwise, of the UK staying in the single market, he suggested third country trade agreements need not be hindered. A fair formula could be identified for some of the EU’s favourable tariff rate quotas to be allocated to the UK, with WTO agreement. Free Trade Agreements already in place through the EU could most likely be rolled-over to a postBrexit UK, he added, since the UK was already a signatory to them. Without the need to achieve consensus with 27 other member states the UK would be more “agile” in striking new trade deals, he continued. “The evidence is that countries which are far smaller than the UK [economically], such as Australia and New Zealand, have been far more successful in opening up agreements. We will be able to tailor deals to our own needs.” He recognised the need for migrant labour, stressing his background as a farmer with a strawberry operation employing hundreds of migrant labourers. Immigration would not stop, and something like the former Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme was entirely possible.
Monday Evening Lectures George Eustice’s Brexit briefing was the latest in the series of Monday Evening Lectures at the Club. Watch out for further Events, open to all members of the Club, in 2017.
Government is starting to give clearer indications about how it plans to manage UK farming post-Brexit.
www.thefarmersclub.com • 07
Marjorie Talbot • Club Tour
Stunning pepper production facility near Amsterdam amazed the Farmers Club group.
Dutch surprise Chairman Richard Butler and his wife Sue accompanied a group of 19 members on a fascinating Farmers Club Tour to the Netherlands. Marjorie Talbot reports.
“Industrial models using smart technologies and GPS big data collection would be in balance with co-operative models including local artisan production and retail, social enterprise employment and Care Farms.”
THE Farmers Club Tour to the provinces of south and north Holland in the Netherlands was thoroughly enjoyed in warm sunshine, with great friendship shown on every visit we made, and an exciting balance struck between technical innovation and interesting Dutch culture. We explored how water engineering from the 15th to 20th centuries has reclaimed land from coastal delta and inland fresh water lakes to develop food production and housing. Our visits included the Royal Flora Holland auction market and farms in the Haarlemmer Polder and Meddenmeer Polder to better understand how agriculture and horticulture prospers on lands below sea level. In South Holland we visited the €450 million Maeslant storm surge barrier and Keringhuis public education centre at Hook of Holland to learn about risk management of North Sea storms and rain water floods from the rivers Lek and Maas. Anneke Athmer, our knowledgeable local guide, provided cultural information, illuminating our scenic views with
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explanations of dykes, polders, crops, livestock and architectural styles. She shepherded us walking through the risky tramways and cycle-ways of Amsterdam, to sample traditional Dutch hospitality, and the van Gogh and Anne Frank Museums. Dr Ton Duffhues presented government policy and vision for 21st century agriculture and environment in the Netherlands, in terms of urban education programmes “know your farmer, know your food”, social care and recreation. Industrial models using smart technologies and GPS big data collection would be in balance with co-operative models including local artisan production and retail, social enterprise employment and Care Farms. Farmers are obliged to give equal terms of employment and housing to migrant and fugitive labour on seasonal contracts. Systemic water management is essential in low lying Netherlands. Every Dutch household now pays €220 per year “dry feet tax” and European Union funds support polder and coastal water engineering, such as in North Holland the Middenmeer Polder (1930) and the Afsluitdyke barrier dividing the Waddenzee from the former Zuidersee.
Club Tour • Marjorie Talbot In polder construction, the drained marshland/ lake is planted with water reed, followed by arable crops including potatoes. Vincent van Gogh vividly depicted labouring peasant potato pickers and rural landscapes, as we saw when we visited the Van Gogh Museum. Flora Holland Auction market, Aalsmeer (by Schiphol (ship-hell) Airport) demonstrates big scale smart technology. Flora Holland is the largest global flower auction market, serving 4,000 members, of whom 600 are abroad. The digital Dutch Auction clock generates €4.4 billion turnover per year. Plants are received, inspected and dispatched the same day by 35,000 workers driving 25,000 carts linked on a digital information system. The market covers the equivalent of 220 football pitches of which 55,000 sq m is cold store. Britain is the second export destination. Near Schipol airport, on Haarlemmermeer Polder, 6m below sea level, the three generations of the van Elderen family farm 200 hectares of clay and humus soil. Hein Elderen, President of the Dutch Landowners Association, is also partner with his brother who farms in Ukraine. This modern arable farm uses GPS tracking on all machinery, and offers contracting services. The family also has a garden center and dog hotel. Most Dutch farms are 20-30ha. A €70/ha annual water rate is levied. Also on Haarlemmermeer, Kees and Elly van Vees run a closed dairy herd of 50 cows on 35ha,
daytime grazing May to October, housed at night in a modern open barn on wood chip. In the old barn, young cattle are tethered for two years before joining the herd. Kees manages their GEA robot milking system, keeping half the milk for processing on the farm, where Elly produces 10 varieties of hard cheese, plus butter and yogurt. Their Gouda “Boeren Kaas ‘mild’ matures at six weeks and ‘mature’ at two years. Bi-annual hygiene inspections report very low pathogens and very low antibiotic use. All dairy produce is sold at their farm shop serving 200 regular customers.
Find out more about Club events and tours in 2017 on the Events page of our website – www. thefarmersclub. com/events
At Middenmeer Polder, north-west of Amsterdam, access to natural gas and geothermal spring water at 37C afforded conditions for horticulture in industrial glass houses. Recent government support invited young people into projects, and in 2000 Leon and Petra Barendse, (a young graduate couple from farming families in South Holland) founded Barendse-DC, which has built 100ha of glasshouses. They now account for a claimed 50% of global production of orange and red peppers, which are marketed as healthy, delicious and colourful “wonder” or “medicinal” food. Our time in Holland was absolutely fascinating, with our visits thoroughly enjoyed in warm sunshine, and friendship on every encounter.
www.thefarmersclub.com • 09
Charles Abel • Brexit
Regulatory issues critical for agri-food sector in Brexit negotiations – Lord Curry of Kirkharle.
Brexit commission?
Could an independent commission ensure Government correctly understands agri-food’s post-Brexit needs? Charles Abel reports.
“Agri-food is the largest sector of the economy, by a mile, with serious implications for balance of trade and employment.”
BREXIT is the food and farming sector’s greatest challenge since joining the Common Market in 1972, and maybe even since the post-war Agriculture Act of 1947. Far from heralding a regulation-free future, it demands urgent efforts to ensure the sector is not disadvantaged. Such is the view of cross-bencher Lord Don Curry of Kirkharle. He is well placed to comment, having chaired the hugely influential Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and Food, leading to the 2002 Curry Report, and more recently chairing the Government’s Better Regulation Executive. The latter continues to strip £2bn/year of costs from UK industry, with its ‘one in, two out’ approach to removing £2 of regulatory costs for every £1 of new regulations. That had been an alien concept to Brussels officials, he noted. Regulation should be the last resort, he argued, only necessary if industry failed to take ownership and consider how issues could be addressed
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voluntarily. The success of the crop protection sector’s Voluntary Initiative showed what could be achieved. He saw no Brexit quick fix for regulations. “Being freed from EU regulations is a misplaced view.” Trade deals were likely to mean many stayed in place. Just how many depended on how tough the EU proved to be in negotiations. Furthermore, with over 50% of current UK regulations stemming from Brussels, it would be impossible to review them all before 2019. Transferring them directly onto the UK statute book was most likely, with a lengthy period of examination following. Beyond Defra Ensuring the agri-food sector was helped, not hindered, was a priority, and one for central Government, not Defra, he argued. “We cannot limit this to Defra’s remit, it affects health, education, business and training. It goes beyond Defra, it is a Government priority.”
Brexit • Charles Abel Agriculture sat too low on the Government agenda, clearly below finance, but also below automotive, and possibly other sectors too. “Yet agri-food is the largest sector of the economy, by a mile, with serious implications for balance of trade and employment.” Rebuilding productivity demanded a special focus. “If there is one priority for the agri-food sector outside the EU it is that our productivity is improved. Our record is not good, having plateaued since the 1990s, while our competitors have been racing ahead.” Science needed to help, as well as upskilling the workforce and avoiding unnecessary regulation. The issue was so important Government should establish a semi-independent Commission, to filter the views of stakeholders and present a vision reflecting all the issues, to ensure agri-food could compete with enthusiasm in domestic and global markets alike. Self-sufficiency Rebuilding food self-sufficiency was a priority. “If current trends continue we will soon have 70 million people in the UK, and at that point we will slip below 50% self-sufficiency, and that is not acceptable in my view.” He slammed Nigel Farage’s suggestion that free trade would bring cheap food. “That is the last thing we need.” Free trade differed from unregulated trade. “It is nonsense to think UK food production can ever be on the same level playing field as Brazil, Thailand or the USA. We’re highly regulated, to deliver things like care of our countryside and the environment, which brings very different challenges, and we need to be clear about that.” He also wanted to ban the word ‘subsidy’. “I’m fed up with seeing it in headlines. Farmers are paid for the public goods they deliver, be they an attractive and beautiful countryside, looking after
wildlife and habitats, addressing environmental concerns, or producing wholesome food.” Valuing those public goods correctly was key. “A proper valuation of natural capital will help to inform the value of those services. We need to take professional advice to correlate all of that, to get an appropriate charge for what we deliver in the countryside.” Regional differences should be fully reflected. “A big challenge is whether food security is also a public good. If it is, what is its value? We need to determine that.”
Time to turn over a new leaf for UK food and farming – but is Government best placed to negotiate?
So, what might a “Curry Report – the Force Reawakens” propose? That would be hard to predict, he said, noting that some of the 104 recommendations in the original report were not even on the radar at the outset. But gaps between food and health, and farming and the environment; the decline in productivity; and the growing skills deficit all needed addressing. “The disconnect between agri-food policy and the nation’s health needs attention. We need to provide healthy, wholesome food, and get people to purchase it. Food related health issues will cripple the NHS if we don’t.” He also slammed Defra for pursuing two separate 25 year plans – one for food and farming, and one for the environment. “We need to break down the barriers, and have a single holistic policy, to bring these together, and not have farmers and the environmental sector in separate camps.” On GM he felt it would be very surprising if the UK did not move from the EU’s hazard based approach to one based on risk. At the very least he expected trials to explore the opportunities.
Free trade differs from unregulated trade. It is nonsense to think UK food production can ever be on the same level playing field as Brazil, Thailand or the USA….
• Lord Curry was addressing October’s British Crop Protection Council congress www.bcpc.org
www.thefarmersclub.com • 11
Charles Abel • Dairy innovation
Raw milk wins
The latest venture by a dairy farming family committed to diversification, animal welfare and environmental stewardship has won them a 2016 National Trust Fine Farm Produce Award. Charles Abel reports.
“People need to eat; the quality of milk, environmental stewardship and high standards of animal welfare that we – and dairy farmers on our doorstep – provide, will win out.”
Richard Park with a bottle of Raw milk
FARMERS Club member and third generation farmer Richard Park, from Low Sizergh Farm near Kendal, picked up the National Trust’s Fine Farm Produce Award 2016 for his Raw milk at BBC Countryfile Live at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. The annual Awards, in their 11th year, celebrate the very best produce from the National Trust’s 1,500 tenant farmers and estates across Northern Ireland, England and Wales. Products not only have to excel in the obligatory taste test, but entrants also have to pass a checklist of environmental standards to guarantee the quality and origin of ingredients alongside high standards of production. A delighted Richard Park, who looks after the 341 acre farm, its 170 cows, 700 hens and 200 sheep, explained what the win means. “This award recognises all the things that are important to the family. That includes celebrating wonderful local produce, connecting people to the place where their food comes from and taking good care of the land and its livestock.
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Raw milk “Raw milk is milk that is straight from the cow – it has not been pasteurised or homogenised. You can detect subtle changes in its flavour, depending on the time of year and the cow’s diet. Its taste and nutritional value make it popular with those on certain diets, fitness enthusiasts and people who remember the taste of green top milk.” The milk, which comes from the farm’s herd of Holstein and Swedish Red dairy cows, is dispensed to customers by a state of the art vending machine, just yards away from the milking parlour. The herd produces 1.4 million litres of milk a year, of which 20,000 litres is used for cheese and 5,000 litres for ice cream. Raw milk sales, since the machine was installed in March, have exceeded initial targets, averaging 60-70 litres a day. £1.30 per litre “It’s quickly proved to be a popular and a good investment. We get £1.30p per litre
Dairy innovation • Charles Abel
Richard Park picked up a National Trust Award for his Raw milk at Countryfile Live compared to £0.23p for the milk which we sell to a co-operative,” Mr Park added. “Plus there’s another benefit. I get first hand feed-back from customers at the farm – something which doesn’t happen with commercial collections.” Diversification is not new to the farm. “My grandfather was the first to look at alternative outlets for milk from the dairy herd by taking butter to Kendal market in the 1930s. Then my parents, who started our tenancy at Low Sizergh Farm, offered livery facilities and pick your own strawberries. Since then we have continued to diversify – opening a farm shop, a tea room and adding a farm trail and orchards in the 1990s. In 2002 Growing Well, a mental health charity started operating from the farm. Diversification has been a way of life for us for at least three generations allowing the farm to prosper.”
Farmer Richard Park (R) on stage at CountryFile Live talking about Raw millk being used by Great British Bake Off competitor Holly Bell (L)
Sizergh view of dair ying Dairy farming and milk prices have been in the news as the industry faces one of its cyclical downturns. From the headlines it would be easy to believe that supermarkets are to blame, but the fortunes of dairy farmers have long been at the mercy of global as well as domestic pressures. The story is complex and goes back as far as the repeal of the corn laws in 1849, which removed protection from foreign imports, and the post-war depression of the 1930s, when the government backed out of promises to help agriculture due to cash shortages. The past twenty years has seen huge changes in the industry…. and things are continuing to change as market forces begin to drive the price once more. Having run our family dairy farm at Low Sizergh Barn for 35 years, we know that this current plummet will be followed by a recovery. But we also know that the industry will continue to face difficulties. So we have created complementary non-farming enterprises in the farm shop and tea room, and we have altered the breed of cows in our herd as well as our production systems to make best use of our grass crop. We still enjoy dairy farming and have changed from peak workloads to seasonal workloads, which allows for a more acceptable work/life balance. And our view of the industry’s future remains positive – people need to eat; the quality of milk, environmental stewardship and high standards of animal welfare that we – and dairy farmers on our doorstep – provide, will win out. We hope that our local community will support local dairy farmers by buying milk and milk products from a source as close to the farmer as possible. That way Sizergh will continue to be synonymous with dairy farming for generations to come. www.lowsizerghbarn.co.uk
Raw milk is popular with farm visitors
www.thefarmersclub.com • 13
Tony Wilson • Precision farming
Iowa precision farming progress How can precision technologies help farming? Tony Wilson used a Farmers Club Charitable Trust Educators Award to visit the USA to find out more.
“Poor performing field areas are planted with varieties more able to cope with sub-optimal conditions (defensive varieties), and good performing areas are planted with varieties able to best take advantage of better conditions (offensive varieties). ”
WHAT does the future hold for agriculture? What will it look like in 2050? How can new technologies help us meet the challenges of adequate food production, volatile commodity prices, environmental degradation and climate change?
70% maize, 30% soybean, on beautiful, black loam Wisconsin glacial till, which certainly helps – easy to cultivate and rich in nutrients. However, Iowa has its challenges. The ground is frozen for three to four months and planting only really starts in late March.
These questions and more were buzzing around my head on the plane from Heathrow to Chicago in early July 2015. I had a plan, a good one. I knew who I was going to see and when, a full three week tour that included farmers using precision technologies, companies that manufacture them and educators that… well, you get the picture; the tour was all about precision technologies and their use.
Dave owns his own businesses supplying agricultural machinery and precision technologies to local farmers, which gives him real insight into how the technology links science, agronomy, machinery and big data to improve farm performance and profitability.
I started with the farmer who first gave me the idea, Dave Nelson (see picture 1), who spoke at the Oxford Farming Conference in January 2015. It was the best talk on precision agriculture I had heard – lucid and holistic in its approach, and centred on the business of farming in Iowa State, USA.
Due to flat topography and short bursts of heavy rainfall, drainage is an issue. Precision-based systems help with planning and laying drainage, something David Hansaker does with his brother Brett. Rather than rely on surveyors they use satellite-based geo-positioning systems, precise enough to assess field slope and fall, to place drainage pipes where needed.
Dave, his father Gary, and their families farm 1620ha near Fort Dodge, North Eastern Iowa. It is
Sustainability was high on the agenda of many of the farms visited. David Granzow uses precision
USDA Extension Officer Kelvin Leibold (left) helps farmer David Granzow use conservation or reduced tillage methods with precision technologies to improve soil structure and yields.
14 • The Farmers Club Winter Journal 2016
Precision farming • Tony Wilson
The fact that precision technologies could help farmers farm better was not in question. The question was: what technology is best suited to my business?
their systems and compile and compare data via one interface. Dustin Hahn explained how Kinze’s multihybrid planter uses individual row control and two hoppers containing different varieties of maize, to vary seed rate and plant different varieties in a quick automated way.
systems to minimise soil disturbance, so soil biota activity is maximised and nutrient cycling kept high, to help reduce fertiliser inputs. In an environment where the frost’s freeze/thaw effect alleviates compaction, but does not eliminate it, this approach is unusual. David grows a phenomenal crop of soybean. Standard technologies The following technologies are standard in Iowa: yield monitoring, auto steer, grid-sampling for pH, soil type and nutrients, planter row shutoff and spray section controls. More innovative farms also use variable rate application, individual row planter controls, electric drive seed meters, multi-variety planters, normalised yield data to inform management zones, normalised differential visual inference, electro-conductivity mapping of soil, plant tissue sampling and nitrogen modelling. Iowa State University researchers Christopher Murphy and Zachary Vanderleest use fixed wing drones and near infra-red and normalised difference vegetative index (NDVI) imagery to identify high performing areas of maize. The information provides base-lining data that helps farmers plan fertiliser applications, alleviate compaction and add drainage as needed. AgLeader aims to provide an integrated and holistic precision farm management package, with Luke James, sales manager, explaining how their SMS products can interface with a products from different manufacturers (John Deere, Kinze, CLAAS, CASE etc.). It all helps farmers connect
The prescription map guiding this is often based on metrics of field performance (soil type, nutrient levels and yield) to form management zones. Poor performing field areas are planted with varieties more able to cope with sub-optimal conditions (termed defensive varieties) and good performing areas are planted with varieties able to best take advantage of better conditions (offensive varieties). The US government invests significantly in keeping farmers informed of advances and provides independent advice on business, machinery, agronomy, natural resource use and legislation, explained Kelvin Leibold, an extension officer at Iowa State University. Such existing and wellfunded channels in the US are enviable. At InfoAg, a three day conference in St Louis, Illinois, over 1500 crop consultants, agricultural retail specialists, farmers, agronomists and scientists from across the USA and beyond considered topics such as the standardisation of agricultural big data; software compatibility; analysing big data; making full use of yield maps; and decision support using drones. The fact that precision technologies could help farmers farm better was not in question. The question was: what technology is best suited to my business? We cannot know whether these technologies will help us face down the challenges of the future. But our attitudes, approaches to learning, knowledge handling, partnership and networkbuilding, in short – our capacity-building – will. The tour was about improving my knowledge of precision agriculture. However, most impressive of all was the attitude to new ways of farming; a positive can-do attitude, underpinned by confidence in what can be achieved. Inspiring stuff!
Dr Tony Wilson Higher Education Academic Leader Askham Bryan College, York YO23 3FR 01904 772277 tony.wilson@ askham-bryan. ac.uk
www.thefarmersclub.com • 15
Charles Abel • Crop science
Weed resistance to herbicides was around long before glyphosate-resistant genetically engineered crops, says WSSA scientist David Shaw.
Resistant weeds Herbicide resistance predates genetically engineered crops by 40 years.
YOU may think weeds resistant to herbicides are a new phenomenon linked to the overuse of glyphosate in genetically engineered crops. But that seems not to be the case. This year marks only the 20th anniversary of glyphosate-resistant crops, but next year marks the 60th anniversary of the first reports of herbicide-resistant weeds.
Weed Science Society of America WSSA is a nonprofit scientific society, founded in 1956 to encourage and promote the development of knowledge concerning weeds and their impact on the environment. It promotes research, education and extension outreach activities related to weeds, provides science-based information to the public and policy makers, fosters awareness of weeds and their impact on managed and natural ecosystems, and promotes cooperation among weed science organizations. www.wssa.net
The first known report of herbicide-resistance came in 1957 when a spreading dayflower (Commelina diffusa) growing in a Hawaiian sugarcane field was found to be resistant to a synthetic auxin herbicide, says the Weed Science Society of America. One biotype of spreading dayflower was able to withstand five times the normal treatment dosage. That same year wild carrot (Daucus carota) growing on roadsides in Ontario, Canada was found to be resistant to some of the same synthetic auxin herbicides. Since then, 250 species of weeds have evolved resistance to 160 different herbicides, which span 23 of the 26 known herbicide mechanisms of action. They are found in 86 crops in 66 countries, making herbicide resistance a truly global problem. Resistance widespread “Given all the media attention paid to glyphosate, you would think it would have the greatest number of resistant weed species,” says WSSA scientist Dr David Shaw of Mississippi State University. “Though there are currently 35 weed species resistant to the amino acid synthesis inhibitor glyphosate, there are four times as many weed species resistant to ALS inhibitors and three times as many resistant to PS II inhibitors.” Scientists say what is unique about glyphosate resistance is the severity of selection pressure for resistance development. More than 90% of soybean, corn, cotton and sugar beet acres in the USA are glyphosate-tolerant and receive glyphosate treatments – often multiple times per year.
16 • The Farmers Club Winter Journal 2016
“The sheer size of the crop acreage impacted by glyphosate-resistant weeds has made glyphosate the public face for the pervasive problem of resistance,” says Dr Shaw. “But resistance issues are far broader than a single herbicide and were around long before glyphosate-resistant, genetically engineered crops were even introduced.” Risk factors Research shows that resistant weeds can evolve whenever a single approach to weed management is used repeatedly to the exclusion of other chemical and cultural controls – making a diverse, integrated approach to weed management the first line of defence. One example is found in the experiences of cotton growers in the southern USA. After years of relying on glyphosate for weed control, resistant Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) began to overrun crops and caused yields to plummet. Today integrated weed management programs using a diverse range of controls have become commonplace in cotton, despite the higher cost. Growers now use cover crops, hand-weeding, tillage, weed seed removal and herbicides with different mechanisms of action in order to keep Palmer amaranth at bay.
Harvest Festival • Charles Abel
Harvest home in London A BRIGHT autumn afternoon provided a splendid backdrop for over 100 Farmers Club members and their guests as they celebrated harvest home at St Martin-in-the-Fields church, just off Trafalgar Square in central London, on Tuesday 11th October. An excellent turn-out of members was complemented by a number of Masters of the foodand farming-related Livery Companies, including newly installed Master of the Worshipful Company of Farmers, Philip Wynn. Club Chairman Richard Butler’s wife Sue had organised for sixteen beautiful floral arrangements by Sarah Styles to adorn the bases of the soaring pillars of St Martin’s splendid interior, with expertlyworked corn dollies created by Audrey Rolfe of Bridport on pew ends. After an inspiring church service a buffet supper of fine British food created by Head Chef Paul Hogben was enjoyed back at the newly refurbished Club, drawing much favourable comment. Recognising the eternal nature of God’s plan for all His creation was the theme of the sermon, delivered by the Reverend Dr Sam Wells, Vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields. The Club’s own Revd Gerald Osborne assisted. St Martin’s choir provided wonderful musical accompaniment, including John Rutter’s For the beauty of the earth, Haydn’s Achieved is the glorious work and the Choral blessing A Clare Benediction. The service commenced with a procession of senior Club members taking seven baskets to the altar, each containing items reflecting the diversity and quality of food grown on British farms. All the produce went to St Martin’s homeless charity, The Connection at St Martin’s, as in previous years. • To see future events planned for Club members visit the on-line events page at www.thefarmersclub.com/events For a superb selection of images from the Harvest Festival Service, and the Buffet Supper at the Club afterwards, visit our on-line picture gallery at: www.thefarmersclub.com/ library/photo-library
www.thefarmersclub.com • 17
Paul Hogben • Chef
Farming Figures A look at... the state of wildlife and the risk of the world’s sixth mass extinction event...told through a few key statistics
1 in 10
UK wildlife species at risk of extinction
60% Number of UK species to have declined according to State of Nature 2013
421 million Drop in European bird numbers in 30 years
Halved Global vertebrate population in past 40 years
2025 Target for fifth of UK land to be ‘well managed for nature’, inc 500,000ha owned by others
151,954 ha
Land held by RSPB, near size of Greater London
Double
Planned rise in RSPB land holding, 2006-2030
1,187,839 RSPB members
16,000
Species identified at RSPB reserves
20,896 sq km
UK land protected by EU Nature Directives
520,000 people
Involved in EU Nature Directive consultation
£3.58m
Being able to trace ingredients right back to the farms they were produced on is a key goal of chef Paul Hogben.
Provenance pointers The Restaurant’s seasonal menu has given me the opportunity to establish new links with estates, farms and suppliers throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. This enables us in the Kitchen to continue to produce “simply cooked, seasonal, quality British food”. Our aim is to source produce from all regions of our wonderful country, as we travel through the seasons. With the game season upon us we began in August with grouse from the Yorkshire Moors, before adding partridge, rabbit, pigeon and pheasant, all arriving from The Marquess of Abergavenny’s Estate on the borders of Kent and Sussex. Our venison is sourced from the Balmoral Estate on Royal Deeside in Scotland. Luscious cheeses The cheeses I have chosen for this season come from Scotland and Ireland, including independent farmers who produce some really wonderful cheeses.They range from Gortnarmona from the Maher Family Farm in County Tipperary, “a luscious blue” from Blairliath Farm, Tain and Anster, and an unpasteurised crumbly cheese
from a single-source, home-bred herd on the Stewarts Farm in Fife. Other highlights this season; • Our beef comes from two farms in Cornwall, where the cattle enjoy a stress-free clean aired environment miles from any built up areas and busy road networks, hence the many compliments we receive regarding our rib-eye steaks. • Our free range Cotswold white chickens are from Caldecotts Farm in Gloucestershire, and the duck is from Tidenham Farm in Monmouthshire. • All our milk and cream is from free range cows from the Cotteswold Dairy Farm in Gloucestershire. • Pork is free range from Jimmy Butler & Sons Farm on the sandy soils of Suffolk. • Foraged Chanterelle mushrooms come from McPhersons in Ballidalloch, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Enjoy! Paul Hogben Head Chef
CAP payment to RSPB in 2015, more than any single farm business. National Trust £8.06m
To book a table in the Restaurant call: 020 7930 3557 Option 3 or email: restaurantmanager@thefarmersclub.com or asstrestmanager@thefarmersclub.com
Sources: State of Nature 2013, Farmers Weekly, RSPB
Please note that the maximum number of people on one table in the Restaurant is eight. Larger groups cannot be spread over two Restaurant tables and should book a function room instead.
18 • The Farmers Club Winter Journal 2016
Livestock Research • Charles Abel
CIEL backs livestock THE new £70 million AgriTech Centre of Innovation Excellence in Livestock (CIEL) is stepping up its activity to transform productivity and resilience in the UK livestock industry. CIEL is part of a family of AgriTech Centres launched by the government, which includes Agrimetrics, the Centre for Crop Health and Production (CHAP) and Epi-Agri. It has been allocated £31.4 million funding from the Government’s Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) to set up state-of-the-art facilities across the UK, providing the livestock industry with world-beating access to research. Additional funding from Innovate UK and the participating research institutions will bring total investment to £70 million. Its headquarters are at the Sand Hutton Innovation Centre, York. Speaking as the Centre was officially handed over from Innovate UK, Sam Hoste, interim chief operating officer, said: “CIEL’s objective is to increase the economic performance of UK farming and associated industries by £12 for each £1 spent in research. By bringing together the best research in areas such as breeding, animal health, biotechnology, feeding and genomics the centre will create a state of the art, one-stop-shop for the industry that we expect to increase productivity and drive innovation.” CIEL provides a focused gateway to a core of 12 world-class research institutes to develop new industry-needed solutions as well as commercial trial farms for real world results. World-leading research The universities of Edinburgh (The Roslin Institute), Leeds, Nottingham, Newcastle, Aberystwyth, Bristol, Queens (Belfast) and Harper
Adams are receiving investment from CIEL, as well as Rothamsted Research, the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute Northern Ireland (AFBI), Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Fera and Duchy College. It has been industry led from inception by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board and is supported by a wide range of private sector companies across the livestock and food industries. CIEL aims to provide: • A direct link between science and practice to enable broader, faster and deeper uptake of innovation in the livestock sectors • Faster innovation and discovery in livestock R&D • Pre-competitive research to address strategic priorities for a competitive and sustainable UK livestock sector • Supported access to world-leading infrastructure with industry-demanded critical mass, facilitating innovation to develop commercial products and services
“CIEL’s objective is to increase the economic performance of UK farming and associated industries by £12 for each £1 spent in research.”
• Talent and skills succession from undergraduate training to post graduate study, to train up industry innovators and leaders of the future • A project management and contract handling service to co-ordinate world leading expertise and facilities as a onestop, commercially competitive focus for UK Livestock R&D www.cielivestock.co.uk www.thefarmersclub.com • 19
Mary Bell, Chairman; Charlotte Harris, Vice Chairman; Lisbeth Rune, Secretary • U30s
Chairman’s Jottings The Under 30s felt very honoured to hold the first official Club event in the brand new Farmers Suite, and were delighted to be joined by our Chief Executive for the occasion, where we received a brilliant after dinner speech from Chirs Manley, 2016 Chair for NFYFC. Fellow Under 30s member Scott Ruck organized a farm walk at Belmont Farm in Mill Hill the morning after the dinner, where we were treated to a tractor and trailer ride up Mill Hill High Street and were amazed at the space and haven they have secured within the M25. This little sanctuary is well worth a visit. I am so pleased that the Under 30s have yet again been given the opportunity for an additional place at the Oxford Farming Conference in January 2017. The application will be distributed in the next month. At the time of writing a group of us are about to set off on the Under 30s Autumn Farm Walk in Buckinghamshire, where we are very lucky to be visiting the Arla Dairy in Aston Clinton and the Waddesden Estate. A full write up will follow in the next Journal. I would also like to encourage Under 30s to keep an eye out for events organized by the main Club, as they come through with your Journal. Having just attended the Harvest Festival, I would encourage you to attend such events, as it is a great way to meet other members.
Contact Mary for more information Mary Bell U30 Chairman Job Title: PA to Lord Malloch-Brown Where: Piccadilly, London www.thefarmersclub.com /under-30s marycharlottebell@gmail.com
07538 082517
20 • The Farmers Club Winter Journal 2016
Under 30s Grand Opening Dinner By Charlotte Harris – Under 30s Vice Chairman On Friday 16th September 70 members from the Under 30s donned black tie and gathered on the Club terrace for a glass of Champagne to begin the Under 30s Grand Opening Dinner. For many it was their first time seeing the fantastic results of Project CREST and the new Club layout hugely benefitted the evening, the majority of which was spent in the new Farmers Suite and the bar. We are hugely relieved to report that the bar is more magnificent than ever! Conversation flowed over a delicious meal of quail followed by Herdwick and Manx lamb, which was very apt as our guest speaker was Chris Manley; Chris is currently the agricultural manager for poultry at Sainsbury’s and previously held the same role at Tesco for lamb. Chris gave a highly entertaining and memorable speech about the great opportunities that exist
for those wishing to pursue food and farming careers. As the 2016 Council Chairman of the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs, Chris is a strong voice for young people within agriculture and he encouraged us to seek out and seize personal development opportunities, such as travelling, work experience and talking to mentors, to “dream it, believe it, and achieve it”. Chris also encouraged us to get behind the Young Farmer’s Life Blood campaign, which highlights farm safety, by registering and donating blood. We welcomed many new faces to the Under 30s during the evening and were very lucky to be joined by Andrei Spence - our new Chief Executive & Club Secretary and honorary Under 30s member. It’s certainly an exciting time within the Club. We hope Andrei enjoyed our discussions and that next time he joins us for a spot of dancing in Opal too!
U30s • Mary Bell, Chairman; Charlotte Harris, Vice Chairman; Lisbeth Rune, Secretary
Inter-Club... By Hannah Moore and Alexandra Day
The Younger Members’ Inter-Club Group was founded in 2005 to ensure that the younger members of London’s ‘Clubland’ get the most out of being the latest generation to join this rich and diverse tradition. The Inter-Club Group is run and coordinated by younger members from its participating Clubs, and is for the younger members of its participating Clubs. No additional subscription is charged, but you must be a member of a participating Club, and under the age of 35, to take part. A wide range of Clubs participate in the Inter-Club Group, as shown in the panel (right). In its 11 years of running, Inter-club has hosted a magnificent array of events, from masqeurade balls to tennis tournaments, Champagne tasting, murder mystery dinners, summer garden parties, and Scottish ceilidhs, to name but a few.
Details about ticket release dates can be found on the Inter-Club website (www.inter-club.co.uk ), Facebook page (Inter-club Younger Members Group) or by subscribing to the Inter-Club mailing list. Your Inter-Club representatives, Alexandra Day and Hannah Moore, would also be happy to answer any of your questions. We welcome all Farmers Club young members to join the Inter-Club Facebook page to hear all the latest updates. If you are not already on the Inter-Club mailing list you can sign up on the website or contact Lisbeth Rune at The Farmers Club. Inter-Club Members Army & Navy, Caledonian, Carlton, City University, Farmers, Hurlingham, In & Out, Lansdowne, National Liberal, Oriental, Oxford and Cambridge, Queen’s, Reform, Royal Automobile, Royal Over-Seas League, Savage, Savile, Travellers and University Women’s Clubs. www.inter-club.co.uk/
It is always a wonderful opportunity to meet and network with members of other clubs and for so many it has been the foundation for great friendships and business opportunities. Ross Lima, newly appointed Chair of Inter-Club says he intends to continue the brilliant work of previous chairpersons, delivering a variety of quality events where Young Members across Clubland can socialise and most importantly have fun. Indeed, there follows an exciting line up of events to see us through the rest of 2016: - Ceilidh at the Caledonian (18th November). Tickets £55. - Christmas drinks and canapés at the In and Out Club (1st December). - Christmas Ball at the Royal Overseas League (10th December). The Committee is busy planning the 2017 calendar, which will see the return of some old favourites, including the Club Crawl, Summer Ball and Hog Roast, as well as a few new and exciting functions.
www.thefarmersclub.com • 21
The Farmers Club • Club Information
Club Information
020 7930 3557 • www.thefarmersclub.com Office Holders Patron – Her Majesty The Queen HONORARY VICE PRESIDENTS Peter Jackson CBE, Roddy Loder-Symonds, Sir David Naish DL, John Parker THE COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT OF THE CLUB 2016 VICE PRESIDENTS Barclay Forrest OBE, Mark Hudson, Norman Shaw CBE, Mrs Susan Kilpatrick OBE PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN Richard Butler TRUSTEES Jimmy McLean, Mrs Nicki Quayle, Julian Sayers (Chairman), Paul Heygate VICE-CHAIRMAN Tim Bennett HONORARY TREASURER George Jessel DL IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN Anne Chamberlain CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND SECRETARY Andrei Spence CLUB CHAPLAIN The Reverend Dr Sam Wells COMMITTEE Elected 2014: Allan Stevenson (Chairman – Communications Sub-Committee), Alison Ritchie, Robert Lasseter, Martin Taylor, Campbell Tweed OBE Elected 2015: Tim Bennett, Matt Dempsey, Richard Maunder, Gerald Osborne Elected 2016: Robert Alston, Andrew Brown, Lindsay Hargreaves (Chairman – Membership Sub-Committee), Nick Helme, Peter Jinman OBE (Chairman – House Sub-Committee) Co-opted: Mary Bell (Chairman Under 30s), Charlotte Harris (Vice Chairman Under 30s) THE FARMERS CLUB CHARITABLE TRUST TRUSTEES Stephen Fletcher (Chairman), John Kerr MBE DL, James Cross, Vic Croxson DL, The Chairman and Immediate Past Chairman of the Club (ex officio)
NEXT ISSUE The New Year issue of the Farmers Club Journal is due out in mid-January 2017, with all the latest Club news, including a profile of new Club chairman Tim Bennett, reports on the House of Lords Luncheon with the Government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Mark Walport and the Ladies Luncheon with Prue Leith, and some new thinking on soil management.
22 • The Farmers Club Winter Journal 2016
Juan Diego Flórez FRIDAY 2 JUNE 2017
The Club has tickets for the incomparable tenor Juan Diego Flórez, who returns to the Royal Albert Hall in 2017, joined by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra for an evening of Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, Gounod and Latin American songs. Flórez made his Royal Albert Hall solo headline debut in 2012. Following in the footsteps of Pavarotti and Carreras, Flórez became one of the few great tenors to appear in a solo recital at the Hall, with The Guardian proclaiming that his ‘superstar status cannot be far off’. Recognised as one of the greatest tenors in history, the Peruvian singer has
Reciprocal Clubs UK City Livery Club, London (No bedrooms) Royal Overseas League, Edinburgh Royal Scots Club, Edinburgh The New Club, Edinburgh Northern Counties Club, Newcastle Bury St Edmund’s Farmers Club OTHER AGREEMENTS Whilst not formal reciprocal agreements, we have informal agreements with the East India, Caledonia and Civil Service Clubs, for bedroom bookings if we have no accommodation available. The Reservations Manager will advise in this instance. If we are full, Reception also holds a list of hotels within a 15 minute walk that might be considered ‘good value for money’.
OVERSEAS The Western Australian Club, Perth, Australia (Bedrooms not reciprocated)
appeared at all the world’s leading opera houses, concert halls and music festivals. Our programme starts at 5.00pm with a two-course supper with wine in the Club, before departing by coach for the Royal Albert Hall at 6:30pm, ready for the concert starting at 7.30pm. After the recital ends, at 10.15pm (approx.), the coach returns to the Club. This event is limited to 40 places. Cost per person is £125.00. All applications should be received by 15 December 2016. If oversubscribed places will be decided by ballot. Apply online at www. thefarmersclub.com or complete the booking form enclosed with this issue, Please only book accommodation when your place has been confirmed.
Queensland Club, Brisbane, Australia The Australian Club, Melbourne, Australia Royal Dublin Society, Dublin, Ireland (Bedrooms not reciprocated) Stephen’s Green Hibernian Club, Dublin, Ireland The Muthaiga Country Club, Nairobi, Kenya The Harare Club, Harare, Zimbabwe The Christchurch Club, Christchurch, New Zealand (operating from The George Hotel www. thegeorge.com and able to offer reciprocal visitors preferred accommodation rates) The Canterbury Club, Christchurch, New Zealand Members wishing to use any of the above Clubs should obtain an introductory card from the Secretariat.
Club Information • The Farmers Club Deaths It is with regret that we announce the death of the following members: Mrs A Bates Lincolnshire Mr P Boardman Norfolk Mr D Chance Suffolk Mr J Cross CBE Suffolk Mr A Glass Midlothian Mr D Hay Gloucestershire Mr J Minney Northamptonshire Mr J Nielsen Lincolnshire Mrs J Owen MBE Kent Professor R Roberts Midlothian Mr R Thain Lincolnshire Dr J Washbourne Yorkshire Mr J Willcocks Cornwall New Members The following were elected: UK Members Mr L Baker Mrs S Brennenkmeijer Mr C Dyball Mr G Gilchrist Dr I Menneer Mr G Robinson Mr P Smith Mr G Stand Mr D Wing Under 30s Mr N Barton Jayne Miss G Fell Miss J Hay Miss E Miles Mr M Reynolds Miss A Truscott Miss R Truscott Mr T Vickers Associate - Whitehall Court Mrs C Wallace
WiFi WiFi is available throughout the Club at no charge. Shaw Room The Shaw Room may be used for meetings of two or three people for up to an hour without booking. iPads, laptops and mobile phones may be used but phones should be set to silent ring. Dress Code Members are requested to advise their guests of the following: • Gentlemen must wear formal jackets and ties on weekdays. Polo-neck jerseys, jeans and trainers are not acceptable. • There are Club jackets and a selection of ties at Reception which may be borrowed in an emergency. • Ladies should be dressed conventionally. Trousers are permitted but not jeans or trainers during the week.
Somerset Surrey Sussex Yorkshire Yorkshire Middlesex Glamorgan Devon Essex Sussex Northumberland Lincolnshire Suffolk Northamptonshire Gloucestershire Gloucestershire Durham
London
Mobile Phones, Briefcases and Business Meetings Mobile phones must not be used in the Public Rooms (except the Shaw Room). Briefcases should be left in the Cloakrooms and Business meetings must be conducted in the Shaw Room or designated and pre-booked meeting rooms. Members should speak with Liza Keoshgerian ext 109 or direct line 020 7925 7100 or meetings@thefarmersclub.com Parking The Club has no private parking at Whitehall Court. However, the Club is pleased to be able to offer all its members discounted parking with Q-Park, our preferred parking partner. Discounts of 20% are available on the day and on prebookings. The nearest Q-Park is situated in Spring Gardens off Cockspur Street, approximately 5 minutes walk from the Club. Details of this can be obtained by phoning the Club Reception on 020 7930 3557 or by visiting the website at: http://www.thefarmers club.com/news/parking -5-mins-from-club Business Suite The Business Suite provides PCs, printing and WiFi for members.
• Smart casual dress may be worn by all from 6pm Friday to midnight Sunday; smart clean jeans and trainers are permitted. • Children should conform, as best they can, with the above guidelines. • Members must advise their guests of the dress regulations.
Website Registration Whilst the Club has around 5400 members, only 1717 of these have so far registered with the website – www.thefarmersclub.com The site offers the opportunity to keep fully up to date with all that is happening at your Club, to book events, book bedrooms, see your account on-line, and pay it if required. To get the best from the site you do need to register – which is very easy – simply visit the site, click the ‘Members Area’ tab at the top of the left-hand menu, click ‘Register’ at the bottom of the LOGIN menu, and follow the on-screen instructions. Should you have any problems do contact IT Manager Mr Hamid Khaldi e-mail: itmanager@ thefarmersclub.com tel: 020 7925 7108
Club Contacts THE FARMERS CLUB
Over 170 years of service to farming 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL
Chairman 2016: Richard Butler
Chief Executive and Secretary: Andrei Spence
Club Number 020 7930 3557 Reception ext: 200/201 reception@thefarmersclub.com Bedroom Reservations ext: 204 reservations@thefarmersclub.com Restaurant Reservations Option 3 restaurantmanager@thefarmersclub.com or asstrestmanager@thefarmersclub.com Conference & Banqueting Liza Keoshgerian ext: 109 or direct line: 020 7925 7100 meetings@thefarmersclub.com Events & U30s Lisbeth Rune ext: 103 events@thefarmersclub.com Club Manager Virginia Masser ext: 102 clubmanager@thefarmersclub.com Head Chef Paul Hogben ext: 111 or direct line: 020 7925 7103 chef@thefarmersclub.com Financial Controller Zarreena Neeson ext: 106 or direct line: 020 7925 7101 financialcontroller@thefarmersclub.com Membership Mark Fairbairn ext: 107 or direct line: 020 7925 7102 membership@thefarmersclub.com PA to Secretary Claire White ext: 104 or direct line: 020 7930 3751 generaloffice@thefarmersclub.com Bedrooms ext: 3+ [two digit room number] eg. ext 301 for Room1 Whitehall Court Porters 020 7930 3160 Fax 020 7839 7864 Website: www.thefarmersclub.com THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Editor and Advertisement Manager: Charles Abel 07795 420692 E-mail: editor@thefarmersclub.com Designed and produced by: Ingenious, www.ingeniousdesign.co.uk No film or film processing chemicals were used. Printed on Lumi Silk which is ISO 14001 certified manufacturer. FSC® Mix Credit. Elemental chlorine free (ECF) fibre sourced from well managed forests
www.thefarmersclub.com • 23
Club Function Rooms
The Club’s newly refurbished Function Rooms are fully available for booking, most with stunning views of the River Thames. The new Farmers Suite offers a large space for major events, and can also be divided into the more intimate Cumber Room and Hudson Room. Together with the Committee Room and Forty Room it is ideally suited to your needs – be it a business meeting, family or social event. Our team can assist throughout, guiding you through Chef’s menus offering simply cooked, seasonal, British food, with bespoke menus to meet the theme of your occasion also possible. Wi-fi can be accessed in all rooms and additional audio visual requirements arranged as needed.
To book your Function call Liza Keoshgerian on 020 7925 7100 or email her on functions@ thefarmersclub.com
People are saying… “Great venue and we will definitely return for another function. Thank you all very much” Miranda Harris, Dominic Beer Memorial Trust
“A delightful first lunch for our Senior Past Masters. We have booked again for next year and hope this becomes a regular feature of our calendar” Worshipful Company of Gardeners
“We had a wonderful evening, thank you so much for hosting us. The venue was perfect and we enjoyed our stay too. We will definitely be arranging more functions at this venue and our staff are very much looking forward to staying again. Many thanks for making us feel very welcome” University of Newcastle School of Agriculture, Food & Rural Development