Farmers Club HARVEST 2017 • ISSUE 269
www.thefarmersclub.com
INSIDE Henley Royal Regatta p4 Gloucester visit p8 Arable post-Brexit p10 AGM report p12 NFU 2000 days p13 Club Administrator p14 Highland Show p15 Farm education p16 Balmoral Show p18 Chef’s page p19 Under 30s in Kent p21 INSERTS Harvest Festival New Year’s Eve Party
West Wales visit Supply chains, innovation and heritage in glorious Carmarthenshire p6
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Farmers Club Serving the farming industry for 175 years 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL Patron – Her Majesty The Queen
Contents
FRONT COVER West Wales was a fascinating destination for the Club summer tour, with food chain inspiration, technical innovation, farm diversification and a wealth of cultural experiences. Photography: Charles Abel 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
Taking the Club to the country is a real privilege
4 Club News
Summer season gets off to a great start
6 Wonderful West Wales
Fascinating food chain collaboration, slurry innovation and culture aplenty as Club ventures to Carmarthenshire
8 Glorious Gloucester
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Club visit to Dunning family’s Gloucester Services success story and some of its entrepreneurial local food suppliers
10 Arable after Brexit
Agenda-setting seminar staged by the BCPC and the Voluntary Initiative, supported by The Farmers Club, tackles topical issues
12 Annual General Meeting
2018 Chairman and Vice-Chairman elected at July AGM
13 NFU 2000 days
How NFU Director General Terry Jones views the most pivotal period in modern farming history
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14 Anita the Administrator
Anita Kaur, our new Administrator and Under 30s Secretary, brings a wealth of events expertise, plus support for Functions and Under 30s
15 Soils focus at Highland Show Dinner
Excellent pre-Show Dinner at RBS Gogarburn hears how cutting-edge soils science could help farmers in future
16 Educating the next generation
Less privileged children get to visit farms and learn about food production thanks to the efforts of Country Trust charity
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18 Balmoral Show Dinner
Club stalwart Norman Shaw honoured at superb pre-Balmoral Show Dinner in Presidential Suite of Belfast’s top hotel
19 Chef ’s page
Going underground in search of the finest salads
21 Under 30s Kent Farm Walk
Fruit, clay pigeons and soil skills to the fore
22 Club Information and Contacts
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Chairman’s Comments • Tim Bennett As Chairman this year I have worked much more closely with all the Club team and we are so fortunate that there is so much enthusiasm, commitment and a culture of generating ideas for improvement. At times the Club is working to capacity and yet still Paul, our Head Chef is creating time to visit new suppliers in search of different options for the seasonal menus. Angela in housekeeping tells me about her ideas for even higher standards in our bedrooms and the wine list has been updated to match our changing menus. These and many more examples I want to acknowledge and say thank you on behalf of all the members. We have had many Club events since I last wrote, including well-attended successful dinners at the Balmoral Show and the Royal Highland Show. The local support we get at these events show we really are a Club for members from all of the UK.
Chairman’s Comments “This long term approach of investing for the benefit of members to improve the Club is obviously successful as the Club is so busy.”
I AM writing these comments after a busy week at the Club which started with over 70 club members going to the Henley Royal Regatta where we all had a tremendous day. It was particularly good to see a good number of the Under 30s joining us for the event. We are really fortunate that Club member Tom Copas who hosts us is so welcoming, helpful and generous with his time. His commentary on the included boat trip explained the history of the event and the rules of the rowing competitions, some of which we managed to watch in between morning drinks, lunch and afternoon tea!
We have also had the visit to Carmarthenshire where Sue and I were very pleased to welcome members to our own county. We experienced 1 day of rain and 2 dry days, which sums up our climate, and some great and very varied visits which stimulated a lot of debate, as did the talk at dinner by Andrew Slade, the Welsh Director of Agriculture, Environment, Forestry and Marine. It is likely that the importance of food and agriculture to the Welsh economy will mean more policy divergence post Brexit. In particular it came through clearly how important food exports are to Welsh farmers. There was real concern about any loss of ability to trade in the European single market, though it was pointed out England is still the largest destination for Welsh food and that at least we still have that single market! We are very grateful to all the local hosts for helping to make the trip so successful. Club members also visited the Dunning family at the Gloucester Services in June as well as some of their over one hundred local suppliers. John and Barbara Dunning accompanied us on all the visits, and Sarah their daughter joined us on the second day when both John and Sarah gave inspirational talks about the development of both the Tebay and Gloucester services. The lasting impression that stayed with me was there are many models that can generate business growth and local farm suppliers can grow and innovate if the right partnership is created.
We also had the Club Committee and AGM in early July, when we elected the Chairman and Vice Chairman for next year. The Club will be in good hands with Peter Jinman and Nick Helme. The main discussions at the committee as always were about identifying projects or changes to improve the Club for members, including maintaining the programme of bedroom refurbishments, updating the website, and – very importantly – having an IT system that is robust and up to date.
We are experiencing hot weather again at the present time on the farm and it has been almost perfect growing conditions for us with a lot of dry weather interspersed with the occasional wet week. I hope this trend continues for the rest of the summer here in Carmarthenshire. I have been watching the combines starting to operate as I have been travelling to events in the South of England and I wish everyone a good harvest.
This long term approach of investing for the benefit of members to improve the Club is obviously successful as the Club is so busy.
I am off to the Great Yorkshire show next where it looks a bit cooler and I can escape the “tropical “ heat of South West Wales!
www.thefarmersclub.com • 03
Andrei Spence • Club News
Club News Busy summer season at the Club Activity across the Club remains high, demonstrating the wide-ranging programme of events and interests that pervade amongst our large and diverse membership. Our success on the business side continues, although this was slightly subdued by the snap calling of the General Election, which affected occupancy, and food and beverage across the Club. We are not alone in this, and most clubs I have spoken to are experiencing the same, if not worse, than we are. The Club was very busy during Chelsea Flower Show and again with Henley and Wimbledon. We have also seen a start to the extensive fixture list of the Farmers Club Golf Society, with visits to some celebrated golf courses and the Club Championship at Blackwell, Worcs (see p22). The show season got underway with the Club’s major pre-show dinners at the Royal Balmoral Show at Belfast’s Europa Hotel for 83 members, and the Royal Highland Show at the RBS Conference Centre near Edinburgh for 90 members. Excellent speakers were present at both.
Stunning Henley Royal Regatta Over 70 club members enjoyed a superb visit to Henley Royal Regatta, with Mr Tom Copas once again facilitating an excellent hospitality chalet on Temple Island embankment, plus a serene boat trip down the Thames – a quintessential element of the British summer ‘season’ – all in the most amazing British summer weather.
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On the more cultural side we visited the Royal Albert Hall to hear the incomparable Juan Diego Flores, where in addition to operatic arias, the tenor played guitar whilst singing Mexican ballads – very moving! More recently the Club has made its latest visit to the Queen’s Gallery in London. Members enjoyed a talk from Ann Haworth on the paintings of Canaletto at the Club, before lunch, after which was the gallery visit itself. By the time you read this we will have had receptions at the Great Yorkshire and the Royal Welsh shows and the Under 30s Pimms and Supper evening here at the Club, as well as hosting the BCPC/ Voluntary Initiative seminar on Arable Production post-Brexit. We have also been making extensive preparations for the first half of the 7th Floor bedroom refurbishments that will begin in late July. When all that is over we will draw a little breath in the slightly quieter month of August!
Rates update The Finance & General Purposes Committee and the General Committee both met to discuss the options to meet the new Business Rate liability on which I have opined previously. They endorsed an approach which I communicated to all members last month. This was extremely important as we now have a strategy, plan and financial underpinning which will serve us for the next four years. I continue to work with our surveyors to plan an appropriate appeal against the new business rates and we have already discussed a couple of ways in which we might do this, however, this will be a long term project before we see any glimmer of a potential rebate.
New Club Wine List launches Over the past three months Jelle, John and Valentina have been working hard to create a new Club Wine List, which launched on 12th June. The list journeys through the world’s vineyards, representing the new and old world, with some exciting new wines that have just reached UK shores. All have been selected and some will change seasonally, to complement our simply-cooked, seasonal, quality, British food. The following Lanson Champagnes have also been introduced: Lanson Père & Fils Brut N.V, White Label Sec N.V, Rose Label Brut N.V, Gold Label, Vintage 2004. Enjoy!
Club News • Andrei Spence
Club Calendar Diary Dates See Events section of Club website (www.thefarmersclub.com) for more details, or contact Administrator Anita Kaur 020 7930 3751 extn 103 e-mail: administrator@thefarmersclub.com SEPTEMBER Westmorland Show Reception Thursday 14th September Alastair Wannop, High Sheriff of Cumbria Application in Summer Journal Westmorland Show
OCTOBER Har vest Festival Ser vice Tuesday 10th October Application form in this Journal
New Club Golf Umbrella The clergy and farmers were among the earliest users of the umbrella in the 1770s and with our British weather... well, the need remains! As a result, Claire White from the General Office, has been busy organising the new Club Golf Umbrella which has now arrived. Handmade by Ince Umbrellas, a family-run business who have been manufacturing umbrellas since 1805, based in the East End of London near Liverpool Street Station, they are available to purchase in the Club priced £30.
John Alliston Many will already know of the tragic circumstances and untimely death of Club member Professor John Alliston, an extremely popular and widely-connected member of this Club. A celebration of his life was held at the Royal Agricultural University on Friday 21 July, where the Club was represented by several Committee members. Our thoughts are with John’s family.
Club Christmas Cards Members will be able to order Club Christmas Cards, featuring Dorset Poll sheep photographed in a snowy Yorskshire landscape, using an order form in the Autumn Journal, due in mid-September.
Trip to Portugal Mon 16th – Thu 19th Oct Harvest Festival Service
Tour based in Oporto, taking in wine, food and farming
DECEMBER Statoil Masters Tennis – FULL Fri 1st Dec Tennis at the Royal Albert Hall
Trip to Portugal
Farmers Club 175th Anniversar y Dinner Friday 8th December Speaker to be confirmed Not yet open for booking
New Year’s Eve Black Tie Dinner Sunday 31st December Statoil Masters Tennis
175th Anniversary Dinner
Dinner in the Club with great view of London fireworks. Application form in this Journal
New Year’s Eve Dinner
Member Survey 2017 The last member survey was conducted over two years ago, and Virginia and I felt the time had come, now we are into our stride following the Project CREST refurbishments, to take further stock of what you, the members, think of progress so far, and whether the Club is meeting your aspirations, and what could be done
to improve and/or enhance the Club and the services it provides. This is very important information for the future development of the Club, and my thanks go to the almost 31% of members who responded. It will form the basis upon which decisions can be made, within the financial parameters and priorities of the Club.
www.thefarmersclub.com • 05
Charles Abel • West Wales visit
Supply chains and innovation in Wales “Data linking welfare and production standards to Dunbia’s sophisticated carcase and meat quality measurements and final retail sales is key to spurring each other on to meet the needs of consumers.”
WALES without rain? Hardly. So it was fitting for the Farmers Club tour to Carmarthenshire to arrive in a downpour! Fortunately, the sun soon appeared to accompany our visits to this fascinating area, culminating in amazing views of Dinefwr Park’s fine White Park cattle on the final day. Hosted by Club Chairman Tim Bennett and his wife Sue the tour used the historic Cawdor Arms Hotel in Llandeilo as its base, close to the River Towy, in the heart of one of the UK’s premier dairying regions, with a mild, wet climate favouring strong grass growth and a long grazing season.
Added-value supply chains, worldclass innovation and fully-fledged diversifications featured on a fascinating Club tour to West Wales. Charles Abel reports
But with its zeal for nature and rural tourism the valley’s new dominant landowner, the National Trust, had brought great tension, new leases and strict guidelines marking an all-time low, noted local author Sir David Lewis, former chairman of City law firm Norton Rose and Lord Mayor of London in 2007, who noted the Towy valley’s long history of innovation, including a seven mile Roman aquaduct to aid gold mining and huge landholdings amassed by four local families in the 17th and 18th centuries.
It was the Cawdor family who once owned a huge estate here and built nearby Geli Aur College to boost their tenants’ farming skills – and the area has been a hot bed of rural innovation ever since.
Local farmer Huw Davies, a prime mover behind the Dolaucothi supply chain farms 600 NZ Highlander easy-care ewes with his wife Sheila at 280 acre Fferm Llandre, Pumsaint. He echoed the frustration with the NT’s farming policy, suggesting years of hard work had been ‘shattered’.
The Dolaucothi Lamb supply chain, delivering prime Welsh grass-fed lamb to Sainbury’s Taste the Difference range, via Dunbia’s state-of-the-art slaughterhouse and cutting plant at Llanybyther, the most advanced in Europe and probably the world, is just the latest example.
But tension also inspires progress and NT head of food and farming Rob Macklin felt whole farm plans had helped drive the Dolaucothi project. After a period of less successful farmer relations newly appointed estate managers would help rebuild cooperation, he insisted. Indeed, gatherings of key players around the kitchen table at Fferm Llandre frequently felt like Welsh farming’s frontline headquarters, noted Beth Hart, Sainsbury’s newly appointed head of agriculture, horticulture and sourcing, whose department was doubling in size to reflect the growing importance of food provenance. Eight farms now supply Dolaucothi lamb from mid-August to early-December, when demonstrably superior flavour best justifies the premium price. Data linking welfare and production standards to Dunbia’s sophisticated carcase and meat quality measurements and final retail sales was key to spurring each other on to meet the needs of consumers, and to releasing value for the whole supply chain, Ms Hart asserted. “The relationships and rapport really are very strong,” noted Dunbia group lamb commercial manager Barrie Jones. Moving across the valley to the edge of the Brecon Beacons Bernard and Margaret Llewellyn
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Charles Abel • West Wales visit have been adding value to farming by harnessing tourism since 1996. With the spectacular ruins of Carreg Cennen Castle in the centre of their land, a large oak-barn centre was built to cater for visitors, who now exceed 100,000 a year. The farm’s impressive Longhorn cattle feature in the quality meals served, as well as the self-carve centre-piece roasts for the extremely popular wedding venue. Nearby Aberglasney heritage garden and house (www.aberglasney.org) is a fine example of a visionary American benefactor funding the renaissance of a property dating back to mediaeval days when the cloistered gardens were thriving. Inspirational and enthusiastic director of operations Jospeh Atkin has created an amazing ninfarium for sub-tropical plants, the glass atrium spanning the ruined central rooms of the mansion, and helping to draw in 45,000 visitors a year and rising. The National Trust’s Newton House in Dinefwr Park was a further venture profiting from tourism, its Dynevor herd of rare White Park cattle dating back to AD920 attracting huge interest with a #savetheherd campaign and £75,000 spent on winter housing to meet a year-round interest. Gelli Aur (Golden Grove) College is enjoying its own renaissance, as it works to meet an insatiable demand for well-qualified labour for the local rural economy, explained head of curriculum David Davies. Teaching is in three languages – English, Welsh and farming – to students drawing on a flexible portfolio of full-time, part-time, apprenticeship and work-based courses. The traditional 600 cow spring and autumn calving NZ-style dairy unit, struggling in a severe TB hot-spot, is involved in potentially world-leading slurry innovation with Swansea-based water purification specialists Power and Water. If the farm-scale pilot plant proves successful the process could save Welsh farming an estimated £50m/year, using a patented process of centrifugal separation, electro-coagulation and chemoxidation to produce stackable, spreadable nutrient-rich solids and fit-todrink water, explained farm manager John Owen. As well as promoting lower-cost milk and meat from grass, the college is evaluating low-cost, lowlabour feeding systems, and has also proposed a BVD strategy for Wales linked to TB testing, noted farm projects manager John Griffiths. At a gala dinner at the Cawdor Arms guest speaker Andrew Slade, Welsh Government director of Agriculture, Marine, Environment and Forestry described Welsh Assembly plans to sustain a viable rural economy, attentively listened to by honorary guests NFU President Meurig Raymond, Royal Welsh Agricultural Society assistant chief executive Aled Jones, Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution chairman Malcolm Thomas and BBC Good Morning Wales and Country Focus presenter Rachel Garside. A truly memorable and inspiring visit to wonderful West Wales!
West Wales vistas (clockwise from top): Rhodri Thomas with Dinefwr White Park cattle; Aberglasney ninfarium; Fferm Llandre; Newton House; Gelli Aur dairy; Aberglasney gardens; Newton House; Carreg Cennen Castle.
www.thefarmersclub.com • 07
Charles Abel • Club Visit
Gloucestershire food champions A supply chain providing locally produced food to the Westmorland Family’s latest motorway service area in Gloucestershire was the focus of a recent Farmers Club tour. Charles Abel reports
“Matching those businesses with a scale business is the intersection we need to get right, matching often small, unique producers, which are doing something really interesting, with our demanding customers, 24/7, 365 days a year.”
CONNECTING local farmers, food producers and a major retail outlet with its own roots set deep in the farming industry has huge appeal. So the chance to see how the Dunning family’s tremendously successful model from Cumbria is faring in Gloucestershire was an opportunity not to be missed.
The Dunnings have been Cumbrian hill farmers since time immemorial, so when John Dunning took on a 60 acre dairy farm in 1955 few could have foreseen the success of the farm-fresh motorway services concept the family now manages as the Westmorland Family business.
Centred on the lovely Hatherley Manor Hotel, just outside Gloucester, the tour included visits to Godsells Cheese run by Liz Godsell and Brian Clements at Leonard Stanley in the foothills of the Cotswolds and Cinderhill Farm Pie House run by Deborah and Neil Flint in the Wye Valley, both supplying the Dunning family’s thriving Gloucester Services area on the M5 motorway.
Gloucester Services In 2005 daughter Sarah returned to the business after time in London with Rothschilds corporate finance and the business’s transition to the second generation started. Tebay was working well, so testing the model at another location appealed. Seven years later, after competitors forced a judicial review and appeal, the £45m north- and southbound services were opened by HRH Prince of Wales.
The visit stretched pre-conceived ideas about food production, supply chain profitability and rural enterprise, with all three businesses fully committed to local food with a story to tell, to seize growing market share from shoppers prepared to pay a price premium for quality, authentic food.
A key challenge was keeping the family values and culture of the Cumbrian business, whilst reinventing the model for Gloucester. Three themes ensured that happened. First, planning required building and landscaping in a sensitive area, hence the grassed roof and ‘contemporary vernacular’ design. Inside the atmosphere is more ski chalet than motorway services, a building of beauty for 4 million visitors a year.
Food chain champions – John, Barbara and Sarah Dunning
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Second, the goal is to be a quality food business that happens to be on a motorway, not a motorway business that offers food. “All the food served in our café is made by us – cakes, soups, lasagne and sandwiches are all simple, freshly prepared, well-sourced food, while our farm shop works with fabulous small producers. We source from 130 small craft food producers within 30 miles and another 70 across the south-west.
Club Visit • Charles Abel
Godsells Cheeses At Gloucester Services supplier Godsells Cheeses we tasted 12 fine cheeses, including a traditional Double Gloucester, a cloth-bound Single Gloucester protected by PDO (protected designation of origin) status, and Three Virgins, a creamy, sharp, crumbly Cheshire-type. The Godsells have farmed for over 200 years, but a disastrous 16p/litre milk price in 2000 forced a rethink. “We went on a cheese-making course at Bridgwater College and fortunately what we made was edible,” recalls Liz. “Gloucester Services has been fantastic for us. The provenance model means thinking about generating new business with new cheeses and new stories, rather than expecting a supermarket to do all the selling.”
Cinderhill Farm Pie House At Cinderhill Farm Pie House we learned about foggies, the Forest of Dean equivalent of Cornish oggies (pasties), meaty Gloucester Old Spot sausage rolls, and their stronger-flavoured Ridge-Back Wild Boar cousins, all made by Deborah and Neil Flint and their eight regular staff. With a background in fundraising £120m/year for a major Christian charity, Deborah is a lady with a huge drive to champion community-based food production. “I’ve sat with the richest US senators, and the poorest of the poor in slums in Brazil and the Philippines, and the poorest were truly inspirational, with their ability to keep entire families on a very small piece of land. We’re doing that now, keeping quite a few local people in employment, which is very different from the average British farm making a £5,000/year loss after subsidy, of which we get none.” Around 6,000 items/week are produced, most going to Gloucester Services. “We get enquiries every day from people wanting to sell our products, and we could produce a lot more, especially if we moved into a factory unit. But that isn’t our goal. A big part of what we have is the story. People come to see us on the farm, to meet the family. If we worked from a factory people wouldn’t be interested.”
It’s a symbiotic relationship. “Uniquely we work with them on marketing, delivery, pricing and support, and a lot of product development. Deborah and Liz are good examples of people that help us develop our business. We can’t do without them, and they can’t do without us.” The third factor is a strong sense of social purpose. Gloucester has some of the UK’s most socially deprived estates, into which social regeneration expert Mark Gale invests £0.5m of Gloucester Services funds each year. The business also employs 400 staff in an area of up to 65% unemployment. And what of the future? “I am sure we will do something. It has to be the right thing, and not growth for growth’s sake, for risk of losing our family business’s unique selling point,” admits Sarah.
Brexit food chain boost Brexit is an opportunity to provide something extraordinary, something the UK hasn’t seen for a long time, says John Dunning. “The UK is full of smaller, artisan food producers, so why are we dominated by the corporate sector,” he asks. “We could produce food that the nation would fall for. Artisan food producers could provide these wonderful things and create another revolution in agriculture.” Supermarkets recognise the UK can and should produce more food itself, he notes.
www.gloucesterservices.com www.godsellscheese.com www.cinderhillfarm.com
www.thefarmersclub.com • 09
Andrew Blake • Club Seminar
Speak up
for farming “The decision has been made; and it’s really important that our industry and the NFU unite round our commonalities, and see this as a time of opportunity rather than threat.”
The Farmers Club was the venue for a special seminar looking at prospects for the arable sector post-Brexit, organised jointly with the British Crop Protection Council and the Voluntary Initiative. Andrew Blake reports
FARMERS must show the government and public more clearly how they produce food while caring for the environment post- Brexit. That was the underlying message at a recent seminar at the Farmers Club entitled Arable Production: Science and Compliance preparing for an Uncertain Future. Highlighting the many as yet unanswered questions concerning that future the BCPC’s Stephen Howe urged farmers to seize the initiative and be positive, quoting from Shakespeare’s Macbeth: “Going back will be as hard as to go on.” Strutt and Parker’s Head of Farming Will Gemmill’s figures showed that although it should be possible for efficient cereal growers to remain profitable – with 25% even more so than at present - only the fittest would survive. “There will be no bonfire of regulations.” Formulating farmers’ post-Brexit rule book is a huge task, according to DEFRA’s Guy Horsington. But for the first time in 70 years the country can fundamentally re-think its own agricultural policy, he pointed out.
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Prospects for arable farming post-Brexit were scrutinised – improving productivity and looking after soils were key, explained Jim Orson, BCPC & VI
Club Seminar • Andrew Blake Acknowledging he offered little detail Mr Horsington felt it significant that the recent Queen’s speech included bills on both fisheries and agriculture. Harking back to the parliamentary debate on the transforming 1947 Agricultural Act he noted it covered the same key areas – stability, efficiency and the importance of agriculture to the economy – as today. “Ministers have made it very clear that we wouldn’t seek to introduce legislation without consulting properly. We will take time to listen and find out what your views are,” he stressed. Welcoming Mr Horsington’s presentation Mr Howe suggested new Secretary of State for Agriculture Michael Gove should consider himself “MD of British Agriculture Ltd”. As such he could provide not only stability but political support and encouragement for a “highly complex industry doing its best to compete on global markets and look after our precious countryside.” Reconciling split views on Brexit had proved “nigh on impossible”, said NFU Vice-President Guy Smith. “But the decision has been made; and it’s really important that our industry and the NFU unite round our commonalities, and see this as a time of opportunity rather than threat.” Most countries subsidise their farming industries to give producers confidence against price volatility. One way to move away from the “rather crude” area support system might be to follow the US example of insurance or “catastrophe or disaster” payments. A pilot scheme, albeit only as a trial, could be introduced around 2020, he suggested. Openfield Agriculture’s Head of Research Cecelia Pryce gave cereal farmers hoping to take advantage of world markets post-Brexit a “reality check”.
levels, from all UK trading standards bodies and agencies via an independent testing authority. Outlining changes in farming practices since the 1970s, Jim Orson of the BCPC and VI noted renewed interest in rotations, crop residue mulching, and cover crops as “almost a religious fervour”, to improve soils. The key unknown, needing more research with regard to over-winter leaching, is the fate of nitrogen from cover crops, he believed. Given public money farmers must treat stewardship crops as well as they do any others, urged Northamptonshire farmer Andrew Pitts. “We’ve got to deliver.” He showed how placing 7% of his worst performing land into HLS and managing more land for others to spread fixed costs and stay profitable had transformed wildlife levels. “Bird numbers have rocketed – up three-fold since 2009.” Noting the success of farmers working together to enhance the environment on 10,000ha (25,000 acres) of the Marlborough Downs in Wiltshire, Chris Musgrave of Musgrave Management Systems feared for the survival of tenants farming less than 200ha (500 acres) should, as advised, direct support payments be cut by 50% after 2022. “As a group we represent a substantial force and wield far more influence on both natural and political landscapes than we could ever do as individuals. If we already have the confidence of working together with our neighbours on an environmental basis, could the same framework not be rolled out to our farming activities as well? We need to start thinking and farming more collaboratively.”
“Exports are vital to UK farmers.” However, only 11% of UK cereals currently go to non-EU countries, and access to world markets is via ports able to load 60-70,000 tonne ships, she explained. Two of those three are at Immingham and Newcastle. “I hate to say it, but those two up north aren’t much use to grain growers in the south.” Mrs Pryce highlighted the pressing need, in her view, to ‘brand’ UK cereals better by amalgamating data, for example on glyphosate and fusarium
Andrew Pitts, Northants farmer
Cecelia Pryce, Openfield
Guy Smith, NFU
Guy Horsington, DEFRA
Will Gemmill, Strutt & Parker
Chris Musgrave, Wilts farmer
www.thefarmersclub.com • 11
Charles Abel • Annual Meeting
Report on the 2017 Annual General Meeting The 175th Annual General Meeting chaired by Tim Bennett was held in the Farmers Suite at The Farmers Club on Tuesday 4th July 2017. The following is a summary of the Minutes, full copies of which can be obtained from the Secretary 12 • The Farmers Club Harvest Journal 2017
“The Club has been a fantastic place for me, and I want it to be so for the next generation, and the generation after that” Peter Jinman, Club Chairman for 2018 2018 Chairman Peter Jinman (right) and Vice-Chairman Nick Helme – claims of a Herefordshire mafia take-over are denied!
Minutes, Club Accounts and Annual Report The Minutes of the 174th Annual General Meeting of the Club were approved and the Report and Audited Accounts of the Club for the year ended 31st December 2016 adopted unanimously. Club Chairman Tim Bennett congratulated Andrei Spence upon a very successful first year as Club Secretary/Chief Executive during which the Project CREST refurbishment had been completed to wide acclaim. He noted that the accounts showed the expenditure incurred in the first half of the year and the focus on getting the Club back up and running in the second half of the year, to increase turnover and generate a trading surplus for the year. Election of Club Chairman and Vice-Chairman Proposing the election of Peter Jinman as
Annual Meeting • Charles Abel Chairman for 2018 Trustee Jimmy McLean said Peter was best known as a veterinary surgeon who graduated from London’s Royal Veterinary College and became senior partner in a practice in Herefordshire, before becoming a consultant with a wide range of committee roles. He had been President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the British Veterinary Association, chairman of Defra’s Farm Animal Welfare Committee, non-executive director of Assured Food Standards (Red Tractor) and a lay member of the House of Commons Standards Committee. He is a small-holder near the Welsh border in Herefordshire, and runs an award-winning pub and restaurant with his wife Gill and younger daughter Phillippa. He received an OBE for services to the veterinary profession in 2004. Seconding the proposal Trustee Paul Heygate noted the immense talents Peter brought to the Club. From 2014 to 2016 he chaired the Club’s House Sub-Committee with great professionalism, his keen attention to detail during Project CREST refurbishments ensuring the Club’s standards and culture were not compromised. The proposal was approved unanimously. Replying, Peter said: “Many years ago when reading Fream’s Elements of Agriculture at University little did I think I would be standing here today. The Club has been a fantastic place for me, and I want it to be so for the next generation, and the generation after that.” Proposing the election of Nick Helme as Vice-Chairman for 2018 Vice President Barclay Forrest suggested it had been a long time since the Chairman and Vice-Chairman had both come from the same county. Nick was the ultimate entrepreneur, farming 300 acres of cereals and potatoes in Herefordshire with his wife Donna, and launching the hugely successful 7Y machinery ring as its founding managing director, before becoming an independent energy consultant in the UK and Europe. He was a Nuffield Scholar and accomplished Chairman of the Club’s House Committee. Seconding the proposal, Lindsay Hargreaves felt that in many ways Nick represented the 21st century farmer, putting his talents to use to develop enterprises in other sectors, but always returning to agriculture as the base. He commended his pragmatism, humour and sense of fraternity. The proposal was approved unanimously.
NFU update for members GUEST of Honour and Speaker at the Club’s Luncheon following the AGM was NFU Director General Terry Jones (below), who provided a fascinating insight into the industry’s challenges, and how the NFU is tackling them. Mr Jones, who lives in Cheshire with his dairy-farmer wife Emma, drew strongly on his period away from the NFU with the Food and Drink Federation. “The lessons from downstream in the food chain are clear, especially around the power of NGO lobby groups. “I was also struck by how envious other industries and trade associations are of what we have at the NFU, in terms of financial stability, 109 years of partnership between members and staff giving us a truly authentic voice, and our unprecedented access [to politicians], which believe me we really do have.” He was under no illusion that the next ‘2000 days’ would be critical for farming. “We need to grow agriculture’s share of voice in discussions – and it was very gratifying to see the CBI arguing for finance and farming to be put on an equal footing, which doesn’t happen by accident.” Pivotal to the policy debate, particularly during Mr Gove’s first two months in office, was farming’s ability to offer solutions, not problems. He urged farmers to be the industry’s voice, lobbying MPs and Ministers, with positive, can-do messages, seeking Defra’s help with delivery.
and retailers, so NFU office-holders could show greater thoughtleadership within the sector. On Brexit he acknowledged agriculture was set to be more impacted than any other industry, with a plethora of unanswered questions. But he felt future Domestic Agricultural Policy (DAP) could be influenced. Compared with the ‘citrus-toreindeer’ CAP, a DAP could be more bespoke. “We see scope for a 3-Dimensional UK policy, compared with today’s largely 2-Dimensional CAP, which allocates 76% of farm spending to pillar 1, most of the rest to pillar 2, and only a very small amount to productivity and competitiveness.” That could change to three cornerstones – enhancing productivity, mitigating against volatility, and looking after the environment and wildlife. Farming needed to apply the tried and tested partnership of NFU staff and farmer members collaborating, so authentic people made the most of direct access to politicians to talk about industry solutions, like the positive environmental track record, contribution to the national wellbeing and economic merit of supporting 3.9 million food sector jobs and £108bn gross value added to the national economy, he concluded.
More mature relationships were needed with the supply chain
Honorary Treasurer Richard Maunder was unanimously re-elected as Honorary Treasurer for 2018. Auditors The Chairman and Committee recommended that haysmacintyre continue in office, which was agreed unanimously. There being no further business the Chairman concluded the Annual General Meeting.
www.thefarmersclub.com • 13
Anita Kaur • Administrator & U30s Secretary
New face at the Club The Farmers Club has a new Administrator & U30s Secretary, Anita Kaur, who is responsible for Club Events, supporting the Under 30s, assisting Liza in Conference & Banqueting sales and Claire in the General Office. Charles Abel reports IT was a baptism by Welsh rain, and new Administrator & U30s Secretary Anita Kaur coped admirably, shod in her sister’s fashionable wellies and supported by out-going events organiser Lisbeth Rune. Her winning smile and charming manner was an immediate hit as members toured West Wales earlier this summer. “It was an amazing visit, to meet so many interesting members and to see such outstanding landscapes and fascinating farming businesses,” she reflects. It’s all a far cry from London’s South Bank University, where her fascination for events first emerged in a role with the Student Union just across the River from 3 Whitehall Court. Anita will be contactable from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, and will offer a more joined-up service – for example, when it comes to booking a Club Event and your associated accommodation. Her email address is: administrator@ thefarmersclub.com
With a marketing degree in hand, her first job was in face-to-face sales, bringing a keen appreciation for working with individuals, before moving to Premier Christian Radio, where she organised events from conferences to tea parties across the UK. “Best of all was their 20th anniversary celebration, involving over 2000 people in St Paul’s Cathedral, amazing!” Next it was over to The Oval cricket ground for a spell in commercial event management, before applying to The Farmers Club. “I had no preconceptions, but once I arrived I loved the friendly, homely atmosphere and being amongst such a lovely group of people.”
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“I like different experiences, which is why I love events – every day is different and involves talking to different people, it’s fascinating.”
Learning about farming is going to be a steep learning curve, she admits. But her family has trackrecord, her father Davinder recalling days on the family farm in India. “He now wishes he could swap places with me,” Anita laughs. Social events are in particular demand, especially theatre, opera and dinners, and the recent member survey will help direct future event plans. “I’m really looking forward to building relationships with the members, it’s all about them and putting on great events to meet their needs, with small touches to make them really distinctive.”
Lisbeth moves on After 4 years organising Club events and Under 30s activities Lisbeth Rune has chosen to return to her family roots in Denmark. Well known to many members, especially those lucky enough to attend the many events she organised, Lisbeth was a friendly face who brought a special sparkle, come rain or shine. Club chairman Tim Bennett wished her well at the gala dinner during the Club visit to West Wales (pictured).
Highland Show Dinner • Prof Colin Campbell
Soils focus at Highland Show Dinner cost of getting it wrong is enormous. So, our Natural Capital, some might say, is priceless and beyond worth. THE Club entertained members and their guests at an exclusive dinner on the eve of the Royal Highland Show at RBS Headquarters, Gogarburn, Edinburgh, where Prof Colin Campbell, Chief Executive of the James Hutton Institute, delivered a fascinating talk on the role of science in agriculture and the potential for a better understanding of soil systems, which could even underpin fresh lending to farming businesses. Malcolm Buchanan, Chairman RBS Scotland and Managing Director for Corporate and Commercial Banking Scotland welcomed over 90 people to the dinner, including Keith Brooke, Chairman of the Royal Highland Agricultural Society. Guests enjoyed an excellent dinner with traditional entertainment provided by Loretto School’s Highland dancers accompanied by the Combined Cadet Force pipe and drum band. Prof Campbell explained how his institute’s namesake, James Hutton, was one of Scotland’s and the UK’s finest scientists, a leader of the Scottish enlightenment, during the golden age of intellectual and scientific achievement. A medic, chemist, botanist, zoologist and meteorologist, he was also a farmer in the Scottish Borders. Hutton challenged the accepted wisdom and now, more than ever, science needs to do that again, Prof Campbell contended. “The global challenge to feed and sustain a projected 8.3m population by 2030 is enormous. The economic THE JAMES HUTTON FOUNDATION is a newly formed membership organisation to celebrate Hutton’s contributions to science and farming, and support the role of science in farming, land use and the environment.
“But we must find ways to value it if we are to grow it and reward those who do look after it on behalf of us all. This is one of the reasons why we created the new Royal Highland Show competition for the Best Soil in Show (awarded to Roger Polson of Knock Farm, Moray). “With Brexit we have new impetus and an opportunity to revisit how we subsidise farming activities. How many farms account for the state of their natural capital, for example? Do soil and biodiversity appear on the farm accounts? What if you are doing everything right and you are ‘growing your soil’ to grow better crops and livestock, but you cannot invest in new technology or infrastructure that converts that to cash-flow?
“If we are funded properly, science will give new options and opportunities to meet the future challenges.”
“Imagine you could borrow against the natural capital to improve your business, and there is then perhaps another mechanism by which the public and state could invest in the benefits of farming to our wider environment,” Prof Campbell commented.
Amazing soils New frontiers are opening in our understanding of soils, a single gram of which can contain 10,000 different species of bacteria. Understanding such megadiversity will undoubtedly bring new ways of managing soils and crops, Prof Campbell said. Recent work showed organisms on crop roots sending signals underground to adjacent plants when attacked by pests, inducing defences. “These are amazing and subtle effects that might easily lead to novel ways of improving yield and quality.”
A fuller report of Prof Campbell’s address, plus a selection of great photos from this event, can be viewed on the Farmers Club website – www. thefarmersclub.com
www.thefarmersclub.com • 15
Tina Fanshawe • Farm education
Inspiring minds National education charity The Country Trust brings the working countryside alive for nearly 25,000 disadvantaged children every year. Farmers Club member Tina Fanshawe explains how 300 amazing farmer hosts achieve that, and exciting plans to double the number of visits by 2020
THE excitement of the children from Lings Primary School, Northampton is evident within minutes of them stepping off their school bus at Oak Farm near Naseby, Northamptonshire. Young voices, initially quiet and whispered, have become louder and more confident asking a variety of questions from the inquisitive “What’s that over there Miss?”, to “Urgh, what’s that smell?” and the slightly anxious, “Will we see any tigers?”. These children are from a primary school in a deprived, urban area and today are the enthusiastic guests of beef and sheep farmer Tina Fanshawe. Tina has over 20 years’ experience hosting school visits for The Country Trust ever since she needed help enticing local schools to visit her farm under the then Countryside Stewardship Scheme. Deprived towns She is a passionate and active advocate of the charity and the role it plays in educating inner city children from some of the most disadvantaged and deprived towns and cities in the UK. In 2014 she took over from farmer and businessman, John Henderson, as Chair of Trustees and along with the Board of Trustees and Chief Executive, Jill Attenborough, began creating an ambitious strategic plan to double the number of children the charity works with. The Country Trust helps children to discover food, farming and the countryside in three ways: • day visits to real working farms, • residential visits to the countryside, • year-long programmes exploring every aspect of growing, cooking and even selling food. “Farm visits are at the heart of what we do,” explains Tina. “The Country Trust makes it easy and safe for me as a farmer to host visits for primary schools, and I love providing lots of hands-on experiences for children who have quite limited opportunities at home. We are able to show them where their food is produced, how farmers work through the seasons planting and growing crops and what is involved in caring for animals.
“Often young children (and increasingly their parents too) don’t link farms and the countryside with the food that they buy in shops and supermarkets.”
“Often young children (and increasingly their parents too) don’t link farms and the countryside with the food that they buy in shops and supermarkets. It is really important that children, who after all are our consumers of the future, know and understand where their food comes from.” Countryside Classroom The Country Trust works closely with LEAF, is a member of FACE, and a core member of the new Countryside Classroom initiative, which is already making it easy for thousands of teachers to access resources on food, farming and the natural environment. It is the charity’s focus on disadvantaged children from primary schools in deprived urban areas that makes it distinctive. These children may come from chaotic and stressful home situations,
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Farm education • Tina Fanshawe
with very limited access to day trips, holidays, and experiences which are so important to educational attainment and personal development, health and well-being. The Country Trust helps break down some of the barriers surrounding social exclusion and build bridges between communities that may otherwise never meet. Last year the charity worked in partnership with MADE, a Muslim social and environmental action group, delivering an innovative programme of eight highly successful farm visits for Islamic faith schools and youth groups in London, the Midlands and the North. The demand for The Country Trust’s work is growing, at a time when schools are facing unprecedented budget pressures, and farmers are facing post-Brexit uncertainty. The charity receives no Government funding and relies on generous donations from supporters and the gift of time from its network of host famers and other volunteers. You Go, They Go This year the charity launched a new fundraising initiative You Go, They Go to help all of us to share our love of the countryside and bring
transformative food, farming and countryside experiences to even more disadvantaged children. Farmers and estate owners are especially encouraged to get involved by having a brightly coloured You Go, They Go collection tin (and wonderful animal stickers!) in their farm shop or cafe, badging an estate Open Day as a Country Trust day, taking donations on Open Farm Sunday, or organising a charity fishing competition or game shoot. Tina is an enthusiastic supporter of the You Go, They Go campaign and her Bridge Club has already raised over £2000 towards school transport costs. “We know disadvantaged children face many issues – they are more likely to have Special Education Needs, to be obese and have mental health issues. They also miss out on those parts of childhood that meant so much to me – contact with animals, the opportunity to just enjoy the countryside, playing in the fresh air with friends.
Your support To find out how to become a Country Trust host farmer, get involved in the You Go, They Go campaign or make a donation to The Country Trust, contact Claire Marmion on 01245 608363 or visit www.countrytrust. org.uk
“We can’t solve all the problems children are facing. But we can bring the countryside alive for them, giving them wonderful experiences to talk and write about, and igniting their curiosity. With more support, there’s no telling how big a difference we can make!”
www.thefarmersclub.com • 17
Charles Abel • Balmoral Show
Farming Figures A quick look at… the farm labour crisis … told through a few key statistics
500,000
Estimated number of work permits required for migrant workers
Balmoral Show Dinner
1 in 5
Employees in British agriculture from abroad, mostly Romania and Bulgaria
20%
Drop in value of income earned by EU migrant workers, due to Sterling’s Brexit-driven slide
Two-thirds
Share of staff employed by British Meat Processors Association members who are not from UK
400,000 People working in UK food manufacturing, of which more than 30% are non-UK, prompting Food and Drink Federation director general Ian Wright to comment: “If you can’t feed a country, you haven’t got a country”.
29,000
Seasonal workers required by soft-fruit sector, which represents £1 in every £5 spent on fruit in the UK
3 for 1 Number of applicants for UK picking jobs – there used to be 10 per position. Skills, English language and age of applicants have all deteriorated. Fear of xenophobic attacks are said to be partly to blame
3.9 million
EU citizens living in the UK, compared with 0.9m mainly elderly UK citizens living in the EU, who could increase pressure on NHS if they return
85%
Proportion of vets in British abattoirs who are not from UK Source: Observer newspaper
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MORE than 80 members of the Farmers Club gathered on a splendid evening in the Presidential Suite of Belfast’s top hotel, the Europa, with fine views over the city, to celebrate all that is best about farming in Northern Ireland on the eve of the 149th Balmoral Show. A wonderful buzz accompanied the gathering as the sun streamed in over the hills to the west, a very fitting time for Club Chairman Tim Bennett to honour the dedication and commitment to the Club of Norman Shaw CBE (above), a past chairman, chair of trustees and vice president. “Norman has been the architect of a lot we’ve done at the Club and we owe him a great debt of thanks for all the sterling service he has put in,” explained Mr Bennett, as Mr Shaw stepped down from his roles after more than 44 years of commitment to the Club. The Farmers Club was a UK club, not a London club, Mr Bennett continued. “We have a strategy to go to events around the UK, because we are run for the benefit of all our members.”
Guest speaker Lord Kerr of Tonaghmore, a member of the UK’s Supreme Court, regaled all present with amusing tales from his years as a barrister, judge and lord. His finale drew warm applause: “Farmers supply the life blood of our country. They are literally and undeniably essential to the community in which we exist, an industry that is utterly indispensable to our way of life.” The dinner, which was attended by Royal Ulster Agricultural Society President Cyril Millar and Chief Executive Colin MacDonald, was sponsored by McDonald’s, whose Peter Garbutt stressed the need to champion the values of farming with the public as the Brexit debate accelerated. Talk at the show was of a ‘hard’ border with Ireland, with checks and tariffs, or a ‘soft’ border, with free movement of goods and labour. The role of Irish negotiators, with an eye to their important farm sector, and beef exports to the UK in particular, was seen as pivotal. Some spoke of a ‘special status’ for Northern Ireland, even an all-Ireland food supply chain with Irish representation securing single market access.
On the web Photos from the dinner can be viewed and downloaded from the Farmers Club Photo Library (www.thefarmersclub.com/library). A longer report is in the News archive for May
Chef • Paul Hogben
Growing Underground IN early May General Manager Virginia Masser and I were invited to a very special farm. This was no ordinary farm where we needed to take note of our great British weather – be it freezing cold, miserable and wet, or boiling hot. No, we went to see how Growing Underground worked, and it didn’t matter what the weather was like outside. Childhood friends and founders Steven Dring and Richard Ballard had a simple idea – find a solution to the way that we, often arduously, source our food. In South London, about 33 metres below the bustling streets of Clapham, you’ll find Growing Underground, an urban farm, housed in a network of dark and dingy tunnels, originally built for London Underground, but used as air-raid shelters during World War II. At 7,000 square feet, the tunnels had the capacity to accommodate up to 8,000 people you can still see the war-time signage. Nowadays, though, they host tray upon tray of sprouting herbs. What a great way of utilising some
Catering & Banqueting Info • Contact: Liza Keoshgerian 0207 925 7100 functions@thefarmersclub.com • See “Book A Function” page on website (www.thefarmersclub.com) for room details, seasonal menus and wine list.
Praise for Club Functions • “Thank you so much for doing a brilliant job. You were also incredibly helpful with last minute requests and nothing was too much trouble.” • “The service last night was exemplary and we were very well looked after.” • ‘’To have a venue in the heart of London that also champions the countryside is a huge selling point for us. We decided to hold an event to celebrate English Wine Week and to have a menu that sources British, regional foods and producers is fantastic.”
of the unused space under our great capital! Grow your own greens, deep below the city. Earlier this year when UK supermarkets were rationing vegetables as a result of a poor harvest in Southern Europe, this green-fingered duo found a new solution to the healthy-eating problem. The aim is to reconnect British consumers with local products, while reducing food miles and waste. As Steven said: “There’s climate change, there’s population growth, and you don’t want to keep flying stuff around the world. We need to look at our food system. We’ve got enough food to feed the planet, it’s just all in the wrong place.” About ten types of herb are being cultivated, including pea shoots, rocket, red mustard, pink stem radish, garlic, chives, fennel and coriander, for markets and wholesalers across London. On our journey through the growing fields of this amazing place we sampled tiny leaves of various crops ready for harvesting and were blown away by the exquisite, fresh taste achieved 33m below ground.
At the Club we will be actively supporting this venture through the dishes we produce and the herb decorations on the tables in The Restaurant. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!
Sustainability Growing Underground prioritizes sustainable growing practices, working towards carbon neutral certification. Using the latest hydroponic systems and LED technology they produce consistently high quality, mouth-watering fresh micro-greens and salad leaves year-round in a pesticide-free environment. Waste water rich in nutrients is kept within the closed-loop system removing any risk of agricultural run-off. Farm to fork in under four hours Unaffected by the weather and seasonal changes, and thanks to their prime location, food miles are drastically reduced for retailers.
www.thefarmersclub.com • 19
Charlotte Harris, Chairman; Emily McVeigh, Vice Chairman; Anita Kaur, Secretary • U30s
Chairman’s Jottings
The U30s have been very active since the last issue of the Farmers Club Journal. We have enjoyed four events that, incredibly, have all been graced with excellent weather! In May we had a very interesting visit to Kent for our Spring Farm Walk, where we learnt about the challenges farmers are currently facing as well as the technology developments that are helping them get a competitive edge. June took us to the Cereals Event in Lincolnshire and the Henley Royal Regatta on the Thames. These were fantastic events with a high attendance from both Under 30s and main Club members, providing a great opportunity for Club members across generations to meet. We were incredibly lucky to be treated to a boat trip along the Thames at Henley, and I look forward to welcoming the younger members of the families we met to future Under 30s events. A huge ‘thank you’ to Club members Scott Hayles and Tom Copas for hosting such excellent events. In July the summer weather aided our Pimms Summer Dining Evening on the Club Terrace. This was a very popular event where we heard Heath Milne from Anzco Foods talk about how farming in New Zealand responded to the removal of subsidies in 1984, and we felt inspired to use technology to continuously improve our methods of farming and ensure we stay at the top of our game. After a break for harvest, our next events will be the Autumn Dining evening at the Club (15th September), and the Autumn Farm Walk (6-8th October) which will take us to the heights of Edinburgh.
Contact Charlotte for more information: Charlotte Harris U30 Chairman Job Title: International Operations Manager Where: The Coconut Collaborative, Westminster, London charlotte.harris90@gmail.com 07766 954 718
20 • The Farmers Club Harvest Journal 2017
Cereals event reception JUNE 14-15 saw Boothby Graffoe in Lincolnshire host the Cereals Event, with high spirits and even higher temperatures. The show will be a familiar feature in the diary of many members, being the perfect opportunity to interact with friends, colleagues and industry professionals. The Under 30s committee very much welcomed the opportunity to arrange a gathering open to all Club members. Dow AgroSciences kindly hosted The Farmers Club this year at their impressive stand, which showcased an exciting pipeline of new chemistry. Plentiful refreshment was provided in the form of delicious pizza, cakes and a variety of beverages. There were 35 members in attendance and it was great to
see so many familiar faces and some new faces, spanning several generations. Interesting conversation was enjoyed by all, ranging from current issues facing the industry, like Brexit, diversification and neonicotinoids, to future Club events and agricultural shows. Interaction between the broad spectrum of members gave a great sense of how our industry has evolved and developed over the years. A huge thanks to everyone who attended, everyone involved in the organisation and to Dow AgroSciences for their kind hospitality. Bradley Etchell U30s Committee member
Postcard from Henley
U30s • Charlotte Harris, Chairman; Emily McVeigh, Vice Chairman; Anita Kaur, Secretary
Kent farm walk Under 30s member Alice Whitlow reviews a fabulous visit to Kent
THE Under 30s visit to Kent took place over a mild May weekend, with a group of members congregating in the cathedral city of Canterbury.
backdrop for lessons culminating in a relatively friendly team competition, with top shot honours going to the Committee’s Scott Hayles.
Following a hearty breakfast on Saturday morning we set off for Felderland Farm, a 50 hectare fruit farm owned by Farmcare, situated in the village of Worth, Kent. We were warmly welcomed by farm manager Adam Robinson, who gave an overview of farm operations via an engaging walking tour through orchards abundant with varieties of apple, pear and cherry trees. These were beginning to show hints of the harvest that puts Felderland amongst the largest producers in Kent, with the current apple crop at 13,000 bins to give a sense of scale.
On Sunday morning we ventured inland to Down Court Farm, Doddington, where we were hosted by Under 30s member Matt Attwood, a fourth generation farmer of a large arable farm, with a keen passion for the family business.
A lasting impression on the group was the wide range of challenges facing this industry to ensure profitability, from the meticulous pruning and quality control standards that must be maintained, to the forward planning in planting varieties which will be ‘in vogue’ a few years down the line, thus taking advantage of the tree’s productivity peak. As ever, diversification was at the forefront, with Adam keen to engage those remote from the industry, devoting 10 hectares to 7-daya-week ‘Pick Your Own’ cherries, raspberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, plums and strawberries, plus a 1-acre-plus Maize Maze. The afternoon saw us travel further toward the Kent coast for a spot clay pigeon shooting. Sandwich Bay Beach provided a cinematic
Crops grown on the farm include wheat, oilseed rape, and malting and spring barley, amongst others. As the port of Dover is so close, Matt explained the exporting opportunities to Europe of the wheat grown here and the uncertainty faced over the coming years following the Brexit vote. The farm also operates farm stay cottages and a bulk haulage firm. A key characteristic of the land farmed is the soil structure, with a relatively thin layer of top soil which dramatically varies in depth across the fields, followed by a layer of heavy red clay containing flint over a chalk bed. This requires intensive management to minimise machinery damage and maximise efficiency in terms of fertiliser application, with Matt utilising laser technology and sewage cake to achieve the optimum nutrient distribution. A traditional Sunday lunch rounded off a wonderful and insightful weekend, with members departing for their homes across Britain. www.felderland-pyo.co.uk www.downcourtfarm.co.uk
“Sandwich Bay Beach provided a cinematic backdrop for clay pigeon shooting lessons culminating in a relatively friendly team competition...”
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 2017 VICE PRESIDENTS Barclay Forrest OBE, Mark Hudson, Mrs Susan Kilpatrick OBE PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN Tim Bennett TRUSTEES Jimmy McLean, Mrs Nicki Quayle, Julian Sayers (Chairman), Paul Heygate VICE-CHAIRMAN Peter Jinman OBE HONORARY TREASURER Richard Maunder IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN Richard Butler CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND SECRETARY Andrei Spence CLUB CHAPLAIN The Reverend Dr Sam Wells COMMITTEE Elected 2015: Tim Bennett, Matt Dempsey (Communications Sub-Committee), Richard Maunder, Gerald Osborne
Harvest Festival Service & Buffet Supper Tuesday 10th October 2017 Harvest – a time to gather and reap the crop at the end of the growing season, a time to celebrate! We’d love you to join us for our Annual Harvest Service at St. Martin-in-the-Fields on Tuesday 10th October at 5pm. To help us give thanks, our preacher will be the Right Reverend Nicholas Holtam, Bishop of Salisbury. Following the Service at 6.15pm will be our Harvest Festival Supper back at the Club. The cost per person is £45 which includes a glass of wine on arrival at the Club, buffet supper and two glasses of wine to accompany the meal. You can either apply on-line at www.thefarmersclub.com or complete and return the booking form enclosed with this issue of the Journal. Applications will be accepted on a ‘first come first served’ basis. In the event that you cancel your attendance after 2nd October 2017, 100% cancellation will apply. Schedule subject to change.
Elected 2016: Robert Alston, Andrew Brown (Membership Sub-Committee), Lindsay Hargreaves, Nick Helme (House Sub-Committee), Peter Jinman OBE Elected 2017: Kevin Beaty, John Lee OBE, Karen Mercer, Keith Redpath, Christopher Riddle, Allan Stevenson (re-elected), Campbell Tweed OBE (re-elected) Co-opted: Charlotte Harris (Chairman Under 30s), Emily McVeigh (Vice Chairman Under 30s) THE FARMERS CLUB CHARITABLE TRUST TRUSTEES Stephen Fletcher (Chairman), James Cross, Vic Croxson DL, The Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Club (ex officio). Patron Mrs Stella Muddiman
NEXT ISSUE
22 • The Farmers Club Harvest Journal 2017
Sunday 31st December 2017 Champagne and Chef’s Treats start the festivities at 7.45pm, followed by a fourcourse meal created by Head Chef, Paul Hogben at 8.45pm. At 11.45pm we take our places on The Terrace opposite the London Eye, with a glass of Champagne, to watch the world-class fireworks on the Thames. Delicious bacon, sausage and egg rolls are served at 12.30pm and the Bar stays open until 1am. Dress code is black tie and cost £140 per person (excluding accommodation). Please do not apply if you attended the 2016 New Year event at the Club, you will next be eligible to apply in 2019. One application per party to be received by Friday 22nd September 2017. A ballot will be drawn on Friday 6th October 2017. To register interest apply on-line at www.thefarmersclub.com or complete enclosed booking form. If you cancel after 18th December 2017 100% cancellation charges will apply for the event and accommodation.
Golf Championship 2017 The 2017 Farmers Club Golf Championship was played out under blue skies at Blackwell GC, Bromsgrove, Worcs in early July, with 40 members and guests competing, writes Golf Captain Mike Broomby. Winner of The Farmer’s Club Putter was Jeremy Coleclough (right) (37 points), the Eric Wilson Trophy (ladies) was won by Sally Dare (29 points) and the John Roberts Cup (men over 70) went to Michael Turnbull (32 points). Tony Marchland won the guest prize with 36 points. The next match is against the Worshipful Company of Farmers at Badgemore Park GC, Henley-on-Thames on Friday 1st September.
The Autumn issue of the Farmers Club Journal arrives in mid-September, with the latest Club news, plus a look at new farm shop products, how to deal with volatile prices, on-farm tourism and a report from the Welsh Show.
New Year’s Eve at The Farmers Club
Further details from Golf Secretary Martin Shaw martin.edwardswale@gmail.com More on Farmers Club Golf in the Autumn Journal.
Club Information • The Farmers Club Deaths It is with regret that we announce the death of the following members: Professor J Alliston Gloucestershire Mr P Bush MBE Northamptonshire Mrs D Gardner Yorkshire Mr P Simpson Berwickshire Lord E Soulsby Cambridgeshire Mr E Vines Herefordshire Mrs J Wyld Hertfordshire New Members The following were elected: UK Members Mr T Allen Mr W Aston Dr R Bancroft Dr S Baverstock Mr P Brooks Mr N Carmichael Dr D Cranstoun of that Ilk and Corehouse Mr P Fox Mr C Freeman Mrs I Henderson Mrs K Jacques Mr S Lall Mr R Lay Mr T Legard Mr J Limbrick Mr P McGirr Mrs C McMullen Mr A Newton Mrs S Osmond Mrs J Richardson Mr M Rymer Mr C Secrett Mrs S Simmons Mr M Vail Miss D Watling-Darrell Lady C Willoughby Overseas Mr J Silver Under 30s Mr B Barton Mr R Bendell Mr S Bettley-Smith Mr C Bowden Mr C Byrne Mr H Calkin Mr R Carter-Motley Mr O Cassels Mr T Coulter Mr D Craven Mr E du Val de Beaulieu Mr A Duff Mr T Edwards Mr J Harrison Mr A Hewitt Miss O Hill Miss S Kerr Mr C Linton Mr O Piper Mr J Waters Mr E Whattoff
Derbyshire Antrim Kent Dorset Devon Gloucestershire Lanarkshire Surrey Gloucestershire Cumberland Glamorgan Kent Oxfordshire Yorkshire Gloucestershire Down Herefordshire Essex Lancashire Northamptonshire Gloucestershire Surrey Lancashire London London Yorkshire France Gloucestershire Somerset Cheshire Hampshire Cornwall London Staffordshire London Wiltshire Lincolnshire Hampshire Midlothian Monmouthshire Sussex London Yorkshire Sussex Cheshire Kent Essex Northamptonshire
Associate - Whitehall Court Mr R Gow
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 functions@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
Club Contacts THE FARMERS CLUB
Serving the farming industry for 175 years 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL
Chairman 2017: Tim Bennett
Chief Executive and Secretary: Andrei Spence
Club Number 020 7930 3557
• There are Club jackets and a selection of ties at Reception, which may be borrowed in an emergency.
Reception ext: 200/201 reception@thefarmersclub.com Bedroom Reservations ext: 204 reservations@thefarmersclub.com Restaurant Reservations Option 3 restaurant@thefarmersclub.com Conference & Banqueting Liza Keoshgerian ext: 109 or direct line: 020 7925 7100 functions@thefarmersclub.com Administrator & Under 30s Secretary Anita Kaur administrator@thefarmersclub.com General Manager Virginia Masser ext: 102 generalmanager@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
• Members must advise their guests of the dress regulations.
Website: www.thefarmersclub.com
Business Suite The Business Suite provides PCs, printing and WiFi for members. 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 should be set to silent ring. Calls should be taken on The Terrace.
Dress code • Gentlemen should wear formal jackets and ties in the Bar, Lounge and Restaurant during the week. Ladies should be dressed conventionally, trousers are permitted.
• Children should conform to the above guidelines as best they can. • Smart casual dress is allowed from 6pm on Friday until midnight on Sunday. Smart jeans and trainers are acceptable during this period.
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
• Between 1 June and 30 September gentlemen need not wear jackets at breakfast.
www.thefarmersclub.com • 23
Club Fully Open All Summer
Your Club is fully open throughout the whole of the Summer.
casual, including smart jeans and training shoes.
Come and enjoy our wonderful refurbished facilities and surroundings, including the stunning Terrace overlooking Embankment Gardens and the River Thames. Perfect for a drink or meal with family, friends or business associates.
Restaurant and Bar opening times will be as usual, serving simply cooked, seasonal, quality British food, with a children’s menu for those under 10 years.
The relaxed weekend dress code applies throughout August – all day, every day – which means smart
The Farmers Club has a wide range of stylish bedrooms, with single, double, queen, twin and triple bed options. Book now at: www.thefarmersclub.com/ reservations or call 020 7930 3557
A few fabulous reasons to visit London this Summer • London Shopping
• National Gallery
• Greenwich
• The Shard
• Shakespeare’s Globe
• Royal Academy
• Changing the Guard
• Theatre-land
• Natural History Museum
• Science Museum
• Proms at Royal Albert Hall
• Guided tour of London
• London Eye • London Zoo
Find out more at: www.visitlondon.com and www.timeout.com/london
• Buckingham Palace • River trip