Farmers Club AUTUMN 2018 • ISSUE 276
www.thefarmersclub.com
INSIDE Jill Willows legacy p5 New entrants p6 Norway tour p8 Farming leadership p10 Water aid p12 Game rights p14 Golf success p15 Natural capital p17 Gene editing p18 Machinery stats p18 Chef’s treats p19 Under 30s PR p20
INSERTS Christmas Card Staff Christmas Fund Statoil Masters Tennis Cirque du Soleil
Gold award for farm-based flower initiative (p16) www.thefarmersclub.com for the latest Club news
Farmers Club Serving the farming industry for 175 years 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL Patron – Her Majesty The Queen
Contents
FRONT COVER Just as provenance has helped drive demand for locally-sourced food, so it is under-pinning a growing renaissance for farm-grown flowers, as championed by Chelsea-winners Flowers from the Farm. Photo: Rhona Wheeldon https:flowerona.com info@flowerona.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 Scorching summer reflections
4 Club News
Update on a long, hot, and very busy Summer
6 New entrants
Both the Netherlands and UK lag behind in attracting new entrants into farming. Their responses are very different
8 Norway
12
Sovereign wealth end EEA membership ensure this Scandinavian nation’s small, high-cost farms are thriving
10 Leadership
Farming needs leaders and the Windsor Leadership Course is one of several options available to help improve skills
12 Fresh water mission
Rural communities in Ethiopia are getting fresh water thanks to a great self-help initiative led from the UK
14 Game rights
Are you clear where you stand on sporting rights? This timely reminder could be very useful indeed
19
15 Golf success
The Club’s Golf Society has had some great results in 2018
16 Farm flowers
Chelsea Gold was the icing on the cake for a fast-growing fresh flower network based around farms and small-holdings
17 Natural capital
Assessing the natural capital on your farm, and how it ties in with the nation’s natural capital, is a step farmers need to take
18 Gene editing
20
European Court of Justice ruling for gene editing techniques
19 Chef ’s treats
A taster of all that’s good from Chef’s Kitchen
20 Under 30s event
Intriguing on-line service from cocktail evening speaker
21 Under 30s on PR
Media and PR are forces to harness not fear
22 Club Information and Contacts 02 • The Farmers Club Autumn 2018
Chairman’s Comments • Peter Jinman reading more like a John Grisham novel. In all of this the farmer has to continue to produce or harvest a crop, for a market that is ever more fickle. As one of my clients once commented, ‘when you have a full belly you can always worry more about what went into it, when it is empty and you are not sure where or when, if ever, the next meal is coming, then filling it is all that matters’. But the provenance trend looks set to continue and become more demanding. How food is produced and the transparency of that production should not be an issue. Just as in the Club the viewing window into the Kitchen from the Restaurant allows members to see their meal being produced, so with care the opening up of the farm by web link or visit should allow the consumer, the customer, to view their food being grown.
Chairman’s Comments “How food is produced and the transparency of that production should not be an issue.”
The Club is always keen and indeed proud to show off the best of British produce in its Restaurant. Every menu lists our growers and suppliers, and Head Chef Paul goes to great lengths to visit those who are producing the food, to ensure the team in Whitehall Court can use what has been lovingly grown in ways that show off that farming and production care. When there are summers like the one we have all experienced it is all the harder to maintain the quality. And yet it happens. Provenance growing The general consumer is also becoming more concerned about where their food is coming from and how it is grown, raised and killed. Barely a week passes without the media running stories scrutinising farming and processing methods. Assurance schemes that set standards are annually ratcheted up as the vigour of the inspection and audit is questioned. Exposés and ‘expert’ comment are ever with us. What we eat and drink, and how it is produced, is major news – or rather there is plenty of copy produced and air-time occupied! It is difficult for the non-scientist, and indeed for many scientists, to follow the arguments put forward in favour of, or defence of, issues ranging from global warming, to neonicotinoid insecticides, and now glyphosate, the legal case for the latter
Harvest perspective I was struck recently when driving from Gatwick airport back to Herefordshire, having picked up farmer son-in-law, daughter and family, how the small amount of rain that had fallen showed as a gradual change in the greening of the fields and countryside, and the state of the harvest, although this year it was more a case of grain cooling rather than drying! At home son-in-law found harvest had been done by the rest of the family. But a neighbour, whose combine had gone up in smoke, needed help and true to the spirit of the farming community a newly refreshed helping hand was available! Club support The Club’s ever increasing events programme seems to be attracting continued enthusiastic support. The summer events were well attended and the success of the receptions at some of the many county and national shows has involved a significant part of our membership. A big thank you to all who have helped, attended and spoken to make these events such a success. I have no doubt the Committee will consider again how this relatively small trial investment for the membership could be added to. The events of the autumn, with a visit to Newmarket and later a visit to part of my county of residence (Herefordshire), will be complemented by the lecture programme. It is hoped the visit by Defra Secretary of State the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP may shed a little more light on the future for farming, food and the farmed environment.
Club Christmas Card This year’s Farmers Club Christmas Card features an original photograph “A Scottish Red Deer Stag on Rannoch Moor” with the Club logo and the greeting “With Best Wishes for Christmas and the New Year”. Available in packs of 10 it may be bought at Reception or ordered from the General Office using the form enclosed with this Journal. Follow us on-line: www.thefarmersclub.com
@thefarmersclub
The Farmers Club Page
www.thefarmersclub.com • 03
Andrei Spence • Club News
Club News Club fully active through a very long, hot summer
This distillery brought gin distilling back to the city in 2012 after an absence of nearly 200 years and won double-gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2017 for two of its products. It was a trip that combined two very different aspects of life in London, both past and present and very much enjoyed by the 25 members who came, who then finished off the day with supper at the Club. The second event started with 50 members enjoying supper at the Club followed by a trip to the Tower of London for an extensive tour around the Tower itself, which preceded the main event of witnessing the Ceremony of the Keys, an ancient tradition dating back over 700 years to mark the daily locking down of the Tower and its precious artefacts and, of course, the Crown Jewels. The third event was a day that started out at the Club with brunch, before transporting over 57 members to Syon House, the London home of the Duke of Northumberland built originally in the 16th Century. Guided tours took members around the breath-taking house and stunning gardens, before returning to the Club in the early evening to finish off the day with supper.
AS the scorching summer rolled on, I began to reminisce on the summer of 1976 when I sat for my ‘O’ Level examinations in a huge school examinations hall when no one was allowed to take in drink or food and several people fainted, writes Club Secretary Andrei Spence. From the reactions of many members I have spoken to at the Club, different and serious challenges are prevalent throughout the country as the lack of rain, the consumption of winter feed and the potential for low yields of crops are on the minds of most. This has certainly been a major topic of conversation whilst the Chairman and I have travelled around the country to our own events and various shows, the last of which (for this year) was the Royal Welsh in late July. Over 50 people gathered to hear Aled Davies speak before enjoying drinks and canapes at the marginally cooler Builth Wells event. The preceding Friday had seen the Under 30s hold their Cocktail Evening at the 04 • The Farmers Club Autumn 2018
Club, enjoying a very healthy attendance of 60, who mostly remained at the Club over the weekend, which encompassed their committee meetings, brunch, afternoon tea and a Summer Ball at another club (of which I will not utter its name!). Traditionally, this would have marked the end of any meaningful news to impart, as August has usually been quite a quiet period. However, the refurbishment, re-wiring and modification of five rooms in the Garden Suite proceeded apace and by the time of publication of this Journal, will be complete (I will report more on this in the Winter Journal). For the first three Fridays in August, the Club organised quite diverse events around the London area. The first was a canal trip (the nearest I’ve had to maritime activity for a few years!) and five-course lunch on the Grand Union Canal in Regents Park/Little Venice up to Camden and back. This was followed by a coach trip across town to the City of London Distillery in Bride Lane.
On a more sombre note, many of you will have read of the sad passing of Harvie Peebles in the last Journal. I, along with Committee member Ian Bell, attended the funeral at Golders Green crematorium. The chapel was very full of Harvie’s friends, predominantly from the Livery Companies, who supported June very well at this terrible time for her. This period has seen the ebb and flow of staff within the Club, reflecting the cut-throat demand for labour within the hospitality business, particularly in London. The effect of BREXIT and the low value of the pound has seen many European Nationals return to the continent and thus the pool of available manpower reduce significantly, whilst the cost of it has risen very sharply over the past year or so. Despite this, we continue to attract not only the right people professionally, but the right kind of people for this Club, to enable us to provide the best experience possible for our members. Work continues apace in the appraisal, scoping and procurement of a new IT system, and I am very hopeful that I will be in a position to present the Finance & General Purpose Committee with a succinct business case for proceeding with this much-needed project. All-in-all, not such a quiet August in the Club after all.
Club News • Andrei Spence
Jill Willows Legacy Jill Willows was a well-known and respected member of the Club for over 25 years prior to her untimely death in April 2016. Jill very generously left £100,000 as a legacy to the Farmers Club to be divided equally between the Under 30s section and the Farmers Club generally. The Under 30s are using their portion of the money to provide for an education programme through the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth that will last for a number of years. The Farmers Club portion of the money was, on Jill’s instruction, to be spent on items/projects that enhanced the Club itself. When considering how best to use this legacy, the General Committee wished to use a portion to obtain something that the Club could frequently utilise, but would also act as a permanent memory of Jill whilst also enhancing the Club. As a result, 14 silver candelabra and a silver wine cooler were procured, with the wine cooler mounted on a solid wooden plinth with a silver plaque in memory of Jill. A picture of the items can be seen below.
Club Calendar Diary Dates Here are just some of the Club events planned for the coming months. More event details can be found on the back cover of this Journal, at www.thefarmersclub.com/events, in Club e-newsletters, or from Club Administrator Anita Kaur (020 7930 3751 extn 103) e-mail: administrator@thefarmersclub.com
SEPTEMBER Under 30s Autumn Dining Evening Friday 21st September Club Visit to Newmarket - FULL Wednesday 26th - Friday 28th September Under 30s
OCTOBER Trip to Herefordshire - FULL Wednesday 3rd - Friday 5th October Application form in Harvest Journal
Har vest Festival Ser vice & Supper Tuesday 9th October Newmarket
Traditional church service and Club supper. Application form in this Journal
Mantegna & Bellini Friday 19th October Lunch and talk in The Club and visit to National Gallery. Application form in Harvest Journal
Mantegna & Bellini
Under 30s Autumn Farm Walk Friday 26th - Sunday 28th October Visit to Ireland (See U30s Facebook page)
NOVEMBER - FULL Monday Evening Lecture Monday 5th November Speaker: Rt Hon Micheal Gove MP, Secretary of State, Defra. Application form in Harvest Journal Michael Gove talk
GDPR REMINDER The GDPR consent forms I enclosed in the Spring Journal have had a good initial response with over 65% having completed the form. I would urge that the remainder of the membership do likewise please in order that we can get this finalised. This is very important to fulfil our legal obligations and is also a vital piece of work in collating accurate data on each member for when we migrate it to the new IT system I mentioned (left). Holding accurate data is as vital as anything else under the GDPR regulations. If the form has been lost, please contact the General Office and we will provide further copies. It can also be downloaded from the Club website – www.thefarmersclub. com/about-the-club/General-DataProtection-Regulation
Under 30s Dining Evening Friday 30th November DECEMBER Statoil Masters Tennis at Royal Albert Hall Friday 7th December Application form in this Journal
New Year’s Eve Dinner
London International Horse Show Thursday 20th December Supper in The Club and visit to Evening Performance at London Olympia. Contact Anita for further information
New Year’s Eve Black Tie Dinner Monday 31st December Cirque du Soleil Totem
Application form in Harvest Journal
JANUARY 2019 Monday Evening Lecture Monday 21st January Details to follow
Cirque du Soleil Totem Friday 25th January Evening Lecture
Application form in this Journal
www.thefarmersclub.com • 05
Charles Abel • New Entrants
No sitting on the fence as experts consider prospects for new entrants to farming
What chance new blood?
How can fresh blood be encouraged into UK farming? Charles Abel takes a closer look
“No progression works, unless something drops off the end.”
FARMING needs revitalising with new blood to bolster productivity, especially as the support regime changes and world market forces bear down on profitability post-Brexit. But too little is being done to let fresh talent in, putting the UK at a growing competitive disadvantage.
Kingdom of the Netherlands in South Kensington drew together experts from both countries. Tellingly the event, which was co-organized by the Agricultural Department of the Dutch Embassy and UK peer-to-peer lender Folk2Folk, attracted no UK government minister.
That much was clear from a special seminar facilitated by the Netherlands Embassy in London. The UK and Netherlands lag at the bottom of Europe’s league table for new entrants, seeing fewer than 4% ‘new’ entrants joining each year, two to three times fewer than in France and Poland, for example.
Moderated by Farmers Club committee member Ian Bell the seminar included presentations by Harry Paul Permanent Secretary of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Albert Boersen a member of the Dutch Young Farmers’ Federation NAJK, and Iris Bouwers Vice President of the European Young Farmers’ Council CEJA.
The barriers between these North Sea neighbours are similar – access to land, capital and the knowledge and experience to be effective farmers. But whilst the Netherlands is pushing ahead with an ambitious programme based around an injection of f70m by its new coalition government, and backed by a burgeoning programme of CAP-based support for new entrants, the UK appears flat-footed at best.
A research overview by Dr Lee-Ann Sutherland of the James Hutton Institute showed a strict definition of a ‘new’ farmer was not easy, and comparable data was not readily available. But the best measures possible suggested the UK and Netherlands lagged well behind other EU countries.
The ‘Tackling barriers to new entrants in farming’ seminar at the Ambassador’s Residence of the 06 • The Farmers Club Autumn 2018
In both countries the mood had shifted from needing to own land to farm, to needing access to land to farm, leaving the resulting businesses less secure and less resilient to downturns.
New Entrants • Charles Abel Europe drives, UK lags In Europe the drive for new entrants is so important it constitutes one of the eight pillars of the new CAP regime being debated. By contrast the UK has done little to incentivise new entrants since the 1984 Fontainebleu Agreement required HMRC to 75% fund EU measures applied in the UK.
UK and Netherlands have Europe’s lowest level of new entrants to farming apart from Portugal – Lee-Ann Sutherland, James Hutton Institute.
Looking forward to Netherlands embracing CAP commitment to ‘generational renewal’ – Iris Bouwers, Vice President of European Young Farmers’ Council CEJA
Land access boosts productivity The merit of improving access to land was highlighted by Jeremy Moody of the CAAV, who cited Irish data showing a 12% productivity boost when tax breaks were used to incentivise letting in Eire. By offering landlords income tax relief on up to f15,000 of arms-length tenancy income for 5-year deals, and up to f45,000 of tax relief on income from 15 year deals, 30% more landlords entered the market, offering 50% more land than previously, he noted. Significantly, most of the new deals were associated with very carefully costed dairying enterprises, in Leinster, with some ‘very sharp’ new entrants growing their businesses very rapidly. Indeed, making land available inherently boosted new entrant activity, with 20-30% of new rents being taken by ‘new’ entrants in the UK, he noted. Changes in land occupancy really can bring quite striking results, suggested Mr Moody. If similar tax breaks were offered in the UK, even a conservative estimate of productivity gains could add £900m/year to total income from farming, he suggested.
Richard Bower, Chair of the NFU Next Generation Policy Forum, agreed preferential loans made more sense than grants, being more quantifiable, and more acceptable to the public, given their potential for recirculation. The linked issue of poor farm succession, with inadequate family business management leaving next generation farmers with fresh ideas stuck behind aged parents in control, was considered to be widespread. But succession advice was often poor, with too many advisers charging too much and delivering too little, suggested a spokesperson for the Prince‘s Countryside Fund Trust, which is helping 500 particularly vulnerable family farms develop effective succession plans.
Ian Bell, Farmers Club committee member and head of farming and rural engagement at event organiser Folk-to-Folk.
The need for new farmers to be capable farmers was stressed by David Fursdon, former Chair of the Future Farming Review. He had sought new entrants to farm parcels on his family’s estate, but had been disappointed by the abilities of applicants, particularly their lack awareness of the directions farming was taking, towards diversification, sustainability and natural capital. Maybe farming needed to recognise that just as in any other industry it took years of work to develop a new business. To imagine a new farm could be provided on a plate was naïve. Indeed, some of the most successful new entrants came from other industries, where they had already succeeded, thus bringing truly innovative thinking, and improving productivity markedly. The risk was that too many aspiring new entrants – be they frustrated first sons, overlooked second sons, aspiring daughters, or true industry outsiders – would get a visa and take their enthusiasm and skills to Canada, Australia or New Zealand in a fresh UK farming brain-drain.
More info www.hutton.ac.uk www.najk.nl www.ceja.eu www.government.nl/ministries/ministry-ofagriculture-nature-and-food-quality www.caav.org.uk www.nfuonline.com/sectors/next-generation www.fursdon.co.uk/estate www.folk2folk.com
www.thefarmersclub.com • 07
Anita Kaur • Club Tour
Norway thrives beyond EU The Club made a fascinating visit to Norway this summer, as organiser Anita Kaur reports
CLUB Chairman Peter Jinman and his wife Gill led a summer visit for 29 members to Bergen in Norway to investigate this unique Scandinavian country’s farming and culture. Arriving at lunch time, we were given a great guided tour of Bergen itself by Beate Salen, a local Norwegian tour guide, who showed us some great sites by coach and by foot. Although Bergen suffered many fires over the centuries it retains one of Europe’s largest collections of wooden houses, including Bergen Wharf, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our city centre hotel had spectacular views of the harbour, with all the boats and ships arriving and departing, and it was here that we were joined by our guest speaker Lidvard Gronnevedt, from the Institute of Marine Research, who gave us a very interesting insight into Norway’s relations to the EU during dinner that evening.
08 • The Farmers Club Autumn 2018
On the second day we travelled via boat to Baroniet Rosendale, an historic estate, with rooms revealing the influence of their owners over 250 years. This was followed by a lovely local light lunch and free time for members to explore Bergen. Day three started early to experience the Flam Railway, an amazing journey from the high mountain station of Myrdal on the Bergen line down to Flam station, innermost in the Aurlandsfjord. The line changes elevation by 863m (2,831ft) with gradients of up to 5.5% (1:18), passing some of the wildest and most magnificent mountain scenery in Norway, including rivers carving through deep gorges, waterfalls leaping off steep mountainsides, and the cultural landscape of the Flam valley itself. Next it was off to the AEgir brewery in Flamsbrygga where members enjoyed tasting
Club Tour • Anita Kaur
different Norwegian craft beers, savouring the aroma and flavours from light through to dark brews. Aegir’s BrewPub is one of Flam’s biggest attractions, in a building inspired by Norse mythology, with the exterior reminiscent of a stave church, and driftwood halls and dragon heads inside. We also visited Midt-Ljosne fruit farm. The owner was really incredible, having built her farm from scratch, and working very hard to maintain it throughout the summer season. Branded an ‘environmental lighthouse’, it produces cherries and raspberries, encouraging the public to visit as part of the Sogn fruit route, a network of 12 small businesses funded through the agri-tourism program ‘Fruit and berries around the next turn’. As Norway is famous for its fishery industry it was planned to visit a fish farm at the Oygarden Salmon Centre. However, the weather conspired against us. Instead we had a great guide who explained the operations behind fish farming, with ample opportunity for members to ask questions, which were answered in full. After a wonderful lunch and Norwegian pancakes, we were off to the airport.
Smalahove delicacy Club members had a chance to sample this Western Norwegian sheep’s head dish. It is traditionally prepared by torching the skin and fleece of the head, before removing the brain, followed by salting, smoking, and drying. The head is boiled or steamed for about three hours before serving with mashed turnip and potatoes, and Akvavit, a spirit distilled from grain and potatoes flavoured with caraway or dill. In some preparations, the brain is cooked inside the skull and eaten with a spoon or fried! Originally, smalahove was eaten by the poor, especially before Christmas. It is now considered a delicacy.
Norwegian agriculture Norway’s farmers benefit from a unique combination of protectionist farm policies, affluent consumers and an economy with access to the EU single market. How come? Key to it all is Norway’s colossal sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest. Mainly derived from North Sea oil and gas it is worth US$1.035 trillion, equivalent to US$200,000 for every one of the nation’s 5.23million people. It helps fund policies to achieve greater food selfsufficiency, which currently stands at around 40-50%, with legislation to prevent this falling. So, while Norwegian farms are small, and production costs are high, high import tariffs and technical barriers ensure Norwegian food products are prioritised. Annual negotiations between the government and farming unions set agricultural prices, including support rates (generally higher than EU farm support), as well as milk, grain, meat and egg prices. Farm cooperatives then collaborate to regulate the market to achieve minimum target prices. Only if prices exceed agreed maxima are import barriers eased. As part of the European Economic Area there is free movement of people, goods, services and capital between Norway and the European Single Market. But, crucially, EEA rules exclude agriculture. So Norway’s protectionist farm policies continue to underpin a thriving farm sector.
Norwegian farm facts • 40,000 farms • 24ha ave farm • 8,000 dairy farms (ave 26 cows)
• 15,000 sheep farms (ave 65 sheep) • 1,400 pig units (ave 83 sows)
• 60.4% of farm income is support • 4.25t/ha ave wheat yield
• 1.7million tonnes fish output • 1 Norwegian Kroner = 9.3p
www.thefarmersclub.com • 09
Karen Mercer • Leadership
Leadership opportunities beckon Committee member Karen Mercer explains why leadership development courses are so worthwhile SINCE my days at Rodbaston College in Staffordshire, I have mainly been self-taught and learnt from experience. For 30 years I was involved with the family business and that was followed with the past 14 years taking me in many varied directions. I am now on the House Committee at the Farmers Club and I Chair the Education committee for The Worshipful Company of Farmers. There is always plenty to keep my brain active with various committees and projects that I am involved with. Home is a small holding in Staffordshire where I am involved in rural property management. In 2017 I attended a meeting at the Farmers Club hosted by the Farmers Club Charitable Trust. The
10 • The Farmers Club Autumn 2018
subject of the evening was The Windsor Leadership Trust. I listened with interest and thought of several people who it would benefit and that I would mention it to. It was over 12 months later when I was challenged on my own personal development and whether I had considered a leadership course. No, I haven’t – should I? It didn’t take me long to realize I should, and I made the call to Windsor Leadership and sent in my application for the Emerging Leadership course. On Monday 30th April, I entered the gates of Windsor Castle, my home for the week being St George’s house along with 16 others. The delegates were from a wide variety of occupations: the RAF, army, police, Treasury Office, Cabinet Office, church, charity and corporate sectors, and an economist. My label simply said Karen Mercer – Hill Farm. I thought “what I have I let myself in for” (or something similar). It was time to listen and learn and stay under the radar for a while. The following morning, we were divided into three groups and given our own facilitator. We were straight into it and there was no hiding. Assorted topics were discussed, and our own individual experiences came into play, as we listen, discuss, question and start to lower our own barriers.
Leadership • Karen Mercer We also had the great privilege of having some outstanding speakers, who were open and frank regarding their own leadership journeys. We were able to question, probe and learn.
plans, and the skill-set required, to grow, add value and/or diversify successfully. Based at RAU Cirencester in November it is now in its 68th year. The course director is Keith Barriball.
The week for me was inspirational. It also makes you stop and question yourself and address the answers that you may not like. The main aims of the course are to:
• Profiting from Precision Technology in Agriculture
• Develop an understanding of the current and future demands on your leadership. • Develop the wisdom and insight to make good decisions with integrity. • Compliment your core leadership competencies and management skills. Did I achieve this? I can certainly grow and develop on all that I learnt, but I also realized that in my own way, I am doing okay. I have no hesitation in recommending this course to anyone who wants and needs to develop themselves and their leadership qualities. WCF role My own role within the Worshipful Company of Farmers is Chairman of Education and as a Company we are very proud to have an extensive education programme, funded through our Charity, which aims to support the management and leadership of the UK agricultural industry.
Around 60% of UK farmers already use some sort of precision agriculture on their farms, but many remain cautious. There is no doubt there are many benefits, including reduced input costs (eg fertiliser, seed, water, fuel) as well as the potential for increased outputs and environmental benefits. The course aims to fill the gap between research, science and technology, and farmers who might use the new technologies. It will enable delegates to use information from their own farms/businesses to develop their own “Precision Vision”. The first course is to be launched in 2019. The Course Director is Simon Thelwell.
A portfolio of courses is available, and we are very excited that this is to be extended with a new course run in partnership with Harper Adams University – ‘Profiting from Precision Technology in Agriculture’. More details and information by the end of 2018. • The Challenge of Rural Leadership This immersive, 13-day, residential leadership programme, enables delegate to explore the challenges of leading and motivating an organisation’s most important resource: people. Applicants should be highly motivated, high potential, owners or managers of agri-businesses; land management or supply-chain organisations. The 23rd course runs in January 2019 at Dartington Hall, under course director Richard Soffe of Plymouth University’s Duchy Rural Business School. • The Advanced Course in Agricultural Business Management An intensive, 18-day, residential management training course designed for farm/estate managers/ owners, land agents and farm management advisors and those who are senior in agribusinesses serving the sector, who are keen to develop the business skills and acumen needed to directly influence the performance and prospects of their organisation. The course focuses on all the internal and external factors likely to determine the success of a business, and helps delegates begin to develop
Worshipful Company of Farmers ACBM group
WCF also annually supports: • 2 delegates on Cranfield Business Growth Programme • A Nuffield scholar in partnership with Savills • Five £500 Jubilee Awards to help fund training for YFC members • 2 senior YFC members to attend Oxford Farming Conference • 13 Colleges Prizes to outstanding students at UK agricultural colleges WCF also supports: • Surrey Docks Farm • Apprentices to the Company
More info windsorleadership.org.uk farmerslivery.org.uk
www.thefarmersclub.com • 11
Charles Abel • Overseas aid
Improving lives in Ethiopia Since visiting Ethiopia over 15 years ago Club member Norman Coward has developed a highly effective approach to improving its rural communities. Charles Abel reports AFTER a successful career in agricultural banking Club member Norman Coward turned his energies to supporting communities in the rural Amhara region of Northern Ethiopia.
“Without a proper community participation agreement, we will not proceed with our works.”
What started small, after a tourist visit to the incredible UNESCO world heritage 13th Century churches hewn out of solid rock at Lalibela, has grown impressively: completing 98 spring improvement projects and wells, 26 classrooms and 14 health posts. The clean water alone benefits 35,000 people in remote areas where no other international charities or aid agencies currently work. Key to the success is a carefully-developed community agreement, struck before works start. “We first discuss priorities with the Woreda (County) Departments of Health, Water and
Education, and seek their support,” explains Mr Coward. “In the case of Health and Education, for example, the Woreda agrees to provide and pay health workers and teachers. We will not proceed without this agreement. “We then visit the local kebele (village area) with Department representatives to meet the kebele chairman, who is invariably strong, well respected, and carrying his Kalashnikov! He usually agrees readily for his community to collect sand, gravel (by hand-breaking rock), building stone and wood, and to provide the unskilled labour, all free of charge. We then provide the cement, corrugated iron, pipes, nails, etc. and the local Ethiopian builder, who manages the community workforce. “At the end we hand over the building to the community, who must form a committee to maintain it. We re-visit projects for unannounced spot checks. So far it has worked extremely well.” Spring Improvement Natural springs are improved by first opening them out to maximise water flow. A concrete ‘box’ structure is built to collect the pure water, which is then piped to a sealed stone and concrete ‘reservoir’, typically measuring 3m by 4m by 1m. Importantly, the reservoir is placed somewhere convenient for local people to use, and has three taps for drinking water plus pipes to an animal trough; and concrete washing trays. “This is essential to keep drinking water separate and clean.”
Sealed well with hand-pump
12 • The Farmers Club Autumn 2018
Cattle, sheep and goats quickly recognize “sweet” clean water, helping to minimise internal ruminant parasites.
Overseas aid • Charles Abel
Pure clean water direct from the spring.
Health Post Health posts comprise two consulting rooms, a maternity room, a drug store and a general store with a paraffin- or solar-powered refrigerator. Paid staff raise awareness of contraception, nutrition, malaria and HIV AIDS, and provide vaccinations, and maternity care. They can provide a range of contraceptives, as well as emergency food for malnutrition, on the spot. They can deal with basic curative medicine, including first aid and dispensing medicines for water-borne diseases, respiratory infections, internal parasites and malaria. Bigger health issues are referred to Lalibela’s very basic, poorly staffed hospital. HIV AIDS, pneumonia, typhoid, TB and even cholera and leprosy occur. Further projects Classrooms are also built, similar to Health Posts, but comprising blocks of two or four classrooms. Classes used to average 80-90 ten years ago, but are now down to 40-50 and, supported by government initiatives, female students now outnumber male.
Clockwise from Top Left: En-route for a spot check visit Cattle quickly recognise a pure water supply St George’s Church, Lalibela – hand carved out of solid rock in 12th century Below: New Health Post (left) Happy health post users (right)
Unpaid villager makes gravel ready for construction projects (left) New school building - when the “teff” in front is harvested the land will become the playground (right)
“We have also managed the construction of a new self-contained Maternity Unit in Lalibela Hospital, 80% funded by Lalibela Trust, a Somersetbased charity, which we have worked with increasingly since 2010,” notes Mr Coward. “The other 20% is from their government.”
Ethiopian Politics Upturn Ethiopia has had sustained economic growth at 7-10% per year, with huge infrastructure development and in April this year a new Prime Minister was appointed, Dr Abiy Ahmed, aged 41. He was educated in the UK and US and is extending the policy of economic development. More dramatically he immediately ended the State of Emergency in place when he was appointed, and has signed a peace agreement with neighbouring Eritrea. People, buses and aircraft now cross a border that had been closed since 2000. He has also released many political prisoners, instituted a maximum of two terms of four-years each for the role of Prime Minister and re-started talks with Egypt and Sudan over Nile River water rights. “Safety net” welfare programmes for the urban population have been announced, along the lines of a programme which already exists for the 85% of his population (which totals 103 million) who are farmers. It is early days – but he has been well accepted and prospects for peace and stability look good. Norman Coward ncoward2@gmail.com
www.thefarmersclub.com • 13
Jonathan Thompson • Sporting rights
Sporting rights’ unsporting effect
Nick Ridley/BASC
Have you reviewed your sporting rights policy recently? You should, says Jonathan Thompson of Lincoln’s Inn-based Hunters Solicitors
SPORTING rights can be a farmer’s passion and commercially important, but are often only a line in the heads of terms for a farm sale or tenancy. Shooting alone injects an estimated £2.5 billion into the UK economy, with fishing and hunting adding further amounts. Sporting rights are key to the rural economy. But what are they?
Jonathan Thompson, Senior Associate at Hunters Solicitors, Lincoln’s Inn, London.
Property law is based on land ownership and rights relating to land. This includes a profit-àprendre, being a right to enter land and take something from it. A farmer can sell or lease this right for others to remove game from land. Land and sporting rights are like two pieces of velcro; stuck together, but able to be separated. When selling or letting land, unless specifically reserved, the rights go with the land. What game can be removed? It depends what you want to be removed. There is no one legal definition. The most common definition is in the Game Act 1831. But other acts have different definitions. When granting rights, be precise about what game can be sought. Sporting rights can be a further stream of farm income. They can be sold (unusual), let or licenced.
A user will prefer the security of a lease, in order to invest money into game management. A farmer should consider all business and tax affairs before letting anything. There should be synergy and no conflict between the landowner and agricultural, commercial, residential and sporting tenants. There will be additional points to consider together, such as cover crop type and location. The terms of a sporting lease and/or licence must also consider access, siting of pens, who pays for game damage, where guns may stand (not in a tenant’s garden) and where blanking in may be done. A licence for deer stalking must also further consider safe use and ownership of firearms. There can also be conflict between sporting rights and commercial interests (see panel). If sporting rights halt or inhibit a separate property development, a landowner can also face a court action. The pursuit of game can provide income and enjoyment, but needs pursuit of detailed thought too.
Recent court case A recent case highlighted that a farming business can be adversely affected by the actions (both criminal and civil) of their employees or third parties, where such individuals breach cross-compliance rules. That will still be the case under whatever new UK Agriculture policy emerges. In this case, a gamekeeper was prosecuted under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 for killing 10 buzzards and a sparrow hawk. The business concerned was initially penalised 75% of its then Single Farm Payment. This was quite rightly and successfully overturned and no penalty was applied. The argument was that the farmer employer could not be liable for the criminal folly of the gamekeeper. Had the case concerned a less serious issue, it may not have been possible to show that the keeper’s actions were not part of the farmer employer’s instructions.
14 • The Farmers Club Autumn 2018
Golf Society • David Reading
Club golf success
David Reading was appointed Captain of The Farmers Club Golf Society in April. Here he reports on progress with fixtures to date THE Club Championships were again held at Blackwell Golf Club near Bromsgrove, and despite the hot dry weather the course was very well presented for our 35 members and guests, who enjoyed a great day’s golf and good company, despite the rather disappointing turnout. The winner of the Farmers Club putter was Mark Jones with 38 points. Felicity Broomby won the ladies competition for the Eric Wilson Trophy and Andrew Dare with 34 points won the John Roberts Cup (for men over 70 years). Team matches so far this year started with a decisive win against the EPICS played at the New Zealand Golf Club in Surrey. This was followed by defeats in well supported matches to the NFU at Tewkesbury Golf Club and the BVAGS at Cirencester. Our visit to East Lothian for matches against the New Club of Edinburgh and the Honourable Company of Edinburgh golfers was not surprisingly well oversubscribed. We will try to accommodate as many new players as soon as possible. Although both matches ended in defeat we enjoyed good weather and great hospitality from our hosts.
Fourteen players represented the Club in our annual match versus the XL Club, played at Royal Saint. Georges. We had an enjoyable evening and meal in the Clubhouse on Sunday, but sadly lost the morning foursomes 6-1. However, rejuvenated by lunch, we reversed the result in the afternoon. A creditable draw, halting our run of defeats stretching back to 2011.
“Farmers Club Golf Society has over 80 members, and is always pleased to welcome new golfers.”
Tom Rickard, An drew Dare (win ner of the John Roberts Cu p for men over 70 years), Denis Chamberla in and Robert M iles.
The match against the West Riding NFU played at the challenging Dewsbury District Golf Club was a resounding win for the Club. As I write we are into our midseason harvest break. Fixtures resume in September with the joint meeting with the Worshipful Company of Farmers for the John Alliston Tankard, followed by our Autumn Meeting being hosted at Greetham Valley and Luffenham Heath.
Broomby (winner Jean Brookes, Felicity phy for ladies), of the Eric Wilson Tro ra Means. rba Eileen Hogan and Ba
My thanks to all members who have supported the society so far this season. Any members wishing to play golf please contact golf secretary Martin Shaw by email at martin.edwardswale@gmail.com
David Rose, David Readin g (Captain of the Farmers Club Go lf Society) and Giles Rowsell
Golf Fixtures – 2018 MONTH DATE
MATCH/COMPETITION
September October
Tuesday 11th Thursday 20th
John Alliston Tankard @ Stratford-upon-Avon Golf Club Autumn Mixed Meeting @ Greetham Valley Golf Club & Luffenham Heath Golf Club
Tuesday 9th Thursday 25th Friday 26th
Bath Club Cup @ Woking Golf Club v HCEG @ Alwoodley Golf Club v HCEG @ Seaton Carew Golf Club
www.thefarmersclub.com/news/Golf-Schedule-2018 www.thefarmersclub.com • 15
Toria Britten • British Flowers Chelsea Flower Show gold for ‘Going to Market’
Farm-grown flowers A Chelsea Gold Medal underscores the rise of Flowers from the Farm. Toria Britten explains WINNING a gold medal for Flowers from the Farm’s first ever exhibit at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and the media focus that followed, including BBC1 TV, shows how interest in British cut flowers is booming, not unlike the surge of interest in the provenance of British food. Our exhibit, ‘Going to Market’, in Chelsea’s Great Pavilion involved a great flower migration of an estimated 14,000 stems from 94 Flowers from the Farm members from Inverness to the Isles of Scilly, and my own small business in Somerset too. Based in Nempnett Thrubwell, a small village sheltered by the Mendip Hills, my flowers are lovingly grown without chemicals and offer a healthy, seasonal alternative, with a very low carbon footprint.
As a successful interior designer, I was always inspired by colour and form. The idea for Flowers from the Plot started in autumn 2011, with 2012 as my first full season. I think I have probably been a member of the Farmers Club for 30 years. Selling bouquets at farmers markets was a way of getting known, and gradually the bookings for weddings came in. Some of my favourites, and the most popular, are larkspur, Iceland poppies, cosmos, sweet peas, of course, beautiful old fashioned roses, and dahlias. I now grow more dahlias than anything else, they are so varied in shapes and colours and have that WOW factor for weddings and events. Phlox ‘Creme Brulee’ and Phlox of Sheep (yes, it really is called that!) are very popular (fashionable) annuals and beautifully subtle in colour. Flowers from the Farm Britain is a nation of gardeners and growers, with a long history of plant collecting, knowledgeable nurserymen and flower growers, and a mild climate where it’s possible to grow most things. So why does a sector worth over £2billion import nearly 90% of its cut flowers? By being able to get everything, all the time, maybe consumers lost contact with our seasonal flowers. Flowers from the Farm members are changing this. Its 500-plus growers are bringing diversity and seasonality from smallholdings, farms and gardens, by selling at farmers markets, and to fashionable florists who love the looser style our flowers bring, brides who want to know the provenance of their wedding day flowers, and discerning customers who know that, for their special occasions, our flowers are more eloquent than words.
Toria Britten of Flowers from the Plot
16 • The Farmers Club Autumn 2018
Our blooms are freshly picked, often highly scented and unlike most imported flowers, grown without high levels of fertilisers and pesticides. Recent research estimates that typically, a bunch of British grown flowers has just 10% of the carbon footprint of imported flowers.
BRITISH FLOWERS Flowers from the Farm Founded by Gill Hodgson in 2011, now over 500 members, not-forprofit network. www. flowersfromthefarm. co.uk Flowers from the Plot Toria Britten, Nempnett, Bristol info@ flowersfromtheplot. co.uk www. flowersfromtheplot. co.uk
Natural Capital • John Lockhart
Optimising the value of natural capital The successful management of natural capital is crucial to agriculture. Environmental planning consultant John Lockhart offers some timely advice WHICHEVER industry you work in, natural capital is arguably the most precious resource we have. However, for those working in agriculture it’s the foundation of everything that we do. As a result, the effective management and protection of natural capital, as well as the threat of degradation, is a topic that has attracted much attention across a range of sectors – from farmers and landowners through to the government. Raising the profile of natural capital The government has demonstrated its commitment to natural capital through the publication earlier this year of ‘Our Green Future: a 25 year plan to improve the environment’, picking up on the recommendations of the Natural Capital Committee and outlining proposals for a long-term environment plan to support the maintenance of natural capital. In tandem with this, we also saw the publication of ‘Health and Harmony: the future for food, farming and the environment in a green Brexit’. This further sets out the government’s approach to issues such as agricultural subsidies and land management, proposing a move away from support for agricultural production to a system of ‘Public Payment for Public Goods’. This system is yet to be clearly defined, but will have natural capital at its heart. What are the key issues? Currently there is a lack of practical market opportunities to transform these assets into viable revenue streams, as well as a lack of simple pathways to market. To help address this, the CLA is promoting a Land Management Contract, which would see farmers and landowners paid for the provision of ecosystem services with defined measures and outcomes. Other sources of support and advice include Defra’s best practice guide on payments for
ecosystem services, which can be downloaded, from the Ecosystems Knowledge Network website (https://ecosystemsknowledge.net/). In addition, in 2016 the Green Alliance and the National Trust launched a proposal for a Natural Infrastructure Scheme, delivering environmental improvements by bringing together groups of land managers to sell ecosystem services. What should farmers do? The starting point is to review your assets, identifying their relative value and focusing on any emerging opportunities. The good news is that there are tools and publications based on extensive research that can help with this process. For example: • N atural Capital Committee: How to do it – a natural capital workbook www.gov.uk/government/groups/naturalcapital-committee • E cosystem Knowledge Network: a toolkit assessor https://ecosystemsknowledge.net/ However, these also need to be balanced with a sound practical understanding of land use and management structures. Ultimately, landowners and stakeholders need to map and document their natural capital assets, understand their relative value and acknowledge how they integrate with the country’s wider green infrastructure. To realise an investment in natural capital, the industry needs to work with both private sector and public sector partners to identify and develop the fledging market opportunities that are starting to emerge.
John Lockhart John Lockhart is Chairman of Lockhart Garratt environmental planning and forestry consultancy, where he specialises in strategic woodland management, environmental planning and development, and green infrastructure, with offices in Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. 01536 408840 john.lockhart @lgluk.com www.lockhartgarratt.co.uk
© Ian Dudley
www.thefarmersclub.com • 17
Prof Sir Colin Berry • Letter
Farming Figures A look at... the farm machinery sector... told through some key statistics
13%
Rise in value of second-hand machinery sales, due to weak pound, strong commodity prices and high cost of buying new, says Cheffins
12,033 tractors
New tractors registered in 2017, the first yearly rise since 2011
£10.1 million Value of farm machinery stolen in 2017
Double-digit
Growth in monthly new tractors sales over 2017 since April 2018 – hitting +23.5% in July
100,000 cabs/year
Capacity of JCB’s new £50m cab-making factory near Uttoxeter, Staffs, opening summer 2019
303 combine harvesters
All working the same wheat field in Manitoba, Canada at same time to set new world record
90 years old
Age of Dorset Claas Lexion combine driver Mrs Win Foot, drawing over 3400 ‘likes’ on Twitter
530 combines
New UK combine sales, Sept 2016 to Aug 2017
Halved Theft of tractors in Scotland since 2014, thanks to multi-agency partnership including police
780 sprayers New sprayers sold in UK in 2017, with selfpropelled units costing up to £270,000 each Sources: Farmers Weekly, NFU Mutual, Cheffins, Farmers Guardian, Dorset Echo, AEA
18 • The Farmers Club Autumn 2018
GM letter to the Editor
Last issue we reported on the EU’s attitude to GM. Here we publish a response and further developments
Dear Sir, Reading the article on Brexit issues in the Harvest Journal (FCJ 275), I was struck by the message from Mike Muncey, in the box in the article, about adapting your farm for Brexit. He emphasises the role which new products and technologies will have in farming in the future and expresses caution about the role of precaution as a regulatory stance. I am sure that precautionary principle is doing great harm to innovation and is responsible for the present irrational position of the EU toward GM crops. But since the article was written a far more serious decision has been made by the European Court of Justice that
will greatly restrict the use of CRISPR techniques in producing accurate, indeed precise, genetic changes in plants to improve their value. It is interesting to note that in the same issue of the journal Science that bemoans this decision (3rd August, 2018) there is an article on problems with wheat which might be resolved by genetic manipulation. The piece emphasises how sensibly Bangladesh is approaching the problem. Yours sincerely, Professor Sir Colin Berry Former Chairman, Advisory Committee on Pesticides, Chairman, Syngenta Ethics Committee.
European Court of Justice GM ruling – 25 July The ECJ ruled that precisely gene-edited plants and animals should be governed by the same rules as genetically modified organisms, effectively stalling any prospect of EU farmers or consumers benefitting from the technology, journals Nature and Science noted. Food from plants or animals developed using techniques like CRISPR-Cas9 must now meet the EU’s 2001 GMO directive, which set high hurdles for older GM technologies, including pre-release health and environment assessments, detailed labelling, tracking and monitoring. Researchers had hoped for an exemption, like irradiation-induced mutagenesis. Rothamsted Research, which has run field trials of gene-edited nutritionally enhanced camelina, branded the decision ‘tremendously disappointing’. In Edinburgh Roslin Institute has been using CRISPR to develop pigs resistant to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome. The US government, which has permitted some gene-edited plant sales without regulation, voiced its displeasure. Bangladesh is using CRISPR to create disease-resistant crops, and help combat retinal degeneration and cancer in humans.
Head Chef & Director of Food • Paul Hogben
Fine Summer menu at Club Restaurant Chef provided a wonderful showcase for the best of fresh British produce this Summer Peach Melba
Lamb
Trout YOU may not have come across some of our latest suppliers before, but I think you might find them interesting and worth a try. There are some really unique products, which certainly make for great talking points during a visit to the Restaurant. Pictured here is a selection of some of the great dishes that were on our Summer Menu. I recently took my Kitchen team to Forman & Sons in Stratford, East London, where they produce London Cure Smoked Salmon (on our menu). The aim was to learn about the whole process of producing this quality product from start to finish. The amazing thing was that all the preparation and slicing was done by hand, not machine. They even slice smoked salmon to the customer’s desired specification. Such a labour-intensive product, but what a product! As they proudly proclaim: “Probably the best Smoked Salmon in the World”. The team really enjoyed the talk, the guided tour and sampling the range of smoked salmon products they produce. I hope you enjoy it as much as they did! Chef
London Cure Smoked Salmon Tour, Forman & Sons
Restaurant Bookings To enjoy the Club’s fine seasonal Restaurant menu book a table on 020 7930 3557 (option 3) or e-mail restaurant@thefarmersclub.com
www.thefarmersclub.com • 19
Emily McVeigh, Chairman; Scott Hayles, Vice Chairman; Anita Kaur, Secretary • Under 30s
Chairman’s Jottings I am writing these jottings in August after a challenging harvest. We now look ahead to the autumn, building on the very positive start to the Under 30s year, which has seen good attendances and fantastic speakers. I am thoroughly enjoying my role and really appreciate all the great feedback from Under 30s and main Club members. The Under 30s committee aims to plan a diary of events that inspire and inform, whilst being great social occasions too! Although not all our members are directly involved in farming, most come from agricultural backgrounds and many work in farming and food related businesses. Our events are subsidised to encourage affordability and we also offer the chance to join Inter-Club events in conjunction with other London Clubs. If you or someone you know would like to find out more about the Under 30s, do come along to an event and meet our committee! Our Autumn farm walk will be in Northern Ireland on 26–28 October. My father, David, is from County Down so it is fitting for me to organise a farm walk in Ireland during my year as chairman. We have some brilliant visits planned, including MashDirect and the Institute of Global Food Security at Queen’s University. Also coming up are our September Dining Evening, with Pete Garbutt, McDonald’s Agricultural Manager for UK and Ireland as our guest speaker. We then get festive celebrations started with a dining evening at the Club in November. Watch our Facebook page for information on all our events.
Contact Emily for more information: Emily McVeigh U30 Chairman 2018/19 Kenton Hall Estate Kenton, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 6JU 01728 862062 www.kentonhallestate.co.uk
20 • The Farmers Club Autumn 2018
Directions please! Guest speaker at the Summer Cocktail Evening was Chris Sheldrick, a farmer’s son, who explains the What3Words app he founded below
Farmers are using three word addresses to improve efficiency: Describing where things are in the countryside can be really complicated. Growing up on a farm, I would often spend time waiting by a roadside to flag down incoming delivery vehicles, which would otherwise miss our entrance by miles. Lengthy step-by-step directions were common when farm equipment needed repairing, material had to be moved, or someone needed medical attention.
• Sending agronomists to specific locations in a field • Guiding delivery services and visitors to the right building • Recording the location of broken equipment • Directing emergency services to an incident • Guiding vets to sick animals • Providing insurers with accurate building locations
Five years after co-founding what3words I’m excited to see businesses, governments and NGOs all Rural addressing is pretty poor, with postcodes often covering large areas, over the world adopting three-word directing people to the middle of that addresses. This year, Mercedes-Benz became the first car manufacturer to area rather than a precise building. integrate what3words voice search Our what3words app can help. into its voice navigation. Make your farm more efficient You can start finding and navigating We’ve divided the world into 3m to three-word addresses with the free x 3m squares, each with its own unique three word address. Now you what3words app. Hopefully, waiting can refer to any precise location – be outside for that elusive delivery van will soon be a thing of the past. it a delivery entrance, location of a herd, or an incident in a field – with PS: Chris said it was a coincidence, but just three words. For example /// the 3m square in which we were sat explorer.newer.rolled. marks the in The Farmers Suite is aptly named: start of a lovely walking trail in prime.output.farms…! Snowdonia.
Under 30s • Emily McVeigh, Chairman; Scott Hayles, Vice Chairman; Anita Kaur, Secretary
Shaking up stereotypes Under 30s Committee Member Georgina Knock launches a novel public relations initiative IF we were to put a label on the relationship between farmers and the media, I imagine the best fit would be ‘it’s complicated’. The farming community hasn’t traditionally been portrayed in the most flattering light. It is a stereotype I intend to shake up. Public relations is the discipline which looks after reputation, with the aim of earning understanding and support, to influence opinion and behaviour. The years ahead will provide opportunities to make people consider the implications of their spending power. Their perceptions are crucial. Food glorious food, is on most people’s minds a lot of the time. The amount of cookery shows and books is immense. So how does an industry so close to agriculture, not mention us? Food traceability is a growing trend, joined by farmer’s markets and people buying straight from the farm, or through initiatives like Farmdrop. I suggest that means more people are curious about where their food comes from. Georgina Knock Under 30s Committee Member Communications Adviser Westco georgina@ sunnysuffolk.co.uk
Just by way of example, there’s been media dialogue about glyphosate and genetically modified food. But, the cynic in me feels the opposition’s voice was louder than ours. One day a week, I work for our farm in Suffolk, so most of my working week is spent in a nonagricultural environment in London. It’s during that city time I overhear conversations like, ‘does almond milk come from cows that only eat almonds?’. Time
and again I’m left wincing at such comments. But they prompt me to acknowledge that we need to communicate more effectively with the public and each other. Farming’s multi-disciplinary nature means messages can travel through different subjects, with potentially positive impact on other areas, such a health and environment. For example, can you imagine a strategy, campaigns and budget that mirrored McDonald’s? So, how do we engage with those who do not tune in to Countryfile, visit Open Farm Sunday or watch a Farmer’s Weekly video they stumbled upon after seeing a cow do a backflip on YouTube? The trick is making our messages simple, relatable, accessible, with a sprinkling of humorous analogies. I propose the U30s have all these components and we should learn how to befriend the mysterious media far better. The Under 30s committee has kindly allowed me the opportunity to interview and produce a series of short narrative stories on Under 30s members. These will be displayed on the Club’s website under ‘Meet the Member: Shaking up stereotypes by speaking to young farmers’, acting as a source of information for us. With your permission, that content will also be sent to appropriate media contacts. So, as communication is key to all relationships….. please let us talk!
www.thefarmersclub.com • 21
The Farmers Club • Club Information
Club Information 020 7930 3557 • www.thefarmersclub.com @thefarmersclub The Farmers Club Page
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 2018 VICE PRESIDENTS Barclay Forrest OBE, Sir Mark Hudson, Mrs Susan Kilpatrick OBE, Paul Heygate PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN Peter Jinman OBE TRUSTEES Jimmy McLean, Mrs Nicki Quayle, Julian Sayers (Chairman), Tim Bennett VICE-CHAIRMAN Nick Helme HONORARY TREASURER Richard Maunder IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN Tim Bennett CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND SECRETARY Andrei Spence CLUB CHAPLAIN The Reverend Dr Sam Wells
Harvest Festival Service & Supper Tuesday 9th October 2018 Join us for The Farmers Club Annual Harvest Service at St. Martin-in-the-Fields on Tuesday 9th October at 5pm. To help us give thanks, our preacher will be the Right Reverend Richard Frith, Bishop of Hereford. Following the Service at 6.15pm, will be our Harvest Festival Bowl Food Supper back at the Club, highlighting a wonderful array of British produce. The cost per person is £50 (max 3 guests per member) which includes a glass of wine on arrival, Bowl Food Supper and three glasses of wine to accompany the meal. Please book online at www. thefarmersclub.com or complete the application form enclosed with the Harvest Journal and return to: General Office at The Farmers Club, 3 Whitehall Court, London, SW1A 2EL. Email: administrator@thefarmersclub.com
COMMITTEE Elected 2016: Robert Alston, Andrew Brown (Membership Sub-Committee), Lindsay Hargreaves (House sub-committee), Nick Helme, Peter Jinman OBE Elected 2017: Kevin Beaty, John Lee OBE, Karen Mercer, Keith Redpath, Christopher Riddle, Allan Stevenson, Campbell Tweed OBE Elected 2018: Ian Bell, Matt Dempsey (Communications SubCommittee) and Gerald Osborne Co-opted: Emily McVeigh (Chairman Under 30s), Scott Hayles (Vice Chairman Under 30s) Jeremy Hawkins (Under 30s Committee Member) THE FARMERS CLUB CHARITABLE TRUST TRUSTEES Stephen Fletcher (Chairman), James Cross, Vic Croxson DL, Meryl Ward MBE, Des Lambert OBE, The Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Club (ex officio). Patron Mrs Stella Muddiman
NEXT ISSUE
The Winter issue of the Farmers Club Journal, due with members in mid-November, will report on Defra Secretary of State Michael Gove’s visit to the Club, the joint BCPC/ Farmers Club cereals seminar, Club visits to Newmarket and Herefordshire, the Harvest Festival Service and Supper, and the latest Club developments.
22 • The Farmers Club Autumn 2018
Mantegna & Bellini Friday 19th October 2018 A tale of two artists and brothers-in-law, ‘Andrea Mantegna and Giovanni Bellini’ tells a story of art, family, rivalry, and personality. Together they shaped the art of the Renaissance. Paintings, drawings and sculpture are brought together on international loans, including paintings by both artists of The Presentation at the Temple, which are also displayed together. Our programme starts at 12.00 noon with a private lecture by Anne Haworth in the Club, followed at 1.00pm by a two-course lunch with wine at the Club. At 2.00pm we depart by coach for The National Gallery in time for a 2.30pm entrance to the exhibition. Members should make their own way home. The cost per person is £56.00, including lunch at the Club, ticket for the exhibition and coach to the National Gallery. Apply online at www.thefarmersclub.com or complete the application form enclosed with the Harvest Journal and return to: General Office at The Farmers Club, 3 Whitehall Court, London, SW1A 2EL. Email: administrator@thefarmersclub.com
ELECTRONIC DEVICES
STORAGE OF SHOTGUNS
No electronic devices can be used in the hallways, Bar, Lounge or Restaurant, unless for the purpose of quiet reading. No calls can be received or made in these areas.
Members are reminded that the Club does not hold a license for the storage of shotguns.
THE SHAW ROOM can be used for meetings of up to three people. Electronic devices may be used but must be set to silent and vibrate. No calls can be received or made in this area.
SECURITY OF PERSONAL ITEMS
Please do not leave valuables in the bedrooms, cloakrooms or luggage room at the Club. The Club will not accept responsibility for any loss.
DOGS (except guide dogs) are not permitted in the Club
Club Information • The Farmers Club
Cirque du Soleil Friday 25th January 2019 Take a journey into the evolution of mankind. Totem follows the human species from original amphibian state to its ultimate desire to fly, exploring the ties that bind man to other species, his dreams and his infinite potential. Our outline programme starts with a two-course supper with wine in the Club at 5.00pm. At 6.30pm we depart by coach for the Royal Albert Hall, in time for a 7.30pm performance, after which (at 10.30pm approx) the coach returns to the Club. The event is limited to 50 places. Cost is £116.00 per person. Apply online at www.thefarmersclub.com or complete the application form enclosed.
Statoil Masters Tennis Friday 7th December 2018 Watch the greatest players on the grandest stage! Grand Slam Champions, former World Number Ones and national icons return to the Royal Albert Hall for a dazzling display of high quality tennis and entertainment. Our outline programme starts at 5.00pm with a two-course supper with wine in the Club. At 6.30pm we depart by coach for the Royal Albert Hall in time for a 7.30pm start to the tennis. Afterwards, at 10.15pm (approx) the coach returns to the Club. This event is limited to 50 places only. The cost per person is £110.00. All applications should be received by 1st October 2018. Apply online at www.thefarmersclub.com or complete the application form enclosed.
Honours and Awards The Chairman and Members of the Club congratulate the following members whose names appeared in the Queen’s Birthday Honour’s List:
Club Contacts THE FARMERS CLUB
OBE John Alvis
Somerset
3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL
MBE Stephen Lester
Cumbria
BEM David Slack
Berkshire
Deaths It is with regret that we announce the death of the following members: H Bevin Shropshire A Proctor Lincolnshire G Sheepwash Kent D Trist Somerset N Wykes Yorkshire Mobile Phones, Briefcases and Business Meetings Mobile phones must not be used in the Public Rooms (except on silent in the Shaw room). Telephone conversations should only be undertaken on The Terrace. 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 Business Suite The Business Suite provides PCs, printing and WiFi for members. WiFi WiFi is available throughout the Club at no charge. Function rooms If you are looking to book a function here at the Club, please contact functions@ thefarmersclub.com or call our Conference & Banqueting Sales Manager on 020 7925 7100, who will be delighted to assist. Shaw Room The Shaw Room can be used for meetings of up to three people. Electronic devices may be used but must be set to silent and vibrate. No calls can be received or made in this area.
Phone calls Members are advised that using mobile calling platforms such as Skype, WhatsApp, Google Hangouts etc can facilitate mobile phone calls (over the Club’s wi-fi) in areas of the Club where mobile phone calls are permitted, including in the Business Suite.
Serving the farming industry for 175 years
Chairman 2018: Peter Jinman
Chief Executive and Secretary: Andrei Spence
Club Number 020 7930 3557 Reception reception@thefarmersclub.com Bedroom Reservations reservations@thefarmersclub.com Restaurant Reservations Option 3 restaurant@thefarmersclub.com Conference & Banqueting Sales Manager Liza Keoshgerian direct line: 020 7925 7100 functions@thefarmersclub.com Administrator & Under 30s Secretary Anita Kaur direct line 020 7930 3751 administrator@thefarmersclub.com General Manager Virginia Masser direct line 020 7930 3751 generalmanager@thefarmersclub.com Head Chef Paul Hogben direct line: 020 7925 7103 chef@thefarmersclub.com Financial Controller Zarreena Neeson direct line: 020 7925 7101 financialcontroller@thefarmersclub.com Membership Mark Fairbairn direct line: 020 7925 7102 membership@thefarmersclub.com PA to Secretary Claire White 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 @thefarmersclub The Farmers Club Page 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 Christmas Card See insert in this Journal for ordering details
Christmas Bookings To book your Christmas Function at The Farmers Club contact Liza on 020 7925 7100 or email functions@thefarmersclub.com