The Farmers Club Issue 277

Farmers Club WINTER 2018 • ISSUE 277

www.thefarmersclub.com

INSIDE Club News p4 Gove briefing p6 Vets in a spin p8 Cereal prospects p10 Herefordshire tour p12 Harvest festival p14 Newmarket visit p16 Terrace tables p17 Horseguards Ave p18 Chef’s spuds p19 Under 30s p20

INSERTS Club history book Russia, Royalty & the Romanovs Christian Dior Exhibition Beethoven Piano Concertos Sean Rickard Lecture

Gove briefs Club Defra Secretary debates Brexit implications p6

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 Defra Secretary of State the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP visited the Club in November, for an exclusive briefing on the future of UK food, farming and rural policy.

The questions came thick and fast (p6).

Photo: Minna Rossi Photography www.minnarossi.com info@minnarossi.com Disclaimer: The articles published in The Farmers Club Journal do not necessarily reflect the views of The Farmers Club. No responsibility for the quality of goods or services advertised in the magazine can be accepted by the publisher.

Advertisements are included in good ­­­­ faith. All rights reserved.

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3 Chairman’s Comments Reflections on farm and Club progress

4 Club News Update on Autumn activities and who won the Farmers Club Cup for 2018

6 Gove briefs Club Defra Secretary Michael Gove visited in November, for an exclusive briefing on UK food, farming and rural policy issues

8 Vets in a spin

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Big changes are afoot in the veterinary profession with consolidation progressing at a phenomenal rate

10 Cereals sector Global trade issues and ways to respond were debated at a joint BCPC/Farmers Club seminar

12 Herefordshire tour Soft fruit, cider and English wine were on the menu when the Club visited south Herefordshire

14 Har vest Festival

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Harvest home was celebrated at St Martin-in-the-fields, with a thought-provoking sermon. A fine supper followed at the Club

16 Newmarket visit Exclusive access to the professional world of horse racing as the Club visits prestigious venues in Newmarket

17 New Terrace tables, refurbished rooms Innovations and refurbishments at the Club, with wonderful new heaters making the Terrace even more welcoming

18 Horseguards revisited

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Latest news on 1 Horseguards Avenue

19 Chef heads north Heritage potatoes and craft cheeses in Northumberland

20 Under 30s event McDonald’s supply chain debated

21 Under 30s head for Canada Jill Willows Under 30s Scholarship sends two to Canada

23 Club Information and Contacts 02 • The Farmers Club Winter 2018

Chairman’s Comments • Peter Jinman

New ways of producing food Farmers have often been classed as conservative and reactionary. But this year’s trips and lectures have shown many are seeking, trialling or adopting new ways of providing food from the land. As ever such activities are against a backdrop of Governmental direction, market vagaries and above all the weather. This year must go down in history as one of the most confusing, on all counts, as the prolonged birth of Brexit has merged with the first Agriculture Bill since 1947, and some extraordinary weather.

While weather and world markets remain unpredictable, Governmental direction is more in man’s control. Defra’s own press release branded the Agriculture Bill a “major post-Brexit policy to invest in the environment and take back control for farmers, after almost 50 years under EU rules.” In an era where evidence is held out as the key for all decisions, agreeing what is fact and what is fake news has never been so important.

Chairman’s Comments “This year must go down in history as one of the most confusing, on all counts, as the prolonged birth of Brexit has merged with the first Agriculture Bill since 1947 and some of the most extraordinary weather.”

Although a myth it seems to be a fact of life that as one gets older time seems to pass more quickly and so this final piece from me comes as my year as Chairman draws to a close. However, before my passing is remembered as an entry in the annals of past-Chairmen, a few thoughts on the state of farming and the Club.

It is probably no surprise to suggest both are tied by one theme, Brexit. The Club continues to thrive, but the pressures on staffing and the rise in costs, particularly food costs, are directly linked to the uncertainties around the March 29 Brexit deadline.

The recent Farmers Club trip to Herefordshire amply illustrated farming’s reliance on people – a lack of workforce threatens production and adds to costs.

So too with hospitality.

The UK remains highly dependent on labour from beyond its natural boundaries and despite great strides in automation many tasks and services require people to undertake them, and ideally to do so efficiently. Without considerable human input food cannot be produced for our Restaurant; neither can cows be milked, by a person doing the task or overseeing the computerised automation; nor ewes lambed; nor berries picked, sorted and packed.

Two great visits My final chapter as Chairman saw two great trips in superb weather. Our immersion into Newmarket’s racing scene showed a very different world of land and animal management, while the trip to ‘home territory’ for a glimpse of one small part of Herefordshire paved the way for my successor, Nick Helme, who becomes Chairman in 2019. I wish him and his wife Donna a positive, friendly and engaging year – just as Gill and I have experienced.

I cannot depart the printed world without a large THANK YOU, to all on the Committee and the membership who gave me the opportunity to occupy this position. The support of the Whitehall Court staff, led by Secretary Andrei Spence, has been magnificent, both in maintaining the Farmers Club’s high standards and providing specific assistance and guidance for Gill and I. In closing, a word of praise for the patient Journal Editor, Charles Abel, who awaits these final words and somehow manages to turn out a Journal of consistent high quality!

A Great Christmas Gift!

Ideal as a Christmas present – this wonderful history tracing the Club’s 175 years is now available.

The Farmers Club 1842-2017 uses original research and previous histories to provide a delightful insight into this unique organisation, which has done so much to create friendships, memories and business progress. Available at Reception (£25) or use enclosed order form.

Follow us on-line: www.thefarmersclub.com

@thefarmersclub

The Farmers Club Page

www.thefarmersclub.com • 03

Andrei Spence • Club News

Club News Busy Autumn spell at your fine Club

A party of 22 members were led by our Chairman on a visit to Newmarket, for a very varied programme (with a common equine theme), including unparalleled and privileged access into the Godolphin organisation (see p16). The Chairman’s final visit of the year, as is traditional for all Chairmen, was a visit to his ‘own back yard’ in south Herefordshire (see p12).

Mid-October was taken up with much important work and consideration from the Trustees who conducted a financial review of the Club’s investment position and the Finance & General Purposes Committee who considered the budget proposals worked up by my team and I for 2019, and presented by the Honorary Treasurer. The guest speaker at the lunch that followed was Ms Claire Saunders, Director of the Prince’s Countryside Fund.

In late October and back on the cultural trail, Club members enjoyed a superb talk and introduction to the Mantegna and Bellini exhibition at the National Gallery, by the incomparable Ann Haworth, during a very enjoyable lunch at the Club. The month was completed by the Under 30s section embarking on their Autumn Farm walk weekend in Northern Ireland.

I expected to be writing this article whilst peering out onto a damp, dismal and thoroughly deep autumnal/winters day, writes Club Secretary & Chief Executive Andrei Spence. However, to my great surprise and joy, it is none of those things presently as the sunshine streams through the river-facing windows of the Club here in London.

The end of the traditionally summer months saw a ramping up of Club business and activity led by the Farmers Club Charitable Trust AGM in September, which reported a very satisfactory year and an increase in the amount awarded to educational bursaries and the developing leadership programme, which it hopes to develop further in the coming year.

Club Cup winner The Club’s annual House of Lords Lunch, again under the kind sponsorship of His Grace, The Duke of Montrose, was very well supported to hear guest of Honour and speaker, The Lord Trees. Club Chairman Peter Jinman presented this years’ recipient, Professor John Webster, with the Farmers Club Cup for his immense contribution to the agricultural sector.

04 • The Farmers Club Winter 2018

The Club also held its annual lunch for Honorary members, those who have been members for 50 years and more. Despite this being an obviously senior cohort, 22 members attended, representing over 1000 years of collective club membership.

Five were past Presidents/Chairmen of the Club. The occasion marked the first use of our newly acquired silver candelabra, courtesy of the Jill Willows legacy. Later that month 50 of our Under 30s held a very successful Dining Evening.

November was a hugely busy and significant month for the Club. In the last of the Monday Evening Lectures, on bonfire night, Defra Secretary, Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, visited to make a statement and to answer questions.

Such was the interest (unsurprisingly), that I reluctantly had to move the event out of the Club and into the Gladstone Library in the National Liberal Club, next door (see p6).

The following day, the sub-committees of the Club met prior to convening as the General Committee, to discuss Club issues and policy and review feedback through myself, from members and to consider the budget proposals.

• See p18 for significant news on 1 Horseguards Avenue.

Super Harvest Festival The drumbeat of the Club was well into its stride at our Harvest Festival Service at St Martin-in-the-Fields, and our Harvest Supper afterwards at the Club (see p14). I must add two notes of congratulation. First, to Club member Rosie Carne, on her installation as Master of the Worshipful Company of Farmers, in a ceremony that took place the same day. Second, to Julian Sayers, member and Chairman of Trustees at the Club after relinquishing his post to Rosie, after a highly successful year as Master at the Livery Company. The week also marked the fourth, and final, change of menu for the year featuring the Autumn/ Winter season of fine food from across the United Kingdom.

Club News • Andrei Spence

New Committee members The newly elected members of the General Committee are: • Mr Andrew Brown (Re-elected) • Ms Fiona Fell (Northumberland) • Mr Meurig Raymond (Pembrokeshire) • Mr John Hardman (Nottinghamshire) Thanks are due to retiring Committee member, Mr Lindsay Hargreaves, and to Mr Robert Alston who did not seek re-election, for their commitment and hard work supporting the Club.

Bedroom refurbishment We have, as many will be aware, conducted major refurbishment, re-wiring and some re-configuration of the remaining five rooms in the Garden Suite, as well as providing new soft furnishings. A new bedroom numbering system is being introduced (see p17).

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

DECEMBER London International Horse Show – FULL Thursday 20th December New Year’s Eve Dinner – FULL Monday 31st December New Year’s Eve Dinner

JANUARY 2019 Monday Evening Lecture Monday 21st January Sean Rickard, independent economist.

Application form with this Journal

Cirque du Soleil Totem – FULL Friday 25th January Evening Lecture

FEBRUARY Beethoven Piano Concertos Royal Festival Hall Friday 22nd February Supper in the Club and coach transfer to event.

Application form in this Journal.

Beethoven Piano Concertos

MARCH Christian Dior exhibition Thursday 7th March Private lecture, lunch at the Club and exhibition at V&A. Application form enclosed with this issue.

Russia, Royalty & the Romanovs Wednesday 27th March

GDPR on-going

Christian Dior

Private lecture, lunch at the Club and exhibition at The Queen’s Gallery. Application form enclosed with this issue.

APRIL Monday Evening Lecture Monday 8th April

Members have responded well to repeated calls for completion of the GDPR forms, still available to download on the website or available in hard copy via the General Office.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter, although there are still forms to reach us.

Speaker TBC

Romeo & Juliet, Royal Opera House Details TBC Russia, Royalty, Romanovs

MAY London historic visit & Thames tea cruise Details in next Journal

JUNE Eltham Palace private tour Hampton Court Palace

Details in next Journal

JULY Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival Thursday 4th July Details TBC

Henley Royal Regatta Sunday 7th July Henley Royal Regatta

Details TBC

www.thefarmersclub.com • 05

Charles Abel • Farm policy

Gove’s farming future

Defra Secretary Michael Gove provided an exclusive briefing to over 300 Farmers Club members earlier this month. His plans for farming’s future were clear. Charles Abel reports

YOUR VOICE What do you think? Is Defra Secretary Michael Gove right, misguided, or wrong? Has he set a positive agenda for farming’s future – to benefit farmers, the environment, the economy and the public? Send letters for publication to editor@ thefarmersclub.com or post to 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL

FARMING faces change – that is obvious. Just what those changes will be is far less clear. In early November Defra Secretary Michael Gove gave Farmers Club members a fascinating insight into his thinking, answering numerous questions with refreshing frankness in the fine surroundings of the Gladstone Library at 1 Whitehall Court.

In introducing the speaker, Club Chairman Peter Jinman noted: “the 1947 Agriculture Act’s purpose [to boost food self-sufficiency] was well set out and well described. We now have a new Agriculture Act with a very different focus.” Mr Gove’s agenda was set – 300 farmers and farming professionals were all ears.

Given the timing, on Guy Fawkes night, fireworks may have been expected. But that is not The Farmers Club way. Courtesy and professionalism prevailed, engendering an

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atmosphere of mutual insight, as the Secretary of State delivered his typically rapid-fire views on farm policy, and farmers voiced their concerns.

Food production key Having anticipated his audience Mr Gove gave a nod to The Farmers Club’s long history of debating key farming issues, and repeatedly acknowledged the importance of food production, of profitable farming businesses and the need to uphold production standards. He recognised the pain caused by payment delays, the vulnerability of the sheep sector in particular post-Brexit, and the importance of fairness in supply chains.

It was a big shift in tone. “Rather than pitting environmentalists and farmers against each other, with Defra somehow arbitrating in Solomon-like judgement, we need to ensure the passion of environmentalists goes alongside the expertise and

Farm policy • Charles Abel

Defra insight into farming’s future • Brexit preparation – Defra’s approach in the case of no deal would be explained, with a particular focus on the uniquely EU-dependent sheep sector. In exceptional circumstances Government would intervene to support producers. But even if the best trade deal is struck with the EU fresh markets still needed looking at elsewhere to build resilience.

• RPA fit for purpose – changes are afoot and without EU oversight it should be possible for simplification, lightertouch on-farm inspections and faster payments to follow.

• Gene editing – properly stewarded, directed and husbanded it offered great scope for productivity gains and reduced input use. Best scientific advice should prevail. Even if the EU created barriers to gene-edited food products, the decisions of other nations should not hold the UK back from such an opportunity to help feed a burgeoning world population.

determination of farm businesses to produce more food, more sustainably,” he insisted.

“One of the most important points is that Defra is an economic department, existing to ensure the food and drinks sector, and the primary producers that supply it, are more resilient and economically effective. But at the same time we must protect the environment and the stock of natural capital. They are one united goal, aspiration and ambition.”

A fourth industrial revolution Fine words. But how will policy help? The fourth industrial revolution, making better use of data, would be key, he said. Not only could it improve efficiency on farms, but it could also provide evidence to help balance financial returns across supply chains.

“Transparency can have an impact on the market and co-operative working can help make primary producers less susceptible to disproportionate power from some parts of the supply chain.” If necessary Government would intervene to make the market work, he said.

A new Food Strategy would look at the challenges of global food supply and trade deals would need to reflect UK production standards. “Off-shoring environmental costs and forcing UK producers to be under-cut by imports produced to lower standards is not right.” But farmers needed to provide feedback to help frame policies, he urged.

Land management contracts But current Defra schemes were too bureaucratic, he acknowledged. In future they would be more outcome focused, with land management contracts agreed for 5, 7, 10, 12 years, so farmers could invest with confidence.

Farmer collaboration was needed to design such schemes, to ensure they helped lowland dairy farmers address ammonia emissions and upland farmers with their irreplaceable landscape work, for example.

• Planning system – ensuring entrepreneurial, adventurous farm businesses can thrive is key, but at the same time demand for housing means farming and the public can end up living ‘cheek-by-jowl’. Efforts are needed to address the disconnect between the public and farming, so the public recognises how much is owed to farmers for the food they produce and the other services they provide.

• TB – strategy review under-way, more information needed on role of other species, but some farmers running certain risks means Defra may need to do more.

• Insurance – there are things Government can do to develop the insurance market, but the state also has a right and a duty to intervene at certain times too.

Science would be key too, which could boost productivity while cutting environmental impacts. If some countries preferred not to source the resulting produce that should not prevent UK farmers from using the science to help feed a world population heading for 10 billion, he said.

Government would support investment in enabling technologies and would push hard for better uptake across all farms, with progress in Denmark and the Netherlands providing inspiration.

The win:win in prospect was greater productivity, with an ever lighter environmental footprint.

To encourage new entrants farmers would be able to roll basic payments into a lump sum to exit the industry. But the price of farmland, tax structures and tenancy arrangements also merited attention, he noted.

With so much at stake, and so much uncertainty around Brexit negotiations, Mr Gove’s explanation of farm policy plans was hugely appreciated. Next comes the tricky bit – putting it into practise.

FAIR TRADE New trade deals will need to uphold UK production standards and not simply offshore animal welfare and environmental impacts, Mr Gove stressed. Industry accreditation schemes play a vital role in informing consumers.

FIT-TO-FARM? Might some sort of compulsory fitto-farm continual professional development be needed? Mr Gove was torn. On the one hand it could boost expertise, to benefit farm profits, the environment and the public.

But on the other hand requiring businesses that were already operating perfectly well to get licensed could create a fresh barrier to new entrants.

A practitioner-led approach, with industry bodies taking the lead, would be preferable.

www.thefarmersclub.com • 07

Matt Dobbs • Veterinary Services

Vets in a spin?

The structure of the veterinary sector is changing dramatically.

Farmers Club member Matt Dobbs takes a closer look

“In the years to come, maybe only three or four international conglomerates will own most of the animal health supply chain.”

ANY fan of the writings of Alf Wight, will be very familiar with this sixth volume in his unforgettable memoirs. In this episode James Herriot, strapped into the cockpit of a Tiger Moth trainer, feels rather out of place having swapped wellington boots for a flying suit. Unsure of his new role in the war effort, he hopes it won’t be long before the RAF come around to his point of view.

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Having left behind his old profession and beloved Yorkshire Dales, James spends his time dreaming of the day when he can return to his former life, his wife Helen, little son Jimmy, veterinary partner Siegfried, the eternal student Tristan - and all the old Darrowby stalwarts, both two-legged and four. But with the volatility of war comes change and life will never quite be the same!

Veterinary Services • Matt Dobbs Although the driving forces of innovation and change in twenty first century vets are very different, the trials and tribulations in this novel are an apt metaphor for the reforms happening across the veterinary industry today. The current veterinary profession is faced with many challenges - feminisation, corporatisation, aspirations of the millennial generation – and while these changes also bring opportunity, progress and an exciting future in animal health – at the moment, vets are definitely in a spin!

Although the brass plaque on the surgery wall remains the same and the name above the door may still read “Herriot and Farnon”, over 60% of UK vet practices are now owned by a handful of large corporate companies. And the future suggests that in the years to come, maybe only three or four international conglomerates will own most of the animal health supply chain. Just like local pharmacists and accountants in the 1980s and 1990s, and opticians and dentists more recently, the veterinary profession is in the middle of large scale consolidation and corporatisation. So, what has driven this change?

Well, the current changes in the veterinary profession have roots back at the end of the last millennia when the law changed, allowing nonveterinary surgeons to own veterinary practices.

Coupled with the ruling from the Competition Commission in 2002 that encouraged farmers and pet owners to shop around for more competitively priced veterinary medicines, traditional mixed practitioner vets increasingly looked to specialist practice as their future.

Specialisation was further hastened by the increasing demands of the pet owning public, fuelled by their fascination with vets and their heroic efforts to keep Rover and Moggy healthy, by offering ever more advanced treatments and intricate surgery. And at the same time, quite rightly, farmers demanded vets take a more proactive approach to herd health and largely chose to use a vet that didn’t need to rush back for evening surgery.

So, with specialisation, a pet vet market growing at nearly 10% a year and the lack of requirement for an MRCVS to own the practice, the rise of the veterinary corporate began. First out of the blocks was Corporate Veterinary Services (CVS), now listed on the AIM stock market. But, they have been followed by a string of other corporates who are backed by Private Equity funding and large multinational companies, such as the Mars corporation.

veterinary corporates looks to continue, as they add laboratories, pet hospitals, crematoria and agricultural consultancies to their national chains.

The drivers for the growth of veterinary corporates is further compounded by the concomitant changes in the veterinary workforce, which struggles to keep pace with the changes in practice ownership. Less than 50% of today’s veterinary workforce is male and with 91% of current veterinary undergraduates being female, the profession will need to find solutions to the future challenges of a veterinary career that may need to also integrate the start of a family or accommodates a working spouse.

This is coupled with the changes in the priorities of the millennial generation, who while excellent clinical vets and passionately evidence driven, are broadly more risk adverse. This generation appear less driven by business ownership and more motivated by the very laudable aims of achieving personal satisfaction in both their personal and professional lives.

In recent years, driven by the double-digit growth in the sector, the demand for new vets has also reached new heights. Today’s veterinary workforce in the UK includes many overseas trained vets, with the UK vet schools producing only half of (approximately 1600) new registrants with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons each year.

So, what does the future hold for the UK’s veterinary industry as these changes are further complicated by the additional challenges of Brexit?

Technology will clearly help. New wearables and imaging equipment will generate vast quantities of data on animal profiles. Machine learning will allow sophisticated analysis and the advancement of pen-side diagnostics will give greater insight into diseases - signposting animal keepers to preventative healthcare strategies and positive husbandry practices.

In reality corporatisation is just one part of the rich tapestry of a change for a profession, that no matter what happens, will always be committed to caring for All Creatures Great and Small.

Matt Dobbs BVM&S, MRCVS Founding partner of Westpoint Veterinary Group, UK’s largest farm animal vet practice, part of Origin, which he founded and is Managing Director of. Origin is now part of VetPartners, one of the UK’s largest vet groups.

Matt undertook a Nuffield Scholarship in 2001 looking at How UK Farm vets can best serve UK Agriculture and won the 2011 Bullock prize for the application of his scholarship findings.

He took part in the Farmers Club Windsor Leadership Trust Emerging Strategic Leaders Programme in 2018, funded by FCCT & Westpoint Vets. www.westpoint farmvets.co.uk www.origin animal.com

Veterinary practices acquired by these large groups in the early years were mostly focussed on companion animal care. However, all types of veterinary practice are now in the sights of the leading contenders - often paying over 10 times annual profits (EBITDA) for the best businesses. And the development of these large

www.thefarmersclub.com • 09

Charles Abel • Cereal prospects

Cereal prospects Helping cereal growers cope with surging uncertainty was the theme of a well-attended seminar organised by The Farmers Club and British Crop Production Council.

Charles Abel reports

“Whether one of these products is of interest to the farmer, the miller or the baker isn’t really the point, it is whether the consumer considers it acceptable.

Right, or wrong, we have to be led by our customers.”

THIS technical seminar was organised by the British Crop Production Council in conjunction with the Farmers Club on Monday 24 September.

As a not-for-profit organisation interested in championing the well-being of farming and the countryside, it made sense for the BCPC to partner with The Farmers Club, which had the same goals, said event organiser and BCPC Trustee Stephen Howe. “We want knowledge exchange based on fact, not fiction, or favouritism.”

With an Agriculture Bill that seemed to take food production for granted there were huge challenges ahead, noted seminar chairman Tom Bradshaw, who farms 1200ha in Essex and is Chairman of the NFU Combinable Crops Board.

Sound science needed to win over populism otherwise UK policy risked pushing the industry into organic farming by default.

If the market wanted that, and was prepared to pay the right premium for it, then fine. But for some NGOs to force crop protection products, like neonicotinoids, out of use, and not react when the resulting fall in production was filled by imports grown with those same inputs overseas was morally bankrupt and needed calling out.

Technical issues, including blackgrass, meant farmers were being forced to adapt rotations, which were reducing net output, he noted. The UK was a net importer of wheat for the second year running.

But trying not to be destabilised by the politics of the moment was key, added Jack Watts, Chief Combinable crops Adviser at the NFU. “Stay

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focused on the long game – the world needs food,” he urged.

Policy-makers needed reminding of their moral duty. “The UK may only account for 2% of global wheat production, but if we stopped growing wheat we would become the world’s biggest importer over-night. Imagine what impact that would have on countries, many of them in Africa, which rely on imports to feed their populations.”

He contended that providing safe, accessible food at every price point was a major public good, and environmental efforts should be seen as ‘nonfood’ public goods. Furthermore, how many of those non-food public goods, like hedgerows, were provided with no Government support?

Cecilia Pryce, Head of Research at Openfield Agriculture, used up-to-date analysis of grain production and demand, at home and abroad, to highlight the need to monitor changes. “Don’t under-estimate the magnitude of swing factors,” she urged. Currency alone accounted for £20/t of the wheat price rise since the Brexit vote. Feed compounders switching from wheat and barley to maize, in response to price signals, could have a huge impact. So too would a stall in the 2-2.5%/ year growth in poultry production, if cheap imports undercut the UK market.

She had a list of 17 Fs for farmers to focus on: facts, food, feed, fodder, fertiliser, fear, farce, future, freedom to farm (rather than being told what to do), financing, frustration, fumigation, flexibility, fatigue, foreign exchange, fun and finally fairness. On the last point, equivalent production standards were key. “We need to keep banging on

Cereal prospects • Charles Abel about this, because what’s the use of you going the extra mile (to meet standards), if others aren’t (with their imports).”

Biostimulant solution?

Whether bio-stimulants could be part of the answer was considered by Kate Storer, Research Scientist Crop Physiology at ADAS, High Mowthorpe.

AHDB-funded work had looked at the trials base in detail, but had found very little evidence of valuefor-money, efficacy or modes of action.

Importantly, with such products typically costing around £15/ha, they only needed a 0.1t/ha yield response to breakeven, which was difficult to identify in field trials. Trials in pots and greenhouses showed more evidence, but often in non-field crops, and often not in the UK. Product origins, with some from animal sources, also raised issues of consumer acceptability. That was crucial, noted Alex Waugh, Director General of nabim, the national association of British and Irish millers. “Whether one of these products is of interest to the farmer, the miller or the baker isn’t really the point, it is whether the consumer considers it acceptable. Right, or wrong, we have to be led by our customers.”

Championing the arable farming agenda with policy-makers: Tom Bradshaw, NFU Combinable Crops Chairman (left) and Alex Waugh of nabim: “Consumers have the final call – so if they don’t want it, don’t do it.”

Expecting UK growers to meet production standards that imports don’t is fundamentally unfair – Cecilia Pryce of Openfield.

A stimulant based on pig blood was a case in point, raising concerns for vegan, vegetarian, halal and other consumer groups. Draft EU fertiliser regulations were set to embrace the wide range of biostimulants, requiring evidence of efficacy. But they were not here yet. In the meantime there was considerable confusion in the marketplace.

Precision farming At the other extreme of precision, said Matt Ward, Services Leader at Hutchinsons, Omnia Precision Agronomy highlighted the opportunity to make the most of every hectare, using modern technology to tailor crop management to the true potential of varying parts of a field.

That had particular merit when considered at a unit cost of production level. Variable costs had risen almost four-fold since 1980, and labour and machinery had trebled, taking total production costs from £300/ha to £1039/ha. That meant the breakeven yield had jumped from 2.9t/ha to 6.9t/ha, close to the UK average yield.

With yields on an apparent plateau, the key was for farmers to develop a new approach, working with their agronomists to pinpoint desired in-field responses for specific field areas, and then getting the technology to do what they wanted, not vice versa.

Striving for greater integration between arable and livestock systems would also help boost overall productivity, added Mr Watts. The straw dilemma, with more going to bioenergy, while livestock farmers had difficulties with pollution regulations bearing down on muck disposal, highlighted the scope for greater collaboration. Factual, transparent pricing information could help a lot.

Arable agenda • Fact-based decisions goal • Monitor opportunities constantly • Champion farming, with public and policy-makers

• Resilience combats volatility • Tackle variability precisely • Integrate livestock and arable for productivity

www.thefarmersclub.com • 11

Anita Kaur • Hereford Tour Quality Herefordshire produce was to the fore – especially grapes for fine English wine

Herefordshire impresses

In October Chairman Peter Jinman and his wife Gill led a Club trip to his home county of Herefordshire. Anita Kaur reports

BROOKS Country House, a manor house set between Hereford and Ross-on-Wye, was our wonderful base for a fascinating tour of south Herefordshire led by Chairman Peter Jinman and his wife Gill during fine weather in early October.

Our first destination, very fitting for the area, was Weston’s Cider in Ledbury, where we had a private tour of the cider mill, including the UK’s largest collection of oak cider vats. Members had a chance to experience the craft of cider-making from blossom to bottle, see where they harvest, weigh and wash the apples and to hear some home-spun history, all followed by some very-welcome cider tasting.

A locally-produced lunch was taken at the Scrumpy House restaurant, accompanied by more delicious cider, with members able to buy bottles or enjoy chatting outside in the sun before making our way to Goodrich Castle.

A private tour of the castle was provided by a very enthusiastic young gentlemen, by the name of Alex Knife, who gave members an insight into the castle. He was full of great knowledge, much enjoyed by the members, who asked plenty of probing questions.

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That evening at our country house hotel we had a drinks reception followed by dinner. Club Vice-Chairman and 2019 Chairman in-waiting Mr Nick Helme and his wife Donna (who live in Herefordshire) joined us, along with Mrs Christine Snell of Windmill Hill Farm, which was to be visited the next day.

The following morning, after breakfast overlooking such beautiful scenery, our first visit was to Hereford Cathedral, where Michael Tavinor (current Dean of Hereford) and a member of the Farmers Club, kindly took time to welcome us. The Bishop of Hereford the Rt Revd Richard Frith also made a point of coming to greet us before our tour of the Cathedral, together with Glyn Morgan – the Cathedral’s Chapter Clerk and Chief Executive, who is also a Farmers Club member.

We then had some time to explore the Mappa Mundi and chained library exhibition, both really quite amazing.

Next it was off to the Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum, where Museum Curator Colonel Andy Taylor OBE, gave a presentation explaining the history of the Herefordshire Rifle Volunteers and The Herefordshire Regiment. Members had a chance to look around the gallery that preserves the legacy of the most extraordinary soldiers in the Herefordshire light infantry.

Hereford Tour • Anita Kaur

Apples for Weston’s cider

Strawberries fresh from the field

Labour supply was a recurring theme

The afternoon finished with a visit to Sixteen Ridges Vineyards in Little Marcle – which must be one of the prettiest vineyards in Britain.

Members had a glass of sparkling wine on arrival, perfect for relaxing in the beautiful weather.

A light lunch was enjoyed in the tunnel party room accompanied by a selection of locally produced dishes and wine. It was a relaxing lunch, including strawberries picked from the farm and some very delicious brownies for dessert.

After lunch Simon Day, Production Director at Sixteen Ridges Vineyards, showed us around and explained the process of how they make their wines. This was followed by wine tasting, before heading back to our hotel for relaxation ahead of dinner.

On the last day we travelled to Windmill Hill Farm, the UK’s biggest blackcurrant producer.

Anthony Snell, who owns the farms and is a member of the Farmers Club, split us into two groups to look round the farm, to see the process of soft fruit production, packaging and even visiting the freezer that was -18C where the fruit is stored.

Mr Snell and his team gave us a great insight into the farm, which members very much appreciated.

From there we made our way to The Red Lion pub for a buffet lunch, where we met Mark

Green and his father Frank Green, who introduced themselves and led us to their Ditton Farm in the afternoon, where we were shown a short film about their potato production and shown around, with a further visit to a chicken farm afterwards.

It was a hugely interesting and enjoyable trip, made all the more so by our great tour guides and fascinating visits.

www.thefarmersclub.com • 13

Charles Abel • Club Event

Harvest Festival Service & Supper The Farmers Club enjoyed its annual Harvest Festival Supper, after a splendid service at Saint Martin-in-the-Fields church in nearby Trafalgar Square, London. Charles Abel reports

14 • The Farmers Club Winter 2018

Club Event • Charles Abel

ONCE again the Harvest Festival Service at Saint Martin-in-the-Fields church was graced by a lovely warm and sunny autumn afternoon, followed by a magnificent Harvest Supper back at the Club.

A strong turn-out of Club members was complemented by Masters from various Livery Companies, including the newly installed Master of the Worshipful Company of Farmers, Rosie Carne, a very well-known member of the Club.

After a rousing church service the range of quality ingredients produced on farms across the United Kingdom was celebrated through a fine bowl food supper created by Head Chef & Director of Food Paul Hogben.

The Club’s Honorary Chaplain Reverend Dr Sam Wells led the service, with St Martin’s Voices choir providing joyous musical interludes, while baskets of farm produce were carried to the front of the church by members of the Club Committee as we celebrated harvest home.

In a thought-provoking sermon, visiting speaker Rt Revd Richard Frith, Bishop of Hereford, focused on Christ’s words in Luke 12 about a farmer, who put all his faith in ever bigger barns, but was branded a fool! That seemed harsh, since he was surely investing wisely in the future?

But his reprimand was for being self-centred, and for putting all his confidence in his own

abilities when faced with a worrying future. He gave no thanks to God, or those that helped him, and had no thought of sharing his success. He was blind to the fact his life was in God’s hands, not his own. It was all me, myself, I. Brexit uncertainty meant farmers had much to worry about today. In Herefordshire 70% of farmers relied on the Basic Payment Scheme for economic survival. The hot dry summer had depleted livestock feed, further adding to concerns. The Farm Crisis Network, and other rural charities, existed for good reasons, Bishop Frith noted.

But rather than being naïve about the worries of everyday life, Christian teaching gave great reassurance. Harvest festivals helped us resist selfishness and put worries in perspective, by focusing on giving thanks to a loving God and seeking to serve Him more closely.

PHOTO GALLERY For a wonderful selection of photos from the Harvest Festival Service, and the Buffet Supper at the Club afterwards, visit our picture gallery (www. thefarmersclub. com/library/photolibrary) where photos of this and many other Club events can be downloaded

The Canticle of Brother Sun (excerpts, based on words by St Francis of Assisi) Be praised, O Lord, for all thy works. For Brother Sun, whose brightness makes the light by which we see. For sister moon, whose beams were formed to shine so clear and bright. For brother wind, whose clouds and breezes blow across the land. For sister water, so precious, humble, lowly, chaste and pure. Be praised O Lord for all thy works. For sister earth, for grass and plants and flowers and all our food. Be praised O Lord for all thy love bestowed on us.

www.thefarmersclub.com • 15

Newmarket visit • Anita Kaur

Equine Extravaganza Newmarket was the destination for an exclusive equine-focused visit led by Chairman Peter Jinman. Anita Kaur reports

OUR visit started with an exclusive early morning tour of Godolphin, guided by Hugh Anderson, Managing Director for Godolphin UK & Dubai, including a visit to Moulton Paddocks stables, one of Godolphin’s two training yards in Newmarket, and home to trainer Charlie Appleby.

Members were amazed by how well maintained the stables were kept, and thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle of horses training on their private gallops.

At Dalham Hall Stud we had a mini ‘Stallion Parade’ – a real privilege to see some great stallions, including Dubawi, Golden Horn, New Approach and Farhh.

Lunch was taken at the Palace House (National Heritage Centre), built on the site of Kings Charles II’s 17th Century palace. We enjoyed a private museum tour, with our guide, Jenny, explaining the history behind horse racing in Newmarket.

This was followed by a demonstration of how a racehorse is retrained after it has finished racing.

On the second day Malcolm Roper guided us, pointing out and explaining historical buildings, sites and locations as we made our way to Harraton Stud, the family-run stable of professional racehorse trainer Julia Feilden. Our private tour was led by John Burkett, who introduced the horses and gave an outline of their routines and feeding regimes.

In the afternoon, once suitably dressed up, we made our way to the Grandstand and Paddock Enclosure at Rowley Mile racecourse, for a behind the scenes tour, and lunch in the Champions Gallery restaurant ahead of a fine afternoon of racing, including a few wagers.

An evening drinks reception at the hotel was followed by dinner in a private function room, where we were joined by our guest speaker Mr Anderson and his wife Emma.

Our final day started on the Gallops at 8am to see the trainers working their horses, before a fascinating visit to Newmarket Equine Hospital, the largest in Europe. Fran James showed us around this state of the art facility, which has RCVS accreditation as a tier three specialist equine hospital.

A private tour of the Jockey Club followed before a visit to the National Stud, an integral part of the British thoroughbred industry for over 100 years, where members learned what it takes to produce future champions of the turf.

What a wonderfully privileged visit, made all the more memorable by the autumn sunshine.

16 • The Farmers Club Winter 2018

Club facilities • Virginia Masser

Wonderful Terrace tables Spectacular Terrace tables, bedroom refurbishments and the new room numbering system are described by General Manager, Virginia Masser

STUNNING new tables have arrived on the Terrace at the Club.

on cooler Autumn and Spring days, and of course later into the evening.

The Executive Team is always looking for ways to enhance the Club and improve your experience as a member. We saw these wonderful tables at a hospitality show and thought they would be perfect for the Terrace.

The tables were purchased using part of the Jill Willows Legacy, as her express wish was that the money she left should be spent by the Executive Team on enhancing the Club itself.

The tables have a fire pit in the centre that radiates warmth, allowing the Terrace to be used for longer periods throughout the year, especially

Feedback has been fantastic: “beautiful”, “unique,” “great to sit outside, I don’t want to go in.” So, do come and enjoy the warmth of your new Terrace tables, during a cooler day, at dusk, or later into the evening.

Bedroom Refurbishment The remaining and oldest of the Garden Suite bedrooms have been re-wired and refurbished, raising all the Garden Suite bedrooms and corridor to the new Club standard.

• What was Room 54 (now 110) at the bottom of the stairs has been totally soundproofed and re-designed to provide a light, bright, more spacious room.

• Through clever re-design the single bedroom Room 42 (now 102) has become a spacious bedroom with its own shower room.

• The Club now has a Two Bedroom Suite (room 101/102) created by an inter-connecting door between Room 42 (now 102) and Room 43 (now 101).

The extra space in Room 54 (now 110) was created by removing pipe-work boxing where possible, changing the bathroom door design, removing deep curtain pelmets, providing an inbuilt dressing table/working space and re-hanging the new main door to open the other way.

Room 42 (now 102) is still a single, but is now more spacious and with its own shower room. Room 43 (now 101) has been redesigned. Both rooms have a dressing table/ working space.

The Two Bedroom Suite is the first such suite in the Club and is ideal for friends and/ or families who want to be together, but also want a little privacy.

Bedroom Re-numbering in the Club Over recent years we have been re-numbering bedrooms in the Club to eradicate the confusing old numbering. As we have completed each section membership feedback has been very positive, so we are continuing with this project. Rest assured the team on Reception will assist you at checkin where necessary.

www.thefarmersclub.com • 17

Andrei Spence • Horseguards Avenue

Farming Figures A look at... Britain’s ultra-low cost food... told through some key statistics

Horseguards revisited

Half of all food Imported to UK (one third in 1988), 30% from EU

191 countries

Supplying food and drink to UK in first half of 2018, worth £23bn, inc £7,911 of herbs and spices from Antarctica!

4 in 10 people Worried about food costs, despite UK having lowest in world (apart from US and Singapore) at 8% of ave household spend

£425m of beef

Irish exports to UK in first six months of 2018

£:$slide 29%

Since Brexit referendum, adding to import costs

80%

Rise in wholesale carrot price after bad weather

£1.02 billion

Fruit & veg imports from Spain (first 6mo 2018)

13%

Share of UK groceries now provided by super-discounters Aldi and Lidl

60 years

Period when share of household income spent on food more than halved, while leisure and household spending doubled (1957-2017) Sources: HMRC Import Data, BBC, Norwich Business School (UEA), Farmers Guardian, Euromonitor, Eurostat, ONS, CEBR

18 • The Farmers Club Winter 2018

IN October 2017, I was approached by a representative of the Head Lessor of 1 Horseguards Avenue, the property to the right of the Club as you face the entrance and opposite the Ministry of Defence, with an opportunity to purchase the Head Lease of the building, or the Under Lease for a term of 68 years.

A steering committee was formed and valuations together with architects drawings and costings commissioned to explore how the Club might be able to use the property if such an acquisition were to prove feasible. Over the following 10 months, and ongoing talks between the Head Lessor and the Freeholder (The Crown), a figure for the purchase of the Lease(s) was communicated to us.

When added to the costs of the refurbishment/building alterations, contingency sums and the expenditure associated with running a Club that would effectively be doubled in size and

operating footprint, the overall cost, and most importantly the ability to service the level of debt required to secure and convert the premises, was completely unrealistic.

The steering committee concluded that at this level of investment not only were the sums concerned excessive but if taken on board could threaten the long term viability of the Club. This position was supported by the Trustees and the Finance and General Purposes Committee, and thus our formal interest in the property was terminated.

The Trustees and Committee wished the broader membership to be aware of this situation but also that the Club continues to seek opportunities to expand its premises at a level of investment that does not subject the Club to escalating and unacceptable risks and above all ensures the ethos and atmosphere that lies at the heart of our facilities is retained.

Andrei Spence, Secretary & CEO

Macmillan coffee morning raises over £450 The Farmers Club Macmillan Coffee Morning was well supported, with special thanks to Greg, our Maintenance Manager, whose mother supports this event every year by making two particularly delicious matured fruit cakes, writes Claire White, PA to the Secretary.

Thanks to the generosity of members, guests, the Farmers Club team and residents and other workers in Whitehall Court a wonderful £450 was raised for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Head Chef & Director of Food • Paul Hogben

The dark skies of Northumbria – where the magic happens Chef visits heritage potato and hand-crafted cheese producers in Northumberland I WAS kindly invited to the Scottish Borders/ Northumberland by Lucy and Anthony Carroll, to their farm in Cornhill-on-Tweed overlooking the River Till, where they grow 16 varieties of heritage potatoes.

Disillusioned with farming modern varieties, with all the emphasis on volume, regularity, shiny skins, easy peeling, and not always about flavour or cooking qualities, in 2000 they grew an acre of four older varieties – Arran Victory (1916), Pink Fir Apple (1850), Red Duke of York (1942) and Red King Edward (1916).

Anthony focused on the growing and Lucy worked from the kitchen table to market small volumes, initially through Berwick-upon-Tweed farmers market. The response was positive and each year they have expanded the crop area, their loyal customer base, and the number of employees!

Carroll aims to offer chefs, hospitality and retail customers a wide range of high-quality varieties with a production system balancing the need for safe, healthy food, and growing with care for the environment, and its enhancement, through LEAF Marque and Red Tractor.

Anthony was waiting to lift some crop and required my assistance with sorting on the harvester. Wrong shoes l thought! No problem, Lucy had brought a pair of spare boots and a rather fetching rain jacket, which she hoped would fit. They did! So off l went to join Anthony and his team, removing rocks, green potatoes and anything else that might come up the conveyor.

Job done l thought! But no, back to the farmhouse, a quick hello to the office support team, then to the grading conveyor and bagging operation. It was great fun getting my hands dirty and chatting with the team. But such hard work!

Over dinner we discussed the ‘Beast from the East’, the sudden change to dry weather that never seemed to end, and its prolonged effect on planting, growing, crop yield and tuber size, even with irrigation from the river.

“ l really enjoyed how passionate the two farms l visited were about the welfare of their land, what they produce and how best to conserve the land for future generations.”

My journey was nearing an end, but not before heading back out to the fields to fork out some of the potatoes that would be sent down for us to sample in the Club.

Chef

In mid-August l was up with the larks to travel from Kent via the east coast mainline train to Berwick-upon-Tweed to meet Lucy. It was not to be a quick look around the fields, a chat and then down to one of the famous golf clubs nearby wishful thinking! Lucy had a surprise in store….

The winter, spring and early summer had been tough for everyone in farming, so l was keen to see how Tiptoe Farm had fared. As we drove to the farm the weather had changed from a ‘boiling’ south of England to a miserable rainy day on the borders.

Cheeses I also visited Donnington Dairy’s award-winning farm where the cows graze under the dark skies of the unspoilt and timeless landscape of Glendale, one of the least inhabited regions of the UK. Their fresh raw milk creates some unique hand-crafted cheeses, with intense flavours from the wonderfully rich and complex microflora of the raw milk – unique to this particular farm. At its first Great Taste Awards 2018 Donnington Cheese won a coveted 3-star award. Only 192 ‘extraordinarily tasty’ products achieve this standard, from more than 12,600 entered. Watch out for this cheese at the Club.

www.thefarmersclub.com • 19

Emily McVeigh, Chairman; Scott Hayles, Vice Chairman; Anita Kaur, Secretary • Under 30s

Chairman’s Jottings I always enjoy Autumn on the farm; it is a quieter time for me after completing a full Summer calendar of weddings and events. There seems to be just enough time to recover before the festive season begins!

We have experienced fantastic growth in our cookery school business since opening four years ago. Our course calendar is now fully booked until Christmas and gift vouchers are extremely popular, so most of November and December will be spent gift-wrapping!

I am excited to announce that I will be speaking with my sister Lucy at the sold-out CLA Rural Business Conference in London in November alongside Sarah Dunning and Guy Watson in the Future Planners session. It is an absolute pleasure to have been invited to speak at such a prestigious event and to share our experiences of farm diversification.

Our Autumn Dinner back in September was well attended by over 50 members; we welcomed another great speaker, Pete Garbutt, UK & Ireland Agriculture Manager for McDonald’s (see article right).

Our Autumn Farm Walk in October was to Northern Ireland – a great trip, including a visit to MashDirect.

There will be a full report on this fantastic weekend in the next issue.

We look forward to a wonderful Festive Dining Evening in November. There will be full details of this event on our Facebook page.

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 Winter 2018

Supply chain focus Building more efficient food supply chains, to connect farmers through processors and food outlets to UK consumers – is the focus for Pete Garbutt of McDonald’s WE welcomed Pete Garbutt as our guest speaker for our Autumn Dinner. Pete leads the agriculture team for McDonald’s UK and Ireland.

He is responsible for sustainability in supply chains across all major categories as part of the Global Sustainable Sourcing team. He also heads up the McDonald’s Farm Forward programme.

For many, McDonald’s is best known as a fast food chain with a big presence. In the UK alone there are over 1,270 restaurants serving over 2.5 million people every day.

The McDonald’s business plays an important role in the UK agriculture supply chain and it is a role taken seriously, especially by Pete. As a farmer’s son, Pete is passionate about maintaining long-term partnerships with farmers, helping them run thriving, sustainable businesses. Our audience of over

50 members of the Under 30s farming community was impressed by Pete’s ideas, passion and clear commitment to working alongside farmers even in these uncertain times.

In the UK and Ireland, McDonald’s has enjoyed 12 years of continual business growth, which is remarkable in the current economic climate. Since 2012, the Farm Forward programme has helped farmers tackle and improve animal health and welfare as well as investing in the next generation. Not only does McDonald’s work with more than 16,000 British and Irish farmers to source beef for its UK menu, it is proactive in helping those farmers produce beef more sustainably.

Beef forequarter and flank cuts are used to make all burgers. Sourcing these cuts allows carcass balance adding value to cuts that are not sold as premium. With a total annual supply chain spend of over £1 billion Pete’s team is leading the way, for example, using the same dairy supplier for over 30 years.

Pete certainly convinced us that a farming partnership with McDonald’s would be an attractive choice. We’re lovin’ it!

Under 30s • Emily McVeigh, Chairman; Scott Hayles, Vice Chairman; Anita Kaur, Secretary

Jill Willows Scholarship

Geoffrey Bastard (below left) and William Yarmouth – heading to Western Canada, courtesy of the Under 30s Jill Willows Scholarship.

THE Under 30s Committee are pleased to announce that the first Jill Willows Scholarship has been awarded to Under 30s members Geoffrey Bastard and William Yarmouth.

and Scott Hayles (Vice-Chairman, Under30s) on the panel to interview applicants. The standard of applications was extremely high and we would like to thank all those who took the time to apply.

The award offered two places for the Next Generation program at the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth’s 28th Conference hosted in Canada this November. The RASC is a confederation of over 50 national and regional Agricultural Show Societies, Agricultural Associations and Research Bodies working in twenty Commonwealth countries.

The successful candidates will not only benefit personally from the experience but also represent The Farmers Club at this prestigious global event.

This year’s conference in Edmonton, Western Canada is focused on connections to drive innovation in local agriculture, to help achieve food security and sustainability to feed a global population of 9 billion by 2050. It coincides with the Farm Fair International event, organised by Northlands.

Nick Helme (Vice-Chairman, The Farmers Club) joined Emily McVeigh (Chairman, Under30s)

Our Jill Willows scholars will join the Under 30s Committee in February in a designated role to develop our Jill Willows Legacy Fund and to ensure the longevity of the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth Conference Scholarship.

Under 30s Events – 2019 8-10 Feb New Members Weekend 12-13 April Spring Dining Event 21 Apr-2 May Spring Farm Walk 19-20 July Cocktail Evening 6-7 Sept Autumn Dining 11-13 Oct Autumn Farm Walk 29-30 Nov November Dining

Member Spotlight: Green Award Congratulations to Georgina Knock, a member of the Under 30s Committee, who was awarded the ‘Best Green Enterprise’ in the 2018 Best Alternative Land Enterprise Awards organised by Suffolk Agricultural Association in October. Georgina’s farm diversification business, Welhams Meadow Luxury Lodges, has a number of green initiatives, including:

See Under 30s Facebook page for more info

NEXT UNDER 30s EVENT

• a solar-powered Tesla Powerwall II battery, predicted to cut demand from the national grid to very low levels.

• a small wind turbine, as the farm is one of the highest in Suffolk, 79m above sea level.

• a highly efficient American-designed wood burner, which dries logs and turns them into charcoal before burning.

www.thefarmersclub.com • 21

The Farmers Club • Club Information

Club Information 020 7930 3557 • www.thefarmersclub.com @thefarmersclub The Farmers Club Page

Office Holders

Beethoven Piano Concerto Cycle

Patron – Her Majesty The Queen

Friday 22nd February 2019

HONORARY VICE PRESIDENTS

Beethoven’s five piano concertos are the ultimate adventure for a virtuoso pianist and a full symphony orchestra. But they’re also a musical self-portrait, and to hear them played by a truly great interpreter is as close as we can get to hearing Beethoven himself at the keyboard. So we’re thrilled to offer a visit to the Royal Festival Hall to hear the London Philarmonic Orchestra with Javier Perianes and his musical kindred spirit Juanjo Mena perform the complete cycle. This first instalment finds Beethoven at his darkest, in the Third Concerto; at his wittiest, in the Second; and at his most poetic in the serene, enigmatic Fourth.

Our programme includes a two-course supper with wine at The Farmers Club from 5:30pm, coach to the Royal Festival Hall and return coach afterwards. The cost is £87.00 per person. Please book online at www.thefarmersclub.com or complete the application form enclosed with this Journal.

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 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 New Year issue of the Farmers Club Journal, due with members in January, will introduce Nick Helme, the Club’s Chairman for 2019, and include reports on the House of Lords Luncheon, Ladies Luncheon, Oxford Farming Conference and RABDF Conference, plus insight into land development issues.

22 • The Farmers Club Winter 2018

Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams Thursday 7th March 2019 Spanning 1947 to the present day, this exhibition at the V&A Museum in London will trace the history and impact of one of the 20th century’s most influential couturiers, exploring the enduring influence of the fashion house, and Dior’s relationship with Britain.

Our programme includes a private talk by Anne Haworth from 12.00pm followed by a two-course lunch with wine in The Farmers Club, before coach transfer to the V&A Museum. Members make their own way home. The cost is £68.00 per person. Please book online at www.thefarmersclub.com or complete the application form enclosed with this Journal.

Russia, Royalty & the Romanovs Wednesday 27th March 2019 Through war, alliance and dynastic marriage the relationships between Britain and Russia and their royal families are explored from Peter the Great’s visit to London in 1698 through to Nicholas II. This important exhibition at The Queen’s Gallery in London includes portraits, sculpture, photographs, archival documents and miniature masterpieces by Fabergé.

Our programme starts with a private talk by Anne Haworth at 12.00pm and then a two-course lunch with wine in The Farmers Club, before coach transfer to The Queen’s Gallery.

Members make their own way home. Cost is £60.00.

Please book online at www.thefarmersclub.com or complete the application form enclosed with this Journal.

Club Information • The Farmers Club New Members The following were elected: UK Members Mr C Ashby Mr G Atkinson Mr S Brandon Mr W Buchanan Mr J Coleclough Mr C Courage Mr J Cunningham Mr M Davenport Mr R Derbyshire Mr P Eve Mr A Gough Mr W Hamilton Mr W Harrison Mr J Hayward Mr M Heading Mr R Hemus Mrs D Hey Mr N Horner Mrs K Howard Mr K Kempenaar Ms L Lampard Mr P Mahon Mr W Marris Mr J Mercer Mr P Mottram Mr R Murray Wells Mr S Palmer Mrs V Parkes Mrs S Platts Mr M Player Mr D Reid Mrs S Robinson Mr H Salwey Mr C Sheppy Mrs E Sibley Mrs G Sprake Mr P Tallowin Mr S Thomas Mr R Thomas Mr R Tomley Mr C Wheeldon Miss C White Mr C White Mrs A Willcocks Mr S Wilson Mr M Woodford Overseas Mr M Jansen Mr W England Under 30s Miss C Ashley-Miller Mr T Blackman Miss H Bullock Miss E Chapman Mr R Evans-Bevan Mr M Forman Mr E Hill Mr D Markham Mr R Neilson Mr T Oatey Mr A Pennington Mr S Pepe Mr T Robertson Mr M Rollason

Hertfordshire Hampshire Staffordshire Suffolk Yorkshire Suffolk Kent Cambridgeshire Suffolk Gloucestershire Cambridgeshire Berwickshire Lincolnshire Oxfordshire Cambridgeshire Warwickshire Yorkshire Gloucestershire Sussex Kent Carmarthenshire Cornwall Lincolnshire Carmarthenshire Lincolnshire Yorkshire Northamptonshire Berkshire Essex Cambridgeshire Down Northamptonshire Shropshire Wiltshire Essex Suffolk Essex Bedfordshire Herefordshire Shropshire Lincolnshire Gloucestershire Sussex Devon Yorkshire Essex Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Dorset Northamptonshire Worcestershire Hertfordshire Dorset Lincolnshire London Essex Aberdeenshire Cornwall Shropshire Surrey Northumberland Essex

Mr D Round Mr S Taylor Miss J Whyatt-Watts Miss A Wilson Mr M Zarkos-Smith Miss M Zdziebkowska Associate - Whitehall Court Dr T Olson Mr N Green OBE Mr S Jones Mr D Nolan

Yorkshire Devon Gloucestershire Ayrshire Cambridgeshire Overseas

Club Contacts THE FARMERS CLUB

Serving the farming industry for 175 years 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL

London London London London

Honourary Members It is a privilege to congratulate the following members on becoming Honorary Members of The Farmers Club in recognition of 50 years’ membership.

Mr R Abrey Norfolk Mr J Alston Norfolk Mr D Bentley Canada Mr T Burgess OBE Yorkshire Mr R Davidson Essex Mr T Gilman Lincolnshire Mr G Halfhead Lincolnshire Mr R Markillie Norfolk Mr R Montgomery Kent Mr P Murch Nottinghamshire Mr H Padfield Essex Mr B Read Norfolk Mr J Salwey Dorset Mr O Simon Dorset Mr A Soskin USA Mr P Summers Lincolnshire Mr A Young Essex Honours Her Majesty has very graciously appointed Rt. Hon. Robert Goodwill MP to her Most Honourable Privy Council.

Deaths It is with regret that we announce the death of the following members: Mr O Bertelsen Sussex Mr P Dyas Kent Mrs J Kendall MBE Bedfordshire Mr R Knowles Cornwall Mr G Lambert Hampshire Mr R Norman CBE Cambridgeshire Mr M Reader Essex Miss P Schiele Oxfordshire Mr M Waterhouse Cheshire

GDPR REMINDER The GDPR consent forms enclosed in the Spring Journal have had a good initial response with over 50% completed.

Members who have not yet completed the form are urged to do so as soon as possible.

If the form has been lost, the General Office can provide further copies, or it can be downloaded from the website.

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

New Club History Book

A Great Christmas Gift!

Ideal as a Christmas present – this wonderful history tracing the Club’s 175 years is available now.

The Farmers Club 1842-2017 uses original research and previous histories to provide a delightful insight, accompanied by a host of colour images.

Available at Reception (£25) or use enclosed order form.

Club Christmas & New Year Opening Schedule Bedrooms are available throughout the Christmas and New Year period.

The Restaurant & Bar will be closed from Monday 24th December.

New Year’s Eve – the Black Tie Dinner takes place for those who were lucky enough to be drawn in the ballot.

The Club fully re-opens on Thursday 3rd January at 3pm.

Christmas Function Booking To book your Christmas Function at The Farmers Club contact Liza on 020 7925 7100 or email functions@thefarmersclub.com