9 Farmers SPRING 2019 • ISSUE 279
Club
www.thefarmersclub.com
INSIDE Economic viewpoint p6 Ag engineering p8 Apprenticeships p10 LAMMA show p12 Club events p16 Dairy costings p17 Easter opening p18 Meat consumption p18 Chef’s treats p19 Under 30s AGM p20 Under 30s at Oxford p21
INSERTS Eltham Palace Hampton Court Garden Festival Royal Henley Regatta Marriage of Figaro Ramos Pinto Dinner BCPC Seminar
City talk Vital to get farm messages to urban folk p14
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Farmers Club Serving the farming industry for 175 years 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL Patron – Her Majesty The Queen
Contents
FRONT COVER Explaining food and farming issues to the urban public is an urgent issue, especially as Brexit and the 2019 Agriculture Bill loom. (p14). Photo: www.mudchute.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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Under 30s are a great success story at the Club
Chairman’s Comments
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Busy start to the new year, plus new IT system on its way
Club News
6 Farm economist’s view Independent thinker Sean Rickard gives his perspective on the future of UK farm economics
8 Agricultural engineering Farming has benefitted from agricultural engineers for over
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80 years, and seems set to do so for many years to come
10 Apprenticeships under scrutiny A Farmers Club Charitable Trust beneficiary visited NZ, to see what can be learned from its approach to apprenticeships
12 Innovations keep coming The LAMMA show’s move to the NEC seems to have paid off 14 Urban education As urban populations lose their links with the land, more effort is needed to explain food’s origins, a Club member argues
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16 Club events A show, a concert and an exhibition all entertained members 17 Dair y costings Prospects look good for efficient farms 18 Meat consumption How much meat is produced, where and who eats it 18 Easter opening Club’s Easter opening details
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19 Chef ’s treats Piccalilli and cordials from the kitchen 20 Under 30s AGM New Under 30s Chairman and new Committee members 21 Under 30s Oxford review The Farmers Club Under 30s OFC Scholar, Anna Bowen, reviews this year’s keynote Oxford Farming Conference
22 Club Information and Contacts 02 • The Farmers Club Spring 2019
Chairman’s Comments • Nick Helme scholars, Geoff Bastard and Lord William Yarmouth, about their visit to the conference of the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth (RASC) held in Edmonton, Canada. Both clearly displayed their enthusiasm, knowledge gained and something of the reasons for their selection in the first place. Two great ambassadors for our Club and for our industry. We should all be rightly proud of our Under 30s section of the Club. With 350 members it is a demonstration of our commitment to the future and is the envy of most other city clubs. The Under 30s very kindly included me, as the token “oldie”, on one of their other planned outings after the dinner, but as they say, “what goes on tour stays on tour!” Eight regional show visits planned Preparations are well under way for all the summer visits to the regional agricultural shows. We keep extending our range, and will make it to eight shows this year. Our range of cultural and social events continue to be well received and supported by members; often oversubscribed. I am particularly looking forward to the St Georges Day Lunch with Dean Richards.
Chairman’s Comments “We should all be rightly proud of our Under 30s section of the Club. With 350 members it is a demonstration of our commitment to the future and is the envy of most other city clubs.”
THE start of every new Chairman’s year is always the Tour of the Club. Seeing this in the diary reminded me of the story of the farmer’s wife who tells him that they are going out for the day on a “mystery tour”, and promptly takes him around the farm! We all perhaps think we know our Club, but it’s the behind the scenes things that make it work which are fascinating, and all the staff that make it happen. When you descend down into the basement and see the stairs and lift arrangements that have to be used to get every single item up into the Club you begin to get an idea of the enormity of the task and how living in a 115 year-old building just makes everything that much more difficult, and expensive. The real stars of the show are of course all the staff. Donna and I got to meet virtually everyone, and that’s a lot of truly dedicated and skilled people who work tirelessly, often behind the scenes, to make our Club what it is. Under 30s doing well In February Donna and I enjoyed a wonderful evening as guests of the Under 30s, at their Annual New Members Dinner. Nearly 70 of us sat down to yet another splendid example of the work of Head Chef Paul and the entire banqueting team. One of the highlights of the evening was hearing reports from the first ever Jill Willows
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In the last Journal I mentioned our woodland and we have been treated to a fantastic display of snowdrops this year, with still more to come out as I write. I will be diligently lifting, dividing and spreading through the woods over the next month as they stop flowering. The promise of the next display is now just emerging, with the bluebells just showing their tips. Dry start to the year It’s always tempting fate to mention the weather in an article that has some time to go before press, but we really have been incredibly dry. Our farm is in a flood plain, people are often envious of our big flat fields; I always tell them to come back in January, but bring a boat! Not so this year, for the first time in a very long time we haven’t seen a single drop of water out on the fields and even the ponds aren’t full, as I write in late February. Our big mob of sheep are still with us, munching their way through the turnips, doing well and skipping in the sunshine. Over half of them are showing fit to go already, and I expect that by the time this article goes to print most of them should be featuring in a supermarket near you! They leave behind a well cleared field, hopefully a lot of fertility, and the makings of a good potato crop. Farming; muck and magic, sums it up really!
Easter opening
Club services available over the Easter weekend are detailed on page 18
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The Farmers Club Page
www.thefarmersclub.com • 03
Andrei Spence • Club News
Club News Great start to 2019 at your marvellous Club
have taken a keen interest in how we go forward in an uncertain time for people. The early part of February was also a very busy time for the finance team as we had our annual auditors visit to collate the information that will result in our 2018 accounts. Later in the month, the Chairman and I attended the NFU Conference in Birmingham, where the continued uncertainty and recent vote in the House of Commons were the predominant features of debate and discussion, at all levels of the Richter scale from some I heard! February also proved to be a busy month at the Club, with occupancy of rooms high and the number of conference events and meetings also beginning to pick up. The early part of March was dominated by various constitutional meetings of the Club ranging from Officers & Trustees, Trustees Financial Review, Lease Company Board and F&GP meetings, the latter of which considered the first look at the full audited accounts for 2018.
The start of the year has seen the Club very busy in terms of members staying at or utilising its facilities, writes Club Secretary & Chief Executive Andrei Spence. Occupancy rates have been pretty buoyant and the Restaurant was increasingly used during what can be a slow period.
lively and provocative as we would expect and drew many questions from the audience, which facilitated good debate (see page 6).
During this period we organised a number of excellent events for members and their guests, including visits to the Cirque du Soleil Show at the Royal Albert Hall, a magnificent Beethoven concert at the Royal Festival Hall and the sparkling Christian Dior fashion exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum (see page 16).
On Tuesday 22nd January the first Sub-Committee and General Committee meetings of the year took place, encompassing discussions surrounding last years’ unaudited results, the IT Project (see below) and the recruitment and manpower challenges the Club faces in recruiting, developing and retaining good staff, under the provisions of a coherent HR strategy to enable consistency of delivery, a great place to work and a fair remuneration package.
In the third week of January, we formally welcomed the Club’s Chairman for 2019, Nick Helme, and his wife Donna for an extensive tour of the Club premises, including many areas members will not usually see, and most importantly, to be introduced to the majority of the staff.
As in other parts of the country there is fierce competition for skilled reliable people, and too many prospective employers trying to secure them. The Committee and the Management Team
Later that same day I briefed new Committee members Fiona Fell, Meurig Raymond and John Hardman, just ahead of the first Monday Evening Lecture of the year, where 70 members listened to Professor Sean Rickard’s views on the economy in general and the impact of global macroeconomics and BREXIT upon the farming sector. Sean was as
04 • The Farmers Club Spring 2019
Initial planning has taken place for the refurbishment of 6-7 rooms on the Upper ground level and we have also made some initial plans to make an alteration to the existing shared bathroom for Rooms 15 and 14A, to enable 2 separate bathrooms – this will require licences from the freeholder. The middle of March saw the Farmers Club Charitable Trust hold a general meeting at the Club, prior to its annual dinner, followed the next day by a selection panel for the Agricultural Educator Awards, as well as a further meeting hoping to appoint an Awards Ambassador, to further the aims and reach of the various awards the trust makes during the year, in accordance with its mandate.
Club News • Andrei Spence
New Under 30s Chairman
Club Calendar Diary Dates
See back cover for Calendar of Club events
Easter Opening
See p18 for Club services during Easter
Summer Events February saw the first event in the Under 30s social programme, with their new members black tie dinner at the Club on Friday 8th February. The guest speakers were the inaugural beneficiaries of the Jill Willows Scholarship, Geoff Bastard and Lord William Yarmouth, who had travelled to Alberta for the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth Annual meeting. Members of the senior Club will have the chance to hear both speakers at the Monday Evening Lecture on April 8th prior to the lecture by Mr Tim Heddema, Agricultural Counsellor to the Netherlands. The weekend also marked an important milestone in the Under 30s calendar, as the Saturday after the dinner marks the occasion of their AGM and most importantly where the Chairman’s baton is passed over. The Under 30s Committee thanked Emily McVeigh for all the hard work she had put into her year as Chairman, marking many successes, as Scott Hayles took over the reins with the hope and backing from his committee for an equally successful year.
AGM calling notice The Farmers Club will be holding its 177th Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, 2nd July at 12 noon. All Club members are invited to attend. Follow us on-line:
Summer Club Events will be announced by the Chief Executive in his on-line newsletter. Details coming soon
New IT system planned In late January, I presented the business plan for the IT project to the F&GP Committee. After a short discussion, the Committee were content that the ambition, extent, oversight, cost and risk mitigation were all consistent with the Club’s ambition to improve the efficient administration, business analysis and communication, both inter and intra the Club, to prepare it for the coming years and likely demands. I signed contracts with the relevant companies at the end of January/beginning of February to enable the commencement of the project planning phase and the building of the system, before starting installation, proving, testing, acceptance and data migration between April and August this year. I intend to keep members appraised of progress as necessary through the means of my e-Newsletters, which are slightly more frequent than the Journal editions.
Achievement award Christmas Congratulations to Teresa Wickham
card sales
of Matfield in Kent who has been awarded a Women Super Achievers award by the 6th World Women Leadership Congress, being held in Mumbai, India this year, in recognition of her professional achievement and thought leadership (www.worldwomenleadershipcongress.org).
Following the successful sale of Club Christmas cards almost £5000 has been donated to the very worthwhile work of the RABI (£3,257) and the RSABI (£1,628).
David Creasey Memorial Service Members would wish to know of the sad news of the unexpected death of David Creasey late last year. David was particularly well known for his pastoral assistance to many who were struggling in the agricultural sector and had been a member of The Farmers Club for over 23 years. Fiona has asked me to inform members of David’s Memorial Service, which will be held at Lincoln Cathedral on 9th of May 2019 at 11am.
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Useful room directory All Club bedrooms have a Room Directory, containing a host of useful information relating to your stay and Club facilities. Please take time to take a look when you visit, as it may answer any questions you might have.
The Farmers Club Page
www.thefarmersclub.com • 05
Charles Abel • Farming economics
Competitivity
key “Brexit is a distraction, it has nothing to say about solving our productivity growth or being competitive. Worse than that, its uncertainty is the enemy of entrepreneurialism and investment.”
The Club’s first Monday Evening Lecture in 2019 attracted a big audience to hear independent economist Sean Rickard. Charles Abel reports
BREXIT is a distraction. The future for the UK agri-food supply chain is a hi-tech industry, dominated by the ability to absorb and analyse large amounts of data, and secure the full worth of the extra value it attaches to the food it produces. But to get there farming faces a triple dilemma – a trilemma: delivering affordable food, sustainable production and mitigating climate change. The key to its success is greater competitivity, so it can sell more, with less environmental impact. That would drive self-sufficiency and ensure food security. “It’s not the other way round. Start the right way round, with competitiveness and you’ll automatically get self-sufficiency and food security,” Mr Rickard insisted. He slammed the “terrible” Agriculture Bill, which failed to set clear priorities. “If no priority is set, you achieve nothing. It is very clear that the priority should be competitiveness.”
06 • The Farmers Club Spring 2019
No third country deals would be finalised before an EU deal, because third countries needed to know what relationship the UK would have with the EU first, he stressed. Achieving such deals during an 18 month transition period was very unlikely. “I know of no international trade deals ever done that quickly.” It took China and Switzerland four years to negotiate a free trade agreement, to be implemented over a 15 year period, and would still include tariffs on cuckoo clocks, he quipped. He felt the original referendum result had surprised Brexiteers, who had no policies planned. A consequence of the Brexit rationale, to strike free trade agreements with third countries, would increase the trade deficit, drive down the pound and damage farming, he warned. Defensive Agriculture Bill The Agriculture Bill eschewed competitiveness, hinging instead on a defensive position around
Farming economics • Charles Abel standards. “There is no evidence that works at all.” The UK unilaterally banned pig tethers, and the sector halved in size, he noted. Any trade deal with the US would involve tarifffree access to UK markets for US farm produce. “To pretend otherwise is not being honest.” An aggressive focus on exports was needed. The current Ag Bill was a lost opportunity to improve the competitiveness of Agriculture. “To take advantage [of burgeoning middle class markets in developing nations] UK agriculture needs to be internationally competitive and superefficient. But UK agriculture would never, never, never be competitive at a commodity level, when the US could produce 20% cheaper.” Compete at food not commodity level The UK needed to sell food products, that were differentiated, distinctive and value-added. Already 90% of food exports, by value, were of that type. “We need to compete at the food level, not in commodities.” On productivity growth the UK was 21st out of 28 EU member states. “We’re just not the worldbeaters we think we are. We need to raise our game.” Why was it that the Netherlands had dairy exports of £680m, while the UK managed just £98m, despite the Netherlands being a quarter the size of the UK? “EU membership doesn’t hold back their exports – it’s not the EU that’s preventing us from exporting.”
pursuing opportunities others had neglected. Large manufacturers recognised they could not acquire such brands, for fear of stifling the innovation that was their life blood, so now increasingly worked in partnership, delivering their skills of marketing, finance and admin, whilst craft brewers delivered innovation. “It relies upon good-will trust, which the agri-food industry is as far away from as it is possible to be – the car industry would laugh at farming’s efforts on this.” Data capture and analysis, combined with artificial intelligence, would mean nobody milked cows in 20 years, nobody drove a tractor, and farmers would know a cow was going to be unwell before the cow did, all giving farmers more time to manage the business, he suggested. He favoured the dissolution of Defra, with food policy going to the Department for Business, and environment to a quango. “Do we want a world class food industry, or a national park? Nobody really believes the way forwards is to go backwards,” he concluded.
RICKARD’S RECKONING • UK can’t compete on commodity prices • EU doesn’t hinder exports, competitiveness does • Brexit is distracting from productivity crisis • Food-chain integration needed • Farming should secure true value of the food “credence” it creates through quality, provenance, safety, welfare, sustainability and taste • Equitable entrepreneurial partnerships key • Digital/automation revolution happening • “Terrible” Agriculture Bill too defensive • Food policy should go to Department for Business • World class food industry or national park?
The UK food industry needed to truly embrace vertical integration, delivering the credence demanded by discerning customers prepared to pay for provenance, distinctiveness, food attributes of taste and value, sustainability, safety and animal welfare, he asserted. “The important thing is that all of this is delivered at the farm level, so farming needs to deliver the food that manufacturers can process and retailers can market, so all win.” The Netherlands was an exemplar of this, with farming playing a pivotal role in integrated food chains. Technology could help, but attitudes needed to change at farm level. Greater entrepreneurialism, seeking the things others hadn’t thought of yet, was key. More risk sharing across food chain Similarly, greater risk-sharing across the supply chain was needed. “The UK farming industry is taking too much risk and it makes progress impossible.” Processors and retailers taking the easy route of a transactional approach, to incentivise farmers to act through small payments, compounded the problem. A more collaborative approach, in which all agreed common objectives and a fair share of the rewards, was needed. Craft beers showed the way. Thirty years ago four main brands dominated, but entrepreneurial flair had spawned a multitude of specialist brands,
www.thefarmersclub.com • 07
Prof Jane Rickson • Farm mechanisation
Ag Eng:
an ever- expanding remit After 80 years of activity the Institution of Agricultural Engineers is looking to a bright future, writes President Prof Jane Rickson AS President of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers in its 80th year it was an honour to follow in the footsteps of so many influential past IAgrE Presidents. From the roll call of my predecessors alone, it is obvious that agricultural engineering has always been a diverse, dynamic and developing discipline… and long may this continue. I would argue that “ag eng” (as it is affectionately known) has been either directly or indirectly responsible for improving the quantity and quality of a huge range of goods and services that we get from our precious land resources. Ultimately, many of these goods and services have been linked to human health and well-being, including the ability to produce safe, nutritious food, over 95% of which comes from land. By applying engineering, technology and science to agriculture, agricultural engineering is at the heart of food security. Making food available, affordable and accessible through developments in agricultural engineering really matters in our daily lives. I’m sure many people will remember the UK government Security
Service’s maxim that society is only “four meals away from anarchy”. Agri-food supply chain Agricultural engineers are fundamental to this story as they contribute at every step along the agri-food supply chain. Their contributions are almost boundless: the cultivation, fertilisation, drainage or irrigation of land to produce the most productive seedbeds; the selection of crop protection products (and how to apply them efficiently and effectively); the application of innovative technologies to process and package agricultural products; the design of efficient and safe crop storage; and dealing with food waste.
This feature is based on a number of articles in IAgrE’s 80th Anniversary Landwards publication “Horizons”
However, agricultural engineering is not just about food production: it encompasses other landbased industries too, including forestry, amenity, landscaping, rural renewable energy, environment and bioresource production.
Main image: Mechanisation transformed farming – now it is the turn of data and automation
CULTIVATIONS & TILLAGE Given that agricultural crops are far more sensitive to weeds than tilth, as Rothamsted’s E W Russell noted in 1945, the future of tillage and cultivations must address both challenges, says IAgrE Past President Prof Dick Godwin of Cranfield University and Harper Adams University. He foresees five key trends: 1. A greater use of direct drilling/no-till and probably striptillage, which has the advantage of combining a restricted zone of tilled soil to help establish the crop plus the benefits of direct drilling. This, however, will be influenced
08 • The Farmers Club Spring 2019
by the availability of appropriate herbicides to control weed problems 2. A greater use of controlled traffic farming (CTF) principles 3. Linking the use of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles with CTF 4. The adoption of targeted sprays and lasers for selective weed control, based on autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles 5. Greater strategic thinking and planning on behalf of farmers and advisers, to devise a practical system that works for their soil and conditions, linked to environmental and economic sustainability.
Farm mechanisation • Prof Jane Rickson
A rich heritage of engineering expertise
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Professor Jane Rickson CEnv FIAgrE President 2018-2020 Institution of Agricultural Engineers
The ever-expanding remit of agricultural engineering is reflected in the wide-ranging scope of agricultural engineering in the 21st century, demonstrating how the traditional image of the agricultural engineer has changed significantly over time. Future contributions As we celebrate the contributions of the IAgrE over the past 80 years, we should also recognise how agricultural engineering can make important contributions in the future, especially in the light of the new Agriculture Bill, the replacement of
the Common Agricultural Policy and the 25 Year Environment Plan.
Chair of Soil Erosion and Conservation at the Soil and AgriFood Institute, Cranfield University. www.iagre.org secretary@iagre.org
Agricultural engineers are driving exciting developments in precision agriculture, digital technologies, machinery design and robotics to improve field and farm practices. Many of these advances will address some of the world’s greatest challenges – food security, coping with climate change, protecting our environment and sustaining rural livelihoods. These issues need scientific and technological solutions that will rely on well trained and well qualified agricultural engineers at all levels, supported by their professional Institution, the IAgrE.
AI and robotisation could help solve farm labour concerns
FARM TECHNICIANS
FULLY ROBOTIC DAIRY FARM
From the blacksmith’s shop to a computer-laden agritech service centre, the role of the landbased technician has changed out of recognition, notes Peter Leech, a past president of the IAgrE President, and formerly of John Deere. He foresees a future of less spannerwork repairing engines and transmissions, as machines become smaller and predominantly driven with electric motors, meaning technicians spend less time on farms and more in the technical communications centres and workshops of the dealership.
Robotisation will answer labour shortages in many countries, suggests IAgrE Council Member Jim Brook of Lely Atlantic. With a milking robot operating 24/7 at its heart and most processes automated the farmer will be able to focus on the individual cows needing attention, based on cow specific data, shifting the farmer’s mindset from firefighting to a focus on improvement. A fullyautomated decision-based farm management system will assist the farmer, with artificial intelligence helping the system self-learn and adapt to the farmer’s preferences.
www.thefarmersclub.com • 09
Roger Clarke • Workforce training
Towards better
apprentices Roger Clarke used a Farmers Club Charitable Trust Agricultural Educator Award to investigate apprenticeship training in the UK and New Zealand in 2018 Image left: New Zealand apprentice training has lessons aplenty for the UK
Valued by employers and government The agricultural industry is highly regarded in NZ and its government has a clear agenda to upskill students. Qualifications are credit-focused, with 120 credits typically determining that a young person has been trained to a level that meets industry expectations.
“Farmers are set to benefit from the current UK apprenticeship reforms, if colleges and employers can recognise the need for change and greater collaboration.”
UK farmers are set to benefit from the current UK apprenticeship reforms if colleges can recognise the need to change the way they train and assess their apprentices, and encourage employers to take more ownership of the training needed to achieve the desired upskilling. As Apprenticeship Frameworks are replaced with the Apprenticeship Standard the sector is undergoing big changes. But unless the best training methods are used it will be unable to provide an effective workforce to meet the needs of our fast changing industry. Thanks to a Farmers Club Charitable Trust bursary I was able to investigate agricultural apprenticeship training in New Zealand, focusing on industry requirements, the delivery models being used, the level of employer engagement and new technology training. Agriculture comprises 7% of the NZ workforce, compared with just 1.3% in the UK, yet they have 26 institutions offering Vocational Training across their Primary Industries, including agriculture, forestry, horticulture and seafood.
10 • The Farmers Club Spring 2019
Colleges, apprentices and employers have a very clear model to follow, across all vocational areas, which is not the case in the UK. Base-line skills Initial advice and guidance for potential NZ apprentices is similar to the UK, with Maths and English screening, interviews and, in some areas, practical assessments. Where NZ really differs is that to become an apprentice you are expected to have a minimal skill base. In 90% of cases this means attending a 12week full-time course, so when an apprentice sets foot on a farm they are considered `more useful` from day one. UK apprentices gain those base skills over a 12 month period. Consequently, whilst the UK often lacks employer ‘buy in’, the NZ model ensures employers want an apprentice. The Primary Industry Training Organisation, which develops qualifications and quality checks all three parties – trainer, employer and apprentice – undertakes four visits a year to assess progress. Its assessments and targets are far less rigid than in the UK. The colleges believe their role is practical/ theory at college, leaving the employer to take more ownership of on-the-job training.
Workforce training • Roger Clarke Finding an employer NZ employers are encouraged to find their own apprentices. They value having a young person in their business, particularly after they have completed the Level 2 course.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Roger Clarke, Curriculum Lead (Work Based Learning) overseeing 500 apprentices and supporting 30 staff.
High quality training was supported by exceptional resources on all NZ sites visited. Practical groups never exceeded eight, as at Duchy and Bicton, however NZ apprentices typically attended 12 college days a year, compared with 30-plus in the UK.
Bicton and Duchy College (part of Cornwall College Group) www.cornwall. ac.uk roger.clarke@duchy. ac.uk
Although the NZ model is proven to be robust and works, there are some quality issues. Credits don’t always mean competence, and easier-toachieve credits are chosen by some colleges to get to the targeted 120 credits. The new Apprenticeship Standard, with its End Point Assessment, will certainly ensure skills, knowledge and competence are in place at the end of UK courses. But several other lessons need taking on-board to achieve the desired level of worker upskilling (see panel).
LESSONS FOR THE UK
APPRENTICE WAGE
• Offer Pre-Apprenticeship courses for applicants not meeting the skills or entry requirements for an Apprenticeship. Traineeships or Work Based Diplomas would support such learners • Front-load Apprenticeships with Certificates of Competencies (COC), including Telehandler, ATV, First Aid, Health & Safety, Basic stockmanship, Vet & Med, and Spraying • Build employer buy-in, by colleges working more closely with farmers, so they know how they can better train their apprentices to meet strict End Point Assessment • Enthuse, motivate and train apprentices better by using more support, input and delivery from industry and businesses • Encourage providers to share good practice not work in silos
NZ new apprentices earn $13.45/hour (£6.98/h) for first six months, then go to adult minimal wage if over 18. UK apprentices under 18 start on minimal wage, currently £3.70/h; if it is their first apprenticeship they remain on this post-18; employers can keep apprentices on National Minimal Wage for up to 12 months. The days of apprentices being cheap labour should be gone – employers should pay for the work being done.
FRAMEWORKS v STANDARDS Frameworks don’t always work: • Around 230 apprenticeship frameworks and over 700 pathways within them • Primarily qualification-focused • Main aim is competency-based qualification (eg NVQ) and technical qualification (eg BTEC) • Apprentices can achieve all qualifications, but not have the right skills to do their job • Apprentices are assessed throughout, to obtain a number of qualifications. Once a unit is completed, it is ticked off, and they don’t necessarily need to demonstrate the skill again • No overall end assessment, so no one checks whether the apprentice has retained the knowledge and
skills taught and assessed, nor whether they have the right skills to do their role before entering full time employment Standards arguably meet employer need: • Comprise a list of skills, knowledge and behaviors an apprentice needs to learn by the end of their Apprenticeship • Occupation-focused • Assessment at the end – the End Point Assessment (EPA) • EPA normally consists of practical assessment, multiple-choice questions and professional discussion with End Point Assessor • Current Agricultural Standards come with a variety of mandatory short courses the apprentice must achieve before the EPA
NEW ZEALAND VISITS Apprentices at Otiwhiti Station with their dogs after a day working with the sheep on the college farm. All apprentices have their own dog to train during their apprenticeship.
Taratahi Agricultural Training, Waikato and Masterton Otiwhiti Station Land Based Training, Hunterville The Eastern Institute of Technology National Trade Academy, Christchurch
www.thefarmersclub.com • 11
Charles Abel • Farm innovation
Innovative farming
SMITHFIELD Show died 15 years ago. For over 200 years it was a focal point for the industry, initially showcasing livestock excellence, before championing the rise and rise of farm machinery – from tractors and ploughs to ever-larger harvesters, sprayers and cultivators – all in the heart of London. This January the spirit of the show was back, as LAMMA 2019 moved to a brand new venue – the NEC in Birmingham. With over 650 exhibitors in 11 modern show halls attracting over 40,000 visitors the atmosphere on the first day was reminiscent of Smithfields of old – with walkways so busy that a trip to the next meeting, a food outlet, or the toilets needed careful planning! Admittedly, there was no aroma of livestock to mingle with the rows of immaculate machinery. But as an opportunity to view new equipment, be inspired by the latest innovations and compare a wide range of products, in amenable surroundings, it was a leap forward from Peterborough’s wind-swept, frozen mud. As NFU vice-president Guy Smith put it: “It was good to witness what felt like a statement of faith in the future of UK ag.” 12 • The Farmers Club Spring 2019
Innovation is farming’s lifeblood and with a new venue at the NEC the 2019 LAMMA show provided a great shop window for the latest offerings. Charles Abel was there
In the 38 years since the Lincolnshire Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers’ Association ran its inaugural event in 1982 on Lincolnshire Agricultural Society’s showground north of Lincoln LAMMA has come far. Same ethos But the ethos has remained the same, noted John Sartain, one of the event’s early organisers. “Our aim was always to be free entry, free parking, early in the year when people had time, firmly focused on machinery and equipment manufacturing with a strong emphasis on innovation, and with an eye to smaller manufacturers, with exhibitor rates to reflect that, and no hospitality on stands, to help to keep the costs down.” As the event became more popular it moved to the Newark Showground, and when Briefing Media (now AgriBriefing) acquired the event in 2013 the die had already been cast for a move south to the East of England Agricultural Society’s larger showground at Peterborough. Throughout the years innovation has been championed through various awards. This year Gold and Silver medals were
Farm innovation • Charles Abel
DAIRY INNOVATION GOLD AND BEST IN SHOW – AktivPuls milking cluster from JF Hudson enhances cow welfare, cuts milk cell counts and reduces health issues by using patented silicon liners to give teats entirely vacuum-free rest between pulses, reducing the risk of hyperkeratosis, and visibly improving cow comfort, so improving milking times, explains Lindsay Hudson. Already widely used in France and Germany, the first UK system is destined for Dumfries, with data set to be collected from the existing system for comparison with AktivPuls once installed, adds James Hudson
FUTURE INNOVATION SILVER – Agrifac AICPlus camera-guided spot spraying could cut herbicide use by 90%. Already used in the Netherlands and Australia it can identify weeds and activate individual nozzles as needed. Algorithms are currently being developed for UK weeds in UK conditions, including blackgrass. “By reducing pesticide loading on the environment it could be a real game changer, for farmers, and for product registration,” says the firm’s Roeland Coopman. Two UK contractors are evaluating it in 2019
FUTURE INNOVATION GOLD – tracking impacts and temperature for almost any item of farm produce as it passes through the supply chain is easy using Martin Lishman’s ImpacTrack data logger, embedded in a moulded plastic housing and communicating real-time data via Bluetooth awarded across six categories to highlight a range of innovative products (see photos). The Peterborough event rode the lottery of January weather and traffic congestion for five years, becoming Europe’s largest annual machinery event, until the fateful storm-hit 2018 event. This year exhibitors paid considerably more for NEC stand space, but the general feedback was that it was worth it – for better facilities and robust attendance across two days, despite the absence of several major brands. Signature event So, could LAMMA become the signature farm event UK farming so deserves, embracing more than machinery and equipment? “Walking the halls of the NEC you can see exactly what the show is about, and we are not planning on changing that,” says Elisabeth Mork-Eidem group events director at organiser AgriBriefing.
DRIVEN INNOVATION – markedly reduced soil compaction, but enhanced traction, comes from Vredestein’s Apollo Traxion Optimal tyre thanks to its highly flexible sidewall but rigid upper bead zone
IVEL AWARD FOR ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION More environmentally benign use of by-product farm nutrients in farm slurry is made possible by Vrenhuis’s Nutri-flow real time automatic slurry nutrient analysis system
“Successfully launching at the NEC has cemented LAMMA’s position as the leading UK agricultural event and a great showroom for new launches from a wide range of machinery and equipment manufacturers.” Is it an awkward fit alongside Europe’s big biennial machinery shows though? “LAMMA is predominantly focused on the UK market, so is complimentary to Agritechnica and Sima,” Mrs Mork-Eidem adds. “Whilst we will be focusing on attracting a broad audience, the event will remain UK focused, but complimented by a good show of visitors from Ireland and further afield. This was the first year we took registrations, so we will in future years be able to see how the demographics of our audience develops.” With LAMMA booked into the NEC for five years (January 7 and 8 in 2020) the event is clearly one to place alongside the Oxford Farming Conference as a scene-setter for the year ahead. • More info at www.lammashow.com www.thefarmersclub.com • 13
Robin Hicks • Public engagement
Keeping
faith the
Promoting farming to the British public – especially the urban public – is more important than ever, suggests Club member Robin Hicks
“THEY are getting as greedy as the miners.” Granted the cabbie who was taking me to the NFU to interview Henry Plumb, its then president, delivered his stark view of farmers in 1973, when the miners were out on strike and the Government had imposed a 3 day week to conserve stocks. That cabbie’s attitude to the land and the people who fed the nation shocked me. For him farmers were far from being the admired group I had grown up believing them to be. Much of my young life had been spent on an uncle’s farm in South Yorkshire where the unspoken belief that I had grown up with was, farming was the only real way to live. To be a farmer was the supreme calling. The generation of cabbies who carried me to the NFU, the Min of Ag and the CLA had either been evacuated to farms during the war, had married land girls or went hop picking. They knew a bit about the countryside and admired the people who fed Britain during the war. They had an affection for farming and the countryside. But that generation is now a minority. So, the statement of farmers getting like the miners was a rude shock. I told Henry and he too was shocked. He mused – would the country be behind our farmers as the French were behind theirs? It didn’t seem likely.
B9 C studio .33 in BB g Today 6 0 t a ic in the m ading Farm Robin at Robin Hicks 1970s re y rl (left) on a n a e e in th ew were kings! ” and as a yo ish Fordson “when I kn ew Farmers ung farm w Hampshire, orker on the taking a bre Rank Estate ak from rolli , ng clamped silage.
14 • The Farmers Club Spring 2019
Public engagement • Robin Hicks Public perception As I write our future in the EU is unclear, and farming’s future as outlined in the new Agriculture Bill suggests the way the British public perceives farming will be more important than ever.
So many of our visitors are genuinely shocked and surprised about the whole business of farming – it truly astonishes me when I potter down to the farm and the questions they ask, utterly ignorant of their planet and countryside.
Having lived for 12 years in France I found the attitude to the land there had not changed. Many had a few acres and indeed my dentist did teeth on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and tended his vines the rest of the time. It would be political suicide for France’s President, Prime Minister or Agricultural Minister not to go to the Paris show and be photographed next to a very large bull. How different from Britain, where I once invited Margaret Beckett to the Smithfield Show, when I ran it, and was told by her private office that she would most certainly NOT visit the show.
But it is not always a pretty story. I must share our anxiety about some locals and the livestock. The latter are locked up each night for their own safety. For me it is shocking to learn what terrible things have, in the past, been done to them.
It seems to me the identification of farmers and farming as a “good thing” has been eroded in the UK, simply because the urban population has so little contact with the land. These things work Rebuilding that connection is vital. Many initiatives aim to do that, including the hugely successful LEAF Open Farm Sunday. From my own experiences I know these things work. Happily, after 50-odd years, I am now reconnected with farming as a Trustee and Honorary Farmer of the six and a half acre Lawrence Weston Community Farm in a very deprived area of Bristol.
There are city or children’s farms in many cities in the UK and they are doing a wonderful job, largely unknown to the farming community. But, whenever I have asked for help, farmers have been wonderful. Just one example was Mole Valley Farmers who gave us a range of wellies for all our volunteers – many thanks! Now I should like the skeleton of an old tractor for the kids to play on – health and safety allowing!!! I should also like to encourage our splendid Club to visit and maybe even adopt the 30 odd acres of farm in the East End of London, at Mudchute. It is inspiring, in this most deprived area of London, that the farm offers the local children such a wealth of experience, knowledge and one hopes, a love for our countryside.
“ It seems to me the identification of farmers and farming as a ‘good thing’ has been eroded in the UK, simply because the urban population has so little contact with the land.”
MORE INFO Lawrence Weston Community Farm www.lwfarm.org.uk
When I was young in the 1950s people from the Isle of Dogs would have gone apple picking, hop harvesting and done other farm jobs. Most of those tasks are now done by machines and the urban population is deprived of this contact with the very earth that feeds them. We should do all we can to reconnect them.
Mudchute Park & Farm www.mudchute.org
THE MEDIA The other extraordinary change in recent decades has been in the media. It would not have been possible for me to work on BBC farming programmes if I had no agricultural qualifications. In the 1970s there was a media pack – comprising two farming journalists for the Daily Mail and one each for every other paper apart from the Sun and Mirror. Even the Guardian had a correspondent covering our industry. That is no longer the case and the post of Agricultural Correspondent has changed to Environmental Reporter. TV was different, with real hostility to farming. I once cornered BBC1 Controller Paul Fox and asked when we could have a colour budget for the Farming programme. His answer was a huge shock: “I will not be bullied by the rich landowners on the Advisory Council – they represent a class of privilege I am not comfortable about.” Fortunately, farming now features strongly on TV – reflecting genuine public interest. It is an interest we should, and indeed must, foster.
Above: Lawrence Weston Community Farm, Bristol – at the heart of rural re-engagement Photo courtesy of Lawrence Weston Community Farm
Main image: Mudchute Park & Farm, East London – striving to reconnect an urban population Photo courtesy of Mudchute Park & Farm
www.thefarmersclub.com • 15
Andrei Spence & Anita Kaur • Club Events
Club events prove highly popular
Dazzling Cirque du Soleil show at Royal Albert Hall
Dior’s haute couture at Victoria & Albert Museum
“The lunch was perfect and the Dior Exhibition outstanding! It really was such a perfect way to spend a few hours.” Club member Mrs Francesca Makins
Event Info For details of further Club Events in 2019 see p22 and the back cover of this Journal, the various inserts enclosed, the Club e-newsletter and the Club website www.thefarmers club.com/events
OVER the past few months Club members and their guests have enjoyed wonderful visits to see a show, concert and amazing fashion exhibition. A party of 50 people arrived at the Club on 25th January to enjoy an early supper before taking a coach to the Royal Albert Hall to enjoy the Cirque du Soleil performance of TOTEM, their latest iteration of gravity-defying gymnastic prowess of the highest order, combining power and strength with gracefulness and sublimity. “I just wanted to send my thanks to you for organising the wonderful evening on Friday to see Cirque du Soleil,” writes Club member Liz Duguid from Sheffield, South Yorkshire. “The evening was thoroughly enjoyed. The supper at the Club was delicious and the menu very well selected. I’m sure everyone enjoyed the amazing show, and the smooth running from start to finish, so thank you once again. It was my first organised trip with the Club and I look forward to many to come!” In late February 30 Club members enjoyed an early supper at the Club before crossing the Thames to the Southbank Centre for a musical evening at the Royal Festival Hall, with the London Philharmonic Orchestra performing the music of Beethoven’s piano concertos. The concert we attended found Beethoven in his darkest mood in the Third Concerto; at his wittiest in the Second; and at his most poetic in the serene, enigmatic
16 • The Farmers Club Spring 2019
Fourth. A truly exhilarating evening of superb music at a world class venue with world class performers. Typical of the responses we received: “Thank you so much for giving us such a perfect evening. It was wonderful to have everything so beautifully organized, the meal, the transport, and accommodation. And a most impressive and memorable performance. We will remember it for a long time, and hope to be able to join you again.” In March 45 members took lunch, received a private lecture from Anne Haworth and enjoyed a visit to the hugely popular Christian Dior exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Members enjoyed a stunning display of craftsmanship, style and haute couture, all set in context by the earlier introduction from Anne.
Beethoven in three moods at Royal Festival Hall
Dairy Dairyfarming farming• •Charles CharlesAbel Abel
Dairy pointers How will dairy farmers fare post-Brexit? A leading dairy expert considers the key issues. Charles Abel reports BREXIT poses few major downsides for most dairy farms, with currency movements set to have a greater impact over the coming years. But labour and input cost need attention, as the basic payment is removed, and farms with fewer than 100 milkers are at significantly greater risk. “I think agriculture is going to change more in the next five to ten years than in our lifetimes,” says Rob Hitch, partner at accountants Dodd & Co based in Carlisle, Cumbria. Devolved policies will mean different outcomes for different parts of the UK, he adds. Farms milking fewer than 100 cows account for 40% of dairy farms in England and Scotland, 50% in Wales and 60% in Northern Ireland, but have just 20% of the cows, and produce an even smaller share of the milk pool. “They might provide a lot of other things, but they are not necessarily producing a lot of milk. Small farms just don’t have enough output to have a sensible level of income,” Mr Hitch contends. Brexit pressures will exacerbate that problem. While larger farms would be relatively less affected by the sevenyear wind-down of support payments,
With 59% of dairy farmers employing EU workers the need to moved towards a more sustainable workforce is a key issue. Rob Hitch
small farms could suffer a cut in their bottom line of up to 5ppl. Degressive cuts, hitting larger farms harder, were not best for the industry, damping the opportunity for business consolidation, which could foster more adventurous investing, he notes. The seven year BPS wind-down needs accelerating to stimulate a more dynamic agriculture, he adds. Labour has until now been easy, but even with migration limits it should be feasible to meet the £30,000 salary threshold and requirement for an NVQ level 3 qualification, or better, he believes. Combined with a 48 hour week that could mean a £12/hour rate of pay, compared with £9.50-10/hour on most dairy farms now. That was nearer a 25% rise than the 50% often quoted, which the higher skill level could help offset. Brexit benefits could include lower cereal and oilseeds prices, and cheaper third country fertiliser. Rents are unlikely to stay “anywhere near” current levels, with a lot of lowland land coming available, he believes. Indeed, beef and sheep sector turmoil could bring opportunities for dairy farmers to farm those farms too, helping spread overheads and cut input costs.
“ W ith UK milk price dictated by the world milk price, currency could have more impact than Brexit.”
With UK milk price dictated by the world milk price, currency could have more impact than Brexit. A 30 cents/ litre world price equates to 26ppl with Sterling worth 1.15€, but plummets to 20ppl if Sterling strengthens to 1.45€. Import pressure is unlikely, since the 8% facilitation cost of shipping to the UK is broadly in line with total expected cost rises, he adds. MORE INFO This article is based on a paper presented at the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers Business & Policy Conference in London www.rabdf.co.uk See also: www.doddaccountants.co.uk
MILK PRODUCTION COSTS (PPL) Variable costs Labour + power
Grazed 11.26 12.72
Housed 16.09 9.55
MILK PRODUCTION COSTS (PPL) Small Medium Large Ave cow number 100 230 890 Surplus pre-tax 2.80 1.85 5.13 Basic payment 3.69 1.68 0.73 Total var costs 17.46 16.59 15.04 Fixed costs (inc drawings) 16.19 12.92 10.48
www.thefarmersclub.com • 17
Virginia Masser • Easter Opening
Farming Figures A look at… meat eating around the world… told through some key statistics
1/3
A third of Britons claim to have either stopped eating meat or reduced it, while 2/3 of those in the USA say they eat less
Your Club’s Easter Opening Schedule
Quintuple
Global meat output has grown 5-fold since early-1960s, from 70 to 330 million tonnes
100kg+/person Annual meat consumption in US, Australia, New Zealand and Argentina
145 million tonnes
Meat production in Asia, almost matching Europe, N America and S America combined
Quarter
One in four UK females aged 19-64 have iron intake below minimum recommended
1200% growth
Rise in annual meat consumption in China, up from 5kg/person in 1960s to 60kg+ now
5% fat
Fully trimmed lean beef is 5% fat, lean lamb 8% fat. Cheddar cheese averages 34% fat
2 in 3
Two thirds of India’s population eats some meat, despite cultural factors. But at 4kg/yr it has the world’s lowest intake per person
50%
Poultry accounts for half of all meat eaten in the USA, up from 25% in the 1970s
Three-fold to ten-fold Greater enviro footprint from S American beef compared with European beef
Sources: OurWorldinData.org; BBC; AHDB; Oxford Uni
18 • The Farmers Club Spring 2019
London has a wonderful array of activities for all the family during the Easter holidays. To help you plan your break take a look at www.timeout.com for inspiration and see below the details of the services available in the Club over the Easter weekend. THURSDAY 18TH APRIL Bedrooms available Breakfast in The Restaurant 7am - 9.30am Bar open at normal times with normal offering Lunch and Dinner service as normal in The Restaurant Reception open as normal GOOD FRIDAY BANK HOLIDAY 19TH APRIL Bedrooms available Breakfast in The Restaurant 8am - 10.30am Bar open from 12noon - 8pm offering light lunches and supper, last orders 7.15pm Reception open 8am - 12noon EASTER SATURDAY 20TH APRIL Bedrooms available Breakfast in The Restaurant 8am - 10.30am Bar open from 12noon - 8pm offering light lunches and supper, last orders 7.15pm Reception open 8am - 12noon
EASTER SUNDAY 21ST APRIL Bedrooms available Breakfast in The Restaurant 8am - 10.30am Bar open from 12noon - 8pm offering light lunches and supper, last orders 7.15pm Reception open 8am - 12noon BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY 22ND APRIL Bedrooms available Breakfast in The Restaurant 8am - 10.30am Bar open from 12noon - 8pm offering light lunches and supper, last orders 7.15pm Reception open 8am - 12noon TUESDAY 23RD APRIL Bedrooms available Bar open at normal times with normal offering The Restaurant is closed at Lunch but open for Dinner Reception open as normal WEDNESDAY 24TH APRIL Normal service resumes in all areas
A television will be available in The Forty Room throughout this period and Bedroom Directories have a host of information that may come in useful whilst staying in the Club, including emergency procedures. When the Club Reception desk is closed, The Whitehall Court Porters are on duty and can be contacted on extension 202, day and night. We look forward to welcoming you to the Club.
Head Chef & Director of Food • Paul Hogben
Relishes, pickles and all things nice! IT is now over five years ago that Virginia and I joined you at the Farmers Club with an aim to improve the overall experience for the members at the Club. Some of the very first dishes l created for the first Restaurant menu are still present to this day, and have become iconic Farmers Club favourites, the Farmers Club Scotch Egg being one. The Scotch Egg, with our homemade Piccalilli that we the team agreed on all those years ago, is still being prepared to the same recipe. We even garnish our sandwiches with a small treat of piccalilli to help spread the word. It makes you wonder how much we have produced in five years? The dressing we use on our salads, including The Fisherman’s Pie salad, has followed the same recipe since its conception – British Oil Seed Rape, English Mustard and British Vinegars making up the core ingredients.
from Bedfordshire, apples and pears from Kent and Herefordshire, beets and radishes from Cambridgeshire and Suffolk, sugar from Cambridgeshire and East Anglia. Even the vinegars are from counties around our country. We have always strived to keep updating and creating new dishes for your Breakfast, Restaurant and Bar Menus. But we have also been working on more subtle additions to complement some of the everyday foods and drink we take for granted. A collaboration has begun between Chase, our Barman and John my Pastry Chef, who together have started creating monthly cordials, which will be used as part of the Bar’s Farmers Club Monthly Martini Cocktail. February saw their first venture; a Yorkshire Rhubarb, Braeburn Apple and Ginger Cordial. A simply delicious, refreshing cordial and wonderful with a Martini… sales for the month were very good I’m told!
We have compotes and chutneys that have been tried and tested by the team, and are now part of the everyday accompaniments at the buffet breakfast table, with your cheese, or in a sandwich at the Bar.
Watch out for monthly changes to the cordials when you venture to the Bar and do remember to ask Chase for a “Farmers Special Monthly Martini Cocktail”.
We use the finest British farm produce in our relishes, chutneys and pickles including onions
Enjoy, Chef
“ T he dressing we use on our salads, including The Fisherman’s Pie salad, has followed the same recipe since its conception – British Oil Seed Rape, English Mustard and British Vinegars making up the core ingredients.”
www.thefarmersclub.com • 19
Scott Hayles, Chairman; Eleanor Kay, Vice Chairman; Anita Kaur, Secretary • Under 30s
Chairman’s Jottings
Under 30s New Members Weekend
After spending six years on the Under 30s Committee, and now as 65th Chairman of the Under 30s, it brings me great joy to write my first Chairman’s Jottings. I must first thank Emily for all the time and effort she gave the Under 30s in 2018/19 – what a fantastic year it was (particularly the spring farm walk!).
A little about me – originally from the Isle of Wight, I am now based in Cambridgeshire with my fiancé Olivia. I studied BSc (Hons) Agriculture and Crop Management at Harper Adams University; managed a game farm in Botswana; came back to work in fresh produce; and am now Area Manager in East Anglia for Corteva Agriscience, a division of DowDuPont. Our Committee for 2019 is looking stronger than ever, with Under 30s membership going from strength to strength. I am delighted to have Eleanor Kay as Vice Chair, and we welcome four new additions to the Committee: Ms Fiona Friend, Mr James Fuller, Mr Geoffrey Bastard and Lord William Yarmouth. Geoffrey and William are specialist Jill Willows Scholarship representatives, ensuring the longevity of Jill’s legacy. Following on from a very successful New Members event in February, we held our AGM with a good turnout, discussion and feedback from our members, which will shape our future events. We have a full calendar for 2019, with key dates already published and additional events to be announced throughout the year. Please visit our “The Farmers Club U30s” Facebook page to keep up to date. I very much look forward to seeing you all at both Main Club and Under 30s events this coming year.
Contact Scott for more information: Scott Hayles U30s Chairman 2019/20 07887 834159 scott.hayles@corteva.com
20 • The Farmers Club Spring 2019
THE Under 30s New Members dinner in February was exceptionally well attended with a great mix of existing, new and prospective members. The conversation flowed as the evening began with a drinks reception, followed by an excellent dinner menu from Chef. Our Jill Willows Scholars, Lord William Yarmouth and Mr Geoffrey Bastard, then reported on their attendance at the RASC 28th Commonwealth Agriculture conference in Alberta in late 2018 (see New Year Journal). Geoffrey provided an excellent summary of some of the speakers and William turned our thoughts to how the industry needs to respond and adapt to change, from improving customer awareness to embracing innovation. The Jill Willows Scholarship represents an excellent opportunity for Under 30s members to broaden their horizons. Thanks must go to Scott Hayles for all his hard work in getting this initiative off the ground, and to the interview panel for selecting such excellent scholars. Members can hear more from both Geoffrey and William at the Monday Evening Lecture in the Club on April 8th. We were also fortunate to have 2019 Club Chairman Nick Helme and his wife Donna as our guests for the evening.
Nick, possibly under the instruction of Club Secretary Andrei, provided strong words of encouragement for the Under 30s and our activities within the Club. It was excellent to hear that as a group we are being encouraged to be actively involved in main Club events, especially the Monday Evening Lectures, which had great Under 30s attendance in 2018. The Under 30s AGM was held the following morning, as detailed in Chairman’s Jottings (left) and the weekend concluded with golf and dinner at Swingers Crazy Golf in the West End. Eleanor Kay Agriculture Policy Adviser, Scottish Land and Estates Under 30s Vice Chair
Under 30s • Scott Hayles, Chairman; Eleanor Kay, Vice Chairman; Anita Kaur, Secretary
OFC
Scholar’s Report Under 30s member Anna Bowen reflects on her time at the Oxford Farming Conference as a Scholar sponsored by the Farmers Club HAVING read lots about previous conferences I was really looking forward to experiencing my first OFC, especially as the list of speakers looked so interesting. The NFU fringe meeting I attended on the future of land tenure had a clear take home message of “prepare to be unprepared” and to maintain excellent communication between parties. The conference itself was intense. My favourite talk was Julie Borlaug’s Frank Parkinson Lecture, about innovation and disruptive communication. Her advice was to steer away from buzzwords like “sustainability” and “transparency.” The industry should instead tell a story and avoid stereotypical images. She also mentioned her policy of not responding to social media trolls or unkind comments, just stating facts. She thought it was important not to start debates. Well-meaning people seem to get into heated social media arguments every day, and I can see her point; not all these discussions help. Floating dairy Minke van Wingerden’s talk on setting up the floating dairy farm in Rotterdam was one of the most relevant to me. Using waste products from the city as feed, and the utilisation of water in the face of rising sea levels and anticipated coastal flooding, was revolutionary. I really like the circular economy concept, as well as the educational opportunities of a city farm. While I can’t see floating farms displacing family farms and businesses in my
client base any time soon, innovations like this show what is possible. It was also good to hear about Matt Smith’s farm diversification. As a world record-setting shearer, and Farmers Weekly Sheep Farmer of the Year, he is definitely in the upper echelons of the industry. But the venison unit he and his wife Pippa set up is within achievable reach of other proactive farmers. Only around 5% of the venison eaten in the UK is farmed, the remainder is wild from Scotland or imported from Matt’s native New Zealand. Seeing a gap in the market the Smiths capitalised on venison’s status as a healthy meat and its growing demand. Farming deer has some specific challenges; most of the genetics are geared to trophy hunters (big antlers) rather than meat and temperament; few drugs are licensed, so they have to be used off-label; and animals have to be slaughtered in line with the game licence. In 2020 I hope to apply for a Nuffield Scholarship, looking at an aspect of dairy health. The breadth of OFC speakers and their experiences definitely helped broaden my mind and encourage me to see agriculture from a more global perspective. I hope their creativity and courage will help me seek-out innovation and resilience from across the international farming industry. My sincere thanks to the Farmers Club for offering me this opportunity, and I wish the best of luck to the 2020 Scholar!
About the author – Anna Bowen I work for AHDB Dairy managing a herd health project in South West Wales funded by the Rural Development Programme (not the levy). I also work freelance as a farm consultant, journalist, and private tutor, and spend a lot of time doing practical work on the spring-calving dairy farm where my boyfriend is contract farming, or sorting out management accounts for my father and brother’s high-yielding Holstein system. I graduated in 2014 from the Royal Agricultural College with a First Class Honours degree in International Equine and Agricultural Management and then completed an MSc in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security.
SCHOLARS TASK As Scholars our first task was to consider “local vs global” in Oxford, sourcing our lunch from specific locations e.g. “Oxfordshire” or “England” or tracking down food with plastic-free packaging. It highlighted the difficulties of food labelling; is a pie “local” if its filling is from game shot in the county, but the pastry has been made with ingredients from a national wholesaler? While shopkeepers and café owners said their customers had no interest in environmentally sustainable produce, pretty much every coffee shop I passed was selling reusable hot drink cups.
BREXIT VIEWS Interestingly, an OFC audience poll showed that, given a second referendum, 59% said they would vote to stay in the EU, 31% that they would support Theresa May’s deal, and 10% that they would opt for a no-deal. Other polls at the conference showed the majority of delegates had voted remain originally, and although most thought Brexit was bad news for farming in the short term, most saw long term benefits.
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 2019 VICE PRESIDENTS Barclay Forrest OBE, Sir Mark Hudson, Mrs Susan Kilpatrick OBE, Paul Heygate PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN Nick Helme TRUSTEES Jimmy McLean, Mrs Nicki Quayle, Julian Sayers (Chairman), Tim Bennett VICE-CHAIRMAN Allan Stevenson HONORARY TREASURER Richard Maunder IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN Peter Jinman OBE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND SECRETARY Andrei Spence CLUB CHAPLAIN The Reverend Dr Sam Wells COMMITTEE Elected 2016: Nick Helme, Peter Jinman OBE Elected 2017: Kevin Beaty, John Lee OBE (House SubCommittee Chairman), Karen Mercer (Communications Sub-Committee Chairman), Keith Redpath (Membership Sub-Committee Chairman), Christopher Riddle, Allan Stevenson, Campbell Tweed OBE Elected 2018: Ian Bell OBE, Matt Dempsey and Gerald Osborne Elected 2019: Ms Fiona Fell, Meurig Raymond CBE, John Hardman, Andrew Brown (re-elected) Co-opted: Scott Hayles (Chairman Under 30s), Eleanor Kay (Vice Chairman Under 30s) THE FARMERS CLUB CHARITABLE TRUST TRUSTEES Stephen Fletcher (Chairman), James Cross, Vic Croxson DL, Meryl Ward MBE, Des Lambert OBE, Nick Green, The Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Club (ex officio). Patron Mrs Stella Muddiman
ELTHAM PALACE & GARDEN TOUR FRIDAY 21ST JUNE A private guided tour of Eltham Palace, a magnificent art deco mansion, in a medieval palace setting. Our tour will include the house, showing off the stunning interiors and furnishing reflecting 1930s high fashion, the medieval Great Hall, childhood home of Henry VIII, and an exclusive tour of the truly outstanding period garden with the head gardener. Boasting a medieval bridge and a moat, this 19-acre garden is beautiful in every season. Our programme starts at 12.00pm with a two-course lunch with wine in the Club before a 1.15pm departure by coach for Eltham Palace. From 2.30pm we will enjoy a private guided tour of Eltham Palace &
Garden. At 5.30pm the coach returns in time for a 6.45pm dinner with wine in the Club. This event is limited to 40 places. Cost is £85 per person. To register interest apply on line at www.thefarmersclub.com or complete the enclosed booking form. All applications should be received by Friday 19th April. If oversubscribed places will be decided by ballot.
THE FARMERS CLUB AT HENLEY ROYAL REGATTA SUNDAY 7TH JULY The Farmers Club is returning to Henley Royal Regatta, thanks to Club Member, Mr Tom Copas. What better way to spend a quintessential summer’s day than amongst fellow members and friends at Temple Island Enclosure during Henley Royal Regatta. Enjoy your day within The Farmers Club private chalet, an idyllic riverside setting, where rowing passes you by and drinks continue to flow, as you relax in the riverside chalet and garden. The day starts at 11am and finishes at 5.30pm. The package includes: • Admission to Temple Island Enclosure • River Cruise • Champagne, Pimm’s and Canapé Reception • Four-course luncheon • Afternoon Tea with strawberries and cream
• Complimentary bar throughout the day • Riverside bandstand featuring morning and afternoon jazz • Reserved car parking • Official programme • Optional coach transfer to and from The Farmers Club The cost is £200 per person (max 2 guests per member) or £220 including coach transfer. Apply online at www. thefarmersclub.com or complete the enclosed booking form.
HAMPTON COURT PALACE GARDEN FESTIVAL
NEXT ISSUE The Summer issue of the Farmers Club Journal, due with members in late May, is scheduled to include a report on the Club’s second Monday Evening Lecture of 2019, to be given by Tim Heddema, agricultural counsellor to the Netherlands, plus the Farmers Club Charitable Trust and the Pinnacle Awards for Business Management.
22 • The Farmers Club Spring 2019
Thursday 4th July RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival is a dazzling summer celebration of all that’s great about gardening - packed with gorgeous gardens, stunning floral displays, celebrity talks and live entertainment. Our programme includes: 11.00am Light brunch with tea & coffee at The Club 12.15pm Depart by coach to Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 1.30pm Arrive at Hampton Court Palace station and hop onto the shuttle boat service to the Thames gate entrance of the show (10mins) 3.30pm Afternoon Tea with a glass of Prosecco at Hampton Court
7.00pm Coach Returns to the Club 8.30pm Two-course dinner at The Club with wine This event is limited to 80 places. The cost per person is £120. Applications should be received by Friday 26th April. If oversubscribed places will be decided by ballot. Apply on line at www.thefarmersclub.com or complete the enclosed booking form.
Club Information • The Farmers Club New Members The following were elected: UK Members Mrs C Aitchison Mr D Barrett Dr L Brown Mrs H Carter Mr J Colegrave Mr P Craven Mrs S Dawson Mr R Fisher Ms E Francis Mr R Griffiths Mr N Hart Mr I Kealey Miss S Kirkham Dr P Lhermette Mr R Lord Mr D Merton Mr D O’Donnell Professor E Ostler Mr P Poornan Mrs R Purves Mr D Reade QC Mrs S Righton Mr N Rowbotham Mr D Thompson Ms J Tice Dr J Wake Mrs V Wallace
Suffolk Herefordshire Midlothian Monmouthshire Oxfordshire Lincolnshire Oxfordshire Cumberland Cambridgeshire Essex Herefordshire Somerset Somerset Kent Essex Derbyshire Warwickshire Sussex Hampshire Wiltshire Kent Worcestershire Gloucestershire Northumberland Gloucestershire Northamptonshire Kent
Under 30s Mr B Berridge Miss K Besent Miss G Blackburn Miss C Blackburn Mr A Bragg Dr R Cranston Mr H Davies Miss M Etheridge Mr D Hawes Mr C Hawkins Miss H Henrick Mr T How Mr C Lacey Mr W Langmead
Northamptonshire London London London Suffolk Cumberland Denbighshire Buckinghamshire Suffolk Oxfordshire Warwickshire Sussex London Berkshire
Mr W Matthews Mr T McVeigh Mr S Renwick Miss E Shallow Mr C Smith Mr W Smith Miss F Sylvester Mr A Thomas
Gloucestershire Suffolk Sussex London Northamptonshire Northamptonshire Suffolk Pembrokeshire
Deaths It is with regret that we announce the death of the following members: Mr C Burrell Northumberland Reverend D Creasey Lincolnshire Dr R Khambatta London Mr S Kirk Staffordshire Mr P Kitson Wiltshire Mr D Mead Somerset Mr K Pointon Kent Dr J Spears USA Mr R Steven CBE Kent Mr P Waterfield Cornwall Mr J Withers Norfolk Business Suite The Business Suite provides PCs, printing and WiFi for members. Meetings are prohibited. WiFi WiFi is available throughout the Club at no charge. Luggage room This is a short term storage facility only. In the event that luggage has been left for a period of over 3 months and we are unable to identify the owner, it will be disposed of. 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. 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.
Fascinating Club history Ideal for evening reading, as a gift, or a fine addition to the family bookcase – 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 into a unique organisation, which has done so much to create friendships, memories and business progress throughout the farming industry.
Club Contacts THE FARMERS CLUB
Serving the farming industry for 175 years 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL
Chairman 2019: Nick Helme
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
Available at Reception (£25) or use the online order form: www.thefarmersclub.com/ news/New-Club-History-Book
www.thefarmersclub.com • 23
Club Calendar DIARY DATES 2019
2019
Here are just some of the Club events planned for the coming months. More event details can be found at www.thefarmersclub.com/events, in Club e-newsletters, or from Club Administrator Anita Kaur (020 7930 3751 extn 216) e-mail: administrator@thefarmersclub.com APRIL
The Marriage of Figaro, Royal Opera House Friday 12th July
Dinner in the Club
Application form included with this Journal
St George’s Day Lunch – FULL Tuesday 23rd April
Under 30s Pimms & Supper Friday 19th July
Under 30s Spring Dining Evening Friday 12th April Under 30s Spring Dining Evening
MAY
Balmoral Show Dinner Tuesday 14th May Please contact Anita to book your places Balmoral Show Dinner
Chelsea Flower Show – FULL Tuesday 21st May Under 30s Spring Farm Walk Weekend Friday 31st May - Sunday 2nd June Visit to Hampshire
Chelsea Flower Show
Summer event in the Club Royal Welsh Show Reception
Apply online at www.thefarmersclub.com/events
AUGUST
The EY Exhibition Van Gogh Britain Thursday 1st August Apply online at www.thefarmersclub.com/events
Private Tour of the Postal Museum & Thames tea cruise Friday 9th August Apply online at www.thefarmersclub.com/events
JUNE
Royal Cornwall Show Reception Thursday 6th June Apply for these Royal Three Counties Show Reception Summer Show Friday 14th June Receptions on-line at Royal Cheshire Show Breakfast www.thefarmersclub.com Tuesday 18th June Royal Highland Show Dinner Wednesday 19th June Please contact Anita to book
Lunch & Dinner at the Club & Tour of Eltham Palace & Gardens Friday 21st June
Canal Cruise & Gin Distillery Tour & Tasting Friday 16th August Apply online at www.thefarmersclub.com/events
Private Tour of Greenwich & Meantime Brewery tour & tasting Friday 23rd August Apply online at www.thefarmersclub.com/events
SEPTEMBER
Under 30s Autumn Dining Evening Friday 6th September Dinner at the Club
Club tour to California
Application form included with this Journal
Thursday 12th Friday 27th September
Club visit to Jerez
Please contact Club Administrator Anita Kaur to book
Monday 10th Thursday 13th June
Please contact Club Administrator Anita Kaur to book
OCTOBER
Harvest Festival Service & Supper at Club Tuesday 8th October
JULY
Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival Thursday 4th July Application form included with this Journal
Kent County Show Reception
Application form in the next Journal Harvest Festival Service & Supper
Visit to Herefordshire Wednesday 16th - Friday 18th October
Henley Royal Regatta Sunday 7th July
Details to follow
NOVEMBER
Application form included with this Journal
Royal Yorkshire Show Reception Tuesday 9th July Apply online at www.thefarmersclub.com/events
BCPC Seminar Thursday 11th July Application form enclosed
Under 30s Autumn Farm Walk Weekend Friday 11th - Sunday 13th October Details to follow
Hampton Court Palace Friday 5th July Garden Festival Apply online at www.thefarmersclub.com/events
Henley Royal Regatta
Royal Welsh Show Reception Monday 22nd July
New Year’s Eve Dinner Party
Monday Evening Lecture Monday 4th November Details to follow
DECEMBER
New Year’s Eve Dinner Party Tuesday 31st December Details to follow