Farmers Club NEW YEAR 2021 • ISSUE 288
www.thefarmersclub.com
INSIDE Chairman’s Comments p3 Club News p4 Pointers for 2021 p8 Partnerships p10 Farm labour p11 Dairy farming p12 Rewilding p13 Member view p14 Craig’s Corner p15 Derek Pearce p16 Diversification p17 Farming figures p18 Club golf p18 Chef’s page p19 Under 30s p20 Travel plans p22 Club Info p23
INSERTS Members Information Sheet
Scottish Borders Chairman Keith Redpath chairs the Club in 2021 p6
www.thefarmersclub.com for the latest Club news
Farmers Club Serving the farming industry for 178 years 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL Patron – Her Majesty The Queen
FRONT COVER Keith Redpath is your Club Chairman for 2021, pictured here with wife Revd Grace near their home in Kelso in the Scottish Borders Photography: Isla Campbell Photography
Contents All information correct at time of going to press – see www.thefarmersclub.com for updates
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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Chairman’s Comments New Chairman Keith Redpath considers the current situation for the Club, its membership and the wider farming industry
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Club News After a hugely successful Christmas hamper project, preparing the Club for a return to more normal conditions is the aim
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New Chairman Scottish Borders farmer Keith Redpath shares his journey through the livestock industry to become Club chairman
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Agenda for the year ahead Business as usual it isn’t – so can farmers seize the opportunities on offer? Some pointers for 2021
10 Improving partnerships Too many farm businesses have inadequate agreements
11 Farm labour Brexit puts a premium on quality farm workers
12 Dair y/Arable synergies Closer cooperation needed
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13 Ban rewilding? Collaborative conservation could be far better
14 Member’s view Indoor cricket meets a need in Rutland
15 Craig’s Corner Timely tips from your Club Member Experience Manager
16 Derek Pearce Obituary for former Club Chairman
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17 Member Business Cereal to B&B
18 Club Golf Golfing plans for the year ahead
19 Chef ’s page Hampers prove a hit
20 Under 30s Plans for the coming year & learnings from 2020
22 Club Information and Contacts 02 • The Farmers Club New Year 2021
Chairman’s Comments • Keith Redpath of the excellent facilities that the Club provides. It will also enable us to arrange events at short notice. As the year progresses I hope that it will be possible to hold several events farther afield including a trip to my home area in the Scottish Borders where my wife Grace and I farm near to Kelso. Farming business Our farming business is principally based around growing combinable crops. Autumn 2020 enabled us to sow our winter crops early thanks to some fantastic weather. The wheat and oilseed rape crops established well and look hardy and resilient, ready for any extreme winter weather. We also rent out land for growing potatoes which were lifted in dry conditions leaving the land in superb shape for sowing. This was in sharp contrast to the 2019/20 season. It is encouraging that the commodity prices for wheat, oilseeds, beef and sheep are strong this winter but disappointing that pork, barley, potatoes and vegetables prices are weaker.
Chairman’s Comments “The reality is that the planning of a comprehensive event programme for the Farmers Club in 2021 remains challenging.”
“The cuts to farm support, planned to be implemented on a sliding scale over a period of eight years, are going to have a significant impact.”
AS I sat down to draft my first Chairman’s Comments, in early December 2020, England was about to come out of lockdown and enter a tiered system of restrictions. The remaining countries of the UK were living under a variety of constraints in another attempt to try and bring the Covid pandemic under control. After what had felt like a very long year, many of us were weary of living with uncertainty, and were looking for some signs of hope as we entered 2021. How quickly the times change! Here we are in 2021 and Covid has put us into another lockdown. Thankfully, there is more optimism this time. Last November we learned that vaccines were about to be rolled out. Light, at last, at the end of the tunnel! Events planned Following on from the experience of past Chairman, Allan Stevenson’s year, who organized an interesting series of trips and visits, the reality is that the planning of a comprehensive event programme for the Farmers Club in 2021 remains challenging. Not knowing when the limitations we have been living with will be relaxed makes it impossible to proceed with any certainty. It is my intention, however, to involve Allan in the 2021 programme when he will host a number of last year’s cancelled events. Looking forward to this year I do hope that we will be able to attend the Agricultural Shows that actually take place. In addition, Allan is hoping to take a group to the Beaune wineries in September. Due to the ongoing unpredictability as to when our freedoms will be restored it is my intention to concentrate on organizing events in and around London this year. This will allow us to take advantage
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Throughout my 50 years in agriculture constantly changing returns for our produce have always been the case, so even in these strange times the ‘’up horn down corn’’ rule still applies! Food reputation Now we have left the European Union farmers face major change in how support is allocated with an emphasis on the environment and welfare. Subsidy is a considerable part of the majority of farmer’s income and so the cuts, are going to have a significant impact. These cuts will no doubt undermine food production as the reduction in support will make many farms unviable. The UK is renowned all over the world for producing quality food to the highest standard. Surely it is our aim to maintain that reputation. As you will be aware the Farmers Club is emerging from a very difficult year along with the whole hospitality industry. The financial impact has been huge. Andrei, Virginia, and the team have been under great stress, and dealing with the uncertainty has been almost unbearable at times. Making tough decisions that affect the lives of friends and colleagues takes a heavy toll. Words are inadequate to express the Committee’s gratitude to all those who have taken every possible opportunity to keep the Club functioning. Support your Club Please continue to support us with your membership. I am optimistic for the future and hopeful that we will bounce back this year. It is my sincere wish that once again we will be able to enjoy the benefits of being members of this great Club.
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www.thefarmersclub.com • 03
Andrei Spence • Club News
Club News
Gearing up for life after Covid… Stop, Start, Restricted, Stop, Start, Restricted was the cadence of the life of the Club for almost all of 2020 as Government attempts to control the spread of Covid-19 ebbed and flowed in response to infection patterns, writes Club Secretary & Chief Executive Andrei Spence. It looks likely this pattern will probably be with us for the early part of 2021. By the time members receive this Journal the essential deployment of the suite of vaccines will be well into its stride. For all of us, be it in our personal or business lives, this will hopefully mark the beginning of the return to a large degree of normality in how we all conduct our lives. My last report was at a time when the Club was in Tier 2 in very early November, the F&GP having just considered the first draft of the 2021 budget. Within three days England was in national lockdown and the Club closed formally on 5 November at midnight. Earlier in the day, the General Committee met via Zoom to consider and discuss the 2021 budget which was duly passed. End of 2020 The unfortunate immediate consequence for the Club, apart from the closure, was that we had to cancel a large number of events that had been well supported by Club members. However, during the Nov-Dec lockdown we were able, with a small core team, to keep the Club infrastructure, cleaning, 04 • The Farmers Club New Year 2021
sanitising and administration working. This negated a long lead-in time had we left this until we were allowed to re-open on 2 December – something we learned from the previous lockdown. The good news was that we were able to conduct trips to the light show at Kew Gardens and even a trip to the theatre. Both went down very well with members who attended. Club enjoyed Additionally, we welcomed an increasing number of members to the Club during December, members taking advantage to visit London, do some shopping or more generally, seeking a change of scenery basing themselves in the safe environment of the Club. Sadly, this re-invigoration of the Club came to an abrupt end on Wednesday 16th December when London was placed in Tier 4 Lockdown restrictions. Economic shock It is doubtful that the Club, and the business sector to which it belongs, has ever been subject to such a strategic and economic shock as in 2020. But we have the history of a great club, a good financial base, superbly engaged and loyal members and a team who are dedicated to being the threads that bring all these elements together. Your ‘home from home’ awaits! We look forward to seeing you this coming year – here in London and out and about around the UK – 2021 will be different for the better!.
Kew Gardens Wonderful Kew Gardens illuminations provided an excellent festive outing for Club members visiting the capital before Christmas.
Club News • Andrei Spence
Finances in focus Many of you who read my weekly newsletters will not have been surprised by the reports of our financial plight in 2020. We had only 10 weeks of normal trading comprising Jan/ Feb and a few days in March. During the four months of lockdown we generated no income whatsoever, and in the period of Tiered restrictions our revenue was 65-70% down, leaving significant shortfalls in income and some challenging periods of cash flow.
Club Calendar Diary Dates
See Club website for information about Club events
Year in prospect
Wise counsel As some will know I had to take a number of mitigating actions to slow the outflow of cash, including a redundancy round, furlough periods for large numbers of remaining staff, severe cost control and being on the front foot to claim and argue for various business reliefs and tax deferrals. This has been no easy task, but I must highlight the support and wise counsel I have had from the Trustees, Honorary Treasurer and particularly, 2020 Chairman Allan Stevenson, who despite a year of personal disappointment in terms of how his year manifested itself, was a valuable sounding board and advisor at some very difficult times.
Here we are at the beginning of a new year, which will be marked with personal protection from Covid vaccines and a confidence that was absent last year. I have met with our new Chairman, Keith Redpath, on a number of occasions and we have some fantastic ideas to make 2021 a much better year for Club members.
Additionally, the Trustees and Committee agreed to my request for loan facilities to assist our seriously deficient cash flow position, upon which I have had to draw, leaving a portion to assist later in 2021, if and when needed. With business levels expected to return to more normal levels later this year, this has provided us with a base upon which to rebuild. I see a true return to our usual position, occupancywise, towards the third quarter of 2021, and our financial position in 2022. This will be completely dependent on members using their Club, which I am very hopeful of, if feedback received thus far turns to reality.
I am extremely positive about the year ahead. Some things will be different, and will have to be done differently, but as with farming in general, we have to be resilient and will come back stronger.
However, many events will be at shorter notice than we would normally like, as opportunities arise. We have safeguarded Allan’s trip to Burgundy in September and Keith intends a visit to Chianti if possible. Agricultural Shows I hope to re-invigorate the very popular Club gatherings/dinners at Agricultural Shows, dependant on where these are being held. We have identified nine events we are confident will go ahead, at which Allan, Keith and I hope to meet members from around the UK. Please be on the lookout for events that are happening to support the Club.
Zarreena’s addition At the end of November we said a temporary goodbye to Zarreena, our Financial Controller, who started her maternity leave. I can report that on Saturday 12th December, Zarreena gave birth to a healthy
baby daughter, Emilia Nia Dowding, who weighed in at 8lb. I am told Mum and baby are doing well and Dad is getting used to new duties! We send our best wishes to them all.
Hampers well received
November saw the roll out of an idea to try to keep engagement with members as high as it could be, in addition to the information sheets, website, weekly newsletters etc that members were already seeing. That idea was the offering of a Farmers Club Christmas Hamper in order for members, and their families and friends to enjoy a little bit of the Farmers Club in their homes over the festive period. Chef Paul worked on an offering that reflected the quality for which we are known, Virginia on how we would present this to the
members, Craig oversaw a very significant and complex ordering process and a team of ‘packers’ ensured that just over 450 hampers were ready for despatch and receipt before Christmas. It was a wonderful success story and it is quite clear that our initial intentions were more than met. The fantastic support from members also provided a much needed and valuable income stream, which added to members staying at the Club and the events in late 2020, assisted our financial position. Thank you all for your support. www.thefarmersclub.com • 05
Charles Abel • Club Chairman
Borders Chairman for 2021
The Club’s 2021 Chairman has a passion for beef, pedigree Limousins and working for the best interests of the farming industry. Charles Abel introduces Keith Redpath BORDERS farmer Keith Redpath first visited The Farmers Club in 1996 when 200 beef farmers gathered prior to visiting 10 Downing Street to present a rib of beef to Prime Minister Tony Blair as part of efforts to rebuild the beef sector post-BSE. Little did he think that 25 years later he would be Chairman of the Club, and that the nation would once again be grappling with a major challenge – this time part of a global pandemic. “It is such an irony that after so many years of working to help the industry recover from some of its biggest challenges, here we are again looking to emerge from yet more disruption.” Key to any rebuilding effort is working together with people, he reflects. “It worked with the beef sector and it will be key for our Club as we look to recover from the current situation. So I’m looking forward to the year ahead, as we return to something closer to normal, supported by the
06 • The Farmers Club New Year 2021
huge efforts of our Executive Team and the various Committees that work with them.” Industry role With up to 350 prime beef animals fattening on potato waste and brewers grains near Kelso ready for export to Europe, it was no surprise that Keith become politically engaged in fighting for the industry and beef in particular, back in the 1990s. The initial BSE compensation policy paid the same £286/head for prime 1000kg beef animals, worth over £2000 each, as a dairy culls worth nearer £200. Keith was part of the discussions at the heart of Government, which successfully over-turned the policy, and eventually led to the creation of the National Beef Association. During the 2001 foot-and-mouth crisis he was again involved in discussions with Defra, the NFU, the Chief Vet, and Government Cobra meetings.
2021 Chairman Keith Redpath with wife Grace at their farm in Kelso, Scotland
Club Chairman • Charles Abel “There was a lot to talk about, plans to make, things to do, solutions to come up with, and often a need to explain how they had it all wrong! It was a real year of disruption. But I’ve always been keen to challenge Government in the interests of farmers,” he recalls. His pragmatic approach saw him take roles within the National Beef Association, including chair of its export committee and chair of SQBLA / QMS’s transport assurance scheme. Additionally, Keith served three consecutive terms as a Council member for the British Limousin Cattle Society and currently serves as both a Trustee and Committee member for the Border Union Agricultural Society, one of only a very few two-day agricultural shows in Scotland. “I never had any aspirations to a career in agri-politics, it was fighting for the sector that was paramount.”
ABOVE:1000acres of arable and a 14,000t grain store lie at the heart of Redpath Farms LEFT: Royal Highland Show 2019 Continental Beefbreeder Champion Redpaths Nobleman
Forays from his home near Kelso in Scotland’s Borders Region to Pentland House in Edinburgh and London during BSE and then Foot-and-Mouth in 2001 are keenly remembered. Meetings at The Farmers Club were a particular highlight. “It was somewhere nice to do business, something everyone in the industry felt, not least the Defra officials involved,” he recalls. Borders Farming The family is steeped in farming and entrepreneurial business. When his father retired in 1991 Keith took over a very diverse range of enterprises, including two garages with retail franchises, forecourt shops, a café/restaurant, and a haulage business with 60 lorries, plus the farm. Rationalisation was necessary and Redpath Farms resulted. It now hinges around 1,000 acres of arable under contract, a 14,000t grain storage business created in 2010, and a small but fascinating pedigree Limousin enterprise. Pedigree Limousins His enthusiasm for livestock breeding goes back to school-days when the family’s Hereford bull was Champion at Perth Bull Sales. Keith built up a herd of 130 pedigree Limousins at one point, and his class-winning bull, Redpaths Nobleman, led the show-winning Inter Breed team at the Royal Highland Show in 2019. In 2005 a bull semen collection business, operating across Scotland for worldwide distribution, was created and subsequently sold. Keith also helped introduce Black Limousins to the UK from North America. Now IVF embryo flushing is used with just a few pedigree Limousins kept at Redpath Farms. Last year 35 IVF embryos were collected from a homebred female, some of which have been placed into cross-bred recipients and the outcome is keenly awaited. Producing a Supreme Champion is definitely unfinished business!
A youthful Keith with Perth Bull Sales Champion Bailieneudd Admiral. Keith is passionate about supporting young people in agriculture through LANTRA and CARAS in Scotland. He is also a fellow of the Royal Agricultural Societies. A strong personality in business, and socially, he has never been frightened to stand up for the good causes he represents. Family man Married to Rev Grace Redpath, Associate Priest at St Andrews Episcopal Church in Kelso, Keith is also a Rector’s Warden. “Grace was ordained over five years ago, having trained for three years prior to that, and thoroughly enjoys it – in many ways it is a step she wishes she took many years ago.” They have three married daughters, all engaged in professions beyond farming.
“I’m looking forward to the year ahead as we return to something closer to normal.” “Fighting for the sector was paramount.”
Keith became a member of The Farmers Club in 2000, joined its General Committee in 2017, and has chaired its Membership Sub-Committee. He has a well-earned reputation for undertaking roles efficiently, with thought, and above all a most gentlemanly persona. Combined with his industry knowledge, business acumen and wide-ranging contacts he is an ideal Chairman for 2021 – a year in which everyone looks forward to The Farmers Club ‘bouncing back with vigour’.
www.thefarmersclub.com • 07
Charles Abel • Farming Prospects
Pointers for 2021 Agriculture Act, Brexit, Climate Change – farming’s ABC is well rehearsed. But how will agriculture respond? Charles Abel identified 10 themes for 2021 at the on-line Oxford Farming Conference
1. BUSINESS AS UN-USUAL
Absolutely! Huge change is afoot and farming is responding. Or, as OFC sees it – “the world stops, but farmers keep farming”. Or as OFC President the Princess Royal put it: “unusual is common to farming”. In its 75th year the OFC engaged with 3000+ delegates via Bitesize seminars and 380-plus at its on-line Conference in January, where ever increasing change and uncertainty dominated www.ofc.org.uk
2. STANDARDS IN FLUX
Standards must focus on maximum benefits, argued Rob Ward, AgriFood Dealmaker at the Department for International Trade. Minimum standards prevent worst offenders, usually, but aspiring to maximums gives consumers more and better. But be careful what is said, since beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The UK food brand should focus on a love triangle of ‘heart’ via trust and belonging; ‘purpose’ through a clear vision, shared beliefs and sustainability; and ‘place’ using provenance, reliability/security and originality/innovation. UK Agri-Food Tech can help, backed by a record £11.2bn in venture capital funding for UK tech companies last year.
08 • The Farmers Club New Year 2021
3. DIVERGING DEVOLVED AG
Farm policies in the UK’s nations are increasingly at odds, questioning the viability of UK-wide trade deals, fair HM Treasury funding, attitudes to standards and the purpose of farm support. Defra Secretary George Eustice insisted single farm payments had driven up rents, inflated input costs and depressed farm-gate prices. That needed unravelling. Devolved administrations felt very differently. Farmers and crofters ‘deserve and earn their support’, providing quality food, landscape and a backbone for rural communities, said Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy, Fergus Ewing. He felt HM Treasury was removing farm support under the guise of environmental payments. Lesley Griffiths, Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs in Wales, wanted a ‘proper value’ placed on environmental benefits as support cuts looked set to leave Welsh farming worse off. Facing a very different Brexit in Northern Ireland Edwin Poots, Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs said food production was a public good that should not be outsourced to overseas producers working to lower standards.
4. GENE EDITING ON MENU
Traditional good farm husbandry must fuse with the best 21st Century technology from the UK’s world-leading agri-science institutes, enthused Defra Secretary George Eustice. Consultation into gene editing in England would be a first step away from the EU’s ‘flawed and stifling’ view that GE must comply with GM rules. Instead, lines that could have emerged naturally, or through traditional breeding, should be handled differently, as in Japan, Australia and Argentina, he said. That could benefit nature and the environment, provide crops resistant to pests, disease or extreme weather, and produce healthier, more nutritious food.
5. MENTAL HEALTH
Anxiety, isolation, financial worries, lockdown – farming needs more support than ever. Recovery stories build hope and spotlight resources that may not have been considered, noted psychiatrist Dr Peter Aitken, helping 6000-plus people a year, especially through the Farming Help partnership www.farminghelp.co.uk Everyone can learn how to spot vulnerability and how to respond, ideally face-to-face, and how to ‘normalise being human’.
Farming Prospects • Charles Abel
6. CHAOTIC CHANGE IS COMING
Phenomenal disruptive technologies are set to transform farming, said sustainability guru John Elkington in the Frank Parkinson lecture. A surge beyond the triple bottom line of people, planet, profit, to more disruptive, dramatic whole system changes, would be exponential and chaotic, but also ‘amazing’, he predicted. UN 2030 goals of no poverty/no hunger demand it and so will younger generations. Precision fermentation outside livestock, creating meat and milk with a far lower carbon footprint and no welfare issues, is just one example. Business models based on regenerative capitalism will drive it, delivering more economic, social and natural capital than they consume. “Dark clouds are everywhere, but the next 12-15 years will see almost unimaginable – but essential – disruption. It will be an incredibly exciting time to be involved.” He urged UK farming to prepare, especially for land being released for new uses, and to explain its future role far more clearly.
7. F OOD SYSTEM REBOOT
Incentives for producing food need to shift, said Professor Tim Benton, leader of the Energy, Environment and Resources programme at Chatham House. With the world currently investing £620bn annually to support commodity food production, mainly grains, it is little wonder the system is so unbalanced, damaging the planet, driving climate change, and hitting human health through bad diets. Perverse incentives mean too little fruit and veg is grown, and too much oil, fat, sugar and protein, causing 20% of ill health and early mortality, and accounting for 5.5 times more deaths globally in 2020 than covid. UK costs linked to an unsustainable food system – in terms of pollution, waste, and ill-health – exceeded the sector’s own economic value, he noted.
8. LEVERAGE ‘FEED THE NATION’
Farming is well placed to exploit its ‘feed the nation’ role during the post-covid recovery, noted Ash Amirahmadi, Managing Director, Arla Foods UK. But with agriculture at a tipping point, and decisionmaking faster than ever, strong leadership, skilled use of data and close collaboration is vital. Use ‘radical transparency’ for consumers and collaboration as a competitive advantage, rather than trying to out-manoeuvre each other, added James Bailey, Executive Director, Waitrose.
9. INSPIRING FARMERS
Draw on heritage, stay passionate, and always ask questions, says Sarah Appleby, who took Appleby Dairy from the 20th century to a 21stC brand, leveraging its farmhouse Cheshire cheese history, as a passionate, personalised, added-value, artisan alternative to industrialised products, by being commercial, but not industrial, with good mentors and an eye to regenerative principles. Zero fear and innovation helped Paul Costello, from Galway, Ireland, develop Grasmilch Brandenburg in former East Germany, adopting a can-do mentality to exploit synergies between arable, pigs, dairy and renewable energy, making 365-day grazed dairying work in predominantly all-housed continental Europe – proving doubters wrong and creating a ‘true grass-based’ milk brand.
10. PRINCIPLES TO FARM BY
Probe world agriculture for new ideas, especially working principles, urged Angus Davison, Chairman of Haygrove, which grew from a 1ha plot of strawberries to a £100m-turnover business growing berries, cherries and organics in the UK, South Africa, Portugal and China as R&D for weather-protecting poly-tunnel growing systems now sold around the world. Some of his pointers: no rules, no boundaries, decide what you love, have a purpose beyond money, enjoy it even when there’s no money, choose allies well, identify step change ideas and zero-in boldly through excellent execution.
“ In its 75th year the OFC engaged with 3000+ delegates via Bitesize seminars and 380-plus at its on-line Conference in January” www.thefarmersclub.com • 09
Philip Whitcomb • Farming Partnerships
Time to get partnerships in line “If you cannot trust your family who can you trust?”
IT is a fact, universally acknowledged amongst professional advisors, that a farming business which is run as a partnership is in want of a decent partnership agreement – in writing, reflecting not only the nuances of conducting an agricultural business on the land, but also the circumstances, dynamics and aspirations of the current partners. It is estimated that 10% of UK businesses are traditional partnerships, but in farming the percentage is significantly higher, with worryingly few having a written and/or up-to-date partnership agreement. There is the added dimension that, in most cases, the co-partners are members of the family. If you cannot trust your family who can you trust? What could possibly go wrong – after all blood is thicker than water? The answer, of course, is that it is just these types of arrangements which can go spectacularly wrong. In the past few years there have been a number of legal cases where there was either no partnership agreement or the agreement did not cover appropriately the circumstance that had arisen.
10 • The Farmers Club New Year 2021
In the Court of Appeal decision of Ham v Ham (2013) EWCA Civ 1301 Lord Justice Briggs commented on the interpretation of particular clauses within a written farming partnership agreement that “it is unhappily common for this type of issue not to be clearly dealt with in partnership agreements. It is an obvious problem in relation to farming partnerships, where the land forms an asset of the firm. It is hoped that, in future, those preparing such agreements will take note of the anxiety, expense and delay which such unnecessary uncertainty can cause”. This case concerned a 178 hectare dairy farm in Frome, Somerset in which the partners consisted of Ron and Jean Ham (husband and wife), and their son, John. The business began in 1966 and John joined the partnership in 1997. The hope and intention of the parents was for John to one day inherit the farm and carry on the business. At first everyone worked well together. But by 2009 it was clear there were material differences on the strategy of the future of the farm. As a result, John resigned from the partnership citing irreconcilable differences with his parents.
Farming Partnerships • Philip Whitcomb
PHILIP WHITCOMB Philip Whitcomb is a partner at Moore Barlow LLP (www.moorebarlow.com) one of the UK’s leading law firms and author of new title A Practical Guide to the Law of Farming Partnerships (lawbriefpublishing.com)
Under the terms of the partnership agreement, the remaining partners had an option to purchase the outgoing partner’s share. But what was its value? The written partnership agreement didn’t cover this adequately. The result was a litigation case ending in the Court of Appeal decision. How many poorly drafted farming partnerships are there with such phrasing? With so much at stake why are there not more good quality agreements? The key is to get the right advice. In the past this was traditionally dealt with by the corporate commercial team within a legal practice. Often this is still the case, but there is a recent trend for private client practitioners also to be intrinsically involved, to address succession planning and/or capital taxation mitigation strategies. The accountant and land agent also have skills and expertise to add. There is also the temptation to put to one side elements that need addressing, but due to circumstances, indecision or lack of communication between partners end up in the “too difficult to think about” category. Points such as :
“ T here is also the temptation to put to one side elements that need addressing… leaving them in the ‘too difficult to think about’ category.”
• 'How will the sweat equity of the younger generation be rewarded? • What happens on the death of a partner? • How will the value of an outgoing partner be valued? • How will non-farming partners be recompensed? • What happens if a partner loses mental capacity? • What would happen in the event of a dispute between partners? Questions around these issues have led to litigation between partners, and that cannot be in the interests of any farming family. Investing in a good partnership agreement is worthwhile in the long run.
Farm labour As many predicted in the horticultural sector, the government has announced… “we are keeping an eye on the situation!” But the fact is that from 1 January 2021 the UK has no access to labour from the EU, and with over 98% of the fruit, veg and flowers being picked in the UK by EU nationals, one could say we have a problem, writes Farmers Club member John
Hardman. However, confirmation that the current pilot scheme is to be extended to 30,000 EU and non-EU workers through four operators, is very positive. It is certainly not all doom and gloom for 2021 and beyond. Furthermore, many of the 4 millionplus EU nationals with pre-settled & settled status started in the UK picking fruit and veg, and then moved to the
Farming brief UK food and drink will feature in the UK Pavilion at World Expo 2021 in Dubai from 1 October 2021 – 31 March 2022. The ‘Innovating for a Shared Future’ exhibit will focus on business collaborations, recovery from the global pandemic and British innovation, in the UK’s most extensive and prestigious presence at a World Expo since it hosted 1852’s first Great Exhibition in London – nine years after The Farmers Club formed. www.great.gov.uk/expo2020
Trade unions have forced the Danish government to reverse a meat ban in state canteens, which would have seen two vegetarian days and beef or lamb only once a week, The Guardian reports. “Changing diet will probably not reduce Denmark’s emissions greatly,” said Copenhagen University’s Katherine Richardson. “Our agricultural sector supplies a global market, so I do not see them producing less because they sell less in Denmark.”
hospitality sector when their countries were given EU membership. They may be a considerable percentage of the unemployed in 2021. The future for farm labour may not be as bleak as many first thought. Growers, however, must not rest on their laurels, and must continue to invest in accommodation, social and working conditions to attract the most efficient workers.
www.thefarmersclub.com • 11
Charles Abel • Dairy Farming as part of a diversified business, including an anaerobic digester. Holy grail But the real Holy grail is de-watered slurry, suggested 2013 winner Bill Higgins, whose family milks 550 cows at Wilderley Hall in Shropshire. “It would solve so many problems and would benefit the arable sector too, the ability to condition tired soils with something we could put a monetary value on. It would revolutionise everything.”
Better dairying
Indeed, more cooperation is needed between arable and dairy across the board, he suggested. “Putting maize on wheels is not ideal, but we’ve aligned with four arable farms to grow ours. It helps them tackle blackgrass, and avoids levels of erosion and compaction on our fields which are better suited to growing grass.” Integrating data across farms was another concern. “Too many systems are still stand-alone,” Mike noted. A new financial system showing live data across the farm was the best money he spent in 2020. A feeder wagon-based system for integrating feed data across the farm was Neil’s best investment. He agreed that data linkage had been ‘extraordinarily poor”.
LABELLING
“The levy needs to go up a lot (to pay for better marketing promotion) – we pay a fraction of what they do in the USA”. Neil Baker, Somerset
“Genetics is everything – having the right cow for your system” Bill Higgins, Shropshire
DAIRY and arable farmers need to cooperate more to address potentially crippling environmental pressures, the annual RABDF Business and Policy Conference heard. A presumption of no planning permission on the Somerset Levels, due to phosphate emissions, was a stark warning. “Securing licences to operate is the biggest threat to our business,” said Neil Baker, one of four previous RABDF/NMR Gold Cup winners in an on-line panel session chaired by Oliver McEntyre, Agriculture Director of Barclays Bank. Environmental permits were a big concern, given their roll out across pig and poultry farms, added 2010 winner Mike King who is expanding from 600 to 700 cows with his brother Chris in South Gloucestershire. Costing £10,000 a time, and renewable, they had taken three and a half years to implement on less than 1000 pig farms. “How on earth are they going to do the whole dairy sector,” he asked. Variable carbon audits were also a worry. “We’ve had audits done for Arla and for Tesco, and the results were different. So which was right,” asked Neil, a fourth-generation dairy farmer milking 2000 cows at Yeovil. Covering slurry stores to cut emissions and retain nutrient value was important, noted 2018 winner Philip Metcalfe, who milks 1300 pedigree Holsteins with his two brothers in North Yorkshire,
12 • The Farmers Club New Year 2021
Labelling to better inform the public of food production standards is to be stepped up, with a consultation into labelling due, said Farming Minister Victoria Prentis. “We import almost 45% of our food at the moment and some of what we import is not at the same level of where we are. However, they do meet our safety standards. What is clear though, is people do care about what they eat.” She also promised more parliamentary scrutiny of trade. “We are committed to making sure standards are not lowered in any future trade agreements including through regulations.”
RABDF Talks View recordings of all the RABDF Conference sessions at: www.rabdf.co.uk/business-policy-conference Mike King
Philip Metcalfe
Neil Baker
Bill Higgins
FROM Sir Charles Burrell’s 3500 acre estate in West Sussex to North Wales and the Highlands of Scotland efforts to return farmland to wild nature are drawing huge attention. It isn’t without controversy. Commentators like Feral author George Monbiot have polarised the debate, arguing for an extreme approach. Many conservationists are conflicted. More understanding of what’s involved, and what’s at stake, is clearly needed. The Farmers Club Charitable Trust financed Geoffrey Guy, Programme Area Manager for Landbased and Environmental Industries at Brooksby Melton College to examine this in 2019. His report on the FCCT website is fascinating reading (www.tfcct.co.uk ). Earlier this winter he joined a Royal Geographical Society seminar where eminent conservationist John Harrold drew powerful messages from his collaborative biodiversity work in Snowdonia. Being clearer about desired outcomes is key, Mr Harrold suggested. Is rewilding solely about creating ‘wild’ environments, benefitting a wide range of species, or focusing on ‘chosen’ species, reflecting the public’s penchant for top-of-thefood-chain predators and big herbivores. Turn the lens around and take a look at the blind woodlice living in the nests of yellow meadow ants, ecosystem engineers that change the landscape in grazed environments, he argued. Not as appealing as the “furry few” and yet key to an entire ecosystem and main food source of the eye-catching green woodpecker. Mr Guy agrees. “The iconic species, the charismatic megafauna, are great to talk about, but rewilding shouldn’t be about single species, it should be about ecosystems, habitats and landscapes. We have within
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me Far rs Cl
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Rewilding redefined?
Th
Rewilding debate • Charles Abel
Charitable Trust
our power in the UK to carefully manage the reintroduction of things like beaver and pine martens, and to improve a whole range of habitats to attract back bird and invertebrates, as they have been so successful with at Knepp with turtle doves, nightingales and purple emperor butterflies.” So, does rewilding need to go back to bare rock or total forestation, or is a landscape influenced by humans for thousands of years, as hunter/gatherers, then farmers, more relevant? Rewilding may change a few thousand acres, but working with farmers to embrace tens of millions of acres will drive far greater biodiversity benefits, Mr Harrold noted. Rewilding to help farmland birds thrive, such as golden plover, lapwing, grey partridge and yellowhammer, whilst making all of farming more sustainable makes sense, Mr Guy agrees. What’s more, in many cases low impact agriculture achieves amazing results. Grazing livestock are vital tools to aid conservation management, which can make low input ancient grasslands ‘biological and ecological marvels’, typically supporting far more biodiversity than ungrazed grasslands. But don’t make assumptions, Mr Guy adds. “Sometimes rewilding serendipitously gives far greater rewards then we expect. For example, in Yellowstone, wolf reintroductions to reduce elk have combined with recovering numbers of other predators to move deer out of river valleys, allowing beavers to recolonise, changing the flow and shape of rivers, and reducing bank side grazing.”
“Rather than farming detracting from nature, it is the combination of traditional practices and the biodiversity that depends on them that gives so much more meaning to landscapes where farms have been in place for centuries, if not millennia.”
MORE INFO www.rgs.org – search rewilding www.snowdonia-society.org.uk www.rewildingbritain.org.uk www.tfcct.co.uk
www.thefarmersclub.com • 13
Andrew Brown • Member’s View
Farming brief Evidence of help for US farmers emerged at the 2020 AIC Conference. The USDA’s huge resources have been committed to raise agricultural production 40% by 2050, whilst halving environmental impacts. US-based Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture is using USDA metrics to show how environmental footprints have fallen 30-50% since the 1980s and is seeking recognition by other sustainability standards around the world to aid exports. www. fieldtomarket.org
“I missed seeing the eager faces arriving on the bus, and the questions they ask in the sitdown session in the barn.”
ANDREW BROWN 07801 057417 twbfarms@aol.com @farmerabrown www.visitourfarm.co.uk www.rutlandcricketcentre. co.uk
Howzat – not out! Committee member Andrew Brown takes an up-beat perspective to dispel any winter gloom
LAST year was a write off – in so many ways! Diluvial rain followed by the warmest, driest spring anyone can remember. Combined with a lack of neonicotinoid seed treatment it meant I harvested 14.5t from 64 acres of oilseed rape! No more OSR here until a flea beetle solution is found. Then of course there is the C word – which threw all our lives into turmoil. Well most of our lives anyway. As farmers I think we are extremely lucky to be able to carry on with our businesses without too much disruption. Being out in the countryside amongst nature is something we must never take for granted. Imagine being couped up in a small flat in a high-rise block with several small children under the age of five. What a nightmare! Reconnecting the public with nature and teaching them about how and why we farm has been a central theme throughout my farming career. We have hosted thousands of school children on the farm and see first-hand the interest and wonder in these young minds as they learn where their food comes from. Last year we had no visits. I missed seeing the eager faces arriving on the bus, and the questions they ask in the sitdown session in the barn. Schools are still genuinely interested in coming to the farm, but it is how we organise it in a covid-safe way which will be the challenge. As a
14 • The Farmers Club New Year 2021
farmer I am an optimist (you must be in this business) and remain hopeful that by spring we will be back hosting visits. Cricket diversification Meanwhile, finding ways to make more of our farm assets is vital. I am a keen cricketer and after missing a hook shot last year, and getting a ball in the eye, I decided I should have some coaching! Interestingly, the coaches said they struggle to find suitable locations for winter nets. Sports halls and schools prefer aerobics classes and the like, which bring many more paying participants than a couple of cricket nets. It got me thinking – I have part of a barn I only use for the summer months, which is just the right shape and size for three full size nets…! Nearly a year later the nets were up, the matting down, bowling machines at the ready and ECB standard lighting switched on for a tremendous first night. The interest on social media has been amazing, with excellent forward bookings. It looks like it could be a big hit for the local cricketing community. Despite all the doom and gloom there is always cause for optimism. I for one am looking forward to getting on the front foot – even on the sticky wicket we seem to have been given.
Club Services • Craig Barclay-Godfrey
Welcome to my new regular page that will appear in the Journal. Going forward it will contain my latest recommendations of exhibitions, shows, experiences and attractions and generally what’s on in London, to help you plan your next trip. As I write, for reasons Covid, it is a little difficult to know which of these ideas will still go ahead. But with New Year’s resolutions now broken and the prospect of spring days coming, I thought I would focus on some family fun days out for when lockdown is eased.
ArcelorMittal Orbit Skyline & Aquatic Centre Remember 2012 when rather than Brexit and Covid it was the Olympics that filled the news? The country was a flurry of excitement! Here you can relive the moment. Based in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park the ArcelorMittal Orbit is a much-overlooked London attraction and one of the iconic symbols of the London 2012 Games. It has wonderful views over the London skyline, including the City and Canary Wharf in one vista and for kids and big kids alike, the world’s longest and tallest tunnel slide is a must! The London Aquatics Centre is well worth a visit offering a wide-ranging programme of activities; fun family sessions, lane swimming and diving.
Transport of London Museum A short walk from the Club, the Transport of London Museum takes you on an extraordinary journey through time from horse power to the present day, with loads of contraptions to clamber aboard. Fun and educational for all ages.
Tower Bridge Walkways One of London’s most loved venues, Tower Bridge, offers unforgettable panoramic views over London with its glass walkways offering visitors an incredible birds-eye view of London life, 42m above the River Thames. The Victorian Engine Rooms house the huge and beautifully maintained coal-driven engines that were once used to power the Bridge lift (it also has a great shop by the way!). I would always advise to time your visit to coincide with the bridge lift, quite amazing to see.
Museum of London The Museum of London is the only museum which documents the history of the UK’s capital city from prehistoric to modern times including interactive stations and film screenings. Please contact me at memexpmanager@thefarmersclub.com and I will help you plan, book and ensure you all have a great time.
Craig Barclay-Godfrey Membership Experience Manager
www.thefarmersclub.com • 15
Andrei Spence • Obituary BORN on 30 May 1926, Derek was the youngest of four sons to a farming family in Gloucestershire. His education at Crypt Grammar School ended abruptly in 1940 when, aged 14, he returned home to help run the family farm with his brother Brian until 1947 and the return of his elder brothers from war service. The brothers tossed a coin to see who would carry on with the farm. Derek lost and left with £21 on a mission to get an education and make his way in the world. Following a stint as a tractor driver he began in earnest what became a life marbled with education, gaining a scholarship to the Royal Agricultural College Cirencester, and winning the best student of the year award. This was followed by a correspondence course with the British Institute of Management, which led to the publication of his book ‘Farm Business Management – Applications and Principles’. He also studied Law, English Literature, Economics, Philosophy, and Business Management over an 11 year period. Advanced Farm Management In 1961 he was the first UK agriculturalist to attend Harvard University’s Advanced Management Course, a direct result of which was his setting up ‘The Advanced Farm Management Course’ at Wye College in 1963. Derek’s farming career took in positions as a Farm Manager at Manor Farm, Stanford in the Vale (1948-51), Farm Manager to the Earl of Bathurst at Taltton Farms in Cirencester (1951-59), during which time he married Nancy, his wife of 67 years, before moving to Cambridge to become Managing Director of the Haim’s 8,000 acre estate. In 1964 he bought Oaks farm in Norfolk, which he eventually sold in 2007. Between 1967-70 he was Managing Director of Eastern Counties Farmers, the UK’s second largest agricultural cooperative, with over 900 employees, returning it to profit before he left. Farming interests With the unstinting support of his wife Nancy, Derek was highly influential on the national farming stage, becoming Chairman of The Farmers Club in 1973, chairing the Oxford Farming Conference and becoming Master of the Worshipful Company of Farmers in 1985. Derek’s year as Chairman of The Farmers Club started on the very day of the UK’s accession to the EEC on 1 January 1973. That topic shaped talks and debates at the Club that year, including meat production, exporting and the future of the milk industry in the EEC. He also introduced the concept of seminars on agricultural topics, which constituted talks followed by debate rather than paper reading followed by questions. This proved very popular.
16 • The Farmers Club New Year 2021
Derek George Pearce Club Chairman in 1973
The first significant event of his year was the visit of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, The Rt Hon J B Godber MP, who addressed the Club on many aspects of food production and marketing, and the continuing EEC negotiations. Derek was a very keen and enthusiastic cheerleader for the Under 30s and brought considerable impetus to expanding its numbers and activity. He secured the attendance of the Rt Hon Jeremy Thorpe MP and esteemed news broadcaster Robert Dougal to The Farmers Club Annual Dinner, an event attracting 1000 people at Grosvenor House. A self-made man with charm and supreme eloquence, Derek died on 11 November 2020 leaving his widow, Nancy, three children, Shirley, Jenny and George, seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Andrei Spence Club Chief Executive
“Derek’s year as Chairman of The Farmers Club started on the very day of the UK’s accession to the EEC on 1 January 1973.” “A self-made man with charm and supreme eloquence.”
Member Business • Charles Abel
Farming briefs Peter Sharpley (left) and Tom Arthey (right) at Croft Farm Barn Holiday Lettings
Cereals to B&B ARABLE farmers J P and M Sharpley and Son timed a major diversification project perfectly, completing a series of traditional barn conversions just in time to meet surging demand from the covid-induced staycation market. Their three exclusive holiday cottages in Thornhaugh, Peterborough, near Stamford, were made possible by a Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) Growth Programme grant to fund 40% of the cost of works. It has not only provided a diversified income stream for the farm, but also supported local businesses in the building, fitting and servicing of the cottages, and helped provide ongoing work for local businesses, including cleaners and laundry services. Options for guests to pre-order goods from local farms and shops are planned. Furniture and fittings were mostly sourced locally.
“We are thrilled that with the RDPE grant we have been able to not only bring life back to an old farmhouse at the centre of the village, but also that we are now making use of what were completely unused barns,” says Peter Sharpley, a member of The Farmers Club. Completing the project in time to welcome paying guests during the covid pandemic was particularly satisfying, adds director Tom Arthey. “In what has no doubt been a turbulent year, the Sharpley family worked hard at keeping the project rolling and launching it to take advantage of a new generation of ‘staycationers’, whilst ensuring the accommodation complies with the latest Covid-19 guidelines.” Whilst RDPE Growth Programme funding had closed for new applications at the time of writing, ensuring future grants fit client diversification projects to maximise existing and unused assets is important, he adds.
With flexible accommodation for up to 18 guests across three properties marketed exclusively by Sykes Cottages, the 400 year old Croft Farm Barn Holiday Lettings are a local conservation project, with the application for the RDPE grant taking 18 months from the concept through to confirmation that the funding had been awarded in July 2019. The cottages were completed and welcomed their first guests in early October 2020.
“To see a completely redundant set of buildings finished to such a high standard is a great example of the kind of diversification that farms should be looking to undertake to maximise existing and unused assets”
RSK Wilding, launched by ADAS owner RSK Group, is helping clients offset carbon emissions and meet biodiversity net gain (BNG) requirements via plans ranging from no action, to recreating meadows or introducing dormice or beavers to a site, and carbon sequestration. Target clients include developers seeking BNG for planning permission. Exploit all factors to create productive, regenerative, inter-connected, resilient farming, says Pieter de Wolf, Farm of the Future leader at The Netherlands’ Lelystad University. “Don’t empty the toolbox – we want to and should use all tools available. Being clear about challenges and responding as individual businesses is key.” www.farmofthefuture.nl Trials of a novel water retention product in south west England could help farmers lift soil quality and cut flooding and pollutant run-off. With Innovate UK funding Rescaype UK is assessing the cost-efficient use of WaterscaypeX in Environment Agencylisted critical soil and water areas, Drinking Water Safe Zones and Nitrate Vulnerable Zones. The soil improver is based on m-PAM, a foodgrade flocculant.
Tom Arthey
www.thefarmersclub.com • 17
Martin Shaw • Golf Club
Farming Figures X
A look at… the fast changing face of UK farming… told through some key statistics
£4.1bn
Defra estimate of 2020 total income from farming (profit), 21% down on 2019, due to poor weather and covid supply chain issues
€1.17bn
Annual turnover of French firm Kuhn, Europe’s largest farm machinery maker
£740m profit
English farm diversification in 2018-19
300x
Rise in efficiency/sqm of producing animal feed protein from insects rather than soya, says £10m-Gov’t supported Entocycle
70%
Yield loss due to beet virus yellows in absence of neonicotinoid seed treatment
-£542/ha
Nix 2021 ave lowland beef/sheep farm loss pre-support/diversification/rent & finance
£6460/acre
Ave sales price of stocked forestry land (39% up in 12 months to Oct 2020)
£850,328
Record list price of John Deere X9 1100 combine plus 12.1m HDX header
9%
Rise in farm lending by AMC in 2019
30m
Grid for detailed soil map of 880 million hectares of potential farmland in Africa Sources: FW, FG, Defra, Rothamsted Research
18 • The Farmers Club New Year 2021
Golf Report We all know what a difficult year 2020 has been and the Club golf calendar fell victim to the Covid-19 crisis too, apart from three events, reports Golf Secretary Martin Shaw. With the original lockdown lifted, and despite the understandable reluctance of members wishing to meet, 17 of us assembled at Blackwell on 9 July. It had been decided not to compete for the Club Championship. Those who attended really appreciated the excellent welcome provided by Blackwell Club and despite poor weather Charles Wylie won the competition. Badgemore Park Golf Club, Henley gave us the opportunity to compete for the John Aliston Tankard which was won by Richard Macdonald
with 39 points, second was Geoff Matthews three points behind. To comply with Covid regulations our meal afterwards was served outside. How good it was to socialise with Club members, despite an extremely violent thunderstorm nearly flooding the dining patio. My thanks to Martin Taylor for his help in organising the meeting. In early October Woking Golf Club hosted the annual Bath Club Cup, which was much enjoyed by our team of David Reading, Edward Golland, Richard Macdonald and Geoff Matthews, although they did not win the Cup this time. With better news and vaccines on the horizon, Captain Neil Stoddard and I hope we are able to fulfil the 2021 fixtures detailed below.
FARMERS CLUB GOLF FIXTURES 2021 APRIL Friday 30
v EPICS @ New Zealand Golf Club
MAY Friday 7 v NFU @ Newbury and Crookham Golf Club Wednesday 12 v BVAGS @ Llanymynech Golf Club Tuesday 18 v New Club @ Luffness New Golf Club Wednesday 19 v HCEG @ Muirfield Golf Club JUNE Sunday 6 Monday 7 Tuesday 22
(Meal with XL Club on Sunday to be arranged) v XL Club @ Rye Golf Club v WRNFU @ Thrybergh (Rotherham) Golf Club
JULY Wednesday 14 Club Championship @ Blackwell Golf Club AUGUST Thursday 26
John Alliston Tankard @ Stratford upon Avon Golf Club
SEPTEMBER Sunday 12 Monday 13
Autumn Meeting @ Pannal Golf Club Autumn Meeting @ Harrogate Golf Club
Head Chef & Director of Food • Paul Hogben
A Beast has Stirred
IN late September my mind wandered as to how we could engage with you during these difficult times. How could l offer you, your family and friends a food experience at home, whilst still enjoying the products that you expect when you dine with us at the Club? Would my suppliers be able to help me with this and could it all be put together in time for Christmas? Then a thought hit me… and the “A Taste of The Farmers Club” Hamper was conceived. After many a ZOOM meeting with my suppliers, we sent out marketing for The Farmers Club first ever hamper. The day we went into the 2nd National lockdown, the Kitchen & Restaurant team all had a guess at what number of orders we might expect to see on our return. Well, no one was even close to the massive response we had, and orders just kept coming in. Craig, Member Experience Manager, was desperately trying to keep up with the incoming orders and I was constantly updating my numbers, revising amounts we would need to be producing and talking to suppliers about how the numbers
were jumping daily. Then we hit the closing date and the fun began. How many Chefs could l bring out of Furlough to run The Restaurant and how many would l need to produce foods for the hampers? Do we have enough room to store everything as it starts arriving? This was going to be a massive team effort from organising deliveries, producing the contents, packing the baskets and getting them dispatched. It was all hands on deck! As I write this we hope we’ve made all the right decisions and you, your family, friends and anyone else that ordered one will have enjoyed them. To note all the cauliflower trimmings from the production of the piccalilli were made into soup, the majority of which we dispatched to a Homeless Kitchen that one of my Chefs was volunteering at.
“No one was even close to guessing the massive response we had.” “It was all hands on deck!”
You might be asking: “What else does he have planned for 2021?” Well, l do have some other ideas, but they are not for this page. Watch out for more information in due course! Enjoy! Chef
www.thefarmersclub.com • 19
Eleanor Kay, Chairman; Alice Hind, Vice Chairman • Under 30s
Chairman’s Jottings
MOST Chairmen have used their February Jottings to reflect on the past year and then hand over to a new Chairman. So, it feels strange to instead be planning for the year ahead. Early in the summer the Under 30s Committee met and voted to extend the Chairmanship and Vice-Chairmanship by one year. Members of the Committee will also remain in post for one further year, regardless of whether they have been in position for three years. We will have two additional Committee places available; details of how to apply can be found on this page. Having changed jobs in December I was really looking forward to spending more time in London. Sadly, after eight days in my new office, London went to Tier 3 and we were back working from home. I am now in the odd situation of working from the same desk I have been working from since March 2020, but doing an entirely different job. Nevertheless, I am enjoying getting to grips with my new role and the ins and outs of international trade. I am getting through this lockdown by making plans for the garden and even bigger plans for travelling. While the Club remains closed, we will continue to host online events and make plans for in person events as soon as possible. Please visit our “The Farmers Club U30s” Facebook page to keep up to date. I look forward to seeing you all soon.
Application Open for Committee Places
2021
This year the Under 30s Committee will be increasing its numbers with two new voting members. The Committee currently consists of nine voting members, including Chairman and Vice-Chairman, the immediate past Chair and two Jill Willows Scholars. With increased workloads and greater planning needed for events it was decided that the Committee should increase its numbers. This is an excellent opportunity for two members who would like to get involved in the organisation of the Under 30s. In line with the Farmers Club Under 30s Guidelines anyone who has been a member for over 12 months is eligible to apply to sit on the Committee. A Committee place is held for three years and then that member can either stand for re-election, or as vice-chair then chair, or can stand down. Our election process was new for Under 30s Committee selection last year, with the intention of adding transparency to how the group works. As a Committee member you are expected to take part in organising Club events, be an ambassador for the whole of the Farmers Club, encourage new members and actively welcome and set precedent for new members. Committee members are also expected to attend as many events as possible, along with Committee meetings the morning after. During the pandemic this has been slightly different - but meetings have still been held virtually.
Contact Eleanor for more information: Eleanor Kay UK Agricultural Specialist, London Under 30s Chairman 2020/21 07964 909108 • eleanorkay@live.co.uk
20 • The Farmers Club New Year 2021
For an application form please look out for an email, see our Facebook page or contact Eleanor at eleanorkay@live.co.uk with the subject: FC U30s Application. The Under 30s Committee
Under 30s Calendar FEBRUARY 17 AND 25 Join us for Virtual Drinks MARCH 10, 18 AND 26 Join us for Virtual Drinks APRIL 7, 15 AND 23 Join us for Virtual Drinks MAY New Member Weekend* JUNE Dinner at the Club* JULY Cocktail Evening* AUGUST Dinner at the Club* SEPTEMBER Farm Walk* OCTOBER Dinner at the Club* NOVEMBER Farm Walk* DECEMBER Festive Dinner at the Club* * Dates to be confirmed depending on Covid situation
Under 30s • Eleanor Kay, Chairman; Alice Hind, Vice Chairman
On-line update Under 30s Chair Eleanor Kay and Vice-Chair Alice Hind chat to Georgina Knock about what is in store for 2021
Eleanor Kay
Georgina Knock
Eleanor: “Hello & Happy New Year! I am Eleanor Kay, Under 30s Chair, and I recently moved jobs after working in policy for a long time. Now I am a UK Agricultural Specialist, which I am really enjoying, as it brings lots of international perspectives.
Alice Hind
“I joined the Farmers Club in 2014, shortly after graduating, to extend my networking. I remember going to a drink’s reception for prospective members – I met loads of people and had such a good time! “It didn’t take long until I joined the Committee and was very quick to put my hand up and help organise. That led me to be Chairman in the weirdest year we’ve ever had, but I am looking forward to a second go in 2021.” Alice: “Hi, I am Alice Hind, Vice-Chair last year and this year. I joined the Farmers Club in 2015, after going as a guest to the Under 30s Farm walk in the Isle of White. I absolutely loved it and felt I really needed to join! I am in the Headship team at a Primary School in Westminster, and passionate for all children to understand where their food comes from.”
Last year was tough, what were the Under 30s highlights for you both?
Alice: “The Cocktail evening was just fantastic! I spent it with a fellow committee member, Emily Pile – we had so much fun!”
Eleanor: “A really strange year, especially after such a fun New Members weekend in February. It was great to see how quickly we moved online, including some nice informal drinks and the brilliant Cocktail evening! It was so well-received, really enjoyable and completely took us away from the pandemic.”
Finally, as a bit of fun and because we are part of the Ag industry, do you have a favourite vegetable or fruit?
CONTACT “The Farmers Club U30s” on Facebook email administrator@ thefarmersclub.com
Alice: “The thing I grow with every child I work with, to show everybody can grow something, no matter how much space they have, is garlic. It is one of the small miracles – you see lightbulb moments, as children realise they can associate with this, even if they live in the tiniest city flat.”
What three words would you use to describe 2020? Eleanor: “I’d start with exhausting, then reset and lastly connection – from being out in the garden I have spoken to my neighbours more than ever!” Alice: “For me, challenge, hope and community.”
Looking forward to 2021, what is in store for the Under 30s? Eleanor: “We are excited to have dates for physical and online events, hooray, and plans for two Farm Walks, a New Members Weekend, five Dinners, and if and when Ag shows go ahead I think we will look to do formal or informal meet-ups at those.” Alice: “Farmers do not stop, therefore Under 30s do not stop. We’ll be adapting and making the most of it. For example, we’re considering regional events. If people have ideas please put them forward!”
Eleanor: “Apples, are simply brilliant! I never appreciated their diverse genetics until I started looking for some for my garden. They are good for pollinators, and birds, and can be cooked in so many ways. 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 Barclay Forrest OBE, Sir Mark Hudson KCVO, Peter Jackson CBE, Mrs Susan Kilpatrick OBE, Roddy Loder-Symonds, John Parker, Norman Shaw CBE THE COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT OF THE CLUB 2021 VICE PRESIDENTS Paul Heygate, Julian Sayers
Travelling to the Club…
The cleaning regime on the Overground, London Underground and buses is as follows;
PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN Keith Redpath
• Using long-lasting hospitalgrade cleaning substances that kill viruses and bacteria on contact
TRUSTEES Nicki Quayle (Chairman), Tim Bennett, Peter Jinman OBE, Jimmy McLean
• Cleaning key interchanges more frequently throughout the day
VICE-CHAIRMAN John Lee OBE DL
• Trialling continuous UV cleaning of escalator handrails
HONORARY TREASURER Richard Maunder IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN Allan Stevenson CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND SECRETARY Andrei Spence CLUB CHAPLAIN The Reverend Dr Sam Wells COMMITTEE Elected 2018 to serve from 2019 to 2021 inclusive: Fiona Fell, Meurig Raymond CBE DL, John Hardman, Andrew Brown JP (re-elected) Elected 2019 to serve from 2020 to 2022 inclusive: Sue Bullock, Sarah Cowlrick, Kevin Beaty (re-elected), John Lee OBE DL (re-elected), Karen Mercer (re-elected), Christopher Riddle (re-elected) Elected 2020 to serve from 2021 to 2023 inclusive: Alan Plumb, Anthony Snell, Tony Bell, Ian Bell OBE (re-elected) Co-opted: Eleanor Kay (Chairman Under 30s), Alice Hind (Vice Chairman Under 30s) THE FARMERS CLUB CHARITABLE TRUST TRUSTEES Stephen Fletcher (Chairman), Vic Croxson DL, Meryl Ward MBE, Des Lambert OBE, Nick Green, James Squier, The Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Club (ex officio). Patron Mrs Stella Muddiman
NEXT ISSUE The next issue of the Farmers Club Journal, due with members in April, will include reports on Club activities, including Spring events in London, plus plans for the Summer, and a Farmers Club Charitable Trust study.
22 • The Farmers Club New Year 2021
We’re looking forward to seeing you back at the Club just as soon as lockdown restrictions are eased. For some, travelling on public transport is still a concern, so I thought it might be an idea to let you know what life has been like on public transport during the pandemic. I have been travelling on the tube for 90% of my working life. It’s my haven of peace at the beginning and end of the day, where no mobile phone call can reach me for that precious 50 minutes each way. A place to think, take stock, listen to music and have some “me” time. She has carried me to and from work for many years (please don’t start wondering how old I am) and the grand old lady certainly does a wonderful job of carrying millions to their destination. However, I will say, as a seasoned traveller the tube has never been as clean as it is now. Of course you might say that’s only due to the decrease in the number of users but no, it is quite simply sparkling. The majority of people are wearing masks, eradicating most of the chat and they social distance where they can. I can honestly say I feel safer on the tube than I do in my local supermarket.
• Wiping down all touch surfaces daily on buses, such as poles and doors with strong disinfectant • Train staff can also be seen cleaning their way down the carriages during the journey In addition and for those who like the more scientific approach, scientists from Imperial College London have been swabbing the tube and for the second test in a row they have found no traces of Covid-19 on surfaces and in the air, on London Underground or the city’s buses… The network tested Negative! I hope this provides some comfort and if you are still unsure contact Craig, Member Experience Manager memexpmanager@ thefarmersclub.com and he will arrange taxis for you from your over ground station to the Club. Virginia Masser General Manager
Club Information • The Farmers Club Deaths It is with regret that we announce the death of the following members: Mr A Ashby Surrey Dr D Blight Cornwall Mr A Burton Bedfordshire Mr J Clewlow Staffordshire Mr L Lewis Gloucestershire Mr A Manson Aberdeenshire Mr H Mouland Kent Mr J Payne Suffolk Mr D Pearce Norfolk Mr B Read Norfolk Mr D Roberts Essex Mr M Roberts Kent Dr P Robertshaw Glamorgan Mr W Rogers-Coltman Shropshire Lord D Shutt of Greetland Yorkshire Mr W Simpson East Lothian Mr P Tarrant Essex Mrs M Waterhouse Cheshire Mr P Watkins Glamorgan New Members The following were elected: UK Members Mr M Beard Mr S Bulleyment Mr R Crowe Ms E Fox Mr T Gent Mr S Gerner Mr J Gibbons Mr A Gott Mr R Gray Mr J Green Mrs S Harris Dr G Iley Mr A Jenkins Mrs D Martin Mr A Melton Ms C Prince Miss E Pryor Mr C Simkins Mrs S Stewart
Angus London Yorkshire Warwickshire Berkshire Durham Norfolk Berkshire Yorkshire Northamptonshire Aberdeenshire Brecknockshire Berkshire Gloucestershire Norfolk Derbyshire London Kent Carmarthenshire
Under 30s Mr T Baker-Cresswell Mr B Brown Mr A Burden Miss G Crabb Mr C Crabb Miss O Easby
Northumberland Rutland Essex Northamptonshire Northamptonshire London
Dear Member
Mr W Gilbert Miss K Grubb Mr J Halford Miss K Harris Mr W Miles Mr A Moran Miss H Needham Mr C Padulli Mr H Parrott Miss E Paterson Miss M Prentis Miss A Pryor Mr W Pryor Mr J Robb Miss H Robson Mr F Simmons Mr T Simmons Mr G Strawson Mr H Strawson Miss A Strawson Mr C Williams Miss E Williams Mr C Wilson Miss S Wilson Associate - Whitehall Court Miss J Diver Mr O Epp
Somerset London Devon Aberdeenshire Cheshire Yorkshire Staffordshire Cambridgeshire Staffordshire Lanarkshire Oxfordshire Cornwall Cornwall Bedfordshire Gloucestershire Cumberland Cumberland London Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire Sussex Yorkshire London London London London
Honours and Awards It is a privilege to congratulate the following members on becoming an Honorary Member of The Farmers Club in recognition of 50 years’ membership. Mrs M Bent Gloucestershire Mr G Butler Hampshire Mr W Colbatch-Clark Montgomeryshire Mr R Coles Hampshire Mr A Forsyth Warwickshire Mr R Fuller Kent Mr L Jordan Essex Mr W Lees-Jones Cheshire Mrs D Maltby Dorset Mr J McGuffie Gloucestershire Miss D Montague OBE Kent Mrs S Nix Kent Mr C Orme Yorkshire Mr G Paul Suffolk Dr A Snowdon Cambridgeshire Mr R Spilman York Mr B Tims Staffordshire Mr P Vero Warwickshire Mrs V Washbourne Yorkshire
To keep you up to date with what is happening in your Club we are sending you the following communications in addition to your Journal. 1) The Chief Executive Newsletter from the General Office email address, on a Friday. Providing general news about your Club. 2) The latest Club “need to know,” “offer” or “benefit to you” from the General Manager email address, once a week. Some may feel you are getting bombarded with communication but it is our way of keeping you as up to date as we can, as fast as we can. So, please take a quick look before you press the delete button, otherwise you may miss something of great value!
Club Contacts THE FARMERS CLUB
Serving the farming industry for 178 years 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL
Chairman 2021: Keith Redpath
Chief Executive and Secretary: Andrei Spence
Club Email: generaloffice@thefarmersclub.com 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 & Director of Food 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
Thank you Virginia & Andrei
www.thefarmersclub.com • 23
The Season of New Beginnings
Here at the Club our thoughts are looking forward to springtime as the days slowly get longer and lighter, the birds start to sing, trees along the Thames turn green and the Terrace planting begins to bloom. The clocks going forward and Easter arriving bringing renewal and hope and of course the cosy spring sunshine rising, making your soul smile. Succulent new season lamb, jersey potatoes, asparagus, spring greens and lobster will grace the menu.
Contact Craig, your Member Experience Manager, to arrange your visit.
Your comfort and safety within the Club is our priority.
We have an interconnecting family bedroom in the Garden Suite.
The Farmers Club “Teddy in Town� awaits our younger members to take him out for a treat.
Take that well-earned break away from home and come to your home from home for a couple of days. To book your bedroom email reservations@thefarmersclub.com To come and sample some Simply Cooked, Seasonal Quality British Food, make your Restaurant reservation by emailing; restaurant@thefarmersclub.com
Looking forward to welcoming you and your family during the Season of New Beginnings.
