Farmers Club WINTER 2022 • ISSUE 292
www.thefarmersclub.com
INSIDE Chairman’s Comments p3 Club News p4 Global finance lecture p8 Farmers Club Cup p9 Charitable Trust p10 International team p11 Oxford Conference p12 Biodiversity benefits p14 Terroir truth p16 Craig’s Corner p17 Farming figures p18 Golf schedule p18 Chef’s page p19 Under 35s p20 Club Info p23
INSERTS Members Information Sheet FC/BCPC Seminar Group Enterprise Membership
Devon Chairman John Lee OBE DL chairs the Club in 2022 p6
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Contents
Farmers Club Serving the farming industry for 179 years 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL Patron – Her Majesty The Queen
FRONT COVER John Lee OBE DL is your Club Chairman for 2022, pictured here at Westpoint, venue of the Devon County Show, near his Shobrooke, Crediton home
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
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Club News
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New Chairman
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Global finance
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Club cup
Chairman John Lee takes a timely look at all that is happening in the Club, the farming sector and across the nation Club services continue to be provided to the same high standard as ever, when Government and media interventions permit
Devon farmer John Lee reflects on his journey from Bicton College via YFC, Brussels and Defra to be your Club Chairman Just how are financial markets responding to the tremendous pressures caused by Covid? Deglobalisation could ensue
Each year the cup is presented to a key farming figure
10 Charitable Trust
The professional forum met to discuss The Challenge of Eliminating Food and Fuel Poverty in the UK
11 International Team
The Club staff is drawn from 14 different countries
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12 Oxford Farming Conference
Insights into the sector’s annual agenda-setting event
14 Biodiversity gain
How can landowners and farmers benefit as society’s focus increasingly shifts towards environmental issues?
16 Terroir truth
Terroir for farm products – why not? It works for whisky
17 Craig’s Corner
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A few ideas to banish the New Year blues and to give you some outing options for your next trip to the Club
18 Club golf
A review of 2021 and a look forward to plans for 2022
19 Chef ’s page
Looking forward to a flavoursome Spring menu
21 Under 35s
Alice Hind is the new Chairman as a six month trial commences to extend the junior section’s membership to Under 35s
22 Club Information and Contacts 02 • The Farmers Club Winter 2022
Chairman’s Comments • John Lee on our premises in 2086. It’s not far away when you consider the money we need to raise. Events calendar In 2021 past Chairman, Keith Redpath, organised an impressive range of trips and visits, despite the limitations of Covid. I am currently working closely with the Executive Team to develop a predominantly UK-focused programme for 2022. Queen’s Platinum Jubilee I am keen for my Club year to reflect the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Her Majesty is our Club patron and it is right that we reflect her unique and significant service to the country. The Royal Family’s interest in agriculture has been extremely strong, which links very well with the Club’s service, at its own level, to the country and farming.
Chairman’s Comments “Throughout the pandemic it is clear that the Club’s greatest strength has been its dedicated and loyal staff team.” “I am keen for my Club year to reflect the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.”
PRODUCING my first Chairman’s Comments gives me a wonderful opportunity to reflect on just how much we have all benefited from your Committee and Executive working so hard to get the Club open and delivering all we have come to love and expect, despite almost two years of disruption. The Omicron variant has not helped confidence, but those who have visited the Club will have seen all the measures our team have put in place to make any visit or stay as safe and as enjoyable as it has ever been, while the necessary measures are as unobtrusive as possible. It has been such a pleasure to see life return to Whitehall Court and I very much hope that will continue as we adjust to the “new normal”. Coping with Covid has been a challenge – here in the South-West the Devon County Show was the UK’s first county show to restart last year. It was not easy. We had to mitigate the Covid risk, but we managed to, and people came out and supported us, making it a very successful year indeed. I believe our Club has been doing much the same. Throughout the pandemic it is clear that the Club’s greatest strength has been its dedicated and loyal Club team, which has done such a wonderful job of maintaining the forward momentum at 3 Whitehall Court. Member services But staffing is also a big challenge. Finding new staff so we can deliver the services members need is not easy. Yet, despite all the pressures, there has been no dip in standards, in the kitchen or anywhere. You can still expect the same high quality service and welcome when you visit. The challenge we now face is to rebuild the balance sheet, so we can continue investing in the Club and work towards the renewal of the lease
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Our countryside is certainly going through big changes, adapting to the shift from a European agricultural policy to a home-grown one. We all know the greater emphasis on rewards for delivering public benefits, including net zero agriculture by 2040. To reflect this I hope our Club Tour to Devon in late June / early July will include visits to the Met Office in Exeter to hear about the science of climate change, a large estate pioneering new ways of farming, a food producer that supplies the Club, and the Devon County Show afterwards, for those who wish to stay on. Young farmers Throughout my career I have been involved with the industry’s young people, especially through the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs. Young people are clearly the future of our industry. We need to invest in them, in their optimism and enthusiasm. They are future leaders and are likely to be the ones who grasp new technologies to develop agriculture and work towards net zero. Within the Club we are now looking at the merits of raising the cut off age for members in our junior section. It is proposed that the section becomes the Under 35s, which has a lot of support. The potential benefits of sustaining the interest of junior members as they develop their careers cannot be over-stated. This is now on trial. Sitting in the middle of the most vibrant city in the world, and yet feeling like you are almost in the middle of the countryside when you cross its threshold, our Club is a truly unique institution. The comradeship and friendliness of members means you will never feel alone whilst here. We are open for business, with high quality service, and hopefully a programme that is attractive to those actively involved in agriculture, their family members and the support industries. The importance of getting away from the farm and the business, to think and to relax, has never been more important. I look forward to meeting you in the Club and at events across the country.
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The Farmers Club Page
www.thefarmersclub.com • 03
Andrei Spence • Club News
Club News
Club Matters
Club steps into 2022 positively
The last quarter was busy for the Club with very important meetings of the F&GP Committee in mid-October to consider budget proposals, which were passed to the General Committee for ratification in November. Whilst acknowledging the likely uncertainty in 2022 the General Committee was content with the partially cautious approach and accepted the budget.
It was all set to be a pretty stellar last quarter of the year for the Club, with very strong occupancy rates and vibrant figures for food and beverage in the Restaurant and Conference & Banqueting writes Club Secretary & Chief Executive Andrei Spence.
The General Committee also bade farewell to Andrew Brown who completed his time on Committee and also to Honorary Treasurer Richard Maunder after five years in the role. We thank both for their service to the Club over many years and wish them well for the future.
There was a strong return of those businesses who hold their meetings at the Club, and a surge in personal/family/social gatherings in our function rooms. With increasing numbers fully vaccinated and ‘boosted’, many members said they felt safe and needed to get back to living a normal life. It was particularly gratifying to learn that despite the pressures around manpower shortages, there had been no slipping of standards in rooms, service and food throughout the Club, even though some services did have to be curtailed at some times in the week. Sadly, omicron, plus a burst hot water pipe, rather took the shine off the final few weeks of the year.
But, importantly, the Club continues to provide a level of service every day and we have not yet resorted to the mantra of many clubs by closing down for a couple of days a week. As a members club, Virginia and I have been totally against this approach, and we have done all we can to avoid it. But this has only been possible as a result of the tremendous work and flexibility of the whole team. We are now working closely with Club Chairman John Lee to provide a full, diverse and interesting education and events programme in 2022, with a focus on our Sovereign Queen and Patron’s Platinum Anniversary of Accession as our focal point. As ever, I look forward to welcoming many more of you back to the Club in 2022. We will continue to provide service and food of the highest quality as well as a safe haven from the bustle of the city. I hope, for all of us, that 2022 provides the backdrop to be able to carry out the most basic of human freedoms within a sensible framework.
UNDER 30s Late October saw the Under 30s hold their Autumn Dinner at the Club which was well attended and enjoyed by all. A further event in November attracted even greater numbers, ending in a trip to the hot spots of London afterwards! The Under 30s went on to conduct
04 • The Farmers Club Winter 2022
their AGM the following day, which voted in Alice Hind and Emily Pile as Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively. There was also debate and agreement regarding the trial for six months of the amalgamation of the Under 30s/Under 35s sections.
The Trustees and directors of The Farmers Club Lease Company conducted a financial review with our investment managers and conducted an entity risk review to ensure the spread of investments and returns being achieved were still relevant, and matching the expectations of the Trustees. Gratifyingly, they were, on all counts, and the portfolio continues to do well across a number of indices and share and trust holdings.
Club News • Andrei Spence
Club Calendar
Finances improving The financial position of the Club improved significantly during 2021 and I genuinely feel we have now stabilised and are firmly on the path to recovery, with the hope that we can kick on and get back to the position we were in during November 2019, before the spectre of Covid became apparent. Last year was in many ways an unbelievable year at the Club – closed for much of the first half and then a challenge to stabilise and provide a platform for regrowth and rebuilding our financial position. I’m glad to report that this was largely achieved. But the current state of balance is precarious, and the messaging and action plans of those in authority reacting to the Covid situation have, and continue to be, very influential on the wider economy, including ourselves. The only continuing blot on the horizon is the seemingly disjointed and at times incoherent actions and messaging of our politicians and the reactive nature of decision-making around every new and emerging element of the Covid pandemic.
Diary Dates
See Club website for information about Club events
I hope that as time passes, more considered, analytical responses are directed towards necessary actions and especially as vaccines and boosters do their thing for the population. The continual stop/start nature of opening up, scaling back, shutting down, re-opening is hugely expensive in resource terms, is having increasingly significant effects on the wellbeing of employees and managers, and has huge consequences for the economy. One feels that the financial well-being of the Club, as with many other businesses, is increasingly tied to whatever political statements and decisions are made and the seemingly shrill nature of large sections of the media towards it, in influencing people’s attitudes to this situation, be that panic-inducing or indifference. The omicron developments took a toll on our Club, and the sector, almost overnight.
Winter Events Members visited The Beauty of the Ballet and Champions Tennis, both at the Royal Albert Hall, during November, with excellent food at the Club beforehand. December got off to a cracking start with the Van Gogh – immersive experience exhibition. We also visited the Kew Gardens light show and Kings College Cambridge Choir carol concert. Although numbers for those events were hit by the omicron announcements good evenings were had by all who attended.
The Queen’s Green Canopy is a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. Get involved at www.queensgreencanopy.org
General committee hosts team buffet The General Committee held a Christmas buffet to thank the staff team for their efforts during the year and to catch up personally with the various team members across the departments, which was greatly appreciated by all. Chairman Keith Redpath took the opportunity to present the previous year’s Chairman, Allan Stevenson, with a picture of the entrance of the Club and a bound copy of all the Journals during his year, which had proven to be most difficult and trying given the circumstances of 2020.
Refurbishments As members started returning to the Club after the Christmas/ New Year break all the planned redecoration work had been completed by our maintenance team, and help from the chefs, and a similar process for the eighth floor rooms is now complete. Preparatory work will also have started for the integration and replacement of the old analogue telephone system, which we hope to have operational in early February. The new system will be digital with new phones installed in the offices and rooms.
www.thefarmersclub.com • 05
Charles Abel • Club Chairman
Devon Chairman for 2022
The Club’s 2022 Chairman has an impressive record in agri-politics, successful farming organisations and supporting the sector. Charles Abel introduces John Lee DEVON farmer John Lee OBE DL has lived and farmed at Shobrooke, near Crediton all his life. But his career has taken him to the heart of European policymaking and leading roles with many farming organisations. A true English gentleman, his pragmatism, sound business acumen and drive to get things done have served him well. Much of his success he traces back to days chairing the UK and European Young Farmers Club federations, and some timely mentoring from Lord Plumb. 678AD farm history John’s grandfather bought Coombe Barton farm in 1928, when it was a traditional mixed enterprise. It’s history and early ownership, as part of a larger estate owned by the church and then the crown, was traced to 678AD by historian WG Hoskins in his 1972 book The Making of the English Landscape and featured in the BBC TV documentary Horizon.
06 • The Farmers Club Winter 2022
The farm’s position near a source of water, and it’s stocking, helped define the local landscape over centuries. “It makes you realise how our involvement with a farm, over 30 or 40 years of working life, is relatively small in the scheme of things,” says John. “We are just custodians for a brief period.” After agricultural training at Bicton Agricultural College (where he was later to return to Chair the Governors) he was “destined to return to the farm”. A traditional mixed farm on predominately Devon red sandstone it grew grass well and in his father’s time supported dairy, beef, pig and poultry enterprises before streamlining to beef, sheep and arable, and now purely arable. After the EU referendum was announced, and before the result was known, John decided change was coming, and with no successor, it made sense to get a younger farmer involved, who could adapt and grasp the new
Club Chairman • Charles Abel
opportunities, together with any challenges. “So far it has worked very well,” says John. Young Farmers The Young Farmers movement has long been close to his heart. After joining he soon became Club, county and national chairman and then the only ever English chairman of the European Council of Young Farmers Clubs “At European level, it was a very political organisation, and led to meetings with many EU agriculture ministers and European Commission officials. But it was Lord Plumb, President of the European Parliament, who encouraged me to get more involved in agricultural politics. ‘If you think you can make a difference give it a go’ was Lord Plumb’s mantra.”
Devon County Show was the first to open to the public last year – reflecting a bold approach to Covid mitigation
John’s roles included a seat on the CAP Advisory Committee during Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler’s major policy reforms in the late 1990s, when farm income support was decoupled from production, leading to the Single Payment Scheme. “Each week it was two days in Brussels, and a day elsewhere in Europe or further afield including speaking at conferences in China, the USA and Asia, often travelling with the Commissioner and Ministers, representing European farmer interests, all while the Central and East European countries were negotiating entry into the EU – so quite an interesting period,” John notes, with typical under-statement. Lamb on a platter It was a satisfying period personally, but had dietary challenges. He recalls: “Leaving lambing at home in February, to chair a conference with Ministers and Foreign Ministers in Spain, and sitting on the top table at the closing Gala Dinner where the silver domes covering our main course plates were lifted with great theatre to reveal a whole, young roast lamb each – well, it wasn’t ideal for the digestion.” Being “useful where and when needed” has seen John bring his unassuming, yet incredibly effective chairman’s skills to numerous organisations, including Devon County Agricultural Association, the Westpoint Centre, Bicton College, FACE, and Mole Avon Trading. He is a member of, and regularly chairs, the Independent Agricultural Appeals Panel and previously DEFRA’s Sustainable Food & Farming Strategy in the SW. Devon roles John’s involvement goes beyond farming, as High Sheriff of Devon and Deputy Lieutenant of Devon, immediate past President of Devon Communities Together, chair of trustees of the Rural Youth Trust, Patron and Ambassador of Devon and Cornwall Police Cadets, Member of Exeter Cathedral Council and Church Warden of his parish church.
The Farmers Club is all about the people you meet and the discussions that challenge your thinking He is a fan of listening. “People may not have all the information, but if you listen and gather the facts, you are more likely to make right decisions.” Alongside almost two years of Covid turmoil most agricultural businesses have been grappling with the demise of direct payments, which John sees as a catalyst for further restructuring. “There is a pretty clear sense of direction with agricultural policy, and environmental policy is now dovetailing with it as a significant driver of farming, along with the need to address climate change and become net zero. That should be seen as an opportunity, not a punishment.”
“Farming needs to communicate what it does and why. There is a real danger of a disconnect.” “We are just custodians for a brief period.”
Having nearly joined The Farmers Club whilst with the YFC it was Club stalwart Peter Jackson who persuaded him to join 15 years ago. He has served two stints on the Committee since. “The Farmers Club really is so much more than a London base, accommodation and a place to feel at home. It’s the people you meet and the discussions that challenge your thinking which are so very beneficial. I’m very much looking forward to meeting a lot more members over the coming year,” he concludes.
www.thefarmersclub.com • 07
Charles Abel • Club Lecture EVER since The Farmers Club first met in 1842 debate has been a cornerstone of its activity. One hundred and seventynine years later the tradition is very much alive and well, with the first Monday Evening Lecture held in the Club last November – the first since January 2020. Jane Sydenham, Investment Director at Rathbones, captivated an audience in the Club’s wonderful Farmers Suite with the latest thinking on financial markets, stimulating a vigorous round of questions, which extended into the Shaw Room and Bar over drinks and Chef’s treats. Jane, a regular on Radio 4’s Today programme and Radio 5’s Wake up to Money, and a frequent contributor to the Financial Times, has managed the Club’s financial investments since pre-2000, with past-chairman Roddy Loder-Symonds re-engaging her services in 2003 through Rathbones. That firm now manages £61bn of client funds, with 1800 staff across the UK, including 322 investment professionals and 30 analysts covering UK and overseas investments, with a whole-of-market perspective. While the past 18 months had been difficult, it accelerated changes that had already started, with innovation coming at an unprecedented scale and pace, Jane said. Digitisation which was unimaginable five years ago is changing how people shop, bank, eat and work, with artificial intelligence and robots making real impacts, all against the rapidly changing politics of deglobalisation. Jane Sydenham Investment Director at Rathbones
Time to deglobalise? Where are financial markets heading? Who better to hear from than the leader of the investment team looking after the Club’s investments? Charles Abel reports
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That reaction to over-globalisation was a key theme. “Production is moving back to the markets it serves, because countries are trusting each other less, which is a really important driver.” The recovery had been incredibly sharp and rapid, with earnings showing a sharp bounce back supporting profit growth this year. The supply bottleneck was a risk to manufacturing, but should ease within six months, she believed. Energy is a big variable, as tried and tested fossil fuel technologies are set to be replaced by a range of alternatives in just 30 years. Banks have already halved their lending for fossil fuel exploration, for example. “We expect uncharacteristically high inflation to subside, but the risk of persistent inflation is at its highest for over 25 years. Corporate profit growth rarely fails to exceed the rate of inflation,
Club Lecture • Charles Abel but we should look to increase inflation-resistant stocks, such as those with pricing power, like Coca-Cola and Diageo. There are certain industry sectors that tend to do better with inflation.” The anticipated 0.15% interest rate rise in the UK was a reaction to non-tariff trade barriers and supply difficulties, she said. The USA and EU were likely to follow suit, by June 2022, and at a similar scale. “Governments have significant debt and can’t afford to go higher,” she noted. Adding 1% to interest rates would add £25bn to the UK government’s interest bill, for example. For the past 20 years the engine of global growth has been China. But that is changing. Regulatory clampdowns are making profit projections more uncertain. Alibaba was a case in point. China’s focus seems to be shifting from the economy to regional security. In the UK the market sentiment towards UK assets was at its lowest for 40 years, with a stilllarge discount leaving room for out-performance, and only a 2% exposure to tech stocks, unlike other markets. “A rally is starting, because
the potential is being seen.” She expected the pound to start to recover. Meanwhile, interest in ESG investments, focused on better approaches to environmental, social and governance issues, was growing, especially amongst younger investors. Interest in sustainable food and the health benefits of food were part of that, and were undergoing big changes. On take-overs in the food supply chain, including Asda and Morrisons, she felt Government sentiment was changing. Although it was generally not in favour of capital market intervention, it had already acted in the defence sector, preventing overseas take-overs, and the Cadbury take-over was an example of the UK being too willing to let established companies go.
FARMERS CLUB CUP 2021 ALMOST every year since 1957 the prestigious Farmers Club Cup has been presented to recognise those who have made a significant and long-lasting contribution to the farming industry. Nominated by the Chairman and supported by the General Committee recipients have included politicians, NFU presidents and senior farming figures. This year Club Chairman Keith Redpath presented the cup to Teresa Wickham, commending her considerable achievements in the fresh food supply chain, championing the role of women in food and farming, and enthusiasm for all things farming. “You are a super-woman Teresa!” Accepting the award Teresa, a member since 1980, said the Club was a “second home and very unique.” Club member Teresa Wickham was awarded the Farmers Club Cup for 2021, pictured here receiving it from last year’s Club Chairman Keith Redpath
Innovation in the UK would need better Government support, more akin to what is seen in the USA, with support and funding, pre-IPO finance, and experienced board member nominations. “There is growing understanding of what is needed here, which will take a while to scale up. It will need incentives, but I think it is coming.”
Financial markets were the focus at the latest Monday Evening Lecture.
www.thefarmersclub.com • 09
Lisa Turner • Charitable Trust
Farming brief NFU Mutual donated £1,051,700 to rural charities across the UK in 2021, supporting a range of initiatives including rural poverty relief, educating young people and supporting the air ambulance network. A number of charities were helped to engage primary school children in local farming initiatives. A report from Rothamsted Research concluded that a proposed red meat tax could cost the UK economy £242m per year. Research leader Dr Taro Takahashi said “the economic losses would be borne not only by livestock farmers but by the whole of society.” The study also showed the vital role livestock consumption has in a sustainable food system. A UN Climate and Clean Air Coalition report says methane emissions caused by human activity can be reduced by up to 45% this decade, to stay within the Paris Climate Agreement’s goal to reduce global warming by 2045. Methane is 80 times more warming than CO2, but breaks down far faster, in around 10 years, rather than centuries for CO2. Farming’s methane output can be cut using new and existing techniques, it says. By Declan Bailey
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Charitable Trust Forums THE latest meetings of the Farmers Club Charitable Trust professional forum have been inspirational and informative, with guest speakers from highly regarded positions of influence within the industry generously offering time to share their knowledge and experiences. In September the forum met virtually, with guest speaker Baroness Hazel Byford leading discussions on The Challenge of Eliminating Food and Fuel Poverty in the UK. On the eve of COP26 Lady Byford was keen to explore the challenges faced by agriculture and the environment, and the issues around feeding the nation. Education was seen as critical in challenging food poverty. The group made pledges to support ‘grassroots’ school growing projects. In November the group had its first face to face session at The Farmers Club since its inception in January 2021. The story of Westmorland Ltd was the focus – with the group keen to learn more from sisters Jane
Lane and Sarah Dunning about the business model and family succession planning. Created in 1972 when their parents, John & Barbara Dunning, set up Tebay Services as the M6 cut though their Cumbrian hill farm, the small 30 seat café serving home cooked, locally sourced food developed fast, such that operations are now located in Gloucester, Tebay, Cairn Lodge Services, Rheged and J38 Truckstop. Still farming, Westmorland prides itself on proper food with locality and a sense of belonging at its heart. “These sessions were so valuable to the group,” says Nick Green, chairman of the group and an FCCT Trustee. “Under Chatham House Rules the group is able to talk openly about issues the industry faces and challenges individuals face in their own roles, and get valuable peer to peer mentoring. “Lady Byford, Jane Lane and Sarah Dunning in their own specialist areas were able to share so much valued knowledge and experiences for us all to take something away.” Trust Ambassador, Lisa Turner adds: “I was delighted to have organised the events and plans for more in 2022 are underway.”
Club Team • Virginia Masser
The Farmers Club Team of 2022 I have worked in the hotel, and therefore hospitality industry, all of my working career. In addition to the variety – sometimes the glamour, sometimes not – one of its attractions is the rich diversity of people that work within it. The exchange of ideas from the many cultures and nationalities around the world adds a special ingredient to the day, creating an amazing challenge of bringing that diversity together as one cohesive team, to achieve a common goal. One of the lessons I learnt early on in my career was how important every team member is, regardless of who they are and where they come from. As a Management Trainee at Claridges (some years ago!) I was on my hands and knees in the basement, cleaning the floor. Mr Jones, General Manager, stopped and said: “Virginia, how are you this morning?” and “Thank you for doing that job.” Wow, he knew my name and he said thank you. From that day on I vowed I would treat my future teams with the same friendliness and respect. I also recall the generosity of spirit of the portering team behind the scenes in banqueting at The Savoy when I was working with them (in my blue overalls and steel
capped shoes) day in, day out, cleaning plates of leftover food. One day in their break they brought their own food for lunch, in order to share it and their culture with me. When I arrived at The Farmers Club eight years ago there were many nationalities and cultures. That is true to this day, although based on Covid and BREXIT there are slightly fewer. However, as I write this in December 2021, we have 48 team members; 61% British, 33% European, 6% other, representing 14 countries from around the world; Britain, Romania, Lithuania, Ireland, Algeria, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Iraq, Bulgaria, Poland, Netherlands and Spain.
“From that day on I vowed I would treat my future teams with the same friendliness and respect.” “The Club team also aligns to the Club membership, which currently represents 27 countries!”
Each and every one is hired for their skills and personality, regardless of creed, colour or sexual orientation. The Club team also aligns to the Club membership, which currently represents 27 countries! Do we get it right all the time? No, of course not – we are all human after all. But it is amazing how such a diverse team of people, with a rich tapestry of backgrounds, comes together to create a very British Farmers Club. Virginia Masser General Manager
www.thefarmersclub.com • 11
Charles Abel • Farming Resilience
Routes to resilience How resilient is your farm business? With dramatic changes now the norm the 2022 on-line Oxford Farming Conference sought some pointers. Charles Abel reports
“We need to start farming like the earth matters and data allows us to plan better and do things better” Dr Catherine Nakalembe, Maryland University data scientist
“Life’s two most important days are the day you were born, and the day you figure out why” Simon Best
“We have to find a way to work towards balanced power [in supply chains] in a voluntary manner, otherwise it will be forced on us by legislation” Andrew Selley, Bidcorp UK.
12 • The Farmers Club Winter 2022
ON a crisp, frosty, blue-sky morning in early January over 1000 farming enthusiasts logged-on to the 76th Oxford Farming Conference – from farms and offices across the UK, even the odd ski chalet or warmclimate villa, for a lucky few. The quest was common. Not a steer on the future. Covid, Brexit and Evergreen’s Suez canal-blocking mega-ship showed the need to expect the unexpected. Instead, tips on building resilience was the quest – for whatever future we may face. Policy pointers So where will resilience come from? Farmers may see recouping support cash as part of the equation. Secretary of State George Eustice quashed that. Government’s goal is to reverse nature’s decline, he stressed, hence Defra’s focus on ‘powerful incentives’ for soil health and nature-friendly farming, with barely a nod to rocketing input costs and global food price inflation. Could that see the UK sleep-walk into a food crisis as it off-shores production, like energy supply? Far from it, he argued, a late2021 Defra review showing little change over the past 20 years. “But we are not remotely complacent, which is why we will review food security and domestic production every three years.” Indeed, strong commodity markets could herald structural changes in farm gate prices, he felt, especially if farmers can secure a fairer share of food prices, rather than be held to retailer pricing assumptions. So do slow policy changes hinder? Again, no. “It was always going to take seven years – evolution not revolution – with progressive BPS reductions feeding stewardship modules.” Annual Defra-funded
vet visits to develop farm health plans will boost welfare, while the Landscape Recovery pilot launches this year and the Sustainable Farming Incentive is focusing on soil health, with hedgerow and IFM modules next. A 30% rise in average Countryside Stewardship rates this year sends a strong signal for the 40,000 farmers not yet involved to join as a ‘bridge’ to future schemes, he urged. The pathway in Wales is different, with truly sustainable agriculture the priority, said Lesley Griffiths, Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs. “We can’t ignore the climate/ nature emergency, so we will create a new system of farm support to maximise a long term future for farming, recognising its importance to society, providing an income, and leadership in sustainable farming, with rewards for clean air, clean water and flood mitigation.” Farming is not the problem it is made out to be, added Edwin Poots, Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland, where policy proposals include a focus on smarter farming, such as renewable energy capture from cow methane. “Efficient farming is better for the environment than inefficient farming. That isn’t very popular in some sectors, but it’s true.” There was no contribution from the Scottish Government. A wider view Farming resilience will be best served by science, open markets and globalisation, argued Jason Hafemeister, Secretary’s Trade Counsel at the US Department of Agriculture. A global protocol to uphold production standards is unnecessary, he argued,
Farming Resilience • Charles Abel quoting GATT and WTO principles. “The characteristics of goods are the key, not the system that produced them.” Emissions have global impact, he acknowledged, so focusing on some aspects of production, maybe including carbon taxes, was relevant, but must be done empirically, without protectionism. By contrast Ireland’s Origin Green provides clear proof points of its enhanced sustainable production standards to international customers, a forerunner of the EU’s CAP Green Deal focus, noted Charlie McConalogue, Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. So what can farmers do? “We need plasticity to be nimble, flexible and remould ourselves, our businesses and even our nation, to reposition after irreversible changes, like covid, because the opportunities are enormous,” enthused New Zealand farmer and Special Agricultural Trade Envoy Mel Poulton. She saw relationships as key to farm resilience. Producers and retailers need to work together on sustainability agreements, added Michelle Meagher, a lawyer with the Balanced Economy Project. Although competition authorities currently prohibit that, as seen with the high welfare Chicken of Tomorrow pricing initiative in the Netherlands, the UK Competition and Markets Authority is now considering exemptions. Inspiring farmers Simon Best of Poyntzpass, Co Armagh exemplified the personal facets of resilience, drawn from a career in international rugby. The desire to achieve, having a clear longterm vision for improvement, measuring to manage, knowing what success looks like and celebrating success all helped him secure the 2021 Farmers Weekly Arable Farmer of the Year award, recognising his drive for continuous improvement, including the farm’s environmental sustainability and participation in the ARC Zero project to establish a verifiable baseline for whole farm carbon emissions. “We do not inherit this land from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children,” he noted. “That is why we exist, it is our ‘why’. So live like you’re going to die tomorrow, but
farm like you are going to live forever.” Kate Rowell is a fifth generation sheep and suckler cow farmer in the Scottish Borders, chair of Quality Meat Scotland and a member of the Trade and Agriculture Commission. “Take any opportunity that comes along,” she advised. “I suffer imposter syndrome as much as anyone, and that’s ok. A role model is key, and for me it was NFU President Minette Batters, who gave me the best advice ever – just do it and after a while it gets easier.” For Rhys Williams the key is to “believe in who you are, what you are doing and never give up.” An openness to new ideas, relying on the team’s skills, and strong communication have helped him grow from share milking on the Llyn Peninsula in North Wales 16 years ago to a business now milking 1800 cows on a low cost, spring calving system, following experience in New Zealand. Resilience through adversity was bravely explored by Zanna Joice whose Norfolkbased poultry farming husband Patrick, while suffering terminal cancer and severe depression, raised awareness and £53,000 for the rural mental health charity You Are Not Alone (www.yanahelp.org). “The naked farmer cricket day proved a turning point, drawing an unbelievable response from people far and wide, and providing a sense of purpose,” recalled Zanna. “Three years later his memory lives on and changes lives and saves lives. Patrick showed you can be male, work in farming and admit you need help, and actively accept it.” Many routes to resilience do exist – so how many will UK farmers seize in 2022?
“Being the best farmers in the world must mean being the best farmers for the world” Damien O’Connor, New Zealand Agriculture Minister
“Farmers can’t be green if they’re in the red!” Charlie McConalogue, Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine
TAKE CARE WITH YOUR CARBON & NATURAL CAPITAL Good governance is needed to avoid unintended consequences from trading natural capital and carbon, says a new WWF/Tesco/ Green Alliance/OFC/Savills report. “The potential market value of £1.7bn/ yr for carbon credits alone is roughly half the value of all public support payments for agriculture,” says Emily Norton, OFC Director and Savills Head of Rural Research. “But we cannot jump at this new opportunity without the right safety nets.” Government should create a land use framework and Office for Carbon Removal so a ‘dash for carbon’ doesn’t damage food production, local communities and nature recovery. “It’s important that farmers and land managers understand that, once they sell carbon offset credits, they can’t then count them towards the farm’s own efforts to cut carbon,” adds James Elliott of Green Alliance. “Collaborating with customers to cut emissions and sequester carbon within the supply chain could be a safer bet.”
www.thefarmersclub.com • 13
Rupert Bendall • Environmental Gains
ENVIRONMENTAL OPPORTUNITIES RUPERT BENDELL Director Loxton Land 01225 904 903 rupert@loxtonland.co.uk
“The value of natural capital is being driven in part by farm policy, but also by other new regulations coming from the public sector.” Main Image: Could your farmland be yielding more through environmental offsetting – an increasingly tradeable opportunity?
14 • The Farmers Club Winter 2022
Farmers can help reconcile development with the environment, explains Rupert Bendall of Loxton Land ENVIRONMENTAL gains needed by developers are creating farm diversification opportunities. Environmental commodities which relate to water quality, carbon sequestration and biodiversity which may have historically been dismissed as having no tangible value, are now being recognised for their public benefits. Increasingly these environmental goods, or ‘natural capital’, are being measured and valued, allowing them to be bought and sold. The introduction of Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes is a sign of the Government’s growing focus on
environmental protection. However, beyond this, the value of natural capital is being driven by other new regulations coming from the public sector. This is resulting in emerging marketplaces in the private sector, in turn creating diversification opportunities for landowners. Trading platforms One such example includes the nitrate and phosphate trading platforms that have been expanding from the south coast of England up into Wiltshire and the Somerset Levels. These have emerged as Natural England forces Local Authorities to ensure that development in their district has a neutral effect on water quality.
Natural Capital • Abigail Barker
Another rapidly growing market is around Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). The Environment Act 2021 has recently introduced a requirement on all new developments to demonstrate that they create at least a 10% ‘net gain’ in biodiversity. So, why does this present an opportunity? These regulations are being enforced at the planning stage of a proposed scheme, meaning developers can’t get planning permission without having secured the solution to these obstacles first. The commercial realities of development and the physical constraints of certain sites mean that not all developments will be able to achieve nitrate/phosphate neutrality or a net gain in biodiversity within the confines of the development itself. Consequently developers will have to look elsewhere, thus opening the door to third party landowners who can use their natural capital to deliver these improvements off site. This is already being seen in some areas through carbon sequestration agreements and district level licensing schemes to manage great crested newts. How does it work? Whilst the Government has chosen to use the Environment Act and other legislation as the ‘stick’ to force us to value our natural capital, it is the private sector that is creating the ‘carrot’ to deliver the solutions; in the form of marketplaces for the trading of environmental or conservation ‘credits’ or ‘units’. Compared with public sector schemes such as ELS, HLS and Countryside Stewardship, which are inevitably fraught with red tape, the new credit-based trading systems are giving landowners the opportunity to exchange their credits via platforms in the private sector.
Landowners can provide environmental and ecological benefits on their land by selling credits, thereby providing developers and housebuilders with the ability to offset the impacts of new development schemes. In many instances, the payments for these credits (typically made annually and linked to inflation) can outweigh the gross margin that would otherwise be earned from farming the land. The agreements can run from one to 30+ years and can be set up in a way that doesn’t prejudice the capital taxation position. Wetlands and woodlands can be created and/or improved, which can have knock on benefits for ancillary activities like fieldsports. Grassland creation is another popular option and often the land can still be grazed. The future As conventional subsidies are phased out, the opportunity to secure long-term and stable income from the sale of environmental credits is becoming increasingly attractive. It seems inevitable that initiatives like those relating to BNG are likely to become more onerous on developments moving forward. This creates growing opportunities for landowners who are seeking to diversify their income, be paid to invest in regenerative agriculture and make environmental improvements.
Biodiversity net gain, such as newt friendly habitats, is a fast-growing area for farmers and landowners
Dr Abigail Barker of Natural Capital Research
NATURAL CAPITAL MAPPING A natural capital baseline is a powerful environmental business planning tool for estates and farms of different sizes, helping them enhance natural capital and access alternative markets, says Dr Abigail Barker, chief operating officer of Natural Capital Research. As farmers, landowners and land managers prepare to tackle numerous changes to the way policy makers evaluate their operations and their right to support they will need to provide robust, accurate evidence of the enhancements they are bringing with carbon sequestration, the impact of different cultivation regimes, and emissions from their agricultural processes, for example. Natural capital assets (landcover, topography, soils and water) will need identifying and measuring accurately and transparently, and tracking over time. This will help plan optimal land use, and could improve returns over regular crop rotations. As more commercial entities take an interest in the environmental impact of producers, close, demonstrable tracking of net zero carbon strategies could also yield new opportunities for commercial contracts for grain, meat and dairy products. Farmers will also need to measure ‘ecosystem service flows’ from their assets, such as carbon storage and sequestration, flood risk reduction, soil erosion prevention, recreation, pollination services, biodiversity and nature networks. The NatCap Map online mapping tool draws on peer reviewed science to provide a natural capital baseline at 25m resolution for any area in England, Scotland and Wales. www.natcapresearch.com www.thefarmersclub.com • 15
Charles Abel • Food Provenance
Farming brief Mapping every tree in the world to create the most accurate tree database is the goal of Tremap’s mobile phone app, backed by Agri-tech Cornwall. Existing methods of labelling and recording trees are cumbersome – now what used to take hours takes seconds. The aim is to label every tree on earth by 2030, and learn far more about existing trees. www.tremap.com Farmer Time started by ‘Farmer Tom Martin’ and implemented through LEAF aims to help school children better understand and engage with where their food comes from. With a Farmer Time video call every two/three weeks it brings farmers into the classroom in a more engaging way – directly from their workplace. www.farmertime.org The £35m International Barley Hub at the James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie aims to secure the sector’s future by helping develop new varieties and growing systems to cope with climate change. The adjacent £27m Advanced Plant Growth Centre aims to revolutionise crop production systems to produce food locally, 365 days a year, with less environmental impact. The two projects aim to create over 470 jobs in Tayside and 2,200 jobs across the wider Scottish and UK economy.
Terroir matters PEER-REVIEWED research proves the concept of ‘terroir’ is not unique to wine and cognac. The study showed soil, microclimate and topography influenced barley growth, which in turn affected whisky flavour. The French concept of terroir – long accepted in other drinks categories – was examined by a team of academics from the USA, Scotland, Greece, Belgium and Ireland, including Teagasc, Enterprise Ireland, Minch Malt and Scotland’s leading whisky laboratory. The study, reported in leading scientific journal Foods, examined two barley varieties grown in 2017 and 2018 on farms in Athy, County Kildare and Bunclody, County Wexford. Samples were micro-malted and micro-distilled in laboratory conditions to produce 32 different whisky distillate samples, which were tested using gas chromatography, mass spectrometry and olfactometry, plus highly trained sensory experts.
The sheltered inland Athy site had higher pH and more calcium, magnesium and molybdenum in its limestone-soil, consistently higher temperatures and lower rainfall. The resulting whisky was characterised by toasted almond notes, and a malty, biscuity, oily finish. The more exposed Bunclody site had lower pH and more iron, copper and manganese in its shale/slate bedrock soil. The farm is closer to the coast and typically subject to more volatile weather. Its whisky was lighter and floral, with a flavour of fresh fruitiness. The findings raise the possibility of regionally specific whiskies, potentially with an Appellation Controlée-type system, as in wine. “Using standardised malting and distillation protocols, we preserved distinct flavours associated with the testing environments and observed year-to-year variations, indicating that terroir is a significant contributor to whisky flavour,” said Dr Dustin Herb, Lead Researcher at Oregon State University. Mark Reynier, Founder and CEO of Waterford Distillery added: “This study proves that barley’s flavours are influenced by where it is grown, meaning – like wine and cognac – whisky’s taste is terroir-driven.”
“Critics claimed any terroir effect would be destroyed by the whisky-making process, saying there is no scientific evidence to prove that terroir even exists. Well, there is now!” Mark Reynier, Waterford Distillery
16 • The Farmers Club Winter 2022 New Year 2022
More than 42 different flavour compounds were identified, half of which were directly influenced by the barley’s terroir.
Member Experience • Craig Barclay-Godfrey
A very belated Happy New Year! Whilst hoping that you have been keeping up with those New Year’s resolutions so far, I’ve decided to recommend a few ideas to banish the New Year blues and to give you some ideas for your next Club trip. Kew Orchid Festival
Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature at the Victoria & Albert Museum Opens 12 February 2022 This wonderful exhibition celebrates the life and work of the beloved children’s author Beatrix Potter. Featuring original watercolours, as well as drawings and manuscripts from her most charming tales.
5 February to 6 March 2022 After being postponed last year, the Orchid Festival is back with a spectacular display of colour. Every year the festival has a different theme. This year the Festival celebrates the richness of Costa Rica with the glasshouse pond filled with brilliant oranges and yellows to imitate a rising sun. Their national flower, the Guarianthe skinneri, will be on magnificent show in its vibrant pink glory.
Van Gogh Self-Portraits Exhibition at the Courtauld Gallery 3 February to 8 May 2022 The first ever exhibition devoted to Vincent van Gogh’s works spanning his entire career, the exhibition hinges around his most famous work – Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear. There are more than 15 additional self-portraits from collections around the world to view and you can follow it up with a trip to the world-class impressionist collection at the Gallery, featuring Monet and Degas.
Craig Barclay-Godfrey Member Experience Manager
Titanic: The Exhibition Opens 4 February 2022 This is far more than a display of historic items: it is a unique narrative experience where visitors receive a boarding pass corresponding with a passenger on the ship. This allows visitors to relate to the individual story of their passenger as they explore the first, second and third class galleries and the artefacts from each including handwritten letters, wayward keepsakes and other personal belongings.
Beethoven at The British Library Until Sun 24 Apr 2022 See the mind of this creative genius at work through items belonging to the composer himself and manuscripts scrawled in his own distinctive hand. Discover how he blazed a trail as you pore over the frustrated scribbles and eureka moments in his sketchbook.
If I can book any of the above or any other aspect of your visit to the Club over the next couple of months please contact me via memexpmanager@ thefarmersclub.com
www.thefarmersclub.com • 17
Martin Shaw • Golf Society
Farming Figures A look at… the changing face of farming… told by some standout stats
5,737t CO2
Annual emissions cut, equivalent to 56ha of rainforest destruction, by swapping soya for farm-grown insect protein on 10 egg farms
£232.92/t Dec 2021 ex-farm feed wheat price
134.4
FAO Food Price Index, up 5.5% in 2 months since Sep ’21 to highest level in 10 years
66ha
New Devon solar farm generating 42MW, dwarfed by planned 880ha unit in E Mids
6.5t/day
Salad output of world’s largest vertical farm with a 2.5ha growing area, costing £25m, in Norfolk
£10.24bn
Agriculture’s contribution to UK economy (Gross Value Added) in weather-hit 2020
39%
Golf Society Due to an administration error, and Covid restrictions at Stratfordupon-Avon Golf Club not allowing visiting parties until 1 October 2021, the venue for the John Alliston Tankard was switched to Badgemoor Park Golf Club, Henley-on-Thames, reports Golf Secretary Martin Shaw. Nineteen members and guests had an enjoyable day with Sam Tingle and Robert Criddle sharing the Trophy, each with 38 points. My grateful thanks to Martin Taylor for his help in organising the day. Autumn meeting Captain Neil Stoddard had arranged the venues for our Autumn Meeting around Harrogate. Pannal Golf Club was a delightful setting and hosted a carvery for all playing members and guests. The Men’s Stableford competition was won by Anthony Murray (guest) with 40 points and the Ladies by Joy Young with 39 points, Eileen Hogan coming second with 38. Sadly, autumn course work rather spoilt the presentation
of Harrogate Starbeck Golf Club, but in gloomy conditions 27 members and guests enjoyed the day’s golf. Richard Horrell with an incredible 44 points won the Men’s competition and Hazel Byford the Ladies with 35 points. The Club again entered a four person team in the Bath Club Cup played at Woking Golf Club. Neil Stoddard, Stephen Gordon, Sam Tingle and Robert Criddle represented the Club and while not winning, thoroughly enjoyed the day in rather wet conditions. Fabulous courses Our last meeting of the year was at Alwoodley and Seaton Carew. Sadly, the Scots could only muster a car full of players, but the 12 who attended enjoyed golf on two fabulous courses. My thanks to everyone who played Farmers Club golf in 2021 and supported Captain Neil Stoddard who continues as Captain for the 2022 season. New members wishing to play, and receive golf related emails, contact martin. edwardswale@gmail.com
FARMERS CLUB GOLF - FIXTURES & MEETINGS 2022 APRIL Friday 29
v EPICS @ New Zealand Golf Club
MAY Wednesday 4 Wednesday 11 Tuesday 17 Wednesday 18
v NFU @ Newbury & Crookham Golf Club v BVAGS @ Beau Desert Golf Club v New Club @ Luffness New Golf Club v HCEG @ Muirfield Golf Club
JUNE Sunday 5 Monday 6 Wednesday 15
Dinner @ Royal St. Georges Golf Club v XL Club @ Royal St. Georges Golf Club v WRNFU @ Ilkley Golf Club
Uplift in people feeling crime rose in 2021, 53% installing crime prevention measures
JULY Thursday 7
Club Championships @ Blackwell Golf Club
£1.9bn
AUGUST Thursday 25
John Alliston Tankard @ Stratford-upon-Avon Golf Club
Share of on-farm accidents never recorded.
3.5p/litre
Likely rise in 2022 milk production costs due to higher labour, fuel and fertiliser costs
70%rise
Revenue of meat processor Cranswick 2020-2021, up 13.9% (profit up 27%), due to huge rise in retail/online Covid-driven demand Sources: FAO.org, AHDB, FW, FG, Defra
18 • The Farmers Club Winter 2022
SEPTEMBER Tuesday 20 + Autumn Meeting @ Enville Golf Club Wednesday 21 OCTOBER Thursday 27 Friday 28
v Gareth Baird Select @ Alwoodley Golf Club v Gareth Baird Select @ Seaton Carew Golf Club
Head Chef & Director of Food • Paul Hogben
Smiling through the Challenges DEAR Member, firstly a slightly belated Happy New Year and best wishes to you all. Over recent months the excellent feedback we have received from the membership has been really appreciated. The understanding that has been shown to the challenges we are facing has helped keep morale high and a smile on the team’s faces. As I write this we are still in 2021 and what a year it has been. The beginning was awful the middle got better and the end finished with a bang! The number who have used the food and beverage areas of the Club exceeded our expectations and budget forecasts. Thank you so much for your support. It was such a shame we had to implement restrictions on our offering, as a consequence of a massive shortage of staff for the hospitality industry, especially in the Kitchen. But what we do, we want to do right. In December l was still five full time Chefs and two Kitchen Porters below where l should be and Jelle had similar issues Front of House with a shortfall of four from his team. Our suppliers are also struggling. Some of my smaller niche producers have called it a day, or have restrictions of their own, again
down to staffing shortages. It all made 2021 a very challenging year, as I’m sure you have experienced too. On the plus side, we saw the welcome return of functions without the need to socially distance and through December the Christmas parties that so many members look forward to, brought a warm glow to the Club. Many of you enquired about the Club Hampers and whether we were going to offer that service again. l would love to have done that but the storage alone for everything we would have needed to produce them wouldn’t have allowed me to run the Restaurant or any functions, on top of that the staffing issue. Hopefully we can find a way forward and they will return! As you read this we will be about to start our Winter into Spring Menu, where we can all start looking forward to warmer climes and the first spring buds poking through, hopefully with a full complement of staff to cook, serve and look after you when you are here at your Club. We look forward to welcoming you all. Enjoy! Chef
“As you read this we will be about to start our Winter into Spring Menu.” “What we do, we want to do right.” www.thefarmersclub.com • 19
Alice Hind, Chairman; Emily Pile, Vice Chairman • Under 35s
Chairman’s Jottings
HAPPY New Year! The Under 30s ended 2021 on a high with a fantastic Winter Weekend, which Emily Pile, the incoming Vice Chair, has reviewed (right). We are all really excited about the coming year and look forward to getting all our farm walks and Club weekends up and running, starting with the New Members Weekend on the 25/26 February. This will include a black-tie dinner on Friday and something equally exciting on Saturday thanks to Craig. I would like to say a huge thank you to Eleanor Kay for all her hard work and commitment to the Club and committee over the past two years as Under 30s Chairman. It was a joy to be her Vice Chairman. Having grown up in Denbighshire, North Wales and completed my BSc (Hons) Rural Land Management at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, I am now based in London as Head of Early Years at a Westminster primary school. As I write my first Chairman’s Jottings from a Forest School in Westminster, looking around and recognising all that we are doing to bring the countryside to this central London primary school makes me so proud. I have been a member of The Farmers Club since 2015, having heard about the Club whilst studying and being invited to a Farm Walk on the Isle of Wight as a guest. We had the most amazing weekend visiting a range of enterprises and I met people who soon became my closest friends. I have loved being a member and am proud to represent our thriving section and look forward to seeing many of you very soon.
2021 Winter Weekend Last year ended on a definite up for the Under 30s with a great November Winter Weekend – our final event as Under 30s before we progress to the Under 35s for a trial period, as explained in the adjacent article (right). The weekend kicked off with a black-tie dinner on the Friday evening, where 50 members and their guests met together, along with the main Club Chairman, Keith Redpath, for a drinks reception followed by Chef’s excellent three-course meal. Our speaker for the evening was Clive Blacker from Map of Ag who gave a very insightful and interactive talk on the growing need for data-driven insights into farm performance, and more specifically ensuring efficient potassium use. Finally, the evening concluded with a trip to the infamous Bunga Bunga in Covent Garden where Espresso Martinis flowed and the dance floor appealed. After a bleary-eyed breakfast and committee meeting, the Under 30s came together for the AGM. Here we thanked Eleanor Kay for her hard and tenacious work over the past two years and voted Alice Hind in as 2022 Chairman and myself as Vice-Chairman, as well as agreeing to the trial period of the new Under 35s section. Following a ‘free’ afternoon, and the increasing severity of weather warnings, some of us made it to Salvador and Amanda in Covent Garden, where we made the most of the seemingly unlimited tapas and wine.
Contact for more information: Alice Hind c/o The Farmers Club 020 7930 3557 generaloffice@thefarmersclub.com
20 • The Farmers Club Winter 2022
2022
We finally rolled our way out of the restaurant and on to Clays Bar in Moorgate. This was a great booking by Craig – it is a new interactive clay shooting cocktail bar in the City. All of our competitive streaks came out in a variety of different games with Mike Reynolds going home with the gold medal! Emily Pile 2022 Vice Chairman
Under 35s Calendar The confirmed dates for Under 35s events are as follows: 25/26 FEBRUARY New Members Weekend 29/30 APRIL Weekend at the Club MAY Farm walk – details tbc 22/23 JULY Weekend at the Club 16/17 SEPTEMBER Weekend at the Club OCTOBER Farm walk in North Wales – date tbc 25/26 NOVEMBER Weekend at the Club
Further details coming soon – watch out for updates on the Facebook group
Under 35s • Alice Hind, Chairman; Emily Pile, Vice Chairman
The Future of the Under 30s We thought it was about time we updated the full Club membership on what is happening with the Under 30s. They are the Club’s future members, committee members and potential Club Chairmen in waiting and many are currently busy building their careers in the industry. As with many aspects of Club life there have been some challenges over the past 18 months, for obvious reasons, and now seemed a good time to make some positive changes and developments to update this section of the Club’s membership. The General Committee invited the Under 30s Committee to their dinner in November, an ideal opportunity to mingle, put faces to names and to embrace the Club’s future. They have also been invited to the January Committee dinner.
Their AGM will now be held in November and their financial year aligned to match that of the main Club: 1 January – 31 December. The Terms of Reference have been updated to reflect the current day and lifestyles. In many cases gone are the days of reaching 30, immediately marrying and having children…….now a career can come first and children, well, maybe later. The Under 30s have for some time wanted to become the Under 35s. Whilst an Under 30s rate and an Under 35s rate already exist, the physical link is lost from the 30 to 35 age group, a time when they are busy forging careers with no time to use the Club as a full member, but keen to maintain links so they can in the future. This aligns with many other London Clubs, which are rather jealous of
the number of young members our Club has. As of December 2021 we had 528 Under 35s. This proposal was recently discussed at length and brought to the General Committee, where it was approved. It of course requires a Club rule change, so a trial period has been agreed for six months, starting on 1 January 2022, and it will be brought to the AGM in July for the vote. Alice Hind became Chairman on 1 January 2022 and Emily Pile, Vice Chairman. Other current Committee Members are Eleanor Kay, Georgina Knock, James Fuller, Laura Hancox, Rose Franklin, Andrew Court, Lord William Yarmouth, Geoffrey Bastard (co-opted via Jill Willows Fund.) Member Experience Manager, Craig, will be assisting with their social events throughout the year and Alice has started an exciting programme to re-launch this part of the Club’s membership and to further enhance their effectiveness as an important part of the Club’s future. Club Executive Team
www.thefarmersclub.com • 21
BCPC/Farmers Club • Technical Seminar
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, John Parker, Norman Shaw CBE THE COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT OF THE CLUB 2022
Food production; foreign trade and flightpaths for chiff-chaffs…
VICE PRESIDENTS Paul Heygate, Julian Sayers PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN John Lee OBE DL TRUSTEES Nicki Quayle (Chairman), Tim Bennett, Peter Jinman OBE, Jimmy McLean VICE-CHAIRMAN Meurig Raymond CBE DL HONORARY TREASURER Christopher Riddle IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN Keith Redpath CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND SECRETARY Andrei Spence CLUB CHAPLAIN The Reverend Dr Sam Wells COMMITTEE Elected 2019 to serve from 2020 to 2022 inclusive: Kevin Beaty (re-elected), Sue Bullock, Sarah Cowlrick, Karen Mercer (re-elected) Elected 2020 to serve from 2021 to 2023 inclusive: Ian Bell OBE (re-elected), Tony Bell, Alan Plumb, Anthony Snell Elected 2021 to serve from 2022 to 2024 inclusive: Stephen Butler, Fiona Fell (re-elected), John Hardman (re-elected), Tom Rawson, Janatha Stout Co-opted: Alice Hind (Chairman of Under 35s), Emily Pile (Vice Chairman Under 35s) THE FARMERS CLUB CHARITABLE TRUST TRUSTEES Stephen Fletcher (Chairman), Vic Croxson DL, Meryl Ward MBE, Des Lambert OBE, Nick Green, James Squier, Christine Tacon CBE, 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 late April, will include reports on Club activities, including Spring events in London, plus plans for the Summer, and a wide range of articles on topical farming issues.
22 • The Farmers Club Winter 2022
Thursday 12 May 2022, The Farmers Club, London THE demand for affordable food is no different today than it was in the period leading up to the Repeal of the Corn Laws more than 174 years ago. But for UK farmers the dynamics, economics and environmental pressures of producing it are vastly different. Since leaving the EU the challenges facing UK agriculture have multiplied, with increasingly dynamic global trade and the temptation to encourage cheaper produce from abroad to curb inflation. The new Agriculture Act and Environment Act will change the direction of UK farming from progressive intensification, seen for 50 years, to one based on sustainability with support
aligned to the provision of public goods focussed on environmental concerns, not least climate change. But profitable UK farming and the countryside it protects are inextricably linked. One cannot dominate the other. This technical seminar, the fifth organised by The Farmers Club and the British Crop Production Council, will outline the challenges and opportunities for UK agriculture. This joint Farmers Club / BCPC Seminar is priced at £50 per person. Delegate numbers are restricted, so registration is first come first served. Please complete the enclosed flyer, email administrator@thefarmersclub. com or telephone 0207 930 3751.
LOGGING INTO THE MEMBERS AREA
of The Farmers Club Website
When you login to your online account on the Club’s website, the username will always be your membership number as this is the only detail that never changes on your member account. • If you have never logged in online or it has been a long time since you have done so, please go to www.thefarmersclub.com then; - Click on MEMBERS AREA and use the “Forgotten password?” link located under the LOGIN button. Follow the instructions and a password reset email will be sent to your registered email address. • If you have not received the email within five minutes, please check your Spam/Junk folders, find the email and mark it as “safe” by right clicking on it and selecting Junk -> Never Block Sender. • If you receive the email but do not use the password reset within 20 minutes, the security token expires and you will need to restart the reset process again by using the “Forgotten password?” function. If unsure about your membership number or email address registered on the account, email membership@thefarmersclub.com. For technical issues email itmanager@thefarmersclub.com.
Club Information • The Farmers Club Deaths It is with regret that we announce the death of the following members: Mr P Clark Devon Mr J Dorrington Australia Mr R Garnett Nottinghamshire Mr C Gould Oxfordshire Mr S Gunn Cornwall Mrs K Nolan Essex Mrs K Singleton-Smith Dorset Mr A Todd Kent Mr G Ward Yorkshire New Members The following were elected: UK Members Mrs I Addington Mr S Bailey Mrs T Balch Miss E Bardwell Miss F Chamier-Tripp Mr N Finch Mr A Green Baroness C Hoey Mr T Hooper Dr A Humberstone Mr J Huntington Mrs V Jenkins Mr G Jones Mr D Leigh-Pemberton Mr J McCann Mr T Mercer Professor N Mortensen Mr D Nesbitt Miss C O’Donnell Mr J Procter Sir S Roberts Mr A Robinson Mr T Seymour Mr S Shand Professor K Sloan Mrs C Stevens Mrs S Stevenson Mr A Welfare Mr E White Sir M Wigan Mr J Willcocks Overseas Members Mr O Massey Mrs N Steinbock Mrs J Stevens Under 30s Mr W Atkinson Miss G Bathurst Mr M Beeby Mr T Beeby Mr J Bisson Mr E Blackman Mr J Boyle
Berkshire Sussex Kent Somerset Hertfordshire Kent Lincolnshire County Antrim Devon Northumberland Sussex Buckinghamshire Cambridgeshire London County Tyrone Northamptonshire Oxfordshire Roxburghshire Hertfordshire Yorkshire Norfolk Lincolnshire Yorkshire Lincolnshire Shropshire Devon Essex Wiltshire Wiltshire Sutherland Cornwall USA Germany Belgium Hampshire Gloucestershire Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire London Warwickshire Somerset
Miss A Buchanan Miss L Carter Mr J Clover Mr G Crane Miss P Goldsworthy Miss E Goldsworthy Miss E Guitera Miss A Harmer Mr T Marsden Miss C Naylor Mr T Saunders Miss K Seymour Mr T Spencer Miss O Stevens Miss S Stewart Mr J Stewart
London Pembrokeshire London Norfolk Kent Kent London Sussex Cheshire Lincolnshire Bedfordshire London Kent Sussex Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire
Associate – Whitehall Court Mr P Bagatelas Mr M Forgione Mr C Holmes Mrs K Rawles
London London London London
New Year Honours The Chairman and Members of the Club congratulate the following member whose name appeared in the New Year Honours List: CBE Professor Nicola Spence
Yorkshire
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: Mr C Boswell Mr R Bowden Mr P Chamberlain Mr A Cooper Mr J Dunning CBE DL Mr C Evans Major J Fairley Mr B Greengrass Mr A Grubb Mr N Hackett OBE Mr P Hawkes Mr J Holes Mr A Howie CBE Mr J Inverarity CBE Mr A Ireland Mr J Linington Mr J Nott Mr E Painter Mr R Paterson Sir D Ralli Mr J Rose Mr J Ruddock-Broyd Mr R Sawyer Mrs J Turner Mrs J Warner Mr K Young
Isle of Wight Hampshire Oxfordshire Bedfordshire Cumbria Herefordshire Surrey London Sussex Leicestershire Essex Northamptonshire Ayrshire Angus Lincolnshire Kent Worcestershire Hampshire Kent Norfolk Kent Oxfordshire Oxfordshire Devon Surrey Cheshire
Club Contacts THE FARMERS CLUB
Serving the farming industry for 179 years 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL
Chairman 2022: John Lee OBE DL
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 Member Experience Manager Craig Barclay-Godfrey direct line: 020 7930 3557 memexpmanager@thefarmersclub.com Conference & Banqueting Sales Manager Liza Keoshgerian direct line: 020 7925 7100 functions@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 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 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
Missing Emails If you are not receiving Club emails into your inbox please visit www.thefarmersclub.com/news/missing-club-emails
www.thefarmersclub.com • 23
Dear Members
Just a note to say thank you for your support over the last 2 years, it has been greatly appreciated. Wishing you all a wonderful 2022 and we look forward to seeing you soon. Best Wishes
The Farmers Club Team
