Autumn2012

AUTUMN JOURNAL 2012 • ISSUE 240

www.thefarmersclub.com

Farmers Club INSIDE Engineering drive p6 Salmonella Dublin p8 Land ownership p10 Lord Plumb Foundation p11 Tomato technology p12

INSERTS St Staff Christmas Fund Committee Com ballot form

Sustainable sheep Setting the pace for truly sustainable farming p4+5

Farmers Club Over 160 years of service to farming 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL Patron – Her Majesty The Queen

FRONT COVER Sustainability leaders: UK sheep production has always been sustainable and continues to set the pace for other sectors, p4

Contents

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 Thoughts on a challenging harvest

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Sustainable sheep Flockmasters lead the way in UK farming’s sustainability stakes.

And there’s even more that can be done

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Engineering food security Agricultural engineering has a huge contribution to make to global food security and deserves due recognition

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Salmonella Dublin Denmark is ahead of the game in the control of Salmonella Dublin, with lessons aplenty for UK livestock producers

10 Green gold Land has been a sound investment for over 1000 years. But some significant challenges now need facing

11 Plumb Foundation Lord Henry Plumb launches £2m fund for industry youth

12 Sweet tomatoes

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Producing 140 million tomatoes a year is no mean feat

14 Annual General Meeting Abridged minutes from the 170th AGM of the Club

15 Christmas Card Woodcock in a winter setting is theme of 2012 card

17 Olympic food legacy Catering sector promotes British food

18 Under 30s

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Summer receptions focus on Addington Fund and Farm Africa

20 Bordeaux wine tour France’s centre of viticulture and fine gastronomy is the focus for a special Club tour in May 2013

21 Whitehall Court Ramblings Olympic and Club golf success

22 Information and Diar y Dates

02 • The Farmers Club Autumn Journal 2012

Chairman’s Comments • Paul Heygate

Chairman’s Comments What we decide over the next few weeks is very important and can and will have a very serious effect on our businesses over the ensuing year.

EXACTLY a year ago my predecessor Richard Holland welcomed everyone to our new look Journal. I hope that 12 months on everyone is finding it interesting and rewarding. We are always open to suggestions, but the comments I receive as I travel around the country as Club Chairman have been very favourable.

Sadly, the rain I referred to in our last issue, which thankfully made my family’s farm in Norfolk look so good when the Club visited in May, has continued relentlessly and everyone is beginning to get very concerned. Our livestock members face serious problems making quality forage and rising costs for bought in feed. Our cereal members are looking at reduced yields and quality issues. Our vegetable and soft fruit growers have found it difficult to harvest crops.

And we have all read or heard about poor returns in the dairy industry.

Now the talk is of record breaking heat and drought in the USA, with more than half of all US counties designated disaster zones.

In Russia there are reports of reduced cereal yield prospects. Here April to June rainfall has exceeded any records since 1910, with sunshine levels half the long term average. Disease pressure is much higher and the words on everyone’s lips are ‘specific weight’ and ‘fusarium head blight’.

At the time of writing harvest is far from complete and we are concerned quality will not be as good as last year. We are having to make some difficult decisions. But we must remember it will be 12 months before the next harvest comes around. The decisions the industry makes over the next few weeks are very important and can and will have a very serious effect on our businesses over the ensuing year.

Variable weather has had a big impact on our

agricultural shows too. We continued our presence at the Cereals Event, where the weather was kind, and we are grateful to the NFU for allowing us to host our breakfast on their stand. This was followed by my first visit to the Royal Highland Show, where 110 attended the Club’s Dinner. As one club member said, the Club Dinner is the start of the show for many and it is greatly appreciated.

During my stay I managed to visit parts of North Berwick and I was very impressed by the quantity and quality of the cereal and potato crops. I hope the recent weather has not affected them too much.

At the Royal Norfolk Show drinks reception a large number of Club members and guests of show President David Lawrence spent a very enjoyable evening on the lawn in front of the President’s pavilion.

Sadly, our attendance at the Yorkshire Show was cancelled, and this show was another one to suffer from the poor weather, as well as the Game Fair. Such cancellations will have a very serious effect on the agricultural industry.

One event that did take place was a Club visit to the Henley Royal Regatta, where we had good weather and first class hospitality. We are grateful to Club member Tom Copas for making his marquee facilities available and welcoming 110 members and guests.

I was unable to attend the Hampton Court Flower Show visit, arranged by Committee Member Charles Notcutt, to whom we owe great thanks, but I met many members in the Club that evening who said they had thoroughly enjoyed the day.

For those who have never been to the Royal Welsh Show, it is a wonderful event, set in a most picturesque setting on the edge of Builth Wells. I was determined to arrive in time for the service and singing in the shearing sheds this year and I was not disappointed. The Club’s evening dinner followed, and was very well attended.

At the end of July the Club became home to many members attending Olympic events and welcomed more members during the Paralympics.

All these activities we hope are achieving our objective of either taking the Club out to its members or organising events for members centred on the Club.

We will be at the Dairy Event at the beginning of September before our visit to Yorkshire the following week. After a busy summer our Harvest Festival is at St-Martin-inthe-Fields on October 2.

Yet again I thank everyone for their continued support and particularly MaryAnne Salisbury and the team at the Club for all the organisation that goes into these events.

Paul Heygate

www.thefarmersclub.com • 03

Phil Stocker • Sheep sector

Sustainable sheep farming Do sheep lead UK farming in the sustainability stakes? Phil Stocker, chief executive of the National Sheep Association, takes a closer look THE brief I was given for this article was to write on sheep and sustainability. What an opportunity – but how daunting too when you consider the millions of pounds that have been spent on researching sustainability and all the brilliant academic minds concentrating on the detail of the subject.

My contribution can only be to consider what research I have seen and then fall back on what I know and what common sense tells me. With great respect for our research community I have learnt that research must be valued and invested in, but its interpretation should be made with utmost care, working with those who can see things holistically and practically.

Red meat, for example, has been criticised for its greenhouse gas production and carbon balance. But crucial parts of the picture are missing – not least the role of the pasture and soils that lock up carbon and counterbalance the negative impact of methane, not

04 • The Farmers Club Autumn Journal 2012

to mention annual wool growth as a very stable form of carbon.

Using an incomplete data set has led to suggestions that upland sheep production has a higher carbon footprint than lowland sheep production. But only looking at limited parameters will distort any answer and potentially lead us down the wrong road.

Of course sheep farming is sustainable – keeping sheep domestically was one of the earliest of our farming activities, practised for thousands of years – it’s still here – it must be sustainable. But would it ever have resembled what it does today without the development of wormers, vaccines, grass and forage varieties. The truth is that we’ve used our remarkable inventive capacity to sustain a farming activity that is as close to nature as it gets, and with not just a low environmental impact but a positive one too.

Sheep farming has a great basis for sustainability

Sheep sector • Phil Stocker

simply because it produces high quality food and fibre with little need for inputs – meat and wool from grass and herbage. Grass is grown on land that can either grow little else, is grown where grassland has been recognised as desirable, or is grown on land to build fertility for subsequent cropping. As the cost of nitrogen fertiliser has increased we have seen that grassland can be managed productively in other ways to maintain and increase production; through aeration and attention to the soil, mixed species swards, clovers and other legumes.

So, fundamentally, sheep can produce good quantities of high quality meat, and increasingly important fibres, with very low levels of inputs. With such interest in renewable technology you could argue that the sheep is already there.

Sheep also bring a multitude of other ‘public goods’ that contribute to sustainability and well being. Landscapes, the maintenance of grasslands that support wildlife and biodiversity, our traditional breeds, the sight of young lambs bringing their message of Spring, the maintenance of upland habitats that filter water, maintaining herbage in a way that avoids wildfires (a huge risk to habitats and greenhouse gases)… The list goes on, and was clearly communicated in our recent report ‘The Complimentary Role of Sheep in LFAs’, where a multitude of organisations were brought together by the NSA to promote the benefits of a vibrant upland sheep sector.

Financial viability When debating sustainability farmers regularly point out that it can’t be achieved without financial viability, and this is true. If we can’t afford to keep doing things then they won’t be sustained. Although the past year has seen a slight increase in sheep numbers we are at a long time low with UK ewe numbers now around 14 million. Sheep meat markets are currently strong and while we will always see fluctuations the overall market signals are good.

Expansion in the UK is slowed by strong cull ewe prices that give the opportunity to improve flock quality and potentially produce more from less (another indicator of sustainability). There are reasons why the other big sheep exporting nations of the world are unlikely to expand significantly, in New Zealand because of the investment into dairy production, and in Australia because of devastating drought and flood.

As the wealth of Asian countries has grown, interest and demand for sheepmeat is growing too, and the increasing importance of ‘faith communities’ that choose to eat sheep meat is evident. Here in the UK sheep meat may not compete on price on the retailer’s shelf with other meats, but is recognised as a high quality premium product associated with the very best of our farming.

But of course not everything is perfect. UK sheep farmers, like most farmers, rely heavily on CAP income and uncertainty here is clearly a threat. But let’s be clear, these payments make food available at prices below where they would otherwise need to be – and they justifiably reward farmers for a very wide range of goods delivered to the public.

On the subject of environmental sustainability

sheep have come under criticism for methane emissions. But methane is not new – it has come from both ends of animals for thousands of years.

This is a natural process that the planet has always coped with and when related to grazing livestock that consume mainly grass and forage the fact that calculations cannot yet take account of the whole picture of the balance between methane output and carbon sequestration of soils and grasslands and indeed wool simply gives an incomplete picture.

To combat unnecessary methane, sheep production needs to be efficient – based on healthy and efficient animals, good grassland management, and effective management of parasites and disease.

Within all breeds and all systems we should constantly be striving to improve and ‘do things better’.

Finally, farmer attitude is of utmost importance.

With interest and enthusiasm in the sector there will be a hunger for knowledge, understanding and information. I’m not sure whether we should ever claim we are fully sustainable, but we can start with the principle of having as light a footprint as we can on this planet and follow the old recommendation of ‘farm today as though we would farm forever’.

UK Sheep • • • • • • •

UK now net exporter of sheep meat Flock size: 14.2 million ewes in 2012 (+2.5% over the year) Total UK sheepmeat production: 294,000 tonnes (predicted 2012) Total exports: 108,000 tonnes Total imports: 99,000 tonnes UK consumption 285,000 tonnes Exported sheepmeat value - £3.81bn Source: AHDB/EBLEX

www.thefarmersclub.com • 05

Marion King • Mechanisation

Engineering key to global food security Agricultural engineers can help meet the UK’s food security challenge, explains the Institution of Agricultural Engineers’ Marion King

(Above) Recognising agricultural engineering’s contribution to global food security – IAgrE President Andy Newbold and Prof John Beddington

06 • The Farmers Club Autumn Journal 2012

FORMIDABLE agricultural challenges are set to intensify over the next 40 years. Global food security is under pressure from a rising world population, little or no new farm land, and the need to conserve natural resources and minimise environmental pollution. Sustainable intensification is needed and agricultural engineering has a significant role to play.

The government’s Global Food and Farming Futures’ report, produced by the Foresight group, said almost two billion people already suffer hunger or are missing vital elements from their diets. “The food system must become sustainable while adapting to climate change and substantially contributing to climate change mitigation,” wrote Professor Sir John Beddington, the government’s chief scientific advisor.

Despite time running out to find solutions, the report mentioned agricultural engineering just once.

That surprised Farmers Club member and President of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers Andy Newbold.

“The UK response to global food security will be much more powerful if agricultural engineering is recognised as a critical component, capable of – multidisciplinary approaches to the challenges.”

Engineers from IAgrE and representatives from Harper Adams University College met with Sir John Beddington, leading to Sir John commissioning IAgrE, with support from Harper Adams, to create a status report on the role of agricultural engineering.

The result is a call for a new line of attack to encourage the sector’s development, ranging from stronger links with the UK engineering research base, building effective centres of excellence that can translate science into practice, and government and industry engaging to ensure education and training provide the skilled work force and future innovators the sector requires.

Tremendous advances in the technology of food production and the mechanisation of agriculture in particular were achieved last century, increasing yields and helping control pollution, avoid waste and conserve natural resources such as soil, water and biodiversity.

Further improvements are now emerging, with GPS location, automatic steering and controlled traffic techniques in crop production, for example, and electronic identification, precision feed preparation and robotic milking in animal production.

Past investments were clearly fruitful.

Opportunities for further investment are now even greater, with advances in information technology and the ability to collect and process almost any amount of data over long distances in real time putting us on the brink of a whole new era for engineers to develop sophisticated systems to better manage biological systems.

Intelligent sensors can detect the onset of pest and disease attack earlier, or even predict them, allowing control with minimum intervention. Essential inputs such as water and nutrients can be precisely matched to prevailing weather, sunlight, growth stage and market needs.

But will the market alone be able to provide the levels of investment needed? Some of the best ideas and most significant advances came from UK public sector institutions and universities. Robotic milking is

Mechanisation • Marion King

just one example.

The need for public investment to bring good concepts to the ready-for-investment stage is well accepted and underpins, for example, public funding of the Technology Strategy Board. But the UK’s current capacity for innovation and knowledge exchange in agricultural engineering has been eroded by a lack of coherent and sustained funding.

The farming industry and agricultural engineering business community need to work with researchers, innovators and educators to establish an appropriate focus for innovation. Harper Adams has taken an early step to encourage this by creating the National Centre for Precision Farming.

“We aim to provide a place where the agricultural engineering and farming sectors can work with academics across a variety of related disciplines to share ideas and look at practical solutions,” says Principal, Dr David Llewellyn. “The pace of technological change is only likely to be greater in the next 20-30 years, and we must ensure we capitalise on the efficiencies that could be delivered through advanced engineering.”

The decline in centres for education, training and innovation needs reversing. Education to first degree level specifically in agricultural engineering is now delivered by Harper Adams only. With the prospect of rising demand for graduate skills there is a need to secure new teaching resources.

Working with industry, IAgrE has established an accreditation scheme for technician training, which is already having a major impact on their professional standing. At the higher skilled end, linkage of engineering capability into the BBSRC Advanced

Training Partnerships scheme would be valuable.

So what are the next steps? Completed to a tight schedule, the report was recently presented to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Agriculture and Food. This meeting included representatives from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council and the Technology Strategy Board. A number of IAgrE members, industry, and research and education/training interests were also represented.

As a result of recommendations, IAgrE, working with the Government Office for Science, the Research Councils, Defra and the Department for International Development will establish a programme to strengthen co-ordination within engineering research, developing a strategy for ‘engineering for agriculture’.

The meeting also agreed the skills deficit needed addressing urgently.

“If the engineering/manufacturing sectors are to be seen as part of the solution we will need to get out of our silos and communicate to the consumer about the importance of agricultural engineering,” says Mr Newbold. “We have a lot of work to do to improve the image of the sector as a career. Key skills need to be identified and the agricultural community will need to think long term.

“We also need to exploit technology to its full.

There is an increasing use of smart technologies on the farm and even the potential for farmers to run their farms from smart phones. Agriculture and agricultural engineering are forward-looking sectors.

If we are to meet the challenges of climate change and food security we must act now.”

(Above) Engineering innovations contribute greatly to on-farm productivity (Right inset) Investment is needed to make the most of technical developments (Left inset) IAgrE response to Foresight report boosted agricultural engineering agenda

www.thefarmersclub.com • 07

Philip Watson • Farmers Club Charitable Trust

SALMONELLA Dublin is a common disease of cattle in many countries, including the UK. It causes acute and chronic illness in cattle and can have a serious negative impact on calf welfare. Clinical signs include diarrhoea, pneumonia, joint infections and ill thrift in calves; and acute diarrhoea or abortion in cows.

Adaptation by the bacteria means it can cause carrier infection in cattle. Faecal-oral transmission is the predominant means of spread and the economic loss on farms is probably significantly underestimated.

Denmark has reduced national farm prevalence in dairy herds from 26% to 8% over a ten year period.

The equivalent prevalence figures are not known in the UK, but disease outbreaks are diagnosed frequently. Human infection is relatively rare but there is a higher mortality than with other salmonella.

Danish Salmonella lessons

Danish Lessons

Better control of Salmonella Dublin in cattle and calves was the focus for SAC vet Philip Watson’s Farmers Club Charitable Trust visit to Denmark

To find out how this disease might be tackled more effectively I visited Denmark, using a Farmers Club Charitable Trust bursary. Five key messages emerged: • Serological testing is the most effective method for disease surveillance and investigation.

• Targeted farm management measures can eradicate infection and these are often quite simple.

• Attention to detail and strict adherence to disease control measures are vital for successful eradication from a farm.

• Larger farms with poorer management are more likely to remain infected and suffer greater financial losses.

• Motivation and continued commitment at all levels of the industry, from the farm through to the government, are very important for successful eradication. Openness, raised awareness and continuing discussion of the disease is important.

Denmark started a S. Dublin surveillance project in 1999. The initial motivations were primarily food safety and human health, as a natural progression from Salmonella campaigns in pigs and poultry.

The initiative was strongly supported by the Danish Dairy Board.

Initial projects demonstrated the effectiveness of serology as a surveillance tool, so quarterly bulk milk sampling could be used to monitor the infection status of dairy farms. In 2002, a national surveillance programme was launched with the initial aim to keep ‘salmonella-free’ farms clear of infection.

Open access to a database, which recorded the status of all farms, had a significant impact on purchasing practices (p9 top chart). There was a dramatic fall in the proportion of purchases made from non-level 1 farms, i.e. potentially infected farms. This was a key driver in cutting infected farms from 26% to 16% in the first three years of the programme.

In 2006 the Danish Cattle Federation and the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration agreed to start an eradication programme, with the ultimate purpose of applying for special “Salmonella-free” status in the EU, to allow a ban on the import of Salmonella-infected meat.

The first phase saw a massive information

08 • The Farmers Club Autumn Journal 2012

(Above left) Philip Watson of SAC (Below) Cow shed on an organic dairy farm setting the highest possible standards of hygiene and healthy cattle (Above right) Calf pens on the same organic farm as pic below. Three thousand members of the public visited this farm the day before on the national annual open day of organic dairy farms in Denmark

Farmers Club Charitable Trust • Philip Watson

Transmission routes must be tackled first.

Often the key issue is motivating farmers to maintain continuous efforts to prevent bacterial transmission. These daily routines usually require manual equipment cleaning, or early interventions at calving and colostrum feeding, which can be difficult in a farmer’s busy schedule.

However, these interventions also help prevent other common neonatal calf diseases and are important in controlling Johnes disease.

Following this eradication effort national prevalence dropped further, and in 2012 stands at 8%. The goal is to eradicate infection by 2014.

The cattle industry is now co-operating with the government to considering measures to tackle the remaining infected farms.

There are already some trading restrictions and price differentials for infected farms. Further regulations are under consideration.

Economic motivation is not always the answer, but a study of infected farms using data from the national cattle database shows a significant drop in milk production occurs in cows for seven to 15 months after infection. This new information was incorporated into models, and indicated an estimated e200 loss per cow per year over a 10 year period, for infected farms with poor management. This loss was mainly due to the drop in milk production.

It is known that infected herds have higher calf mortality, but the hidden effect on the lifetime productivity of survivors has not been quantified.

That loss is likely to be substantial and is not included in the model.

Denmark has never used vaccination for Salmonella, unlike the UK. The vaccine available in the UK will help reduce clinical disease, but probably has very limited effectiveness in preventing transmission of infection. Consequently, the same management interventions targeting the spread of infection are still necessary for eradicating infection from a farm in the UK.

(Above) Inadequately cleaned and poorly located calving boxes next to cow feeding area on a farm struggling to prevent transmission (Inset) Gangrene of the lower leg in a calf following infection with S. Dublin. Such calves must be euthanased on welfare grounds (Top chart) Change in trading behaviour after surveillance programme started – showing percentage of purchaces from potentially infected farms (Bottom chart) Effectiveness of measures to stop salmonella transmission to new-born calves introduced one year before on an infected farm. Here the most important change was stopping the power washing of the removable calf pens within the calf house, and instead cleaning them outside

Conclusion

campaign, with ‘barn-school’ projects with local network groups of farmers, further research and intervention projects, and direct cascading of information to farmers and advisors through centrally hired veterinary consultants with Salmonella control expertise.

Individual farms worked with veterinarians, using a field manual, to help identify potential weak points for the introduction and maintenance of Salmonella.

Usually the first areas to target are the calving area and pre-weaning calf accommodation.

Blood testing can then be used to monitor success (bottom chart). Regular sampling of other management groups including the cows can be used to check other areas of the farm.

The final measure may be to cull persistently high titre animals, which are most likely to be carriers.

However, this alone will not eradicate infection.

Denmark has a highly organised dairy industry, with exemplary co-operation between farmer groups, testing laboratory, government regulators, and the veterinary researchers and consultants.

The national Danish cattle database provides a wealth of information on farm production, health, disease, genetics and the like, that can be used to fully inform the decision making process.

Denmark has demonstrated that with vision and drive, it should be possible to eradicate S. Dublin using tried and tested methods developed through meticulous applied research.

There is no reason why the UK dairy industry should not strive to reach the same high standards and commitment to food safety, animal health and welfare demonstrated in Denmark’s Salmonella eradication campaign.

• Phil Watson Veterinary Investigation Officer SAC Dumfries Disease Surveillance Centre 01387 267260 Philip.Watson@sac.co.uk

www.thefarmersclub.com • 09

Land ownership

Better than gold (Above) Better return than gold – farmland.

Pic: Bidwells (Below) Controversial comments – author Peter Clery

BETTER than Gold might be a more fitting title for Peter Clery’s provocative new book Green Gold – 1000 years of English Land, which poses some poignant questions for the industry.

A member of the Club for 50 years, Peter takes a light hearted look at the past 1000 years, before considering today’s problems and opportunities.

He starts with the ability of Anglo-Saxon earldomen to gather tax, the Normans to slaughter the same Saxons, the destructive Anglo-Norman centuries, Henry VIII’s ability to smoothly nationalize 4m acres of monastic land (15% of England), Cromwell’s republic and Charles II’s ability to reward favoured ladies with lots of land while still finding time to help drain the fens.

Peter graphically describes how most of England came into very few hands in the 19th century. Just 360 families owned a quarter of all England. Throughout this period control of the land was considered to be the chief source of power and wealth.

Moving to modern times he describes the breakup of the big estates at the end of the 19th century, a bigger re-distribution of land than the monastic dissolution, but this time achieving a massive switch from tenancy to owner occupation.

Since the price of gold was allowed to float in the 1970s, his research, in conjunction with Smiths Gore, shows farmland has performed better as a protection against inflation than gold, helping owner-occupiers finance the startling increase in farm productivity from which the whole nation has benefited.

Peter’s final comments on the present and future of English land stem from his experience as a practical farmer, one time head of Nat West Agricultural Department, CEO of The Lands Improvement Group

10 • The Farmers Club Autumn Journal 2012

plc and sometime chairman of the British Association for Biofuels and British Field Products Ltd. In Victorian times development land made only three or four times agricultural value, he notes.

Now 30 or 40 times is possible, due to restrictions imposed by planning authorities. One percent of English farmland would be about 220,000 acres.

Peter suggests there would be few farmers who would not in principle give up 1% of their land for development, thus more than meeting the national need for housing and industry.

He is scathing about campaigns to ‘save the English countryside’. It is already looked after, and in the main cherished, by landowners and farmers, he says. That is in spite of, not because of, interference from self-serving bureaucrats at DEFRA, Natural England, English Heritage and the like. Neither does he think British birds benefit to the extent of the near £100million spent annually by the RSPB. Peter argues for a marked reduction in rural bureaucracy, with the funds freed up devoted to specific agricultural research. That is what has so far helped farmers keep ahead in the race to prove Malthus wrong.

His key research ideas include: • Attach nitrogen fixing nodules found on legume roots to cereal plants, saving the vast amount of energy used to manufacture nitrogen fertilizer.

• Make annual crops, such as cereals, perennials, saving annual cultivation costs.

• Continued development of disease resistance.

His policy conclusions include: • Do not impair the ability of English farmers to feed the nation. What he calls mad cap nonsense from the pseudo conservation industry must be curtailed.

• Quit the Common Agricultural Policy and reestablish an appropriate national policy.

• Cut bureaucracy and divert money to productive agricultural research.

• Save fossil fuel and seek economic alternatives, but stop hair shirting over possible changes to the weather and climate. Agriculture will adapt to changes if and when they gradually occur, as it has over the centuries.

• Appreciate that farmers and landowners create and maintain our landscape and wildlife, not quangos and bureaucrats.

The question is, is Peter right?

Green Gold – A Thousand Years of English Land.

Phillimore Press.

ISBN978-1-86077-730.

Available from Marston Book Services Ltd, Unit 160 Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon.

OX14 4SD. Price £20 + £4.50 p&p or direct from greengold.clery @curlew.fsworld.co.uk Price £20.

Lord Plumb Foundation

Lord Plumb Foundation for young people

HENRY Plumb has played a pivotal role in farming, in roles ranging from NFU President to European Parliament President, leading marches on Whitehall and creating and leading the International Food and Agriculture Trade Policy Council championing equitable and open trade.

Now, in his senior years, Lord Plumb is keen to leave a legacy to the industry in which he started and which he loves so much; a legacy that might start other young people along the kind of path he has trod with such distinction for so long; a legacy that will proudly bear his name for years to come.

At a reception in the House of Lords on October 25 the Henry Plumb Foundation is to be officially launched, with a goal of raising an endowment of at least £2million to fund scholarships and bursaries for young people and a mentoring network.

“My life in agriculture has been a tremendous experience,” Lord Plumb reflects. “I feel very privileged and I would not change a single thing and am heartened by the progress we have made in so many areas of farming. I feel passionate that we as an industry seek to encourage young people to become good farmers.”

Helping new generations become fully conversant in policy matters at national, European and global levels is a key goal. “Agriculture, as much as any other industry, lives in a global economy; we must not be frightened of this but educated enough to make the most of the opportunities that arise.”

The foundation aims to: • Improve the communication skills of young people • Identify and encourage young entrepreneurs needing help • Allow young people to understand the characteristics required to ensure successful leadership and recognise the power of teams • Help graduates obtain relevant post-graduate training to develop leadership skills It is targeting those under 25 and has a specific goal of fostering links and exchanges between young

people involved in farming, explains the Royal Agricultural College’s Professor John Alliston, a foundation trustee.

Help could be provided as a grant to help a business start-up, funding as an intern, overseas exchanges, attendance at technical, management or leadership courses, or securing a business mentor for up to two years.

“Lord Plumb firmly believes that participation is the key to influencing events and getting things done,” says Prof Alliston. “The criterion for his Foundation is wide and we would really encourage young people to be a ‘participator’ and register their interest.”

Potential donors and young people seeking help can register at the foundation’s web-site www.thehenryplumbfoundation.org.uk.

After such a distinguished career in farming Lord Plumb is keen for a foundation to serve generations to come

A fine farming career IN 1940, when Henry Plumb was 15 years old and attending the King Edward VI School at Nuneaton, he was called into the headmasters study to be told he would be leaving school to help on the family farm. The Second World War had taken all able bodied men to be soldiers and Plumb senior was unable to run the farm alone.

“Don’t worry Plumb,” the headmaster confided. “This war can’t last more than six months; there will still be a place here when it’s over.” Henry didn’t see it the same way. He was delighted to be leaving to work on the farm, where he milked cows – by hand – sorted potatoes, kept 300 acres in order, and became his father’s right hand man. It was an ideal training ground for the varied career that followed. He never went back to school.

When his father suddenly died in 1952, Henry took over the farm, aged 27. He became involved with Warwickshire NFU and in 1964, aged 38, was elected NFU Vice President – the Union’s youngest ever office holder. In 1970 he became President, leading a march of farmers across London to Whitehall to set the record straight on the suffering being felt by “Feather Bedded Farmers” when guaranteed prices were slashed. Farmers loved him for it; government hated it – but he was still awarded a Knighthood by the Queen.

In 1979 he was elected an MEP for the Cotswolds and almost immediately became Chairman of the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and later President of the European Parliament. He remains an active member of the House of Lords.

www.thefarmersclub.com • 11

Charles Abel • Tomato production

Passion for innovation One in seven home-grown tomatoes comes from British Sugar’s impressive Cornerways Nursery in Norfolk. Charles Abel reports

(Above) Bees play a pivotal role pollinating plants, explains Paul Simmonds

FEW doubt the desire of British farmers to harness innovation as they strive to deliver better quality food at less cost and with less impact on the environment.

Tomato grower Paul Simmonds is a prime example of that passion for progress.

He looks after British Sugar’s award-winning horticulture business, producing 140 million ‘ecofriendly’ tomatoes each year alongside the world’s largest sugar beet processing factory at Wissington in Norfolk.

But Cornerways Nursery is more than just a triumph of high-tech horticulture. It is a flagship for farming’s drive to embrace new approaches to meet society’s demands – tasty, nutritious food, with minimal carbon footprint, food miles and environmental impacts.

Approaching the site it is hard to appreciate its scale – a key factor in its success. This is Wissington, in the flatlands of the Fens. The skyline is dominated

by British Sugar’s vast concrete sugar silos. But nestled in their shadow is Britain’s largest single glasshouse, spanning an incredible 18ha – that’s 25 football pitches – with 25,000 panes of glass, all built at a cost of over £10m.

Balmy temperatures This vast controlled environment allows conditions to be fine-tuned to the precise needs of a quarter of a million plants. The starting point is heat, provided by hot water from the sugar factory’s on-site Combined Heat and Power (CHP) station. More than two hundred and forty miles of piping act as a giant radiator to maintain the balmy temperatures tomato plants so like – 18oC in winter to 26oC in summer.

12 • The Farmers Club Autumn Journal 2012

The scheme ensures surplus heat is used productively. “Our glasshouse is effectively a huge cooling tower for the CHP plant,” says Mr Simmonds.

Waste carbon dioxide from the sugar factory is blown down a network of inflated pipes, boosting tomato plant productivity, rather than being vented as waste emissions into the atmosphere. The result is a glasshouse atmosphere containing 800-1000 parts per million of carbon dioxide, nearly three times higher than outdoors. That alone delivers almost 50% more yield of sweeter tasting tomatoes, thanks to more efficient photosynthesis, Mr Simmonds explains.

The site harvests rainwater from the giant glasshouse roof too, collecting over 115 million litres annually, to irrigate the plants.

This combination of intensive production with minimal environmental impacts continues in the crop’s husbandry. Over 8,500 native UK bumblebees, living in 300 bee hives, look after the pollination, part of the nursery’s integrated approach to crop management using natural agents and predators rather than agro-chemicals.

Efficient system Optimum conditions for the tomatoes mean it is possible to harvest fruit from February to November – a huge season compared with garden grown tomatoes. Indeed, the glasshouses spend just one week without tomato plants, before a quarter of a million new plants are placed for the following season. Each plant comprises a traditional, tasty variety grafted onto a vigorous rootstock for top performance. It makes for a highly efficient system.

Intriguingly the plants are grown on suspended

Tomato production • Charles Abel

Cornerways Nursery • • • • • • • • •

trellises, rooted in a small block of Saint Gobain’s Cultilene rockwool substrate, designed to replicate their original Peruvian gravel habitat. This is fed by two small pipes, one bearing water the other a nutrient mix adjusted according to results from surplus water analysis, so plants get just the right mix of nutrients.

“We are effectively mixing our own version of Tomorite each week, with a view to keeping plants just a little hungry and stressed. That provides the best flavour.”

Significantly, watering prioritises morning application. “It is where so many amateur gardeners go wrong, watering at night,” warns Mr Simmonds.

“Tomatoes love being dry overnight.

“A tip for gardeners is to consider growing tomatoes in straw and compost mixed with sand and gravel, and water in the morning for flavour and yield, and less disease. You will be growing healthier plants, so will require less pesticide too.”

No hard chemicals “We’ve used no ‘hard’ chemicals here for three years, just soaps, sugars and Chrysanthemum extract,” he comments. White fly is the biggest threat, combated with biological control, using parasitic Encarsia wasps.

There is no artificial lighting, as the energy demand would undermine the crop’s green credentials.

Rapid growth means plants need tending individually every week, a manual winding mechanism providing lateral support to stems which can grow up to 36ft in a season. “Place them all end to end and they’d stretch to California,” says Mr Simmonds.

18ha glasshouse 140m tomatoes/year 0.25 million plants each growing up to 36ft long Heat and carbon dioxide from adjacent sugar factory 115m litre rainwater capture Natural pest control 8,500 pollinating bees Minimal agrochemical Plants up to 36ft long

The result is over 110 trusses of tomatoes produced by four plants for each and every square meter of space. Amazing productivity.

Every single plant is hand-picked daily Monday to Friday from February to November by over 300 staff.

All produce is packed on-site, minimising handling and transport and allowing produce to be despatched for supermarket shelves directly from the nursery.

“Our tomatoes are in store within 24 hours, compared with anything from five days to two weeks for Spanish produce,” Mr Simmonds explains. That is important. “Refrigeration kills the flavour of tomatoes in an hour. It’s why I encourage people to leave tomatoes out of the fridge, in a bowl. They’ll last just as long and you’ll get the full flavour.”

Surprisingly dead leaves and trimmings are left on the ground beneath plants. “We’ve been composting in-situ, directly onto the exposed soil beneath the plants, where it breaks down and helps keep insect predators within the glasshouse rather than clearing everything out each year. We’ve done it for eight years with no problems. Substrate blocks are crushed and incorporated into adjacent flower meadows.

The net result is a world-leading example of just how large scale farming can be productive, profitable and environmentally benign. Long may farming’s passion for pushing innovation forward continue.

(Above) Wissington tomato plants produce stems up to 36ft long (Inset top) Paul Simmonds looks after quarter of a million tomato plants (Inset bottom) Pipework brings heating from adjacent sugar factory power station

Tomato info British Sugar: www.britishsugar.co.uk/tomatoes.aspx Jimmy Doherty’s view: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEaKZbP9hig UK tomatoes: www.britishtomatoes.co.uk

www.thefarmersclub.com • 13

Charles Abel • AGM

Report on the 2012 Annual General Meeting The 170th Annual General Meeting chaired by Paul Heygate was held at The Farmers Club on Tuesday, 3rd July 2012. The following is a summary of the Minutes, full copies of which can be obtained from the Secretary

2013 Chairman Stewart Houston

14 • The Farmers Club Autumn Journal 2012

Minutes, Club Accounts and Annual Report The Minutes of the 169th Annual General Meeting of the Club were approved and the Report and Audited Accounts of the Club for the year ended 31 December 2011 were adopted unanimously.

Election of the Club Chairman and the Vice-Chairman Stewart Houston and Jimmy McLean were proposed and agreed upon as Club Chairman and ViceChairman for 2013.

Proposing the election of Stewart Houston as chairman of the Club, Mark Hudson, Chairman of the Trustees, noted that calling someone “Mr Pig” might normally attract a thumping. But it was an absolutely correct title to give to Stewart Houston.

Stewart started his farming career aged 18 with twelve sows, and now, with his elder son Andrew, runs a business of 350 sows producing pork for Morrisons. From his beginnings as a first generation farmer he is now known on the global stage as the man who represents the British pig industry. He was instrumental in forming the British Pig Executive in 2000, becoming its Chairman in 2002. He became an MLC commissioner, and subsequently a director of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board.

He was Chairman of the National Pig Association for eight years, from 2004 to 2012. He represents the UK pig industry on COPA and COGECA in Brussels, and importantly he was responsible for opening up the market for both pigs and pig meat in Japan, Korea and China.

He has been recognised with the David Black Award in 2003, is a Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Society and was awarded a CBE in 2007. Stewart is married to Janet and has two sons, Andrew who farms with him and Stephen who runs his own business in utility management. Stewart has four grandchildren. He relaxes by fly fishing on the River Ure in Yorkshire.

Tim Bennett seconded the proposal, which was approved unanimously.

Replying, Stewart Houston thanked the Club for putting its trust in him. It was a huge privilege and he and Janet promised to look after the Club’s interests and to take it forward in 2013.

Proposing the election of Jimmy McLean as Vice Chairman for 2013 Barclay Forrest bet there was nobody in London that morning recommending a banker for a job!

Jimmy, an honours graduate of Edinburgh University, joined the Scottish Agricultural College as an adviser and went on to head up its business unit before joining RBS (the Bank of Scotland at the time) to lead its UK agricultural services. He is a member of the committee of the Scottish Clearing Bankers and the British Bankers Association, chairman of the NFU Remuneration Committee for Scotland and a member of the Royal Highland Educational Trust Advisory Board. He is an elder of the Church of Scotland.

He joined the Club in 1996 and was a very active member of the Membership Committee. Married to Jane, his hobbies include golf, serious DIY and driving Class 1 articulated heavy-goods vehicles.

AGM • Charles Abel

Campbell Tweed seconded the proposal, which was approved unanimously.

THE FARMERS CLUB CHRISTMAS CARD

Honorary Treasurer Richard Butler was re-elected as Honorary Treasurer.

Proposing his re-election Roddy Loder-Symonds said the Club was very fortunate in having such a very safe pair of hands to guide it through difficult, yet exciting times.

Anne Chamberlain seconded the proposal, which was approved unanimously.

Replying, Richard Butler noted that this year’s good figures reflected an exceptionally talented team at the Club and the increases that had come through in room charges in recent years. Some members may challenge those increases, but it was the surplus that resulted that generated the funds for reinvestment, including a big programme of investment recommended by the House Committee.

Auditors The Chairman and Committee recommended that haysmacintyre continue in office, which was seconded by Denis Chamberlain, and approved unanimously.

The Chairman noted that haysmacintyre had put in a lot of work with regard to what had been hoped for regarding Club expansion. On behalf of haysmacintyre Simon Wilks said the project had been interesting and it was a pity it was now on hold.

He hoped to provide further benchmarking for the Club and felt it compared very well with a lot of other clubs.

Trustees The Chairman explained that it was Mark Hudson’s last AGM as Chairman of the Trustees.

Barclay Forrest, on behalf of the Trustees, thanked Mark for all his work over the years, and welcomed Nicki Quayle as the new trustee.

Mark had overseen a very interesting time as Chairman of Trustees. He was Chairman of the Club in 1990, a trustee in 2001 and then became Chairman of Trustees in 2007. He had overseen the funds of the Club at a very high level and also saw those funds quietly eroding. Mark had been an extraordinarily good gatekeeper of the funds, overseeing a lot of serious decisions. Funds were now building up again.

On behalf of the trustees he recommended that Mark be appointed a Vice President for the next seven years.

The Chairman announced that the new Chairman of the Trustees was Barclay Forrest.

‘Waiting for Nightfall’ Beautifully camouflaged, a woodcock settles down for the night among some fallen leaves.

From an original watercolour by Colin Woolf (www.wildart.co.uk) THE card, which measures 178 x 127mm (7"x 5"), is printed with the greeting “With Best Wishes for Christmas and the New Year” and can be posted with a standard First or Second class stamp.

Surplus on the sale of the cards will be donated to the R.A.B.I. of England, Wales and N. Ireland and the R.S.A.B.I. of Scotland, both of which are dedicated to helping members of the farming community facing hardship.

The card is available in packs of 10 and may be bought at Reception or ordered from the Secretariat using the order form below. The price per pack is £8.50 including VAT and postage (UK only) for up to 5 packs (50 cards), a supplement will be charged on orders of 6 packs or more to cover the cost of additional postage. Please place your order promptly to avoid any disappointment.

Members are requested, if possible, to collect their cards in person as it enables the Club to make a larger donation to the chosen charities.

Christmas Card Order Form To: The Secretary, The Farmers Club, 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL. I would like to order ………… packs of Christmas Cards (£8.50 per pack of 10). I will collect the cards from Reception on ………………………… (approximate date if known).

Payment can either be made by cheque payable The Farmers Club or by Visa, Mastercard or Maestro card. I enclose a cheque for £ …………………… (Add £2.00 postage for orders of 60 + cards).

PLEASE COMPLETE IN BLOCK CAPITALS with FIRST NAME Member Card Holder’s Name Card No

Any other business There being no further business the Chairman concluded the AGM.

Start Date

Expiry Date

Security No

Amount £ Signature Address

Post Code Telephone Email

www.thefarmersclub.com • 15

Farm views

Tractors WE’VE all witnessed the frustration of drivers caught behind a tractor on a rural road. But is it really justified?

According to an analysis undertaken by Green Flag Breakdown and University College London, drivers using rural roads in spring and summer can indeed expect to get stuck behind tractors, but only for a short distance and only adding one or two percent to their overall journey time.

16 • The Farmers Club Autumn Journal 2012

Statisticians reckon that between March and September drivers are likely to end up behind one of the UK’s 250,000 tractors for two to four minutes for every hour driven on the 132,352 miles of rural roads.

Indeed, they have the maths to prove it. If the average speed of a car on a country road is 48mph (Transport Statistics Great Britain), and the average speed of a tractor on a country road is 31mph, then statistically every 80 minutes a car driver will catch up with a tractor.

If a tractor travels on rural roads for 50 hours a year, at an average speed of 50km/h, and makes two journeys per day over 210 days of the working season, there are about 500 journeys of 2-5 km.

But while the car will usually follow the tractor to the end of the tractor’s journey – let’s not have any unnecessarily dangerous overtakes – cars usually only catch up with the tractor part way through the latter’s typically 2-5km journey. That means the time spent following a tractor is reduced to an estimated three to six minutes.

However, the car is still moving, so not all the time spent behind the tractor is delay. Indeed, delay works out to be around one minute per hour of travel on rural roads.

So, now you know! And if you get the chance to speak to a frustrated car driver you can explain that being stuck behind a tractor does not have such a large impact on their busy schedule after all. Good luck!

• Daniel George

Farn views

Olympic food success BRITAIN’S sporting success in the Olympics and Paralympics was matched by a gold rush of enthusiasm for home-grown food, leaving a rich legacy on which the industry can build. “Love British Food 2012 gave shops, pubs, restaurants and community groups a platform for capitalising on Olympic patriotism without incurring the wrath of the Olympic brand police,� explains organiser Alexia Robinson. “The promotion was a resounding success, particularly in the catering sector, with sales increases and positive customer feedback across the board. “The big question this autumn is what will the legacy of the Olympics be? The Olympics have made ‘Britain’ one of the most valuable brands in the world. Retailers, caterers and producers can capitalise on this by putting the spotlight on their British credentials.�

She also argues for a British Food Tsar, akin to London Mayor Boris Johnson’s London Food Tsar Rosie Boycott; an end to British gold-plating of EU regulations that throttles the promotion of Britishness by levy-funded groups; and a relaxation of LOCOG branding regulations preventing many British food and drink producers and caterers who supplied the Olympics from using their London 2012 credentials to promote themselves and win new customers. “Love British Food 2012 has been a resounding success, engaging more of our restaurants than ever before,� commented David Mulcahy of caterer Sodexo. “The sourcing and use of seasonal produce in menus has never been more important.�

Brakes’ ‘Great British Summer’ promotion of British rump steaks, Welsh lamb racks and Scottish fishcakes was highly successful, with Aberdeen Angus beef burgers and British duck breast sales up nearly 1,000%, said marketing director James Armitage. SPAR and Tesco ran patriotic promotions throughout their stores “Our 100% Dorset Tasting Menu resulted in sales being up 7%. The liberal use of the Love British Food logo also entrenched our reputation as a champion of locally produced and reared food,� said Charles Lotter of Summer Lodge Country House Hotel.

Supplier 3663 reported sales of products with at least 65% British ingredients increased across the range year on year, with consumers demanding more British food on their menus. “We are delighted with this success,â€? said marketing manager Nick Phipps. “Promotional packs were sent to over 3,000 pubs and we have had reports of pubs replacing their usual offering with traditional, locally-sourced British fare,â€? added Amy Dolphin, Communications Manager at Enterprise Inns. • British Food Fortnight 2013 will run 21st September to 6th October. See www.lovebritishfood.co.uk

E-Mail addresses The Club is keen to have your up-to-date email address, so you can be kept informed of events and developments. The Club currently holds a total of 3082 e-mail addresses, out of a possible 5395. That is just 57%. So please send your email address to update@thefarmersclub. com The Club will continue to post information about the Club and events to Members who do not have email.

Top prices Paid for parcels of 10 or more trees. Best quality replacement willow sets supplied as standard.

Free advice always available.

Courteous and friendly service.

More details at www.cricketbatwillow.com/treeswanted.php

! " # ! ! "

www.thefarmersclub.com • 17

Rhydian Scurlock-Jones, Chairman; Jeremy Dyas, Vice Chairman; MaryAnne Salisbury, Secretary • U30s

U30s Chairman’s Jottings AS Great Britain harvested gold at the Olympics we could only dream of such fruitful results in our fields. Hopefully many of you had the opportunity to attend the games, however tricky it may have been to balance the harvest or work commitments.

Our joint event with the Addington Fund on July 4, held at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London, was an outstanding success and I’d like to thank the Under 30 members who provided me with the content of my speech ‘young people in the industry’. It was great to be able to represent an enthusiastic group who are clearly driven to succeed.

On July 12 we really had our fingers crossed for some sun for our annual Pimms Reception at the Club. But unfortunately this was not to be and the event was held inside. We were delighted to welcome Cathy Whiteman of Farm Africa who gave us an excellent insight into their projects.

Feedback from members who attended was very positive and we very much hope to be able to support this very worthwhile cause in the future.

As a Welshman I was delighted to be able to represent the Under 30s at the Royal Welsh Show dinner on the evening of the start of the show on July 22 – a highlight in the Welsh agricultural calendar and very much a favourite of mine.

Keeping to the Welsh theme, on the evening of Saturday 8 September we will be joined by Meurig Raymond, Deputy President of the NFU, who will share with us his summary and views of the recent events that are affecting the dairy industry.

In addition we have a very informative farm walk weekend planned in Bedfordshire/ Hertfordshire on October 6 and 7. I do hope you will be able to join us.

contact Rhydian for more information Rhydian Scurlock-Jones 07807 999177 rsjones@savills.com

18 • The Farmers Club Autumn Journal 2012

Young people in the industry MEMBERS of the Under 30s were pleased to support our joint event with The Addington Fund at a drinks reception held in the India Office of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on Wednesday 4 July.

The venue, itself a grade 1 listed building, was extremely impressive, featuring rich décor by George Gilbert Scott intended to ‘impress foreign visitors.’

Hosted by farmer and Conservative Member of Parliament for Sherwood Mark Spencer, the event was also attended by then Defra Minister of State Jim Paice.

The Under 30s provided their chairman, Rhydian Scurlock-Jones, with a list of topics to raise within his speech, including the issue of access for young people into farming. It was clear, whilst members have concern around some sectors, the overall belief is that farming is an increasingly vibrant industry, which is becoming increasingly mainstream in terms of the publicity that it can draw upon to support its story and campaigns.

Addington Fund director Ian Bell explained how that charity is trying to help with housing solutions, so older tenants can retire with dignity, thereby enabling young farmers to enter onto the farming ladder.

The Addington Fund was founded in 2001 during that year’s foot and mouth disease outbreak. Financial support was made available to farmers who could not move or sell livestock, to help towards additional feed costs.

The name Addington originates from Canon Richard Addington, who inspired the original Addington Fund in East Anglia. The charity now also runs a Strategic Rural Housing Scheme (SRHS) providing homes for families needing to exit or retire from the

industry with no other option available to them. The scheme currently owns 41 houses nationally, with an additional development of four work/live units coming on stream from October.

To provide us with a real example of the fund’s success Edward Buckland from Cornwall, a beneficiary of the fund, spoke about how the Addington Fund had helped provide him with appropriate housing and space to develop his land agency business. Now on the road to success Edward could not speak highly enough of how supportive and important the fund had been to him.

Addington’s work is dependent on the continued generosity and support of many people. Hearing of the excellent work the Addington Fund does for those in the agricultural industry, I was very impressed and deem it to be an extremely worthwhile charity and one with which the Under 30s are keen to maintain a long term relationship.

• Jeremy Dyas Under 30s Vice Chairman

Addington in Action By providing a home that allows a farming family to remain in its locality children are kept within the catchment area of their current schools and families continue to have the support of their local family and friends. Those needing to find new employment have a far greater chance of doing so if they are living in an area where they are known. Since its launch by Lord Curry at Royal Smithfield in November 2002, the Addington Fund Strategic Rural Housing Scheme has provided a farming family with an appropriate home every 60 days.

U30s • Rhydian Scurlock-Jones, Chairman; Jeremy Dyas, Vice Chairman; MaryAnne Salisbury, Secretary

Pimms party looks to Africa Geofrey Mugalu: improved beans for improved means. © Farm Africa

ON an un-characteristically wet summer’s evening in mid-July we held our annual Pimms reception and Dinner, at which Cathy Whiteman of Farm Africa gave us an intriguing introduction to this valuable charity’s work.

It’s a little-known fact that hunger kills more people worldwide than AIDS, TB and malaria combined. Farm Africa is a fantastic charity whose work is making a real difference on the ground in eastern Africa to end hunger and poverty.

Their approach is simple. They listen carefully to farmers and communities who do not have enough to eat and once they understand the problems that are facing them they come up with appropriate solutions.

Those solutions are often simple, like providing farmers with improved seeds that are able to withstand local crop disease or drought. But the effects can be dramatic, with farmers being able to grow enough food to eat. Once families are able to grow enough food to eat any excess they grow can be sold at local markets to help them earn money to spend on school clothes, medical expenses and other household essentials.

Geofrey Mugalu is typical of the people Farm Africa works with. He is a member of the Bavubuka Twegatte Farmers’ Group in Uganda’s Nakaseke district. The group trains and supports young farmers who wish to build a successful future for themselves.

The climate and land in Nakaseke are well-suited to agriculture. But farming is still a constant struggle for Geofrey and his fellow farmers with their crops regularly decimated by local plant diseases.

Farmers also lack some of the most basic tools and equipment that we would take for granted, all too

often leaving them unable to cultivate their land.

Farm Africa is working with Geofrey and the Bavubuka Twegatte Farmers’ Group to provide them with seeds to grow crops of beans and peanuts resistant to local diseases. Geofrey has provided a plot of 0.7 acres from his own land where members of the community’s farmers’ group are able to learn the best ways to plant their new seeds and look after their new crops. The crops being grown on the plot also produce new seeds which group members can use to grow their own disease-resistant beans and peanuts.

Geofrey and the rest of the group are confident that the new seeds and training they have received from Farm Africa mean a bright and prosperous future for them, free from the threat of plant disease and food shortage. In fact, the group is so confident of the difference the new seeds will make, that they have already set up a marketing co-operative to guarantee the effective selling of their healthy bean harvest!

Fundraising is an essential element of Farm Africa’s work and there are always ways to get involved, including places in the 2013 Virgin London Marathon, climbing Mount Toubkal in October and a planned Kilimanjaro Climb in 2013.

• For more information about these challenges, or more sedate fundraising opportunities, contact Cathy Whiteman on 020 7067 1254 or cathyw@farmafrica.org.uk • To learn more about the work of this life-changing charity visit www.farmafrica.org.uk

www.thefarmersclub.com • 19

Charles Abel • French wine

Bordeaux wine tour Anticipated cost: * £949.00 per person – based on 2 people sharing either a twin or double room * £998.00 per person – based on single occupancy Inclusive of return flights with British Airways from London Gatwick to Bordeaux on Tuesday 21st May returning Friday 24th May 2013; accommodation at the 3* Hotel de Normandie with breakfast; dinner and lunches (3 courses and includes wine, water and coffee) and all visits throughout the tour. The tour will be accompanied by an experienced, English speaking, guide with a driver on an air-conditioned coach. *Costs may be subject to change depending on taxes, fees and charges. Fees quoted are based on a minimum number of 22 participants and therefore, may be subject to change.

THE FARMERS CLUB VISIT TO BORDEAUX Please complete in CAPITALS WITH FIRST NAME(S) and return to MaryAnne Salisbury, Events Manager, The Farmers Club, 3 Whitehall Court, LONDON, SW1A 2EL. Tel: 020 7930 3751 Email: events@thefarmersclub.com I would like to reserve …….……. place(s) @ £ ………. .00 per person.

Room preference …………………………………….……………. (Twin/double or single) Debit/Credit Card No Type of card

Start Date

Expiry Date

Security No

Card Holder’s Name Signature Member Guest Name Address

Post Code Tel. No

Mobile

Email

20 • The Farmers Club Autumn Journal 2012

WITH almost 9,000 wineries across 300,000 acres, a tour to France’s wine capital will certainly involve a visit to a few châteaux. The region, however, is also renowned for its gastronomy and its proximity to the Atlantic means seafood is always on the menu.

A specially tailored three day / three night tour to the region in Spring 2013 offers Farmers Club members an opportunity to experience some of the best the local food and wine industry has to offer.

Working with a local tour operator we have secured access to some of Bordeaux’s better-known vineyards, including tours of the châteaux and meeting with the producers.

Based in Bordeaux city itself, you will explore vineyards and wineries on both the Left and Right banks of the Garonne river and learn why the region is said to produce some of the world’s finest wines.

You’ll also have the opportunity to taste some of them to see if you agree!

When you’re not learning about viticulture and wine making, you can discover how oysters are farmed and the best production methods for caviar on a visit to the Atlantic coast.

So whether it is strolling in the bio-dynamic vineyards of Château Pontet-Canet in Pauillac, walking through the labyrinth of limestone caves under Château Canon in Saint-Emilion or tasting unfamiliar fruit and vegetables at an organic farm, we’re sure you’ll find the trip enjoyable and informative.

The tour will run from Tuesday 21st until Friday 24th May, 2013. Due to restrictions at châteaux, the group size is limited to 22 guests. The group will be accompanied by an experienced, English-speaking wine guide from arrival in Bordeaux until departure, plus a driver with an air–conditioned coach.

Accommodation has been booked at the 3*, Hotel de Normandie, located in the centre of Bordeaux, within walking distance of shops and restaurants.

Dinners and lunches will be three courses and include wine, water and coffee. Special dietary requirements can be catered for, but could result in an extra charge.

All visits will include a tour and tasting. Wines tasted at châteaux are chosen by the château themselves and are likely to be recent vintages.

To secure a place please send a deposit of £150.00 per person either by cheque made payable to The Farmers Club or complete your credit/debit card details on the form below by Friday 9 November 2012.

Ramblings • Stephen Skinner

Ramblings

Olympic success FOR those who used the Club during the Olympics, I hope you enjoyed it as much as we, the staff, did. Having talked to many, not only have the Olympics clearly been wonderful but, believe it or not, London has been a pleasure to walk around and experience. If only the crowds were always so happy and the travelling so easy! Added to this your Club has been, I like to think, something of a relaxed oasis where you were able to eat, drink and sleep.

Some members were surprised we charged a room supplement during the Games. I am genuinely sorry this was a surprise, because we had worked hard to try to ensure all were aware. The reason we raised our prices was because we extended the opening times of the restaurant for breakfast through to dinner, reception was open for longer, as was the bar. Naturally, this incurs additional staff costs.

Welsh Show Dinner OUR dinner at the Royal Welsh Show once again experienced a tremendous sense of community and happiness. And, wonderful weather was quite a bonus too!

Our speaker for the evening was Professor Chris Pollock, whom Dr Christianne Glossop had very kindly inveigled into speaking to us. Prof Pollock is a plant physiologist and was Director of the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research in Aberystwyth from 1993-2007, as well as holding many other key agricultural appointments in his time.

Chris’s opening remarks, that he had come to give advice to politicians and farmers alike, was greeted by a not insignificant collective intake of breath!

However, he soon put people at ease as he constructed his arguments making a number of highly insightful and often humorous remarks. His closing comment that it was essential to invest for the future was very well received.

Refurbishment Update

GOLF

(Left) Trophy winners Fay Dilliway-Parry, John Parker and Robert Buckolt and (Right) Hole in one for Andrew Slack

THE Club Championships were again held at Blackwell Golf Club, Bromsgrove, in early July and as always proved to be a popular draw with a sizeable field contesting the main trophies, writes Club Deputy Secretary Robert Buckolt.

The wet weather had taken its toll as golf courses across the country succumbed to flooding. But the valiant efforts of the green keeping staff allowed play to get under way on a beautiful summer’s day.

With the course playing its full length and wet conditions under foot, accurate play was the order of the day. Andrew Slack demonstrated this to perfection when he achieved his fourth hole-in-one at the 13th hole, a 166 yard par 3.

“What a surprise!” he commented. “I thought I had landed in the brook in front of the green, but my playing partners Jeremy and Chris Turner exclaimed – No! It’s in the hole. And they were right. Fantastic!”

Bill McKelvey I AM delighted to say Professor Bill McKelvey, until recently Principal and Chief Executive of the SAC, has just been awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science degree by Edinburgh University for contributions to Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences.

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! YOU should find enclosed with this edition of the Journal a voting form for the next cohort of committee members. Please use it!

Your vote is important!

IN the Club, we are about to embark on a major refurbishment programme on rooms 3, 4 and 5. I say major because we will be creating three en-suite bedrooms for these rooms. We have endeavoured to do this during the quiet period, but unfortunately there will nonetheless be an impact on bedroom availability until late September.

Further renovations will happen once I am happy we have generated the income to cover costs.

Obituary SIR David Money-Coutts, a former trustee of the Farmers Club Charitable Trust, has died aged 80. He was the seventh generation chairman of London bankers Coutts & Co. Sir David was born on 19 July 1931 and spent his childhood in Ayrshire. He joined Coutts on The Strand aged 27 and rose to become Chairman, as well as a director at NatWest Bank, and was arguably one of the last of London’s gentleman bankers.

Sir David was well known at The Farmers Club. Former Secretary Grieve Carson, commented: “David was a great supporter of the Trust and his advice and support was always invaluable. It was a huge privilege to work with him.”

Trust Chairman, and former Club Chairman, John Kerr added: "David was a very experienced, prestigious and down to earth Trustee and the FCCT was extremely fortunate to enjoy his dedicated support over very many years." He is survived by wife Penelope, their son and two daughters.

www.thefarmersclub.com • 21

The Farmers Club • Club Information

Club Information 020 7930 3751 DIARY DATES Please check the dates carefully as they are sometimes changed and new dates added for each issue. Details of Club events circulated in the previous issues are available from the Secretariat at the telephone number shown above.

Masters Tennis at the Royal Albert Hall Friday 7 December 2012 The Statoil Masters Tennis is the perfect combination of competitive and entertaining tennis in one of the UK’s most loved venues, the Royal Albert Hall. As the seasonfinale to the ATP Champions Tour, it is a truly unique event with inspiring tennis from some of the greatest legends on the tour.

Approximate timings for the evening are as follows:

SEPTEMBER

5.30pm Supper at the Club • 6.45pm Depart for the Royal Albert Hall 7.30pm Masters Tennis • 10.30pm Return to the Club

Royal Day Out – Visit to Buckingham Palace – FULL Friday 28th

OCTOBER Har vest Festival Ser vice at St. Martin-in-the-Fields with Buffet Supper at the Club Tuesday 2nd at 5pm Preacher – The Revd. Canon Dr Samuel Wells, Vicar of St. Martinin-the-Fields. Buffet Supper – FULL

NOVEMBER

The cost is £90.00 per person including a 2 course dinner with wine, tennis and transport to and from the Royal Albert Hall.

Applications will be dealt with on a ‘first come first served’ basis with a maximum of 2 places per member.

To book – Either apply online at www.thefarmersclub.com or complete the booking form below.

Please complete in CAPITALS WITH FIRST NAME and return to MaryAnne Salisbury, Events Manager, The Farmers Club, 3 Whitehall Court, LONDON, SW1A 2EL. Tel: 020 7930 3751 events@thefarmersclub.com I would like to reserve ………. ticket (s) @ £90.00 per person (max 2 per member).

Theatre Evening – War Horse

Please advise any special dietary requirements …………………………………

Friday 2nd Booking form was in Harvest Journal

Payment can be by debit or credit card (Visa or Mastercard only) or by cheque payable ‘The Farmers Club’.

Shakespeare Exhibition, British Museum

Card Holder

Friday 23rd Booking form was in Harvest Journal

Card No Start Date

Expiry Date

Security No

DECEMBER Masters Tennis at the Royal Albert Hall

Signature

Friday 7th Application form opposite

Member

New Years Eve Dinner at the Club

Address

Guest Name

Monday 31st Booking form was in Harvest Journal

JANUARY 2013

Postcode

Oxford Farming Conference

Tel

Wednesday 2nd – Friday 4th Visit www.ofc.org.uk for information

Email

Website registration made easy WE will shortly email the details you need to register for the Members area of our website, which brings some very worthwhile benefits: • see your Club account; • view the directory of members; • register separately for on-line event booking – a quick and efficient way of booking your place on Club events.

A quick reference guide to on-line event booking will also be included. If you have not yet advised us of your email address please send to update@thefarmersclub.com

22 • The Farmers Club Autumn Journal 2012

With the supplied information to hand registering is easy: • go to the Club website (www.thefarmersclub.com) • click Member Login at the top of the home page • go to the Member Registration area • enter your: membership number, first and last name (as supplied in our email or as shown on the Journal address label) • select validate • create a username and password of your choice.

• A confirmation email will be sent to you once the process is complete.

Should you require assistance please contact the Club.

Club Information • The Farmers Club

Further information is available on The Farmers Club Website www.thefarmersclub.com

• There is a Club jacket and a selection of ties at Reception which may be borrowed in an emergency.

THE FARMERS CLUB

Obituaries It is with regret that we announce the death of the following members: Mr W Bilson Northamptonshire Mr J Inman Suffolk Mr D Kemp Yorkshire Mr D Kydd Dorset Mr M Rogers Monmouthshire Mr R Shepherd Hampshire Mr S Whitmore Gloucestershire Mr R Wilyman Denbighshire

• Ladies should be dressed conventionally.

Trousers are permitted but not casual slacks, jeans or trainers during the week.

3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL

New Members UK Members Mr C Barker Mr R Bourns Mr A Counsell Mr M Craske Mrs C Davison Mrs A Dickinson Mr S Gelder MBE Mr B Hawker Mr C Hodgson Dr M Home Mr M Hornsey Mrs C Leahy Mr S Leeder Dr G MacKey Dr R Moffatt Mr T Rawson Dr K Sarda Mrs A Shanks Mr A Stewart Mr R Symes Mr T Taylor Mr T Till Mr P Towns Mr J Webb Under 30s Mr B Carr Miss H Fell Mr W Glasbey Mr W Grant Miss A Grant Mr J Jaques Mr A Jones Mr A Richardson Mr D Sheldrake Mr S Topham Forty Club Mr M Pether

• Smart casual dress may be worn from 6pm Friday to midnight Sunday, with smart clean jeans and trainers permitted.

• Children should conform with the above guidelines.

• Members must advise their guests of the dress regulations.

Business Suite

Cumberland Gloucestershire Cornwall Suffolk Dorset Northumberland Lincolnshire Gloucestershire Kent Shropshire Yorkshire Hertfordshire Essex Staffordshire Suffolk Yorkshire Middlesex Selkirkshire Inverness-Shire Suffolk Cumberland Montgomeryshire Nottinghamshire Hampshire Lincolnshire Northumberland Isle of Wight Lincolnshire Lincolnshire Lincolnshire Brecknockshire Hertfordshire Suffolk Cambridgeshire

This is situated on the Club floor and gives Members an opportunity to use a laptop or a Club PC in a tailor made environment. The use of a laptop therefore is no longer allowed in the public rooms and is restricted to the Business Suite only.

Parking The Club has no private parking at Whitehall Court and metered parking in the immediate area is extremely limited. The nearest public car park, open 24 hours a day, is situated in Spring Gardens (SW1A 2BE) off Cockspur Street, approximately 5 minutes walk from the Club. Telephone: 0800 243 348. The Congestion Charge can be paid at this car park.

For more information on parking, visit www.westminster.gov.uk/services/ transportandstreets/parking.

Mobile Phones, Briefcases and Business Meetings Mobile phones must not be used in the Public Rooms. Briefcases should be left in the Cloakrooms and Business meetings must be conducted in a private room. Members should speak with the Meetings Manager for details.

Email: meetings@thefarmersclub.com

Reciprocal Clubs UK Royal Overseas League, Edinburgh The New Club, Edinburgh OVERSEAS The Western Australian Club, Perth, Australia (Bedrooms not reciprocated) Queensland Club, Brisbane, Australia The Australian Club, Melbourne, Australia Royal Dublin Society, Dublin, Ireland (Bedrooms not reciprocated)

Patron – Her Majesty The Queen HONORARY VICE PRESIDENT Sir David Naish DL VICE PRESIDENTS Mark Hudson, Peter Jackson CBE, Roddy Loder-Symonds, John Parker, Norman Shaw CBE THE COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT OF THE CLUB FOR 2012 PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN Paul Heygate TRUSTEES Barclay Forrest OBE (Chairman), Mrs Susan Kilpatrick OBE, Mrs Nicki Quayle, Julian Sayers VICE-CHAIRMAN Stewart Houston CBE HONORARY TREASURER Richard Butler IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN Richard Holland COMMITTEE Elected 2007: Tim Bennett (Chairman House Sub-Committee), Mrs Anne Chamberlain (Chairman Journal & Communications SubCommittee), James Cross, Richard Harrison, Campbell Tweed OBE (Chairman Membership Sub-Committee) Elected 2008: The Reverend Dr Gordon Gatward OBE, Jimmy McLean, David Richardson OBE, John Wilson Elected 2009: John Stones Elected 2010: David Leaver, Martin Taylor Elected 2011: Andrew Brown, Micheal Summers Elected 2012: Mrs Ionwen Lewis, Charles Notcutt OBE Co-opted: Rhydian Scurlock-Jones (Chairman Under 30s), Jeremy Dyas (Vice Chairman Under 30s) THE FARMERS CLUB CHARITABLE TRUST TRUSTEES John Kerr MBE JP DL (Chairman), James Cross, Vic Croxson DL, Stephen Fletcher, Mrs Stella Muddiman JP, The Chairman and Immediate Past Chairman of the Club (ex officio) Chief Executive and Secretary: Air Commodore Stephen Skinner Deputy Secretary: Robert Buckolt

COMMITTEE MEETINGS F & GP Committee – Wednesday 3rd October.

General Committee – Tuesday 13th November.

Essex

Dress Code Members are requested to advise their guests of the following: • Gentlemen must wear formal jackets and ties on weekdays. Polo or T-shirts, jeans and trainers are not acceptable.

Over 160 years of service to farming

Bedroom & Dining Room Reservations: 020-7930 3557 Private Function & Meeting Room Reservations: 020-7925 7100 Accounts: 020-7925 7101 Membership: 020-7925 7102 Secretariat: 020-7930 3751 Personal calls for members only: 020-7930 4730 Fax: 020-7839 7864

CLUB CLOSURE Noon Fri 21st December to 3.00pm Weds 2nd January 2013

Stephen’s Green Hibernian Club, Dublin, Ireland The Muthaiga Country Club, Nairobi, Kenya The Harare Club, Harare, Zimbabwe The Christchurch Club, Christchurch, New Zealand (Closed due to earthquake damage) The Canterbury Club, Christchurch, New Zealand Members wishing to visit any of the above Clubs must obtain an introductory card from the Secretariat.

E-mails secretariat@thefarmersclub.com accounts@thefarmersclub.com membership@thefarmersclub.com functions@thefarmersclub.com meetings@thefarmersclub.com events@thefarmersclub.com reservations@thefarmersclub.com reception@thefarmersclub.com u30s@thefarmersclub.com Website: www.thefarmersclub.com 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 The printing inks are made using vegetable based oils. No film or film processing chemicals were used.

Printed on Lumi Silk which is ISO 14001 certified manufacturer.

FSC Mixed Credit. Elemental chlorine free (ECF) fibre sourced from well managed forests.

www.thefarmersclub.com • 23

Name(s) • Article/Section

THE FARMERS CLUB

Christmas Card 2012

Members are invited to order this year’s Farmers Club Christmas Card, featuring this striking winter scene of a beautifully camouflaged woodcock settling down for the night among some fallen leaves, taken from an original watercolour by Colin Woolf.

The card is printed with the greeting “With Best Wishes for Christmas and the New Year”.

24 • The Farmers Club Autumn Journal 2012

Available in packs of 10 the cards can be bought at Reception or ordered from the Secretariat using the order form on page 15.

Profits from card sales will support the R.A.B.I. of England, Wales and N. Ireland and the R.S.A.B.I. of Scotland.