New year 2009

Celebrate your National Saint with The Farmers Club

St Patrick’s Day Dinner At The Farmers Club 20 March 2009 Speaker: Denis Tuohy

St George’s Day Lunch At the Barber-Surgeons Hall 23 April 2009 Speaker: Dame Julia Cleverdon DCVO CBE

St Andrew’s Day Lunch At the Royal Overseas League – Edinburgh 30 November 2009 Speaker: tbc

Bookings for St Patrick’s Day should be made using the cut-out application form in this Journal. While for St George’s please use the enclosed ‘flyer’. A ‘flyer’ for St Andrew’s Day will be issued in the Harvest Issue of the Journal. Alternatively, we have the application forms available on the website for downloading.

CHAIRMAN JOHN REYNOLDS and wife Janet will share a busy year ahead INSIDE… Application forms for: • St George’s Day Lunch at Barber-Surgeons Hall (23 April) • Burghley House and Rutland farms (6 - 7 May) Details in Ramblings (p17) about: • St Patrick’s Day Dinner at the Club (20 March)

Please note your individual Club membership number, printed on your Journal envelope.

You will need it to access the members’ section of the Club website at www.thefarmersclub.com

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CHAIRMAN’S COMMENTS • John Reynolds

CHAIRMAN’S COMMENTS • John Reynolds

THE FARMERS CLUB Over 160 years of service to farming

Farming can contribute to UK economy with quality food and sustainable energy

3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL

contents

Patron – Her Majesty The Queen

2 Chairman’s Comments John Reynolds starts his year as Chairman by writing about his family, multi-faceted career path and plans for the year ahead.

In common with previous incoming Chairmen, I shall use a portion of my ‘Comments’ to introduce myself to those who do not already know me and to provide a little background for those who already do.

4 EFFP comes of age Jane Craigie charts its impressive growth, from an initiative borne out of the Curry Commission report in 2002 into a respected consultancy at the forefront of sector-changing deals.

6 Whither sheep?

NSA Chairman Jonathan Barber describes why now is the time for the UK sheep industry.

8 Food Academy Ralph Early of Harper Adams writes about the threat to the UK food industry caused by the shortage of technically capable and qualified staff.

10War Rooms visit A pictorial record of the Club’s visit to the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms 12New NVZ Regulations U30s member Alaina Hopgood highlights the benefit of advance planning to survive the new NVZ regulations 13Ladies Lunch Sarah Sayers gives us the lowdown on the wonders of the ‘Ginger Pig’.

14Under 30s 16Annual General Meeting 17Whitehall Court Ramblings 19Information and Diary Dates

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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OUR INDUSTRY is used to operating in difficult circumstances, but fluctuating commodity prices, grim weather and economic turmoil have meant that, for many, 2008 was a year to forget!

However, I believe that in 2009 UK agriculture could make a really positive contribution to our economy through the production of quality food and sustainable energy. So, with sincerity and a heavenward glance, I wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year.

On behalf of all members, I should like to begin by thanking our outgoing Chairman, Julian Sayers, and his wife, Sarah, for their hard work last year. A varied programme gave Club members in all parts of the country the opportunity to take part in a succession of most enjoyable events.

Julian’s leadership and dedication was greatly appreciated in a year in which a new Secretary was recruited, appointed and introduced to both the Club and the industry.

As my year commences, I look forward to working with my fellow Committee members, Trustees and the staff, all of whom give loyal service to the Club. We welcome Richard Butler and John Stones to the Committee; joining them through re-election will be Meurig Raymond and Stewart Houston.

Serving the Club is very rewarding and, although you may feel you do not have enough time, Committee meetings can be planned into your diary well in advance and those interested should give it a go. I would also like to encourage those who were not successful in the ballot this time to try again.

I am the youngest of seven children and, as my mother died when I was three, I was brought up by my sisters. My father owned and ran a large and successful butcher’s shop in Cannock, and from an early age my free time was spent either helping in the shop or working in the fields of my sister and brother-in-law’s Staffordshire farm.

I left my grammar school at sixteen with an undistinguished record and few prospects, but my experience of working on the farm was to my advantage and I managed to gain a place at my local farm institute, Rodbaston.

A year later I won a scholarship to Harper Adams College and, after working to complete a two-year diploma, I managed a succession of farms, moving on and up in an attempt to advance myself. I joined the NFU and became an active member at local and county level, working to improve my skills and gain in knowledge.

However, I soon realized that, with both my parents dead, little money and few connections, I had almost no hope of ever farming on my own. So, in 1969, with a view towards wider horizons, I accepted employment in ICI's Agricultural Division as a technical representative.

From the beginning, my career strategy was simple; I cheerfully accepted any opportunity that presented itself. In 1990, having worked my way through the ranks, I became Business Director of ICI Fertilizers.

I also served the industry through the International Fertilizer Association and the European Fertilizer Manufacturers' Association. While President of the Fertilizer Manufacturers' Association, I led the UK industry’s anti-dumping action against the former Soviet Union.

Finally, my responsibilities grew to incorporate other chemical and technological businesses and I became the Business Director of ICI Industrial

THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL New Year 2009 • www.thefarmersclub.com

Products and a member of the ICI Petrochemicals Board.

Since my early retirement in 1999, I have worked as a consultant and non-executive director in companies in various sectors of the agricultural industry. These include a farmer-owned agricultural supply business trading in the north east, a company providing e-commerce facilities to the agricultural supply chain and various organisations involved in the fledgling biofuels industry. I also serve on a Defra Programme Advisory Committee for linked research.

During the year, I hope to introduce you to some of the other members of my family at Club events and county shows. My wife, Janet, is usually by my side at the Club and many of you will already know her.

Between us, we have four daughters, three sons-in-law and four grandchildren.

My sister’s farm is still ‘in the family’.

When she died last year, it passed to my nephew who, in partnership with his wife and son, has farmed there for more than 20 years. It is a dairy farm, worked to a grassland system with nearly 300 cows.

They have synchronised calving and produce 1.2 million litres of milk per year.

If I have learnt anything in life, it is that enthusiasm and hard work really can bring fulfillment and success. I genuinely believe that the future of farming lies in developing and encouraging young people to see farming as a worthwhile career, where determination and informed risk taking can bring reward.

I am greatly honoured to have been asked to serve The Farmers Club and, during my year as Chairman, I hope we will be able to welcome speakers and experts to expand on this theme and to discuss the ideas and developments which will challenge our farmers of the future.

Those who do already know me will understand I am not a man who has much time for retrospection. In a world struggling to provide food and energy for a burgeoning population, there are huge opportunities for farming.

Baroness Byford wins The Farmers Club Cup

Baroness Byford has won The Farmers Club Cup, awarded annually on the recommendation of the Club Chairman and Committee to a person or organisation that has made an outstanding contribution to British agriculture. She received the Club Cup from then Chairman Julian Sayers at a House of Lords lunch in late November.

However, the future will be challenging and the industry must keep an open mind and continue to develop new ways of doing business. We need to strengthen our influence in the food and energy supply chains and to press for ways of reducing the impact of violent swings in commodity prices.

into its crop and animal production.

There is a pressing need for increased research and development, and if UK agriculture is to meet future demand - and to prosper - it will need to operate within the constraints of global economic and environmental shifts. On this theme, the Club is hosting a series of seminars which will explore some of the current ‘hot topics’.

In the spring, we shall be inviting you to our adopted county of Rutland for a two day tour of modern and traditional farms, rounding off the visit with a trip to Burghley House. In June, we have a day trip to RHS Wisley in Surrey and, in September, a visit to Alnwick Gardens in Northumberland.

The first was held in November and several eminent speakers led a discussion entitled ‘Food and Fuel from Agriculture’. The next is scheduled for Monday 23 March when the topic will be ‘Plant Breeding - the Next Generation’. Do get in touch with the Secretariat to express your interest.

We will be celebrating St Patrick’s, St George’s and St Andrew’s days and, throughout the late spring and summer, the Club will be out and about at as many county shows as possible. We shall visit all the major shows and hope to include some of the smaller, but very successful local ones, too.

Brazil bound In late February, Janet and I are hosting a tour to Brazil. The group will be visiting agricultural holdings in the central south of this vibrant country in order to gain insight

www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL New Year 2009

We shall also have the opportunity to visit bioethanol production facilities and farming and trade organisations, and - as with all Club trips - there will be plenty of opportunity to get together and enjoy each other’s company.

Please keep an eye on your Journal, as this is where all events are publicised, either in insert form, or in the actual body of the magazine. We look forward to meeting as many of you as we possibly can.

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EFFP COMES OF AGE • Jane Craigie

EFFP COMES OF AGE • Jane Craigie

Borne out of the Curry Commission report in 2002, English Farming and Food Partnerships (EFFP) has come a long way, growing into a respected team of consultants and experts who are engineering some fundamental changes to the agri-food chain in the UK. Jane Craigie explains.

EFFP comes of age by bringing changes to UK agri-food chain on food, so we felt it was important to provide an robust prediction of what is going to happen with food prices so that food and farming businesses can plan ahead,” Mr Roberts says.

“In our latest retail food price forecast (launched in late October 2008) we outlined that food inflation has peaked in the UK and predicted that it will decrease, sharply falling from around recent levels of 12% to 3% by the middle of 2009” Siôn Roberts (Chief Executive)

Steve Ellwood (Chairman)

EFFP’s original remit was to enable farmers to become more influential players in the industry through collaborative ventures and partnerships within agriculture and the food chain. This ethos still drives the business, but has evolved into one which actively delivers long-term, mutual benefits to both farmers and to their food chain partners.

“In our experience we have found that by bringing the producer and the food company together the fundamentals driving both businesses can be understood and catered for when designing partnerships and agreements, and with that understanding has come many strong and, we hope, long-term partnerships.”

The reach of their work in developing farmer controlled businesses (FCBs) and supply chain partnerships has extended deep into the heart of the dairy, fresh produce, grain and meat chains, as well as driving initiatives in regional food, public procurement, retail and foodservice.

“Driving much of the work that we do has been the shift in what ‘downstream’ operators need, which is to secure longterm agreements for the supply of raw ingredients and produce at the right price, the right time and the right quality, often from ‘locally sourced’ producers,” explains Siôn Roberts, EFFP’s Chief Executive.

Food inflation EFFP is also very involved in understanding the issues and economics driving the food chain and has been working closely with Cranfield School of Management to develop a quarterly Retail Food Price Forecast.

“Food market volatility and the economic turmoil has created uncertainties in the chain and a reduction in consumer spend

EFFP says that “understanding future food price is vital because it drives the behaviour of the multiples and in particular their promotions and low price campaigns, and also the buying and contractual approaches taken by food manufacturers and processors. And how the food chain behaves has a direct impact on produce sales from farm businesses.”

Mr Roberts warns that, although the painful recession predicted in the UK will impact significantly on consumer demand over the next 12 months, market fundamentals point to a forecast for a doubling in the global demand for food by 2050. “The net result will be that the balance between supply and demand of food is set to stay tight over the longer term, which will create a continuation of a challenging business climate for both farmers and food companies.”

EFFP were instrumental in the Openfield branding

However, on a more positive note, highlighting that this brings with it opportunities, he adds that “we have moved from an era where energy and raw materials were becoming a smaller proportion of food company’s costs to a new era where they make up a much larger slice of costs overall and are subject to continued volatility. The implications of this are that many of the improved valuegenerating opportunities are emerging closer to the farmgate.”

WHO’S WHO AT EFFP

Tim Davies, Chief Executive, Openfield

Sector-changing deals On a day-to-day level, the EFFP team’s core role is as a sector-specialist business consultancy which helps develop food chain partnerships, mentors company directors, helps facilitate business structure changes and prepares companies for merger and acquisition. These skills and their respect within the sector have seen them orchestrate some prominent and sector-changing deals, including: • Openfield – the merger the Centaur Grain and Grainfarmers operations, which are expected to handle around 4mt of grain working with more than 7,000 farmers and has struck a deal with DHL Exel Supply Chain to handle the grain haulage.

• The amalgamation of 10 farmer-owned central storage co-ops to form NetworkGrain UK, representing 1,200 farmers, which aims to improve supply logistics and guarantees for delivery and quality to end users, including Coors and Whitworths.

• The strategy for Camgrain to exclusively supply Camgrain members’ wheat to Sainsbury’s in-store bakeries.

• A multi-million boost for Yorkshire barley growers through a new deal for the long-term supply of branded barley contracts to some of the country’s biggest brewers and distillers, including Carlsberg UK, In Bev Uk, Angus Dundee Inver House Distillers and Joseph Holt, Diageo and Inverhouse.

“The net result of deals like these has been to make significant in-roads to addressing some underlying issues within the supply chain, such as the costly duplication of infrastructure and logistics commonplace in the UK’s grain trade,” Mr Roberts says.

“These partnerships also reflect our prediction that around half of the grain produced in the UK will be sold under preagreed contracts, which will demand a high level of quality and delivery assurance by a discerning range of food and beverage manufacturing customers.”

Smaller businesses But EFFP is not all about big deals. “We also work with individuals and small companies, seeking to develop their skills and their businesses, and we are increasingly helping businesses plan and source finance for expansion,” Mr Roberts says.

It is so reassuring to see that the drive for reconnection and collaboration cited by the Curry Commission Report is being delivered, but in a way that moves forward with changing times.

• For further information about EFFP, contact Sarah Moffatt, Marketing and Communications Manager, on 020 7213 0431 or by emailing smoffatt@effp.com PR contact Jane Craigie can be reached on 01466 780078, mobile 07795 2278767, or jane@janecraigie.com

“These companies want to work closer with farmers and FCBs, which has created opportunities, but has driven the need for some significant changes to the way many of the farmers and FCBs operate to meet the exacting and often stretching demands of the food chain.

“It is in bridging the communications and business process gap that we have been hugely involved, and I’d like to think successful, because we understand the needs and issues at both ends of the chain,” he adds.

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EFFP Conference at Plaisterers’ Hall, London THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL New Year 2009 • www.thefarmersclub.com

Anna Hill interviewing Ian El-Mokadem and Peter Barr

www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL New Year 2009

The EFFP team of 21 people is based across the country with regional and London presence. Chief Executive Siôn Roberts has been in this position since EFFP was founded in April 2003.

He trained as an economist and, for 20 years, has been involved in analysing major strategic issues across the farming and food industry.

Siôn started his career as a commodity trader, before joining the NFU as Chief Economist and, after leaving in 2001, was attached to the Cabinet Office, acting as the economic adviser to the Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and Food, or the Curry Commission. He is currently a serving member on the Oxford Farming Conference Council.

EFFP’s Chairman is Steve Ellwood, Head of Food and Agriculture at Smith & Williamson, and previously Head of Agriculture at HSBC. EFFP’s Board of Directors includes Steve and Siôn and makes an impressive roll call: Chris Blundell, ExDirector of Corporate Affairs at Morrisons; Brian Harding, Defra’s Director of Food and Farming; Philip Moody, Managing Director, Smith & Williamson Corporate Finance ; Jeremy Pope, a qualified solicitor who worked for his family’s brewing and hospitality business, Eldridge Pope; ex-Milk Link Chairman Alistair Wannop, a dairy and arable farmer from Cumbria; and, most recently, Barry Nicolls, previously Chief Executive of Milk Link.

The Company Secretary is Bill Cooper, who is a specialist in corporate governance and was previously Company Secretary at NFU Mutual Insurance.

EFFP is a national organisation with a dedicated team of highly experienced product sector and regional specialists within the food and agriculture markets. The team has a wide range of expertise, knowledge and contacts, including business development and supply chain services.

EFFP publishes a quarterly publication called VIEW, which contains commentary on the economic and strategic issues driving the food chain.

The publication is free of charge and you can register for it via the EFFP website, www.effp.com 5

UK SHEEP INDUSTRY • Jonathan Barber

UK SHEEP INDUSTRY • Jonathan Barber

Jonathan Barber, Chairman of the National Sheep Association, looks at where the UK sheep industry is now and where it should be heading in the future. Now’s the time for positive action to make the most of available opportunities, he explains.

Time to promote sheep industry as one of our national treasures rain when we need the grass to grow, the diseases that appear as if from nowhere – even with warnings, we can’t catch the midges that carry bluetongue.

We take risks – but the risks are managed as well as we can. And we work very hard to do something that, most of the time, we love. By nature we are independent and we have to be, because even though there are many common solutions to general problems, there are numerous which are particular to the place that we farm.

IT IS important to be positive… and especially now. Having taken on the role of Chairman of the National Sheep Association (NSA) in June 2008, I know that there are opportunities that we can pursue.

Innovation comes to the forefront more readily in difficult periods. Now is the time, more than ever, for all of us involved in the sheep meat sector to positively promote ourselves, our industry and our products.

After all, sheep farming is one of our ‘national treasures’.

We are resilient, because we have to be; very often we cannot beat the challenges of nature, the geographical position in which we farm, the vagaries of weather, seriously bad weather at lambing time, not enough

It is understandable, then, that many of us find it difficult to make meetings to discuss, co-operate and collaborate. But, increasingly, that is what we need to find time to do, because we are aiming at producing a desirable product while managing the UK countryside in the most cost effective way.

We are, of course, part of a world-wide group of sheep farmers who have much in common. We must communicate and help each other. That is why the NSA has very good relations with New Zealand and we exchange views and ideas on all areas of work from R&D to multiple retailers, from climate to breed improvement.

On the top of the list of common themes is the inability of sheep farmers to generate an adequate financial return which is leading to widespread desertion from sheep meat production. This not only means less sheep meat available in the world, at a time when more is required, and certainly in the future, with an extra 72 million mouths to feed in the world every year, but the management of habitat changes and areas which once produced food albeit in extensive production systems, returns to an unmanageable wilderness inaccessible to anyone.

This inaccessibility will, in the longer term, reduce income in many other ways and will add very high costs to managing parts of those areas in the future, without the aid of sheep.

It is disappointing that the numerous reports that have been written about the new Highland clearances (of sheep), costing millions have been highly acclaimed but have found no solution. The same can be said for parts of the Lake District and other upland areas of the UK. Our stratified industry has been a great provider of versatile genetics. Hardy hill sheep grazing difficult areas, mated with breeds which, with hybrid vigour, produce

half-bred or mule ewes capable of being prolific and good grazing animals for the lowlands. When mated with top performing terminal sires, they produce excellent lamb throughout the UK. Of course, breed improvement needs to take place all the time, and it could be argued that some in the industry, in this respect, are not moving fast enough.

Breeders and producers have many alternative breeds and crosses with which they can work, and rather than this being a weakness, it is a great strength, as long as our final end product provides the opportunity for a great eating experience at the same time as being nutritious.

One of the ways that this is being tackled in NZ and Australia, and trialled in the UK, is visual imaging analysis (VIA). This may not be the complete solution, but it needs pursuing, as it could act as a serious incentive to many producers and reward those who produce more saleable meat from their lambs.

VIA effectively estimates the meat yield of a carcass, in different cuts, as opposed to the current manual assessment. Trial work in the UK has demonstrated that a top quality lamb is worth as much as £20 more and a less desirable one at the same weight is worth £20 less. A £40 difference could be a real incentive to produce the right article.

The export market is extremely important to British lamb producers. Thirty percent of our product is exported and, for the first time, by the end of 2008 the total value of all exports will have reached £13 billion, which was up by 15.5% in the first half of 2008, with France increasingly enjoying British products. There is confidence in British quality, with meat up 15.2% to a total of £507m. Lamb increased by 23.6% again in the first half of 2008.

Food From Britain stated at the end of 2008 that Europe has confidence in our husbandry and processing, and that the UK has completely broken free from its island mentality in relation to exports and is starting to see the world as a global village – so well done all farmers and exporting companies such as Eblex, QMS, HCC and FFB. While there continues to be opportunities for exports, they also exist within our home market. “Locally produced and locally sourced” is a growth area and is predicted to reach £15.6 billion in the next 10 years according to Henry Brown and John Geldard’s recent report on local food.

Lamb producers should collaborate to make the most of this opportunity.

North Country Mule ewes with Charollais cross lambs at foot.

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THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL New Year 2009 • www.thefarmersclub.com

In 2008, the NSA wrote to Morrisons, thanking the company for sourcing all its lamb from Britain, all year round.

Waitrose is highly respected, because producer suppliers have confidence in the price structure and know that they will be rewarded correctly for their efforts. It simply follows the ethos that flows through the whole of their business.

I believe that ASDA, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer are all trying to work with us, and we should make these relationships work. While I was in New Zealand in early 2008, it was clear that NZ exporters thought the same about Tesco as quite a few feel here! We should continue to develop all our outlets, while working closely with livestock auctions, abattoirs and processors.

There is a trend developing, for customers to shop in local convenience stores, walking not driving, saving fuel and getting healthier. While the online market saves some fuel but is not quite so healthy, the IGD estimates that online shopping with delivery will grow from £3.2 billion at present to £6.2 billion in the next five years.

Our messages with versatile, quick lamb at the centre of a home-cooked meal, must continue to be promoted through all these avenues.

It is good news, that lamb consumption at home is up; sales of lamb mince, for example, were up 10% in 2008, with total retail sales of lamb at £630 million. It is essential that we maintain this interest in lamb, as we have a wonderfully versatile, naturally-free-range product.

The image of natural, clean grass fed in a beautiful managed countryside plays an important part in promoting lamb meat. We should also work with chefs who can create great recipes for us to work with, to further promote a great eating experience.

To give greater versatility, it has been appreciated that there is a need to produce a percentage of heavier weight lambs, up to 30kg carcase weight (average carcase weight in the UK is 18.3kg) which are full of tender, lean meat. These carcasses give the opportunity of reducing costs to processors, as long as they are lean, which will result in a higher return for the producer.

A great deal of work has gone into breeding the right rams over many years to produce these lambs; selecting sound, correct rams with estimated breeding values (EBVs) for fast growth, high muscle and low fat. The resulting lambs out of medium to large genetically lean and well-muscled ewes will be increasingly in demand. Welsh Country

www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL New Year 2009

National Sheep Association President Lord Plumb (left) and Chairman Jonathan Barber (third left) talking to members of the agricultural Press at the Malvern Sheep Event in summer 2008.

Foods is looking for 50,000 of this sort of lamb per year, for supplying to ASDA. The industry has the opportunity to link into developing technologies, as soon as they are available. And we, as farmers, need to take ownership of them, as we need to patent our future production techniques and genetics, which is why it is so important for us to invest in understanding how the sheep’s genetic make up affects its ability to perform, and not leave it to others.

Research and development is essential, and not only in the world of genomics. It is desperately important that the funders of research allow it to happen in areas where it is most needed and not simply where it might be fashionable at the time.

From 2010 every sheep will have to carry two identifying ear tags, one of which will have an electronic chip. This will be compulsory, and if we, as producers, do not conform, we will be punished.

What a way for Europe to drive uptake of new technology. It will not deliver very much to any one and certainly not to sheep.

Our industry is not ready for this. It cannot afford the £60-£70 million that it is likely to cost, and at present there is nothing in place to really make much use of any of the information.

This is an example of bureaucracy gone mad. That is why we are opposed to it being compulsory. If it was voluntary, we would give it support and help it develop in its natural way. It would give us time to work with manufacturers to develop reliable systems (they do not exist at present) with the possibility of databases that could remove the plethora of paper work that accompanies every journey we make with our sheep.

So we urge government to be more supportive, less bureaucratic and give all of us - but especially our youth - a chance.

• Jonathan Barber can be contacted by telephoning 01953 607860 or be emailing jonathan@charollaissheep.com 7

WEST MIDLANDS FOOD ACADEMY • Ralph Early

WEST MIDLANDS FOOD ACADEMY • Ralph Early

Ralph Early, of Harper Adams University College, explains the vital need of ensuring that there is a sufficient number of skilled people within the supply chain to provide us with the food we need to maintain not only life but society as we know it… and how the creation of the West Midlands Regional Food Academy will help achieve just that.

Regional Food Academy will address shortage of skills in UK food industry provide to fill our shopping trolleys and stomachs. In our 21st century society, we rely more than ever on the food industry to provide for us.

But can we presume that it will always be there to meet our needs?

The food industry (including drink) is the UK’s largest industrial employment sector, providing some 470,000 jobs. It contributes 14.2% of manufacturing's gross value added (GVA), has a turnover of £70 billion per annum and buys three-quarters of the UK’s farm produce.

Even so, the UK is only around 65% selfsufficient in food and must import raw materials and food products to make up the shortfall. This raises questions about longterm food security and failures in the supply chain causing supermarket shelves to empty and people to go hungry.

THE UK food industry provides the foundation upon which our country, society and cultures are built. This is no exaggeration. Food is one of the goods that we cannot live without.

It underpins our health and wellbeing.

It brings pleasure and lubricates social interactions. Our food choices often express our cultural identity and aspects of personality.

As a country we are fortunate that we are well supplied with food. Concern about where our next meal will come from does not enter into everyday thinking. Our society has developed to a point where most consumers now take food very much for granted.

They also take for granted the idea that the food industry will always exist to feed them. That it will continue to provide an enormous variety of products, neatly packaged and convenient to use; products that require little skill or knowledge to handle and prepare for consumption.

Today, relatively few UK citizens have any significant understanding of what food is, how it is produced by farm or fishery, or how raw food materials are turned into the multiplicity of products that supermarkets 8

Issues of national food security and the resilience of global supply chains must form critical elements of a coherent national food policy. However, factors not usually considered part of food security also threaten the stability of our food industry, and our nation’s ability to exercise independence over its food supply.

One such factor is the industry’s ability to obtain sufficient skilled and graduate staff.

This should be addressed as part of national food policy… as is being done by Harper Adams University College.

Skills shortage The UK food industry is currently experiencing a desperate shortage of technically capable and qualified staff.

Such is the magnitude of the problem faced by some food businesses that it is easy to envisage a time when they will be forced to ‘off-shore’ to countries where suitable staff are more readily available. Others may simply go out of business as their staff age and retire.

If the risk exists that our food industry might decline because of a skills shortage, we should be asking now: How will we then be fed? Will the supermarkets be able to

compensate with imports? What of food security as we increasingly come to rely on other countries to feed us?

Thirty years ago the food industry could obtain appropriately qualified staff. Many food businesses provided scholarships that allowed intelligent school leavers to pass through college or university, thus to carve out careers in the sector. Many operated in-house apprenticeship schemes which developed home-grown talent.

Sadly, scholarships and apprenticeships as a norm have almost disappeared, although a few enlightened, independent and usually large food businesses still provide them.

Part of the education and skills problem faced by the food industry is grounded in the fact that the role of the food industry – and agriculture – as a foundation stone of society is no longer properly understood by Government, and has not been for some 30 years. Consequently, substantive executive action that helps to provide solutions to the critical problems faced by the food industry is rarely forthcoming, or often too late.

Another part of the education and skills problem derives from the reformation of the UK’s tertiary educational system according to market economy principles.

Colleges and universities must now compete vigorously. They must measure their success not by developed intellects that serve social need and cultural improvement, but through the achievement of competitive advantage and numbers of students filling seats.

A market-driven educational system will inevitably result in the offer of societally irrelevant courses. Though such courses may attract large numbers of undergraduates because they are perceived as ‘sexy’, or resonate with halfbaked TV series, many graduates will fail to develop the careers for which they hoped.

And the courses themselves will serve few of society’s needs.

Most of the careers embodied by the food industry must be filled by professionals who have graduated from appropriate courses. Like many other science and technology-related courses, the further and higher education courses that are able to provide the food industry with the technically qualified graduates it needs, underpin our society and contribute to its stability. But, over the last decade, these courses have declined in number as more fashionable, media-driven courses have increased.

In a society where consumers depend on a specialised industry to keep them fed, we must be concerned about the failure of national educational strategy – and food policy – to recognise that some tertiary education courses are essential to the maintenance of social organisation and stability, as well as the health and wellbeing of citizens.

Serving society Harper Adams University College is one of a handful of higher education institutions in the UK that functions almost entirely to serve the needs of the UK’s agriculture and food industries, and, hence, our society and its citizens.

Although Harper Adams has underpinned the UK’s land-based industries since its start in 1901, since 1995 the institution’s strategy has been moulded in response to the growing integration of agriculture, the food manufacturing industry, and the food retail sector, as the continuum commonly termed the ‘food chain’.

Food has always been central to the activities of the University College, but now Harper Adams offers a range of food-technology-based courses aimed specifically at addressing the technical skills shortage in the UK food industry and its graduate needs.

Specialised field The development of food technology as a specialised field within Harper Adams has brought a particular understanding of the problems faced by the food industry.

Working with Advantage West Midlands,

Press launch, October 2008: Professor Wynne Jones, OBE, Principal, Harper Adams University College; Martin Moyden, Mr Moyden's Handmade Cheese; Alan Ball, Bing's Heath Smokery; Mark Pearce, Corporate Director Economic Regeneration, Advantage West Midlands.

the regional development agency, Harper Adams is to create the West Midlands Regional Food Academy (WMRFA) as a £3.5 million resource designed to support the regional and national food industry, and especially SME (small and medium enterprise) food businesses.

At the time of writing, partners in the project include Campden BRI, University College Birmingham, the International Agri-Technology Centre, Heart of England fine foods, the Shropshire Food Enterprise Park and Transforming Telford.

The WMRFA has a range of objectives. It will provide food businesses with staff training and education, and management and leadership development, as well as forms of technical support and knowledge transfer. It will also work to enhance network connections between the West Midlands region’s colleges and universities and the food industry.

As has already been said, of particular importance to the food industry is the recruitment of graduates to fill the industry’s technical management ranks.

The WMRFA building at Harper Adams, currently under construction and due for completion in September 2009, will include a product development laboratory, a cheese room, a food processing hall, and a sensory evaluation and focus group unit. These resources will be used for industry training purposes as well as to educate undergraduates for careers in the food industry.

The WMRFA will also incorporate a food business propagation unit for use in mentoring micro-business start-ups, thus providing them with the skills,

Artists impression of WMRFA building

At the centre of the WMRFA will be a 100-seat food-grade lecture theatre which will be used for teaching, conferences and seminars, allowing cookery displays and the demonstration of food processing equipment.

It will also form a key component of the WMRFA’s objective of raising the profile of agriculture and the food industry with schools. Part of the WMRFA’s plan is to bring school parties to Harper Adams’s campus for ‘food taster’ days, when pupils will see aspects of production agriculture and spend time immersed in demonstrations of food processing and talks about the food industry, its nature and function, as well as careers in the sector.

For too long there has been a growing disconnect between consumers and their food. The West Midlands Regional Food Academy will work to re-establish this connection by raising the profile of the food industry at secondary education level, thus to encourage young people to recognise the wide ranging, stimulating and rewarding career opportunities offered by the food industry.

In conclusion The UK food industry has a skills and graduate staff problem that requires immediate attention. The industry cannot resolve the problem on its own. It must be addressed by the industry working with colleges and universities.

Harper Adams University College and Advantage West Midlands understand this and have taken the initiative to establish the West Midlands Regional Food Academy, for the good of the food industry and society… and, of course, we consumers who rely daily on the industry to keep us fed.

• Ralph Early is Principal Lecturer in Food Science and Moral Philosophy at Harper Adams University College. He can be contacted by emailing rearly@harperadams.ac.uk

In contrast, courses that provide for careers in the food industry co-ordinate precisely with society’s needs.

THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL New Year 2009 • www.thefarmersclub.com

confidence and ability to move quickly to larger premises.

www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL New Year 2009

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CHURCHILL MUSEUM AND CABINET WAR ROOMS • Don Gomery

CHURCHILL MUSEUM AND CABINET WAR ROOMS • Don Gomery

Members step down memory lane on Club visit to Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms Members step down memory lane on Club visit to Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms EIGHTY members and their guests took part in a memorable and highly historical visit to the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms on the first Friday in December. “Awesome” was the word most frequently heard at the end of their independent, approximately two-hour-long, tours.

Members had the choice of making their own way to the venue - in King Charles Street, London (a stone’s throw from Downing Street and Parliament Square) either before a buffet lunch at the Club, hosted by then Chairman Julian Sayers, or starting with lunch and making the visit in the afternoon.

Whichever way round they did it, all agreed what an historically interesting trip it had been. Many said they would definitely go again, and spend even more time looking round.

The 90-year life and career of Sir Winston Churchill is well documented, as is that of the Second World War. But to feel (or refeel) the atmosphere, to discover and learn new and intriguing facts about the man behind the legend, a visit to the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms - one of five branches of the Imperial War Museum - is a must.

Soldiers at war Julian Sayers & Elizabeth Parker looking at displays

Churchill with troops

Home Guard

The pictures here give just a taster.

Churchill poster outside the event War Leader cartoon St Paul's

Airmen

Churchill at his desk Cabinet Room

Gun-totting Churchill cartoon Pat Baseley and Nancy Cammock Code machine

Churchill’s desk

Soldier and member of the ARP

The Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms is open daily (except 24-26 December) from 9.30am to 6pm. Admission costs £12 for adults, £9.50 for senior citizens and students, and is free for under 16s. For tickets phone 020 7766 0130. To learn more, call 020 7930 6961, or visit www.iwm.org.uk/cabinet

PM’s dining room

The map room 10

Radio operator

Clemmie’s bedroom THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL New Year 2009 • www.thefarmersclub.com

Home Guard

Churchill out of office cartoon

Guess who?

www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL New Year 2009

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U30 TOPIC: NEW NVZ REGULATIONS • Alaina Hopgood

LADIES LUNCH • Sarah Sayers

Plan well in advance to survive effects of new NVZ Regulations • Amendments to the storage capacity requirements for organic manures.

• Introduction of rules to ensure that nitrogen application is a planned process which more accurately meets the crops requirement.

• Occupiers will be required to carry out risk assessments and produce risk maps.

On 4 SEPTEMBER 2008, the Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations 2008 were adopted, bringing into force a greatly extended set of obligations, affecting a far wider tranche of the country. Land owners and tenants, in the affected areas, need to be familiar with the new regulations and plan their implementation.

The Regulations will come into effect in two stages, providing a legal basis for the designation and rules affecting NVZs. The majority of the Regulations will have come into effect on 1 January 2009, but regulation 22 (which controls how nitrogen is spread) and part 7 (which deals with the storage of organic matter) will not come into effect until the beginning of January 2012.

If land is designated for the first time by the Regulations, the rules will not apply until 1 January 2010. In some specific cases, the rules have a preparation time for example, where significant action is required to achieve compliance, such as the construction of a new slurry store - and in these cases the rules will not come into effect until 1 January 2012.

Where land already falls within an existing NVZ, the old rules will continue to apply.

Principal changes The regulations make a number of principal changes: • Extend the areas designated as NVZs. • Reduce the annual permitted levels of nitrate application of livestock manure in a NVZ from 250kg/ha to 170 kg/ha.

• The closed periods for spreading organic manures will be longer and will apply to all soil types.

The Regulations will apply to all occupiers of a holding where land is designated as a NVZ. An occupier would be a landowner or a tenant, and a holding (regardless of size) would include land and buildings which are used by the occupier for purposes connected with the rearing of livestock (for agricultural purposes) and for growing crops in soil.

Extended designation Although NVZs were originally designated in 1996, the area covered was small. In 2002 the designation was extended and it will be again now, in line with the Regulations.

There will be an appeal procedure for any farmers whose land is designated for the first time and who wish to challenge that decision. To appeal, farmers will require evidence, amongst other factors, to demonstrate that the land does not drain into a waterbody that is affected by nitrate pollution.

Assessing compliance The body responsible for assessing the farmer’s compliance with the Regulations will be the Environment Agency (EA).

It is envisaged that the EA will ensure compliance with the Regulations by carrying out farm inspections, record checking and inspecting the activities on the farm such as storage structures and field activities.

Farmers may be given advance warning of these inspections but this is not guaranteed… for example, where there has been a complaint by a member of the public or suspicious activities are suspected. With this in mind, farmers are advised to keep their records up to date and in a format that can be checked with ease Where compliance with the Regulations is in doubt, the EA may need to check

detailed records with other agencies.

Where the farmer is found to be in breach of the Regulations, action will be taken in accordance with EA enforcement policies.

The action taken will depend on the seriousness of the breach and could range from advice on remedying a minor breach to prosecution in more serious cases.

Some of the inspections will be for cross compliance purposes (single farm payment claimants), and where in addition there has been a breach it will be reported to the Rural Payments Agency (which may result in a reduction in the farmer’s single farm payment)

Breaching Regulations

A decidedly delicious ‘ginger’ flavour to the fourteenth Club Ladies Lunch TWENTY-SIX ladies attended lunch in the Eastwood Room at The Farmers Club in November, continuing the tradition started

by Winifred Sloan in 1995, intended as a thank you for the ladies’ direct and indirect support of the Club.

As well as catching up with friends, enjoying the delicious food prepared

by Chef Don Irwin and his team, the highlight was our guest speaker, Caroline Wheatley Hubbard, from Boyton Farms, near Warminster, Wiltshire. Our taste buds were tickled when we sampled some of her ”Ginger Piggery” fayre of cocktail sausages, bacon and faggots with pre lunch drinks, which were exceedingly tasty and moreish.

(Left to right: Anne Jackson, Sue Kilpatrick, Sarah Sayers and Jill Willows)

other produce from within a 48 mile radius, which appealed to the customers who wanted to know from where their food was coming.

Farmers will be found guilty if they breach any of the Regulations. Prosecution by the EA will generally follow if the offence is serious, if it has been repeated, and if the farmer has not taken remedial advice having been advised to do so.

Caroline went on to give a history of the oldest Tamworth herd in the country which was started by the Wheatley Hubbard family in 1922 and could be traced back on a family tree to ‘Jemima’. The herd they now have of 30 breeding sows makes up about 8% of the national herd.

If a farmer is convicted in a Magistrates Court, he could be liable to a fine of up to £5,000; and if convicted in a Crown Court, to an unlimited fine. Farmers could also be responsible for the EA’s legal costs in bringing the action, in addition to any fine.

In 2000, Caroline and her family converted some farm buildings at Boyton and set up a butchery. The foot-and-mouth outbreak soon followed, which they managed to avoid, but it forced them to re-think their marketing strategy.

To complement the shop, ‘The Trough’ café was opened, which skillfully managed to entice customers to sample home cooking and cleverly utilised the whole carcass and use up any excesses. To add to the customers’ shopping experience, workshop units were let to a pottery, stained glass studio and a gallery.

The impact of these Regulations will be considerable and may require farmers to invest heavily in new facilities. There are grants and opportunities for tax planning that could assist in this process.

Farmers markets were one solution, but the main project was setting up a farm shop in 2006 where their USP was selling their own rare breeds meat and sourcing all their

Caroline and her team are clearly very passionate about what they do and the quality and traceability of all the products.

While they have chosen not to go down the

To coincide with the British Food & Farming year promotion, they actively sought to educate youngsters about how good, tasty food is produced, prepared and cooked, and have regular local school visits. There is always a ‘Ginger Pig’ and her litter for all the visitors to see, which is especially popular with the children.

They then went on to achieve fame after making the ‘Tamworth Two’ film.

It’s worth a visit to Boyton Farms when you are in Wiltshire, or have a browse on their website - www.Thegingerpiggery.co.uk - for more information.

A sound assessment of what is required on each farm is essential, together with a realistic plan for implementation of the works that are needed. For any farmer struggling to comply with the regulations within the timescales laid down, opening good channels of communication with the EA well in advance will help to avoid prosecution.

The key to surviving these new regulations is to obtain good legal advice and plan well in advance.

• Alaina Hopgood is a solicitor with Clarke Willmott, Blackbrook Gate, Blackbrook Park Avenue, Taunton, Somerset. She can be contacted by phoning 0845 209 1829, faxing 0845 209 2573, or by emailing Alaina.Hopgood@clarkewillmott.com Caroline Wheatley Hubbard

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pure organic route, they do not use growth promoters, chemicals or antibiotics.

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Lizzie Benson, U30s Chairman, sampling some fayre 13

U30s • Lizzie Benson, Chairman, Luke Paterson, Vice Chairman, MaryAnne Salisbury, Secretary

U30s • Lizzie Benson, Chairman, Luke Paterson, Vice Chairman, MaryAnne Salisbury, Secretary

Estate visits, racing and ice cream combine jottings to create a super weekend in the Cotswolds CHAIRMAN’S

WE HAD a great weekend in Gloucestershire for our Autumn Farm Walk, visiting interesting farm businesses, racing at Cheltenham and exploring the beautiful market town of Moreton-inMarsh. My thanks goes to Philip Hoare, Patrick Durnford and Tristram Van Lawick for organising the weekend.

At our recent Autumn Dining Evening we welcomed Annaliitta Stretch of Tsuru, who displayed her creations of jewellery in the Cumber Room over a glass of champagne followed by a superb dinner.

IT ALL started so perfectly, with a Friday night dinner at the Redesdale Arms Hotel, Moreton-in-Marsh, providing us not only with nourishment but a great chance for some to catch up and others to get to know new members and the guests. Luckily, it continued in that vein to become what was a superb weekend.

The evening finished with a talk by Ian Damms on his experiences of agricultural film making in Eastern Europe, which stirred up some debate among members. It was a very enjoyable evening, and it was fantastic to welcome so many new members.

After a warming cup of coffee, Mike provided us with a thorough picture of how the day-to-day management of the arable and sheep production systems is run. A difficult harvest was evident from the amount of wheat still being dried.

We were given a guided tour of the estate and shown the almshouses which provide homes for its elderly members. Also of great interest to the group was the strategic decision that had been made to move from Mule sheep to a typical New Zealand system of lower input and lower output, using the Romney breed. This was reaping benefits, as the Romney is renowned for its easy-care characteristics.

This is my final jottings as Chairman, in a year that has passed extremely quickly but has been an enormous amount of fun. It’s hard to pick a highlight of the year, but the U30s weekends in Norfolk and Gloucestershire, visiting so many different farms and enterprises, enjoying excellent local food and nightlife, and meeting new U30s members around the country, have been extremely enjoyable.

Indeed, this highlights that the U30s have an excellent programme, providing a fantastic opportunity to meet new people in a very friendly environment. Long may this continue.

Following a hearty breakfast the next day, 18 October, we piled out of the hotel to jump onto the coach organised to transport us to Stowell Park Estate for the first farm walk. There, we were introduced to farm manager Mike Dewer, employed by Velcourt, which runs the 6,000-acre in-hand farming business.

Unpredictable results

Above and below: Ian Slatter answering questions during the farm walk

After saying goodbye to the estate, and attacking a mass picnic, we made our way by coach to Cheltenham. The bus driver was

highly ‘amused’ by the decision to take the ‘scenic’ route down single-track roads… against all the oncoming traffic.

Good one, Mr Hoare!

We arrived at Cheltenham racecourse for the Showcase Meeting, the start of the National Hunt jumping season. Several good quality races were seen, with the usual unpredictable results. The Arkle bar was frequented, as well as the bookies’ stalls, both providing much entertainment.

An amazing result was achieved by Gemma and Jeremy, who left with winnings of more than £150, providing much banter among those of us that had a lack of such luck.

After looking at the cows and the dairy, we were taken to the ice cream factory, a new business started to add value to the organic milk. There we were introduced to Dani Slatter, who was in the middle of testing a new and top-secret flavour, which we were only too happy to provide tasting advice.

A great weekend was had by all, and one which was superbly well organised.

Such brilliant occasions certainly make one want to attend further exciting and educational trips.

Rhydian Scurlock-Jones

Saturday night began with cocktails followed by dinner at ASK, serving as a lovely occasion for us all to get to know each other better and reminisce about the day’s activities.

Cool flavour Following another hearty breakfast on Sunday, and checking out of the hotel, we travelled down to the Cotswold Ice Cream Company at Farmington. We were met by Ian Slatter, a tenant of the Wills estate, who had seen the dairy farm through organic conversion three years ago.

I would like to thank the Under 30 Committee members for all their support throughout my year as Chairman, especially Luke Paterson, my Vice Chairman, and U30s Secretary MaryAnne Salisbury. I must also thank Jill Willows for her commitment to her liaison role between the Senior Club and the U30s, and Julian Sayers for all the enthusiasm and support he has shown us during his 12 months as Club Chairman.

Above: Coffee Ice Cream in the making

It has been an immense privilege to have had the opportunity to be Chairman of the U30s, and I wish Luke Paterson all the very best for what will, no doubt, be a great and successful year ahead.

Future producers Cotswold Ice Cream

Lizzie Benson

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AGM X•X

RAMBLINGS • Stephen Skinner

The Annual General Meeting The 166th Annual General Meeting, Chaired by Julian Sayers, was held at The Farmers Club on Wednesday 10 December 2008. The following is a summary of the Minutes, full copies of which can be obtained by email from the Secretary.

Minutes, Annual Report and the Club Accounts The Minutes of the 165th General Meeting were approved and the Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 June 2007 were adopted unanimously.

Election of Club Chairman and the Vice-Chairman John Reynolds and Nicki Quayle were elected unanimously as Chairman and ViceChairman for 2009.

Proposing the election of John Reynolds, Mark Hudson described him as “an excellent Vice-Chairman”. He had gone to Harper Adams, went into farm management, but was then spotted by ICI, who persuaded him to go and work for them. By the mid 80s he was head of the ICI UK Fertiliser Division and President of the Fertiliser Manufacturers’ Association.

“After leaving ICI, John went into chemicals and various other things. He became the first chairman of First in Farming, which is an excellent internet portal, concentrating mainly on training. Since then he has got himself involved more widely in energy - he was chairman until recently of North East Bar Fuels - in company restructuring, in the local community, local issues and in charitable fund raising.

“So, you can see, that John is a man of wide experience, which will stand this Club in great stead.”

Tony Pexton seconded the nomination.

Replying, John Reynolds thanked all present for the confidence shown in making him Club Chairman.

“I have always enjoyed being a member of the Club because it has so much to offer in terms of the comradeship and fellowship.

Janet and I are looking forward to meeting as many members as possible, both on the formal occasions around the country and also informally.

“I do believe that we can look forward to an increasing recognition by government and the public in this country of the roll of agriculture in the production of both food and energy.

“I would also like to see the industry become increasingly attractive to young people, and one of the things I hope to do is to build on the work that has already been done by my illustrious predecessors. We are in somewhat uncharted waters in terms of the impact on us of the current world economic climate, but I am sure that, with careful management and a bit of foresight, we will get through 2009 and beyond.”

Proposing the election of Nicki Quayle as Vice-President, Barclay Forrest described how she was brought up in a farming family in Sussex; joined the NFU in London; took a year’s sabbatical in New Zealand, Australia and the US; returned to NFU headquarters, where she was specifically involved in British Growers Look Ahead; moved to Cumbria, where she completed an NCA at Newton Rigg; married David in 1987 and became very actively involved in farming.

“Nicki took on the animals and the dairy business and was milking up to 230 cows.

It was only because of David’s ill health that they had to part with the cows and the farming is now being done on a contract basis.”

Peter Jackson seconded the nomination.

Honorary Treasurer Paul Heygate was re-elected as Honorary Treasurer. Proposing him, Susan Kilpatrick said that the financial team in The Farmers Club was a very integral part of what made it so successful. At this particularly difficult time, we owed them, and all the staff, a particular debt of gratitude. “The Honorary Treasurer is a very important part of that team.”

Roddy Loder-Symonds nomination.

seconded

the

Auditors The Chairman said the Committee recommended the re-appointment of haysmacintyre, which was seconded by Susan Kilpatrick and agreed unanimously.

Any Other Business Julian Sayers. John Reynolds thanked Julian and Sarah Sayers for “the extraordinary job” they had done in 2008. “I think you will all agree that Julian has carried his duties most professionally and very enthusiastically, always with a smile.

Leading the Club in the way that he has done made the whole transition from Grieve Carson to Stephen Skinner work incredibly smoothly.

“On behalf of you all, I would like to wish him every success as he goes forward now, representing agriculture and some of the ancillary industries, the RABI, the Royal Agricultural College, and, of course, in his future support of the Club.”

Replying, Julian Sayers said how much he had enjoyed his year. “It really has been a great honour and also extremely rewarding.

It has given me the opportunity to travel to parts of the country which I have never been to before and to meet lots of members of the Club. I have also represented the Club at many different functions, and it has given me the opportunity to do things which only come along once in a lifetime.

“Can I say at this point a big ‘Thank You’ to all the staff here. We have a unique team and their hard work and dedication knows no bounds.

Committee Members

“A big ‘Thank You’ also to Stephen Skinner.

I have thoroughly enjoyed working with him and know we are in extremely safe hands.

The Chairman announced the re-election of Stewart Houston and Meurig Raymond for a second term of office, and the election of Richard Butler and John Stones. “We look forward to welcoming you to the Committee,” he said. “The Chairman very much relies on his Committee and I have to say I have been very, very fortunate over the past year.”

“I will conclude by wishing John and Nicki all the very best for 2009. The Club remains in good heart, thanks to the support of everybody here and the members at large, and long may that continue. It is a wonderful organisation and I am sure we are going to be here for many, many years to come.”

Amazing amount of rural activity in our capital city THE CLUB’s autumn/winter programme has got into full swing with many highlights, not least of which have been the Harvest Festival services (both ours and the Guild of Agricultural Journalists’); seminars (again, both ours and the Guild’s); a Royal Agricultural College Alumni drinks reception; the RASE launching its Soil Health Report; John Geldard and Henry Brown launching their report on ‘Supplying Local Food to Mainstream Customers’; the Ladies Lunch; the House of Lords Lunch; and the Club visit to the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms.

I also attended the nationwide launch of the RABI Gateway project at the House of Lords in late November, which helps low-income farming families develop skills that can earn them money beyond the farm gate. What with all this, plus the Worshipful Company of Farmers parading a huge John Deere forage harvester at the Lord Mayor’s Show in early November, it amazes me just how many rural activities take place in our capital city.

The Club Seminar provided members and guests with presentations that were both of a very high standard and certainly thought provoking. Entitled, ‘Food and Fuel from Agriculture’, we were most fortunate to have Professor Keith Waldron from The Institute of Food Research, Norwich; Paul Temple, Vice President of the NFU; and Alwyn Hughes, CEO of the Ensus Group, present their views before being questioned by the assembled throng.

Under the chairmanship of our then Vice Chairman (but now Chairman), John Reynolds, the Seminar was an excellent start to what, I hope, will be other vigorous and stimulating seminars and debates in the coming year.

The Lords Lunch was, as ever, a splendid event. Through the very great generosity of Baroness Hazel Byford, who ‘sponsored’ the event, some 95 members and guests enjoyed a fine meal in the splendid environs of the House of Lords. We were most fortunate to have Dr John Bridge, Chairman of the

Computers!

ON 27 NOVEMBER our main computer ‘server’ failed. Not a problem you might say. You have backed up all your data daily as recommended, and computers are easily and quickly fixed.

And, after all, we do have a support contract in place.

Well, three weeks later - as I write these words on 18 December - only now are we more or less back where we should be.

I should say here that Mike Wood, our Accountant, has been quite outstanding and has put in a phenomenal number of hours in trying to recover the situation. I must also thank Mark Fairbairn, our Membership Secretary, and Hamid Khaldi, our Head Receptionist, for the hours they, too, have given.

More importantly, for members, the impact has been that a number of invoices have been delayed, despite our best efforts, and for that I sincerely apologise. Wherever we could, we have gone ‘reversionary’ - that is, back to the tried and trusted method of pen and paper - but, naturally, this too has its weaknesses.

Where bookings have been confused, I also apologise but, again, I must applaud the staff who have worked so hard to minimise the disruption.

Of greater concern is the details we hold on members. While we have, we believe, recovered the vast majority of information, we cannot be confident that we have it all. Thus, while Mike and his team are burning the midnight oil in an attempt to rectify the problem, can I make a plea for your patience and understanding should you find we have made omissions or mistakes.

Finally, there are any number of lessons to be learned from this saga. I promise you we will do all in our power to ensure that we and you, are not put in this position again.

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Above: The Worshipful Company of Farmers paraded a John Deere 7750 ProDrive forage harvester at the Lord Mayor's Show.

Right: John Geldard and Henry Brown

AHDB, speak to us on the subject of ‘Feeding Britain’, which was very well received and was followed by some first-class questions.

As is traditional at this event, the Farmers Club Cup was awarded to “the person or organisation that has made the greatest contribution during the calendar year to establish a better understanding of contemporary agricultural practices or policies by the British public”. To everyone’s delight, and to Lady Byford’s great surprise, the Baroness was this year’s universally applauded winner (see picture, page 3).

St Patrick’s Dinner FRIDAY 20 MARCH 2009 A dinner will be held at the Club on Friday 20 March in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, 7 for 7.30pm The cost is £60.00 per person to include pre-dinner drinks, dinner, wine and a liqueur. Places are limited and applications will be dealt with on a first come first served basis.(A maximum of 4 places per member).

Accommodation should be booked directly with Reception on 020 7930 3557.

✁

DRESS CODE – BLACK TIE

RETURN TO:

The Secretary, The Farmers Club, 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL

Please complete in CAPITALS and include FIRST NAME I would like to reserve Dinner on Friday 20 March Cheque enclosed for £

place(s) for the St. Patrick’s (payable The Farmers Club)

Member Guests (maximum 3) Address Post Code Telephone Number Email

17

RAMBLINGS

Club Information & Diary Dates

THE FARMERS CLUB

The Secretariat 020 7930 3751

THE FARMERS CLUB Over 160 years of service to farming 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL

Diary Dates 2009

Go Texan MEMBERS will recall the invitation to them to attend, free of entry charge, the 2008 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, published in the Autumn 2007 Journal. Well, the organisers are issuing the same invitation to Club members to attend the 2009 Show - the world’s largest - which takes place between 3 - 22 March.

BA flies twice daily to Houston, direct, at fares from around £500 return, and the Show’s International Committee will arrange transportation to hotels (from $130 a night) and/or to the event. To find out more, and to pre-register, visit www.rodeohouston.com “It’s a heck of a deal,” I’m told.

Cyclopaedia presentation IN MID December Graham Mitchell and his wife Penny very graciously presented to The Farmers Club the 12 volumes of ‘The Standard Cyclopaedia of Modern Agriculture and Rural Economy’. These wonderful volumes belonged originally to Graham’s grandfather and were left to the family when he passed away.

This Cyclopaedia is without doubt, worth a read if you have time, being full of wonderful descriptions and drawings. The keys to the bookcase in the Shaw Room are held in the Secretariat.

Our picture shows past Club Chairman Eric Wilson and myself accepting the books formally from Graham and Penny Mitchell.

Club Information 020 7930 3751 Further information is available on The Farmers Club Website: www.thefarmersclub.com To register for the Members’ Area, enter your membership number as shown on the top line of the address label of your Journal and then create your username and password.

There was an insert in the Autumn 2008 Journal providing full details of the Club facilities and other information for members to retain. Spare copies can be obtained by forwarding a s.a.e. to the Club Secretary.

Obituaries We very much regret that we are unable to show the members who have passed away recently due to a software problem with our Membership database. We hope to be able to include them in the next journal.

Honours and Awards Members honoured in The Queen’s New Year Honours’ List will be shown in the Spring Issue. Please inform the Secretariat if you received an Honour.

New Members Details of those members accepting our offer of membership following the December election will be given in the next Journal.

Club Committee Members

Twenty years service An event most members will not know about is that we have just raised a glass to MaryAnne Salisbury of the Secretariat and Marilyn Campbell of the kitchen staff, (pictured below) who have both completed 20 years of service with the Club. Such loyalty and commitment is rare, and there can be little doubt we are fortunate to have the benefit of two such hardworking and able individuals.

Blaston Lodge Farm, Market Harborough, Leicestershire.

Returning for a further term are: Stewart Houston (N.Yorkshire) and Meurig Raymond (Pembrokeshire)

Envelopes Sponsorship The Farmers Club would like to thank Monsanto for their continued sponsorship of the Journal envelopes. Monsanto is an agricultural company focused on applying innovation and technology to assist farmers around the world to be more successful. For information about the company, visit www.monsanto.co.uk.

Dress Code Members are requested to advise their guests of the following: • Gentlemen must wear formal jackets and ties. Polo-neck jerseys, jeans and trainer shoes are not acceptable. (between 1 June to end of September, Gentlemen will not have to wear jackets at breakfast).

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

• Ladies should be dressed conventionally.

Trousers are permitted but not casual slacks, jeans or trainer shoes.

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

SIX members competed to fill FOUR vacancies on the Club General Committee.

• Children should conform with the above guidelines.

Elected to join the Committee are:

• Members must advise their guests of the dress regulations.

Richard C Butler (Wiltshire) Senior partner of farming family business (Arable and Dairying) in Pewsey Vale, Wiltshire.

Past NFU County Chairman and council delegate for Wiltshire. Chaired National Cereal Committee 1997 – 2003.

President of AICC 2004 – 2007 currently board member of NFU Mutual Insurance Co. and Chairman, 300 Cow Club. Awarded fellowship FRAgS (England) in 2001. Farming business won the Crown Estate Rural Business Award in July 2008.

John G Stones (Leicestershire) Director, Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust – Nuffield Scholar 1988. Liveryman, Worshipful Company of Farmers. Member of WCF Education Committee and RASE Practice with Science panel. Member of the steering group for AgriFood Charities Partnership. Partner in

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Patron – Her Majesty The Queen

IT facilities Reception can provide members with a password to use the Club’s wi-fi circuit and to access the pc in the IT Room. Laptops must not be used in the Lounge but are now permitted in the Shaw Room, adjacent to the bar. Their use is restricted to single users only and must not be used in conjunction with a meeting.

These dates are reviewed for every Journal. Please read them on each occasion, as they are sometimes revised and additional dates included.

Details of events circulated in the previous issues are available from the Secretariat at the telephone number shown above.

THE COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT OF THE CLUB FOR 2009 PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN John Reynolds TRUSTEES Mark Hudson (Chairman), Barclay Forrest OBE Mrs Susan Kilpatrick OBE, Norman Shaw CBE

Theatre Visit and Supper in the Club Friday 30 January Cut out application form appeared in the Winter journal Club Visit to Brazil Departs Thursday 26 February Returns Friday 13 March St. Patrick’s Day Dinner in the Club Friday 20 March Cut out application form in this journal St. George’s Day Lunch at Barber-Surgeons Hall Thursday 23 April Application form in this journal Visit to Rutland Wednesday 6 to Thursday 7 May Application form in this journal

Devon County Show Reception Friday 22 May Reply slip in the Spring Journal Suffolk Show Reception Wednesday 27 May Reply slip in the Spring Journal Royal Cornwall Show Dinner Friday 5 June Reply slip in the Spring Journal Visit to RHS garden at Wisley, Surrey Tuesday 23 June Application form in the Spring Journal The Royal Highland Show Dinner Wednesday 24 June Reply slip in the Spring Journal Royal Show, Stoneleigh Park Tuesday 7 to Friday 10 July

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 House Manager for details.

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

CLUB CLOSURES 2009 5.00pm Thursday 9 April to 8.00am Tuesday 14 April 12 noon Sunday 3 May to 8.00am Tuesday 5 May 11.00pm Friday 22 May to 8.00am Tuesday 26 May 3.00pm Friday 14 August to 3.00pm Tuesday 1 September

The Muthaiga Country Club, Nairobi, Kenya

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 off Cockspur Street, approximately 5 minutes walk from the Club.

Telephone: 0800 243 348. The Congestion Charge can be paid at this car park.

The Christchurch Club, Christchurch, New Zealand

HONORARY TREASURER Paul Heygate IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN Julian Sayers COMMITTEE Elected 2004 Ian Lindsay, Mrs Jill Willows Elected 2005 Charles Notcutt OBE Elected 2006 Stewart Houston CBE (Chairman House Sub-Committee), Meurig Raymond MBE Elected 2007 Tim Bennett, Mrs Anne Chamberlain, James Cross Richard Harrison, Campbell Tweed OBE Mrs Teresa Wickham (Chairman Journal & Communications Sub-Committee) Elected 2008 The Reverend Dr Gordon Gatward OBE Jimmy McLean (Chairman membership SubCommittee), David Richardson OBE, John Wilson Elected 2009 Richard Butler, John Stones

THE FARMERS CLUB CHARITABLE TRUST TRUSTEES John Kerr MBE JP DL (Chairman), James Cross Stephen Fletcher, Dr Tony Harris CBE Mrs Stella Muddiman JP, The Chairman and Immediate Past Chairman of the Club (ex officio)

Royal Dublin Society, Dublin, Ireland (Bedrooms not reciprocated)

The Harare Club, Harare, Zimbabwe

VICE-CHAIRMAN Mrs Nicki Quayle

Co-opted Miss Lizzie Benson (Chairman Under 30s) Luke Paterson (Vice-Chairman Under 30s)

Royal Ulster Show Dinner Tuesday 12 May Reply slip in the Spring Journal

Parking

THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL New Year 2009 • www.thefarmersclub.com

VICE PRESIDENTS John N Harris OBE MC, Peter Jackson CBE Roddy Loder-Symonds, Sir David Naish DL John Parker

The Canterbury Club, Christchurch, New Zealand (Bedrooms not reciprocated) Members wishing to visit any of the above Clubs must obtain an introductory card from the Secretariat when further details will be given. www.thefarmersclub.com • THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL New Year 2009

Chief Executive and Secretary Air Commodore Stephen Skinner Deputy Secretary Robert Buckolt Club Chaplain The Reverend Nicholas Holtam 020-7766 1121 Reception & Dining Room Reservations 020-7930 3557 Accounts 020-7925 7101 Membership 020-7925 7102 Private Function & Meeting Room Reservations 020-7925 7100 Secretariat 020-7930 3751 Personal calls for members only 020-7930 4730 Fax 020-7839 7864 E-mails secretariat@thefarmersclub.com accounts@thefarmersclub.com membership@thefarmersclub.com functions@thefarmersclub.com meetings@thefarmersclub.com reception@thefarmersclub.com u30s@thefarmersclub.com Website www.thefarmersclub.com THE FARMERS CLUB JOURNAL Editor and Advertisement Manager Don Gomery 01892 610628 Email: don.gomery@btinternet.com Printed by Pureprint Group, Brambleside, Bellbrook Park19 Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 1PL Tel: 01825 768811