Join the chairman for supper on Wednesday, December 8th at 6.30pm.
The speaker, Prof Cathie Martin, is one of the world's leading scientists researching how plants can help to improve human health and diet.
Supper: 6.30pm - a two course meal - costs £10 per head at North Walsham Rugby Club.
If you'd like to join the chairman, please let the secretary know by close of play on Wednesday, December 1.
The meeting: Starts at 7.30pm on Wednesday, December 8.
Email: - michaelbpollitt@btinternet.com or telephone 01603 486997
Entry added: 30 Nov 2021 |
A warm welcome to 2021’s final meeting
Wednesday, December 8, 7.30pm – North Walsham Rugby Club.
Come for a diet of supper and healthy science – all on a plate!
Food, health and plant genetics
Our next speaker, Prof Cathie Martin, is an award-winning scientist with an international reputation.
She is only the fourth scientist in 40 years at the John Innes Centre to win the Rank Prize for her efforts to make fruit and vegetables more nutritious.
Her talk, Growing plants for a healthy, better diet, couldn’t be more topical.
She has co-ordinated research into crops to improve diets including the health-giving purple tomato – about to be launched in Japan.
This is probably one of the most exciting areas of practical research, which opens up real opportunities for farmers and growers in the next decades.
Join the chairman, Chris Borrett, for supper beforehand.
YOU MUST BOOK YOUR MEAL IN ADVANCE
To book supper, £10 per head for two courses, it must be booked in advance by 5pm, Wednesday, December 1.
The meal – Steak & kidney pie, roast potatoes, vegetables followed by Christmas pudding.
Telephone the secretary, Michael Pollitt on 01603 486997 or email – michaelbpollitt@btinternet.com
North Walsham Rugby Club - NR10 5BU – will welcome members from 6pm, supper at 6.30pm – and the meeting at 7.30pm. Entry added: 23 Nov 2021 |
Meeting held at North Walsham Rugby Club, Scottow, on Wednesday, November 10, jointly with the East Norfolk branch of the National Farmers’ Union.
The meeting was jointly chaired by Chris Borrett, of Stalham Farmers’ Club, and Peter Gardiner, of the East Norfolk branch. A total of 34 members were in attendance and a total of 16 members and guests enjoyed a two-course supper of cottage pie and apple crumble.
By invitation, Michael Sly, chairman NFU Sugar Board, Simon Smith, vice-chairman, and Arthur Marshall, of NFU Sugar.
Mr Borrett, who was wielding the chairman’s gavel for the first time in 19 months, welcomed club members and also NFU members too.
He recalled that the last gathering had been the club’s annual meeting in February 2020.
Members were also asked to remember the club’s former officers and members in a minute’s silence including Hugh Crane (life vice-president), Cyril Adams, Rob den Englese, secretary 1985 to 1987, and Greg Anderson.
Apologies – Jason Cantrill, John Greer, Graham Duncanson, Rob Norman, Matthew Adams, James Chapman. Michael Eales, Jim Holt and Andrew Claydon.
New members – The following were welcomed, Emily Norton, Philip Norton, Alex Winchester. William Sands, vice-chairman, proposed Sam Summers, who was duly elected.
Secretary’s report – Michael Pollitt said that two club’s 2021 competitions had been judged – potatoes and whole crop sugar beet. The 2-acre competition would be judged soon. He urged members to bring grain samples for the wheat and barley cup to the next meeting on December 8 at the very latest. Otherwise samples could be left at Neal Sands’ Brunstead works.
He also reported that the engraving of trophies should be completed shortly. There was now only one engraver in Norwich – two others had give up or retired – which had delayed progress.
Mr Borrett then introduced the evening’s trio of guest speakers including Michael Sly, chairman of the NFU Sugar Board, his vice-chairman and fellow Cambridgeshire farmer Simon Smith, and Arthur Marshall, analyst with NFU Sugar. James Northam, of NFU Sugar, was unable to attend because he had tested positive for Covid-19.
Mr Sly briefed members on the background to the latest negotiations with British Sugar. He reminded growers that the last campaign had been extremely difficulty, lengthy and costly. In addition, substantial yield losses caused by virus yellows and other diseases had cost growers an estimated £43m. NFU Sugar, which represents all 2,500 growers, decided to start negotiations much earlier than usual and started the process with British Sugar in March. In a diplomatic summary, Mr Sly said that the process had not been especially smooth but eventually a deal had been achieved.
He said that a pilot variable price contract, linked to sugar futures, could offer the opportunity for growers to lock-in returns. Mr Sly said that it could become a more signficant tool in future. However, he said that the pilot contract had involved a fraction of the national 7.5m tonne beet crop. In total, 67 growers had contracted just 37,100 tonnes but it was another potential tool.
Mr Sly said that beet growers (and processor) were now operating in a completely de-regulated market. He stressed too that the home-grown industry needed to retain scale to supply a large domestic market of around 1.9m tonnes of sugar – with roughly 55pc of the country’s sugar grown by England’s farmers. There was a major opportunity to supply this market and he urged British Sugar to recognise the need to support growers. He said that a meeting in June with ABF’s chief executive George Weston had been positive, who had emphasised his long-term vision for a successful home-grown sugar industry.
In lengthy discussions, a number of members highlighted a range of issues in a genuinely lively, constructive fashion.
Mr Smith said that the NFU had spent three hours the previous day discussing the urgent need to recognise the impact of soaring costs for haulage and contractors with senior British Sugar executives.
Mr Gardiner thanked the speakers, who were presented with a Stalham Farmers’ Club tie. The meting closed at 9.25pm.
Entry added: 11 Nov 2021 |
What a record - 90-year-old Ken strides out
Stalham stalwart Ken Leggett has completed his 50th Park Run - at the age of 90. The former county secretary to Norfolk National Farmers' Union, who was club chairman in 2000, was the driving force to secure Catton Park for the community. Mr Leggett, of Colkett Drive, Old Catton, who lives just a stone's throw from the historic park - the first to be paid out by Humphry Repton - secured almost £1m of funding to regenerate the historic park in 2005.
He completed his golden jubilee "run" and the 5k circuit last Saturday in one hour seven minutes and 28 seconds. The link to the EDP story is here: http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/ken-leggett-completes-50-catton-parkruns-8377052 Entry added: 30 Sep 2021 |
November date for opening meeting -
A warm welcome to members and the first meeting of Stalham Farmers’ Club’s autumn programme.
Make a note in your diary – Wednesday, November 10, 7.30pm – at a new location, North Walsham Rugby Club.
This will be a joint meeting with the East Norfolk branch of the National Farmers’ Union. Our chairman, Chris Borrett, and Peter Gardiner, of the NFU, will welcome the team of guest speakers – fenland farmer Michael Sly, chairman of NFU Sugar, and James Northern, head of NFU Sugar and Arthur Marshall, NFU Sugar analyst.
It is planned to arrange a meal beforehand – watch this space.
The next meeting will be on Wednesday, December 8 – speakers being confirmed.
While it is planned to return to Vera’s at A G Meale’s, it was felt initially that a larger, roomier venue might be more sensible given the on-going concerns regarding Covid-19.
The rest of the autumn programme is being planned including, hopefully, the annual dinner in March..
Please keep any grain samples for the wheat and barley competitions.
Details, Michael Pollitt – 01603 486997 or email michaelbpollitt@btinternet.com
Entry added: 29 Sep 2021 |
Former club secretary and leading farm manager Rob den Engelse
One of Norfolk's largest farming businesses was run by Rob den Engelse, who died aged 86 at his Wroxham home, on August 31. He was general manager of East Anglian Real Property, which farmed more than 10,000 acres across the county - incidentally following in his father's footsteps. When he left the Cantley-based EARP in 1978, he then held a succession of senior farm management posts. A keen sailor, he decided at the age of 60 to qualify as a Royal Yachting Association instructor and bought a 1935 Ernest Woods river cruiser, Will o' the Wisp to sail on the Broads. He leaves a widow Ann, two children and four grandchildren. Our thoughts are with his family. Full obituary - see the Past Club Members Tab on the left.
Entry added: 23 Sep 2021 |
Former secretary’s funeral - A former club secretary, Rob den Engelse, died peacefully on August 31 at home in Wroxham, aged 86. He was secretary to Stalham Farmers’ Club for three years between 1985 and 1987 and took over from Nigel Wright. A funeral will be held at St Faith’s Crematorium on Wednesday, September 15 at 2.45pm. Our condolences to his widow, Ann, and family. Entry added: 11 Sep 2021 |
Crop competitions – grain, sugar beet and potatoes.
Congratulations to the latest winner of the Cantley Cup – awarded for the highest overall yield by a grower.
Alan Beck, of Brunstead, and his son, Geoff, have won the 2020 Cantley Cup, for the first time. C N Beck & Sons, of Brunstead Hall, near Stalham, won the whole crop competition in 2017.
The runner-up was Milligen McLeod, of East Ruston, and in third place, Andrew Alston, of Catfield.
Apologies for the delay in reporting the results. The Club would like to thank Sarah Bebb, of British Sugar, for her help with the competition.
Barley & wheat samples, please.
As combines prepare to roll across the county in earnest, entries for the two grain competitions will be welcome. There’s no charge to enter samples, which can be delivered to the club chairman, Chris Borrett, of grain merchants, Adams & Howling, or brought to future club events.
Members may recall that for the first time in the history of the inter-club malting barley competition, there was a tie in 2020. A sample grown by Edward de Feyter, of C H Callow and partners, of East Ruston, was a joint winner with his father Graham, of Edingthorpe, who won the Holt title. In 2019, Stalham won the supreme title with a sample grown by George Gay, of Mautby Farms.
Sugar beet entries
It is planned to judge the two sugar beet competitions in late September and in October. There’s no entry fee.
Entries, please, to the secretary for the whole crop by September 10. The field map/ location should show the size and also details of the gate/access point too. Entries must be at least 15 acres. Entries may be emailed – michaelbpollitt@btinternet.com
It is planned to hold the best two-acre competition this year – apologies that it did not take place in 2020. Again, a map showing the best area of the field would be appreciated by September 10.
Potato Cup
Entries are invited for the Potato Cup, which was won last year by the club’s president, Thomas Love.
Please send entries by Friday, August 5, please. Again, a field map/ location and size of crop are needed. Also, please indicate variety and expected use. Email entries to michaelbpollitt@btinternet.com
Future programme activities
It is hoped to resume club activities in the coming weeks and months and even possibly some indoor meetings. At this stage, nothing is planned but any suggestions will be much appreciated. Please contact the secretary, Michael Pollitt (01603 486997) or the chairman, Chris Borrett, with your thoughts.
Entry added: 19 Jul 2021 |
A long-standing member Cyril Adams, of grain merchants Adams & Howling, died aged 81. He started the business at Wroxham in 1972 and it expanded over the years to become one of the country's leading specialists in malting barley. Born in Potter Heigham, he started selling animal feeds and supplies by cycling around the district from 1959 - on his then company transport - a bicycle. Full obituary - See Past Club Members on the left. Entry added: 29 Apr 2021 |
Cyril Adams -
A leading Norfolk agricultural merchant, Cyril Adams, died aged 81, on Thursday, April 22. He established the independent grain merchants, Adams & Howling, with Tony Howling in 1972 in rented offices at Wroxham railway station. Over the following six decades, under his leadership as chairman the business expanded, particularly specialising in handling and marketing malting barley.
He was a long-standing member of Stalham Farmers' Club and also a great supporter of Holt & District Farmers' Club's competitions.
Our thoughts are with his family.
Entry added: 23 Apr 2021 |