Surprise for volunteer. The club's secretary, Michael Pollitt, was delighted to be nominated as a regional finalist in the volunteer of the year awards by the Churches Conservation Trust. For the past three years, he has worked with fellow volunteers to open St John Maddermarket Church, Norwich, to visitors. And since April last year, a record total of 5,300 people visited the medieval church, which is one of about 350 across the country maintained by the trust. The winners of the award will be announced on Friday, January 26 in London. Entry added: 11 Jan 2018 |
Happy New Year
And to start 2018, our first meeting will be a presentation by Norfolk's latest Nuffield scholar, Emily Norton, on Wednesday, January 10.
She returned to the family's farm in 2007 - having graduated in law from Cambridge - and will outline her thoughts on the theme: "Turning problems into opportunities on the the 21st-century family farm.”
All are welcome to the two-course supper beforehand. The club is again inviting members of neighbouring young farmers' clubs as our guests to join the chairman, Jonathan Deane, at the meal at the Norfolk Mead Hotel, from 6pm.
Supper will be served about 6.25pm and costs £20, including a welcome drink. Please let the secretary know by 10am on Monday, January 8 at the very latest if you'd like to join the supper.Email-michaelbpollitt@btinternet.com or telephone 01603 486997. We have to book the meal in advance, hence the need for a speedy reply.
Emily and Norton's Dairy at Frettenham have been winners on the national stage including a finalist of the 2018 Farmers Weekly mixed farmer of the year
and won the Food and Drink Supplier Award in last year's Aylsham Agricultural Show Association's annual awards.
After some brief formal business at 7.30pm, Emily will be speaking.
Apologies, also to the secretary - and if you're updating your 2018 diary, please note the following
Wednesday, February 14 - AGM and talk by Dr Lynn Dicks, of the UEA.
Wednesday, March 14 - Annual dinner and presentation of prizes.
And don't forget the annual bowls/ ten-pin bowls against Holt on Friday, February 23, starting from 4pm - followed by a meal
Entry added: 05 Jan 2018 |
Yeasts could create high-value products from farm wastes.
A national collection of yeasts at Norwich Research Park has the potential to create new and high-value natural chemicals from farm wastes.
Prof Keith Waldron, of the Quadram Institute Bioscience, told members of Stalham Farmers’ Club that research into the 4,000-strong collection had already identified some valuable products. And now it was possible to analyse 1ml samples with automated and robotic techniques to gain more understanding of the potential of certain yeast strains.
Amazingly, some yeast strains could yield very significant volumes of natural high-value chemicals, which was arousing commercial interest, said Prof Waldron.
There were at least 10,000 different strains throughout the world but the Norwich collection held most of the brewing and baking yeasts.
He had spent more than 20 years looking at how an estimated 3.9m tonnes of farm waste could be turned into more valuable products. For example, spent brewers’ grains – usually fed to livestock – had produced natural foaming products. And onion peelings had produced a natural thickening agent for the food industry but sadly this initiative had proved more popular with European manufacturers than at home.
And another long-term project, which had begun in 2004, has produced a highly-effective natural growing medium for the horticultural sector replacing peat. The outcome was a far-better growing medium than peat – and curiously it smelled like “Christmas Cake.”
The challenging of dealing with food waste/ farm by products was global. And solutions could help to reduce the impact on global warming and climate change – and it was as big an issue in the emerging economies such as China and the Indian sub-continent as Europe and north America , he suggested.
Prof Waldron, who was co-director of a national initiative, the foodwastenetwork, had brought together about 500 people from across industry to tackle the challenge. With £200,000 funding, it was working with 18 specialist groups to identify challenges and opportunities. Details, www.foodwastenet.org
He was thanked by vice-chairman, Henry Alston, and presented with a silk club tie by the chairman, Jonathan Deane.
Entry added: 18 Dec 2017 |
The latest minutes from the meeting on the 13.12.17 are now available under the tab on the left. Entry added: 15 Dec 2017 |
Adding value to farm crops is next topic for club’s winter programme.
A leading researcher into maximising potential value from food chain products, Prof Keith Waldron will update members on Wednesday, December 13.
He started a research programme at the Institute of Food Research (becoming the Quadram Institute from 2018) almost 20 years ago. It led to the development of the Biorefinery Centre – closely linked to the National Collection of Yeast Cultures.
Prof Waldron, who lists his hobbies as flying, photography and cycling (slowly), will talking about some of the exciting opportunities for farmers and growers.
And please support our chairman, Jonathan Deane, at the supper beforehand at the Norfolk Mead Hotel. The two-course meal costs £20 and all members are most welcome to join him from about 6pm. Supper is served about 6.25pm and the meeting begins at 7.30pm.
Supper must be booked in advance by Monday, December 11 (by 10am) at the latest – let Jonathan know by email - jmpdeane@outlook.com or ring him.
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Future diary dates
Wednesday,January 10 – Nuffield scholar and dairy farmer Emily Norton. Members of local YFCs have been invited to supper as our guests.
Wednesday,February 14 – Dr Lynn Dicks, of the UEA’s School of Biological Sciences.
Wednesday,March 14 – Annual dinner and presentation of trophies. Entry added: 23 Nov 2017 |
Members stood in silence in memory of the late John Purling at the opening meeting of the winter season. It was also announced that the club's president, William Donald, would like to stand down at the annual meeting. And guest speaker Chris Durdin shared his love of dragonflies and damselflies during his talk about Norfolk's latest 25-hectare nature reserve on the edge of the city. See "Minutes & Reports" section for full details.
A date for St Valentine's Day. A leading UEA researcher, Dr Lynn Dicks, of the School of Biological Sciences, will be addressing members on Wednesday, February 14. Interviewed recently on BBC Radio 4's Farming Today by Norwich-based Anna Hill, she talked with authority on some of the challenges facing farmers and growers in protecting crops from diseases and pests.
Entry added: 17 Nov 2017 |
Supper invitation - A "beefy" start to the opening season has been selected for supper ahead of next Wednesday's meeting at the Norfolk Mead Hotel, Coltishall.
And the chairman, Jonathan Deane, would welcome as many members as possible to join him and the guest speaker from about 6pm on Wednesday, November 15. He has chosen "beef bourguignon" followed by a lemoncello plum tart. All welcome.
The two-course meal costs £20 and because it has to be ordered in advance - by Monday, 10am at the latest - please let the secretary, Michael Pollitt know. You can either email - michaelbpollitt@btinternet.com or telephone 01603 486997. But please don't leave it too late.
The meeting proper will start at 7.30pm when Chris Durdin will be talking about wildlife on his doorstep at Norfolk's newest nature reserve.
Natural wonders on the edge of the city - A welcome return to naturalist Chris Durdin, of Honeyguide Wildlife Holidays, who will launch our autumn programme.
Entry added: 08 Nov 2017 |
A “behind the scenes” briefing at the Wymondham headquarters of Norfolk Constabulary was much appreciated by members of Stalham Farmers’ Club.
The visit by an 18-strong group follows a talk almost exactly a year ago by Ch Insp Lou Provart, who had outlined Norfolk's rural crime strategy.
Members were welcomed by DC Andy Brown, who is well-known in the farming community for his dedication to Operation Randall, the crime-fighting initiative.
The use of new technology, drones, was also outlined by one of his colleagues. Two types are used, which have proved to be very cost-effective and help to gather evidence for use in prosecutions. And more recently, drones even assisted with monitoring crowds at Carrow Road.
With a flying time of about 30 minutes and capable of speeds of up to 40mph, they have been used with success to track criminal gangs hare coursing.
Jack Askew then outlined the challenges facing the control room team. It takes about five weeks to train the mainly civilian staff to handle calls plus another three weeks to master the radio control system. He said that about a quarter of calls related to mental health issues. Experts in drug and alcohol abuse and also mental health nurses were also on hand to help callers respond. All calls are graded, A to D, with the target of getting a police presence for an A-call within 7.5 minutes.
Mr Askew also revealed that a new “Smart Storm” system will further assist the control room team to prioritise calls. And, a multi-agency control room was gradually taking shape and Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service was moving from nearby Hethersett to share the same site.
It was a fascinating visit and Nick Deane thanked the police team for their time in briefing the group.
On Wednesday, March 14 at the club’s annual dinner, Norfolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner Lorne Green will be speaking and presenting the trophies and prize certificates.
Entry added: 03 Nov 2017 |
Opening meeting - Wednesday, November 15, Chris Durdin. Wildlife on the doorstep at Norfolk's newest nature reserve. Supper at the Norfolk Mead Hotel about 6.30pm, meeting at 7.30pm.
Natural wonders on the edge of the city - A welcome return to naturalist Chris Durdin, of Honeyguide Wildlife Holidays, who will launch our autumn programme on Wednesday, November 15 at the Norfolk Mead Hotel. He will be talking about wildlife on his doorstep atone of the newest nature reserves in Norfolk, right on the edge of the city. Chris, who co-wrote the The Norfolk Cranes'Story published in 2011 and talked to members about these distinctive birds, lives just yards from Norfolk Wildlife Trust's Thorpe Marshes. He has some great photographs of the assorted flora, fauna and other types of 'frequent fliers' including butterflies and dragonflies. And just to tempt you further afield, he may sneak in a few photographs of some extraordinary wildlife often seen by his clients in some of the loveliest regions of Europe.
Join Chris and our chairman, Jonathan, for supper beforehand, from about 6pm, ahead of the meeting at 7.30pm. Details of the menu will be circulated soon.
Entry added: 31 Oct 2017 |
As the autumn programme takes shape, the first meeting will be an early evening tour of Norfolk Police headquarters at Wymondham on Wednesday, November 1. Please note the date in your diary and details will be announced soon. However, numbers will be limited.
And, there is also the opportunity to join the inter-club quiz at Easton & Otley College on Monday, October 30. Anyone who would like to join a Stalham team would be most welcome. Please let the secretary know.
The season's first indoor meeting at the Norfolk Mead will be on Wednesday, November 15 - speaker to be confirmed.
Then Prof Keith Waldron, who has been leading research into adding value into farm wastes, will be speaking on Wednesday, December 13.
Our annual joint meeting with Norfolk Young Farmers' Clubs takes place on Wednesday, January 10 when award-winning dairy farmer Emily Norton will be speaking.
The annual meeting takes place on Wednesday, February 14 (again, speaker to be confirmed) and the club's annual dinner is a month later at the Norfolk Mead Hotel on Wednesday, March 14. The guest speaker will be Norfolk's Police and Crime Commissioner, Lorne Green.
Apologies for the delay in sending out the programme.
Entry added: 05 Oct 2017 |