quicker or a start plus any other NFU member could join in, well all those with internet anyway which I would think is most
now you tell me why it shouldn't be a forum ?
Are the NFU fit for purpose
- Thread starter onthehoof
- Start date
now you tell me why it shouldn't be a forum ?
- Location
- Shropshire
I’m not in total disagreement with you, I would however be very surprised if any other large organisation takes advice on policy based on the views of a forum (even if it was an exclusive member forum). I would hazard a guess not.Maybe you don’t quite understand how farmers feel as regards the nfu. Meetings are ok but they’re not usually conducive to ‘chewing the fat’ and having a good discussion and formulating a resolution to put forwards. They should, but they aren’t. I think members feel isolated, insulated and too small a voice to make a difference, no offence meant but farmers are funny folk at the best of times
In a forum situation a member could raise an issue and rather than get brushed off they could garner support from others members and have a to and fro discussion over what they actually mean or want. It’s more fluid than a cliquey meeting and would be more productive.
Edit: and probably a bloody site quicker too.
Imo of course.
I do agree they need an overhaul though, mainly to get the youth involved and as I understand it, this is something that will take place soon.
TFF is quite a large organisation and clive was taking advice on policy based on the views of members last night
seriously though why is what others don't do a reason for the NFU not to do it ?
- Location
- Shropshire
Which large organisations do it?TFF is quite a large organisation and clive was taking advice on policy based on the views of members last night
seriously though why is what others don't do a reason for the NFU not to do it ?
I didn't say they did
We'd been to see eldest who was at Queens, and slipped south for a couple of days enlightenment. loved it.
Met 101 whacky and brilliant characters at the ploughing, inc having to stand aside for the pres (?) who was being ferried around the site in his limo.
Spent some time talking to the hurly makers (professional interest, see), as well as the peat merchants, although disappointing there were few beasts on show.
Then found our way out onto the burren, before home.
I did hitch across the bottom end as a pup -'is it a spin yer wantin?'-loved that too.
Mallow horse fair, out round the ring of Kerry, and up to Dingle to see the blessing of the boats (I think some of the fishermen might've been drinking), met the dolphin...all that stuff.
good on yer, wish the UK was more like it.
would you like Gove?....we've had enough of him. i got all excited when he dithered about quitting last week. no such luck.
I find the staff (above admin) are generally doing whatever they think fit -which is perhaps instruction from office holders- and if they don't like the cut of your jib, you're wasting your time.Maybe you don’t quite understand how farmers feel as regards the nfu. Meetings are ok but they’re not usually conducive to ‘chewing the fat’ and having a good discussion and formulating a resolution to put forwards. They should, but they aren’t. I think members feel isolated, insulated and too small a voice to make a difference, no offence meant but farmers are funny folk at the best of times
In a forum situation a member could raise an issue and rather than get brushed off they could garner support from others members and have a to and fro discussion over what they actually mean or want. It’s more fluid than a cliquey meeting and would be more productive.
Edit: and probably a bloody site quicker too.
Imo of course.
There are one or two staff i rate quite highly, and a good number who I do not.
- Location
- East meath/dublin
Good that you enjoyed your visit, and if you have good ash to sell the hurley boys will be intrested. The ploughing is really the tillage mans gig if its livestock you want then Tullamore show in August is the place to be.
What i think of Gove ? A self serving tosser who cares nothing about British farmers who is fully in thrall to the green mafia and worships at the altar of cheap imported sh!t that makes the people fat.. A full tank of slurry should be spread over him. Thank God rural people still have political clout over here and the pr voting system sends enough rural members into the Dail to keep it that way. How a party like the Tories who probably have the farming vote more or less in the bag can insult farmers with such a greasy insincere gobshite is beyond me. Mind you he is only the latest in a long line of incompenent jackasses over the last 30 years The payments fiasco that has gone on for years and left British farmers unpaid for months and even years while other European farmers are paid promptly was presided over by the fellas and didnt seem to bother them.
The NFU boys like Guy Smith are well meaning and hard goers but the are simply to nice nice guys finish last . Tonight listen to Paddy as he has just sent the ALL BLACKS home to think again !!! You cant beat the IRISH how that for punching above your weight !!
Monday morning get the SLURRY tank and go gove hunting.
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Depends entirely on the management and tools used.
Unfortunately.... if only it was so simple....
I feel your grassland and mine would be the exceptions to the rule, in that we could rip them up and grow bigger, brighter grasses but choose not to even if we get branded "lazy and tight" for our choices - what happened to not being exploitive?
To be fair to the NFU, very little about the current commodity production model is "fit for purpose" in most developed countries - and having organisations yelling at us to be more efficient isn't helping.
It's only efficient if you measure by area - never mind efficiency drops every time an engine is started - but no, lobby unions are not fit for purpose.
The NFU employs an excellent comms team who do great work getting good PR for the industry. Our 'Glyphosate is vital' campaign won a prestigious award earlier this year as have other NFU PR campaigns in the past - but I'm not complacent we should always strive to do the best job and never rest on our laurels. But I'm afraid it's not about getting enraged and shouting at journalists for being fools or liars. I've made that mistake myself in the past and I now know it's a bit more complicated than that.
It's interesting that in the BBC article on Thursday morning the accusation from some green NGOs and certain Guardian columnists was that the Government had caved in to NFU pressure by watering down recommendations.
So on one hand we are much too weak and on the hand we are much too powerful.
Guy
In the past GUTH you've said Peter Kendall was the worst NFU President ever. Then you said that about Meurig and now it's Minette. At least you think we are consistent!
I can assure you Minette is an excellent NFU President and represents our industry very well at a crucial time. I enjoy working alongside her as her deputy.
But as you aren't a member I hope you've joined another organisation to represent you that you are happy with.
Strong political representation of the farming industry is crucial at this time. 46-47000 farm businesses seem happy with being members of the NFU. But, as ever, I'm not complacent. We should always strive to do a better job for our members.
Guy, I salute you for responding in person, and rate your many abilities highly.....notably your diplomacy.
But it would appear from some posts that not all members are 'happy' with current performance/policy. I've certainly never felt as distanced.
I suppose that would also apply to trees as in what sort are planted and how they are managed
The strength of the NFU is it holds together in one tent 46-47,000 farm businesses as members. Farmers, like me, are not short of opinions and are often quite individualistic due to the nature of the job. Add to that we are increasingly sector specific, so it's not suprising there are differences expressed within the organisation and that's healthy. But at the end of the day it's yearly renewals that count and they are stable and healthy and the membership is growing where farmer numbers are not.
I speak to hundreds of NFU members every week ( two well attended county AGMs, one young members dinner and one conference last week - three county AGMs and one conference this coming week ) - in contrast there seems to be three or four members on this thread with some being more supportive than critical.
The NFU is an open, transparent organisation - no dodgy handshakes, no late night calls, no furtive deals, no favours or bungs, no black balls. To succeed as an office holder, be it branch chairman or president, all you need is the support of your peers. If you have strong ideas how the NFU could do a better job then get involved.
Guy
- Location
- Devon
Guy I remember articles of yours, not sure if in the NFU magazine or FW, with facts and figures about hedgerows and bird numbers countering accusations thrown at us about "modern farming practices" being the cause of the demise of this that or the other.
The hedgerow one particularly galls when we as farmers know that there's more being regenerated or planted than removed these days, and for some years (not including urbanisation of course
).It's these untruths that need to be countered with facts. Not seen so much of it lately - perhaps I'm not looking in the right place?
The trouble is if the same lie gets repeated enough and not corrected enough times then it gets taken as factGuy I remember articles of yours, not sure if in the NFU magazine or FW, with facts and figures about hedgerows and bird numbers countering accusations thrown at us about "modern farming practices" being the cause of the demise of this that or the other.
The hedgerow one particularly galls when we as farmers know that there's more being regenerated or planted than removed these days, and for some years (not including urbanisation of course
It's these untruths that need to be countered with facts. Not seen so much of it lately - perhaps I'm not looking in the right place?
Guy I remember articles of yours, not sure if in the NFU magazine or FW, with facts and figures about hedgerows and bird numbers countering accusations thrown at us about "modern farming practices" being the cause of the demise of this that or the other.
The hedgerow one particularly galls when we as farmers know that there's more being regenerated or planted than removed these days, and for some years (not including urbanisation of course
It's these untruths that need to be countered with facts. Not seen so much of it lately - perhaps I'm not looking in the right place?
https://www.nfuonline.com/news/latest-news-rh-panel/farming-and-the-environment-did-you-know/
- Location
- Devon
Excellent.
Is that also being pushed on a national media level?
And yes we as individuals need to help get the message across. Having figures like these available helps
Excellent.
Is that also being pushed on a national media level?
And yes we as individuals need to help get the message across. Having figures like these available helps
Put it this way - I can't think of another organisation who gets near us in making the point as widely and often as possible.
I can think of some organisations claiming to represent farmers who actually do the opposite suggesting that if farmers aren't from a particular minority church then they enthusiastically vandalise the countryside.