Oxford Real Farming Conference

DairyGrazing · Jan 9, 2020

So I've been at the ORFC for the past few days on behalf of someone else.

All the talks I've been to bar one have had this underlying socialist agenda. They want all farm land turned over to the people. Viva la revolution?

I felt like a pilgrim in an unholy land. On reflection it was I the heathen in their holy land!

Agrivator · Jan 9, 2020

I guess it was cheaper than going to Glastonbury. And you won't have ruined your shoes.

Swarfmonkey · Jan 9, 2020

Bloody hell. Looks like the socialists are having a bit of a circle-jerk in Oxford. From Land Justice Network to Shared Assets, to Monbiot punting out the "Land For the Many" cr@p. Some do make me laugh though - the absolute winner for woke left wing BS has to go to "Putting Social Justice at the Heart of your Farm".

Is this really a farming conference, or is is a selection of fringe meetings at the Labour Party conference?

Still Farming · Jan 9, 2020

Swarfmonkey said:
Bloody hell. Looks like the socialists are having a bit of a circle-jerk in Oxford. From Land Justice Network to Shared Assets, to Monbiot punting out the "Land For the Many" cr@p. Some do make me laugh though - the absolute winner for woke left wing BS has to go to "Putting Social Justice at the Heart of your Farm".

Is this really a farming conference, or is is a selection of fringe meetings at the Labour Party conference?

You would have though Labour got in was it???
What if they had???

Swarfmonkey · Jan 9, 2020

If they'd have got in, i'd be looking for a new job. My main job is in an industry that isn't exactly loved by the likes of Corbyn and McDonnell.

warksfarmer · Jan 9, 2020

DairyGrazing said:
So I've been at the ORFC for the past few days on behalf of someone else.

All the talks I've been to bar one have had this underlying socialist agenda. They want all farm land turned over to the people. Viva la revolution?

I felt like a pilgrim in an unholy land. On reflection it was I the heathen in their holy land!

I’ve no idea why anybody bothers going. Just another pointless event where people from the ag industry or closely related tell others from the ag industry what their vision is or are trying to sell something. I went years ago and just thought how pointless it was. And you have to pay to go.

Why we aren’t as an industry putting the money into creating a proper ‘pro agriculture’ action group running adverts in the press and on the net I’ve no idea.

Wolds Beef · Jan 9, 2020

@warksfarmer @Guy Smith That's exactly what we need and if the NFU won't do it for us with OUR MONEY then we should with draw that money to do it with someone else. Don't get me wrong I am still very pro NFU, for c####t sake I worked for them for a spell!! .They are not now doing there job, we need media coverage of how we farm and good examples, there are many good livestock and arable farmers out there we just need publicity. Come on Guy, Stuart and Minette get of your backsides and get your staff working for US.
WB

Still Farming · Jan 9, 2020

warksfarmer said:
I’ve no idea why anybody bothers going. Just another pointless event where people from the ag industry or closely related tell others from the ag industry what their vision is or are trying to sell something. I went years ago and just thought how pointless it was. And you have to pay to go.

Why we aren’t as an industry putting the money into creating a proper ‘pro agriculture’ action group running adverts in the press and on the net I’ve no idea.

Simular money going to unions and organisations spent like Coke Cola with a PR , Saatchi and Saatchi agencies etc could be the answers?

warksfarmer · Jan 9, 2020

Still Farming said:
Simular money going to unions and organisations spent like Coke Cola with a PR , Saatchi and Saatchi agencies etc could be the answers?

Yep the industry needs a hard faced pr guru to shake things up a bit. We haven’t been nfu members for sometime but we’d put that money forward for something like this.

70,000 farmers paying 10 quid each would be a start!

Bald Rick · Jan 9, 2020

DairyGrazing said:
So I've been at the ORFC for the past few days on behalf of someone else.

All the talks I've been to bar one have had this underlying socialist agenda. They want all farm land turned over to the people. Viva la revolution?

I felt like a pilgrim in an unholy land. On reflection it was I the heathen in their holy land!

What did the speakers propose that the “people” did with the land?

Ffs, take my nephew out of suburbia and he gets frightened by green things. He’s 20

Daniel · Jan 9, 2020

Swarfmonkey said:
Bloody hell. Looks like the socialists are having a bit of a circle-jerk in Oxford. From Land Justice Network to Shared Assets, to Monbiot punting out the "Land For the Many" cr@p. Some do make me laugh though - the absolute winner for woke left wing BS has to go to "Putting Social Justice at the Heart of your Farm".

Is this really a farming conference, or is is a selection of fringe meetings at the Labour Party conference?

To judge from Twitter, it's the most important event of the farming year and Extinction Rebellion are all jolly decent sorts who the farming industry have simply misunderstood.

ollie989898 · Jan 9, 2020

warksfarmer said:
I’ve no idea why anybody bothers going. Just another pointless event where people from the ag industry or closely related tell others from the ag industry what their vision is or are trying to sell something. I went years ago and just thought how pointless it was. And you have to pay to go.

Why we aren’t as an industry putting the money into creating a proper ‘pro agriculture’ action group running adverts in the press and on the net I’ve no idea.

Strike me down man, you'll have lots of people agreeing with you for once!!!

It is pointless.

delilah · Jan 9, 2020

DairyGrazing said:
They want all farm land turned over to the people

Can you expand on this. Which organisations/ speakers were calling for state ownership of farm land ?

neilo · Jan 9, 2020

Still Farming said:
Simular money going to unions and organisations spent like Coke Cola with a PR , Saatchi and Saatchi agencies etc could be the answers?

A lot of people whine about the amount they pay in AHDB levies. Just imagine the howling if you tried to raise a budget the size of Coca Cola’s advertising spend!
Then of course there’d be whining about the ad agencies getting paid too much, driving cars that were too expensive, or having too soft a loo roll in the company lavs.......

Still Farming · Jan 10, 2020

neilo said:
A lot of people whine about the amount they pay in AHDB levies. Just imagine the howling if you tried to raise a budget the size of Coca Cola’s advertising spend!
Then of course there’d be whining about the ad agencies getting paid too much, driving cars that were too expensive, or having too soft a loo roll in the company lavs.......

You will always get some whining and whinging whatever possibly but if positive responses and action are seen and implemented then results could be clearly seen.

neilo · Jan 10, 2020

Still Farming said:
You will always get some whining and whinging whatever possibly but if positive responses and action are seen and implemented then results could be clearly seen.

Every time the AHDB do run an ad campaign (and I agree more would be better) they assess the market impact. They have always reported very good results, but almost always there has whinging on here that some farmers (who weren’t the target audience of course) didn’t like it.

Clive · Jan 10, 2020

warksfarmer said:
I’ve no idea why anybody bothers going. Just another pointless event where people from the ag industry or closely related tell others from the ag industry what their vision is or are trying to sell something. I went years ago and just thought how pointless it was. And you have to pay to go.

Why we aren’t as an industry putting the money into creating a proper ‘pro agriculture’ action group running adverts in the press and on the net I’ve no idea.

have you ever been ? To OFC or ORFC ?

i find a lot are very judgemental of these things despite having never attended

Clive · Jan 10, 2020

ollie989898 said:
Strike me down man, you'll have lots of people agreeing with you for once!!!

It is pointless.

have you ever been ?

or is this thread a bit like a review of book that you hadn't read ?

puntabrava · Jan 10, 2020

Someone wants to ask why the BBC seem intent on the anti meat propaganda, look at this snapshot from their news page, why post that to a news feed.

The Ruminant · Jan 10, 2020

I have just spent two fantastic days at the Oxford Real Farming Conference (please note, it is a different conference to the Oxford Farming Conference - ORC- which tends to be suits and ties, politicians, professionals and the great and the good from the industry).

The ORFC is more like a winter indoor Groundswell. There were 11 or 12 rooms / halls and so 11 or 12 different talks going on at the same time. You choose the ones that are of most interest. Yes, some of them are more 'extreme' than others in their ideas but I view that as healthy - there are an awful lot of young people who attend who want to get into farming and horticulture in some way but haven't got the capital or access to land (been there, done - and still doing - that, though I'm not so young any more!)

As an idea of what's available, here's a selection of the talks I went to:

- The value of tree fodder in silvopastoral systems
- Practical ways to achieve zero carbon in the UK
- The farm that grows water: combining animals and trees to combat climate change
- The lean farm: how to cut waste, increase efficiency and maximise profits with less work
- The farmers researching the wonders of woodchip
- The future of wheat and bread

There were over 100 talks that I didn't make it to! I should also say that a lot of the talks weren't just one person. They would have three or four presentations then a brief Q&A at the end, usually lasting an hour in total so short, sharp and packed full of ideas. Well worth going to.

Oxford Real Farming Conference

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Up to 25%

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100% I’ve had enough of farming!

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