Andrew Blenkiron

warksfarmer · Feb 22, 2021

Clive said:
and lets not forget the utter hypocrisy of this man .......... breaking the very standard he suggests red tractor stands for, damaging this “iconic” brand posting such pictures on facebook

@AM_Arable - how about that for next weeks front cover ? come on, lets see some REAL journalism !

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If all the AG farming ‘news’ press dont start doing real journalism how long are these magazines going to continue? Their old school readers are falling by the way side and they are disconnected from the younger generation.

It’s the same as what’s happening with the main stream media - newspapers, BBC, ITV, SKY etc. People are fed up with biased reporting so just turn them off. Take the bbc for example who are loosing 500 people per day cancelling subscriptions. It’s now well over a million subscribers gone. If these people don’t report properly with zero views or marketing slants they won’t survive.

Clive · Feb 22, 2021

warksfarmer said:
If all the AG farming ‘news’ press dont start doing real journalism how long are these magazines going to continue? Their old school readers are falling by the way side and they are disconnected from the younger generation.

It’s the same as what’s happening with the main stream media - newspapers, BBC, ITV, SKY etc. People are fed up with biased reporting so just turn them off. Take the bbc for example who are loosing 500 people per day cancelling subscriptions. It’s now well over a million subscribers gone. If these people don’t report properly with zero views or marketing slants they won’t survive.

maybe £1000 prizes explain the loyalty and provision of a “farmer focus” column to pedal propaganda and insult farmers?

Farmers Weekly editor takes £1,000 Red Tractor prize - British Guild of Agricultural Journalists

The Guild represents editors and journalists, broadcasters, photographers and PR/marketing specialists working in agriculture, commercial horticulture and other rural industries.

www.gaj.org.uk

teslacoils · Feb 22, 2021

Very soon no farmers will read the fw; be part of the NFU; or use RR assurance.

teslacoils · Feb 22, 2021

Clive said:
maybe £1000 prizes explain the loyalty and provision of a “farmer focus” column to pedal propaganda and insult farmers?

Farmers Weekly editor takes £1,000 Red Tractor prize - British Guild of Agricultural Journalists

The Guild represents editors and journalists, broadcasters, photographers and PR/marketing specialists working in agriculture, commercial horticulture and other rural industries.

www.gaj.org.uk

I think it's what the yoof would call a "circle jerk".

digger64 · Feb 22, 2021

Suffolk Serf said:
It's one thing having an argument with Red Tractor and completely another thing making it highly personal and singling out one individual and devalues the argument in my humble opinion.
Please don't allow this thread to continue.

This is a fair point, but if you throw snowballs perhaps you should expect them back, I dont expect he nominated or voted himself into these roles so the wider industry is as much to blame for the paths it appears to be taking , but I find the concept of mega estate managers who dont pay rent,work with unlimited capital , who can delegate tasks and who certainly would have more clout in the market place representing most of the industry somewhat bizarre .
As a breed they tend to apply peter and paul economics to their decisions to retain the status quo ,and appear to expand at any cost to achieve this , which would be different to most more hands on operators .

nonemouse · Feb 22, 2021

teslacoils said:
Very soon no farmers will read the fw; be part of the NFU; or use RR assurance.

Be an interesting to see how many people on here currently still buy/read the yellow peril? @Clive

warksfarmer · Feb 22, 2021

Clive said:
maybe £1000 prizes explain the loyalty and provision of a “farmer focus” column to pedal propaganda and insult farmers?

Farmers Weekly editor takes £1,000 Red Tractor prize - British Guild of Agricultural Journalists

The Guild represents editors and journalists, broadcasters, photographers and PR/marketing specialists working in agriculture, commercial horticulture and other rural industries.

www.gaj.org.uk

Jesus Christ - is there no end to this corruption. I’m going to send something into The Sun. U.K.‘s most read paper and see if they’ll pick this whole thing up. NFU, RT - everything.

Steevo · Feb 22, 2021

Clive said:
maybe £1000 prizes explain the loyalty and provision of a “farmer focus” column to pedal propaganda and insult farmers?

Farmers Weekly editor takes £1,000 Red Tractor prize - British Guild of Agricultural Journalists

The Guild represents editors and journalists, broadcasters, photographers and PR/marketing specialists working in agriculture, commercial horticulture and other rural industries.

www.gaj.org.uk

I see you've been Googling too....

I'd highly doubt you'd buy the impartiality of Farmers Weekly for £100,000 let along £1,000!

SilliamWhale · Feb 22, 2021

Clive said:
maybe £1000 prizes explain the loyalty and provision of a “farmer focus” column to pedal propaganda and insult farmers?

Farmers Weekly editor takes £1,000 Red Tractor prize - British Guild of Agricultural Journalists

The Guild represents editors and journalists, broadcasters, photographers and PR/marketing specialists working in agriculture, commercial horticulture and other rural industries.

www.gaj.org.uk

There's loads of this in the traditional press which is why I don't really put a lot into it.

Witness Neil Woodford having interviews and profiles again. He should really have been stopped from trading.

SilliamWhale · Feb 22, 2021

nonemouse said:
Be an interesting to see how many people on here currently still buy/read the yellow peril? @Clive

I do. I don't mind it.

I think if the new editor is trying to give it a bit more of a freshen up then I will continue to subscribe for a bit longer

Clive · Feb 22, 2021

Steevo said:
I see you've been Googling too....

I'd highly doubt you'd buy the impartiality of Farmers Weekly for £100,000 let along £1,000!

i don’t t think their integrity is for sale ........ unless your add budget is truly massive at least !

but it never hurts to grease wheels - you never know when you might want someone to take your call

ollie989898 · Feb 22, 2021

Suffolk Serf said:
It's one thing having an argument with Red Tractor and completely another thing making it highly personal and singling out one individual and devalues the argument in my humble opinion.
Please don't allow this thread to continue.

The man himself made comments publicly and described some of his peers as backstabber etc, I would suggest that it was he who actually precipitated the current discussion and invited criticism of his opinion and choice of language rather than a mere discussion about the merits or otherwise of Red Tractor.

ollie989898 · Feb 22, 2021

digger64 said:
This is a fair point, but if you throw snowballs perhaps you should expect them back, I dont expect he nominated or voted himself into these roles so the wider industry is as much to blame for the paths it appears to be taking , but I find the concept of mega estate managers who dont pay rent,work with unlimited capital , who can delegate tasks and who certainly would have more clout in the market place representing most of the industry somewhat bizarre .
As a breed they tend to apply peter and paul economics to their decisions to retain the status quo ,and appear to expand at any cost to achieve this , which would be different to most more hands on operators .

Exactly, the man could have written his views on farm assurance without any talk of backstabbing or the like. In fact, he has rather undermined his own position by using the language he has.

Wellytrack · Feb 22, 2021

Surprised he hasn't called the dissenters scabs.

Danllan · Feb 22, 2021

Suffolk Serf said:
I won’t comment on the tone and wording of his letter and article, which “might” well have been wrong.
But stand by my view that singling out one person as devaluing the argument.
Does the campaign become about the resignation of one person or the root and branch reforms that might be needed?

Surely 'singling out' is the obvious thing to do when that single person deliberately started an argument? Just how offensive, insulting and plain wrong would someone have to be before being criticised?

Are you also for maintaining the NFU as an undemocratic organisation? It seems pretty clear by word of mouth and on fora and social media that a hell of a lot of people don't like the way it's run or many of those running it. Surely subscribing members should have a direct say in who they're paying other than by simply resigning, shouldn't they?

If you don't agree with democratising the NFU, I guess you just have very different values to many of us. But, if you do think people should be held to account for their actions and words, why not the NFU 'leadership' in general, and this chap in particular for what he wrote?

Suffolk Serf · Feb 22, 2021

Danllan said:
Surely 'singling out' is the obvious thing to do when that single person deliberately started an argument? Just how offensive, insulting and plain wrong would someone have to be before being criticised?

Are you also for maintaining the NFU as an undemocratic organisation? It seems pretty clear by word of mouth and on fora and social media that a hell of a lot of people don't like the way it's run or many of those running it. Surely subscribing members should have a direct say in who they're paying other than by simply resigning, shouldn't they?

If you don't agree with democratising the NFU, I guess you just have very different values to many of us. But, if you do think people should be held to account for their actions and words, why not the NFU 'leadership' in general, and this chap in particular for what he wrote?

Beat the team, not the man.

Clive · Feb 22, 2021

Danllan said:
Surely 'singling out' is the obvious thing to do when that single person deliberately started an argument? Just how offensive, insulting and plain wrong would someone have to be before being criticised?

Are you also for maintaining the NFU as an undemocratic organisation? It seems pretty clear by word of mouth and on fora and social media that a hell of a lot of people don't like the way it's run or many of those running it. Surely subscribing members should have a direct say in who they're paying other than by simply resigning, shouldn't they?

If you don't agree with democratising the NFU, I guess you just have very different values to many of us. But, if you do think people should be held to account for their actions and words, why not the NFU 'leadership' in general, and this chap in particular for what he wrote?

being critical is just not the done thing in uk AG i’ve been told this a lot !

we must all support the NFU, “make change from within “. if you don’t you loose any right to criticise or complain/ point out failings

no concept or acceptance of opposition in UK ag whatsoever and look where that has got us

Danllan · Feb 22, 2021

Suffolk Serf said:
Beat the team, not the man.

That's a total, cop out; 'teams' are made of individuals, try tackling a whole side rather than the one with the ball, and see where that gets you.

Suffolk Serf · Feb 22, 2021

Danllan said:
That's a total, cop out; 'teams' are made of individuals, try tackling a whole side rather than the one with the ball, and see where that gets you.

Okay, let's follow this through. You get you're "scalp", the mob is temporarily happy, RT/NFU think that they've placated everyone and nothing changes. And so it goes on ad infinitum.
No way am I defending AB's words or RT or NFU. AB is though a human being, treat him as one, two wrongs don't make a right.

Clive · Feb 22, 2021

Danllan said:
That's a total, cop out; 'teams' are made of individuals, try tackling a whole side rather than the one with the ball, and see where that gets you.

i think they need exposing for what they all are, what they really think of farmers they “serve” and why they really take these jobs (£££ and power)

in this instance Andrew Blenkiron had made it clear the consultation is lip service and what he really thinks of anyone witn the audacity to not agree with him

any decent board would be asking for his resignation

Andrew Blenkiron

Would you like Andrew Blenkiron sacked from the board of Red Tractor for his insulting comments.

Yes

No

Member

Staff Member

Member

Member

Member

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Member

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Member

Staff Member

Member

Member

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Staff Member

Member

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Staff Member

0 %

Up to 25%

25-50%

50-75%

75-100%

100% I’ve had enough of farming!

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