Andersons Seminars - Thoughts?

[Sensecheck]

I received an email the other day promoting Andersons Seminars as there's now an online one apparently. Has anyone on here attended these Seminars in the past? If so, what are your thoughts on their value for money?

Andersons 2024 Seminar - Prospects for UK Agriculture - The Andersons Centre

Provides the industry-leading update on UK agriculture's profitability and future prospects. A must for professionals working in the UK agri-food sector.

theandersonscentre.co.uk

 

[Jam Tomorrow]

They don’t have a crystal ball , save your money

 

[Danllan]

In all honesty, I've never understood the need for 'consultants'... what can they tell you that you don't already know? This may happen, that might mean, you could benefit from, sometimes this will...

FFS, if any had more than a 50% record of accurate prediction they'd be doing it and cleaning up, rather than 'adivsing' others how to do whatever and skimming a fee for it.

If a business - ag' or anything else - has money to spare for 'consultants', it doesn't need their help.

 

[No wot]

Some people got out of sheep because of the post Brexit disaster the consultants predicted

 

[Bogweevil]

The trouble with these berluddy consultants and seminars is that you might hear something, meet someone or learn something that upsets your ideas and understanding.

Best left to those dratted young people. They don't know if is hopeless,disappointing and aggravating.

 

[O'Reilly]

I received an email the other day promoting Andersons Seminars as there's now an online one apparently. Has anyone on here attended these Seminars in the past? If so, what are your thoughts on their value for money?

Andersons 2024 Seminar - Prospects for UK Agriculture - The Andersons Centre

Provides the industry-leading update on UK agriculture's profitability and future prospects. A must for professionals working in the UK agri-food sector.

theandersonscentre.co.uk

There will be an article about it in the press before long anyway. There's nothing special about Andersons, except how rude they can be.

 

[David.]

Andersons; aren't they the ones who have always produced figures demonstrating that, despite being several hundred acres of owner occupied good land, Loam Farm could never make any money?
Perhaps they'd be a good firm to fight a rent review.

 

[S.Jamieson]

In all honesty, I've never understood the need for 'consultants'... what can they tell you that you don't already know? This may happen, that might mean, you could benefit from, sometimes this will...

FFS, if any had more than a 50% record of accurate prediction they'd be doing it and cleaning up, rather than 'adivsing' others how to do whatever and skimming a fee for it.

If a business - ag' or anything else - has money to spare for 'consultants', it doesn't need their help.

Do we not all employ consultants?

Vets, accountants, even solicitors? We all consultants then on their field of study.

Why dismiss business consultants in the same way?
Some farmers may be excellent stock people or great at growing crops, but might lack the business acumen for long term planning.

 

[WillYorkshire]

Do we not all employ consultants?

Vets, accountants, even solicitors? We all consultants then on their field of study.

Why dismiss business consultants in the same way?
Some farmers may be excellent stock people or great at growing crops, but might lack the business acumen for long term planning.

We used the 'free' half day tax funded consultation with GSC Grays. Conclusion was, happily, exactly the same as we had deduced ourselves. OR he couldn't think of a better way of doing what we do.

 

[SJG]

I went to the one at Harper Adams. There were maybe 60 plus there but other than a couple of lads from big estates, I was the only farmer... Mainly land agents, bankers, govt bodies and consultants. It was interesting and they do know there stuff. Speaking to them afterwards they are concerned about the lack of farmer involvement - I suggested they needed a discounted price for farmers - £95 for farmers and £190 for the rest.

 

[upnortheast]

Vet we use was trying to broaden their business, We are working with a consultant, can we bring him out for a free introduction
Ok we said.
During 30 minute walk round
You need a diet feeder. & some bunkers to tip straights in
You should use silage addititive
You should use slurry bugs
You should have a robot slurry pusher
You should have a silage pusher
You should have an Arla contract - he seemed to think you just picked up the phone to get one
You should have a calf feeding machine.
and so it went on

Cap Ex of over £100,000, with only marginal benefit.
Suggested to the Vet best if he didn`t come back.

 

[Danllan]

Do we not all employ consultants?

Vets, accountants, even solicitors? We all consultants then on their field of study.

Why dismiss business consultants in the same way?
Some farmers may be excellent stock people or great at growing crops, but might lack the business acumen for long term planning.

Hmm... as a Barrister I have been what you describe; but I think it is a poor description. A specific profession, be it medicine or the law etc. is just that, and people with no activity within it go to those trained, qualified and experienced. Note that, as with law, engineering etc., soil testing and the like are specific exceptions.

But please offer some examples of the foresight that 'long term planning' is enabled by; I know of three near here and several further away who have sought advice from ag' 'consultants', oddly not asking for a second visit.

I know for fact of one firm in East Anglia who advocated not expanding arable in the 80s, the farm in question ignored them and did expand to massive benefit. I know of two firms here in South Wales who, from 2016, advised forgetting about sheep... which was self-evidently rubbish advice.

As I wrote earlier, any farm that has sufficient cash to spare to pay for advice on ag' matters, really doesn't need that advice. Take a squint at the post above this, of course doing x, y or z would make things easier - yet theoretical improvement and practical and pragmatic change are often impossible and generally irrational to reconcile without an external - i.e. non ag' - income source.

 

[crashbox]

To their credit, there are some influential people in Andersons who walk the walk, as well as talk the talk (i.e. they have stakes in farming operations).

Consultants are like any other profession, some great, medium and not so great.

Those with positive or negative feedback, it might be good to back that up with whether you've actually used their services (as per @SJG ).

 

[Walton2]

I would love to know how much has been raked in by agents and consultants in the SFI/ ELMS debacle. I was told they were getting £200 for each and every potential claimant! No wonder they were pushing the schemes…and probably to keep changing them. All part of Janet’s’Co-design’ and ‘consultation’ with ‘stakeholders’….

 

[Cereal Killer]

I've always thought that being a 'consultant' meant visiting farming clients and pinching all their good ideas before turning up at the next farm and passing on all those good ideas you've seen as your own.

Maybe I'm too sceptical?

Personally I prefer discussion groups

 

[nxy]

Andersons; aren't they the ones who have always produced figures demonstrating that, despite being several hundred acres of owner occupied good land, Loam Farm could never make any money?
Perhaps they'd be a good firm to fight a rent review.

I had no idea Andersons were still using Loam Farm as their imaginary business. As a junior consultant I worked on setting up that project in the early 1990s. I think it was launched at Cereals in 1991 or 1992. At the time we thought up three farms Clay, Loam and Brash which had different sizes and yield potential so that we could model different scenarios and talk about the results without naming any real farmers. It was always intended as a talking point and if its on here its working. In my time we did fight a few rent reviews as well.

I can honestly say I owe Andersons a lot because in the years I worked for them I learnt a hell of a lot. I can't really comment on their usefulness now because I quit and set up farming 30 years ago, 25 of those years abroad, though they had some good people then who are still there now.

 

[neilo]

I've always thought that being a 'consultant' meant visiting farming clients and pinching all their good ideas before turning up at the next farm and passing on all those good ideas you've seen as your own.

Maybe I'm too sceptical?

Personally I prefer discussion groups

Are those discussion groups not normally run by a consultant?

 

[Boysground]

Do we not all employ consultants?

Vets, accountants, even solicitors? We all consultants then on their field of study.

Why dismiss business consultants in the same way?
Some farmers may be excellent stock people or great at growing crops, but might lack the business acumen for long term planning.

There are consultants and Consultants, i have always thought it’s best to get help from the best people i can find. When it comes to the “business” part of the farm that is as important as having a vet or agronomist i really trust. So i have an exceptional accountant who is much more than just working out the tax. I use him constantly through the year as part of planning and seeing where we are going. Definitely not cheap but i have had far more back into my account because of his advice than i have ever paid him. I also use another financial consultant a couple of times a year to bounce ideas off and to look at the business from an outside perspective, she is really sharp and again worth every penny.

Definitely not the biggest or smallest farm but i really value help from the right people and if they label themselves Consultant that is not a problem with me.

Bg

 

[Cereal Killer]

Are those discussion groups not normally run by a consultant?

Yeah lots are. But in the role of facilitator. Their job is to encourage debate but not to preach.

 

[Regenerator1]

I would love to know how much has been raked in by agents and consultants in the SFI/ ELMS debacle. I was told they were getting £200 for each and every potential claimant! No wonder they were pushing the schemes…and probably to keep changing them. All part of Janet’s’Co-design’ and ‘consultation’ with ‘stakeholders’….

Andersons have raked in a fortune from the above because they set the rates being paid for SFI and CS uplifts by directly consulting to DEFRA... Good to see they only used their "Loam farm" to calculate these payments for Upland Tenant farmers! Typical Consultants to the Rich and Famous