Anton Coaker: Guy

News

Staff Member
And so, the NFU is upon us, and our chosen delegates will have to select a new President. And according to all the pundits, it’s gonna be that blonde maid Minette.
This matter doesn’t altogether please me.

I am a member, although I play no part in local or national NFU doings or politics*, so it’s hardly surprising that I know just about nothing the actual workings of the AGM. I’m not in the least whingy about this. It’s my choice not to be much involved, which is fine.

*I am quite often used by regional staff, on matters where they feel my input might be of use, and lend a hand wherever I can. And by writing for them, I suppose I’m giving my tacit support. They are, by a country mile, our most efficient lobby group. I know from personal experience that the NFU does far more for all of us than is generally recognised.

And so…. I don’t know who is representing me at the AGM, to vote for office bearers on my behalf. Obviously, I might very well know the individuals personally, but I don’t know who is doing the voting.

In case any of them are reading…here’s my take on it.

For the first time in a while, a candidate has presented himself who has already caught my ear on numerous occasions. Guy Smith is, and clearly has been, a practical farmer to his boot straps. Through his exposure in both the conventional media, and lately the techno social meja –such as this very forum, he is well known to many farmers, and not a few outside farming. I note he was the other farmer quoted when I was interviewed for an article in the Financial Times t’other day. And as ever, he acquitted himself pretty much faultlessly.

He’s never failed to impress that he absolutely gets the matter under discussion, is on message, and never holds back from speaking up for the UKs farming industry. He’ll take on those individuals, organisations and lobby groups who might be at odds with us, head on. He is lucid, straight, and succinct, and is clearly speaking from the proverbial coalface. A greater advocate I could hardly imagine.

The fact that he generally manages to present all this with a gentle wit and a wry smile can only be a good thing.

I have met him, and found him the same in person. It is of note that I’ve never had the impression that he’d talk down to me, or fail to represent my interests, because he is an arable farmer in a very different environs to a peasant hill farmer on rain soaked Dartmoor.

By contrast then. I know practically nothing about Minette. She’s been in the public eye for some years, but hasn’t made any kind of impression whatsoever. The fact that her camp is touting her involvement in something called ‘Ladies in beef’ as one of her big selling points probably says more about her than I can. I’ve nothing against her as a person, and I’m sure she is very earnest, but I’m not even just ‘unimpressed’. I’ve never picked up anything she’s said or done which instilled me with any confidence that she is the woman for the job.

And the idea of voting for someone because it’s time to change the gender of the office bearer is an abhorrent lunacy. The fact that she keeps cattle, geographically nearer to me than Guy should not, and does not, make any difference.

So, my trusted representatives, we’re facing a very turbulent period –unprecedented in my lifetime. I would rather you placed our fate and faith with @Guy Smith .

Note: All content from Anton is supplied to us directly and can be read in other publications such as the Western Morning News
 
Location
Devon
Have listened to both candidates in our county over the past few years. Both have been impressive but I think Minette has the edge over Guy.

Very little support from grass roots farmers for MB, she has been an utter failure, from TB/ her love in of farm assurance which has resulted in the RT scheme now being an utter shambles with all the food scares they keep getting caught up in after the farm gate ) / the way she has made it all but impossible for the current top team to work as a team and the way she keeps changing her opinion on issues depending on who is paying her to write the article in the paper/ give the TV interview etc etc.

Will be an utter disaster for both the industry and the NFU if she ends up as president next week.

NFU has certainly been well behind the green lobby the last few months in shaping the AG policy post brexit.
 
Very little support from grass roots farmers for MB, she has been an utter failure, from TB/ her love in of farm assurance which has resulted in the RT scheme now being an utter shambles with all the food scares they keep getting caught up in after the farm gate ) / the way she has made it all but impossible for the current top team to work as a team and the way she keeps changing her opinion on issues depending on who is paying her to write the article in the paper/ give the TV interview etc etc.

Will be an utter disaster for both the industry and the NFU if she ends up as president next week.

NFU has certainly been well behind the green lobby the last few months in shaping the AG policy post brexit.
In life there are those who see the positive, and those that see the negative.
 

joe soapy

Member
Location
devon
Anton comes from a well respected family on Dartmoor, His father was the Archetypal farmer from
the caricatures, a big man in both stature and personality, what he said was what went. Anton's mother was a successful pony breeder with an annual sale on farm, A small lady and of forcefull opinions.
Anton was the rebel , long hair with a motor bike[both gone now] He came home and started a successful timber
business alongside running the farm
What he says will be listened to in the West Country
 

nails

Member
Location
East Dorset
Very little support from grass roots farmers for MB, she has been an utter failure, from TB/ her love in of farm assurance which has resulted in the RT scheme now being an utter shambles with all the food scares they keep getting caught up in after the farm gate ) / the way she has made it all but impossible for the current top team to work as a team and the way she keeps changing her opinion on issues depending on who is paying her to write the article in the paper/ give the TV interview etc etc.

Will be an utter disaster for both the industry and the NFU if she ends up as president next week.

NFU has certainly been well behind the green lobby the last few months in shaping the AG policy post brexit.[/QUOT



Sort of get the impression you dont like her much..:) She farms just up the road from me and i am saying nothing.
 
Location
Devon

Nothing against her personally but I don't like her!

She upset a lot of farmers 3/4 years ago when she gave loads of interviews saying that the new TB rules introduced at that time didn't go far enough and should be stricter and cattle farmers should just be quiet and accept them, cue about 4 months later when her herd went down with TB and said new rules were causing her a lot of problems she was all over the media saying that they were totally unjustified etc etc, so two faced, she didn't care when it didn't affect her but as soon as it did she hit the roof about them...

Also a lot of farmers really don't like her because of the farm assurance issue, especially the WLA issue.

Feel free to pm me about your views on her ( either good or bad ) would be intresting to hear them.
 

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
heard them both at the hustings the other day and was impressed by both TBO, but my vote [if I had one] would be for Guy as I told him
one thing for sure whoever wins it will be nothing to do with the views of the likes of me, others will make/have already made that decision
 

turbo

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
lincs
Listened to both told my county delegates who I would like now it’s up to them.in my opinion both will do a good job as they both present themselves well in the non farming media
 

Chris F

Staff Member
Media
Location
Hammerwich
Listened to both told my county delegates who I would like now it’s up to them.in my opinion both will do a good job as they both present themselves well in the non farming media

I listened to quite a few NFU people speak to the media and have always been glad I don't have too. Lots of media training would be required and is required for most of us to be able to speak in front of the general public. I don't envy either of them.
 

turbo

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
lincs
I listened to quite a few NFU people speak to the media and have always been glad I don't have too. Lots of media training would be required and is required for most of us to be able to speak in front of the general public. I don't envy either of them.
Neither do I,most of the time you are against people that are hostile towards conventional agriculture and you have to keep calm and put your facts across in a way that the general public can understand,i think that we are lucky because both of them going for the top job are good at it
 

joe soapy

Member
Location
devon
The 2 candidates are a product of our time, as are most of the so called leaders now.
time served committee members, none whom have achieved their positions by force of personality
combined with outstanding intelligence
 
The 2 candidates are a product of our time, as are most of the so called leaders now.
time served committee members, none whom have achieved their positions by force of personality
combined with outstanding intelligence
Shows how much you know, MB has only been involved a few years and has risen because of encouragement by members.
You are welcome to your views but you appear arrogant in your views to say the least.
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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