End for the Oxford Farming Conference as we know it?

[Chris F]

Does the latest decision by the Student body at Oxford university to remove beef and lamb from the menu (regardless of source) mean that Oxford Farming Conference will have to move from using Oxford university facilities? Surely the conference can't support a university that doesn't support UK beef and lamb farmers?

Mind you, the "NEC Farming Conference" doesn't have the same ring to it, so maybe just a new venue in Oxford is required?

 

[N.Yorks.]

Seems they need educating??

 

[neilo]

Do many 'beef and lamb farmers' really don suits and attend the OFC?

 

[Chris F]

Seems they need educating??

Yes - maybe if the students attended the OFC it would help! They literally had sessions on this, this year. Such a shame they take this uneducated stance.

 

[delilah]

Surely better to use it as usual and - here's a thought - do some education work whilst there ?
Attack, attack, attack. Otherwiise you will just be chased from one venue to the next until you end up in the back room of the last pub in Britain to serve a roast ?
Is it happening anyway ? ORFC is all online due to corona, can eat what you like then.

 

[Chris F]

Surely better to use it as usual and - here's a thought - do some education work whilst there ?

Well since none of the students attend how are OFC supposed to educate them. The university however, can just say no to the student request and money talks. If OFC moves venue it costs the university money and why pay to support ignorance amoungst a demographic that should know better. Maybe the university might do a bit of educating if it hits them in the pocket.

But by doing nothing, nothing will change.

OFC 2021 is online this year anyway - although there is talk of people going to Oxford anyway.

 

[delilah]

Well since none of the students attend how are OFC supposed to educate them.

By using the OFC as a vehicle to bombard students with high quality educational and campaigning material.
Given that Oxford is where the next generation of decision makers are, I would say that it was absolutely vital to keep the conference there and do some influencing.
Far better to give them the money than not give them the money. "Look, snowflakes, we are giving your University lots of money. Money that we made farming livestock as a part of a sustainable food system. Suck it up."

 

[kfpben]

Slight issue here folks...the OFC is held before the students return to Uni after Christmas. That’s why the facilities can be used.

 

[ajd132]

Ben Taylor Davies is one of the directors so if anyone will shake the whole thing up it’s him!

 

[delilah]

Slight issue here folks...the OFC is held before the students return to Uni after Christmas. That’s why the facilities can be used.

we could leave them a 'welcome back' pack under the beds. Pork pie ?

 

[Daniel]

Given that Oxford is where the next generation of decision makers are, I would say that it was absolutely vital to keep the conference there and do some influencing.

It's a source of complete bafflement as to why the endless stream of halfwits the Oxford university churns out should end up in charge of anything more important than a Parish Council, let alone the country.

I wouldn't seek to influence them, I'd ban anyone who studied at Oxford from public life, burn the place to the ground and salt the earth.

 

[Northern territory]

It's a source of complete bafflement as to why the endless stream of halfwits the Oxford university churns out should end up in charge of anything more important than a Parish Council, let alone the country.

I wouldn't seek to influence them, I'd ban anyone who studied at Oxford from public life, burn the place to the ground and salt the earth.

It has become a laughing stock. Seems to be the only institution the BBC ever quotes when it comes to anti meat, climate change etc etc.

 

[DrWazzock]

The Russians and Chinese got a vaccine out quicker than those Oxford people. I don't rate them to be honest. All hot air.

 

[T Hectares]

The Russians and Chinese got a vaccine out quicker than those Oxford people. I don't rate them to be honest. All hot air.

That’s because the UK will be working to the correct medical research protocols unlike the US et al who’s standards are less rigorous, I know which standards I would like any vaccine being put in my arm to be made to...

 

[Hindsight]

The Russians and Chinese got a vaccine out quicker than those Oxford people. I don't rate them to be honest. All hot air.

Dr W not your usual standard. The Oxford team are using a different method (traditional method) to develop their vaccine. And it will be available shortly. Godness all this fuss about bein first with the vaccine - similar to a TFF thread 'who finished harvest first' as though he is the winner - when in reality provided harvest is finished it doesn't matter who. And the Pfizer vaccine is frought with practical difficulties that to many intents make it unusable. And potentially a white elephant - UK was lauding itself having bought 30million doses - we may want to hwk those on.

Listen 17 minutes in.

BBC Radio 4 - How to Vaccinate the World, The Beginning

Tim Harford reports on the global race to create a vaccine to end the Covid-19 pandemic.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[e3120]

It's a source of complete bafflement as to why the endless stream of halfwits the Oxford university churns out should end up in charge of anything more important than a Parish Council, let alone the country.

I wouldn't seek to influence them, I'd ban anyone who studied at Oxford from public life, burn the place to the ground and salt the earth.

Well, I'm only a 2-bit mixed farmer, but I am confident the other (that I know of) Oxford Physicist on this forum, who studiously farms across 3 counties, is well above parish council standard.

 

[Daniel]

Does he farm across 3 counties because he's an Oxford physicist or because he inherited a farm, and does he take 30 pages to decide on which sprayer to buy?!

I'm happy to leave the STEM subjects and restrict the scorched earth to PPE and Classics if that helps?

 

[e3120]

Does he farm across 3 counties because he's an Oxford physicist or because he inherited a farm, and does he take 30 pages to decide on which sprayer to buy?!

I will admit there are 2 pairs of correlations in the 4 statements above, but still think he's up to the job.

I'm happy to leave the STEM subjects and restrict the scorched earth to PPE and Classics if that helps?

No need to be so restrictive

 

[Barleycorn]

I think that I'm right in saying that animal cells are used to make vaccines. If so vegans shouldn't be allowed them, good use of Darwin's law!

 

[PercyBlakeney]

As is par for the course these days, headlines are all a bit sensationalist... this vote was only a motion passed by the student union to lobby the university to put in place a ban for all the university run canteens - not an actual banning in itself - "motion to request fortnightly meetings with the university authorities to advocate for the adoption of a university policy surrounding meat reduction and removal " was what they actually voted on. Do SUs have much influence on University policy, I don't know?

Also, this is just for on-campus canteens run by the university - nothing to do with the individual college eateries, that are run as separate entities to the Uni and where I expect most of the students eat the majority of the time anyway - I had a spell building marquees as a side job a couple years ago , a lot of our jobs were at various Oxford colleges and were always the best jobs to get - due to the gratis full English brekky at 8am each morning.