Groundswell 2021

B'o'B

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Rutland
I just couldn't get sorted enough this week to come, really annoying, was in total panic on Monday. I will be deffo getting priorities right next year.

How did your talk go?
I felt it went well from my perspective, but I will leave others to be the final arbiters!
It was interesting @ajd132 and I had quite different approaches, but had both arrived at pretty much the same conclusions about most of the questions asked.
 

martian

DD Moderator
BASE UK Member
Location
N Herts
Really dissapointed to miss it. I know I missed out on loads :(.

Has anyone read Colin Tudges' new book or did they hear his talk? Anything new?

Also what is Derek Gow's like to listen to from a farmers point of view? Does he rile them up? I've got his book on audible and I'm intrigued but not started it yet
Colin gave an excellent talk. Haven't read his book
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
I was only there today, but great day. Lots of interesting stuff.

The talk from Eustace didn't fill me with confidence. Lots of fluff, but it seemed "BPS is ending, we're replacing it with different schemes, but the money will still end up with the landowner".

Very much meet the new boss same as the old boss.

I could not face listening to the "Headliner" and went off and listened to how to destroy living mulches or something...
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
I was in there for the ELMS talk too.
I took Janet up on her offer of talking to her team.
They seemed surprised when I told them that as a dd'er of nearly a decade now, doing cover cropping, grazing covers (so getting livestock on land again), I couldn't see how I can make the SFI work on my farm.

I will read it all properly one day, but other things take precedence at the mo.

I heard Janet Hughes speak and an hour or so later, I was talking with the staff on the DEFRA stand and said something similiar to you as we discussed where and what I was going to be doing to keep the "conservation" aspects of the farm going. Good and thoughtful conversation and info exchange. Then JH rocked up and joined in. As I said to a friend, " I then had a really good chat with the rather lovely and funky, Janet Hughes , who actually has a pretty good sense of humour! 😉" I liked her comment supporting my view that taking alterernative approach for 5 years was a sound one...
 
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Northern territory

Member
Livestock Farmer
As we have come to expect, a brilliant couple of days.
Every credit and
I heard Janet Hughes speak and an hour or so later, I was talking with the staff on the DEFRA stand and said something similiar to you as we discussed where and what I was going to be doing to keep the "conservation" aspects of the farm going. Good and thoughtful conversation and info exchange. Then JH rocked up and joined in. As I said to a friend, " then had a really good chat with the rather lovely and funky, Janet Hughes ,who actually has a pretty good sense of humour! 😉" I liked her comment supporting my view that taking alterernative approach for 5 years was a sound one...
what way are people generally leaning when it comes to ELMS. I think a lot of it depends on scale. I don’t think our small farm can make it work. I want to be profitable in the future and would rather intensify than extensify.
 
I was only there today, but great day. Lots of interesting stuff.

The talk from Eustace didn't fill me with confidence. Lots of fluff, but it seemed "BPS is ending, we're replacing it with different schemes, but the money will still end up with the landowner".

Very much meet the new boss same as the old boss.

To be fair to Eustace he does know the real problem in issues relating to GHG and farming. Its nitrogen.

So he may not be everyone's cup of tea but I think he does have a good understanding of agriculture
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
In best Rocky Horror Show parlance, I was a "Virgin" when I rocked up to Groundswell on Tuesday afternoon, unloaded the car and pitched my tent and started the first rattle, with Chris from "ooop North" in the next spot across. The first of many, many grand rattles there.

I enjoyed the event hugely, the craic was good day and night, albeit concern over a diminishing bladder capacity and a tent, meant my alcohol consumption was limited... OK, it's almost en suite for a late night waz, but 5-6C does not lend itself to crawling out of a sleeping bag to the nearby nettles! Longest Day... where was the night warmth...? ;)

Some great speakers, and I enjoyed the odd one when I was "just passing" a tent and started to listen and was then drawn in for an hour... Random conversations all over the shop.... I ended up chatting with a lady from Reading Uni after a passing "good evening, have you had a good day", on Wed night, nearly an hour later, we went on our way. Post covid verbals, or just a group all interested in something along the same lines?

No one, repeat NO ONE, mentioned bloody football once... Joy! :)

I loved the complete cross section of folks there, from Hippy types to corduroy and brogued Land Agents. Barley Barons to Smallholders. Top flight researchers and ignorant eedjits (me). Even the security folks were chilled...

Came away thinking I am probably on the right path, whether I want to go all to the way, I am unsure, but wow, such great food for thought from the 2 days.

Issues? None at all really, food was a bit junky as I had failed to grab enough real food en route down, so my fault really. Could not believe the catering stands were all running out of supplies on day one mind...! Barmy.

Huge thanks to @martian and all the Cherry family for their great work, it really is a superb event.
 
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steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
what way are people generally leaning when it comes to ELMS. I think a lot of it depends on scale. I don’t think our small farm can make it work. I want to be profitable in the future and would rather intensify than extensify.
Far too many uncertainties to say anything in my view.

In general, your viewpoint is probably correct in the most simple analysis, the devil will be in the cherry picking and identifying bits that will work and contribute to your business,
 

Northern territory

Member
Livestock Farmer
Far too many uncertainties to say anything in my view.

In general, your viewpoint is probably correct in the most simple analysis, the devil will be in the cherry picking and identifying bits that will work and contribute to your business,
Yes I understand that, when are we likely to get some detail.
 

holwellcourtfarm

Member
Livestock Farmer
Far too many uncertainties to say anything in my view.

In general, your viewpoint is probably correct in the most simple analysis, the devil will be in the cherry picking and identifying bits that will work and contribute to your business,
At this stage it could morph into a cracking scheme or descend into abject failure to deliver (either the public goods or the financial support).

I'm very worried about the lack of flexibility of interpretation on farm. I deeply belive it needs to be more of a "framework" allowing each farm to negotiate exactly how the outcomes are delivered in their specific set of circumstances. It should feel like a genuine partnership with DEFRA, not another imposed subsidy scheme.

A Good start would be for each farm to have a named person in DEFRA to liaise with whose role is to find a way to make the broad options on offer work effectively within the constraints of the farm.

There is a gulf of trust between farmers and DEFRA/RPA/EA/NE/ Forestry Commission. Bridging that is essential if ELMS is to be a success.
 
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steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
Awesome event .Best ever. Vibe was fantastic. Atmosphere in the earthworm arms was like the good old days in the college bar at Harper in the eighties.
Only trouble was i bumped into so many people had virtually no time to attend seminars!

Hope your accountant doesn't see this post, and then ask "are you sure that this was 100% a business meeting and a tax deductible expense...! ;)
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
At this stage it could morph into a cracking scheme or descend into abject failure to deliver (either the public goods or the financial support).

I'm very worried about the lack of flexibility of interpretation on farm. I deeply belive it needs to be more of a "framework" allowing each farm to negotiate exactly how the outcomes are delivered in their specific set of circumstances. It should feel like a genuine partnership with DEFRA, not another imposed subsidy scheme.

A Good start would be for each farm to have a named person in DEFRA to liaise with whose role is to find a way to make the broad options on offer work effectively within the constraints of the farm.

There is a gulf of trust between farmers and DEFRA/RPA/EA/NE/ Forestry Commission. Bridging that is essential if ELMS is to be a success.

In my "conversation" with DEFRA bods and JH, I made a big thing about a single point of contact.adviser being very important.

Possibly I did not make enough of flexibility as you describe, but I did emphasise the respected and working well, Severn Trent STEPS program, and suggested they speak to some of the Leads on this scheme AND some farmers... I am not sure I ducked that latter one well enough... ;)

I did emphasise my complete distrust of the present bodies in charge of CS/ELMS/SFI et al. This is the reason for my leaving CS and not going Mid Tier as a rolling replacement. However, on being asked was I involved in Stewardship, I was heartened that my involvement since the mid 90 and the Arable Pilot was considered to be of a modest level of experience :)

On another note, I saw/heard you speak on Wednesday @holwellcourtfarm, and was going to introduce myself, but you were surrounded by an adoring mob of fans at the time. Another day...
 
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steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
At this stage it could morph into a cracking scheme or descend into abject failure to deliver (either the public goods or the financial support).

I'm very worried about the lack of flexibility of interpretation on farm. I deeply belive it needs to be more of a "framework" allowing each farm to negotiate exactly how the outcomes are delivered in their specific set of circumstances. It should feel like a genuine partnership with DEFRA, not another imposed subsidy scheme.

I felt that some/many of the soil gurus were so uncertain at some of the possible and perceived gains in soils qualities being quantifiable at present, that a broadshot wider gain may be more use. Say, big areas of cover crops or biodiversity mixtures overa period of time... Sounds familiar?? :)
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.9%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 63 34.2%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.3%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 6 3.3%

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

  • 1,287
  • 1
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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