The UK Farmers Union - is it time ?

[Johnnyboxer]

Good idea

Maybe a problem if not many farmers join your new Union, though

What will be your USP, compared to the National Farmer's Union?

 

[Clive]

I'm open to the idea but...

• How does one single union properly and effectively represent competing interests in UK agriculture? It's a very broad church. Just think of the livestock farmers who want cheap bedding and the arable boys who'd rather sell straw to the highest bidder, be that livestock boys or Anglian power stations. Or the NBA pushing the case for intensively reared beef being "inherently lower carbon footprint" when some of their members are extensive beef breeders.
• What would it's purpose be? To lobby government? To represent farmers to the public? To influence academic research institutions?
• To aid knowledge exchange?
• To support in media work?
• To help with legal actions?

That's just off the top of my head.

It's a bit of a "poisoned chalice".

I think use of democracy software as I posted the youtube link to whorl be ke to address you point and many, many more that would arrises - that's how it would PROPERLY represent ie always the majority and anyone able to put an idea forward and make a change if enough agreed etc

Opposing views within sectors could be debt with with by sector representation maybe exhaust sector to appoint its own "president" maybe ? but again, the members would need to decide such things

How it work is however its members want it toi work - that's he kind of thing the software does rather the for any one individual to TELL you all how it works the community shapes it democratically I guess

It's certainly not easy but Im sure it is possible with enough support

 

[Clive]

Good idea

Maybe a problem if not many farmers join your new Union, though

I think it could run on very little cash so little barrier to entry, - no £21 million annual salary bills in sight, certainly to begin with

how many actual farmer members does the NFU have ? and how many are only there for a cheap pick-up or insurance discount ? no one ever wants to answer that question

 

[delilah]

Someone on here will have been involved with 'farm'. They need to explain why that didn't fly.
I am lazy, I want the easy option. I don't care how hard anyone thinks it will be to get the NFU to do their job better, it will be easier than starting something from scratch.

 

[bobk]

I think use of democracy software as I posted the youtube link to whorl be ke to address you point and many, many more that would arrises - that's how it would PROPERLY represent ie always the majority and anyone able to put an idea forward and make a change if enough agreed etc

Opposing views within sectors could be debt with with by sector representation maybe exhaust sector to appoint its own "president" maybe ? but again, the members would need to decide such things

How it work is however its members want it toi work - that's he kind of thing the software does rather the for any one individual to TELL you all how it works the community shapes it democratically I guess

It's certainly not easy but Im sure it is possible with enough support

Why don't you set up a webinar on here and invite all the culprits and George Eustace , you need to make some noise

 

[Johnnyboxer]

I think it could run on very little cash so little barrier to entry, - no £21 million annual salary bills in sight, certainly to begin with

A bit short sighted, within 10 years of launch it'll bloat into something unwieldly and then the politcal in-fighting will takeover

I am surprised you are contemplating a Union?

 

[homefarm]

Just a transparently democratic body that can claim to represent 100% farmers and demand a seat at the same political table as the NFU and other lobby organisations

How can any organisation represent 100% of farmers when we are all so different and often what one group of farmers want is the exact opposite of another.
Big v small. Arable v stock. Owner v tenants

How do you get a decision all will be happy with?

In government I think we are stuck with the Conservatives while the SNP keep Labour out of Scotland.
Today the opposition does not just come from Labour and the other parties, but the likes of Marcus Rashford and Jamie Oliver which get the public behind them to force change.

I think we are stuck with the NFU for representing us as farmers but can we influence them more today by using social media and other means than we could in the past.
If we get enough support for or against any policy from both members and non members I think they have to listen.
I think the RT debate is all the proof we need,

 

[delilah]

Daft as this may sound, there's not an awful lot needs changing with the NFU.
Yes they are fundamental things, but it's not a long list, I can count them on one hand.

 

[bobk]

Daft as this may sound, there's not an awful lot needs changing with the NFU.
Yes they are fundamental things, but it's not a long list, I can count them on one hand.

The NFU board ?

 

[uztrac]

No mention yet of the CLA, and members views on the Association ?

 

[Clive]

How can any organisation represent 100% of farmers when we are all so different and often what one group of farmers want is the exact opposite of another.
Big v small. Arable v stock. Owner v tenants

How do you get a decision all will be happy with?

In government I think we are stuck with the Conservatives while the SNP keep Labour out of Scotland.
Today the opposition does not just come from Labour and the other parties, but the likes of Marcus Rashford and Jamie Oliver which get the public behind them to force change.

I think we are stuck with the NFU for representing us as farmers but can we influence them more today by using social media and other means than we could in the past.
If we get enough support for or against any policy from both members and non members I think they have to listen.
I think the RT debate is all the proof we need,

I agree it’s not simple is it, only putting the idea out there

it certainly seems like a degree of sector differentiation would be required but that’s totally possible

i think software may hold the key to some of the issues you mention though and maybe we will increasing see there use in wider politics

 

[Clive]

Daft as this may sound, there's not an awful lot needs changing with the NFU.
Yes they are fundamental things, but it's not a long list, I can count them on one hand.

they are too fundament for them to ever consider, it’s all about maintaining status quo for the NFU not being progressive

mention OMOV and they go all dizzy and get a sweat on, start making comparisons to how we elect our MP‘s etc but it’s not the same as we get to know exactly how our MP’s vote on issues and elect or prime minister ....... and if we don’t like it we don’t re elect them do we

 

[Clive]

A bit short sighted, within 10 years of launch it'll bloat into something unwieldly and then the politcal in-fighting will takeover

I am surprised you are contemplating a Union?

I think a lot of care would need to be put into make sure it can’t bloat or become integral political

What you describe is what we already have last thing we need is another NFU that’s for sure !, More effort going into personal progressions within the organisation than actually doing the right thing

if it’s a bad idea without legs I won’t bother and I’m certainly not got to do this alone. As I say lobby groups are already a dated concept and dying breed

I guess I’m just fustrated by being represented by a bunch of “yes men”. In it for all the wrong reasons it seems

 

[Prairie]

I am no longer involved in NFU or British agriculture, but my father helped form a new branch and both he and I were branch chairman many years ago. At county meetings the same old stagers did not want anything radicle to go to headquarters and so everything had to stay the same, it seems nothing has changed. When my father needed help while still in the Union, after a visit to headquarters he was told the problem was to hot a potato for them to help, needless to say we quit and never regretted it, get out while you can.

 

[bobk]

I think a lot of care would need to be put into makes sure it can’t

last thing we need is another NFU that’s for sure

I think it's a poor idea , more to do with your own self promotion imo

 

[delilah]

mention OMOV and they go all dizzy and get a sweat on,

Why not start a thread on what, specifically, folks want to see changed with the NFU. And moderate it hard. Any waffling or whingeing, delete it, tell people in the OP you will be doing that they can't complain. Specific things that need to change. It will be read by the lurkers. Nothing to lose ?
(oh, and it's OPOV nowadays ) .

 

[Cowmansam]

Why not start a thread on what, specifically, folks want to see changed with the NFU. And moderate it hard. Any waffling or whingeing, delete it, tell people in the OP you will be doing that they can't complain. Specific things that need to change. It will be read by the lurkers. Nothing to lose ?
(oh, and it's OPOV nowadays ) .

Thing is they already know they just don’t give a shart

 

[snarling bee]

Good luck finding someone to head up the UKFU. Would expenses include a working farm manager to run the business at home whilst the 'President, worked 100hrs a week representing the members?
That's about all the NFU top table get.

 

[snarling bee]

You can just imagine 45% arable farmers constantly outvoted by the 55% livestock farmers. They'd soon all leave moaning that they are not represented and the top table are just on the gravy train looking for lucrative directorships.

 

[Clive]

Why not start a thread on what, specifically, folks want to see changed with the NFU. And moderate it hard. Any waffling or whingeing, delete it, tell people in the OP you will be doing that they can't complain. Specific things that need to change. It will be read by the lurkers. Nothing to lose ?
(oh, and it's OPOV nowadays ) .

There have been many

and we NEVER "moderate hard" - the only content that gets moderated on TFF is things that are either illegal or indecent, we NEVER moderate opinion