18,000 COPIES DISTRIBUTED FREE THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHWEST Mar/Apr 2019 | Issue 77 2019 SHOW GUIDE 7 PAGE SHOW & EVENT GUIDE Sheppy’s cider NFU - Farming for the future Aldi - Supporting south west suppliers Rural issues - Look beyond the headlines South Yeo Farm East - Starting with goats Soil Association - Counting sheep CLA South West Smart Farming – 2 April 2019, Tewkesbury Farm Shop & Deli Show – 8-10 April 2019, NEC Birmingham soil association | rural issues | nfu | the national allotment society | smallholding | a farmer’s view | food & drink FS&D 205x274 ad.qxp_Layout 1 19/02/2019 15:24 Page 1 SOURCE. SAMPLE. SUCCEED. Speciality success starts at the Farm Shop & Deli Show. Come and meet key suppliers, gain non-stop industry inspiration and find profit boosting ways to get your business on top in 2019. This is a trade event. No under 16s will be admitted TO REGISTER TO ATTEND PLEASE VISIT: farmshopanddelishow.co.uk @FarmShop Deli #FSD2019 _ ALONGSIDE HOME TO FS&D 205x274 ad.qxp_Layout 1 19/02/2019 15:24 Page 1 news ‘The South West – helping to power the UK’ We recently attended a North Somerset Rural Business Forum event at Mendip Spring Golf Club in Congresbury near Bristol. where David Eccles, Head of Communications for EDF Hinkley Point C, delivered an insightful talk: ‘The South West – helping to power the UK’. The event was popular with around 70 or 80 people in attendance. Nuclear energy is of course a contentious subject, David was invited to answer questions not only on the need for Nuclear energy and the must for investment in renewable energies, but also on the economic and social impact the project is having, and will continue to have, on the region. If you want to find out more go to the Hinkley Point Visitor SOURCE. Centre located in Angel Place Shopping Centre, Bridgwater, Somerset. Open Monday to Friday: 09:00 - 16:00, except Wyke Farms Awarded bank holidays and on a Saturday: 09:00 - 13:00. SAMPLE. £1.3m Grant Must attend events! Wyke Farms, the UK’s largest independent cheese producers and exporters has announced a £1.3 million If you are on the look-out for fun and interesting events to grant that has been secured from DEFRA to support the attend, there are several thelandsman will be attending this companies 5 year plan for growth. The grant will fund year including: a new cheese store and an extension to its packing and • The CLA Smart Farming Seminar, 2 April in Overbury, SUCCEED. distribution depot, both based in Wincanton, Somerset. Tewkesbury – it’s open to members and non-members The improved site will enable the company to pick and • The Farm Shop & Deli Show, 8-10 April at the NEC in Speciality success starts at the Farm Shop pack up to 25,000 tonnes of cheddar for world markets. Birmingham – if you run a farm shop, a deli or are a retailer Included in the plans are increased cheese storage to age sourcing local/artisan products it’s the show for you & Deli Show. Come and meet key suppliers, more Ivys Vintage cheddar for export markets. It will also • Honiton Show, Thursday 1st August. include a new production line to facilitate a more diverse • Dinnington Docks, Dinnington - for a Sunday Lunch. gain non-stop industry inspiration and find range of products; this is important to the company who The best roast potatoes I have tasted in years! have ambitious export focused products planned for 2019 profit boosting ways to get your business with longer than traditional shelf lives and differing formats for different regions. The site will also house another state on top in 2019. of the art flow wrap line. In addition, the work flow will benefit from upskilling as manual labour will be replaced Honiton Show with skilled roles. The investment will also help the This is a trade event. No under 16s will be admitted company to continue to pay a sustainable milk price to its 123 supplying dairy farmers. 1 Aug 2019 Richard Clothier, third generation family member and TO REGISTER TO ATTEND PLEASE VISIT: Managing Director, comments: “Our two year Brexit growth The show is held in the heart of plan to get us to £100 million sales won’t happen without the East Devon Countryside on a farmshopanddelishow.co.uk @FarmShop Deli #FSD2019 investing. We are not banking the currency advantage, but 140 acre site and has grown to be _ consciously using the money to invest in tastings etc to one of the largest one day agricultural shows in the country. HOME TO drive growth in regions across the world.” It offers a unique atmosphere blending traditional and new ALONGSIDE with an emphasis on agriculture and its associated activities. www.wykefarms.com It is a showcase for the best of local farming, produce, crafts and rural skills and attracts more than 20,000 visitors every year. 3 Welcome! inside this issue For a small title tucked away in News 3 the rural south west, we have Aldi 6-7 great reach, a loyal following The supermarket supporting south west suppliers and we cover topics of interest Food & drink 9 to both the farmer and the One man’s journey to restore a community’s pub consumer alike. That was of course the plan. Although when The National Allotment Society 10 Allotments on farmland - a diversification option for farmers? we took over thelandsman 5 years ago we spoke mostly to farmers/smallholders and landowners which was great, CLA 11 however we felt we could be so much more. Smart farming We wanted to share life in the countryside with the Rural issues 12-13 average person on the street. We felt we should share Where there’s a headline, there may be a fact? 12 the workings of our countryside and the important role of Our precious soil 13 those people working within it – they are custodians of our Soil Association 14 land after all, and provide the food on our tables. So, over Counting sheep a series of issues we extended our distribution through selected supermarkets and through digital partners. Stags 15 We engaged with some of the industry’s top companies March, the month of agricultural rent reviews: advice to landlords and tenants and asked them to share their knowledge with us: NFU, Red Tractor, Soil Association amongst many others have NFU 16 been supporters of our vision and provided some insightful Farming for the future articles. We developed the role of our smallholders Veterinary practice 17 too, between them Gillian Dixon and Emma Hillier have Goats explained what we see in our fields and how non-farming Smallholding 18-21 types can live a life off the land. Starting with goats 18-19 Our journey hasn’t been easy. To keep it fresh and to A needle in a haystack - finding your perfect smallholding 21 ensure we continue to be that source of information, I have spent the best part of a year trying to get the supermarkets Show & event guide 2019 23-29 to share with us their policies on sourcing British and local A farmer’s view 30 produce. I shouldn’t be surprised that none wanted to talk. Hands free farming Perhaps it is because we are just a small magazine tucked Devon Rural Skills Trust 31 away in the south west but tall oaks from little acorns grow. Wonderful willow I would suggest however there are other reasons. Just as I felt I wasn’t going to get through this brick wall Making a country living 32-33 ALDI came good and said ‘Yes, we’d like to talk with you’ Sheppy’s Cider and in this issue the organisation talks about its policy All Terrain Wheelchairs 34 on supporting British farming and agriculture. I was Surf’s up for Bruno surprised at how these relative newbies to the market Gardening 36-37 have developed great strategies in support of ‘local’ and I A garden of annuals in pots am quite simply chuffed to have them on board. So, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Coop, Waitrose what are you Kitchen Garden 39 waiting for? We’d love to hear from you! Module sowing Rebecca Hacker & thelandsman team twitter.com/landsmanlife PUBLISHED BY: Soap Communications Ltd | The Granary & Sawmill | Tickenham Court | Washing Pound Lane | Clevedon | N. Somerset | BS21 6SB [email protected] | T. 01275 400778 | www.thelandsman.co.uk Editorial: Rebecca Hacker | Art Editor: Laurie Edwards | Production: Rachael Ellway Advertising: Sandra Hardie | [email protected] | T. 01460 55105 Disclaimer: Every effort is made to ensure accuracy of dates, event information and advertisements. thelandsman accepts no responsibility for events that might be cancelled and can accept no responsibility for the accuracy of any information or claims made by advertisers included in this magazine. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of thelandsman. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission strictly prohibited. © Copyright 2018. 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