AUTUMN 2019 News and information for members of the East of England Agricultural Society Kids Country Food and Farming Day 2019, read about the day on page 5 Kids Country Food & Farming Day 2018, read about the day on page 5 Marshal Farming Interview with Papworth 4 Conference 8 Childerley Estate 10 Marshal Papworth celebrates The line-up for this years We explore their farming operations, partnership with leading Farming Conference is set wedding venue diversification and Agricultural University to go! wine merchant business CHAIRMAN’S WELCOME 2 Welcome to the Autumn edition of the Society News I feel honoured and very privileged services company, for the time and to have been elected as Chairman commitment, often after hours at this important moment in the and at weekends, they have given Society’s history, as we move to deliver an exceptional range forward with our vision into an and diversity of events for both exciting and promising future. the Society and our stakeholders. The continued development of our The Local Plan for Peterborough varied programme is a credit to all was finally approved in July with those involved and the wonderful an initial allocation of residential support of our many volunteers. I development on part of the thank you all for your continuing showground. This is one of the commitment. opportunities that our former Chairman wrote about in the Spring Our Marshal Papworth committee Newsletter, it provides a window and celebrated a significant it’s vital that we take the advantage. milestone this year, the successful To that end, I can confirm that matriculation of our two hundredth the Society has now instructed student. Our President, The Right Endurance Estates, a specialist Revd Stephen Conway, Bishop of locally based company, as our Ely, presented the certificates in promotional partner to co-ordinate June; just before our fabulous ‘Kids and ‘masterplan’ the sensitive Country’ day when we welcomed development of new and affordable over 6,000 primary school children housing to help us fulfil our vision and to the showground to showcase the secure the long-term future of the very best in food and farming in the DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Society. eastern region. 2019 / 2020 The UK agricultural industry is Following Jeremy Staples retirement, OCTOBER undoubtedly in a period of dramatic I’m pleased to welcome Alistair change as our politicians continue Beattie to the Society as our new 12th - 13th - 69th British National Ploughing to grapple with leaving the EU and interim Chief Executive. He will be Championships & Country Festival working closely with the Trustees and responding to the very real effects NOVEMBER of climate change. As a society staff to lead the development of our 14th - East of England Farming Conference we need to refocus our energies strategy and implement the vision and vision to support the region’s going forward. 21st - Peterborough Dinner agricultural, food and farming 27th - The Croptec Show industries and the rural way of It’s a very exciting time for the 29th - 30th - Winter Stock Festival life through education and the Society, I accept the position of dissemination of new ideas, best Chairman with pride and look practice and innervations. forward to meeting as many of you 2020 as possible over the next three years. FEBRUARY As we come to the end of a very 20th - Bedfordshire Dinner intense summer event season, I must just take the opportunity to Richard Bramley MARCH thank all our hard-working staff, Chairman, East of England 3rd - 4th - Energy and Rural Business Show both within the Society and our Agricultural Society Members STEM Enthuse Festival of Marketplace 12 Partnership 14 Hunting 16 Make the most of your Partnership to recruit, inspire and support This year marked the 131st year membership with our a new generation within the agriculture, of the prestigious Peterborough online business directory agri-tech and agri-food sectors Royal Foxhound Show CONTENTS 3 What’s Inside Education 4 Marshal Papworth 5 Kids Country Agriculture 6 Farm Walk - Park Farm Thorney Peterborough Dinner Long Service Awards 7 Winter Stock Festival p4 8 Farming Conference 9 DoubleDay Competition 10-11 Interview with Childerley Estate 12 Members Marketplace Queen Mother’s Handwriting Awards 13 Dates for your Diary 14 New STEM Enthuse Partnership Our New Careers Page p5 15 Energy and Rural Business Show Events 16 Equifest p16 Festival of Hunting Showground Services 17 SGS Update Our Summer in Photos 18 Gallery Society Staff 19 CEO Update Meet the Team www.eastofengland.org.uk /eoeagriculturalsociety @EoEAgricultural @eoeagriculturalsociety East of England Agricultural Society EDUCATION 4 Marshal Papworth Celebrates Partnership with Leading Agricultural University The Marshal Papworth Fund had an own cultivations at home for more excellent start to the year, celebrating successful and sustainable domestic the arrival of its 200th student with a and commercial production, whilst partnership with leading agricultural mitigating the effects of climate university, Harper Adams University, as change. the new home of the Fund’s 10-week short course in sustainable agriculture. Speaking at the Fund’s certificate presentation ceremony at Haddon Fund coordinator, Sandra Lauridsen, Church, Peterborough, at the end said: “We are especially excited that of the 10-week course in June, the the short course has moved to one Marshal Papworth patron, the Right of the country’s leading agricultural Reverend Stephen Conway, Bishop of universities, Harper Adams, where Ely, thanked the students for taking our students will undertake a the leap to come and study. “The specially devised sustainable farming leap you have all taken in leaving your programme, including workshops in homes to come and study such vital livestock farming, ‘train the trainer’ subjects as water and sanitation, and skills, woodland management, business sustainable farming to mitigate the skills, soil and water conservation, basic effects of climate change will actually machinery handling and maintenance change and save lives. skills , crop husbandry, sustainable land Meanwhile, the Masters scholarship and habitat management, as well as “You have all studied with the purpose students recently celebrated coming farm and cultural visits.” of saving lives in your home countries; towards the end of their year-long whether that is setting children free courses with a visit to Michael Sly As part of this 10-week course, a host to attend school instead of walking at his 1,750ha Park Farm, Thorney, of educational visits were arranged, miles to bring clean water home, or focusing on the critical role that the including to G’s at their Sandfields helping your neighbours to plant their use of the latest technology, effective Farms asparagus and spring onion crops in a way that will make them crop rotations, management of site. The purpose of the visit was more drought-resistant. The Marshal the 158 miles of in-field land drains, to inspire this year’s 11 scholarship Papworth Fund has invested in you; the and incorporation of environmental recipients to make use of technology, return on that investment is that you conservation areas play in managing renewable energy and sustainable are changing the world, one person at a successful farm enterprise in the farming practices to adapt their a time.” unique Fen area. EDUCATION 5 Food and Farming Day 2019 Kids Country, the East of England Agricultural Society’s education arm, “Farming isn’t just about driving the has had a successful programme tractors and moving sheep: it’s the of events so far for 2019, including technology and engineering that the flagship event, the Food and design new combine harvesters, the Farming Day. scientists creating new veterinary JB was keen to engage with all of medications, and the chefs that The seventh annual Food and the children in attendance, as well know the value of seasonal produce. Farming Day welcomed 3,500+ key as the 100+ different exhibitions Showing children these future options stage one and two school children, demonstrating key elements of is equally as important as making sure from 53 schools this year, as well as food, farming and the environment: that they have an understanding of a special guest appearance from “I am really passionate about not how their food is produced.” former JLS band member, JB Gill, only connecting children with food, who now stars in CBeebies’ farming farming and the environment but As well as the Food and Farming Day, show, Down on the Farm and also in helping these children see Kids Country had a full programme of Channel 5’s hit Springtime On The the future careers they can find in events this year, including the hugely Farm. farming,” he said. successful Bee Observatory Visits, where 214 children from six schools “This is my first time at the Food and learnt all about honey and bee Farming Day, but I have already conservation with support from the seen how vital and unique it is Peterborough Beekeepers Association in communicating with the next throughout the summer. generation, not only to have more care and understanding for where Kids Country is looking forward to the their food comes from as consumers final events of its 2019 programme, but also to really consider the including the Winter Warmer Soup agricultural industry as a potential Challenge and Breakfast Week, whilst future employer. the 2020 schedule is now confirmed. Grow Your Own PECT Eco Potatoes Awards In June, over 400 Peterborough school May saw the celebration of children took part in the Kids Country Grow the 10th annual Peterborough Your Own Potatoes and Celery event, Environment City Trust (PECT) Eco partnering with Albert Bartlett and G’s Awards, as PECT joined forces with Fresh to harvest their own crops as well as Kids Country, to deliver a day of enjoy activities including tasting different environmentally friendly activities potato dishes and varieties, harvesting for nine local primary schools, celery, and finding all about the history of culminating in the presentation of local agricultural workers.