March 2008 - Posts
A well known farmer told a colleague of mine the other day he thought FW was completely biased in favour of the NFU. He argued that this was dangerous to FW's independence, particularly as he believed the current NFU leadership was not challenging Government anywhere near enough.
So what do you think? Our position in the last couple of years has been to support the NFU as best we can because we genuinely believe the organisation and its people work desperately hard to do the right thing for farming. Where necessary, FW will speak up and criticise but when it is necessary and certainly not all the time.
When I took over as editor in 2005, one constant complaint was that FW had been too whingeing, too negative and offered no hope for the future. We consulted with over 4,500 people in farming about how we should adapt to changes in the industry and new information needs. It became clear that farmers overwhelmingly wanted us to update our tone and be more solutions driven and positive.
I interpreted that approach as also trying to work more constructively with the key organisations like a critical friend. A critical friend doesn't just say what you want to hear, it will also be brutally frank when it needs to be. And that's how we see our relationship with the NFU. We are as independent as we've always been.
In the last couple of years, the NFU too has altered its stance. It's had to find a new way of communicating and working with Government, the EU and the media if it's to put British agriculture back on the map. The future is about constructive negotiation and keeping channels of communication open. Politicians rarely understand farmers and they need to wake up to the harsh reality that production farming really matters.
In our opinion, the current NFU leadership has made significant progress in breaking down barriers between the industry and the policy makers. There's an awful lot more to do before we have a government that encourages and enables but we're getting there through careful diplomacy and consultation. Being at war with each other and with Government will get us nowhere.
So, over to you. Could we be tougher on the key organisations?
Just returned from a few days in the French Pyrenees attempting to learn to ski with the family. A glorious break - no didn't break a leg - just completely overwhelmed by the beauty of the place and the quality of the food. It's often said that we Brits have a lot to learn from the French in terms of making the most of the provenance of our food. Regionality is such a big thing wherever you go in France...... cheese, wine, bread, meat......wherever you look there's choice beyond your wildest dreams and fantastic merchandising and information about the origins of the produce, how it was crafted and its connection with the local area.
Some pockets of the UK have cracked the local food opportunity though. I was recently in an Asda store in Kendal, Cumbria and stunned to see no less than 14 odd gondolas taken up with local food from local farmers. Much of it was under the Plumgarths label, pioneered by FW's Farmer of the Year John Geldard. John has been working with many Cumbrian producers to supply the local restaurant and hotel trade, Centre Parcs and Asda. Their achievements in gaining so much floorspace for home-grown grub in one of the major retailers is remarkable, particularly as it is not isolated off in its own location. All the local produce is mainstreamed with relevant products and sits alongside the big brands. In some cases, the local line is selling so well that it's taking space from traditional best sellers.
John Geldard's own free range eggs had three times as much shelf space as Asda's own label and were selling like hot cakes. Having cooked an omelette with John's eggs last night, I can see why. The store manager is totally committed to the local food concept because it's great for business and he's constantly looking at ways to expand the range and market the products better.
Asda deserve praise for their efforts on local food and the Kendal store is a fantastic role model for others to follow. Apparently, the retailer is now looking to expand the local food concept in Kent next.
Is anyone aware of other stores making their mark on local produce? Let's hear about it.
This blog is paying off..... reader/web user Bridget Olds has a great idea for FW to provide more information on the pictures chosen for front covers. For example, where livestock images are used, Bridget suggests giving details of who owns the stock and the name and location of the farm. I'm sure we can incorporate this in front cover planning, we simply need to find a suitable home for the details.... our designer Grant Sherriffs is working on it.
Farmer David Christensen also had a good idea for adding more FW comment, analysis and context to stories by adding a separate box at the end of relevant pieces. This fits with our aim to be more practical and to really make the most of the editorial team's expertise. We will give this a go sparingly.
Any more ideas you have to improve the magazine and the website will be gratefully received. Simply reply to this blog.
Thanks (Tom Rigby in particular) for the feedback on our website and this blog. I agree with you that the design of the blog could be improved and the black background isn't easy to read...... we will work on that.
Lately, I've been heavily involved in recruiting within the Farmers Weekly Group. We've had a couple vacancies to fill and it's given us a great opportunity to bring on the young talent within the team. Possibly one of the most important jobs I can do as an editor is to make sure we put the right people in the right jobs and build a strong team.
So I'm pleased to report that we've been able to promote three members of staff into more senior positions. They are: David Cousins as the new Machinery and Features Editor; Ian Ashbridge as the new Business Editor and Caroline Stocks as the new deputy news editor. All three take up their posts shortly and more information on content plans for their areas will follow shortly. The two section editor posts have come about as a result of Nick Fone (machinery) and Andrew Shirley (business) leaving for new ventures outside Farmers Weekly. Both will still be involved in farming related businesses and I'm hoping we can still use their great writing and editing skills by inviting them back to work with us from time to time. Good luck to everyone in your new jobs.