AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY EVENTS

The Rutland Agricultural Society are proud to be sponsoring a number of places on the BASIS Accredited Sustainable Land Management Courses provided by The Allerton Trust.

The Society will fund up to 10 places on the course to anyone who can show they are involved in farming and live within a 15 mile radius of the Rutland Showground LE5 7TW. Please send your application for sponsorship to Juliana White -Livestock Secretary – at Juliana@rutlandshowground.com

The Emma Molesworth Trust can consider applications for these Sustainable Farming courses, as well as other farming-related educational courses. Please contact: lbarker-johnson@rutland.gov.uk for more information.

 

Members’ Autumn Evening Talks 2023

7pm The Pavillion, Rutland Showground
 
Jeremy Purseglove – 21th September: As an environmentalist in the water industry all over the world Jeremy has helped pioneer a new approach to reducing floods which also preserves the beauty of the rivers. He is the author of  “Taming the Flood” and more recently ” Working with Nature” – Saving and Using the Worlds Wild Spaces. He is also very involved in the Rockingham Forest Vision.
 
Duncan Farrington – 19th October: Duncan from Northamptonshire received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development in March 2021. The family produce rapeseed oil in a sustainable way being both carbon neutral and plastic free in production – branded Mellow Yellow.
 
Nicholas Watts MBE – 16th November: Nicholas started recording the breeding birds on his farm in 1982 and realised there had been a large decline of some species.Vine House Bird Foods was created. Extensive habitat creation at Vine House Farm has seen Nicholas win more awards for conservation on his farm than any other farmer in the UK.

 

Certificate in Sustainable Land Management (CLSM)

This course provides a practical insight into the key legislation, principles, application of measures and understanding of on-farm and landscape scale opportunities for advisers and land managers, to carry out effective environmental land management. The knowledge acquired through the completion of this advanced course will help to underpin the delivery of agri-environment scheme applications (including ELM) and ongoing management to achieve the desired outcomes.

Course Dates: March, April, July, October and November 2023

Cost: £1002 + VAT including lunch and refreshments

To find out more about the courses and book your place, visit:

https://www.allertontrust.org.uk/training/sustainable-land-management/

RAS Members’ Farm Visit 

Venue: Daylesford Organic Farm 
Date: Wednesday 28th June 
Time: Coach departs from the Rutland Showground at 8am and arrives back 6pm
Travel cost: £10 per ticket – Limited space so book now. 
 
 

Daylesford farm in Gloucestershire has been farmed organically for over 35 years. Producing pedigree Friesian, Aberdeen Angus and South Devon cattle; pedigree Kerry Hill, Ryeland, Cotswold, Texal and commercial Llyen sheep; laying hens, turkeys and geese. As a mixed farm, they grow combinable crops including winter and spring oats, wheat, triticale, barley and occasional beans. Rotational leys are an essential part of the system and they have 540 hectares of permanent pasture. The farm has 40 bee hives across 5 apiary sites.

Daylesford farm strives to be truly sustainable by using no pesticides or fertilisers, managing field rotations, creating wildlife habitats, harvesting rainwater, installing solar panels and by practicing animal husbandry of the highest standards. Ruminant livestock are fed a GM-free, organic, forage-based homegrown diet. They are committed to reducing fossil fuel usage and carbon emissions, and they’re well on their way to sending nothing to landfill.

With their own abattoir, they produce own-branded products from their food production units, marketed via online sites like Ocado. Daylesford Farm also has a farm shop, butchers, café, a cookery school, holiday cottages and health spa.

Find out more about Daylesford Organic Farm at https://agricology.co.uk/farmer-profiles/richard-smith/