Week One of Worshipful Company of Farmers Advanced Agricultural Business Management Course.

Well its Sunday here in Cirencester and after a week of blanketed snow and no sun, today is windy and the snow is slowly disappearing from our grasp.

Week one of the WCF AA Business Management Course has been full on - to say the least. I've spent the week interacting with the other seventeen delegates, learning about their respective businesses, as well as engaging with several inspirational speakers.

A psychometric test at the beginning of the week was shortly followed up with an analysis and report. For me this was a worthwhile exercise as we were able to take away something positive and constructive. From here we engaged in sessions on time management, meetings, chairmanship and how the tax systems influenced business structures.

On Wednesday the 23rd of January we focused our attention on a panel discussion with:

• Prof Allan Buckwell from CLA
• George Dunn of the Tennant Farmers Organisation
• Tom Hind of the National Farmers Union. 

Our discussion was chaired by Sir Jim Paice and focused on CAP reform. Many opinions were expressed and debated, however the overall feeling was that CAP is a beneficial support for UK agriculture but that UK farming would not benefit from renationalization of it's support.

Thursday's schedule contained a stimulating presentation from John Alvis, a Managing Director of a family owned farming Company in Somerset.

• Lye Cross Farms produce 3500 tons of cheese each year. The farm milks around 1000 cows and produces grain from an arable unit. The business also includes a Farm Shop with a turnover of 1.5m. Staff numbers are around 140.

John provided a great platform for discussion around his business and staff management, an area that was particularly important to him.

An after dinner speech from the Worshipful Company of Farmers Master gave us an informative insight into the history and function of the WFC. During the course of this dinner we were fortunate to attract the attentions of Richard Benyon MP and Minister for National Environment and Fisheries who were at the RAC on other business.

Other speakers have included:

• Emma Penny - from the Farmers Guardian
• Peter Morris - who spoke about relationships with the media
• Christine Tacon - the newly appointed  Supermarket Ombudsman.

Soon it was out with the pen and paper and in with the riding boots and jodhpurs. Well, for the jockeys at least. A well deserved break over the weekend saw delegates taking a day out at the Cheltenham Races, followed by an evening meal in Cirencester. We also took the opportunity to visit Charlton Park Estate where one of the delegates, Robin Aird, is the farm manager. Afterwards we moved on to Cooperative farm nearby. In comparison the two farms are run very differently and each are faced with vastly different issues.

The Journey Begins

This marks the first of many posts to come for 2013. For those of you who are unaware, I was fortunate enough to be granted a 2013 Nuffield Scholarship - perhaps New Zealand's most prestigious agricultural award. For me, this will involve four formal aspects for the year.

I must take this opportunity to thank my family for supporting me on this "crusade". This is very much a team effort - with many people picking up the slack for me at home!

The first engagement for me as a Nuffield Scholar is to attend the Advanced Business Management Course. This is run by the Worshipful Company of Farmers at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester, England.

The three week course will cover:

• Business Development
• Time Management
• Case Studies
• Personal Development
• Media Management
• Presentations from policy makers and business leaders.

I look forward to meeting the other 17 attendees and learning about them and their businesses.

What a great way to start what is to be a very busy and exciting year.

I am very grateful for the assistance I have received to help attend this "extra course" in my Nuffield year and whose support I value very much from:

• ASB
• Foundation For Arable Research
• Ravensdown
• The Worshipful Company of Farmers

The second part of my journey will kick off with the Contemporary Scholars Conference in Toronto, in early March. After spending a week with the international 2013 Nuffield Scholars we'll venture off on field trips (including a hockey game and curling - I believe) and presentations from industry leaders.

The third part to the year is the Global Focus Tour and involves travelling with nine other Scholars. Together we will embark on a journey through Australia, Philippines, China, North America, Canada, France, Ireland, and England.

During this final aspect of the year I will delve more heavily into my study topic - "The Synergies between Arable and Dairy" with a focus on nutrients and effluent. I intend to spend time both in the US and Europe, initially looking into farming systems and research that may be useful in New Zealand to enable us to become more productive while remaining economically, environmentally and socially sustainable - easier said than done perhaps?