INSIDE AGRI-TURF

The 2023 season of Inside Agri-Turf kicks off shortly with a fascinating episode about the psychology of selling to farmers with St John Craner, founder of Agrarian NZ and host of the Rural Sales Show podcast in New Zealand

Beforehand though here are some extracts from recent episodes that illustrates the can-do attitude that pervades our industry. It features

01:18 St John Craner intro

02:38 Ben Matthews

08:48 Geoff Webb,

19:58 Harry Handkammer

29:18 John Ryan

34:42 Chris Boiling and Ian Beecher Jones,

42:36 Peter Driver,

46:18 Peter Arrand and David Withers

To listen to the full version of any of the above episodes go to website

REVIEWING the past 12 months are David Withers, President of AEA (Agricultural Engineers Association) representing manufacturers and suppliers and Peter Arrand, President of BAGMA (British Agricultural and Garden Machinery Association) representing the dealer trade.

Both Associations, are now housed under the same roof following AEA’s acquisition of BAGMA in July 2021, but both retain their individual identities and staffing.

Topics covered include the integration of the two Associations, the latest We Are Landbased Engineering campaign, industry shows, balancing supply and demand, membership benefits, T-Levels, dealer benchmarking, prospects for 2023 – and much more  

The launch of a new show, Groundsfest, to be held at Stonleigh Park in September 2023 has once again opened up the debate about amount of turf management shows in the UK.

As things stand there will be four shows (at least) in 12 months focussing on turf management products and services.

In this episode,Chris Bassett, the md of Fusion Media, organisers of Groundsfest talks about the rationale behind the new event, whilst Peter Driver, who has managed trade stands for manufacturers over the years, will argue that the turfcare industry ideally needs one major event.

02:50 Chris Bassett on Groundsfest

24:15 Peter Driver on the dilemma for exhibitors

Turf shows scheduled for 2023

January BTME Harrogate

June Sports and Grounds Expo, Malvern

September: Groundsfest, Stoneleigh Park

December: SALTEX, NEC Birmingham

We talk about agriculture, we talk about horticulture – and now we should increasingly talk about viticulture as vineyards spring up across the British landscape, and the quality of home-produced wines not only improves year-on-year but are also scooping top international awards.

To discuss the growth of wine production in the UK, I’m joined by two wine afficionados who also, conveniently, have close links with BAGMA Chris Boiling is the editor of the associations house magazine, the BAGMA Bulletin and a respected wine journalist, wine traveller and wine maker.

Ian Beecher Jones was the Director General of BAGMA for 12 years from 1994 – 2006 before setting up his own agricultural consultancy. In 2017, he and his wife Tess established JoJos Vineyard near Henley on Thames and in September this year released their first batch of a white wine.

Links

JoJos Vineyard

Chris Boiling website

Denbies Wine Estate

In this episode Chris talks to John Ryan, the co-founder and driving force behind two highly active Facebook groups, Lawn Care Legends and its spin-off the Dealer Network.

Whilst independent turf contractors and the dealers that supply them with equipment are on different sides of fence, interaction between them has proved highly beneficial says John.

With so many hostile and confrontational issues blighting the effective use of social media, John explains how he aims to establish a 'chilled-out atmosphere on-line' with respect between members of the groups being the watchword.

He explains how he deals with postings that may lead to legal actions. 'Whilst there is freedom of speech, there's no freedom of consequences when you use that freedom' he says.

Lawn Care Legends have already held social and business sessions at SALTEX, and John says something similar may be on the cards for the Dealer Network in time

A mixed content episode this week during which I share a few stats on the performance of Inside Agri-Turf podcast just after its second birthday.

I also preview forthcoming episodes including a conversation with John Ryan, the driving force behind Lawn Care Legends and the Dealer Network, two active groups on social media.

I'll also be talking wine growing in the UK to Chris Boiling, editor of the BAGMA Bulletin, wine journalist and wine traveller, and to Ian Beecher Jones, Director General of BAGMA from 1994 to 2006 but now a wine grower in Oxfordshire.

Finally, I will be reflecting on a recent joint announcement by three trade associations involved in the turfcare industry about closer collaboration - and the prospect of four turf shows in the next calendar year with Peter Driver who has been involved in arranging and setting up manufacturer stands for many years.

Timings

(00.38) Inside Agri-Turf stats

(04:18) John Ryan, Lawn Care Legends and Dealer Network

(09:10) Chris Boiling and Ian Beecher Jones on the UK wine industry

(13:23) The future of shows

In Part One of my conversation with Harry Handkammer we learned about the circumstances that led up to the creation of the Countax brand, (now owned by Ariens) and a successful launch to dealers in 1990.

In Part Two, Harry talks about winning a BBC Award as Business Survivor of the Year, of events turning full circle when he was able to buy Westwood, the company that threatened his survival, of building a Williams Formula One garden tractor, a JCB version, and of a Countax lawn tractor reaching 100mph on a Welsh beach.

Lastly, Harry tells how Service Dealer magazine, which I had founded in 1988, played an important role in the ongoing marketing of Countax.

(02:07) Winning Survivor of the Year Award

(05:48) Westwood full circle

(12:30) Williams Formula One garden tractor

(18:00) JCB branding

(21:45) The '100mph' garden tractor

(28:30) Sale to Ariens

(31:00) Role of Service Dealer

This is the 80th episode of Inside Agri-Turf published on 27 October 2022, the 80th birthday of podcast host and producer Chris Biddle.

Birth of a Brand features Harry Handkammer, whose company manufactured attachments exclusively for a garden tractor manufacturer. In 1989, the supply arrangement was cancelled overnight. Faced with losing virtually all his business and having just moved into a new factory, Harry decided to build his own tractor which was designed, tooled and ready for production in just over three months.

His newly created brand, Countax, went on to claim market leadership within three years and was subsequently acquired by Ariens, a leading US lawn and garden manufacturer.

Harry’s story spanning 1989 to 2010 is told in two parts, Part One focuses on the formative years, and the events leading up to the birth of the Countax brand.

Part Two (next episode) tells how Harry’s tenacity won him the BBC Business Survivor of the Year Award, the story behind a special Countax model designed in association with a Formula One team, the involvement of Stirling Moss -and breaking the world land speed record for a lawnmower.

Recorded on World Mental Health Day, ,Geoff Webb, CEO of the Grounds Management Association (GMA) opens up about the mental health challenges he faced during the past two years.

Like many businesses and organisations, the pandemic hit the GMA hard, its showpiece event SALTEX, a major contributor to the Association's income , was cancelled in 2020, and the 2021 event was in doubt until the last minute.

Running the organisation, albeit with a strong team, took its toll on Geoff. "I couldn't see how my mental capacity was deteriorating, although others could" he says.

Running alongside his mental issues, Geoff's health was also to take another turn. He suffered a heart attack, had to be taken to hospital - during which the paramedics in the ambulance were talking to him about the turf at Wembley!

Geoff describes his experiences in a self-deprecating way, but it is clear that he has re-evaluated his work/life balance, particularly in these uncertain times and urges others to do so.

(01:43) Managing SALTEX during the pandemic

(09:43) #groundsweek and lateral thinking

(17:35) Diversity in turfcare

(20:30) Onset of mental health issues

(30:23) Recovery and industry wellbeing

LINKS

Read Geoff's story by Samantha White on memcom website

The Samaritans Tel: 116 123

Perennial Helping people in horticulture

In the second part of this look at the evolution of agri-turf machinery and equipment during the 70 years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II (1952 to 2022), I consider the technological advancements in lawnmowers and grass cutting equipment with my guest Brian Radam, the founder and curator of the British Lawnmower Museum.

The collection numbering over a thousand machines, sits above Brian's lawnmower sales and service dealership in Southport, Lancashire. It attracts thousands of visitors, particularly from overseas, who are fascinated and intrigued by the once proud manufacturing lawnmower manufacturing tradition in the UK.

As well as many early models including the original blueprints, the Museum displays many machines donated by famous people, including from members of the Royal family.

The Museum is often featured on TV and radio programmes including Antiques Roadshow and supplies machines to film and TV production companies featuring in hit shows such as Downton Abbey

British Lawnmower Museum