INSIDE AGRI-TURF

For the third in this series of Agri-Turf Talks, a panel drawn from across the agri-turf sector discuss the issues they face recruiting new talent into the industry. The panel is:

Richard Charles: After Sales Customer Care and Training Manager, UK and Ireland AGCO Corporation

Simon Holmes : Group Service Manager Agriculture and Construction T H WHITE Group

Jeremy Gibbs: Farmer and Founder of Forces Farming

David Kirschner: Independent Industry Consultant

Chris Biddle: Inside Agri-Turf Host

Amongst the issues covered are the role of recruitment agencies, apprenticeships, training, the visibility of the industry to outsiders and much more.

LINKS

Landbased Engineering Careers

AGCO Academy Training Centre

Forces Farming

T H White Group

Season Three of Inside Agri-Turf launches on 2 February 2022 with a new episode of Agri-Turf Talks comprising a panel discussing the recruitment of new talent into the industry.

Chris Biddle provides an overview of the forthcoming season and includes some tasty snippets from the opening episode.

He also previews the launch of a new companion show Agri-Turf Agenda

Inside Agri-Turf website

Sample of Agri-Turf Agenda episode

A wrap-up to Season Two of Inside Agri-Turf with a selection of edited recordings covering issues of dealer economics, equal opportunities, mental welfare and succession in the business. Those featured are:

(01:08) Tim Lane

(06:18) Steve Halley

(09:07) Tom Black

(12:32) Laura Bassnett

(15:20) Lauren Savage

(17:37) Poppy Burrough

(22:13) Tom Johnston

(28:14) Stephen Shortt

(29: 45) Howell and Emyr Jenkins

The clickable time stamps will take you direct to that section, including the introduction

Many thanks to all my guests who featured during Season Two. The full episodes from May to December 2021 can be found on the Inside Agri-Turf website.

Season Three starts on 2 February 2022

Seasons Greeting to all the wonderful listeners to the Inside Agri-Turf Podcast. Now just 18 months old, the podcast been a terrific learning curve and a joy to produce as the listener numbers climb

Thank you!

This episode reflects on the year to date, and provides a few pointers to future episodes.

Episode 55 is the penultimate episode of Season Two. The final episode from this season (Episode 56) will include a selection of stand-out moments and quotes from this season and will be published in early January 2022.

Season Three is well into the planning stage and will commence on 2 February

WIN!

(05.30) I have just completed the production of a bespoke podcast for a manufacturing company in celebration of the Centenary of one of their products. A short excerpt of a user talking about operating the product in winter is at 05:30.

What is the product? What is it being used for?

Email your answer to [email protected]

. . . and you could win one of the special Inside Agri-Turf coffee mugs

Chris Biddle hosts the second in the AGRI-TURF TALK panel discussion featuring Shaun Groom (Merlo UK and current AEA President), Angus Lindsay (Group Head of Assets and Fleet Management at idVerde) and Jason Nettle (Director, Winchester Garden Machinery).

The panel discussion includes:

03:50 Current supply difficulties

16:10 Industry image and recruitment

26:20 The future impact of COP26

35:45 Dealing with adverse criticism

Finally the panel are asked about their 'go-to' mottos or role models

Episode is 48 minutes

Fossil fuels are on the way out - in time. What will replace petrol and diesel for the tractors and machinery used by farmers to produce food to feed the world's growing population?

Host Chris Biddle examines the options - and reflects on the recent Annual Conference of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE) with its theme of Future Fuels in Agriculture which co-incided with the COP26 Climate Change conference in Glasgow

(03:50) Hear how school children are starting to Do, Do, Do as an antidote to protesters chanting of blah, blah, blah

(05:40) How the President of the United States became the warm-up act for the the last IAgrE Conference

(09:04)) Eureka moment for Chris Mann on exploding grass clippings and turning 'bad' methane into a cost saving fuel

(14:23) Will hydrogen be the 'silver bullet'? Royal Academy of Engineering Ask the Engineer forum

LINKS

Bennamann Website

Royal Academy of Engineering Forum: Ask the Engineer Is hydrogen the silver bullet?

Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE)

No, not the hit TV series about a dysfunctional family dynasty with the siblings at war over who succeeds the founding father (who still wants to retain a powerful presence in the company).

With virtually every dealership or supplier in the agri-turf sector being a private family business, the challenges associated with deciding who is best equipped to take the business forward in a changing world are very real.

I talk to Stephen Shortt, a leading small business strategist about the tensions, the planning, the dynamics, and the personal ambitions that come into to play when deciding on succession issues.

Each family set up is different. Sometimes succession is a straightforward matter, at other times when several family members are involved, damaging conflicts can arise that can spread from the boardroom, to dining room and even the bedroom.

Speaking from personal experience, Stephen outlines how potentially serious family disagreements, often as a result of dogmatic attitudes, can be diffused to the benefit of all concerned when deciding on succession planning

LINKS

Stephen Shortt website

Entrepreneurs Organisation

With shows and exhibitions back on the industry calendar, I catch up with Kris Kiser, CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) organiser of the annual lawn, garden and landscape EXPO in Louisville, Kentucky - and with UK based freelance journalist Martin Rickatson of JMR Agriculture who has just returned from the Italian EIMA show in Bologna.

Kris Kiser runs through the new branding for the Louisville Show for 2022, and both reflect on the two recent shows in the US and Europe.

With organisers having to stage virtual shows over the past 18 months, will trade shows return to normal - and might we see the emergence of hybrid events providing on-line access to show events?

Oh, and there's a brief cameo from Mulligan, star of the TurfMutt Foundation

LINKS

Outdoor Power Equipment Institute

JMR Agriculture

Equip Louisville 2022

Inside Agri-Turf website

For this 50th episode, I've invited four industry guests, all of whom have featured in earlier episodes, and all from very different backgrounds.

They are Kit Franklin from Harper Adams University, and the Hands Free Farm Project; David Hart, managing director Kubota UK; Will Foster, formerly Tank Training Manager in the British Army now ag machinery technician with Ben Burgess Ltd and Lauren Savage, finalist in the AEA Technician for 2021 Awards and AGCO apprentice with Chandlers Farm Equipment, Bristol branch.

The conversation was wide and varied from quotas on tractors and machinery in 2022, automated farming, apprenticeships, selling the industry to outsiders - and Jeremy Clarkson

Everybody is talking about energy. The cost, availability, sources – all against the background of the upcoming UN COP26 Climate Change conference in Glasgow.

This episode features the views of celebrated US scientist Dr Lawrence Rocks who wrote The Energy Crisis in 1973 and who was closely involved in the establishment of the US Department of Energy under President Jimmy Carter.

Dr Rocks talks about the impact of farming and food production on climate changes and says that a weather station on the moon would help provide valuable data to scientists and environmentalists.

The interview is an edited version from the Mooch FM podcast series hosted by President Trump’s former Director of Communications, Anthony Scaramucci, who has kindly given me permission to use extracts.

My other guests are Charlie Nicklin and Paul Hemingway, CEO and President of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAGRE) who preview the very timely 2021 IAgrE Conference on the theme of Future Fuels in Agriculture to be held online over Zoom on 3 November.

Mooch FM

IAgrE 2021 Conference: Future Fuels in Agriculture