Dear Members and Sponsors

Chairman newsletter September 2011

Dear Members and Sponsors

As I look over past Chairman’s news letters it appears the weather is top of the conversation in true British style. With the harvest almost over I'm sure the arable farmers are some what happy with the yields from their crops. The exceptionally hot spring certainly had many worried with crops showing signs of drought at a time of year when crops and grass should be flourishing. A good dose of rain arrived mid June just in time and I believe yields on corn have been good, having said that dairy farmers didn't quite get the expected quantity of first cut grass silage compared to recent years.

With the arrival of rain the harvest has not really been a smooth affair, the rain has not really given up since, the result being combines being static more often than not.

All the judging has now been completed and congratulations to all the cup winners, in particular the Royal Farms who once again have won the much acclaimed King George V1 challenge cup. The judging could not of been done without the help of the volunteer judges, many of whom travelled huge distances to judge for us, so on behalf of the committee and association, thank you very much for you help. The judges were treated to a very well hosted supper at Hedsor towers, courtesy of Geoffrey and Thelma Copas and family. Steaks cooked to order on the BBQ with delicious homemade salads and puddings. Thank you to the Copas family for hosting and cooking wonderful food.

The dinner/dance was this year very well attended again with record numbers sitting down to eat. I was certainly glad to be part of it this year having missed it last year due to being caught out abroad with the ash cloud causing chaos! The live band were excellent and coaxed even the most uncoordinated of dancers (myself included!) to cut some rather unusual shapes! Having an auctioneer on the committee was certainly a bonus, with Geoff White doing a sterling job of running the auction, raising huge amounts of money for charity. All this was down to Tom Mcardle and his superb organising skills which pulled this night together, so thank you Tom for all your hard work.

The farm walk this year was held at the Royal Farms. This was a very interesting evening as we were not only shown arable fields but also the automated dairy unit and the recently planted vineyard. Afterward we were treated to drinks and a great b-b-q. Our thanks go to Mark and his staff for making us feel very welcome.

This year the Presidents Lunch Party was held at Hornbuckle Farm courtesy of William Emmett. Fortunately the weather on the day was very good and William and his family put on a splendid feast with copious amounts of drink. It was a very social and enjoyable afternoon with a wide age range of members attending. Once again our thanks to William and his family for there hard work in making it such a successful day.

Our next and incredibly important event is the ploughing match. This year hosted by courtesy of the Emmett Bros at Water Oakley farm on the Windsor road. Once again, organised by Derek Potter, Tony King and their ploughing committee, it promises to be a superb event and I strongly urge all members to come and support such a prestigious and long standing event. I believe in the region of 50 ploughmen are expected to come and try to win the judges over with the most accurate and skilled furrow. Other highlights of the day are to included the dog show with a guest judge, falconry display, tractor and trailer rides around the ploughing ground, hog roast and BBQ as well as sponsors displaying the most modern of farm machinery and equipment.

Our final event of the year is the harvest lunch. This year we have opted to have a catered function at Hennerton golf club in Remenham Hill on the 20th November comprising of a traditional Sunday lunch. For those of you unfamiliar with the location, the dinning room overlooks the golf course with superb views and if the weather allows, having pre- lunch drinks on the patio will just add to the ambiance of the afternoon. Children of course are very welcome as long as the golf balls are not retrieved from the greens following a golfer’s 200 yard drive!

On a very sad note, I am deeply sorry to announce the passing of 2 members of the Association. Alan Godsal of Haines Hill,a very well respected farmer, estate and land owner and Jackie King, wife of Tony King who is on the REB committee. Jackie whom I knew personally, was a true inspiration, remaining incredibly positive and up beat despite fighting a horrific battle. Our sincere condolences to members of their families who have endured such terrible losses. May they both rest in peace.

It would seem that the spate of farm theft I talked about in my last newsletter has calmed down. The introduction of trackers and immobilisers by farmers and contractors alike at huge expense may well have detered them but I would still urge everyone to keep an eye on your and your neighbour’s equipment, using the REB email group to warn of others misfortune.

I look forward to seeing you all at the ploughing match

Alastair Brooker

Chairman to the REBAA 2011