Contact Us Home Programme & Exhibition Speakers Sponsors Delegate Information Post Conference Papers Guy Smith Conference Chairman Guy Henry Smith is married with three children. He is Managing Director of Smith Farms (Clacton) Ltd which comprises 1400 acres combinable crops. Diversifications include a golf park, garden centre, commercial airstrip and fishing lakes. The farm has been recognised for its conservation work. Guy was educated at Clacton Grammar and The University of Kent at Canterbury from where he graduated in 1981. He is also a freelance journalist and was Periodical Publishers Association columnist of the year in 2003. He also carries out a number of broadcasting, lecturing and outside speaking engagements. Guy also holds the following: HGCA Board member., CEL Board member, NFU Governance Board member, Council Member of the NFU for Essex., Eastern Region NFU Chairman, Chairman of the LEAF Communication Committee, Chair of the Essex Schools day Co-ordinating committee, Director of the Tendring Show,Nuffield Scholar. 1994., Chairman of the Nuffield Arable Group, Jubilee Frank Arden Nuffield Award 2000, NFU Ambassador the Year 2004, Very proud holder of a Green Blue Peter badge (awarded in 2003) Professor Allan Buckwell Key Note Speaker - Country Land and Business Association Allan Buckwell joined the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) in January 2000. His role is to coordinate all aspects of land use policy and land use advice to members covering agriculture, forestry, environment and water, and other issues. He is also Chairman of the policy group of the European Landowners Organisation, which brings together landowners from the EU member states, including many from the new Member States in Central and Eastern Europe. Before joining the CLA he had held the position of Professor of Agricultural Economics at Wye College (now Imperial College London, Wye Campus) since 1984. Prior to that he was lecturer in agricultural economics at Newcastle University. Throughout his career, his main interest has been the nature and effects of the Common Agricultural Policy. He has advised the agricultural committees of both houses of the UK Parliament, and also the European Parliament. In 1995/6 he was seconded to the think tank within the Agricultural Directorate of the European Commission. From 1993-1996 he was President of the European Association of Agricultural Economists, and was President of the UK Agricultural Economics Society 2005/06. His role has been helping seek a more economically rational agricultural and rural policy for the benefit of citizens, food consumers and producers. He strongly supports the CLA policy that the CAP must move towards a more integrated rural policy particularly emphasising agri-environment and rural development. The policy challenge is to devise better ways than in the past to deal with the trio of problems: market failures, missing markets and market imperfections. More recently he has focussed a great deal of his work on how private sector land managers can be rewarded for delivering public environmental and cultural landscape services and dealing with environmental challenges such as climate change. Neil Parker Market Strategist - RBS Neil joined the Royal Bank of Scotland in 1995 having graduated with an honours degree in economics and a masters degree in international economics. He has worked in economic research for 14 years and worked closely with former Monetary Policy Committee member Marian Bell. His current areas of focus are on the economies of the G7, interest rate and foreign exchange markets. In this capacity Neil regularly speaks at corporate events and seminars, he also hosts a regular monthly conference call for clients, attends client meetings and writes research on all of these subjects. Andrew Dewing Chief Executive - Dewing Grain Andrew Dewing joined the merchanting sector of the grain trade in 1978. In 1996 he was appointed to the Norfolk Farmers’ Cooperative, Aylsham Grain where he is currently Managing Director and in 2006 he formed his own grain marketing company, Dewing Grain. Andrew also performs a consultancy role on grain marketing and risk management and regularly speaks on behalf of the HGCA at their seminars. In more recent times he has devoted his time and energy in forming a new farmers’ grain store, Yaregrain based at Cantley. Clarke Willis Chief Executive - Anglia Farmers Clarke Willis is Chief Executive of Anglia Farmers Limited, the Honingham based agricultural co-operative purchasing group. Born in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, Clarke graduated in agricultural marketing at Harper Adams. His career started at British Sugar and he was Managing Director of Dengie Crops Limited for 10 years, one of the first farmer's co-operatives to become a farmer controlled business. In 1992 he moved to Dalgety Agriculture where he was National Sales Manager and then General Manager of Spillers Feeds International. Following the sale of the Dalgety business he was Commercial Director of a logistics supply chain software company, from where he was persuaded to return to agriculture to manage the merger of the two original buying groups that formed Anglia Farmers. Richard Garrod Brian E Garrod & Partners Richard was born at Manor Farm, Bintree and went to school in Bawdeswell and then onto Langley School. He studied agriculture at Newcastle University between 1984 and 1986 gaining a 2:1 honours degree. This was followed by an eight month sabbatical in America, New Zealand and Australia, whereupon Richard returned home to work in partnership with his parents on the family farm. In 1999 Richard attended the Worshipful Company of Farmers, Wye College. During 2001 he married his wife Catherine and they have two children, Amy and Annabel. Richard enjoys playing hockey with Dereham Hockey Club, holidaying abroad with his family together with shooting and golf. Originally a tenant farmer Richard now owns both farms and opened a farm shop at Bintree in 2005 specialising in home grown bird seeds. He is currently the largest popcorn farmer in Norfolk and his motto is "I will try anything three times!" Alastair Kerr Wm Kerr (Farms) Limited Alastair returned back to the family farming business in 1996 after studying agricultural farm management at The Royal Agricultural College. William Kerr Farms Ltd grows a variety of irrigated and non- irrigated crops, on a mixture of soil types in East Suffolk, under various management arrangements allowing them to supply a variety of customers. He has been involved in different areas of the business since returning in 1996. In 2006 he setup “Grainmonitor” - a grain marketing business, with Robin Wright (formerly with Mark Lawrence Grain) which operates from East Suffolk. Grainmonitor offers farmers a hands on marketing service, and also offers help and advice to farmers on various compliance issues under the "Farm Monitor". Rob Mutimer Mutimer Partnership Born and bred in Norfolk, Rob has always had a keen interest in farming. After a year farming in Australia he decided that tractor driving was not for him and enrolled in a course in agricultural food marketing at Harper Adams. This lead to a short spell working in the fresh produce industry and then back into the family pig business. For the past 16 years he has farmed with his parents and brother who loves tractors and runs the arable side of the business. After restructuring the pig unit in 2004 they set up Swannington Farm To Fork butchery, retailing and wholesaling their own meat direct to consumers. He is married to Helen who is a "large animal" vet and currently expecting their first child. His other interests include North Walsham Rugby Club and skiing. Ed Wharton Charles Wharton Limited Ed is 43 years old and is the youngest of 4 children, with 3 older sisters!! He was educated at Framlingham College and then studied agricultural and food marketing at Newcastle University. After Newcastle he returned to the family farm in east Norfolk where he has been for the past 21 years. The farm has a number of enterprises ranging from a dairy herd and broiler breeder poultry to blackcurrants and mint. Ed is married to Kate and they have 3 young daughters. Brought up with racquet sports Ed still plays regular tennis and occasional squash. He is a terrible shot, a hacker on the golf course and an average skier but loves all three sports. Last year he had a mid-life crisis and started getting into triathlons, something he hopes to continue in 2010. He is a season ticket holder at Carrow Road. Ed loves farming but can't stand expensive and unreliable farm machinery, flytipping, 'jobsworths', political correctness and money being wasted due to over zealous regulation. Jim Paice Conservative Party From school Jim spent two years working on farms before attending Writtle Agricultural College and starting a career in farm management. In his youth and early twenties, Jim was active in the Young Farmers movement, representing the UK on the European Council of Young Farmers from 1975 to 1979. After entering parliament in 1987 Jim held a series of Ministerial posts, not least at the Department of Education and Employment where he was in charge of the Government’s training programmes and the massive expansion of further education. Jim has spent the majority of his time in opposition as the Conservative spokesman on farming and rural affairs. In what little spare time he has, Jim enjoys country pursuits, tending to his small herd of highland cattle and spending time with his family. Charles Clarke Labour Party Charles Clarke is Member of Parliament for Norwich South. He worked as a researcher and then Chief of Staff to former Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock from 1981 to 1992. From 1992 to 1997, before his election as a Member of Parliament, Mr Clarke was chief executive of Quality Public Affairs, a public affairs management consultancy. He has been MP for Norwich South since 1997. He gained extensive experience of local government in the London Borough of Hackney where he was chair of the housing committee and vice chair of economic development between 1980 and 1986. Charles became Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for School Standards in July 1998. He was appointed Minister of State at the Home Office on 29 July 1999 and became Minister without portfolio and Labour Party Chair in July 2001. Mr Clarke was appointed Home Secretary in December 2004 leaving the Home Office on May 5th 2006. Educated at Highgate School, London , Mr Clarke read mathematics and economics at Kings College Cambridge, graduating with a BA (Hons). He was President of the National Union of Students from 1975 to 1977. Born in 1950, Mr Clarke married in 1984. He and his wife Carol have two sons. Stuart Agnew UKIP Stuart Agnew was educated at Gordonstoun School and Cirencester Agricultural College. Between 1971 and 1983 he held three different positions in Norfolk as a farm manager and worked for the Rhodesian Ministry of Agriculture. He served in the Rhodesian Army in 1976. With family backing he was able to start farming here in 1983 on 300 acres and the business has since grown to include sheep and more recently diversified into free range egg production. The number of birds has increased and will reach 35,000 next month. He has been Norfolk NFU County Chairman and Council Delegate. In 2009 he was elected to the EU Parliament, where he sits on the agricultural committee. He is married with three sons. Martin Haworth Director of Policy at the NFU Martin Haworth has a degree in Modern History from St John's College, Oxford University. After university he became a stagiaire (trainee) at the European Commission in Brussels in 1973. He subsequently joined the full time staff of the Commission working in the external relations and information field. Besides working in Brussels he was also in the New York delegation (1975-78 where he was the EC's press attaché at the United Nations) and in the London office. In 1980 he joined the NFU's Economics Department, specialising in European issues. Between 1983 - 86 he was Head of the NFU's Brussels office. Returning to London he worked for a time as the Personal Assistant to the then President of the NFU, Sir Simon Gourlay. In 1989 he was made Head of International Affairs at the NFU, involving responsibility for co-ordinating European policy, trade issues etc., and managing the NFU's international contacts. He has been heavily involved in the work of the European farmers organisation (COPA) and was President to its General Experts Group from 1992-95. In 1995 he was awarded the Chevalier du Merite Agricole by the French Government. In October 1996 he also assumed management responsibility for the Economics Department and Brussels Office and for policy strategy. Since 1999 he has been Director of Policy at the NFU. And in November 2009, Martin was appointed Acting Director General. Norman Lamb Liberal Democrat Party Norman Lamb has lived in Norfolk since 1971 - apart from university, law school and a job at Westminster for a year. He is married to Mary and they have two children, Archie and Ned. Norman's family moved to Norfolk when his father, Professor Hubert Lamb, established the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia. The Unit has become a world renowned research institution. Achieving a degree in law, Norman was President of the University Law Society in his final year. He then qualified as a solicitor after working for a year as a Parliamentary Assistant for Greville Janner, QC, MP. Norwich City Council was Norman's first employer. He worked there as a senior assistant solicitor before joining Norfolk solicitors Steele and Co. A year after joining the company Norman became a partner, and went on to head the firm's specialist Employment Unit. He was recognised as a leader in employment law in the two national guides to the legal profession: the Legal 500 and Chambers Directory (he is described as "charismatic"!) and is the author of a book on employment law: Remedies in the Employment Tribunal, published by Sweet and Maxwell in 1998. Norman Lamb's first entry into politics was in the unlikely role of researcher for a Labour MP in the early 1980's. But with the launch of the SDP and the Alliance with the Liberal Party, Norman set about winning the formerly solid Labour seat of Nelson Ward on Norwich City. After a number of years of hard work for local residents in Nelson Ward, Norman not only got himself but also a further three Liberal Democrats, including his wife Mary, elected as County Councillors. After quickly being spotted as a rising star of the Liberal Democrats, helping organise Paddy Ashdown's successful leadership bid in Norfolk and becoming leader of the opposition on Norwich City Council, Norman was encouraged to move his talents on to a Parliamentary seat. In 1991 Norman was selected as the prospective parliamentary candidate for North Norfolk Liberal Democrats and, after a string of local council by-election victories, established himself and the Liberal Democrats as the clear rival to the Conservatives in North Norfolk. Following his election to Parliament, in the autumn of 2001 Norman was appointed Liberal Democrat Deputy Spokesperson for International Development. In November 2002 he moved to become Shadow Treasury Minister in the party's Treasury Team and in January 2003 he was elected to the influential Treasury Select Committee. In October 2003 he was appointed PPS to Charles Kennedy. Following the 2005 election, Norman Lamb was appointed to the Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet, with responsibility for Trade & Industry. In this role, Norman put forward radical proposals to save the post office network. In March 2006, Norman was appointed as Chief of Staff to the new Liberal Democrat Leader Ming Campbell. In December 2006, Norman was appointed as the Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary.