NEWS
Whopping beet lifted - Sugar beet judge Sam Summers lifted a whopper in the club's annual best two-acre competition. With secretary Michael Pollitt, they inspected several hundreds acres of beet crops and also took samples for the two-acre competition. It was only thanks to the staff on the chairman's farm that your secretary managed to re-join the judge, who was waiting patiently at Alan and Geoffrey Beck's Brunstead Hall, for his guide. As Will Sands was away, they brought the farm's Landrover down the track and pulled the secretary's car clear of a heap of poultry manure.
Later that afternoon, when they finally arrived at John Tallowin's Willow Farm, Hickling, after lengthy "road closed" diversions from Waxham via Sutton, the sample of beet was knocked and topped. But the third root was out of the ordinary - it measured 41cm from crown to tip. The results of both competitions will be announced at the club's annual dinner in March. A picure of the "beat that" Beet can be found in the gallery on the left.
[02/12/23]
Call for action on flooding threat - A former club chairman Peter Gardiner will be on Sunday’s BBC Politics East programme supporting calls for a “Minister for coastal flooding.” He has had to house his cattle at least a month earlier because of severe flooding. Mr Gardiner has estimated his additional cost at £800 a day. His land near Potter Heigham was covered in several feet of water after weeks of heavy rain. Although pumps are being used to clear the water, Mr Gardiner said the nearby River Thurne is so full it keeps spilling back on to the land. If we have no grazing, we have nowhere to house our cattle next summer. These extreme weather events we're going to get will cause more flooding so having a minister to monitor the situation nationally must help." Henry Cator, chairman of the Norfolk Strategic Flooding Alliance, wants a designated minister to bring more investment and infrastructure to the region. BBC Politics East will be broadcast on Sunday, 3 December 2023 (10am) at 10:00 BBC 1. It will be available on BBC iPlayer after the broadcast. [01/12/23]
Astonishing rainfall total recorded in east Norfolk –
An astonishing rainfall record was set in October in east Norfolk as more than 11 inches was recorded.
More than twice the previous monthly rainfall total was recorded – breaking a near 50-year record.
Alistair Wright tipped out 270mm in the month at the family’s Church Farm – smashing the rainfall total for October 1974 of 125.98mm, recorded by his late father Nigel.
“We had 32mm in the first two and the deluge in the second half of the month as 238mm was recorded,” said Mr Wright, who a former chairman of Stalham Farmers’ Club. “We had several, really heavy showers that came in off the sea on a north-westerly that just sat over us and really topped the totals up,” he added.
As a recorder for Norfolk Rainfall Organisation from 1972 for almost half a century, Nigel Wright, who was a long-serving secretary to the club, noted that his wettest year was 1987 with 920.23mm (36.22 ins).
For previous Octobers, he recorded the following
1974 - 125.98mm
1987 - 109.87mm
2019 - 121.2mm
The average 30-year monthly rainfall (to 2022) was 73.18mm and the 10-year average was 68.84mm.
And given that a total of 89mm has already been recorded at Stalham in November by Mr Wright, it has been an incredibly wet autumn.
[27/11/23]
SUPPER INVITATION – Wednesday, December 6. Join our speaker Anna Hill at Wroxham Barns NR12 8QU for supper. A presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today for the past 25 years and award-winning broadcaster for the On Your Farm programme., she lives in Norwich. Anna also presented the NFU’s centenary pageant at the 2019 Royal Norfolk Show.
Supper, includes a welcome first drink, costs £20. Please let the secretary know if you’d like to join the chairman, Will Sands, by Monday, December 4 (10am) at the latest. Jack Stuttle’s team served a great meal at our opening meeting, which was enjoyed by 17 members. He will be serving -
Seared pork fillet, roasted new potatoes, tender stem broccoli, carrots and a sage and onion gravy
Sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream.
Bookings, in advance to the secretary, michaelbpollitt@btinternet.com or telephone 01603 486997. All bookings will be acknowledged. Meet at Wroxham Barns from about 6pm – supper served at 6.30pm and the meeting proper at 7.30pm. Payment may be made online if convenient - bank details below or cash on the night. [22/11/23]
CONGRATULATIONS – Our first 2024 speaker Henry Lamb has won the Young Vet of the Year Award. He’ll be talking on Wednesday, January 10 at a joint meeting with North Walsham Young Farmers' Club. A trustee of YANA (You Are Not Alone), he will be talking about avian flu and the implications for farmed poultry and wild birds. Well-travelled, Henry has also been advising poultry farmers in the United States. All welcome to the meeting at Wroxham Barns and join the chairman Will Sands for supper. [22/11/23]