Beet entries invited - One of the club's longest-running competitions for sugar beet growers will be judged later this month. Entries for the best two acres and the best overall beet crops will be judged by British Sugar's Charlie Lockhart. The prizes will be presented at the club's annual dinner on Wednesday, March 24 at Salhouse Lodge by ABF's chief executive George Weston. Please send entries to the secretary, Michael Pollitt, via email - michaelbpollitt@btinternet.com or to my mobile
-07852 718342. The same field may be entered for both competitions. A map showing location, (W3W) or google map and the size of field and best field access would assist the secretary and judge.
Entry added: 07 Oct 2026 |
A diamond celebration – A family gathering for 27 at the Recruiting Sergeant, Horstead, marked the diamond jubilee of Stalham Farmers’ Club member Malcolm and Valerie Nicholson. They were married at Hickling Church on Saturday, October 3, 1966. Entry added: 06 Oct 2026 |
Brunstead Trosh – Friends, neighbours and machinery enthusiasts enjoyed a sunshine day and watched a 1930s Marshall thrashing drum and 1928 Marshall steamer at work.
Host Alan Beck, of Brunstead Hall, had grown the one-hectare crop of the 1860s wheat variety Squareheads Master. The 10-strong team was led by Scott Bunting, of Skeyton, who brought along Roger Coe’s drum, with a 1930s Lanz baler, and his traction engine, Monty, on Sunday, October 4.
The crop yielded about 25 cwt an acre but more importantly produced long lengths of straw in great demand from thatchers, who use it for ridges.
Two traction engines added a nostalgic touch alongside several veteran cars while a neighbour, Richie Hannant, brought along his 1914 Aveling & Porter traction engine, the Duke of Norfolk.
For another spectator, Tony Nicholson, it brought back memories from 60 years ago of working with threshing teams. “It was in March 1966 – the year that England won the world Cup – that we last threshed a wheat crop at Sutton. The combine harvester had taken over from the binders and threshing drums,” he added.
A barbecue run by Scott’s father Stewart raised donations for the Big C.
Please look at the pictures in the Photo Gallery!
Entry added: 06 Oct 2026 |
Exciting programme planned for new season - From a large organic farm enterprise in Suffolk to the country's leading specialist salad grower, there's plenty to interest members, and guests, of Stalham Farmers' Club in the latest winter programme.
A visit to a specialist potato grower using a robotic potato grader kicks off the season later this month before the indoor season starts on Wednesday, November 11 with Henry Shropshire, of G's, and colleague Alex Duncan, of East Coast Growers.
On December 9, again at Wroxham Barns, John Pawsey and his son Rufus, will outline the challenges facing their fourth-generation Shimpling Park business, near Bury St Edmunds.
The New Year starts with another "double header" as Frances Roberson, of the RNAA's food and farming discovery trust, and award-winning ice cream maker and Mid-Norfolk dairy farmer Charlotte Dann, outline their ideas on promoting food and farming on January 13. And young farmers' club members are especially welcome to attend all our meetings.
While the date has not yet been settled, Tom Youngs, from Sankence Farm, near Aylsham, will talk in February about the decision to start a new beef herd. It was a quarter of a century ago that the dairy herd was dispered.
The club's annual dinner returns to Salhouse Lodge on Wednesday, March
24 and George Weston, chief executive of ABF (Associated British Foods) will be speaking and presenting the trophies and prize cards.
The chairman, Jason Cantrill, supported by vice-chairman William Love, hope this attractive programme will encourage more members, and guests, to support the winter indoor meetings at Wroxham Barns. Again, all are welcome to join the speakers and club officers for supper beforehand.
Supper is a two-course meal, which must be booked in advance and the secretary, Michael Pollitt, will circulate details before each meeting.
And meanwhile, entries for the sugar beet competitions are being encouraged as well as grain samples for the wheat and barley cups. For details, contact Michael Pollitt, 07852 718342, email michaelbpollitt@btinternet or ring 01603 486997.
Entry added: 02 Oct 2026 |
Champion farmer award - Congratulations to the Farmers Weekly award winners. Stalham member James Chapman, of Rollesby, won the “Farmer of the Year” title in London on October 1 having earlier taken the arable farmer of the year award. He also won the Norfolk county farm business championship last year, awarded by the Aylsham Agricultural Show Association.
Mr Chapman, also nominated in the Farmers Weekly environmental award category, was one of hundreds if not thousands of disappointed applicants for Defra’s second round of the SFI (Sustainable Farming
Incentive) scheme. When the funding window for the total of £253m closed in less than six hours last week, he lost out on his £6,000 annual claim for a three-year green scheme.
Norfolk also triumphed with Mark Gorton, of Traditional Norfolk Poultry, of Shropham, near Attleborough, as the “Poultry Farmer of the Year.” Earlier this summer, he was awarded the Sir Timothy Colman award by the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association.
North Farm Livestock, the north Norfolk-based business originally launched by the late Tom Crane and Roger Newton, and now led by the Baker family, took the “Pig Farmer of the Year title.
And a further Norfolk connection as Will Jones, son of Mid-Norfolk farmer Ed Jones, who farms for Albanwise in Yorkshire, won the Farm Manager of the Year.
Stalham was represented by a good company including the club’s chairman, Jason Cantrill, Tim Papworth, Richard Hirst, Chris Borrett, Henry Alston and Emily Norton.
The Hawkstone Choir entertained the gathering with four of their songs ahead of the album release for Christmas.
Entry added: 02 Oct 2026 |
Beet growers’ meetings
Two open meetings will be taking this month to discuss the implications of British Sugar’s decision to close the beet sugar factory at Cantley next year.
The meetings are open to all Cantley growers and contractors. Further details for campaigns after the 2026/2027 season will be announced.
Both meetings start at 9am and registration to attend is requested.
At Rossi’s, North Walsham NR28 0JQ on Thursday, September 10.
At Cantley Social Club NR13 3ST on Tuesday, September 15. Entry added: 04 Sep 2026 |
Glorious summer visit to special north Norfolk estate - Almost 100 members and guests of Stalham Farmers' Club with east Norfolk National Farmers' Union were invited to tour the Kelling Hall estate, near Holt, on a warm summer's evening by Hayley Robertson, on behalf of the Widdowson family. The visitors, who later enjoyed a magnificent hog roast and ample refreshments, were treated to a tour of the 2,250-acre estate. While the family acquired the estate in 2008, the last four years have seen a major drive to encourage wildlife diversity and habitats alongside at least 500ha of mainly arable crops. The visitors were welcomed by the club chairman Jason Cantrill. Full report - See the Stalham News tab on the left. Entry added: 19 Jun 2026 |
Anorther coup for Stalham - Congratulations to long-standing club members Tim Papworth, his father Jim and to Kit Papworth, of LF Papworth, of Lodge Farmm Felmingham, in the latest Norfolk County Farm Business competition. Their whole enterprise was the reserve supreme overall in the annual competition, organised by the Aylsham Agricultural Show Association. But the honours this year went to Sir John White's Salle Farms and the team led by Andrew Peal. The two finalists have dominated the competition over the past four decades having been frequent winners. Entry added: 15 Jun 2026 |
Congratulations to the Tallowin family - Wildlife thrives alongside food production at an award-winning Broadland farm. Willow Farm, Hickling, was the winner of the 2025 Ian MacNicol Memorial Trophy, awarded by Norfolk Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group. The annual competition recognises best conservation practice with commercial food production.
James Tallowin, and his father John, incidentally both members of Stalham Farmers’ Club, were congratulated for nurturing “an amazing array of wildlife” on the family farm, which adjoins one of Norfolk’s largest broads.
In the last 20 years, 180 bird species have been recorded, 11 bat species and 650 types of moth. The 230ha farm is mainly arable and includes one of the country’s top performing poultry units producing
80,000 broiler chickens.
There has also been significant investment in roof-mounted solar panels with 120Kw capacity on poultry housing, 200kw battery storage and also a 550kw biomass boiler. Full story and photographs, see EDP online, Friday, June 12.
Entry added: 12 Jun 2026 |
Club's farm visit - A handful of places, literally, are still available for the club's farm walk to the Kelling Hall estate, which is organised with East Norfolk branch of the National Farmers' Union. A total of 92 places have been booked out of a maximum 100 for Tuesday evening's tour, starting at 5.30pm prompt. Text the secretary on 07852 718342 or email michaelbpollitt@btinternet.com as soon as possible. All requests will be acknowledged. Entry added: 12 Jun 2026 |