Industry leader to meet fellow members - An opportunity to hear from an industry leader, Emily Norton, tops the agenda for the club’s opening meeting of 2026.
Emily, chair of the AHDB (Agriculture Horticultural Development Board) will be speaking on Wednesday, January 14 at Wroxham Barns NR12 8QU.
Join the chairman, Jonathan Pye for supper beforehand. Meet from 6pm, the meal will be served at 6.25pm with the business meeting from 7.30pm.
All members and guests are welcome to join the supper and meet the speaker or just come to the meeting.
Supper, which costs £20 must be booked beforehand, please let the secretary know – michaelbpollitt@btinternet.com text 07852 718342 or telephone 01603 486997 by Tuesday, January 13 at 10am at the latest.
All requests will be acknowledged – if you don’t hear from me, I’ve not received it.
The meal - Roast breast of chicken, with red onion mash, Stilton and mushroom cream sauce and seasonal veg. Then Bakewell tart and custard As the levy board is funded by members, farmers and growers, this is your opportunity to hear from the chair. All are welcome.
Entry added: 05 Jan 2026 |
Special anniversary programme – Two Norfolk farmers including a keen member of Stalham Farmers’ Club were among the stars of a special BBC Radio 4 programme on Saturday morning at 6.30pm. Anna Hill, one of the presenters of Radio 4’s Farming Today, marked her 30th anniversary with highlights from the past three decades. This included interviewing Broadland farmer Richard Hirst, of Ormesby, about growing peas – one of Anna’s favourite crops. Potatoes were included with a brief clip from Kit Papworth, although now better known for his NFU Sugar expertise.
Anna, who joined Farming Today in 1995, after training in local radio and becoming part of the BBC’s continuity team. Norwich-based Anna won one a Radio “Oscar” with the 2001 Sony Gold Award for her On Your Farm”
programme covering the terrible flooding in Wrexham in north Wales.
Another key to her success – investing in a pair of insulated wellies.
Good luck with your next 30 years. Go to BBC Sounds, Radio 4, Farming Week, Saturday, December 27, 6.30am. Happy New Year to all our members.
Entry added: 30 Dec 2025 |
Christmas greetings- Carole Jacques, headteacher at Earlham Nursery School, sent this message to Stalham's members for the total donations amounting to £830, including match funding from Aviva. "Thank you. It is fantastic and well make a huge difference to what we can offer our members! Please thank all of your members for their very generous donations, once we have decided how we will spend the money I will let you know so you can pass this onto your members.
Wishing a very happy Christmas."
Entry added: 15 Dec 2025 |
Club’s generous donations -Three speakers outlined possible options for conservation strategies in the Broads at Stalham’s December meeting. Andrea Kelly, environment policy adviser with the Broads Authority, Henry Parkinson, of the Langley Abbey environment project and Evan Burdett, of Norfolk Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group, were thanked by Sally Lomax. It was also confirmed that the club has helped to provide £830 in donations to Earlham Nursery School. Full meeting report, see Minutes and Reports on the left. Entry added: 12 Dec 2025 |
Brunstead sign back after seven years. It was a night raid in late July
2018 when thieves unscrewed the distinctive metal sign, featuring a drag rake, a horse and farmworker smoking a pipe, from the private drive to Hall Farm, and St Peter’s Church. It was returned to Alan Beck by Andy Whitmell, of Grimsby, who bought it at a sale for £80 in September last year. Almost half the 65-strong community turned out to watch the sign’s return. Full story – See Newsletters and notes tab on the left. Entry added: 08 Dec 2025 |
Let’s hear the music – It was 75 years ago that composer Ernest John
(EJ) Moeran died on December 1 in Ireland. Born in 1894, he had strong links with east Norfolk and after serving in the Norfolk Regiment as a motorcycle despatch rider during the First World War, he revived his composition skills. In September 1921, while at Bacton, he published the piano piece Stalham River. In the same year, he heard Catfield farmworker Harry Cox singing at the Windmill, Sutton. He was so impressed that he included several songs into the Folk-Song Journal, 1923.
Jack was the second son of the Rev Joseph William Moeran, who had become vicar of Salhouse with Wroxham in 1905. His grandfather, Thomas Warner Moeran was the incumbent at Bacton for almost 40 years from 1873 to 1912, when he retired aged 90. Entry added: 08 Dec 2025 |
Thanks for club’s donation – Head teacher Carole Jacques, who spoke to members at last month’s meeting, has thanked Stalham Farmers’ Club for a donation worth £500 to the Earlham Community Shop. The donation included match-funding by Aviva. Carole, who runs the Earlham Nursery School, highlighted the challenges faced by children and parents on one of Norwich’s long-established estates. Entry added: 08 Dec 2025 |
Two speakers start winter season - Two speakers with fascinating presentations kicked off the club’s winter season. Almost 50 members including a large number of guests were at Wroxham Barns. Carole Jacques, headteacher of Earlham Nursery School, gave a 15-minute summary of the challenge to educate children on a severely economically disadvantaged estate in Norwich. Then Sir William Cubitt described the fate of the 2,000 men from Norfolk serving in the Far East taken prisoner by the Japanese Imperial Army. It was a harrowing account but fortunately, his father, Lt Tom Cubitt, of the 5th Battn, Royal Norfolk Regiment, survived. More than 630 Royal Norfolks did not and died in captivity. Full story – See Minutes and report (Left) Entry added: 14 Nov 2025 |
Challenging times for key Norfolk crops – Prospects for sugar beet and malting barley have both featured in recent interviews on the latest BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today programme.
Sugar beet – Kit Papworth, chair of NFU Sugar, explained the details of the new growers’ contract for next year’s campaign. Although details had been announced in late August, Anna Hill was briefed on the choices faced by beet growers as the Cantley factory had just started its latest processing campaign.
Members are also invited to enter the club’s annual competitions for best whole crop and also the two-acre. It is hoped to judge entries in the next few weeks. To date, two entries have been received. Thank you.
Details to the secretary, michaelbpollitt@btinternet.com or text 07852 718342.
And a self-confessed malting barley enthusiast, committee member Chris Borrett, of grain merchants Adams & Howling was interviewed on Thursday’s programme with Rebecca Gee, grain procurement director of the Great Ryburgh-based Crisp Malting Group. As listeners heard when a lorry was tipping its load of malting barley at the maltings, Chris was able to identify the variety, Flagon, by its colour. This impressed presenter Anna Hill, who suggested that this was almost Nerd-like!
On a more serious note, Mr Borrett said that growers faced on-going price pressures for their crops going forward. But as a county recognised for growing quality malting barley, he suggested that there was a long-term future for the crop although many farmers had reduced their planting this season because of lower prices, partly caused by a global glut.
And, again members have been reminded of the club’s annual grain competitions. Samples of barley and wheat may be bought to the club’s next meeting on Wednesday, November 12 at Wroxham Barns.
To listen again to the Farming Today interviews, go to BBC Sounds – Kit Papworth (Wednesday, October 22, Radio 4 5.50am).
Chris Borrett (Thursday, October 23, Radio 4, 5.53am)
And there’s a full report of the visit to the Norfolk Fire & Rescue Station at Carrow on Tuesday, October 21 on the club’s website with photographs by William Randell.
Entry added: 23 Oct 2025 |
Warm welcome - Norfolk’s firefighter of the year James Hawkins welcomed a 20-strong group of members for a tour of the Carrow fire station, Norwich, on Tuesday, October 21. It was so popular that the scheduled visit actually lasted more than two hours as members were briefed about the Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service’s operations. Thank you to Red Watch for giving their time. For the full story and photographs – see the Minutes and Reports Tab on the left. Entry added: 22 Oct 2025 |