News | Stalham Farmers' Club | Leading speakers from the agricultural industry.

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President highlights sugar beet crisis
Hundreds of acres of sugar beet across Norfolk have not been lifted, said leading east Norfolk farmer and club president Thomas Love.
Speaking to Anna Hill on the BBC Radio 4 programme, Farming Today, he had 60 ha or 150 acres of beet to lift in his part of coastal east Norfolk. There were hundreds of acres of beet still in the ground, he said.
In a masterly understatement, Mr Love said that growers were in a “bit of a muddle” because of the wet weather, snow and ice. He suggested that it could take up to a mo nth for the ground to dry and for beet to be lifted.
British Sugar’s Cantley factory was open while all the others had sliced out. Given the volume of the crop to be harvested, he hoped that British Sugar might consider keeping Cantley open beyond March 12.
With rising world demand for sugar and higher global prices, it would make sense to process as much of crop as possible, he said.
To hear the full interview, BBC Sounds, Farming Today, 5.45am, Wednesday, February 17.
Entry added: 17 Feb 2021
Get snapping for Stalham’s ‘Spring is Springing’ gallery:

Why not take part in Stalham’s latest photographic challenge – following the great success of last year’s summer picture gallery of farming in east Norfolk.
Website manager Tim Papworth would welcome your photographs, so please send your “snatch & grab” phone/ camera pictures to him. As February is set to be one of the wettest on record, he has already photographed some extraordinary scenes of erosion in fields across the county. Have you better or worse examples?
And, as spring is “springing” and the days lengthen, let’s look forward to a brighter farming year.
Why not share your shots of spring – anything from clumps of snowdrops to daffodils to sheep/ cattle/ horses grazing or signs of spring in the hedgerows.
Almost 100 photographs taken by members were displayed in the gallery last year – can we do better?
Send your snaps – of whatever quality – to tim@lfpapworth.co.uk
Entry added: 07 Feb 2021
Sugar Beet Competition Deadline:

Michael needs the whole crop beet entries by close of play on Monday, October 5 - for judging on Wednesday.
It would greatly assist the judge if details of the field size/ location could be submitted, with an indication of suggested field entrance. A map with OS reference/ Google/ or other identifying features would also help. Several entries have been received, so apologies for duplication.
There is no entry fee for any of the competitions - and obviously, samples for the grain competitions will also be appreciated too. These may be left by permission of Neal Sands at Brunstead or delivered to the chairman, Chris Borrett.
best wishes
Michael Pollitt
01603 486997
Entry added: 01 Oct 2020
Tractor tribute to Greg Anderson:

A tractor tribute to one of farming’s gentlemen, Greg Anderson, took place in the back roads around east Norfolk on Sunday, September 13.
Around 100 tractors and cars including a number of classic and veteran cars met at Hirsty’s Mega Maze at Hemsby before leaving on a 11-mile run through neighbouring villages in Martham, Filby and the Fleggs.
Around 240 friends and members of the farming community paid tribute to Mr Anderson, aged 58, who died in a car accident at Stalham almost a month earlier.
His brother-in-law Richard Hirst addressed the socially-distanced gathering in the extensive car park and spoke of the tragic loss of a true, farming, gentleman.
Dozens of tractors of all colours lined up alongside a number of classic cars including a 1937 Lagonda and Tom and Abi Coller’s 1962 Ford Anglia – on its first outing for 18 years from the Pertwee & Back showroom. A massive 20-tonne breakdown lorry and a 1946 five-ton Bedford lorry, driven by Alan Beck, of Brunstead, near Stalham, and Fergus Anderson’s Ferret also joined the convoy, as well as the Happisburgh “honey cart.” Complying with Covid-19 rules, a planned hog roast and catering had been cancelled.
The family later added: “We just wanted to say a very big thank you for coming on Sunday and showing such amazing support.
“It was a wonderful tribute to Greg and we are sure that he would have loved the spectacle that you all had a hand in creating.
“We are astounded that your contributions have helped us to raise more than £6,000 for YANA – thank you all so much for your generosity.” – Diana, James and Michael.
Entry added: 16 Sep 2020
Stalham wins supreme barley trophy:

For the first time in years, Stalham has clinched the supreme inter-club barley competition.
The two best samples, as selected by Bob King, of the Crisp Malting Group, from Stalham and Holt & District Farmers’ Club, were judged.
The supreme champion sample was the spring barley, Laureate, grown in 2019 by a former club chairman George Gay, of Mautby Farms.
The reserve championship went to the competition’s multiple former winner, William Mack, of Hempstead Hall, near Holt, with the spring barley variety, Propino. He had won his club’s malting barley trophy for the past three years.
The result should have been announced at Stalham’s annual dinner in late March but it was postponed because of the rising numbers of Covid-19 cases.
Entry added: 04 Sep 2020
Rooster triumph for club’s president:

In the potato cup, there was success for the president, Thomas Love, and his son William, of Walcott Farms. They wrested the Potato Cup from two-time winner, Tim Papworth, of LF Papworth, of Felmingham.
Both had grown the same variety, Rooster, in 2019. The judge, Denis Walsh, awarded second prize to Robin Baines for his crop of Innovator.
Entry added: 04 Sep 2020
Stalham 2019 crop competitions:

Barley inter-club champion - Supreme - Mautby Farms (Laureate). Reserve, William Mack, of Holt & District Farmers’ Club (Propino). Judge, Bob King, Crisp Malting Group.

Potatoes -1 Walcott Farms (Rooster); 2 Robin Baines & Co (Innovator); 3 LF Papworth (Rooster). Judge, Denis Walsh.

Sugar beet
Cantley Cup, best overall 2019/20 crop - 1 R Ellis & Son, Hickling; 2 Kevin Starkings, Coltishall; 3 Andrew Withers, Edingthorpe.

Whole crop - 1 GA Tallowin & Co; 2 LF Papworth; 3 CN Beck & Sons. Judge, Ken Matthews.
Best two-acre - 1 HBS Farms; 2 Hirst Farms; 3 Walcott Farms. Judge, Sarah Bebb.

Cereals
Wheat - 1 HBS Farms- (Spotlight); 2 Mautby Farms - (Graham); 3 Milligen McLeod - (Siskin).
Barley - 1 Mautby Farms (Laureate); 2 Milligen McLeod (Maris Otter); 3 AJ Key (Laureate).
Entry added: 04 Sep 2020
Remembering Greg Anderson:

And finally, our thoughts are with Greg Anderson’s family. Details of the forthcoming celebration of the life of Greg Anderson and the tractor and car run on Sunday, September 13, have already been posted on the club’s website. A popular farmer and member, Greg also achieved the double in the grain cups by winning the barley and wheat competitions in 2007. His tragic death on Friday, August 14, was a huge shock to the farming community.
Entry added: 04 Sep 2020
Lockdown activity:

A photographic challenge during the Covid-19 lockdown was the brainchild of our webmaster Tim Papworth. His initial “snaps” of farming, landscape and country scenes encouraged several dozen members to take some memorable, and often funny photographs. And, the club’s efforts were also featured during lockdown by the Eastern Daily Press.
Launched in April, more than 60 images were posted that month on the website. In May, another 72 were posted and in all 150 shots were submitted – which can be viewed on “Photo Gallery.”
Roving cyclist David Faulkner, who took some splendid images of churches for the Round Tower Churches Society’s website, started another theme – village signs, also enthusiastically embraced by Tim Papworth, who added several dozen on his travels. To date, a total of 81 signs are currently featured. Please send more to Tim Papworth.
Entry added: 04 Sep 2020
Competitions 2021:

Judging of the Potato Cup was carried out last month by Denis Walsh, who was able to “social distance” in eight different fields.
Entries for the whole beet crop, and also the best-two acre, are also invited. Please let the secretary know – with details of the field etc by the end of September. Three entries have been received, to date.
Again, there’s no entry fee – and the whole crop will be judged in the first week of October – before Cantley opens around October 13. Ken Matthews, also social distancing, will run the rule over crops.
The two-acre will be judged later in October.
Grain:
Entries for barley and wheat are also needed. Given some comments about the quality of barley grown in east Norfolk, there may be some cracking samples. Please let the chairman, Chris Borrett, of Adams & Howling, have them or they may be left by permission of Neal Sands, at Sands.
Entry added: 04 Sep 2020
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