2024 Autumn Farming Conference to focus on sustainability

Environmental and financial sustainability will take centre stage at the 2024Larking Gowen Autumn Farming Conference. After two successful annual events at venues in East Suffolk, it will be held in the west of the county, at All Saints Hotel, Fornham St. Genevive, Bury St Edmunds, on Tuesday 5 November 2024. Aimed at farmers, growers, landowners and the agricultural / rural business sector, this insightful event is organised by Larking Gowen, supported by the Country Land and Business Association (CLA).

A major regional independent accountancy partnership Larking Gowen is one of the UK’s top 50 accountancy firms, its Farms and Rural Business division having one of the largest teams of agricultural specialists in East Anglia and beyond, with five partners and 50 FTE staff serving over 800 clients farming 400,000 acres.

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) is the membership organisation for owners of land, property and businesses in rural England and Wales.

The event will be hosted by Bruce Masson, the Larking Gowen partner who originated it, supported by two of the firm’s other partners Steven Rudd, Head of the Farms and Rural Business team, and Laurie Hill.

“This year’s Autumn Farming Conference will highlight the options available to help farmers put their businesses on a sure footing for the future,” Bruce states. “The emphasis will be on delivering practical information and advice in the areas of environmental schemes and reporting which delegates can apply to their own situation.

“The extreme weather-related challenges which many farming businesses faced last season resulted in lower yields and profitability, compounded by volatile input and commodity prices. The closure of the Basic Payment Scheme in 2023 in favour of delinked payments from 2024 to 2027 has exacerbated these issues.

The financial impact of these events is now being felt by farming businesses, which to recover and remain viable will need to maintain a high degree of flexibility, optimise their use of available resources and focus on long-term solutions rather than short-term fixes. We have seen a surge of interest in agri-environment initiatives, but before committing to any changes farmers must consider all their options and discuss them with a professional adviser, as schemes such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) will be right for some but not for others.”

The event will be Chaired by CLA East Director Cath Crowther, who comments: “At a time of significant change and uncertainty, the Autumn Farming Conference provides the perfect opportunity to get together and discuss key challenges and opportunities for the agricultural sector. The CLA is delighted to be involved in an event where you can hear from a range of experts, gain unique insights and network with others in the industry.”

Headline sponsor, Alan Boswell Group, is an insurance and financial planning group with 40 years’ experience. One of the largest independent insurance brokers in the UK, it has 400 members of staff at eight offices in Norfolk, Suffolk, Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire. Chris Gibbs, Managing Director, states: “We are pleased to sponsor this year’s Autumn Farming Conference, acknowledging the crucial role farmers and agriculture play in supporting both our local communities and the wider economy.”

The conference is also being supported by Ashtons Legal and Virgin Money.

Toby Whittacker-Cook of Ashtons Legal comments: “Ashtons Legal are proud to be sponsoring Larking Gowen’s upcoming farming conference. Like Larking Gowen, we know the landscape of East Anglia well. Our Agriculture Solicitors have been helping many of the region’s agricultural businesses, both large and small, for many years. We understand that farms and estates are much more than businesses. They are homes and often financial centres for extended families. Understanding both the commercial and the cultural aspects of farming and the wider agricultural sector is essential background to providing an effective legal service. We look forward to meeting conference attendees on our stand at the event, catching up with business owners we know, and having the chance to meet new contacts.”

Oliver Maxey, Head of Agriculture, Virgin Money, adds: “Virgin Money Agriculture are delighted to sponsor the Autumn Farming Conference given the great line-up of speakers who will be talking about all the key aspects of farming as it shapes up for the challenges ahead. The many Relationship Managers within Virgin Money Agriculture remain focused on supporting and serving the bank’s customers.”

The 2024 Autumn Farming Conference will include presentations from a range of speakers, all experts in their respective fields. Collectively, they will provide a valuable insight into where we are as an industry, the headwinds facing the farming sector, the opportunities for businesses which position themselves correctly, together with an insight into the future direction of travel. Full details of the topics, speakers and sponsors are currently being finalising.

The speakers include Abigail Maynard, Agricultural Environmental Consultant, Divisional Partner, Brown & Co who will talk through the myriad options when it comes to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) schemes. The government defines BNG as a way of creating and improving natural habitats as well as making sure development has a measurable positive impact on biodiversity, compared to what was there before.

Michelle Masson, a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA) who is trained in Landed Estates and associated business, will discuss the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of ‘Sustainability & Carbon Reporting,’ a new area for many in the farming industry. Michelle, who has worked across many sectors in recent years providing support in Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR), and developing baseline carbon reporting, will outline how to get started and planning for the future.

The initial presentations will be followed by an ESG panel discussion and coffee at 10.30, following which Sam Steggles, owner of award-winning farm business The Goat Shed at Honingham near Norwich, will outline his inspirational diversification journey over the last 15 years, charting how he went from dreaming about becoming an artisan cheese producer to running an award-winning customer-focussed farm-based business. Underlining the fact that there are always opportunities ‘out there’ this year has seen the biggest evolution in the Goat Shed’s history, its farm shop doubling in size to offer a new deli, bakery and butchery, paddock area and maize maze to help connect visitors to the land and animals.

Edward Vipond, Farms Manager for Troston Farms Ltd at Stanton in Suffolk, will outline how the business is positioning for the future by using technology to help balance the requirements of food production and the environment. Since 2015 when he joined Troston Farms, which is owned by the Claas family, one of the world’s largest farm machinery manufacturers, Edward has managed significant change and growth. In 2021 he won Farmers Weekly’s ‘Farmer of the Year’ and Farm Manager of the Year’ Awards.

The event will conclude with a joint presentation by Chris Gibbs and Bruce Masson highlighting how to navigate the plethora of red tape surrounding Inheritance Tax and succession planning, a topic which has become very topical since the current government came to power. Given that the Autumn Budget will be on Wednesday 30 October 2024 there will likely be plenty of questions from delegates on the impact of the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s measures.

Charity partners for the 2024 Autumn Farming Conference are YANA (You Are Not Alone), which provides mental health support for the farming and rural community, and RABI, which provides practical, financial and emotional support to the farming community. All profits will go to these much-admired organisations.

Further details of the Autumn Farming Conference are available at www.larking-gowen.co.uk/AFC and tickets, costing £25 – £15 for students – can be booked online. The event will start with arrival/registration from 07.45, bacon rolls and drinks being served on arrival. A hot lunch will be available at 13.30 and the event will conclude at 14.30.