Farming sector bites back at organised crime
Coverage of this story:
Midlands Business New: bit.ly/ObVvuH
National Farmer: 
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The farming sector is hitting back at the wave of organised crime which is now estimated to be costing UK agriculture as much as £50million per year*.
With a recent survey by the NFU*2 suggesting that more than one third of farm businesses in the East of England suffered crime in the last year, with theft of farm machinery, tools and metal the common targets for organised criminals, more farms are demanding high tech security solutions, which are being adapted from commercial situations.
A recognised authority in security technology speaking on the trend has said it’s forcing security suppliers to think outside the box to manage the different threats found on the farm.
Neil Jackson, who has been involved in a number of advisory panels for the industry regulator, the British Security Association (BSIA), explained: “It’s a big challenge, but with the level of losses being suffered by the agricultural sector, the security industry has got to find the right solutions. Figures suggest that many crimes are going unreported, because farmers think the police do not have the resources, but having the right sort of system installed to an industry-standard means you’re guaranteed a police response.“
Some of the examples given include arable farmers C F Hardy in Lincolnshire. They are using a state of the art control system to combine security with production control. The control system incorporates intruder protection, cctv and heat detection. The cctv is remotely monitored by a 24-hour control room and together with infra red lighting, it gives the farm assured police call-out as the system complies with the BS8418 standard. As well as monitoring for intruders, the heat detectors in each of the eleven ambient stores are designed to trigger cctv cameras for visual verification by the control room if temperatures change.
Another sophisticated security solution has been designed to deliver both internal and external protection for Lincolnshire horticulture business R Fountain and Sons. With cctv cameras and remote monitoring, the system also includes infra red lighting together with an integrated intruder alarm and is protecting two solar fields as well as extensive glass houses on site. Integrated access control operates in all the areas, with live monitoring of doors to ensure they remain closed and keep out animals and pests, and temperatures inside glasshouses are also being continually monitored.
Neil Jackson, who is well known in the agri-sector through his work in the East of England as sales director of GB Security Group, added: “The system at Fountains is an example of what can be done if you stretch the boundaries. Here the extent of remote control and checks is being achieved by exploiting video receiving capabilities.”
Solutions are also being adapted for smaller farm security issues, such as false alarming due to vermin chewing cables, which has been overcome for Casswells Farmers in Donington. If an intruder enters the site, external infra red beams will detect movement and activate an ultra loud masterblaster siren. At the same time as the beam goes off and the blaster sounds, a cctv camera is activated, linked to a screen in the nearby farmhouse.
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*NFU Mutual annual Rural Crime Survey – figures published 2011 related to 2010 statistics and showed a cost of £49.6million.
*2 NFU survey amongst members – published June 2012
Media enquiries:
Maggie Taylor at Prima PR
maggie@primapr.co.uk – 01400 251557 / 0797 3767 602
Editor’s Note:
GB Security Group has a 30 year track record in security and fire protection, with customers ranging from multi-site food processing plants, commercial businesses, professional firms and schools through to retailers and housebuilders. Their portfolio delivers a complete range of security products and services, backed up with leading edge technical expertise, including:
- CCTV
- Fire Alarms
- Guarding Services
- Intruder Alarms
- Access Control
- Gates & Barriers
- CCTV Monitoring
- Integrated Systems
GB Security Group also operates its own specialist 24 hour remote monitoring centre. working to the highest achievable accreditation levels with NSI and SIA, and with a proven track record since 1993. All monitoring centre staff are SIA licensed for monitoring both private and public space and the company operates under the Approved Contractors Scheme (ACS), the independently assessed quality standard for suppliers of private security services.
Photo and interview opportunities : Lincolnshire Show 2012
Eve of Show : Tuesday 19th June 2012
Final preparations and activity taking place throughout the day – final preparations, such as the eight miles of hedges which will be trimmed ready, al the livestock and horses coming in, the final exhibitors getting set up.
Interviewees available include:
Generally : Society Director Jayne Southall and Honorary Show Director Richard Collett
Traffic preparation for the movement of 12500 cars each day of Show : Drew Smith
Catering on site this year has the emphasis on smaller companies and local produce : Robert Howard
Other chief stewards on their area of responsibility: Peter Vergette for Trade stands; Tim Needham for the Countryside area; Peter Crafts for Equine; Andrew Read for Livestock; Richard Crust for Mews and Food Court
Day 1 of Show : Wednesday 20th June 2012
10.00 : Schoolchildren try sausage making in the Schools’ Challenge area
11.00-11.20 : Press conference : Tennyson Pavilion : President Lord Taylor of Holbeach; Chairman John Lockwood, Honorary Director Richard Collette; Society Director Jayne Southall
11.30 and 3.30 : Pig racing : Countryside Ring
11.45 -12.45 : Cricketer Alec Stewart taking part in the Sports Zone
12.00 : Shire horses in the Welton Ring in the Equine zone
12.30 : Leicester Tigers coaches in the Countryside Ring
12.45 : Knights of the Damned in the Clydesdale Bank Main Ring
1.40 : Grand parade of machinery : Clydesdale Bank Main Ring : focus on crop protection and nutrition including a huge Terragator 9105 muck spreader and a Househam Sprayer plus 26 vintage tractors.
2.00 : Scruffts cross breed dog competition in the Dog ring
3.00 : The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Dakota will be flying over the Lincolnshire Show
3.10 : Young Farmers Trailer Parade : Clydesdale Bank Main Ring
4.20 : Knights of the Damned in the Clydesdale Bank Main Ring
All day : On display at the Lincoln Cathedral stand is a stone Jubilee Crown presented to HM The Queen earlier this month. On show before it is fixed to the top of the south west turret of the Cathedral, out of view of most people. The crown is highly decorated with gold leaf and paint and is a wonderful piece of work.
Day 2 of Show : Thursday 21st June 2012
10.00 – 10.45 (and throughout both days of Show) : TV chef Rachel Cook demonstrating in the Food Court with local produce
11.30 and 3.30 : Pig racing : Countryside Ring
12.15 – 12.30 : President Lord Taylor of Holbeach in the press tent for brief interviews
12.30 : Leicester Tigers coaches in the Countryside Ring
11.25 : Knights of the Damned in the Clydesdale Bank Main Ring
1.50 : Grand parade of machinery : Clydesdale Bank Main Ring : focus on crop protection and nutrition including a huge Terragator 9105 muck spreader and a Househam Sprayer plus 26 vintage tractors.
2.00 : Scruffts cross breed dog competition in the Dog ring
3.20 : Knights of the Damned in the Clydesdale Bank Main Ring
5.10 : Young Farmers Trailer Parade : Clydesdale Bank Main Ring
All day: Young Farmers have an eye-catching 30 foot pig, a sleeping sow with a special show describing the life of pigs on screens inside her huge belly.
Throughout show:
Interviewes can be arranged throughout the Show on request with Society Director Jayne Southall, Honorary Show Director Richard Collett and all the chief stewards.
Press update for Lincolnshire Show 2012 : programme, site map and wifi access
Click here for all information and press releases relating to the Lincolnshire Show 2012
Archive images from 2011 show are available for download here : click here
As soon as possible images from this year's Show will be available online : click here
For the 2012 Lincolnshire Show the wifi access in the press tent will be :
SSID: BTBusinessHub-250
Password: 2025065247
Twitter hashtag: #lincsshow
PDF version of the official progranme, for download by accredited media only:
Lincolnshire Show Official Programme 2012
Lincolnshire Show 2012 : Site Map
Day One press conference and other interview opportunities:
For details of the press conference on day one and some suggested photo and interview slots. Photo and interview opportunities
For the press pack: LincsShow2012_presspack
Business showcase to boost Lincolnshire exports
A special initiative has been launched that will bring Lincolnshire’s biggest exporters together next month, in a move designed to encourage more local companies to export their products to new markets.
Trading in New Markets is a new initiative for the Lincolnshire Show 2012, taking place on Wednesday 20th and Thursday 21st June 2012. Designed to celebrate the successes of those already trading nationally and internationally, its aim is to encourage other Lincolnshire businesses to open up new export markets and take their products to a wider audience.
It’s a joint initiative from Lincolnshire Agricultural Society together with UK Trade & Investment, Lincolnshire County Council and the Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce, and locally-based exporters taking part include companies from agricultural, engineering, food production and the motor industry.
“We will be celebrating the inventiveness, initiative and hard work of companies based within the county that are already trading successfully both domestically and internationally,” said Jayne Southall, director of Lincolnshire Agricultural Society.
She added: “It’s already a big success with the number and range of companies wanting to take part, but it’s also proved a boost for the Show itself as we’ve raised awareness with a number of companies saying they’ve been missing an opportunity to connect with their customers and local market by not joining the Show before.”
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@lincsshow
LincolnshireAgriculturalSociety
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Media enquiries:
Karen Malpass at Lincolnshire Events Centre in Lincolnshire Agricultural Society
kmalpass@lincs-events.co.uk - 01522 585504
Maggie Taylor at Prima PR
maggie@primapr.co.uk – 01400 251557 / 0797 3767 602
Editor’s Note:
Lincolnshire Events Centre is a major national conferencing venue, home of the Lincolnshire Show and the groundbreaking EPIC project. Just outside the historic city of Lincoln, the Centre hosts events for 10 to 10,000 visitors on its 200 acre showground site and 3000 square metres of indoor exhibition and venue space.
Outdoor events include the flagship Lincolnshire Show, antiques fairs and horse trials, attracting over 200,000 visitors each year. Under cover, there are exhibition halls and conferencing facilities, including the recently completed EPIC centre, the second largest purpose-designed showcase for environmental technologies in the UK, it enables event organisers to reduce, monitor and offset their carbon footprint.
Schools are set for a sizzling time at this year’s Lincolnshire Show
More than a thousand young people will be taking part in the Schools Challenge at this year’s Lincolnshire Show, in the competition which tests their understanding of food, farming and agriculture.
This year’s challenges range from learning about the optimum growing conditions for potatoes to coming up with a marketing strategy to encourage young people to visit the Lincolnshire Show.
And there are 46 primary, secondary and special schools taking part this year – more than ever before, as organisers have expanded the Show schedule to allow more entrants.
“We’ve been oversubscribed every year so for 2012, we’ve adapted the judging timetable to take place over two days, and have taken over the whole of the main exhibition hall to satisfy demand from schools,” explained Phil Everett of Lincolnshire Education Business Partnership, organisers of the competition, which is sponsored by Farmacy, Uncle Henry’s, Barbara Welby Trust and E Park and Sons.
Also on the timetable for schools will be a visit to the Show’s Discovery Zone, where they will be shown farming techniques and food production methods at first hand, including From Pork to Fork: The Story of the Sausage. They can then try their hand by having a go at making sausages back in the Schools Challenge area, with Uncle Henry’s cafe and farm shop.
Alongside the Schools Challenge, many more schools visit the Show for educational visits to learn about agriculture and farming in their home county.
The Schools Challenge also includes a professional development day for teaching staff on the first day of the Lincolnshire Show, and this year the theme is conservation, which is being supported by the Woodland Trust , Farming and Countryside Education (FACE), Sustainable East Midlands and Uncle Henry’s.
To book visits or find out more about the Schools Challenge, contact Phil Everett at the Lincolnshire Education Business Partnership, on 01522 574100
The full list of schools taking part (in alphabetical order):
Ancaster CE Primary School
The Axholme Academy
Bishop King CE Primary School
Branston Junior School
Dunholme St Chad's C of E School
Grantham Additional Needs Federation
Grasby All Saints C of E Primary School
Grimoldby Primary School
Hartsholme Academy
Hawtonville Junior School
Hibaldstow Primary School
Humberston C or E Primary School
Ingham Primary School
John Fielding Community Special School
Kesteven and Sleaford High School Selective Academy
Lacey Gardens Junior School
Lady Jane Franklin School
Lincoln Christ's Hospital School
Marton Primary School
Monks Abbey Primary
North Kesteven School
Osgodby Primary School
The Priory School
The Priory Witham Academy
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar - A Selective Academy (Alford)
Saint Norbert's Catholic Primary School
Scampton CE Primary School
Scawby Primary School
Sir John Gleed School
Sir William Robertson High School
South Parade Primary School
Spalding Monkshouse Primary School
St Bernards School
St Francis Special School
St Georges Academy
The St Lawrence Academy
St Lawrence School
Stamford Queen Eleanor School
Tetney Primary School
Toynton All Saints Primary School
Trent Valley Academy
Welton St Mary's CE Primary School
Wragby Primary School
The challenges:
01 Alternative Materials
Curriculum Links: Science, Citizenship
Students investigate non-food crops and research the carbon footprint of their school.
They should develop ideas on how to make their school more sustainable and compare the
available fuel options to find which would be most suitable for use in school.
02 Improving my School Grounds
Curriculum Links: Art and Design, Citizenship, Geography
Students are tasked with the challenge to improve their school grounds. They should
create a design portfolio of their ideas which should encourage input from the wider school
community. Previous examples have included a sensory garden and a vegetable patch.
03 Farming Past, Present and Future
Curriculum Link: History
Students compare the technology and culture of the past, present and future farming
communities within their local area. Students can present their timeline, using any method
that engages the audience.
04 Design a Healthy School Dinner
Curriculum Links: Design and Technology – Food Technology
Students research what is meant by healthy eating and use this to plan a menu of a healthy
two-course meal that could be served at school. Where possible, ingredients should be
home-grown or locally produced.
05 Advertising the Lincolnshire Show
Curriculum Links: ICT, Media studies, Business Studies
Students critically analyse the existing strategies used to advertise the Lincolnshire Show.
They should then develop new concepts which will promote The Show to young people whilst
reducing the environmental impact of the event.
06 Growing around the Globe
Curriculum Links: Modern Foreign Languages, Citizenship
Students investigate which crops grow best in the British climate and compare these with the
types of crops which would thrive in a school garden on a different continent. They should
contact this school by post or email in the correct language if feasible.
07 The Potato Challenge
Curriculum Links: Design and Technology, Science
Students grow potatoes and experiment to find the optimum growing conditions. They may
develop recipes using their potatoes, which, along with the remaining potato plants will be
judged at The Lincolnshire Show.
08 Design from Nature
Curriculum Links: Art and Design
Students study a range of design techniques using different shapes, fabrics and textures. They
should then research designs from nature which can be replicated
Just the ticket for early birds
See coverage of this story: Lincolnshire Echo
Sales have already taken off for this year’s Lincolnshire Show, after tickets went on sale three months earlier than usual.
Tickets are not usually available in outlets until April, but organisers opened this year’s online bookings at the end of January, and are already reporting good interest.
Billed as Lincolnshire’s big day out, the Lincolnshire Show is organised by the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society to boost awareness of countryside matters, and the vital role that agriculture plays in the local economy.
One of the few county shows to remain true to its heritage, each year it attracts around 60,000 visitors, as well as some 600 exhibitors.
Clydesdale Bank and Duckworth's Land Rover are once again major sponsors for the Show, which will take place on Wednesday 20th and Thursday 21st June 2012. Full plans will be unveiled soon, but organisers say this year’s line up promises to appeal to all tastes and ages.
It includes world-class jousting from the Knights of the Damned, a qualifier heat for the Kennel Club’s Scruffts mixed breed dog show; top level show-jumping and a host of shopping opportunities.
And reflecting the agricultural heart to the Show, this year’s events will include the ever popular pig racing; the spectacular Grand Parade of the best of the county’s livestock and the vintage to modern day agricultural machinery display.
Director Jayne Southall said: “Plans are well advanced and it’s great to see the interest on these early ticket sales. Most importantly at this stage, we are seeing excellent support from both exhibitors and sponsors.
“It’s great to see local businesses supporting their local community by supporting the Show. Many come every year, and that’s because it’s also a valuable route to reach their customers.”
Each year the Show is a big earner for the county of Lincolnshire and it is estimated that every £1 spent at the Show generates £20 in the local economy and the Show provides a major boost for local hotels and B&Bs, creating demand for 18,400 overnight stays locally.
Jayne Southall, who took over late last year as director of Lincolnshire Events Centre, the Showground’s major year-round regional conferencing and outdoor events centre, added: “I want to see further growth this year across sponsorship, trade exhibitors and overall attendance figures. The show is a major tourism attraction on the county calendar, but still has huge unexploited potential and I want to attract more interest from within and outside the county.”
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Media enquiries:
Karen Malpass at Lincolnshire Events Centre in Lincolnshire Agricultural Society
kmalpass@lincs-events.co.uk - 01522 585504
Maggie Taylor at Prima PR
maggie@primapr.co.uk – 01400 251557 / 0797 3767 602
Editor’s Note:
Lincolnshire Events Centre is a major national conferencing venue, home of the Lincolnshire Show and the groundbreaking EPIC project. Just outside the historic city of Lincoln, the Centre hosts events for 10 to 10,000 visitors on its 200 acre showground site and 3000 square metres of indoor exhibition and venue space.
Outdoor events include the flagship Lincolnshire Show, antiques fairs and horse trials, attracting over 200,000 visitors each year. Under cover, there are exhibition halls and conferencing facilities, including the recently completed EPIC centre, the second largest purpose-designed showcase for environmental technologies in the UK, it enables event organisers to reduce, monitor and offset their carbon footprint.
Businesswoman steps up to lead Lincolnshire Agricultural Society
Links to some online coverage: Midlands Business News
Promoting Lincolnshire and building further profitability are the top priorities for the new director in charge of Lincolnshire Agricultural Society, home of the annual County Show.
Jayne Southall moves into the lead role after five years of heading finance and general management for the Society and its associated commercial operating arm, Lincolnshire Events Centre.
She has been part of the team that has overseen the shift of the annual County Show into a substantial profit centre, announcing that the 2011 Show made a big shift into the black, thanks to a £200,000 increase in income over the previous year.
The new director has also confirmed that the Show will stay in its mid-week slot, saying this is the strongest way to ensure it retains its agricultural heart.
There have been discussions over recent years around the value of moving the Show to include at least one weekend day, but the idea has been put aside based on the improved financial performance and amidst concerns at losing support from the agricultural community.
Jayne Southall explained: “We are set on innovation and continuing to broaden our appeal, but the Show must support our core charitable aims – which are to promote understanding, and awareness of the role played in the county by agriculture and food production - and we must have the agricultural community fully on board.
“It’s still the county’s best kept secret. We’ve pushed up to more than 60,000 visitors but there is still huge potential and we’re set on increasing numbers of both visitors and exhibitors in 2012.”
Instead, she will be focussing efforts on increasing involvement in the Society by young people, links with education and building the nationally renowned Lincolnshire Events Centre conferencing business.
“Our other biggest challenge is retaining and building a substantial share of the local and national conferencing market,” added Jayne. “We have a unique capability in delivering events for bigger numbers, indoors and outside, such as the antiques fairs and recently the very successful Christmas Food and Gift fair, but we are also competing for the smaller end of the seminar and conference market with our purpose designed EPIC venue.
“Everyone in the tourism and conferencing sector needs to keep talking up Lincolnshire outside the county. People still don’t realise how well served the county is with hotels and other business and tourist support.”
Jayne has lived in the county since 2001, and lives in Welton with her two grown up children. She keeps in touch with the Society’s heart outside work as well, as a keen walker who looks to get out into the country as often as possible.
ENDS
Media enquiries:
Karen Malpass at Lincolnshire Events Centre in Lincolnshire Agricultural Society
kmalpass@lincs-events.co.uk - 01522 585504
Maggie Taylor at Prima PR
maggie@primapr.co.uk – 01400 251557 / 0797 3767 602
Editor’s Note:
Lincolnshire Events Centre is a major national conferencing venue, home of the Lincolnshire Show and the groundbreaking EPIC project. Just outside the historic city of Lincoln, the Centre hosts events for 10 to 10,000 visitors on its 200 acre showground site and 3000 square metres of indoor exhibition and venue space.
Outdoor events include the flagship Lincolnshire Show, antiques fairs and horse trials, attracting over 200,000 visitors each year. Under cover, there are exhibition halls and conferencing facilities, including the recently completed EPIC centre, the second largest purpose-designed showcase for environmental technologies in the UK, it enables event organisers to reduce, monitor and offset their carbon footprint.
Lincolnshire’s county show keeps agriculture at its heart
Released to agricultural media:
The 127th Lincolnshire Show will be keeping agriculture at its heart. The Show – on 22nd and 23rd June – includes the best of the county’s livestock on the judging lines and all the latest trends in farming and agriculture from the top breeds to top machines.
Two native breeds that are likely to attract much attention once again are the Lincoln Longwool sheep and Lincoln Red cattle.
From near Woodhall Spa in eastern Lincolnshire, Maurice Parker will bring his 6 Lincoln Longwools when he attends the Lincolnshire Show for the 41st time. He said: “It’s one of the best shows in the country. It’s our home county show and the stewarding at Lincolnshire is always brilliant.” Maurice has been winning championships firstly for others and for himself since 2000, including wool on hoof, interbreed and overall breed Champion.
In the cattle lines, Geoff Bolton from Market Rasen has notched up 52 Lincolnshire Shows, since his first visit as a schoolboy in 1959. Now chairman of Lincoln Red Cattle Society for the second time, and a judge himself at other agricultural shows, he has breeding Lincoln Reds for over 20 years and now has a herd of 30 beast
He said: “I’m a small player but I have had a fair bit of success both here and at other shows, including winning Lincolnshire Show Champion. It’s one of our favourite shows and the one where you will see most Lincoln Reds. Twenty years ago there were about five exhibitors, now there are many more, although they’re generally much smaller teams than they used to be, as I am”.
Her added: “Lincolnshire Show is largely still agricultural and it’s got an important role to play in education. I first came to the Show on a School trip in 1959, and now, just as then, it’s an opportunity for young people to learn and to be involved in agriculture, livestock and where food comes from.”
On the machinery lines, one major exhibitor is Househam Sprayers, the UK’s biggest supplier of crop sprayers, all manufactured in Lincolnshire and exported worldwide. Said Mick Hill of Househam Sprayers: “The Show is our PR flagship of the year. It’s great to see our customers and good to be on our home territory. We’ll be bringing a range of our machines, from a 600l mounted sprayer to our massive 6000l self-propelled sprayer with a 36m boom.”
There’s a vintage to modern day agricultural machinery display, sponsored by Spaldings and Woldmarsh.
There is a special Lincolnshire producer and supplier section in the food court this year and an educational framework for local schools in a series of farming related challenges.
And from Wrisdale’s farm in Wainfleet St Mary’s, four brothers will receive Long Service Awards for their contribution to the farming industry. Norman, Percy, Gordon and Colin Gostelow have served a total of 174 years between them.
David Chiddick, the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society President said: “The Lincolnshire Show is one of the few county shows to remain true to its agricultural heritage, a strength which has carried us forward. The Show has a valuable role for the agricultural community with excellent networking, as well as educating our community.”
He added: “The Show makes a major economic contribution too. Every £1 spent generates £20 in the local economy.”
The Show will be open from 8am to 6pm each day. Visit the Show’s website for more information
and to book your tickets www.lincs-events.co.uk or call the ticket hotline 0845 2305171 This yea
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Media enquiries:
Sarah Poucher at Lincolnshire Events Centre inc Lincolnshire Agricultural Society spoucher@lincs-events.co.uk - 01522 585501
Maggie Taylor at Prima PR maggie@primapr.co.uk – 01400 251557 / 0797 3767 602