September, October and November are traditionally the months when growers and agronomists swap their own fields for trials and conferences, both in Europe and closer to home. For many years it has been as important to attend the Dutch open days on Week 39 as it has to visit the numerous sites in South Lincolnshire a couple of weeks later.
However, talking to representatives of various seed houses this year suggested that it is getting harder for some vegetable growers to visit the Netherlands, at this time of year or others. The reasons for this are not immediately obvious, and are likely to include a number of factors, including the fact that the breadth of crops displayed by major companies in Lincolnshire in October has expanded considerably beyond brassicas, with some now showing large portfolios including squash, leafy salads and baby leaf, and even carrots.
Another is that travelling itself is always something of a pain, even if the Netherlands is only an hour’s flight from London, and despite new advances in breeding techniques not every year can produce the next award winning variety – and if it does, you can be sure that UK-based representatives will be doing their utmost to share the benefits with their customers.
At an excellent farm walk earlier this year, where attendance was dominated by the sponsors and agronomists, many of those taking part commented that such events are now struggling to attract farmers and growers. Issues such as labour availability, low margins and increasing technical understanding make such behaviour understandable, but as one of the few growers present commented, a day spent on another farm or outside the business is rarely a waste of time.
There is nearly always some tip or piece of shared knowledge that can prove useful in your own business, and the discussions that take place during such events can often provide answers to niggling problems and new insights that you may not have previously considered. Furthermore, there is the social aspect of these events to consider. For an industry that can be extremely isolating and lonely the chance to talk to friends or colleagues over a coffee and a sandwich or bacon roll can be priceless.
So next time you go to ignore the invitation to a trial, fair walk or presentation that pops up on social media or email – think twice and consider the potential benefits of spending a little time away from the farm.
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