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New Food and Farming radio show to launch on NLive radio

Mon, 13 May 2024 10:58:04 GMT

New food and farming radio show to launch during Northamptonshire Food and Drink week on NLive Radio

Northamptonshire Farming Entrepreneur Milly Fyfe® ARAgS will head up a new radio show called ‘Tastes of the Shire; exploring Northampton’s food and farming scene from field to fork’ airs for the first time on Saturday 1st June.

The show will feature a variety of interviews with grassroots farmers, producers, makers and foodies from Northampton and the surrounding countryside, to discover what is made, produced, sold and available to enjoy around the local area.

Milly commented ‘I have a real passion for sharing amazing stories interviewing inspiring people who grow, rear, and process the food and drink we can enjoy, found right on our doorstep. I hope to take you all on a culinary journey exploring the people behind the farm gate, shop counter, restaurant kitchen and factory wall to discover what makes Northampton taste great.’

The show launch coincides with Northamptonshire Food and Drink Week , which is a campaign to bring people together to celebrate the food and drink scene across the county.

Available on 106.9FM, NLive Radio is Northampton’s local radio station and hosts a variety of different music, business and specialist shows including Open4business, 90’s, R&B, rock and the Golden Hour.

Station Manager Martin Steers commented ‘We are very excited to welcome a new food and farming show to our station, packed full of engaging conversations with local businesses, producers and food brands. Milly has really grasped the opportunity and we hope that many people tune in to learn more’.

The Tastes of the Shire radio show with Milly Fyfe will air on the 1st Saturday of each month, 3-5pm on NLive Radio, the station that loves Northampton.

Notes

Who is Milly Fyfe ® ARAgS?

Milly is from Yelvertoft ( Northamptonshire) and farms with her husband Andrew alongside their two young sons, where they rear beef cattle, sheep, arable crops a few pigs and a kitchen garden. Milly has a background in Marketing and PR and also founded a social enterprise called No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents CIC , helping more people to cook from scratch using local, seasonal produce.

In 2023, Milly was awarded an associateship from the Royal Agricultural Societies , farming’s equivalent of an MBE, for her work connecting consumers with UK food production. She is also the current NNBN Northamptonshire business person of the year, a silver Local Food Hero through Northamptonshire Food and drink awards, has a podcast called The Countryside Kitchen meets and was recently recognised by Small Business Britain as a top 100 female entrepreneur in the UK. You can find out more about Milly on social media using the handle @ MillyFyfe on Twitter and Instagram or @MillyFyfeOfficial on Youtube , Facebook and Tiktok .

About NLive radio

NLive Radio is the local radio station for all the people of Northampton, it operates under a not-for-profit community radio license from Ofcom which is held by and run in partnership with the University of Northampton.

All the presenters are volunteers made up individuals from across the community, including staff and students from the University.

The station broadcasts on 106.9fm across Northampton, online at nliveradio.com and it's on dedicated smart phone app, as well as on smart speakers via “Launch N Live Radio”

Former Tory MP launches new podcast

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 09:31:08 GMT

Somerset Farmer and former politician Neil Parish launches his podcast today

A new farming and environment themed podcast called ‘We can do both’ is being launched on Thursday 29th February 2024, which is the creative work of former Tiverton and Honiton MP Neil Parish.

Somerset beef and arable farmer, Neil has dedicated much of his working life to politics and agriculture, as chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) committee and currently rearing 50 Devon and Hereford cattle on his farm near Bridgwater.

On the podcast, Neil highlights the important issues surrounding food security, interviewing farmers and environmentalists, who showcase how we can produce good food alongside the natural environment.

Neil commented’ I have a genuine concern about the future of farming and food production, which needs to be a lot higher up the agenda. The guests on my podcast have a vast amount of experience and knowledge in managing the farmed environment, and I want to help share their stories, air their frustrations and raise awareness of what can and is being done to produce high quality food whilst protecting nature; hence the name ‘We Can Do Both’.

‘Anyone with an interest in the countryside should take a listen’.

Fellow Somerset Farmer James Winslade, who farms on the levels, is the first guest on the podcast. James said ‘Neil has been a huge supporter and helped farmers greatly during his time as a member of parliament’. ‘This podcast is fantastic publicity and will share our stories on how we grow food whilst managing the landscapes around us’. ‘Thank you Neil for continuing to raise awareness of the issues we face on the farm to more people’.

The podcast episodes are informative, interesting and there is some humour thrown in for good measure, lasting between 30- 45 minutes each.

Following the podcast launch of ‘We can do both’, where two full episodes will be available for download, further episodes will be released on a monthly basis.

You can download the episodes by visiting streaming platforms such as Spotify, Google and Apple. Or by following the link here: https://shows.acast.com/we-can-do-both-pod

Supporting the future of professionalism in Agriculture

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 15:40:19 GMT

27th February is a date for your diary, an event not to be missed. Find out more below:

On behalf of the English Panel of the Council for Awards of the Royal Agricultural Societies, I have been asked to represent and speak on the panel as the youngest female to be recognised with an associateship award and not originally from a farming background.

I wanted to share a few reasons why I think it would be worthwhile attending.

This event is a collaborative approach of working amongst several farming industry organisations which include TIAH , IAGRM , CARAS , FCN and the Farmers Club Under 35's
The event is being held at a quieter period in farming and encourages people to be sociable during the winter period
The cost for the event is £40 so relatively affordable and open to anyone who has an interest in the farming industry
To meet new people, network, seek out new opportunities or represent their business or personal interests.
To check in and ensure our industry organisations are doing their very best to represent the workforce of today and tomorrow
To be inspired or empowered to make changes within our own business or mindset.

Here are all the details:

A new event aims to increase awareness of the key issues impacting the agricultural sector while strengthening the ties and fostering collaborations between leading agricultural entities and professionals.

"Supporting the Future of Professionalism in Agriculture," is a unique 'Question Time' styled event and a joint collaboration between the Institute of Agricultural Management (IAgrM), the Council for Awards of Royal Agricultural Societies – English Panel (CARAS-England), The Institute for Agriculture & Horticulture (TIAH), the Farmers Club Under 35’s, and the Farming Community Network (FCN).

It is being held at One Birdcage Walk, London SW1H 9JJ on Tuesday 27th February, commencing at 6.30pm.

Chaired by Ben Briggs, Group Publisher and Editor in Chief at Agriconnect and participants will include Robert Shepherd (IAgrM), Jude McCann (FCN), Milly Fyfe (CARAS), TBA (TIAH) and Eleanor Kay (Farmers Club under 35’s)

The event aims to unite stakeholders across the agricultural sector to engage in a comprehensive and informed dialogue on critical issues affecting the industry. The focus will be on shaping the future of agriculture by addressing essential themes such as Health, Skills, Networking, Knowledge Exchange, and Professionalism.

"With the ever-evolving landscape of agriculture, it's crucial to come together, share knowledge, and craft strategies that ensure the well-being of our workforce and maintain the highest standards of professionalism," said Victoria Bywater, spokesperson for the event. "This event is a platform to begin that process – fostering collaborative discussion and innovation."

This event is open to anyone who wishes to contribute to and learn about the evolving dynamics of the industry.

For more information and to register, please visit www.iagrm.com/events

Channel 5 TV Programme Harvest on the Farm

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 10:03:10 GMT

Earlier in the year we featured on Channel 5's harvest on the farm TV programme

Here is is the 2 minute clip which was produced and shared across social media to highlight the harvest on our farm - Enjoy!

Seed corn campaign to support No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents CIC

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 11:25:59 GMT

What Milly Does Best – celebrating a run of award success; now she needs YOUR help!

Following the formation of No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents as a Community Interest Company (CIC) in June, founder Milly Fyfe has received a number of accolades for her work in the business, community and farming sector. She now needs your help to grow…

In the last month, founder of No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents CIC Milly Fyfe has been recognised as Northamptonshire’s business person of the year by Northamptonshire Business Network and best new start up company, also a Silver Award winner at the Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards in the ‘food hero’ category.

What’s more is that she has also gained recognition as a ‘Grow, Cook, Eat Ambassador’ and received an Associateship from the Council for Awards of the Royal Agricultural Societies with her work connecting consumers with UK farming and food production.

The CIC provides consumers with a connection between food produced in the UK and how to make meals from scratch. Broken down into three area which include: tasty recipe ideas using seasonal produce that the whole family can enjoy, easy to follow recipes with a focus on simple ingredients that an average family can access; shining a spotlight on UK farmers and food producers, highlighting their backstory, what they produce, where you can purchase and what you can do with the ingredients.

Content is shared on a food blog, ( www.nofussmealsforbusyparents.com ) on social media ( facebook and Instagram ) and via a podcast called The Countryside Kitchen Meets (available on all major streaming platforms)

The long-term impact of the social enterprise is that children will grow up eating a variety of home cooked meals and less of a reliance on highly processed meals. Informed choices and cooking habits will change as parental knowledge will have been enhanced and this will instil long term benefits to the next generation of young adults.

Milly is now asking for your help.

As a not for profit, the CIC has been successful in securing grant funding to help with specific projects in the community. However this has taken an enormous amount of time to secure and deliver, taking focus away from creating engaging content and interviews, and has been difficult to find the support for core funding, operating costs as well as time to build relationship for corporate sponsorship and stakeholder engagement.

So here are 4 ways in which you can get involved and help:

1 Follow No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents on Facebook or Instagram where you’ll be able to access video tutorials on how to make tasty meals from scratch using seasonal ingredients, watch the new ‘hero video’ which explains more about the CIC or find out more about food grown and produced in the UK.

2 Pledge a donation on the Crowd Funding page by visiting: https://gogetfunding.com/seedcorn-fund-to-assist-no-fuss-meals-for-busy-parents-cic/

3 Contact No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents about sponsorship opportunities which could include advertising on The Countryside Kitchen meets podcast, featuring on a blog or video for example

4 Collaborate with paid partnership opportunities on social media

Founder Milly Fyfe ® ARAgS commented ‘If you are a business or organisation that is looking to support a good cause, make a difference, or align with your corporate social responsibility objectives, I’d love to hear from you. You can get in touch with by emailing: hello@millyfyfe.com

‘And anyone reading this article, please do find No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents on social media or watch the hero video that has just been released here: https://vimeo.com/882150057?share=copy

‘Your help at this stage will really help the social enterprise grow and develop, you’ll be part of the journey and you’ll come away with a few new recipe ideas to try at home too!’.

‘If UK Food security is a priority focus for you then I’m looking forward to hearing from you’

Grow Cook Eat

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 14:30:20 GMT

It makes perfect sense to become a Grow, Cook, Eat Ambassador. Read more below:

You may have noticed that I have been putting a lot of energy into my food blog No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents and my podcast The Countryside Kitchen Meets recently. That's because I have come away from much of my client work to focus on creating digital content that will really makes a difference.

Over the Summer I have been working hard behind the scenes to register as a social enterprise to further all of the creative projects I have been producing. And to get going, I've made really good inroads with local and regional groups / organisations to collaborate with and strengthen 'the reach'.

One of those projects has been to become a 'Grow, Cook, Eat Ambassador' which is through the Northampton Hope Centre , Cooking Good and West Northamptonshire council who have secured funding from Public Health England to support and empower local groups and organisations to get growing, cooking and eating locally produced food.

I have been successful in securing a small grant to produce some short video content with how-to tutorials on easy to grow vegetables and share my knowledge with the local community. The aim is to encourage more people to have a go at growing your own, whether that be by watching the videos and increasing confidence, or highlighting a few simple, cost effective ways of starting the process of growing at home.

I'm thrilled to have become a Grow, Cook, Eat Ambassador and look forward to having some fun and producing engaging videos that everyone can enjoy.

Please let me know if there are any vegetables you'd like to see me grow or any advice or support I can offer you! Email: hello@millyfyfe.com

House of Lords reception

Thu, 19 Oct 2023 11:16:52 GMT

Dedication to the betterment of Agriculture - collecting my associateship at the House of Lords

The English Panel of the Council for Awards of the Royal Agricultural Societies (CARAS) held an awards ceremony in the House of Lords on Tuesday 17th October, hosted by Lord Taylor of Holbeach CBE FRAgS and in the presence of DEFRA farming minister Mark Spencer MP FRAgS.

The Awards are a celebration by recognition of the remarkable personal achievements and contribution of individuals to the many sectors within the food and farming industry, as well as within society.

The Award recipients are commended for being head and shoulders above their peers in their contribution to the betterment of the food and farming sector in a wide range of ways through their leadership: by supporting charities, mentoring, adopting sustainable farming techniques, innovation in furthering research, advancing technology or holding voluntary roles which underpin the sector.

These people are the lifeblood of what makes and keeps our industry world leading through continuous striving for improvement, demonstrated as members advance from Associate to Fellow. Fellowship and exchange of ideas are encouraged through the programmes of events which are organised by the England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales Panels of CARAS.

Andrew Blenkiron FRAgS, Chairman to the English Panel said ‘28 individuals from across England have received a prestigious award today, all of whom are ambassadors for our industry representing organisations such as The Farming Community Network, Linking Environment and Farming, The National Farmers Union and the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs.’

‘We are delighted to be able to hold such a fitting ceremony to highlight individual personal achievement in such a historical British setting’.

The event was kindly sponsored by Juno (Plant Protection) Ltd. and director Nick Tapp commented ‘We are delighted to be able to support the event once again with such an extraordinary group of inspiring business leaders who have achieved and given so much to the farming industry’. ‘As leading suppliers of naturally occurring pesticides to the British potato industry, it is an important opportunity to be able to network and celebrate with the very best talent from across the sector.’

Host Lord Taylor of Holbeach CBE FRAgS commented ‘It is an absolute pleasure and honour to host this special occasion’. ‘What incredible people we have in our industry who work so hard; it is wonderful to celebrate and give thanks to them today’.

Individuals receiving Associate Awards in bold, submission title and sponsors are:

Claire Bragg, An Open Mind for Change, supported by Charles Bourns and Stephen Fell

Nicholas Bragg, Farming for Renewable Energy, supported by Melanie Squires MBE and Lord Cameron of Dillington

Malcolm Caithness, Persuading government to support farming and land management, supported by Baroness Byford and Alastair Leake

Fiona Dale, Encouraging Young People to get involved in Agriculture, supported by Geoff Vickers and John Summners

Stephen Dennis, The welfare of farmers and the farming community, supported by Ian Bell OBE and John Wibberley

David Exwood, Being a leading voice in Agriculture, supported by Sir Peter Kendall and Keith Charman

Milly Fyfe, Taking agriculture and rural affairs marketing, PR and engagement with the public to the next level, supported by Christine Tacon CBE and David Richardson OBE

Joanna Hilditch, Women in Agriculture – Prime Movers, supported by Patrick Wrixon and Ian Howie

John Joseph, Development and Implementation of regenerative farming methods, supported by Ian Howie and Cathy Meredith

Michael Lee, supporting Sustainable Agriculture through research and education, supported by Debbie Winstanley and Mary Quicke MBE

Mark Leggott, 25 years of representing Agriculture, supported by Nick Wells and Jack Ward

Catherine Look, Support of rural organisations, supported by Mary James and John Alvis

Karen Mercer, A lifetime of farming and community service, supported by David Bolton and Philip Wynn

Jon Regan, My input to Agriculture, supported by Oliver Doubleday and Martin Hole

Geoff Sansome, My personal contribution to the development of UK farming systems and agricultural knowledge exchange supported by Ian Howie and Cathy Meredith

Anthony Snell, A commitment to producing top quality products on a sustainably run farm, supported by Clive Gurney and Ian Howie

Suzie Wilkinson MBE, Supporting farmers in Somerset, supported by John Alvis and Howard Petch

Associates advanced to a Fellowship Award are:

Tina Barsby OBE, Contribution to Agriculture through leadership in crop science, supported by Tomy Pexton and Jim Godfrey OBE

Kevin Beaty, Raising the profile of dairy farming, supported by Richard Halhead and Mary Quicke OBE

Alan Bowe, Support for Cumbria Agriculture, supported by Andrew Humphies and Nuck Utting

Andrew Burgess, Growing and packing vegetables for the UK market, supported by Geoff Dodgson and Helen Browning

Robert Craig, Three decades of growth and development once the hard work is done, supported by Richard Halhead and Nick Utting

James Eckley, Supporting young people in Agriculture, supported by Poul Christensen and Gordon Gatward

Robin Milton, Uplands farming policy and practice, supported by Mark Thomasin-Foster and John Wibberley

Robert Shepherd, Progressive mixed farming, conservation and leadership development, supported by Chris Musgrave and Robert Cooper

Phil Stocker, Bringing Sheep farmers together for sustainability abd resilience, supported by John Geldard and Helen Browning

Richard West, Teaching, developing and helping, supported by John Alvis and Nick Green

The objective of the UK wide CARAS organisation is to recognise, through an Awards scheme, distinguished achievement in agriculture and related land-based industries.

The Awards embrace not only practical farming and the development of new husbandry practices, but also research, technology, economics, education, farming care, communication and administration.

A Fellowship (FRAgS) or Associateship (ARAgS) is a recognition of outstanding contribution by an individual to the understanding, efficiency and well-being of agriculture.

To date, over 1,200 individuals have been so recognised and there are currently over 800 Fellows and over 350 Associates.

Associateship (ARAgS – Associate of the Royal Agricultural Societies) is a recognition of meritorious contribution to the agricultural and land-based industries of the UK and is awarded to those who can demonstrate the required high level of achievement.

Fellowship (FRAgS- Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Societies) is the senior Award of the Council. Associates may be considered for advancement to Fellowship if they demonstrate a continuing significant contribution to agricultural and rural progress in the UK., Advancement is not automatic. Occasionally, the Council may award a Fellowship directly for exceptional achievement.

Holders of the Awards of ARAgS and FRAgS were recognised for a wide spectrum of activities. The Awards recognise personal achievement in a professional capacity and recipients are frequently individuals of influence within Agriculture. They range from practical farmers to academics, company directors, media practitioners, administrators, advisors and consultants.

Notes

For more information, please contact Milly Fyfe hon secretary to the English Panel of the Council for Awards of the Royal Agricultural Societies on 07752989544 or email hello@millyfyfe.com

Photos will be available after the event of individuals receiving their award and regional groups (North, West Midlands, East Midlands, East, South West, South East)

Mentoring - what's it all about?

Tue, 04 Jul 2023 15:34:08 GMT

Tune into the latest Rural Business Focus podcast to find out more!

I've been fortunate to have some mentoring through the Women in Food and Agriculture network and I was delighted to be welcomed onto the Rural Business Focus podcast with my mentor Clare Fahey to talk more about the benefits of mentoring

Tune in here:

Youngest Female Associate and from Non Farming Background

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 17:40:26 GMT

I was over the moon to receive a letter this week from the Council for Awards of the Royal Agricultural Societies, declaring that I have been recognised for my work within the food and farming industry.

The Awards are a celebration by recognition of the remarkable personal achievements and contribution of individuals to the many sectors of the food and farming industry.

I was nominated by Fellows of the Council for Awards of the Royal Agricultural Societies; Christine Tacon CBE FRAgS and David Richardson OBE FRAgS and subsequently had to submit evidence of my work which I entitled 'Taking Agriculture and Rural Affairs PR, Marketing, and engagement with the wider public, to the next level’.

The Awards recognise personal achievement in a professional capacity and recipients are frequently individuals of influence within Agriculture. They range from practical farmers to academics, company directors, media practitioners, administrators, advisors and consultants. You are nominated by your peers and undergo a rigorous process and only given to those who can demonstrate the required high level of achievement.

After submitting my work, I had an assessment by two fellows; Roger Mercer FRAgS and Debbie Winstanley FRAgS who came to see me, where I had the opportunity to showcase the breadth of my work, sharing media coverage, my involvement with several charities, how I balance work / home life and what motivates me to make a difference.

For me what makes this award incredibly special is that I'm the youngest female to receive such an accolade, as well as not originally being from a farming background. I've worked hard to forge my career in the sector and now feel like I am making great strides of influence in leadership roles for the betterment of Agriculture. I hope that it will inspire others to achieve similarly and follow my life motto of 'dare to be different'. I like to challenge the norm and this award definitely backs my whole ethos up!

I'll officially collect my award at the House of Lords in October, where the annual awards ceremony is held.

So from now on, I'll carry a very special set of post nominals after my name... ARAgS (Associate of the Royal Agricultural Societies)

For more information on the award scheme visit: https://royalagriculturalsocietiesawards.org/

Self Care Sunday

Sun, 12 Mar 2023 18:46:27 GMT

Top tips from multitasking farming mums. That was the title of the piece I’ve been featured in for the 10th March 2023 edition of the Farmers Weekly .

As a busy mother of two young boys, living on a working farm, supporting my farmer husband, having creative projects and running my own business, there isn’t much time for me.

However I am a strong advocate for self-care.

Because if I’m not well or firing on all cylinders, then I can’t care for my boys, my husband, support my clients or represent the farming industry with my ambassadorial work.

So here are just a few of my top tips to help with positive mental health, which provide me with the ability to spin those plates.

Making a conscious effort to consider self care in your daily / weekly routine. We can be too wrapped up in the fact that we are ‘busy’ but factoring in some time each day to stop, pause or reflect is a positive step.

Go for a walk. You may have seen the campaign #WalkWithMe which was instigated by a good friend of mine Chris Manley. Well, like Chris, I make time to go for a walk in the middle of the day. This helps me to get away from my screen, helps me to appreciate the world around me and I often bump into a neighbour to have a quick chit chat. I also find that ideas come into my head when I walk as I’ve allowed my brain to do something else. It’s when I can be most creative and inspired.

Meal plan. I’ve got into a habit of thinking ahead to what I’m going to cook. That way I can remember to get things out of the freezer or throw things into the slow cooker in the morning so I’m not under pressure when the kids come back from school and are ravenous. You can find a few of my recipes on my food blog No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents.

Drop the bar. Sometimes it is OK to have beans on toast or turkey dinosaurs for tea. We are not superhuman and sometimes meals like these really save the day.

Make a list. At the end of each day I work out what is going to happen the next day and make sure I’m prepared for it. This could be working out what work task I will complete first when I get into my office which makes me more focused or productive. Or thinking that when I’ve done the school run I should pop to the post office or run a few errands.

Share your calendar. My husband and I have synced our outlook calendar so we know who is doing what and when. We also have a white board calendar on the fridge which I fill in on a Sunday night which helps to remind us what the children are doing, where I’m going to be. I’ve also got the weekly meal plan on their too.

Exercise. After having the children, I have had a lot of complicated health issues. So attending a weekly pilates class has helped me to build up my core strength, but I also get an hour of ‘me time’.

Make time for your family. Our children are growing up fast and I’ve made sure that my husband is a big part of their lives, rather than living to farm. Of course during busy periods such as lambing and harvest this might be difficult. But having a family holiday or an afternoon in the garden for a kick around and ice-cream will be what the kids remember.

People often say to me ‘Milly I don’t know how you do it’.

And whilst I’m not saying that every day is a breeze, especially as I live in chronic pain. Having a few boundaries in place, the ability to say ‘no’ when other people might be adding to the pressure, and make self-care part of your routine, are all positive steps to help manage what life throws at you.

You can read the full article from the Farmers Weekly here: https://www.fwi.co.uk/farm-life/top-tips-from-three-multitasking-farming-mums

Networking - Do you love it or hate it?

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 12:03:37 GMT

I'm on the Rural Business Focus podcast with Ben Eagle talking about networking

Let's talk about networking... do you love it or hate it?

Tune in to the latest episode of the Rural Business Focus podcast , where I chat with presenter Ben Eagle, giving some top tips, words of wisdom and how to ensure you get the most of each opportunity.

Click on the embedded player below

What makes a good brand?

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 12:29:20 GMT

I'm on the Rural Business Focus Podcast with Ben Eagle once again talking branding for your business...

Tune into the latest episode of the Rural Business Focus podcast where I chat with presenter Ben Eagle about business and personal branding.

Topics include:

- How I created my own brand

- Remaining consistent with your brand

- Trademarking to protect your brand

- How to benchmark your brand

- The importance of a logo

- Good examples of recognisable brands

- Building a brand on a budget

- Creating GIF's

- Grant funding available

I'm sure there are plenty of take home points from this episode so grab a cuppa, pen and paper and take some notes along the way.

Let me know if you want to discuss any further by emailing hello@millyfyfe.com

Instagram for Rural Business

183:908821069 (Milly Fyfe) — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 16:44:28 GMT

Tune into the Rural Business Focus podcast where I share some top tips for using Instagram to market your rural business.

Have you considered using Instagram as a tool to reach out to your customer base or audience?

Tune into this episode of the Rural Business Focus podcast where I chat to presenter Ben Eagle about how to utilise all the functions available on Instagram.

We cover the following things:

- An overview of the different ways to post using reels, lives, stories and static posts
- Why you should be using Instagram or considering as part of your marketing
- How to make your content pop and stop the scroll
- The importance of strategy

Buying British and in season

183:908821069 (Milly Fyfe) — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 11:35:07 GMT

Will Hollis from GB News came to film on the farm recently, here's the full story...

With the cost of living on the increase, I want to highlight the importance of buying British and supporting British Food producers.

After launching my No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents e-cookery book in December, I've inspired people to cook from scratch with locally sourced ingredients, low food miles and support small businesses within the community.

I'm super pleased that GB News picked up the story and I'm delighted that the piece filmed on the farm with my husband Andrew and I, featured throughout the daily news bulletins on Thursday 12th January 2023

Click on the Youtube clip to see the full story. Our piece is 16 minutes in:

Black Cat radio interview

183:908821069 (Milly Fyfe) — Sun, 08 Jan 2023 19:18:09 GMT

I was delighted that Jenny Jefferies could attend my recent e-cookery book launch

Listen to the interview I gave to Jenny for her Black Cat radio show, which is around half way through the hour long show. I very much appreciate opportunities like this to be able to promote the e-cookery book, raise awareness of food produced in the UK and inspire others to cook from scratch.

Let me have any feedback you have from this interview or drop me a line at: hello@millyfyfe.com

Radio Ga Ga

183:908821069 (Milly Fyfe) — Wed, 21 Dec 2022 14:50:28 GMT

Following the launch of my e-book No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents, I've conducted a series of radio interviews...

Last week, I was delighted to speak to BBC's Bernie Keith, live on the radio. He kindly gave me 10 minutes of air time to talk about my new e-book 'No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents'

Listen to the interview again on the Youtube clip below

To purchase a copy to download, visit my online store here: https://www.millyfyfe.com/store/No-Fuss-Meals-for-Busy-Parents-E-Book-p516676969

I've trademarked my name... here's why:

183:908821069 (Milly Fyfe) — Sun, 11 Dec 2022 19:05:14 GMT

Ever considered registering for a trademark? Read on to find out a few top tips on my experience

Earlier in the year I decided to explore the possibility of registering for a trademark for my business.

In the world of digital marketing, things move particularly fast and I’m working hard to establish my brand identity and reputation. So I wanted to protect myself and my intellectual property as I wouldn’t want someone to ride off the back of me after all the hard work I’ve been putting in.

Here’s what I did first.

I researched my options via the UK government website https://www.gov.uk/how-to-register-a-trade-mark which has a lot of information on. I’m no expert and didn’t just want to dive in. I was trying to determine what was right for me, be it copyright, trademarking or patents. I’m no legal expert and it can be quite a costly process if you don’t know what you are doing.

I signed onto a free one to one session with an intellectual property clinic, organised through the government website : https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-patlib-network/uk-patlib-contact-information

In my hour-long session, I could ask the intellectual property representative a lot of questions, explore my options and understand better the do’s and don’ts. Of course there were no endorsements or recommendations of who to work with to help me pursue each avenue. But it put me in a much better place to consider my options.

Whilst you can submit an application yourself via the Government website here: https://www.gov.uk/how-to-register-a-trade-mark/start-your-application I felt that it was quite risky to submit without having the knowledge, expertise or know-how to be successful following submission and payment up front.

You can check online here: https://trademarks.ipo.gov.uk/ipo-tmtext to see if someone already owns a certain trademark, however it is often misleading as it may not recognise certain phrases, words or sayings as it automated. Also, if you search for a popular phrase it may come up with a long list to search through. To me it became a bit of a minefield and being so time poor, I wanted to reach out to an expert to hold my hand through the process.

Now you can type into a google search ‘Intellectual Property Legal advice’ and it will bring up a vast list of people to contact. You also need to bear in mind the countries in which you operate as you have to carry out an application for each country.

Then there are all the different classes that you could register your trademark under. There are many! And some are of no relevance to your business whatsoever.

Each class adds extra cost to the application and once registered will last 10 years. You can add extra classes onto the application at a later date but with extra costs associated with that process.

So here’s what I did next:

I posted a question into The Social Media Managers Hub Facebook group, of which I hold a professional membership too. I reached out to ‘my tribe’ and asked if anyone had any experience in Intellectual Property applications and if anyone had a personal recommendation they would share with me. One of the members came back to me very quickly with a brilliant recommendation of an attorney they had worked with and I followed up right away.

I made an enquiry via email to the recommended Intellectual Property attorney who organised an initial call so I could outline my vision and what might suit my business now and in the future. We had to do a little bit of crystal ball gazing!! From the call and subsequent emails, I was filled with a lot more confidence that pursuing registration for my name would be the best way forward as I’d already established a strong profile and brand awareness.

The application (via the attorney) was submitted and then it was a bit of a waiting game. Once your application is filled, it goes onto a public register to give anyone the opportunity to contest or object. This normally takes around 3 months, so it’s not a speedy process at all. It was fascinating to see what other applications were on the same register as mine. New names for shampoo, big brands adding to the different classes they needed – I fell down a bit of a rabbit hole!

6. 3 months passed and the waiting game was finally up. I heard back from my attorney that my trademark was successful. A few days later I received an electronic copy of the registration which will last for 10 years. As part of the trademark, once registered you have to prove that you use it, as apparently they can take it away if you don’t.

So, on much of my future work, you’ll now see the symbol Milly Fyfe®

In short the main reason’s why I’ve secured my own trademark for my name is as follows:

- To protect my assets and brand identity

- To build on my reputation

- To uphold my professional image

- To ensure nobody rides off the back of me

- If I have any cause for concern, I have more of a legal footing to enforce my trademark.

If you want to know more about my journey into registering for intellectual property, drop me a line by emailing: hello@millyfyfe.com

And please do share this piece with anyone who you think would find it of use.

Royal support for new e-cookery book that promotes food sustainability

183:908821069 (Milly Fyfe) — Mon, 28 Nov 2022 11:21:46 GMT

I've brought together recipes from my food blog and podcast. Here's the full story:

Northamptonshire based podcaster, food blogger, Farmers Wife and Mother, Milly Fyfe is launching an e-cookery book to help people who enjoy cooking but are time poor, create family friendly meals from scratch, with backing from HRH The Princess Royal.

It comes at a time where people are feeling the pinch, purse strings are tight, and people are looking for cost effective ways of preparing meals with batch cooking, slow cooking and low energy cooking.

The recipes are pulled together from the successful food blog No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents and the podcast ‘ The Countryside Kitchen meets’ where Milly interviews food producers and farmers about what they grow, rear or process and how they can make a tasty meal using those ingredients.

There is a real emphasis on seasonality and highlighting local food producers, ensuring low food miles, provenance and sustainability, whilst making the meals accessible, easy to make and the whole family can enjoy.

Commenting on the e-book launch, author and entrepreneur Milly Fyfe commented ‘I want to help people eat well for less and enjoy cooking a meal from scratch. I’ve often found some cookery books and TV programmes too complex with ingredients that are expensive or not accessible to the average person. As a busy parent myself, I want to feed my family well, but am often time poor. I’ve put together these recipes from my own repertoire as well as from farmers and foodies that I have interviewed using British ingredients.

‘No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents was first conceived during the height of the pandemic, where I would take photos of the produce I was growing in my garden, document what was happening on the farm and involving my two young children in the growing, cooking and eating of homegrown produce. Very quickly people became interested in what we were up too and I wanted to share a few easy, no fuss recipes to help provide inspiration at mealtimes. Now that everyone is worried about the cost of living, I want to empower people to recognise what they can make, what local farmers and food producers have available and in season, and ultimately help the local economy. ‘

The book will be raising money for The Farming Community Network , supported by Love British Food and has been endorsed and fore-worded by HRH The Princess Royal.

Milly commented further ‘I cried when I received the letter from Princess Anne who wanted to endorse and foreword my book’. ‘All the hard work and determination is paying off and having Royal support is the icing on the cake’. ‘I hope the book helps to make a difference, raise some money for charity, get more people cooking and showcasing the field to fork supply chain in a fun and interactive way’. 'Most of all is that I want more people to Buy British and champion those hero ingredients at mealtimes’.

An e-book launch will take place on Friday 16th December, and a copy will be available to purchase and download on Amazon for £4.95. Pre orders can be taken now by visiting: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BNC29C3N?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420

Printed copies will be available at a later date.

For more information on the book launch, visit www.millyfyfe.com or https://linktr.ee/MillyFyfe

Social Media Audit - Can I help you?

183:908821069 (Milly Fyfe) — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 11:07:02 GMT

With so many updates and changes on social media platforms recently, it's no wonder your mind is blown. Here's how I can help:

A Social Media audit, so what does it involve?

I will take a look at your social media channels and give advice on what you are already doing well and what could be enhanced or improved.

I will check that you are using the latest functionality on the platform, ensure your bio tells people what you are about and that links are working correctly.

I will look at your content and see what posts are performing well, your captions and any hashtags used as well as sizing of images and recommend any changes or updates.

I will look at your profile image, photo or avatar and ensure this reflects what you are about.

I will produce a report with suggestions that you can act on and talk you through my findings.

This service will cost £150.00

In addition I can offer you:

- Account set up on a new platform

- Design your account profile image and / or banner

- Create a strategy for your social media account so that you are consistent, on message and showcase exactly what you are about or what you offer.

These services are extra to the audit, so please talk to me about your requirements and I’ll see what can be achieved.

Give me a call on 07752989544 or email hello@millyfyfe.com

Want to see some of my work?

Here’s what I did recently for The Free Range Butcher, Courteenhall Estate and Rural Pictures Event Photography:

https://www.facebook.com/thefreerangebutcher

https://www.facebook.com/courteenhallestate

https://www.instagram.com/ruralpicturesevents/

Rural Business Funding

183:908821069 (Milly Fyfe) — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 17:40:18 GMT

Eighteen months ago I was fortunate to receive some business support through the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership

A huge thank you to the SEMLEP Business Growth hub for showcasing me and my business as part of a rural case story blog piece.

Running your own business can be challenging at the best of times and having some financial support to use towards consultancy for video production, equipment, lighting and software has really helped to give me a competitive edge. What's more is that I'm able to create compelling content on behalf of my clients as well as promote my offering.

As a result of the funding, I was able to work with Ian Damms of Breeze and Freeze who specialises in Agricultural film production, who taught me how best to capture footage for short films online and across social media. I was able to invest in several items of equipment to support the production and some editing software too.

I hope this piece helps to inspire other rural businesses like mine to seek out support in order to succeed, grow and develop.

Here's the full story: https://www.semlepgrowthhub.com/case_study/milly-fyfe-marketing-and-pr-services/

Mentoring, what’s it all about?

Fri, 28 Oct 2022 19:19:16 GMT

Describing my mentoring journey has been difficult to put in a few words but here goes:

What does mentoring mean to you? When I asked this question on my social media channels last night, the comments included ‘be a listener to people’s ideas and provide them with support to help succeed’ , ‘Inspiring you on your career journey’, ‘Providing knowledge and skills to help someone else’.

Over the last ten years I’ve had three experiences with mentoring, orchestrated by different farming focussed organisations. All with the same purpose but delivered in slightly different ways.

Firstly through The Henry Plumb Foundation. After finishing as NFYFC chairman in 2013 I wanted to continue my passion of communicating the supply chain from field to fork and put together an application to fund a project called ‘Adding value to rare breed pig meat’.

Being married to a farmer but not originally from a farming background, I wanted to have my chance to rear my own livestock, follow the whole process through until finishing and then market the meat via a meatbox scheme as well as promoting the whole supply chain. In addition learn about what added value products could be created through smoking and curing.

As part of the Foundation’s aims and objectives, recipients of grant funding also have the opportunity to be matched with a mentor to help provide guidance, support and experience in the chosen sector, to help succeed in the project or study.

After successfully applying and attending a ‘pig in a day course’ and a ‘smoking and curing course’ at the School of Artisan Food I was ready to purchase my own pigs and get my hands dirty!

So the Foundation matched with industry expert, Cumbrian farmer and entrepreneur John Geldard whose family business has developed into a successful farm shop (Plumgarths), an egg laying business, beef production and much more.

Having the opportunity to go behind the scenes of John’s enterprises was invaluable. His wise words, his friendship and trusted guidance, it all really helps. Doors and introductions have been made, and 10 years on we are still firm friends who keep in touch and updated one another with what’s been happening in the world.

My next exposure of mentoring came in 2015/16 when I was a part of the Tesco Future Farmers Foundation A year long course, spread out over 2-day sessions helping with business development, team building, strategy planning and behind the scenes of food processing businesses across the country.

As part of the outcomes from the programme, we were matched with industry experts who complimented our skill sets. I was matched with Norfolk based Communications guru Susie Emmett at Green Shoots.

Susie helped me with my early days video production learning, to navigate my way through a new job role after I got married, and tackle a few work related challenges along the way. I remember she even cold-called the office I was working in at the time to test the water and see if we were delivering what we said we were, then give me some constructive advice and feedback - golden!

More recently, I signed up to the Women in Food and Agriculture initiative instigated by Agri Briefing and supported by AllTech as one of the industry partners. At this point in time of registering my industry I was self employed and my business was really taking off. I wanted to help find support to strike a better work/life balance with raising a young family and the juggling that being a Farmers wife brings.

Boy I was so fortunate to be matched with Clare Fahey, Global Brand and Strategic Projects Manager at AllTech. Whilst Clare is based in Ireland, we’ve had 9 teams calls over the last year or so to help me navigate my way through rapid business and personal growth. Clare has been a confidential sounding board, a mother of young children and a farmers wife like me and can relate to the challenges I’ve been facing and put some boundaries in place so I don’t feel so overwhelmed. She has also made some introductions for me with Aileen Baron of Green Acre Marketing . Aileen has followed a similar journey, with her business taking off whilst having young children and a farm. She’s built up a successful team to help manage her growing Agri marketing business and was open to sharing some insight of the do’s and don’ts.

Clare and I plan to meet up next year. She’s nominated me for a Women in Technology Award and whilst it would be incredible to be recognised in a non- ag arena for the award, I can’t wait to share a glass of wine with her as we’ve built up a firm friendship. She fights my corner and cheers me on. I often need that confidence boost when working on my own.

So watch this space as my mentoring journey continues. One day I’d like to put the boot on the other foot and mentor someone. Give back and share some of my experiences, open a few doors, make friendships, be that listening ear.

Who knows what the future holds… but mentoring provides you with some many things, it’s often difficult to write everything down in one blog post and express what it’s all about. I hope I’ve done it justice!

A huge thank you to John, Susie and Clare for all their help, guidance and support

National Young Farmers Week - Cookery Video

183:908821069 (Milly Fyfe) — Sat, 22 Oct 2022 17:34:56 GMT

A fun cook-along video in support of National Young Farmers week

As a former NFYFC Chairman, I was delighted to be asked to become involved with #NationalYoungFarmersWeek supporting their #Homegrown campaign.

A recent competition encouraged YFC members to submit recipe suggestions that used British produce and were affordable too. The results were announced during National Young Farmers Week, and I was asked to prepare one of the finalists' dishes, which was creamy chicken, leek hot pot submitted by Norfolk YFC member Melanie Hawes.

I'm also hoping to interview the winner of the competition on my podcast The Countryside Kitchen Meets who submitted a Sausage Yorkshires and onion sauce recipe. I'm going to have a crack at that sometime soon using my own home-reared Gloucester Old Spot pork sausages.

Anyhow, here is the final cook-along video I produced... let me know what you think!

Click on the URL to find the video on the NFYFC Instagram account

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cj8BK9XgsQU/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

Or here is the video I produced in the farmhouse kitchen at home and posted onto Facebook

British Food Fortnight 2022 begins

183:908821069 (Milly Fyfe) — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 08:38:11 GMT

British Food Fortnight kicks off from 20th September to 2nd October

Watching Her Majesty The Queen's funeral yesterday conjured up so many emotions for me.

She made a lifetime promise of dedicated service and one that she kept.

We will never have another monarch of her calibre, who served our country for over 70 years, who touched the lives of so many.

I recall Giles Brandreth talking about the 4 key elements of the service which would stand out: her patronage, her sense of duty, her family and her faith. He was not wrong.

I watched with immense pride, feeling proud to be British. I shed a tear like many of the nation.

But what's more is that it took me back to that moment in 2013 where I stood up in Westminster Abbey during the Love British Food Fortnight harvest festival, to give a reflection on farming.

The same place that Archbishop Justin Welby stood to give his address during the Queen's state funeral. It was very surreal.

And so on the launch of this year's British Food Fortnight campaign, I wanted to reshare that moment with you which still sends shivers down my spine. One of the moments that I will always remember. To be able to share something so powerful and promote the dedicated work that British Farmers spend their lives doing... putting food on our table.

Rest in Peace Your Majesty

Here is the video from the 2013 British Food Fortnight's harvest festival service at Westminster Abbey

Rural Business Focus Podcast

183:908821069 (Milly Fyfe) — Tue, 06 Sep 2022 13:36:43 GMT

The boot was on the other foot when I came on the Rural Focus Podcast

Want to know how to improve your online presence?

Listen to the Rural Business Focus podcast interview (link below) and make sure you have a paper and pen ready - plenty of top tips to be had!!

The Countryside Kitchen - how the podcast started...

183:908821069 (Milly Fyfe) — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 14:55:01 GMT

With season two launching in September, here's how the podcast 'The Countryside Kitchen came about:

During the height of the pandemic, I started posting interesting recipe ideas and pictures of family meals being prepared using ingredients grown on the farm, whilst involving my two young children. I was aware of the increase of people getting back into cooking from scratch and knowing where they could source local ingredients from.

Quite quickly, my Facebook friends and twitter followers would ask if they could share the recipe ideas with their friends. I was also receiving messages to say how I had inspired other people, especially parents with young children, to get baking and involve them too.

From there, the food blog ‘No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents’ was born. I created an account on Facebook and Instagram and started posting recipe suggestion, followed by seasonal ingredient suggestions.

Having held various national positions within the world of food and farming, I reached out to my networks and interviewed farmer friends who were busy, working hard to produce food for our table. And that’s how the ‘meet the producer’ section was founded.

Each time I post, there is a local producer with an incredible story to tell. However they may not have time to market their business or would be quite humble about the achievements they have made. So I’ve taken my passion for food and farming and shone a light on interesting people, found out their route into farming, what the future holds for them, as well as where followers can purchase those ingredients from.

From there, I established a website: www.nofussmealsforbusyparents.com to house all the photos, recipes and interviews.

I realised quite soon on that interviews with local food producers would need more than a Facebook page to house the content. Understanding how someone has built up their farming or food business and how they may have diversified, takes up a large word count. But there were so many interesting anecdotes, stories and history to share as well as talking about recipe suggestions and where you could buy ingredients from, that I had to grow the project even more.

That’s how the podcast ‘The Countryside Kitchen meets’ came about.

In September 2021, Milly launched a monthly podcast with a different farmer, food producer or lover of local produce. Recorded in advance and streamed on a podcast hosting service, the podcast has been downloaded hundreds of times, with 10 episodes to tune into to date.

Interviews include Gold medal winning Paralympic athlete Charlotte Henshaw, Love British Food founder Alexia Robinson and Staffordshire Beef, Arable and Diversification Farmer Rich Bower.

The podcast is fun, informative with some time saving hacks to help busy people, especially parents with young children, to prepare and enjoy tasty meals using local sourced ingredients. Understanding and promoting how food is produced from the farm to fork is important to me.

I'm hopeful that it makes a difference and more people are aware of the wonderful farming community we have across the British Isles. That includes promoting the message of buying British, shopping locally and Backing British Farming.

Season two will launch in Sept 2022, with the hope that it will reach out to an even bigger audience.

To find out more about the Podcast ‘The Countryside Kitchen Meets’ contact Milly on 07752989544 or email hello@millyfyfe.com

You can listen to the podcast on all major streaming platforms including Apple Music, Spotify and Google Music. The RSS feed is here: https://feeds.captivate.fm/the-countryside-kitchen/

And the podcast also sits on this website: www.millyfyfe.com

Farm Safety Week

183:908821069 (Milly Fyfe) — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 11:40:08 GMT

Today marks the start of Farm Safety Week, a campaign organised and promoted by the Farm Safety Foundation

I wanted to produce a short video for Instagram to highlight the worrying statistic that 18% of all work place related deaths are from within the farming industry according to the HSE.

How can we change that statistic?

Watch the video below or check out my instagram feed: https://www.instagram.com/millyfyfe/

Three points from David Richardson OBE on BBC Countryfile

183:908821069 (Milly Fyfe) — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 13:48:39 GMT

What I took from David Richardson OBE's presentation at the Royal Norfolk Show

Last week I had the pleasure in attending the Royal Norfolk Show as part of my role as English Panel Secretary on behalf of The Council for Awards of the Royal Agricultural Societies (CARAS)

Earlier in the day I was fortunate to receive some warm hospitality from the Country, Land and Business Association (CLA), where I took the time to chat to representatives about a project I am working on to promote the benefits of grazing native cattle breeds as part of a regenerative farming system.

Then I attended the Royal Agricultural Societies of the Commonwealth's AGM ( RASC) being held on site. In 2014, I was able to travel to Brisbane, Australia on the RASC bi-annual congress as a next generation delegate. What I learnt on that trip and the connections I made have helped to shape my career to date. So I was keen to attend the AGM and forge strong links between the RASC and CARAS moving forward.

As I sat down for the meeting to start, everyone stood to welcome the patron of the charity, HRH The Princess Royal. As we sat down to get comfortable again, The Princess only came and sat down next to me, I couldn't believe it! I certainly wasn't expecting that...

She smiled and said 'oh hello again' and the meeting commenced. Having been privileged to have met HRH on many occasion in recent years, we have struck up a rapport surrounding our love of keeping Gloucester Old Spot pigs. But sadly we weren't able to continue that conversation as the meeting was in full swing.

The primary reason for me attending the Royal Norfolk Show was to organise a reception hosted by the English Panel, supported by Anglian Water and guest speaker, renowned agricultural commentator David Richardson OBE FRAgS.

At 4pm approx 40 members and guests arrived in the Long Acre Marquee, to join together for a drink and a few presentations. Firstly by Anglian Water as sponsors, then by David Richardson, who I'd asked to speak about his career in agricultural journalism and how things had changed over time.

David explained his background, coming from farming stock in Norfolk, and accidently became involved in TV and radio, after his stint with the Young Farmers movement. He explained how much air time, together with in depth knowledge and understanding was given to farming programmes and how fast-paced the media reporting has now become.

3 points that David mentioned which struck a chord with me was how he referred to the relevance of BBC Countryfile. Having watched the programme for many years myself and appeared a couple of times, I've seen how the programme has changed and how frustrated the farming community have become when the programme doesn't cover the real heart of farm life, the highs and lows, the realities etc.

So when he said that BBC Countryfile is important because it is:

- Made by Non Farmers

- About Farmers

- For Consumers

The penny dropped for me...

The programme will not always please the farming community because it is about them, not for them.

And with millions of viewers every Sunday night, it is an important programme in promoting key subject areas, but perhaps doesn't go as in depth as we (The Farming Community) would like.

So, what farming programmes are out there that hit that sweet spot?

This Farming Life

The Yorkshire Vet

Down on the Farm

BBC Radio 4 Farming Today

This Week on the Farm

Our Yorkshire Farm

What have I missed??

I'm incredibly grateful for David for taking the time to address us, with some important words of wisdom that really resonated with me. David is someone who I deeply respect, and am proud to know.

I came away from the Royal Norfolk Show tired, but incredibly excited and honoured to be working with some inspiring, high profile people, who together make the food and farming industry so great.

Pictures by Tim Scrivener

Social Media Intern Job Opportunity

Fri, 06 May 2022 10:11:31 GMT

Want a short-term project to get your teeth stuck into and look good on your CV?

Have an interest in social media management and want to be a part of a global campaign?

Emerging Ag based in Canada oversees the World Milk Day campaign on behalf of the Global Dairy Platform. They are looking for somebody to help with social media monitoring during the days surrounding 1st June when the worldwide campaign takes place.

Jobs in Agriculture you say?

Mon, 25 Apr 2022 10:11:31 GMT

Northamptonshire is a pretty super place to live and work. Just recently a couple of exciting job roles have arisen locally within two progressive farming businesses and I couldn’t let it pass me by without shouting about the opportunities.

Now, if you want to get your foot on the ladder, progress in your career or be inspired by innovative, diverse businesses then take a look at these two opportunities. One at Farrington Oils and the other at Courteenhall Estate.

Please do share with anyone who you might think would fit the bill.

Will you get behind World Milk Day with me?

183:908821069 (Milly Fyfe) — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 11:38:21 GMT

Will you get behind #WorldMilkDay with me?

I’m helping to coordinate supporters from across the UK and Europe to produce social media content leading up to and on World Milk Day which is celebrated globally on 1st June.

Are you a passionate dairy farmer? Are you involved with an organisation that supports the dairy industry? Are you involved in the supply chain or understand the nutritional aspects that make up milk, cheese, yoghurt or cream? Produce dairy products or sell milk direct from the farm? Or just love cows…

I’d love to hear from you.

Here’s why:

In 2001 the United Nations declared June 1 as World Milk Day to spark conversation on the contribution of the Dairy industry to Nutrition, Community and Livelihoods and Environment globally. Our company Emerging Ag www.emergingag.com on behalf of the Global Dairy Platform is tasked to coordinate a global social media campaign that brings different supporter together from around the world to raise awareness and celebrate the day.

The 2021 World Milk Day campaign was a huge success and through all the support and efforts #WorldMilkDaycreated 1.38 billion impressions , the global campaign (including #EnjoyDairy plus 17 translations and local hashtags) reached 369 million impressions , with 199,295 posts using the hashtag #WorldMilkDay

Capitalizing on the work that the Global Dairy Platform is doing already for the Pathways to Dairy Net Zero, the 2022 World Milk Day theme will highlight the work being done to accelerate climate action and help reduce the sector’s impact on the planet. Using the World Milk Day platform, we will aim to raise awareness of the messaging and action towards Dairy Net Zero.

The success of events like this depends on long-term planning, collective efforts of our mobilizers and the participating of individuals and entities at local, country and global levels. As we plan for World Milk Day in 2022, we would like to invite you to participate as one of the campaign Mobilizers.

The role of the Mobilizer is to:

Follow the World Milk Day social media accounts:
Facebook : @GlobalDairyPlatform
Twitter : @worldmilkday
Instagram : @globaldairyplatform
Like, share, re-tweet, re-post and interact with the World Milk Day content
Post original social media content using #WorldMilkDay (photos, videos, links, posts) or use those created and provided by the Global Dairy Platform (see https://worldmilkday.org/ )

We have a team dedicated to developing promotional material, provide hero content and 24-hour support for the Mobilizers throughout the celebration.

We will be very delighted to have you as part of the Mobilizer team. Should you accept our invitation, we will add your name to our Mobilizer list, and we will communicate with you again as we approach World Milk day 2022 on 1st June.

We look forward to hearing from you and hopefully having you as part of our dynamic team of Mobilizers.

Do not hesitate to contact milkday@emergingag.com for further information.

Haggis Burger you say? I’ve got a tasty treat for you!

183:908821069 (Milly Fyfe) — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 11:46:41 GMT

Beyond Burns Night Burger!

Haggis Burger you say? I’ve got a tasty treat for you!

Over the past month, I’ve been taking part in a #burgeroff competition organised on Twitter by @RateMySausage

Back in January, I was asked to submit photos and a description of a burger that I’d made from scratch to enter into the month-long competition against 31 entries.

The ethos behind the competition and previous rounds have been to support independent butchers, local food producers and source ingredients with low food miles.

Competitors from across the globe have taken part, from the USA and Australia as well as the UK. Of course a burger is a dish celebrated across the world and everyone has a slightly different take on what they enjoy to eat.

As part of the competition, we also had to prepare and cook two side dishes, which proved quite controversial with rules being set for what constituted a side or not, to be fair to all. Coleslaw or wedges were acceptable for example but a sauce wasn’t.

So I set about planning what I might cook for my entry. My life motto is ‘dare to be different’ so I wanted to think outside the box.

Having recently written an article in my local newspaper about haggis ahead of burns night and how versatile a dish that could be, I was inspired to explore the possibility of making a haggis burger. With our family roots firmly connected to Scotland, as well as being farmers and food producers ourselves, it lent itself to be a dish of champions… surely!

I came across a recipe on the Macsween Haggis website and wondered if I could replicate something similar. Being social media and PR savvy, I thought why not drop the company a line and tell them what I’m doing in case they could help me with some advice or top tips.

Well, you’ll never guess that Managing director James MacSween himself gave me a call to chat through my plans. From that conversation the ‘Beyond Burns Night Burger was born’.

A burger combined with Macsween’s haggis and lambs mince from our farm with some oil was all that was needed for the actually burger. Teamed with a homemade whisky sauce and mozzarella cheese and lettuce served in a toasted scotch roll bun.

The sides were inspired by the other elements of a burns night supper (neaps and tatties) so I made some salt and pepper potato wedges and some poached tatties with cheese and bacon, which made the most wonderful side to dip the wedges into!

My entry appeared on the @ratemysausage twitter feed on 6th February and followers and judges had to rate my burger from 1 – 10 and give some feedback.

What’s really tricky is photographing your burger so that everyone can see what you’ve made, how it was put together and how mouth-watering it could potentially be, along with a short description.

As we all know, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, but with this competition that was not possible. So I spent a while tarting up my cooked burger and side dishes to make it social media worthy, before serving up the rest to my hungry boys.

As a Farmers Wife and busy mum of two I love to cook but I’m no professional. I like good, honest food and support local producers where possible as well as growing / rearing our own. I hoped that my burger conveyed this as I neatly displayed in on a plate with some tartan around the plate and in the background was one of our sheep grazing just out in the Orchard. Perfect.

Well, I’m pretty chuffed to say that my burger made the cut with an overall score of 8.26 out of 10, where I ended up being 8th out of 31 on the scoreboard.

I had some wonderful comments, with many people saying what a different take on a traditional burger and that they’d love to have a try of it.

I couldn’t be happier.

#MindYourHead

183:908821069 (Milly Fyfe) — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 12:11:01 GMT

From 14th – 18th February, The Farm Safety Foundation has been highlighting the challenges facing the farming community and dispelling the myths and stigmas surrounding mental health through a campaign called #MindYourHead

As a Farm Safety Foundation ambassador and somebody who has experienced the difficulties surrounding rural isolation and loneliness, even before the Covid-19 pandemic, I’ve been keen to highlight the fact that anyone can be affected with mental health issues at any time, probably when you least expect it.

By speaking out, I hope that it helps in some small way to make a difference and encourage others to seek the support during dark or difficult times. It also helps me to channel my energy and create a positive feeling that I’m doing something meaningful to help others.

And so, whilst I wouldn’t say that things are 100% for me now, I like to show my support to the wonderful charity that is the Farm Safety Foundation by not only hosting the film crew to create the 2022 campaign video, but I was fortunate to produce a piece with Emma Baugh of BBC Look East to raise awareness of the #MindYourHead campaign, which aired on 15/2 on BBC News.

Above is the final piece recorded on BBC Look East.

And here is the campaign video, filmed at home on the farm. I even feature briefly, cast as the Farmers Wife…

Ever considered attending a leadership course?

183:908821069 (Milly Fyfe) — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 12:28:29 GMT

The Challenge in Rural Leadership 2016 course reunion in Devon Feb 2022 (a few friendly faces missing)
My advice is go for it!

In 2016, I was selected (via application and interview) to take part in a two-week challenge in rural leadership course organised and run by the Worshipful Company of Farmers at Dartington Hall in Devon.

Over the duration of the fortnight-long residential programme, everyone took part in a variety of sessions including media training, business development, presentations from industry leaders and the opportunity to scrutinise a business and present our findings.

The course was made up of people from many different backgrounds, different ages, different career paths and from different countries. Whilst there was a dozen from the UK, we were joined by a Polish chap, two Aussies and a kiwi.

Following the course, all 16 of us have kept in touch with regular emails, whatsapp messages and Zoom calls, providing that invaluable support network as we all experience our daily work and life challenges.

And every year we meet up. Each time (apart from last due to Covid 19) we’ve met up to update each other on what we’ve been up to and where we are going in our respective business. We look around a few businesses in the area in which the organiser comes from, which forms part of a study tour. We always come away refreshed, reinvigoured and motivated to see what the rest of the year brings.

The first year reunion took place in Posnan, Poland which was a hoot. I’m not going to lie, there was plenty of vodka involved. We visited some incredible businesses and ate far too much!

Since then the group have meet in Dundee, Derbyshire, Essex and now Devon once again. In 2023 we are hoping to head to Lincolnshire and many other study tours are planned for the future.

When people come away saying the course is life-changing, it really is. You have friends for life, a better understanding of yourself, how you play your part in a team and what difference you can make going forward.

Want to know more? Then drop me a line at hello@millyfyfe.com

Pictured above is our reunion picture taken at Shearwell Data, hosted by owner Richard Webber on Exmoor. The location probably boasts the best boardroom view in the country!

Wastie Apples

183:908821069 (Milly Fyfe) — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 12:38:45 GMT

I’m so proud of my family heritage!

The Wastie’s of Eynsham were famous apple breeders. My great-great grandfather Fred Wastie developed different apple varieties, working with the Royal Horticultural Society. You can read more about the history of how the Wastie apples came about here: http://www.longmeadwildlifesite.org.uk/famous-eynsham-apple-growers.html

What’s really fascinating is the work my Dad is undertaking to keep the varieties alive. These are the varieties that he either has or the Bernwode nursery keeps.

We’ve even got some of the young trees in our farm Orchard. Very fitting when our farm is called ‘Orchard Farm’!

But whilst there are many varieties listed above, there are still many missing. Partly because the original orchard was built on by the Witney to Oxford A40 trunk road. And because more prolific, commercial varieties became in favour.

Missing varieties include:

August Dualtest, Colonel Wastie, Comrade Wastie, Cyril’s Pride, Dispossessed Farmer, Early Woodstock, Eynsham Abbey, Eynsham Beauty, Eynsham Causeway, Eynsham Cross, Eynsham Queen, Eynsham Russett, Eynsham Star, Fred’s Conquest, Fred’s Favourite, Fred’s Reward, Golden Glow, Green Howard, High Sheriff Wastie, Improved King of the Pippins, Jennifer’s Charm, Jennifer’s Joy, Jennifer’s Pride, Kid’s Orange, Orange Newton, Oxford Abundance, Oxford Comrade, Oxford Filler, Oxford Friend, Oxford Heft, Oxford Hussar, Oxford Pippin, Oxford Russett, Oxford Surprise, Peggy Wastie, Peggy’s Favourite, Quince Aroma, Summer Blush, Tony’s Wonder, Wastie’s Allington Image, Wastie’s Comrade, Wastie’s Late Nonesuch, Wastie’s Late Worcester, Wastie’s Pseudo Blenheim, Wastie’s Red Bramley, Wastie’s Winner Woodstock, Keeper Woodstock Seedling. 48 in total.

So I’m hoping that together with my Dad we can find more of these lost varieties one day ��

MP visits arable farm to find out about pressures faced by Daventry’s farming community

183:908821069 (Milly Fyfe) — Mon, 10 Jan 2022 12:42:34 GMT

It’s not every day your local MP comes to visit you for a farm walk. However, that’s exactly what Daventry MP Chris Heaton-Harris did recently.

Following an invitation from Yelvertoft farming duo Andrew and Milly Fyfe, Chris took them up on their offer to better understand the pressures faced by Daventry’s local farming community.

The couple were keen to talk about the increase in rural crime in the area, how current and future farming policies are impacting on farm businesses as well as the toll on emotional and mental health. Milly Fyfe commented ‘We felt that it was really important that Chris understood the realities of what farming life was like locally and what goes on behind the scenes to produce food to feed the nation’. ‘We want to ensure that farming is represented and understood well within government and that more people feel connected to food producers in the UK’.

Andrew and Milly Fyfe farm 500 acres in Yelvertoft with 100 beef suckler cows, 300 breeding ewes, arable crop and a few rare breed pigs too.

Pictured is Andrew and Milly Fyfe showing Chris Heaton-Harris MP around the farm.

Full story can be seen in the Daventry Express Newspaper online and in print here:

https://www.daventryexpress.co.uk/business/mp-visits-arable-farm-to-find-out-about-pressures-faced-by-daventrys-farming-community-3521394

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The Challenge in Rural Leadership 2016 course reunion in Devon Feb 2022 (a few friendly faces missing) My advice is go for it!

Wastie Apples

I’m so proud of my family heritage!

MP visits arable farm to find out about pressures faced by Daventry’s farming community

It’s not every day your local MP comes to visit you for a farm walk. However, that’s exactly what Daventry MP Chris Heaton-Harris did recently.

Will you get behind #WorldMilkDay with me?

The Challenge in Rural Leadership 2016 course reunion in Devon Feb 2022 (a few friendly faces missing)
My advice is go for it!