eventguide2015

programme of
events
We hope you enjoy a busy day at the NSA North Sheep 2015
8:30 Judging of best indoor, best outdoor and best sheep breed society stands
9:00 Event open to visitors
From 9:00
09:30 – 16:30 Farm tours
View 210 agricultural related trade stands, view 40 sheep breed displays, EBLEX/BRP stand:
live lamb selection, ram MOT’s, carcase cutting, butchery display, foot trimming displays.
Sheep shearing competition, stick dressing demos, spinning, weaving and felting demos,
wool handling, Young Shepherd of the Year competition
10:30 Opening ceremony and presentations
11:00 – 11:45 Seminar – “Flock & Foliage – how planting trees can benefit land & Livestock” Speaker Helen
Chesshire, senior advisor-farming, Woodland Trust. “Supplementing grazing for optimum results”
David Thornton, Rumenco. Chairman: Eddie Eastham
11:00 First heat of Ready Steady Cook
11:00 Sheep Shearing Heats
12:00 – 12:45 Seminar – “CAP & Countryside Stewardship Speakers: Will Cockbain, Natural England; David Morley,
H&H Land & Property Environmental Adviser; Alan Alderson, farmer and Swaledale Breeder.
Chairman: Adam Watson
12:30 Second heat of Ready Steady Cook
13:00 – 13:50 Seminar – “Outlook for the sheep industry – a vision of the future” Speakers: J P Garnier,
Head of Exports, EBLEX; N Bagley, AIMS and Phil Stocker, NSA CEO. Chairman: John Geldard
14:00 – 14:50 Seminar – “Sheep Health issue in 2015” Speakers: Philip Skuce, Moredun who will discuss Fluke;
Stewart Burgess, Moredun who will discuss Scab, Joe Henry, Veterinary Surgeon who will discuss on
farm and regional SCAB strategies. Chairman: Matt Colston
14:30 Final of Ready Steady Cook
15:00 Sheep Shearing Final and presentations
15:15 Ready Steady Cook prize giving within the cookery theatre marquee
16:00 Young Shepherd of the Year results and prize giving at the Opening Ceremony platform
17:00 Event closes to visitors
17:30 Access to site for standholders to remove stands
Judges:
Best sheep breed society exhibit – Martin Richardson & David Croston
Best indoor trade stand – Sally Marston & Sam Wharry
Best outdoor trade stand – Mr and Mrs R Marston
What is the Future
of the Sheep Industry?
The Seminars focus on Sheep Health Issues, the future of the
industry and how planting trees can benefit land and livestock.
The seminars taking place throughout the day are
focussing on key issues within the sheep industry.
The speakers are all experts in their field will give the
expert’s answer on how to get the best from your
flock.
The topics being covered include:-
1. CAP and Countryside Stewardship,
Sheep Health Issues
2. The Outlook For The Sheep Industry
3. How Planting Trees Can Benefit Land
And Livestock
4. Supplementing Grazing for Optimum Results
Probably one of the most talked about issues at the
current time is CAP and the Countryside Stewardship
Scheme, and this seminar has been designed to
give farmers the very latest information from Will
Cockbain of Natural England, Advisors H&H Land
and Property, and Cumbrian Farmer and Swaledale
Breeder Alan Alderson.
As David Morley, Environmental Adviser at H&H
Land and Property,says:“This is a completely new
scheme. The details of which are forever changing
and evolving. My aim is to highlight the information
as much as we know it, and describe the potential
impacts and opportunities for sheep farmers.
This scheme is all competitive so I will discuss the
priorities that farmers need to start considering to
benefits themselves.”
Chief Executive of the NSA, Phil Stocker, will give
his thoughts on the outlook for the sheep industry
and his visions for the future. Looking at the export
side of the industry will be Head of exports at EBLEX,
J P Garnier, and they will be joined by Norman
Bagley from AIMS.
Helen Chesshire,Senior Adviser from the
Woodland Trust,will discuss how Planting trees can
benefit land and livestock, in the Flock and Foliage
Seminar. She will be promoting the Trust’s view
about the benefits of agro-forestry to sheep farming.
She tells us, ”We argue that tree planting can help
to prevent health issues, for example hypothermia,
liver fluke and lameness, by providing natural shelter
and reducing water logged conditions, which in turn
will support more cost effective sheep systems.”
Helen’s presentation explains how trees can
improve the resilience and productivity of sheep
farming systems. This will be followed by Peter
Leeson, Partnerships Manager of the Woodland Trust,
as he briefly explains the advice and support the Trust
can provide to farmers interested in tree planting,
before opening the floor to questions.
David Thornton M.Sc.,Technical Manager,
Rumenco Ltd will present Supplementing Grazing
for Optimum Results. Histalk will highlight the likely
nutrient gaps in grazing that limit performance, which
depending on the time of year, might be energy level,
protein level and quality, minerals, trace elements and
vitamins.
He adds: “My aim is to ensure that producers are
better informed over their choice of supplementary
feeding programme to exploit the grazing and their
stock’s potential.”
In the Sheep Health Issues seminar, Philip Skuce
from the Moredun Institute will present the latest
information on Fluke, while his contemporary Stewart
Burgess will cover Scab. Joe Henry of Alnorthumbria
Vets will give details of their strategy for managing
scab on farms and on a regional basis and as he
says: “The best way to solve a problem is to share a
problem “
He explains their strategy, “Here in
Northumberland if ever we have diagnosed SCAB
– Scab is never a one farm problem, so we ask the
farmer to tell all of his neighbours, because we cannot
break confidentially, and then we arrange a meeting
in the nearest Village Hall whereby we will discuss the
issues, and come up with an agreed time which treats
the problem in a coordinated fashion. This works –
and it is something that sheep farmers across the
length and breadth of the country really should take
on board. A collaborative approach is the way forward
in minimising ongoing costs and welfare issues.
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event guide 2015
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