SAVE 10% - Countrywide Farmers

Experts in their FieldEach issue, Country Talk will be quizzing Countrywideexperts about their favourite products and their benefitsto customers. In this issue, we meet Sara Blackshaw,Countrywide’s Equestrian Buyer.With her wealth of experience in the equestrian sector ashorse rider, owner and as a British Horse Society AssistantInstructor, Sara certainly knows her stuff on all thingsequine. And when it comes to products, Sara thinks like acustomer too.As the owner of 5 year old Minnie a Trakener Warm BloodCross and 3 year old Leah a ¾ thorough bred, Saracompetes at affiliated level in Dressage and Eventing & isa member of Bromyard Riding Club.So, with her buying expertise sourcing products worldwide,Sara has highlighted two of her favourite equestrianproducts, now available in all Country Stores.Sara recommends Allen & Page Ride & Relax, which is alight, muesli mix for horses at rest or in light to mediumwork. It’s suitable for horses with intolerance to barley,molasses or alfalfa. “Ride and Relax is ideal for horseswhich tend to get excited even on low energy mixes,” Sarasays. “It’s low starch and high fibre, and is fortified withOmega 3 and 6 oils for improving all-round health,promoting fantastic skin and coat condition. I’m a big fanbecause it really is an excellent source of slow-releaseenergy for all types of horses and ponies.”Ride & Relax nutritional analysis:Oil: 4.0%, Protein: 9.5%, Fibre: 22.0%, Estimated DE: 9.5MJ/kg, Starch: 15.0%, Calcium: 1.1%, Vitamin A: 10,000IU/kg, Vitamin D: 1,500 IU/kg, Vitamin E: 80 IU/kg.Sara’s other favourite product for her horses and somethingshe recommends to customers is Countrywide Alfalfa Chaff.“This is a complementary forage feeding stuff for horses andponies, containing Alfalfa with a light dressing of low sugarmolasses and corn oil,” Sara explains. Alfalfa Chaff issuitable for feeding to all horses and ponies, according toworkload and size, to a maximum level of 3kg a day, and isavailable in 15kg bags at a cost of £6.99.Countrywide Alfalfa Chaff nutritional analysis:Oil: 5.0%, Protein 14.5%, Fibre 30.0%, Ash 9.0%A full range of equestrian products are available in storeand online.Green FingersHorticultural Specialist David Gray helps those green fingers with hisgarden tips for May, June and July.MayJuneJuly• Mow the lawn regularly with theblades set at a height of 2.5cm.• Apply a nitrogen rich lawn feed.• Tie plants into supports.• Water newly planted trees, shrubs andhedging regularly.• Take cuttings from Fuchsias andHydrangeas using the soft tips.• Plant baskets and hang them in thegreenhouse to develop.• Sprinkle feed around Roses.• Cut away spring bulb foliage once itdies back.• Plant Clematis in a bright sunnyposition.• Re-pot houseplants.• Damp down the greenhouse floorevery morning in order to increasehumidity.• Cover strawberries and ripening berrieswith netting.• Take Clematis cuttings or peg stems tothe soil to layer them.• Propagate shrubs.• Take cuttings from Fuchsias.• Pinch outside shoots on tomatoes.• Raise French beans in pots to plant outfor a late crop.• Plant out leeks.Did you know?By signing up to our online newsletter, you will get advance information on offers and special promotions?Simply go to www.countrywidefarmers.co.uk.Shop online at www.countrywidefarmers.co.ukPage 3

Around thebusiness...July wheat demonstrationat CaenbyCountrywide has a team of arablesales experts based at Caenbywho work with growers acrossLincolnshire, Nottinghamshireand Yorkshire.As well as supplying seed,fertilizer and agrochemicals awheat demonstration plot hasbeen sown for 2008 with fortyvarieties of winter wheat. This isbeing demonstrated on3 July – all growers are mostwelcome to attend. For moredetails contact Jeff Summers07730 494315.Patio HeatersDue to the widely publicisedenvironmental concerns,Countrywide will no longer bestocking patio heaters. Stocks leftfrom last year are available atclearance prices in Country Storesbut no new models have beenbought.Calling allequestrians!Have you checked outCountrywide’s in-store serviceswhich include rug cleaning, riderhat fitting and body protectorfitting?Call in and let the Countrywideequestrian in-store specialistsshare their know-how.Agri team continues growthWelcome to Brian Morris, JohnBevan, Adrian Tomlinson andJohn Smith who are all newlyappointed to the infield Agri salesteam.A call for helpCountrywide’s involvement with thenewly launched Rural Stress Helplinemakes perfect sense – bothorganisations are about serving therural community. Countrywide’sCustomer Services Co-ordinator KateStockburn talks to Country Talk abouthow help for rural residents can bejust a phone call away.Why has the Rural Stress Helplinebeen launched and how does it work?Kate: This is a free of charge helplinetelephone number which offers a totallyconfidential and non-judgmentallistening service to the rural community.What sort of problems can it helpwith?Kate: The service is intended to supportrural homes, farms and businesses withall types of issues which may concernthem, be it stress, finance, access issues,health worries or disputes. There are noset parameters, callers can ring on anyissue that affects them.So how and why has Countrywidebecome involved?Kate: We were impressed by the passionshown by the Rural Stress Helplinetowards supporting and advising therural community, which echoes our ownapproach to rural life and business.In my role, I am closely involved incustomer care and implementing ourcustomer feedback logging system. Thismeans that sometimes I am in theposition to recommend this helpline tocustomers, who may not have known ofits existence. In this way, I hope I cangive the best possible service to eachcustomer, by putting them first, andbeing pro-active and informative.As a business, every year we select achosen charity, and 2008, with thelaunch of this service, seemed like agood time to lend our support to theRural Stress Helpline.For further information, please call theRural Stress Helpline, on 0845 094 8286.For further information on theCountrywide Customer Care Programmecontact Kate Stockburn on0800 0556761 (Monday to Friday8.30am to 5.00pm) or e-mailcustomercare@countrywidefarmers.co.ukor write to Kate Stockburn atCountrywide, Defford, Worcester,WR8 9DF.RuralStressHelplineDid you know...?Feed deals - available nowThe recent feed cost increases have taken hold and everyone is coming to terms with paying well over £200/tonne. To tryand ease the pressure, Countrywide is forward selling compound feed and blends through to next Spring. With high pricesset to stay, Countrywide’s advice is to be the early bird: avoid paying even more and take advantage of the current prices,before they rise again.To find out more, speak to your local Feed Specialist or call Customer Services Team on 0800 432 0466.Page 4Customer Care on 0800 055 6761

Wood pellet boilers – environmentally and customer friendly!Tim Wallis, a Countrywidecustomer from near Trowbridge inWiltshire has described hisCountrywide wood pellet boilerinstalled on his fruit farm andcaravan storage site as ‘fantastic’.“I am very happy with my boiler,” Timenthuses. “My house is a 1,200square foot new build log cabin,designed to be environmentallyfriendly. It is constructed entirelywith timber and heated using thisrenewable energy source making thebuild carbon neutral.“I talked to Countrywide in order toget information on the optionsavailable as I did not want to committo oil or gas because of pricingworries, and of course wood isactively reducing in price. Anotherkey issue for me was a guaranteedsupply chain following theinstallation. Countrywide is asizeable, established supplier to therural community and delivers asupply promise which I trustentirely,” Tim explains.Wood boilers offer a heating solutionthat is just as convenient as using oil,but which works more efficiently,helping the environment becauseburning wood does not contribute toclimate change if the wood comesfrom a sustainable source. Carbondioxide is still released when wood isburned but this is equivalent to theCO2 which is taken in by trees overtheir lifetime. Heating with wood,particularly a pellet, is convenient asthe equipment does not needconstant supervision other thanweekly ash removal.During planning applications for hisnew build, Mr. Wallis wascommended for his decisions interms of the proven efficiency of thewood pellet boiler and the choice oftimber as a fabric for the house. “Iwas advised that my plans scoredhighly in environmental terms (SaPRating), and specifically that thewood pellet boiler contributedsignificantly towards that high score,”Tim adds.Mr Wallis took advantage of the EnergySavings Trust funding which is availablefor renewable energy installations. Forfurther information on Countrywide’srenewable products and services, pleasecontact Julie Jones Ford, RenewablesManager on 01386 757 333.Pigs inParadiseChitterne in Wiltshire is home tosome very rare and happy pigs.They are, quite literally in ‘PigParadise’ as this is the name ofthe farm for rare breed curlycoated pigs run by Countrywidecustomers Carron and TonyYorke. Saving these rare pigbreeds and pig keeping is totalhappiness for Tony and Carron,as they have turned their pigpassion into a thriving businesstoo, running rare breed pigkeeping courses, selling pig arcsand becoming recognized as aleading UK rare breed pigauthority.“This is a niche market and byspecializing in it we have beenable to help rare breed piglovers and farmers nationwide.Our pigs are all fed onCountrywide feed, and in amarket which has been affectedby rising feed prices, I am happyto work with Countrywide whoare prepared to be flexible bytailoring their approach to suitour needs, in terms of whichproducts I use, and workingwith us to our mutual benefit,which is very helpful in teachingrare breed pig keepers how tokeep pigs cost effectively” Tonyexplains.For more information onCountrywide’s animal feeds andadvice on individualrequirements, please call theCustomer Services Team on0800 432 0466. For moreinformation on Pig Paradise visitwww.pigparadise.com or call01380 818677. Pig Paradisenow trades under the ‘PigPerfect’ banner.Did you know…?By August 2008 and as the result of training and hard work, there will be 172 AMTRA qualified staff in Country Stores toprovide professional advice and help on all Animal Health issues. This represents, on average, four qualified AMTRA staff perCountry Store!Shop online at www.countrywidefarmers.co.ukPage 5

Good sportsAs the new game feed season begins, shoots are faced withincreased costs on all fronts including game feeds, wheat,fertilizer for cover crops, gas and electricity, and fuel. So,inevitably the prices of poults and the costs charged byshoots for a day’s sport will in turn rise to cover theseadditional costs. Whilst rawmaterial costs have risensubstantially, Countrywidehas maintained thenutritional integrity of itsGame Feeds so that theperformance of therearing poults will not becompromised. “We take the stance that the better thenutritional start given to the day old poults, the healthierand vigorous they will be on release,” explains Jim Fordyce,Countrywide’s Feed Technical Manager. Included inCountrywide Game Feeds is a new improved Gamepack, acombination of nutritional aids designed to create a healthygut environment to pheasant and partridge poults from oneday old. The Gamepack includes yeast derivatives, blendsof natural and nature identical oils and essences, betaine,and high levels of trace elements and vitamins all of whichpromote optimal digestive function, resulting in beneficialmicroflora in the gut, improved immune status, and betterlitter quality. And while using high quality CountrywideGame Feeds, game rearers should simultaneously beensuring that all aspects of their rearingmanagement are reviewed so that the birdsput up to the guns give an enjoyable day’s shooting.For more details on the Countrywide Game Feedscontact your local Feed Specialist or ring the CustomerServices Team on 0800 432 0466.The green green grass – making the mostof summer grazingIncreased global demand for milk and milk products overthe last year are improving the outlook for milk producers,yet the large increases in compound feed raw materialprices over the last 10 months mean that dairy farmersneed to make the most of summer grazing to benefit fromthis.Countrywide’s Milk Yield Prediction Service helps dairy farmerseffectively monitor the contribution of grass to milk output andmake adjustments to stocking and feed rates to makemaximum use of the grass. Grazing surveys carried out forfarmers show that the predicted milk yields from grass willrarely exceed 15 litres, whereas highly digestible well managedyoung grass has a potential to yield in excess of 27 litres.Compared with feeding a minimum of 2kg concentrates to getthe cow into the parlour, feeding 8kg compound costing £220a tonne will leave a margin of 46p/cow per day with a milkprice of 25p/litre, due to the increase in milk yield achievedthrough feeding the extra concentrate. Over a 100 day grazingperiod this represents an increased margin of £4,600 for a 100cow herd.Spring grass combines high energy digestibility with high levelsof protein much of which is quickly degraded in the rumen,meaning that if the protein is not correctly balanced much of itcould be wasted, resulting in increased blood and milk urealevels, reduced performance and poor fertility.Alongside this, the proposed expansion of nitrogen vulnerablezones (NVZ) in England puts the onus on dairy farmers toimprove the efficiency of nitrogen and protein use by the cow.So, the introduction this Spring of Countrywide’s Ebony DairyFree game birds guideRequest your free copy ofCountrywide’s guide for gamecover, stewardship and foragecrops, which will meet the seedrequirements of any shoot, farm,estate or livestock enterprise.For your free copy or to discussseed requirements please callyour local Countrywide Specialistor the Arable Team on 01386757314.Nuts will be a welcome one. This is a 15% protein nutcontaining fermentable and high digestible fibre sourcesand Grasspro, (a sugar mineral complex which helpsbind the protein sources in the rumen of the cow),which works to improve rumen function at grass,reducing excess rumen ammonia and blood urea,resulting in increased yield and milk protein output fromthe early Spring grass.For more details on Countrywide’s Dairy Feeds andthe Milk Prediction Service contact your local FeedSpecialist or ring the Customer Services Team on0800 432 0466.Page 6Customer Care on 0800 055 6761

The heat is risingHeating oil customers are bearing the brunt of escalating crudeoil prices and many Countrywide customers have been surprisedto see prices up by several pence per litre as rocketing crude oilprices impact on the UK’s domestic heating market. This begsthe question: “Order today or wait and see?” Fuel’s ManagerShaun Cooper looks at the options.“Nobody knows what will happen with the escalating prices butwhat we do know is that they are fast becoming a fact of life. Whatwe want to do is work with all our customers in taking the worryand stress out of managing their heating bills and fuel orders”explains Shaun.We all know that big bills tend to arrive at the wrong time, but byswitching to a Countrywide Budget Account, where the cost ofheating can be spread over a full 12 months, you can effectivelymanage those bills. An added benefit of the budget account ispriority delivery. Alternatively, the Premier Account offers thepromise: ‘Never run out of oil again’. Shaun explains: “Cost worriesmay have meant customers delaying their order, but then resultingin heating failure due to low levels of oil in the tank. PremierAccount members get an automatic oil delivery when the tank islow.To find out more about Countrywide’s Budget Account andPremier Account call the Fuel Customer Services team on0800 626348.CongratulationsCongratulations to Mr Mace, a longstandingCountrywide customer who recently won theCountrywide Heating Oil Prize Draw, which hewas entered into with his first order. “Beingaware of constant oil price increases, I decidedto ring round and compare prices. Countrywidewas one of three, and was the mostcompetitive, and have so far delivered a goodservice, so I will therefore continue to useCountrywide for as long as this continues.”For further information please contact JasonBritton on 07946 176595.Food glorious food – new localproduce from CountrywideA taste sensation has beenlaunched across selectedCountry Stores. A new localproduce range to tingle the tastebuds, help reduce food milesand support local producers iscalled ‘Local Flavours’ and isavailable now in eight CountryStores.The initiative is to offer locallygrown and produced foodproducts some of which will comefrom Countrywide’s owncustomers. Colin Andrews, adirector of The Dairy House, afarmer-owned Herefordshirecompany that produces fine quality yoghurt, cheese, creamand cheesecake from a blend of its own organic Jersey andFriesian milk, and who is supplying Countrywide’s LocalFlavours explains. “As a farmer, I have been a customer ofCountrywide Stores for some years now. The initiative tointroduce a local-produce section is a fantastic idea thatreally draws the producer and consumer closer together.Where else can you buy local food in the same shop wherethe farmer who produced it buys his wellingtons?”he smiles.Countrywide’s Marketing Manager Rebecca Barninghamadds “By sourcing products from our own customers,echoes our commitment to the local rural community.”Countrywide is also working with regional food group,HEART of ENGLAND fine foods(HEFF) “We are working togetherwith HEFF initially and then laterthis year with Taste of the West tosource our range local to stores forthis exciting new initiative,”Rebecca adds.Edward Thompson from PixleyBerries in Ledbury, Herefordshireis another producer supplying therange: “The success of oursuperfruit rich cordials, free fromadditives and funny-soundingpreservatives and based upon ourown farm pressed blackcurrants,comes as a result of the successfuldiversification of our farm. We are looking forward tosupplying Countrywide; there is a good synergy betweenus. We support their strong local ethic and drive for quality.And of course the Ledbury Countrywide store is just downthe road.”See ‘Local Flavours’ in your Country Store now atBearley, Ledbury, Hereford, Gloucester, Evesham,Bridgnorth, Bromsgrove, Chertsey and Chipping Norton.Shop online at www.countrywidefarmers.co.ukPage 7

HEART of ENGLAND Rarebit with Worcestershire SauceTry this recipe made from sauce from Countrywide’s home county, Worcestershire.Ingredients25g/1oz butter25g/1oz flour150ml/5fl oz milk175g/6oz Malvern Cheesewrights cheese, grated150ml/5fl oz local brown ale1 tsp English mustard2 tsp Worcestershire saucesalt and pepper2 egg yolks4 slices of toastMethod1) Make a roux with the butter and flour,and leave to cool.2) Bring the milk to the boil, then whisk it into the roux. Bringto the boil once again, whisking to ensure that it does not burnand also that the sauce is free of lumps.3) Add the cheese, beat in and remove from the heat.4) Reduce the ale, English mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Whenthick, add this mixture to the cheese sauce. Season well with saltand pepper and beat in the egg yolks.5) Spoon on to the slices of toast and grill until bubbling.SNAP HAPPYYour chance to winWhat is the essence of rural life?What image sums up the ruralcommunity?Countrywide’s online photo competition aims tocapture customers' experience of rural living inpictures, with the chance to win £300 worth ofgarden furniture.Entering is easy!Go online to www.countrywidefarmers.co.uk to choose one or more categoriesto enter and for full entry and competition details.Good luck and happy clicking!Spend over £30 and SAVE10% with this voucher.This voucher can only be redeemed against cash, credit card or debitcard purchases made in a Countrywide store.This voucher is only valid when you spend £30 or more.Valid until 31st July 2008.This voucher cannot be used in conjunction with any promotions, reducedlines, bulk deals or purchases of gift vouchers.No cash alternative. Voucher redemption value is 0.001p.No photocopies of voucher will be accepted.All products are subject to availability.Only one voucher per transaction.Postcode:Excludes the purchase of fuel.SHOW TIME - Dates for your diaryBadminton Horse Trials :1st to 4th MayMalvern Spring Gardening Show :8th to 11th MayCereals Show : 11th & 12th JuneThe Three Counties Show :13th to 15th JuneRoyal Welsh : 21st to 24th JulyCLA Game Fair : 25th to 27th JulyNSA Sheep 2008 : 30th JulyCountrywide FeedbackTo improve future issues of this newsletter we welcome your feedback, simply call Customer Care on0800 055 6761. The customer care line is also available if you have any queries or require anyinformation on our products and services.Every care is taken in the preparation of this newsletter, but it should only be used as a guide. In the absence of its negligence, Countrywide Farmers plc does not accept any responsibility for any loss ordamage, however caused, as a result of any reliance placed upon information given in this publication by the reader or anyone to whom such information is communicated.© Copyright Countrywide Farmers plc, 2008. E&OE. This newsletter has been printed using vegetable based inks and paper from sustainable resources.