Jonny Harrison is sailing to Australia from the UK via the Panama Canal before he starts work in Sydney on a secondment at his firm PricewaterhouseCoopers »
Andrew Hebden is Assistant Editor (Business) of The Journal »
Katie Pringle has started her own business, Rock, Paper, Scissors »
Andrew Mernin is the Digital Journalist for nebusiness »
Matthew Rippon is an IP lawyer for BHP Law »
Formerly editor of a national business lifestyle magazine, Jez Davison is a business writer for the Evening Gazette in Teesside »
Ross Smith, Head of Policy and Research at the North-East Chamber of Commerce »
Julian Christopher from Footprint Public Relations, on media and marketing »
Norma Foster from the North East Regional Portal writes about e-business »
Ian Brown, Northumberland farmer and businessman writes about the agricultural industry »
Accessibilty Champion Steve Wilkinson on the importance of inclusion »
Andrea Wilkinson of Shared Interest is visiting Rwanda to deliver business training »
Jonathan Wheatley from Stokesley-based MC Ware writes about IT matters »
Paul Williamson from Deloitte »The weak winter sun seeped through the heavy curtains that protected it's student community from the glare of the modern world; almost ambivalant behind the 16th century facade. St Edmund's College Oxford provided the starting point last week for Ian Brown to attend The Oxford Farming Conference - the truth is it's cheaper than the conference hotels and somehow - rather like classical music - perhaps helps one lift ones gaze in the first days of 2008 away from the hum drum.
Since my first bash at education (remedied later at Durham University) was an HND in Agriculture I still feel a little self conscious amongst the spires of Oxford.
So what future was unveiled in Oxford for the farmers of Northumberland and the North East?
In my twenty year farming career I have attended the OFC 4 times, it is an eclectic mix of people and luckily the scholars - of which I was one on 2 occassions - do have the effect of bringing the average age down. It is a mix of industry leaders, businesspersons, stakeholders and individuals who are happy being there year in and year out to watch the industry rise and wane with time.
I want farming to do well despite having chosen to diversify myself. A few things seem clear from this years OFC. Food and energy security are being treated in similiar ways; free market but within the boundaries of a fail-safe boundary.
Biodiversity and climate change adaptation and mitigation are all linked and society is going to have to peddle some compromises in the next few decades. TB - tuberculosis - is an example of how difficult decisions sadly pass from the desk of one new Defra minister to another.
So since this is a blog and not a dissertation please look at the speeches on the OFC site and indeed other blogs.
Can I in summary offer to come and speak to any group anywhere in the north east and give them a one hour potted Oxford Farming Conference, it would be a delight to pass on what I learnt and I only saw one other badge with Northumberland on so let me know if you want to see the trailer for Farming...The Future?
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