The Marden Fruit Show Society Annual General Meeting will take place this year at the Animal Management Lecture Theatre, Hadlow College on Wednesday 15th April. The new format and location will include high profile guest speakers, the Apple Juice Competition and highlights the continuing progress of the Society.
The AGM will be chaired by Rt Hon Michael Jack CBE, Society President at 10am. Following elections, Sarah Calcutt, MFSS Chair will report on the successful 2014 Show and detail plans for 2015.
The dates and plans for the 2015 show will be announced along with the coveted Bonanza Prize and associated sponsor.
The formal AGM will be followed by presentations from a number of key speakers from the industry. Mark Suthern, Head of Agricultural Banking, Barclays will give a banker’s view of the sector and will draw parallels from his visit to South Africa.
After graduating from Sheffield Hallam University with a Geography Degree, Mark worked in industry for a short while before joining Barclays in 1986. Mark’s current role as Head of Agriculture, leads a team of 130 agricultural managers based across the UK.
Guy Smith, Vice President of the National Framers Union, farms a mixed and diversified family farm in north-east Essex and will be giving the fruit industry an insight into the NFU perspective.
Dr. Fraser Courts, Post Doctoral Scientist, Institute of Food Research will unravel the myths and reality of antioxidants. Fellow colleague, Dr. Paul Kroon, a Research Leader at the Institute specialises in research based on the intake, absorption, metabolism and health effects of dietary polyphenols. One polyphenol, phloridzin, is heavily concentrated in the skin of apples.
The final speaker on the agenda will be Rachel Lawrence from the Rural Business Unit, University of Cambridge, who will present the Farm Business Survey. FBS provides information on the physical and economic performance of farm businesses in England, to inform policy decisions on matters affecting farmers.