Were has this year gone?!

I know this is a cliché but how fast has this year gone? With barely two weeks to go until Christmas I am not sure where this year has gone and being the ultimate Christmas Eve shopper and Christmas decorator, this year will be no different. I think this year has flown by even faster than usual because there have been so many changes and events which have meant there has been little time to have pause for thought. The business has multiplied in size since this time last year and as Mari reminded me recently, we were only three at last year's Christmas party, this year we were 8 but should have been 10 if it were not for illness. We all have individual and important roles to play within the business and I must take this opportunity to thank each member of the team for their valued contributions and hard work in 2012, our dramatic growth would have been impossible without them and I look forward to their continued support in 2013. It is therefore with sadness that I must report that Meinir Davies, who joined us in March 2012, is moving on to pastures new in the New Year. We will all miss her at Agri Advisor Solicitors and wish her well in her new adventure.

The barns will be finished in January (I am crossing my fingers as I write this) and I must thank Randell & Janes and all the contractors that have been working on site for the last 6 months and for making sure that the work progresses towards the deadline.

We had an excellent turn out for our Succession and Exit Planning event at Pontargothi Hall on Friday 7th December 2012 in conjunction with LHP Chartered Accountants and Sian Bushell, Succession Planning Facilitator. If you need assistance with succession planning please do not hesitate to contact us.

I gave a presentation at a CAP Reform Conference held in London on 6th December 2012 which discussed the main points of the reforms currently on the table. Gwilym Jones spoke on behalf of the Commission and several MEPs were also present to give their views. One thing is now fairly certain, the reforms for Pillar 1 will not be implemented by 1 January 2014, that is now even being admitted by the Commission as an impossibility. Having said that there is reluctance to delay things further than that and therefore there is considerable pressure on all three European institutions to come to an agreement sooner rather than later. The same day I also attended the ADR Mediation Conference in Oxford, and it made me think that perhaps we could do with sending a couple of mediators to Brussels to resolve the differences between officers of the various EU institutions! At the mediation conference, it was emphasised that there would be dramatic changes to costs recovery and use of mediation further to the Jackson review and that these were due to commence in April 2013. This will mean that it will be more difficult to recover costs from the other side if you have not used mediation but also will mean costs are not normally awarded if the value of the case is low. This is designed to encourage people to settle disputes as opposed to litigate them. It will be interesting to see if this works in practice.

May I take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

   

October Flown By

Last day of October and at least we have had some good weather over the past week. This has enabled us to put down most of the pipes for the ground source heat pump but there is still a further 200m to go! The electricians are doing the first fix inside the barns, and some of the stonework is being done where the new external doors are going. We are still on target for the beginning of the year but I'm sure the next two months will fly by. Just hope the weather holds up for us to get the outside areas finished.

Am in Warwick today teaching on the Agricultural Law Association Fellowship course. Drove up last night in the dark but was amazed at how many farmers were about making full use of their tractor lights. One farmer was ploughing near Hereford and obviously trying to make the most of the short dry spell we have had.

Will be at the West Wales Law Society Dinner on Saturday night (3rd November) and can't wait for the Agri Academy Brussels trip on 11th November. Will be great to catch with the rest of the group and get a chance to ask questions directly to those making and influencing decisions in Europe on CAP. 

Time Flies

The old adage "time flies when you are having fun" is definitely true. Its hard to believe that a year has already passed since I started Agri Advisor Solicitors. In one sense so much has happened since then it seems a long time ago now but at the same time I still remember vividly all the work associated with setting up the business. We had a little celebration last Friday night and the bottle of champagne which has been in the fridge last year by way of incentive is no more! Mari made us a cake of which I think there may be a few crumbs left.

The business would not have been such a success without the help and support of friends and family. I am indebted to them for giving of their time, and advice over the last year and for enabling me to be able to concentrate on the business.  I am very fortunate because without them none of it would have been possible. I am also extremely lucky to have found a great team of people to work with on a day to day basis.

But why look back, when we can look forward and to be honest I can't wait to see what unfolds in the years to come.

Next week, we will be at the Dairy Event at Carmarthen Showground. Given the issues with milk prices this year and the increase in input costs it is a difficult time for dairy farmers but hopefully the event will give some a well deserved day off from the business (between milkings), and a chance to speak to processors and suppliers to their business. We have specific packages available for dairy farmers which address their individual sector needs so come along and visit us on the Stand on 16th October to find out more.

I have been speaking at a couple of Young Entrant Support Scheme evenings arranged by Menter a Busnes on what to consider when making changes to your business structure in terms of the practicalities, financial implications and legal issues that may be relevant. It was fantastic to have a full room at both the Newtown and Haverfordwest evenings signalling that there will again this year a high take up of the YESS scheme. 

Rain again!

It is pouring down here at Henllan, you would not believe that it was the middle of August. Apparently there is some talk of a 'heat wave' next week but not sure I can believe that the way the weather is today. In spite of the weather, the builders are working in the rain, with the roof trusses going on  the second barn today. We have finalised the choice of windows and doors and are starting to plan what is going inside which is exciting. We need to start thinking about a name for the new office and so if anyone has any suggestions please let us know.

Almost time .......

It is the Friday before the Royal Welsh show and as yet there are no bags packed, the caravan is still in storage and needs cleaning inside and out and still no silage! Its normally a rush to get things ready to take up but this year is set to be the most disorganised yet given that we have spent most of the last week in hospital with Llyr who has had appendicitis. Thankfully he is now better and came out of hospital yesterday but all our plans for this week had to be put on hold. It is dry today but the land is so wet it is unlikely we will be able to attempt silage until next week either.

The plan for this weekend had been to go to the CLA Game Fair this Sunday but unfortunately that also has been affected by the weather. Cothi Shears today and Capeli Shears tomorrow are still going ahead in spite of weather and have managed to ensure that they have sufficient dry lambs for the shearers. It will be interesting to see who from the Welsh and New Zealand teams come out on top this year in their competitions and good luck to all the local shearers competing in both events.

The Royal Welsh Show is once again jam packed with events and things to see and do. More than anything else I enjoy the chance to meet up with people that I haven't seen for a while  - sometimes not having seen them since last year's Show. We will be launching our Agri Advisor training courses for farmers at the Show. For more details please have a look at our website at  http://www.agriadvisor.co.uk/tools-and-training . Increasingly we as farmers have to abide by rules and regulations and the law has becoming more and more relevant to how we conduct our day to day farming business. The courses we will be running  from September to help farmers spot legal issues and discuss simple ways in which legal disputes can be avoided. Also, there will be a course on how to attack the forms and record keeping that is required of farmers in the most efficient and user friendly ways.

Throughout August we are also going to be offering a special offer for the preparation of Powers of Attorney. Powers of Attorney can provide authority for someone else to deal with your financial and/or care requirements when you are no longer able to do so yourself. If you would like to find out more about this offer please give us a ring on 01558 841550 or email us on advisor@agriadvisor.co.uk. There will also be more details in our July newsletter which can be found at www.agriadvisor.co.uk/chewingthecud

The barns are also making swift progress with the roof on the first barn starting to be retiled today. See for yourself below 

Can you believe it?

Can anyone else believe it is already July? Usually July is one of my favourite months of the year, the main jobs on the farm shearing and silage are usually finished by the Royal Welsh and then as a treat at the end of it we have a week in the caravan at the Show! Not sure that is going to pan out this year. We have finished the shearing and hopefully the fleece will go off this week/early next week but it has been a battle with the weather to get them shorn in batches at a time. But as for silage - we haven't had more than 1 day dry at a time to enable us to do anything with it and that means that if it is dry Show week, Alan will be at home.

Today, farmers and representatives are up in London trying to raise awareness of the unfair prices which dairy farmers get for the milk they produce. Meinir is there on behalf of Agri Advisor and I hope that it will highlight the disproportion between what farmers and processors received for the milk as opposed to the supermarkets. It is unjustifiable that a supermarket gets approximately 50% of the price made for milk by the consumer.

Progress is going well with the barns with one roof, bar the tiles back up and now work is starting on the inside and stone walls. It is very exciting to see the transformation and to see the plans we have become a reality.

Looking forward to the Royal Welsh and praying for a week of nice weather before the Show so that our silage is wrapped up by then! 

Do farmers need a CPC to carry their own livestock?

The general rules is no transporter authorisation is required for the transport by farmers of their own animals, in their own vehicles, for a distance of less than 50km from their holding, or for seasonal stock movements between pastures. However, there is a requirement to observe the General conditions for the transport of animals – these relate to fitness to travel, water and feeding intervals etc.

Also, if you are a transporter - transporters undertaking journeys of less than 65km from place of departure to place of destination do not require an authorisation nor are they required to use drivers/attendants who have been trained and hold a certificate of Competence.

Those transporting farm livestock or horses by road on journeys over 8 hours must hold valid vehicle approval certificates.

So, you will only need a CPC if you are a transporter undertaking journeys of more than 65km.  You will need to get a transporter authorisation if you are a farmer transporting your own animals in your own vehicles for a distance of more than 50km.  You will also need a vehicle approval certificate if the journey is more than 8 hours.

This Week!

Good Morning, another blustery wet day outside! Can’t believe the weather we are having, especially for this time of year! My thoughts go out to those that were affected by the floods in Ceredigion last weekend, it must have been awful but it is very comforting to see communities pulling together in times of crisis.

The building work as started here at Henllan, the roof is off one of the barns and progress is being made! We are all very excited and can’t wait to have our new offices!

This week I was giving a talk at Aberystwyth at a Women in Agriculture Forum arranged by Farming Connect, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and it was great to hear other women who had ventured and started their businesses. In particular Olwen Thomas spoke about her experiences in Africa which I found inspirational and shows exactly what having a positive attitude to life can enable you to achieve.

Meinir attended a networking event arranged by Tomas Marks of Menter Bro Dinefwr at the Red Lion in Llangadog on Tuesday night, where she met with other business people from the area. The night was all about connecting with other business people who were on twitter  and get an opportunity to meet face to face.  

Best Wishes 

Nerys 

May 2012

I am writing in the days leading up to the Spring Festival for which we are proud sponsors of the Hereford Cattle Section and will also have a stand in the Glamorgan Hall. All are welcome to join us there for a cup of tea and a chance to rest those feet. The deadline for submitting the Single Application Form has now passed but issues in relation to dual use still remain and we are still preparing several licence agreements a week for farmers who need to reconcile oral agreements in to writing.
Mari attended the Health and Safety on the farm event arranged by Ceredigion YFC which was well attended and informative on the 25th of April.
My lecturing at Cardiff University has come to an end for the semester so no more weekly trips to Cardiff until September. My lecture for Aberystwyth’s Environmental Law Masters Course looked at Solar Panels as a method of renewable energy generation for farmers and considered drafting considerations for Option and Lease Agreements between a Landlord and Developer. There are excellent opportunities available for landowners if they have land suitable for renewable energy options.

On the farm we have nearly finished selling our first batch of lambs for the year despite disappointing early lamb prices and are trying to get enough sunshine to shear the sheep!

What a month!

What a month! Lot happening at Agri Advisor Solicitors including the welcoming of two new members of staff to our business, Meinir Davies has joined us as a solicitor specialising in agricultural law and boundary disputes for farmers and landowners, Elin Marks is our new trainee legal secretary working under a apprenticeship scheme. We are extremely lucky to have both of them  on board. The team is pictured above – yes we managed to find a couple of hours of sunshine in North Carmarthenshire for a photo.

This month has been particularly busy and we have seen a number of cases in relation to dual uses of land and cross compliance penalties. It is important to make sure that vital support to appeal is not lost by any delay – 60 days is not enough time to put on appeal legislations.

I am extremely pleased to be voted as a member of the Agricultural Law Association Council and very much look forward to my first meeting on the Council next week. The Agricultural Law Association has been an important organisation for me as an Agricultural Solicitor and I hope that it will now enable me to provide the same support for other young professionals who are keen to specialise in this area. The Agricultural Law Association is open to all rural professionals to join please contact Geoff Whittaker on  enquiries@ala.org.uk or telephone (01206) 383521 for more details

Happy Easter to you all 

It’s February!!

It’s February , the shortest month of the year, and time is flying by. The first lot of lambing at Henllan is over and we are enjoying a break before the next lot starts at the end of the month. The new-born lambs and mothers have only just started to be turned out due to the weather, but things look as if they are getting better on that front.

Renewable energy has featured heavily in our work over the last month and I have been to several conferences and meetings on the subject across the UK. There are many opportunities available for farmers and landowners, not just from an energy point of few but also in terms of additional income. Our solar panels are being installed this week and following the recent Court decision we are hopeful, if the Government do not successfully challenge it, that we are going to get the full feed-in tariff rate of 43.9p as long as they are installed and we are connected to the grid before the beginning of March.

Speaking at The Carmarthenshire Chamber of Agriculture was a particular highlight this month. I was honoured to be invited to speak and enjoyed their company and hospitality. Thank you to them also for the  De- icer that I won in their raffle – it has already come in handy!

This month also features one of my favourite traditions – Shrove Tuesday on 21 February. It symbolises the start of Lent and using up what’s in the larder. Pancakes are easy to make and importantly use milk which was something we always had in plentiful supply as we grew up , so pancakes were a favourite treat (not just on Shrove Tuesday I might add!). An enjoyable way to support British dairy farmers and encourage the general public to buy more milk.

Best wishes

Nerys

Blog Cyntaf

Croeso i flog Cyfreithwyr Agri Advisor.  Un o fy Addunedau Blwyddyn Newydd yw ceisio cadw blog o'r hyn sy'n digwydd gyda Chyfreithwyr Agri Advisor ac i ddarparu gwybodaeth i'n darllenwyr.  Rwy'n gobeithio  bod pawb wedi mwynhau eu Nadolig ac rwy’n defnyddio'r cyfle hwn i ddymuno Blwyddyn Newydd Dda i bawb.

Mae dechrau'r flwyddyn yn gyfnod lle y gall pawb fyfyrio ar y flwyddyn sydd wedi mynd heibio yn ogystal â meddwl hefyd am y flwyddyn newydd i ddod.   Roedd 2011 yn flwyddyn gyffrous iawn a phrysur i mi yn bersonol wrth i Gyfreithwyr Agri Advisor gael ei lansio ar y 4ydd o Hydref , ac ers hynny rydym wedi bod yn brysur yn sefydlu’r busnes ac yn mynychu digwyddiadau amrywiol, gan gynnwys y Ffair Aeaf.

 Roedd y Nadolig yn ein tŷ ni yn fater munud olaf eleni – ni wnaethom addurno’r goeden Nadolig na phrynu twrci tan Noswyl Nadolig!  Rwyf wedi addo na fydd hyn yn digwydd eto, ond rwy'n siŵr y bydd noswyl Nadolig blwyddyn nesaf yn union yr un peth!

Mae 2012 yn addo bod yn flwyddyn gyffrous ar gyfer Cyfreithwyr Agri Advisor.   Ein nod yw hysbysebu am Gyfreithiwr Amaethyddol newydd i ymuno â ni,  ac rydym hefyd wedi croesawu ymgynghorydd sy'n arbenigo mewn delio â chynllunio ar gyfer cleientiaid stad amaethyddol i’n cynorthwyo.

Does dim byd fel  dechrau blwyddyn newydd i wneud i chi ganolbwyntio ar nifer o faterion y mae angen eu trin ac os ydych chi heb dderbyn eich taliad 2011 o dan gynllun y Taliad Sengl,  mae croeso i chi ein ffonio ni i weld a allwn eich helpu i dderbyn y taliad cyn gynted ag y bo modd . Hefyd, os ydych wedi cael didyniadau neu gosbau, cysylltwch â ni.  Mae hi bob amser yn werth gofyn am ein barn i weld beth yw’r rhagolygon o lwyddo i wneud apêl.

Y digwyddiad mawr yn y calendr amaethyddol yr wythnos hon, wrth gwrs, yw’r  gynhadledd Ffermio Rhydychen sydd yn edrych eleni ar Pwer y  Dyfodol mewn Amaethyddiaeth.  Mae'r siaradwyr yn ymddangos yn ddiddorol iawn ac rydw i’n edrych ymlaen yn eiddgar at ddarllen y cyflwyniadau pan fyddant ar gael .  Yn anffodus, nid wyf wedi gallu bod yn bresennol yno eleni, a dydw i ddim yn siŵr a fydd Alan byth yn gadael i mi fynd yno eto ar ôl i mi dorri fy nghoes yno rai blynyddoedd yn ôl!

First Of The Year!

Welcome to the Agri Advisor Solicitors blog. One of my many New Year Resolutions is to try and keep a blog of what is happening at Agri Advisor Solicitors and to provide information to our blog readers. I hope that everyone has enjoyed their Christmas and can I use this opportunity to wish everybody a Happy New Year .

Beginning of the year is a time where everybody can reflect on the year that has just passed and the New Year ahead. 2011 was a very exciting and busy year for me personally with Agri Advisor Solicitors being launched on the 4^th of October and since then we have been busy with the setting up of the business and the various events including The Winter Fair .

Christmas at our house was a very last minute affair this year with the Christmas tree and turkey being sorted out  on Christmas Eve. I have vowed that that will never happen again , but I bet next Christmas eve will be exactly the same!.

2012 promises to be an exciting year for Agri Advisor Solicitors . We aim to advertise for a new Agricultural Solicitor to join us and have also taken on a consultant who specialises in dealing with estate planning for agricultural clients.

 There’s nothing like the New Year to focus on many issues that need to be dealt with and if any one hasn’t received their 2011 Single Payment Scheme payment please do give us a call to see if we can help you obtain it sooner rather than later. Also, if you have had deductions or penalties  placed on you please contact us. Its always worth getting an opinion to see what the prospects of success making an appeal.

The big event in the agricultural calendar this week of course is the Oxford Farming conference which this year looks at Tomorrows’ Power in Agriculture .The line-up of speakers looks very interesting and I can’t wait to read the presentations when they are available. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to attend this year and I’m not sure if Alan will ever let me attend again after breaking my leg there a couple of years ago!