CAAV YOUNG VALUERS CONFERENCE 2022: CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY

On 2nd September, after a three-year break enforced by the pandemic, the CAAV Young Valuers Conference took place at Cranfield University. The CAAV are grateful to the team at Cranfield for hosting a fantastic event. 

Morning Session

On the morning of 2nd September, at the Cranfield Management Development Centre (CMDC), Malcolm Gale, CAAV Senior Vice-President, welcomed attendees to the conference and introduced the speakers. Tomos Davies, a Young Valuer who sits on the Wales Committee and is involved with the organisation of the Welsh Tutorial, chaired the session.

Prof. Karen Holford CBE, Vice-Chancellor of Cranfield University, gave an overview of the research focus of the university.

Prof. Jane Rickson, Professor of Soil Erosion and Conservation at Cranfield University, gave an engaging and informative presentation on the assessment and valuation of soil degradation and improvement. The presentation provided an important introduction to an area of developing interest, linking up emerging UK environmental policy and farming trends such as regenerative agriculture.

 Jeremy Moody, CAAV Secretary and Adviser, gave a professional update focussing on competing future land uses, including energy, tree planting and considerations for carbon agreements.

Andrew Coney, Immediate Past President of the CAAV and partner at P. Wilson & Co, discussed technology and future skills, looking ahead to the working practices that might become familiar for the Young Valuers attending.

To finish the morning session, Lynne Robson, International Business Trainer and Coach, ran through 25 Top Tips to Maximise Your Potential, providing an insightful guide to professional and personal development.

 Afternoon Session

After a sociable lunch at the CMDC, attendees split into four groups and were guided around some of the agricultural research facilities at Cranfield University, having the opportunity to discuss the ongoing projects with the researchers. Groups visited:

•  The large glasshouse of the CHAP and AgriEPI centre, the scale of which provides a middle-ground between smaller grow-houses and field trials. Prof. Wilfred Otten ran through some of the current projects, including an assessment of the opportunities for the recreation of calcareous grassland, commissioned by HS2 in support of their environmental mitigation work. 
• The genetics and crops glasshouse, where members were introduced to two plant breeding projects: tomato plants with more vigorous rooting and a genetically edited thornless raspberry.
• The Soil and Water Laboratory, where Prof. Jane Rickson ran a demonstration rainfall experiment. Attendees discussed the impact and ways to address runoff and leaching, as well as wider questions of food security.
• The Agri-Informatics Facility, where, building on themes from Andrew Coney’s morning presentation about technology, a 3D map of Wales’ soils was used to show how data and mapping could be overlayed to provide a strategic overview of soil types and land management considerations.  

Black Tie Dinner

In the evening, delegates and their guests gathered for a drinks reception and the annual Young Valuers Black Tie Dinner. An after-dinner speech given by Tracy Mackness was as inspirational as it was entertaining. Tracy – who trained as a pig farmer and butcher while incarcerated at HMP East Sutton Park – founded The Giggly Pig sausage company on her release. Attendees queued up after dinner to get hold of a signed copy of her memoir, Jail Bird: The Life and Crimes of an Essex Bad Girl

The evening was rounded off with some questionable dancing.

The event was an enjoyable and informative occasion, and the CAAV looks forward to welcoming Young Valuers to future events - and the 2023 Young Valuers Conference!