I find myself increasingly talking, occasionally shouting, at the radio and sitting with head in hands as I read the newspapers. What I am hearing and reading highlighting the direction this country is heading makes me inclined to ask myself if I have completely lost the plot, become increasingly intolerant and ancient, certainly bonkers. But then I realise my opinions really haven’t changed that much, it is the world around me which is changing – for the worse, I fear.
Each time I sit down to compose my next column armed with a story which I wish to share, along comes another which distracts my attention and then another and another. So, I end up deciding to delay, clear my head and hope more clarity and sanity will prevail.
I really cannot ignore the story emerging from north of Hadrian’s Wall. The Scottish National Farmers Union has a new “diversity and inclusion” strategy which highlights examples of language that had been heard at NFU meetings which were deemed “inappropriate”, including identifying a farmer as “he” as it reinforces stereotype!
Arguing that “the ‘farmer is not always a man”, the report said that they could be a woman and warned: “people in the leadership positions need to use the correct terminology. Don’t use farmer’s wife.”
Farmers were also warned against asking each other how many acres of land they own as an ‘opener’ in conversation as this “makes people starting out with a small farm or no farm, not feel welcome”.
NFU Scotland confirmed that it was accepting all 14 of the report’s recommendations, which followed a review conducted last year. The 30-page document by Caroline Millar, a former NFU Scotland board member, noted that farming was “still quite a traditional sector” and “an industry where change is viewed with caution.” The document includes the view that diversity and inclusion should be prominent so the union appeals to a wide range of people as possible and proposed that it join a Pride march “to give a clear message to gay people who may assume NFU Scotland is not for them”.
Before I took aim at Caroline Millar the author of this report, I of course checked her out. To my surprise she is not some high minded academic from the city trying to introduce her ‘woke’ credentials onto an industry she has little knowledge about. She is in fact a farmer along with her husband, where she runs the Hideaway Experience, welcoming visitors onto their farm to stay in their excellent accommodation in a beautiful part of Scotland
Caroline was a Nuffield scholar, is the lead of Scottish Agritourism Sector and involved with the Global Tourism Network. Her young family are also very much involved with the farm, her young daughter taking the lion’s share of the work during lambing and other tasks around the farm.
So, I ask myself, why is Mrs Millar so hung up with terminology and perception? And why has the NFU Scottish Board swallowed it hook line and sinker. I then realised that part of this lady’s complaint is that the Board is all male which she says is a stark reminder of the lack of diversity in the leadership of the organisation. So, of course these men have decided that if they want an easy life, instead of opposing these recommendations they would roll over and allow what I suspect are the opinions of a minority of individuals.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised that the reason they are all men is because most female famers don’t have time to attend meetings, they have far more pressing and productive ways to spend their time. (I will not list these as they are obvious to most farming families, and I will be accused of unconscious bias if I do)
This is not a situation confined across the border, the same is true in England. Go to any NFU or CLA meeting, farming conference and so many more events where farmers gather to glean information or get sucked into attending even more meetings and you will find those attending are predominantly men.
My mother was a farmer, and so am I, and I can assure you that everyone knew who was boss and wore the boots at Ote Hall in her day. It certainly wasn’t my father who liked to dabble and let others assume he was ‘the farmer’ but he was in fact a typical politician.
I too have never faced discrimination, sexism, or felt harassed when people have assumed I was a farmer’s wife, a lesser being and on occasions not the boss. As for my days at Plumpton College where my fellow students without fail curbed their language when I was in the room, and although very much in the minority I was treated as an equal if not somewhat different.
From day-to-day farming, attending meetings, market and cattle auctions I have never had a problem. As chairman of the South of England Agricultural Society my only cause for complaint was when occasionally I was referred to as the ‘chair’. No, I have two legs not four and most people in the room will recognise I am a female chairman not a male. This must have been introduced by a man, women really couldn’t care less about being called a chairman. Where will this nonsense end.
I am certain that the farming ladies of Scotland can look after themselves. They don’t need a rule book to defend them from the odd misspoken comments, bawdy joke, suggestion they may wish to shop while the ‘farmer’ attends the conference or stand up for Nicola Sturgeon who we have all levelled very ‘appropriate’ and sometimes unkind jibes at.
As the English NFU Conference starts on Tuesday 25th February at the QE11 Centre, London, where the theme will be ‘Foundations for the Future’, I sincerely hope the hierarchy of the NFU will not follow in the steps of NFU Scotland as the ‘future’ but take a more pragmatic line with common sense if anyone even suggests leaning in that direction. I certainly cannot see any advantage in a future where free speech is frowned upon, and everyone is afraid of offending someone or a minority. I think a bit of old-fashioned maturity, less woke and more thick skins would go a long way.
Each time I sit down to compose my next column armed with a story which I wish to share, along comes another which distracts my attention and then another and another. So, I end up deciding to delay, clear my head and hope more clarity and sanity will prevail.
I really cannot ignore the story emerging from north of Hadrian’s Wall. The Scottish National Farmers Union has a new “diversity and inclusion” strategy which highlights examples of language that had been heard at NFU meetings which were deemed “inappropriate”, including identifying a farmer as “he” as it reinforces stereotype!
Arguing that “the ‘farmer is not always a man”, the report said that they could be a woman and warned: “people in the leadership positions need to use the correct terminology. Don’t use farmer’s wife.”
Farmers were also warned against asking each other how many acres of land they own as an ‘opener’ in conversation as this “makes people starting out with a small farm or no farm, not feel welcome”.
NFU Scotland confirmed that it was accepting all 14 of the report’s recommendations, which followed a review conducted last year. The 30-page document by Caroline Millar, a former NFU Scotland board member, noted that farming was “still quite a traditional sector” and “an industry where change is viewed with caution.” The document includes the view that diversity and inclusion should be prominent so the union appeals to a wide range of people as possible and proposed that it join a Pride march “to give a clear message to gay people who may assume NFU Scotland is not for them”.
Before I took aim at Caroline Millar the author of this report, I of course checked her out. To my surprise she is not some high minded academic from the city trying to introduce her ‘woke’ credentials onto an industry she has little knowledge about. She is in fact a farmer along with her husband, where she runs the Hideaway Experience, welcoming visitors onto their farm to stay in their excellent accommodation in a beautiful part of Scotland
Caroline was a Nuffield scholar, is the lead of Scottish Agritourism Sector and involved with the Global Tourism Network. Her young family are also very much involved with the farm, her young daughter taking the lion’s share of the work during lambing and other tasks around the farm.
So, I ask myself, why is Mrs Millar so hung up with terminology and perception? And why has the NFU Scottish Board swallowed it hook line and sinker. I then realised that part of this lady’s complaint is that the Board is all male which she says is a stark reminder of the lack of diversity in the leadership of the organisation. So, of course these men have decided that if they want an easy life, instead of opposing these recommendations they would roll over and allow what I suspect are the opinions of a minority of individuals.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised that the reason they are all men is because most female famers don’t have time to attend meetings, they have far more pressing and productive ways to spend their time. (I will not list these as they are obvious to most farming families, and I will be accused of unconscious bias if I do)
This is not a situation confined across the border, the same is true in England. Go to any NFU or CLA meeting, farming conference and so many more events where farmers gather to glean information or get sucked into attending even more meetings and you will find those attending are predominantly men.
My mother was a farmer, and so am I, and I can assure you that everyone knew who was boss and wore the boots at Ote Hall in her day. It certainly wasn’t my father who liked to dabble and let others assume he was ‘the farmer’ but he was in fact a typical politician.
I too have never faced discrimination, sexism, or felt harassed when people have assumed I was a farmer’s wife, a lesser being and on occasions not the boss. As for my days at Plumpton College where my fellow students without fail curbed their language when I was in the room, and although very much in the minority I was treated as an equal if not somewhat different.
From day-to-day farming, attending meetings, market and cattle auctions I have never had a problem. As chairman of the South of England Agricultural Society my only cause for complaint was when occasionally I was referred to as the ‘chair’. No, I have two legs not four and most people in the room will recognise I am a female chairman not a male. This must have been introduced by a man, women really couldn’t care less about being called a chairman. Where will this nonsense end.
I am certain that the farming ladies of Scotland can look after themselves. They don’t need a rule book to defend them from the odd misspoken comments, bawdy joke, suggestion they may wish to shop while the ‘farmer’ attends the conference or stand up for Nicola Sturgeon who we have all levelled very ‘appropriate’ and sometimes unkind jibes at.
As the English NFU Conference starts on Tuesday 25th February at the QE11 Centre, London, where the theme will be ‘Foundations for the Future’, I sincerely hope the hierarchy of the NFU will not follow in the steps of NFU Scotland as the ‘future’ but take a more pragmatic line with common sense if anyone even suggests leaning in that direction. I certainly cannot see any advantage in a future where free speech is frowned upon, and everyone is afraid of offending someone or a minority. I think a bit of old-fashioned maturity, less woke and more thick skins would go a long way.
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