The Worshipful Company of Farmers Alumni Association (WCFA) Committee have developed the second Alumni Learning Extension Day for 2019 which will once again be held in the Cranfield Management Development Centre at Cranfield University, Bedfordshire on Wednesday 11th December, starting at 8.30am for registration. Syngenta is proud to be the event sponsor.

The purpose of the Alumni Learning Extension Day (LED) is to:

• offer an opportunity to alumni of WCF courses to continue to expand their knowledge of modern business management techniques

• provide further opportunities for alumni to think beyond their day to day agricultural business activities for the long-term benefit of themselves and their businesses

• aid alumni networking across all WCF courses and years

• provide access to experienced professionals and entrepreneurs for those wishing to discuss topical issues over lunch

An interactive day with many opportunities for group discussion, the LED will stretch your minds and continue to help advance alumni to meet the challenges of UK agriculture. Mark Berrisford-Smith, Head of Economics - HSBC UK Bank plc & Allan Wilkinson, Head of Agrifoods - HSBC UK Bank plc will open the day with a session looking at the challenges and opportunities the UK currently face trading in a global environment. Following that much of the day will be broken into facilitated working groups. Topics will be more non-agricultural in style this year. At lunch there will be optional discussion sessions moderated by professionals and entrepreneurs.

The 2019 LED will focus on three topics areas:

Funding Growth and Development - Calum Murray, Head of Agriculture & Food, Innovate UK & Antony Pearce, Managing Director of Real IPM UK will discuss new ways of funding new business start-ups and enterprises with participants. Session sponsored by Barclays Bank plc

Strategic Technology Planning - Professor James Lowenberg-DeBoer from Harper Adams will focus on the international view of the value of precision agriculture and its contribution to long-term business planning. Session sponsored by Roythornes

People Management - Dr Bryan Watters OBE, Snr Lecturer, Leadership & Change, MoD Shrivenham & Cranfield University will use a personal case study, based on his time serving with the British Army in Iraq, to highlight many leadership and culture aspects that can equally be applied in agriculture. Session sponsored by Eden Search

For the closing session, we are pleased to confirm Minette Batters, President of the NFU, will be looking "where we currently are" with UK agriculture.

For those participants wishing to continue the discussion and networking, the optional drinks reception and a three-course dinner * will be held in the evening. The speaker for the dinner will be WCFA member Alex Albone of Pipers Crisps, the potato crisp company he founded and recently divested.

Hotel accommodation facilities are available in the centre for those travelling from afar and wishing to stay before and/or after the day.**

The 2019 LED will be open to WCFA members from 1st July and, from 1st September, also guests of alumni members. Numbers for this event are limited to 120 and will be allocated on a ‘first come first served’ basis.

* = please advise Duncan Couper directly of any dietary requirements you have via duncan@farmerslivery.org.uk

** = Hotel accommodation can be reserved seperately by contacting the Cranfield Management Development Centre reception on 01234 754882 (telephone) or cmdcsales@cranfield.ac.uk (email).

The WCFA Committee reserves the right to alter any part of the programme of the Learning Extension Day to fulfil the running of the day.