Chester farmer elected as CLA Cheshire Chairman

David Rowlands, who farms rare breed Red Poll cattle at Mickle Trafford, has been elected as Chairman for the CLA’s Cheshire Branch.

Edward Clark, of Fisher German Denton Clark has been elected Vice Chairman.

Mr Rowlands and son Huw practice conservation grazing on the 240 acre family farm under a Higher Level Stewardship agreement and help inform the public by holding open days, farm walks and providing permissive access.

Rowlands’ Red Poll beef has developed a strong following locally, being sold in a number of Cheshire Pubs and restaurants, as well as at the Chester Fields farmers market, and direct from the farm.

Rowlands is quite clear about his priorities for his term of office and plans to focus on promoting the contribution that farming and the rural economy make to the greater good of the nation, as well as helping create the conditions necessary to attract bright, young and enthusiastic talent to a career in agriculture.

Mr Rowlands said: “I am delighted to accept the challenge of championing the rural economy in Cheshire with the support of an experienced, influential and enthusiastic committee.

“It is clear that many people enjoy the benefits of the countryside, but don’t want to pay for them. This needs to change, so we must promote the strength and benefits of the rural economy and its contribution to the sustainable growth of the wider economy. I intend to work with the many interest groups who care about the countryside but who are not always well informed. If we can explain our role better and enlist their support, the countryside will have a far greater voice.

“Farming today is a modern and highly technical industry that requires a highly skilled workforce capable of operating expensive and sophisticated equipment, and we need boffins as much as farm workers. So I plan to work with others to establish exactly what types of entrants are needed, what jobs are available and what training is being provided. Where there are gaps we will seek to close them.

“Yet we also have obstacles to overcome, notably the poor broadband and mobile coverage in many areas, which is strangling economic potential and making it difficult for our children to take part in society on an equal footing with their urban classmates.”

The CLA Cheshire committee represents the interests of its members in the county and allows local concerns to be fed via CLA national policy and lobbying to be raised in the corridors of Westminster and Brussels. Committee members are elected from a cross section of Cheshire’s rural economy and also help provide advice support and networking for its members.