Brexit Q1: Have you found out the ways Brexit might impact the goods you sell?
Brexit Q2: Worked out how this could affect the performance of your farm?
Brexit Q3: Figured out the areas where you can make savings?
Brexit Q4: Seen how leading farmers in your sector are making changes?

Current issue

112# Feb - May 2020 Vol 28-4

Recent Back Issues

111# Nov 2019 - Feb2020 Vol 28-3

110# Aug-Nov 2019 Vol 28-2

see all back issues

Farmers' Comments...

Thank you for letting me know. I would also like to let you know that your magazine is very popular with our students. Many of the students at this school are from a rural farming background and it has been fantastic to have some reading material that appeals to them, particularly the more reluctant readers.

Mrs Kathryn Durkan, LRC Manager, John Port School

John Port School, Derbyshire

If you'd like your comments featured here, please contact us

Talks and Workshops

Editor Mike Donovan has been talking to audiences throughout his business career. In London with the Economist Intelligence Unit and Financial Tines, and more recently as founder editor of Practical Farm Ideas. As a journalist his aim is effective communication

Evening talks

Have you ever been to a conference that draws people in with a roster of famous keynote speakers, only to end up disappointed with content that's all fluff or high-level theory? Or speakers you have heard before?

A presentation from Practical Farm Ideas founder and editor Mike Donovan is very different. Mike has been focussed on diseminating cost-cutting ideas to farmers for more than 25 years. While most speakers have products to sell, he wants his audience see machines that have a truly huge return on investment. Like a grain cleaner built for £900 which saved £3,500 in stoppages in the first year! Which also is used to clean home saved seed - giving even greater savings.

Farmers really like the presentation. Mike wants each of them to go back home with at least one project they want to implement straight away.

Normally lasting around an hour but stretching longer with a keen audience.

Making a booking

Email what you want and give your possible dates. He will reply in a couple of days, so if you hear nothing, please try again.

Talks for students

Younger audiences need a presentation which keeps up a good pace, and a contents that is understandable. When it comes to machinery many students benefit from some basic economics being included in the session. We also are keen to get over the 'soil story'.

Workshops, conferences, speech and commercial writing,

There's often very little conferring at farming conferences. Workshops provide a greater opportunity for participants to find answers to difficulties. Mike is an experienced and lively conference chairman.

Fed up with the speech you have been giving audiences over the years? Too busy to find the time to write something fresh? Use the contact details below.

Reviews

From: Becky Willson
Subject: RE: FCCT Conference

HI Mike,

Thank you very much for chairing the day yesterday, you did a fab job and really
added to the day. I will of course keep you in mind for similar events and that subject
area is something that we are planning on running an event on in the near future.

Practical Farm Ideas is a great publication and hope that the sales continue to increase!

With kind regards, Becky

Hi Mike

Thank you so much for coming last night. It was great to meet you and the feedback on the talks has been fantastic. I hope you got back safe last night.

I will have a check with the venue regarding the box of cards and let you know. In the meantime, I would really like to keep in touch and hopefully meet up again.

Thanks once again for a fun and informative talk.

Best Wishes

Steven Jones BSc (Hons)

Business Development Director

Ballard Dale Syree Watson LLP

Contact: Mike Donovan, Practical Farm Ideas, 11 St Mary's St, Whitland, Carmarthen, SA34 0PY
Email mike@farmideas.co.uk or call/txt 07778 877514 or 01994 240978 so he can see if he can fit you into the diary.

ABOUT Mike Donovan

Reading University: BSc (Hons) Agricultural Economics
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and editor Retail Business 1969 - 75
Contributor: UNCTAD Conferences in London, Geneva, Madrid and Istanbul 1972 - 77
Author: 'Consumerism' Encyclopaedia Britannica 1972  
Financial Times, London 1974 - 77
Dairy farmer, West Wales 1977
Winner: Bath & West Show Farmers Brainwaves 1991
Created Practical Farm IDEAS magazine 1992

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