In the beginning
At the time Farmers Guide was launched in September 1979,
there were 1.8 million hectares of land devoted to arable
cultivation, representing one third of the total agricultural
land in England and Wales. Half of the wheat crop was grown
in East Anglia, together with more than 40% of potatoes, 63%
of vining peas and 72% of sugar beet, field beans and dried
peas.
Nothing
like it
Most newspapers in rural areas produced weekly supplements
for their farmer readers. The Eastern Daily Press had produced
a special publication in 1959 designed to cover seven counties,
but this ceased in 1970. The Farmers Guardian, produced in
the west, was also a by-product of a newspaper group and produced
in newspaper format, but it included coverage of the livestock
industry reflecting the area it served. The NFU produced a
number of county publications comprising union news mostly
in the small A5 format.
The
first issue
The East Anglian Farmers Guide, covering Norfolk, Suffolk,
Essex and Cambridgeshire, took a major step by being the first
to offer the A4 magazine format on a local basis, and to offer
farmers free advertising for equipment sold off the farm.
Agricultural suppliers found the magazine cost-effective.
Welcomed
by readers
The East Anglian Farmers Guide was warmly welcomed and supported,
resulting in its growth from serving four counties to today’s
30 counties and from 4,000 copies to 30,000 with a readership
independently surveyed at five readers/copy. Today’s Farmers
Guide offers a unique opportunity to suppliers wishing to
reach growers across Britain’s prime food-producing counties
and their suppliers.
Power
in Action
Since the magazine began, Farmers Guide had always been closely
involved in the annual Power in Action event, organised by
the Suffolk Farm Machinery Club. Otley was the home of Power
in Action until a change in farming policy by its hosts meant
that the 2005 event was the last to be held on that site.
It was feared that the loss of the Otley venue would also
spell the end of the event, but Farmers Guide became joint
organiser with the Suffolk Farm Machinery Club and a new site
was identified. With the 2007 Power in Action, which took
place at Melford Park Farm, Alpheton, Suffolk, on Wednesday,
September 5, 2007, the event thus entered a new phase in its
history.
1979
- 2008
For almost 30 years, readers have bought and sold through
its columns, while enjoying the interest, information and
contentious political comment through its editorial columns.
The magazine's yellow-paged used equipment section offers
probably the largest and most comprehensive selection in Europe.
We
are family!
The Farmers Guide is produced by a family-owned and managed
company, committed to providing the agricultural industry
with a means of low-cost and effective advertising both for
its readers and their suppliers.
