Most of us end one year and start the next with a bit of indulgence. Our dinner tables carry more weight – and so surely will we – and there’s, for a few days at least, a little more time for the things that matter most.

Taking time to reflect on business performance

The same is true of Farmers Weekly. The last edition of 2014 was certainly a weightier issue. The stalwart farming publication which guides and leads UK farming through the issues and choices of the day was bursting with coverage of how to improve.

Right in the magazine’s midriff is the article about JVFG, by arable contributor Louise Impey. Given special access to the autumn meeting of JVFG members,  Louise’s report crunches the numbers and captures the character of the group.

Joint Venture Group proves ‘invaluable’

Jamie Gwatkin, the group’s consultant analyst revealed how labour costs, establishment costs, and harvesting costs have all been brought down. Operator efficiency is up and so is morale. Why? Because knowing business performance is one thing but just as important is knowing where and how to concentrate efforts to improve.

JVFG attracting new members

Sharing the JVFG story is bringing great results. It is attracting new members to the group. Most importantly of all it is demonstrating how collaborating together is key.

Coming together around a table and sharing; talking about what each brings to that table (for JVFG farmer members that’s all the data they collect on farm): it’s an old formula. It works. It isn’t just for the depths of winter either.

Out in the fields on JVFG farms the performance data is being gathered that will form the bedrock of the next seasonal analysis in Spring 2015. For the lean businesses who will be revealed as the leaders in improving their labour and machinery costs there will be much, again, to celebrate. Happy New Farming Year.