There are changes afoot at Shepherd Publishing, run by Guild vice-chairman Howard Venters, including a new full-time member of staff and a new office location.
“First of all I’ll be welcoming my sister Liz Venters to the Shepherd team; she joins from September,” says Howard. “Liz has always been working for Shepherd behind the scenes in a part-time capacity but now joins on a full-time basis.”
She takes over from Jill Smith, who retires from full time employment at the end of August but will continue to work as Howard’s personal assistant one day a week, which frees her to build her new house.
Following the National Sheep Association’s move out of the main building at the Sheep Centre on the Three Counties Showground in Worcestershire, Shepherd Publishing has also moved office location. It is now based on Howard’s farm: the new postal address is Burnt House Garden, North Common, North Chailey, East Sussex, BN8 4DJ.
“Telephone numbers, both office and mobiles, email and other contacts remain unchanged and all regular titles, Sheep Farmer, Beef Farmer, Cattle Breederand Wool Producer will continue to be published from Sussex,” says Howard.
Shepherd has also published the first edition of Innovations, the IFAJ Congress 2014 magazine compiled by several members of the Guild’s organising team to promote the event to potential delegates.
It contains portraits of different facets of agriculture and rural life in north-east Scotland, where the main congress event will be held, plus details of the full programme including pre- and post-event tours and a profile of the British Guild.
A PDF version is available here; hard copies are available from Howard and fellow joint Congress chairman Adrian Bell, and Guild chairman Jane Craigie.
