Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2013 | Page 34

INTERVIEW

Caroline Knox: I think
gran would be so proud
By Peter White
Caroline Knox insists she is not a
farmer, and openly admits: “I wouldn’t
have a clue where to start.”
But as the daughter of Tom Smith,
who farms more than 1,200 acres on
the Island, she engages herself in a
lot of background work to ensure as
smooth an operation as possible from
the farm’s headquarters at Merstone.
Even so, Caroline claims she could
never have envisaged being cajoled
into the role she now takes very
seriously - that of chair person of the
Isle of Wight branch of the National
Farmers’ Union - known as the NFU.
She has successfully held the position
for the past two years, and has recently
agreed to stay on for a further two,
making her the first Island chair to
serve successive terms. After being
approached several times to take on
the demanding role, Caroline revealed
she finally agreed after attending
the funeral of her grandmother.
She explained: “I delivered a eulogy
at gran’s funeral in Scotland. I felt
afterwards that if I became chair
she would be pleased and proud of
me. She always told me ‘you can do
whatever you want, Caroline, no
trouble to you’.”
So after a year as vice chair she
became IW chair in February, 2011.
The NFU is recognised as the ‘voice
for farmers’. Founded in 1908, it is
financed by members' subscriptions,
and is not affiliated to any political
party. There are 124 members on
the Island, and nationwide the NFU
represents some 34 per cent of farmers.
Caroline smiled: “Not knowing
about farming doesn’t matter as the
NFU chairperson. I only get caught
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out when I go off to an NFU Council
meeting and sit in a room with mostly
men who want to discuss prices, input
costs and all that sort of stuff. That is
when you can be a little bit exposed.
“I went to meetings in London and
didn’t have a clue about some subjects,
so I would excuse myself saying I

not. I just know what I know, but I do
like a challenge!”
She has seen major changes in
farming over the years, and admits it is
a far cry from the days when she used
to ‘chase sheep’ on her father’s farm
when they lived in Biggar, Lanarkshire.
The family moved to the Island 30

was nipping to the toilet, but instead
would be on the phone to my dad.
Then I got wise and would go with
the information because I hated being
caught out. It is all right being stupid,
but you don’t want everyone to know!
“The first time I attended the NFU
Conference in Birmingham I didn’t
know a single person; I was totally
traumatised by the experience. But
now I go to it and I know people who
I would never have met if I had just sat
on the Island and not got involved. It
has broadened my horizons, and that
has been my enjoyment and pleasure
from it. It is all about learning, but I
don’t pretend to be something I am

years ago as dairy farmers. They then
switched to growing vegetables, during
which time Caroline decided she didn’t
like ‘chasing sheep or grading potatoes’
any more, so she returned to Scotland
to study for a degree in applied
chemistry.
After a short spell back on the Island,
she became an auditor in Scotland and
subsequently got a job as a technical
manager for a potato pack house,
which supplied potatoes to a major
supermarket chain.
Eventually she came back, and
now reflects: “In the years we have
been here, the biggest change on the
Island has come in the dairy industry,