In 2012 Defra ministers invited Rural and Farming Networks to be established as the hotline into Defra. The Yorkshire Food Farming and Rural Network (YFFRN) is one of 14 such networks across England and is based at the Yorkshire Agricultural Society at Harrogate. YFFRN champions the needs of farming, agri-food, rural businesses, and rural communities enabling them to become more resilient, competitive, and sustainable.
The YFFRN enables connectivity across the food, farming and rural sectors and is a vehicle to share important information to regional stakeholders. It is an important network to bring members together and build relationships which can collectively champion and influence at a local, regional, and national level.
Please read the article below for more details.
The goal of the YFFRN is to enable farming, rural businesses and rural communities to become more sustainable, economically, environmentally and socially.
The objective of the network is:
- To provide a connected and collective regional voice of local farming and rural stakeholders
- To create a two-way channel of communication, into and from rural stakeholders and delivery organisations
- To provide a key source of advice on issues, concerns and good practice to Defra, the Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnerships, Local Authorities, and others as necessary
- To champion farming and rural issues and promote opportunities which may develop solutions to problems
- To influence the local and national agenda in respect of farming and rural issues affecting Yorkshire
- To provide relevant evidence and intelligence to empower the Chair to have effective one-to-one dialogue with the Defra minister and other ministers as appropriate.
We will achieve our objectives through:
- Effective communications
- Industry intelligence
- Networking
- Championing/Influencing
In support of:
- Farming, Agri-Food businesses, and supply chains
- Rural businesses and SMEs
- Rural Communities
- Environmental bodies
- National, Regional and Local Government
To find out how we operate and what we deliver, please view our strategic plan for 2024-26 here.
Focus areas for 2021-2025 include:
Devolution & levelling up / Environment / Agricultural transition / Business support / Skills and career opportunities
Yorkshire Food Farming and Rural Network Chair, Tango Fawcett was brought up an upland hill farm in the Wicklow mountains, Ireland. She studied at Wye Agricultural College, London University, reading Rural Environment Studies, going on to spend time in Tanzania on an agricultural development project and working with the Suffolk Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG). Tango is married to a Yorkshire farmer from near Tadcaster. The farm is mainly arable and they breed horses and ponies, as well as a few sheep and hens.
Tango set up Countryside Stewardship Schemes on their farm, and as a Farm Conservation Adviser, she supported Yorkshire farmers to access a variety of grants. Tango has always been passionate about ensuring that good ecological husbandry goes hand-in-hand with food production and a profitable farm. She believes school farm visits are very important, sharing the farming experience with as many people as possible to help children and the public understand where their food comes from, what goes into producing it, and to put great quality food on the nation’s plates while keeping the countryside beautiful and cherishing its biodiversity.
In collaboration with Grow Yorkshire, our newsletter is very much a ‘two-way’ channel of communication. It aims to bring together rural based Yorkshire intermediaries, in sharing the good work that the region’s thriving food, farming and rural stakeholders deliver and champion, as well as raising challenges on a regional and national level for our rural and farming business. Please sign up below for updates:
The Network is hosted by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society and the Project Manager is Holly Jones – Tel: 01423 546251 or yffrn@yas.co.uk
The Executive Committee is made up of the following:
| David Hall | National Farmers Union |
| Dr Graham Bottley | Farmer |
| George Richmond | Grow Yorkshire Initiative at the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority |
| Jane Colthup | Community First Yorkshire |
| Graham Coultish | East Peak Innovation Partnership, Sheffield Rural Board |
| Laura Copeland | Yorkshire Rural Support Network |
| Harriet Ranson | Country Land and Business Association |
| Paula Gouldthorpe | Federation of Small Businesses |
| Allison Kane | Deliciouslyorkshire |
| Janet Thornton | Fix Our Food Commission / Y&H Climate Commission / Grow Yorkshire Advisory Panel |
| Alex Aspden | Craven College |
| Allister Nixon | Yorkshire Agricultural Society |
| Tim Whittaker | Askham Bryan College |
| Danny Metters | Bishop Burton College |
| Shaun Berry | North Yorkshire Council |
| Andy Tordoff | East Riding of Yorkshire Council and East Riding Rural Partnership |
Affiliate member of the Fix Our Food Commission
The YFFRN is an affiliate member of the Fix Our Food Commission who provide a cohesive voice for Yorkshire food system transformation supporting healthy people, thriving businesses and a flourishing planet.
It will work alongside stakeholders to action change in food policy, remodel supply chains and public food procurement, improve dietary health, particularly in young people, and support innovation in regenerative practices.
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