In this blog post, outgoing Chair of Future Farmers of Yorkshire, Alastair Trickett, reflects on his time in the hotseat and explains why you should consider applying to be his successor.
April 2022 brings the end of my three-year stint as Chairman of the Future Farmers of Yorkshire.
It also brings the opportunity for someone new to take this fantastic organisation forward.
A changing world
A lot has happened during these three years both for our own farming business and within the wider farming industry which has sharpened the need for our work.
Brexit happened. The Black Lives Matter movement took root. Farmers have witnessed a string of extreme weather events.
The world shut down due to COVID. The world reopened and inflation took hold. Nitrogen prices increased three-fold.
This backdrop makes the work we’re doing now at Future Farmers feel more important than ever.
Big projects ahead
On top of continuing with our speaker events, workshops, industry visits and sponsored conference places, we have some bigger projects at play.
The three most exciting, for me, include, firstly, launching a mentoring scheme for members looking to develop their farm business or overcome a specific problem.
Secondly, championing the conversation about diversity in the industry all the way from BAME representation to cognitive diversity within our own businesses.
And thirdly, a podcast series interviewing our members to uncover some of the extraordinary things being achieved in the industry right under our noses.
The next Chair will have the opportunity to lead the management board to push these initiatives through.
You’ll be working with an amazing group of people on the board who feel passionately about our role in supporting and promoting the future of farming in Yorkshire and beyond.
You will also interact directly with members for whom we seek to deliver an engaging and meaningful experience.
Opportunity knocks
Beyond leading the strategic direction of the group and galvanising the board to deliver your agreed objectives, your role is to be the public face and spokesperson of the group.
All manner of interesting enquiries will land on your desk, and it’s up to you to judiciously choose which ones to follow.
I have found myself presenting to the National Food Strategy team on the systemic lock-ins that prevent farmers making the changes on farm, that look so deceptively easy from Whitehall.
I also found myself on a small task force advising the MOD on the risks to food security in the wake of the pandemic.
There is a saying within Nuffield Farming that ‘doors slam open’. I think the same can be said of having a leadership role within Future Farmers.
And that’s because Future Farmers is not any old farmer organisation. Indeed, it is looked to by other organisations up and down the country for the work it does.
A chance to make a real difference
Becoming Chair is a chance to create genuine impact in the industry. To launch initiatives that others look to for inspiration.
To listen and learn, and then to take a stand and lead on issues that are important and underrepresented.
And ultimately to directly support the personal and professional lives of the 1,000-plus members within our ranks.
If you think this could be you, we very much look forward to hearing from you.
Email your CV and covering letter to futurefarmers@yas.co.uk by 15 March 2022.
This is a voluntary role with a typical commitment of one to two days per month.
