“Ensuring that we are fit to farm is an absolute necessity. We not only owe it ourselves, but to future generations in setting the best possible examples for them to follow.”
So said Future Farmers of Yorkshire board member Neil Eastham – pictured – in a series of news reports this week that previewed our #Fit2Farm event which will take place at Pavilions of Harrogate on Wednesday (November 20).
Be sure not to miss out as our month-long social media campaign to highlight the importance of maintaining good mental and physical fitness on farms via blogs, vlogs and other posts, culminates in an evening of empowering and insightful presentations by some of top farming and industry speakers.
Click here to register for a FREE place at the #Fit2Farm event which starts at 6.45pm on Wednesday.
Following a light supper, attendees will hear from:
Stuart Roberts, vice president of the National Farmers’ Union;
Dr Caroline Knott, consultant psychologist;
Will Evans, farmer in Wales hosts the popular Rock & Roll Farming podcast.
Chaired by Mr Eastham, guests will have an opportunity to ask the speakers questions and, following the presentations, there will be the chance to network with your fellow farming professionals.
Ahead of the event, four Future Farmers – James Hopwood, Natalie Moore, Freddie Watson and Ellie Stephenson – joined Sam Dilcock in the studio at BBC Radio York this week where they talked all about the importance of being #Fit2Farm on God’s Own Countryfile. Tune in here and listen from 25 minutes in.
Other media outlets also picked up on the story, including this report in The Northern Farmer and this article in The Yorkshire Post.
Ahead of his speech at Wednesday’s event, Mr Roberts, who is a third generation arable and livestock farmer based in Hertfordshire, told the Yorkshire Agricultural Society: “It is clear that all of us in the farming community must take the issues of health and safety and mental wellbeing more seriously.
“Facing a time of such uncertainty and change, our resilience has never been more important and we must all work together to ensure we can thrive in the future.
“The fact there is a growing interest in these subjects is great news but we need to ensure that interest is now captured and turned into a genuine culture change.”
Latest figures from the Health and Safety Executive show that 39 people died as a result of farming or other agriculture-related activities in Britain in 2018/19.
The #Fit2Farm campaign continues with Mental Health Week, starting on Monday, so do stay tuned to the Future Farmers’ webpage for all the latest content, as well as on social media using #Fit2Farm.
