In this blog post, Isobel Eames, a member of the Future Farmers of Yorkshire‘s Management Board and Knowledge Exchange Manager (Cereals & Oilseeds) at the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) offers her key takeaway messages from the Future Farmers Great Yorkshire Show Breakfast Meeting 2024.
Another successful Future Farmers Breakfast Meeting was enjoyed at the 165th Great Yorkshire Show, if I do say so myself.
An early start on the Wednesday didn’t put off the 180 Future Farmers who joined us at the Vertu Motors GYS Stage.
The topic for discussion was ‘Changing the Farming Narrative: Delivering more than food’ and as Future Farmers has such a diverse membership, the way the title was interpreted was bound to cause some contention amongst attendees.
We just hoped that they came with open and enquiring minds, and that they did.
Andrew Robinson, accountant at Armstrong Watson Accountants, the meeting’s headline sponsor, was the perfect chair, bringing a mixture of humour, and an understanding of accepting of change.
Andrew shared his standpoint on the topic before introducing our first speaker of the day, Joe Stanley, Head of Sustainable Farming at the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust’s (GWCT) Allerton Project.
Joe spoke of how the GWCT’s demonstration farm is implementing sustainable farming, including some quick-wins, like removing awkward corners, improving efficiency and securing guaranteed income from the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), as well as others ways, requiring longer term commitment to a vision such as agroforestry, but one that is compensated by a multitude of rewards.
Joe reiterated a statement I’ve been clinging onto, that farming is the second most trusted industry behind nurses in an NFU poll.
‘Pinch of salt’ perhaps, but attitudes are changing. Farmers must learn how to tell their farming story.
They are positioned best to do this, to change minds and hearts and influence behaviour.
If there was anyone who knew how to effectively share stories for all audiences, it would be our second speaker, Molly Biddell, which she does so competently as a Farmers Weekly columnist and LEAF Open Farm Sunday Ambassador.
Her day job(s) see her heading up natural capital at Knepp Estate, West Sussex and working part-time at her family’s diversified farming business in Surrey.
Molly’s messaging was clear and reasoned: the environment in which we farm is our greatest asset and we can utilise it to deliver solutions to many of the problems that society faces.
However, she was adamant that we mustn’t do this for free.
We must create a business case for delivering nature-based solutions.
Using our natural capital to produce nutritious food is key to this, but we must be investing in it and not degrading it, otherwise we’re degrading our own resource and income.
Jodie Bolland was next.
Jodie is UK Agricultural Sourcing Director covering livestock and eggs at Woodhead Brothers, and clearly has a bright future ahead of her as she paves her way in the retail sector.
We must be listening to all voices around the table and Jodie’s talk was vital to give us insights into consumer purchasing decisions and the fierce market they operate in.
Retailers can and must use their trusted voice to share our stories amongst consumers and manage their expectations, whilst increasing access to local and nutritious food where possible.
Lastly, John Gilliland, special advisor to AHDB amongst many other notable roles, offered succinct advice that was impossible to argue with: we must all be working towards Net Zero, but knowing your numbers will be vital and the granularity of this data is an asset not an enemy; so that when we do shout at the table, it’s done with integrity and listened to by all who sit there with us.
I am beyond grateful for the speakers, all of whom spoke for free for the benefit of the industry and all carrying the same enthusiasm and energy to drive change through collaboration and communication.
After attending this meeting, I hope that we are inspired to fan the flames of action to change the farming narrative, showcasing how agriculture delivers more than food.
Kind thanks to our Breakfast Meeting sponsors
