Future Farmers of Yorkshire Chair Joe Seels shares an update on the network’s latest opportunities – including a topical debate, open to all, at Amazone in Doncaster on the evening of Thursday 23 April 2026.
Farming in Yorkshire has always evolved. Every generation has faced policy shifts, market swings and weather challenges.
Today’s debate around reduced chemistry in crops and reduced antibiotic use in livestock is simply the latest chapter.
The question isn’t whether change is coming. It’s how we respond.
As Chair of Future Farmers of Yorkshire, I spend time with farmers and agri-professionals at different stages of their careers. What I see is a sector that understands the direction of travel but remains clear about one thing: farming must stay productive and commercially viable.
Earlier this year, Future Farmers collaborated with the Yorkshire Agricultural Society as it held the inaugural Yorkshire Farming Conference, attracting more than 700 farming people to the Great Yorkshire Showground. The message was clear — there is a strong appetite for serious discussion about the future, not slogans.
New grants to support personal development
Future Farmers is open to anyone with an interest or connection to the industry, and membership is free. Alongside events, we also provide practical support.
We have offered bursaries for members to attend industry gatherings such as the Oxford Farming Conference, and just recently we introduced a scheme offering up to £200 towards personal development, training or conferences. It is a simple way of encouraging people to look beyond their own gate and engage with the wider sector.
Join us at Amazone
Next month, we continue the conversation in Doncaster at the UK headquarters of Amazone Ltd, hosting a four-speaker debate asking: What does the future of farming look like with reduced chemistry and reduced antibiotic use?
These are practical issues. For arable farmers, fewer crop protection options mean sharper management — strong rotations, accurate application and smarter use of technology.
For livestock producers, reduced antibiotic use means getting the basics right: housing, ventilation, nutrition and preventative herd health.
None of this is about labels. It is about running efficient systems. British farming already operates to high environmental and welfare standards.
The challenge is maintaining output and resilience while adapting to tighter constraints. Food security matters. Margins matter. Public confidence matters too.
Future Farmers exists to bring people together — those starting out and those with decades of experience — to debate openly and share ideas grounded in commercial reality.
Yorkshire farmers have always adapted. We combine straight talking with practical thinking, and that is exactly what this moment requires.
If we keep our focus on productivity, professionalism and evidence-led decisions, Yorkshire will continue to set the standard for British agriculture.
If you work in agriculture, Future Farmers of Yorkshire is a network that is open to you to join as a member, for free and regardless of age or experience in the industry.
To sign up, visit our webpage here and you can book your place at our evening event at Amazone Ltd on Thursday 23 April, by following this link.
I hope to see lots of you there as we get stuck into another big topic together, and as a forward-thinking community who believe in the future of our industry, whatever the challenges.
