South Yorkshire farmer Nick Grayson explains why you should consider applying to succeed him as Chair of Future Farmers of Yorkshire, after his term comes to an end this Spring.
Farming is tough at the moment. There is no doubt about it, but as I sit here and reflect on my three years as chair of Future Farmers of Yorkshire, I sadly don’t recall a point of thinking “farming is in a good place right now”.
Two governments, four prime ministers, lots of rain, even more political waffle and not much sun! That’s how I would summarise the past three years in agriculture, but we got through it didn’t we? That’s what makes me so proud about being part of our industry – the sheer resilience of everyone involved in it.
I have been humbled on many occasions by the members of Future Farmers who show true resilience and determination to either carve a new path or continue their path to success in this fantastic industry we are part of.
To me Future Farmers of Yorkshire is something very special with over 1,000 members of farmers and associates from across the region. I am yet to find anything that rivals it anywhere else in the country and is an absolute credit to the Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s (YAS) portfolio. I am extremely grateful for the opportunities I have been offered and continue to be offered as Chairman.
When I became Chair, I wanted to expand the network’s reach and really make Future Farmers known in all four regions of the county. With our spring and autumn debates now out on the road and various training being provided in new locations across the region, it feels like this has truly happened.
Something that will stay with me after my tenure ends is the countless connections and friendships I have made through the network. I can safely say I have made friends for life during this process and for that I am truly grateful.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the YAS staff both past and present for their help and guidance and helping to deliver some of our crazy ideas. I would also like to thank all of the board members for their hard work and dedication to Future Farmers during my time as chair. Thank you.
Your chance to lead this thriving network
If you fancy taking over the reins of Future Farmers for the next three years or would simply like to know more about what is involved, please do get in touch to register your interest by emailing us at futurefarmers@yas.co.uk
There is still lots to do in driving Future Farmers forwards, serving its members and knowing exactly what they need. As Chair, you have the opportunity to head up a management board who are full of fantastic ideas to fulfil our members’ needs. All of this is supported by a team at YAS who take the board’s wildest ideas and bring them to fruition.
I hope to see lots of you for my last hurrah at the Spring Debate at Hornington Manor near York on the evening of Thursday 20th March, which is entitled ‘Mission POSSIBLE: Adapting your vision for success’ and is kindly sponsored by McClarrons rural insurers. We have a fantastic panel of speakers who will be talking about their business journeys and how they achieved success, and it is great way to get together with other members of the network.
