This latest blog post is a message from Allister Nixon, CEO of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society:
It is a natural inclination to reflect as we reach the latter stages of the year, and during a period of well-documented challenges for British agriculture, it is important to take a moment to reflect on how you are doing, on a personal level.
It is so important to manage stresses in our lives, to do our best to look after ourselves. By doing so, we put ourselves in the best possible position to make good decisions and, particularly on farm, to keep safe around machinery and livestock.
If you are worried about your farming future, or something else in your life is causing you concern, and you are not sure where to turn, please consider talking to someone about what you are going through.
Looking outwards is a strength, and the agricultural industry is fortunate to have so many really dedicated people who are always on-hand to listen and support.
There are some useful contact details below, but the right person to talk to might also be a friend, family member or a trusted vet or agronomist. Whoever it is, just a conversation can help lift a little weight and be the start of a process of moving forwards through whatever it is you are facing.
The role of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society
At the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, a key part of our role is to support the farming community to navigate challenges. As a charity, the Society is apolitical however with recent government announcements in mind, we will be holding events in the early part of the new year that will look at practical approaches to adapting to the changes announced in the Government’s Autumn Budget.
Among other activities, there will be more of our Supper On Us evening get-togethers at locations around Yorkshire, offering opportunities to get together socially off-farm. Before that, all are welcome at our Plough Sunday Service with Ripon Cathedral on Sunday 12th January which is always a really uplifting occasion.
It is helpful to find ways to look to the future with hope, and this was something I certainly felt last week when I heard from younger people who had taken part in the first year of our Goodall Agri-Development Pathway. This annual programme helps to develop the skills of those aged 23-40 in the industry, and against a backdrop of challenges this year, their outlook was so inspiring.
It was clear that the Pathway had significantly impacted each of them. If they have come away with a friendship they can rely on, confidence and skills to continue to develop their careers in agriculture and they have had fun along the way, then the initiative has been a success.
Our 2025 Pathway is oversubscribed which just shows that a great appetite exists to learn and develop, and to be the best you can be in this industry.
That word ‘pathway’ is really telling of what the Yorkshire Agricultural Society is. Whatever the winds of change bring, the Society is here to help farming families and businesses find ways forward, to boost the skills and confidence of those in agriculture, to provide a platform for ideas to be shared, and to support innovative solutions.
I hope your own path leads you to the Yorkshire Agricultural Society in 2025. There will be lots more detail to share about our plans for the new year so do keep up with our updates, here, on our website and via our social media channels and digital newsletters – sign up here.
For now, I will take this opportunity to wish you and your families good health and a merry Christmas.
Find out more about what we do, year-round, to support the farming community
Farmer Scientist Network – working with the crop and livestock sectors to find new ways in which science and technology can find solutions and underpin innovation in agriculture.
Future Farmers of Yorkshire – inspires and develops the very best to lead Yorkshire’s agricultural industries to a thriving future.
Goodall Agri-Development Pathway – a fully-funded training programme to support the development of farming’s next generation.
Grants and Scholarships – grants are available to individuals and organisations of the Yorkshire farming network and community as part of our charitable objectives, and since 1980, we have sponsored Nuffield Farming Scholarships.
Women In Farming Network – provides opportunities for women to learn from each other, build contacts and offer support to their fellow members.
Yorkshire Food Farming and Rural Network – builds relationships which can collectively champion and influence at a local, regional, and national level.
Yorkshire Rural Support Network – promotes and provides sources of help – whether practical, financial, medical or emotional – to those who live in farming and rural communities.
