In this update, Laura Copeland, Co-ordinator of the Society’s Women In Farming Network and Yorkshire Rural Support Network reflects on connections forged at the Great Yorkshire Show, and looks ahead to what’s next.
The Great Yorkshire Show is often described as Yorkshire’s biggest celebration of farming, food and the countryside. For me, one of its greatest strengths is something much simpler: bringing people together.
Across the four days of this year’s Show, thousands of conversations took place. Some were about the livestock being shown, the imminent harvest or new technology available. Others were centred on families, businesses, opportunities and ambitions. Every one of them helped demonstrate the important role that community continues to play within our rural areas.
As part of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s charitable activities, the Show provides a unique opportunity for our Farming Networks to connect with the people we serve throughout the year. It is a chance to listen, learn and understand what matters most to those living and working in Yorkshire’s farming and rural communities. The Society’s focus on supporting farming families, championing agriculture and inspiring future generations was played out across the Showground.
This year, I was fortunate in my role as Coordinator of the Society’s Yorkshire Rural Support Network and Women In Farming Network to spend time with a range of organisations whose work makes a real difference to rural communities. Conversations with FCN, Field Nurse and the Yorkshire Churches Rural Business Support highlighted the breadth of support available across Yorkshire and beyond.
What impressed me most was the shared commitment to people. Whether supporting physical health, mental wellbeing, young people, families or tackling isolation, each organisation plays an important role in strengthening our rural communities and helping individuals access support, information and opportunities.
The Great Yorkshire Show creates an environment where those conversations can happen naturally. Visitors often arrive expecting to see livestock classes, machinery demonstrations or the latest innovations in agriculture. They leave having discovered new organisations, new ideas and, often, new connections.
That spirit of connection was visible throughout the Show. The Agri-Innovation Village brought together forward-thinking businesses and industry leaders, while events hosted by networks including Women in Farming, Future Farmers of Yorkshire and the Farmer Scientist Network created opportunities for people to share experiences and build relationships that will continue long after the Show has ended.
For the Women in Farming Network, these conversations are especially valuable. Every discussion, at a networking event or while walking around the Showground, helps shape our future programme. We listen carefully to what women tell us they would like from the network, the topics they want to explore and the opportunities they would value most.
That ongoing dialogue is one of the reasons our community continues to grow. The network is built by its members, and every event reflects the ideas, experiences and enthusiasm of the women who take part.
With the Show now behind us, we’re already looking ahead to our Women In Farming Autumn Gathering on Tuesday 13 October at The Garden Rooms at Tennants in Leyburn, North Yorkshire. It will be another opportunity to reconnect, welcome new faces and continue the conversations that began at Harrogate in July. Look out for more details about this event in September.
The Great Yorkshire Show may last just four days, but the relationships, ideas and sense of community it creates continue throughout the year. For me, that’s one of the most important legacies of the Society’s charitable work and one of the reasons I value these conversations so highly.
