SOCIETY

V O I C ESUPPORTING RURAL YORKSHIRE

January 2019

A Yorkshire farmer has been awarded a Nuffield Scholarship to study how to increase profits and productivity in beef herds.Sarah Pick, aged 29, who was brought up on a family farm in Tadcaster and lives on a dairy farm in Barnsley, has been awarded the Nuffield Farming Scholarship funded by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society. Sarah is also being sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Butchers.

Sarah will research how to increase profitability within the suckler herd, particularly focusing on management of heifers.

The grant will see her travel to Scotland, America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to gain practical ideas on how calving at two years of age can be successfully implemented.

Sarah said: “I am extremely passionate about suckler beef production and ensuring the sector’s long term future. Profit margins are tight within the industry and with the potential loss of direct payments looming, it is important we understand what small changes can be made to drive up profitability.”

The topic for the Nuffield Scholarship is “Replacement heifer strategies for a productive and profitable suckler herd”.

“My study has two aims: firstly, to understand how we can reduce the calving age of heifers to 24 months, and secondly how we ensure good quality replacement heifers are available to purchase. Often suckler producers struggle to source heifers with high health status and good genetic potential which is having a detrimental impact on productivity. I want to investigate the systems that countries have in place to ensure this happens”.

All the research will then be collated and Sarah will present the findings at the Nuffield conference and to farmer groups.

Sarah was part of Selby Young Farmers and her family have exhibited and won awards for their herd of pedigree Simmental cattle at the Great Yorkshire Show for many years.

Nigel Pulling Chief Executive of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society said: “Nuffield Scholars are expected to be prominent members and leaders of the farming and rural community and we are delighted to support Sarah’s work. This is an important piece of research which will help Sarah develop her own business as well as helping other cattle farmers improve their productivity and profitability.”

SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS RESEARCH INTO BOOSTING BEEF PRODUCTION

SPECIAL BOOK TO CELEBRATE 160TH

GREAT YORKSHIRE SHOW A new limited edition book celebrating the 160th Great Yorkshire Show is on sale now - with a special member’s price of £5!“The 160th Great Yorkshire Show, A Photographer’s View” includes a Foreword by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal and His Grace The Duke of Devonshire.

Photographer Simon Hill has produced the book after gaining special access in the run up to and during the Great Yorkshire Show itself.

The result is a collection of his best photos giving a fl avour of what goes into organising one of the most prestigious agricultural Shows in the country. It’s also a celebration of some special moments taking place throughout the Show from 5am warm ups in the collecting rings to the preparation of animals getting ready to compete.

Get your copy now while stocks last! On sale for £7.50 OR special Yorkshire Agricultural Society Member’s price of £5 in Fodder – just show your membership card at the till.

For online orders enter PROMOCODE: YASmember160 at www.greatyorkshireshow.co.uk Please note online orders will incur charges for post and packaging. Or order from the YAS switchboard on 01423 541000

The next Great Yorkshire Show will be on Tuesday 9 - Thursday 11 July 2019. Tickets on sale in April.

SPECIAL BOOK TO CELEBRATE 160GREAT YORKSHIRE SHOW A new limited edition book celebrating the 160th Great Yorkshire Show is on sale now - with a special member’s price of £5!“The 160th Great Yorkshire Show, A Photographer’s View”

Heather is now set to oversee a new development after launching Bee Events which will research and organise new events to be held at the Showground.

The fi rst will be The Fishing Show on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 June 2019 which will be the fi rst large-scale event of its kind in Yorkshire. More events will be announced throughout the year.

Heather said: “We are never ones to rest on our laurels and I’ve loved seeing the Society grow over the last 25 years.

“We have seen an opportunity to diversify our offering and have set up Bee Events to research and develop brand new events for Yorkshire.”

New manager Jenny Rose has been recruited to lead Bee Events and deliver The Fishing Show as well as researching other new events to run on the Showground.

Heather added: “We have created The Fishing Show which will be the fi rst large scale event of its kind in Yorkshire. More rod licences were sold in Yorkshire than anywhere else in England and fi shing is one of the most popular sports in the UK. We know the demand is out there and the response we have had from the industry already has been overwhelming. We look forward to welcoming experienced anglers as well as those who want to fi nd out more about fi shing, here at the Great Yorkshire Showground in June!”

Heather joined as Marketing Manager in 1993 and oversaw the development of Pavilions of Harrogate in 1996 which now hosts nearly 600 events a year. Heather was also the brains behind Fodder which will this year celebrate its tenth anniversary and oversaw the £11 million rebuild of Hall 1 at the Yorkshire Event Centre in 2016.

Nigel Pulling, Chief Executive of Yorkshire Agricultural Society, said: “Heather has driven some incredible changes at the Showground and Bee Events is the latest innovative venture to keep the business moving forward and generating income for the charitable work of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.”

EXCITING NEW BUSINESS LAUNCHED AT THE SHOWGROUND ASMD CELEBRATES 25 YEARS

New face of angling Marina Gibson, who debuted at the Great Yorkshire Show this year and well-known fl y fi sherman Paul Procter have embraced The Fishing Show.Internationally renowned carp angler Rob Hughes who is Manager of Angling Trusts Carp Team England has also added his backing.

This will be the fi rst ever dedicated fi shing show of its kind to be held in Yorkshire and will be for anglers from all walks of

life, whether they are seasoned rods, or absolute beginners who are keen to know more about fi shing.

The event will cover all aspects of angling, including carp, coarse, fl y, sea fi shing and fl y tying. The Fishing Show is also set to feature many guest speakers as well as indoor and outdoor demonstrations from industry experts including Marina, Paul and Rob.

There will also be entertainment and retail stands offering the very best equipment and brands in the industry. Celebrating

and promoting one of the country’s most participated pastimes this large scale event is bound to be a major attraction.

Bookings for trade stands are now being taken, contact Jenny Rose for more details: 01423 546214

Tickets will go on sale to the public early 2019 and there will be a 20% discount for Yorkshire Agricultural Society members. See new website www.hookedonfi shing.co.uk for details and sign up to the newsletter to fi nd out more.

YEC Ltd Managing Director Heather Parry who was behind the launch of Fodder and the multimillion pound expansion of the Yorkshire Event Centre, is celebrating 25 years of working at the Society

Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th June 2019

THOUSANDS FLOCK TO THE SHOWGROUND

FOR COUNTRYSIDE LIVEThousands of visitors flocked to Countryside Live in a jam packed event which welcomed special guests, exciting competitions and plenty of fun for the family.

Over 11,000 visitors attended over the two days, enjoying first class competitions and special guests Yorkshire Shepherdess Amanda Owen and Peter Wright of Channel 5’s The Yorkshire Vet who drew in huge crowds for their onstage Q&A’s.

Peter also presented prizes and met some winners in the beef and sheep rings while Amanda took to the sheep rings to see some of the rarest in the UK who were with the Rare Breed Survival Trust.

Double Olympic British Show Jumper Geoff Billington made his debut with breath-taking displays in the indoor equine arena. There was also entertainment in the Tipsy Heifer pub from Stray FM presenters Will Smith and Nick Hancock.

The Supreme Champion Beef Beast title went to Mark Harryman and Sarah Warriner who farm at Pickering. Top prize in the Sheep section, the Supreme Champion Pair of Butchers Lambs, also stayed in Yorkshire with Hannah Brown of Leyburn taking the title with a pair of Beltex.

The BPSP Lemieux Heritage Mountain and Moorland Ridden Olympia Qualifier was fiercely contested, with more than 70 entries across the six classes.

The Championship went to Sandra Burton riding ten-year-old Connemara stallion, Banks Timber, owned by Miss E Burton of Wigan. The title for the best rabbit in the Rabbit Show went to Adele Wray of Wilmslow with a Marten Sable Rex, a second Best in Show for Adele in three years. A Malton family had plenty to celebrate in the pigeon classes, with Best in Show going to Adrian Knaggs with a Norwich Cropper.

The Poultry Supreme Champion title went to Ian and Louise Simpson of Nottinghamshire with a male Australorp Black, while reserve was John Halley of York with a trio of waterfowl.

Action in the main ring for the Northern Show Cross Championships was fast and furious, with 29 teams in the junior 70cm class and 30 in the 80cm. Triumphant in the 70cm were Charlie’s Angels, made up of Sarah Proudly of Stokesley, Jake Gibson of Pickering and Charley Rae Nelson of Otley. The senior honours on Sunday went to the Cronkhill Paddocks – Lisa Broxup and Sophie Andrews of Wakefield and Chloe Carnaville of Barnsley - in the 80cm and Horners Hornets – Emma and Sarah Horner and Caroline Dennis – in the 90cm.

In the Honey Show, the trophy for the best exhibit in all classes went to Barnsley beekeeper Andrew Woolhouse with six one pound jars of honey.

YAS CELEBRATES SUPPORT FOR ST MICHAEL’S HOSPICE AS IT HITS 30

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society is celebrating a special partnership with Saint Michael’s Hospice as it reaches its 30th anniversary.The Society has become an ambassador for the hospice after joining its Guild of Patrons. As well as raising awareness of the work of this charity, Guild members invest in further developing these vital services so they can reach more local people.

Tony Collins, Chief Executive of Saint Michael’s said: “As our Just ’B’ bereavement support service for children and young children is based on the Showground, it is especially meaningful for us to welcome the Yorkshire Agricultural Society to our Guild of Patrons. They have been fantastic long-term supporters of local hospice care and we are very grateful for everything they do to help services to continue.”

SUPPORT GROUP SET UP TO TACKLE MENTAL HEALTH

IN FARMING

Farming charities, police and medical professionals have joined forces to tackle mental health in the agricultural sector.Kate Dale who heads up The Yorkshire Rural Support Network (part of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society) is working with the North Yorkshire Rural Taskforce Police Team, Farming Community Network and NHS mental health rural teams to develop a Rural Mental Health and Wellbeing Group.

The group has been formed to develop a more joined-up approach to help tackle the lack of information about mental illness and to help publicise services available to help those most in need.

Dr Caroline Knott from the mental health rural team has given this advice: “Rates of mental disorder including depression, anxiety and post-traumatic

stress disorder are significantly higher in rural communities than in other parts of the population. It is hoped that over the next few months, a more joined up approach to public and professional education will do much to support this need within a very important section of our local population.”

By recognizing the early warning signs of stress and other signs of mental health, family members can help the person to regain personal health and self-esteem. Early support can improve the emotional well-being of the entire family and prevent mental health problems building up to intolerable levels where individuals feel there is no way out.

There are five key steps to improving mental health, including: Getting more sleep, eating healthy food, reducing alcohol intake and enjoying a moment in the day possibly through exercise and talking to someone.

Help is available through the following farming networks

The Farming Community NetworkHelpline 03000 111 999 www.fcn.org.uk

The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution Helpline 0808 281 9490 www.rabi.org

The Yorkshire Rural Support Network www.yas.co.uk/farming-networks

The Yorkshire Federation of Young Farmers Clubs Tel: 01423 865 870 Email: office@yfyfc.org.uk

Mental health services can be accessed via your GP without any judgement.from others.

FOUR AWARD WINS!

Bill Cowling was delighted to win a Lifetime Achievement Award for his work at the Society and the Great Yorkshire Show at the Yorkshire Post Rural Awards.Fodder also picked up the Rural High Street / Rural Retailer Award at the YP Rural Awards which was held at Pavilions of Harrogate.

Meanwhile, the Yorkshire Event Centre celebrated a double award win in one month after scooping Business Tourism Award at the White Rose Awards and Best Commercial Space at Yorkshire Post Business Awards.

YORKSHIRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETYRegional Agricultural Centre • Great Yorkshire Showground • Harrogate HG2 8NZ • t: 01423 541000 • f: 01423 541414 • e: info@yas.co.uk

Registered Charity No. 513238 • Company Reg No. 1666751 • VAT Reg No. 613 0480 81 • Registered in England as a company limited by guarantee

Venue: YEC = Yorkshire Event Centre PoH = Pavilions of HarrogateNote: The information is correct at time of publication. Yorkshire Event Centre Ltd accepts no responsibility for any omissions, alterations, cancellations etc.

Please check with the organisers to verify details prior to planning your visit. Thank you.

WHAT’S ON JANUARY - MARCH 2019DATE EVENT ORGANISER CONTACT VENUE TYPE

JANUARY

Fri 11 - Sun 13 Crew Clothing Company Clearance Event 07805 396067 PoH Public

Weds 16 - Thur 17 Ripon Farm Services New Year Show 07500 772 100 YEC Public

Fri 26 - Sun 28 Decorative Antiques and Art Fair 01278 784912 PoH Public

FEBRUARY

Tues 12 - Thur 14 Ice Cream Expo 01332 203333 YEC Trade

Sat 16 - Sun 17 Rock Gem and Bead Show rockngem.co.uk PoH Public

Fri 22 - Sun 24 Spring Quilt Festival 01406 372600 YEC Public

Sun 24 Orchid Society Annual Show 01909 477823 PoH Public

MARCH

Sat 2 Stamperama 01234 855833 PoH Public

Thur 7 Feather, Smailes, Scales Property Auction 01423 501211 PoH Public

Fri 15 - Sat 16 Antiquarian Book Fair Auction 07950 647377 PoH Public

Fri 22 - Sun 24 Yorkshire Motorhome and Accessory Show 01778 391123 YEC Public

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society is calling out to members to join its governing body and help shape its future.Formed in 1837, the Society is steeped in tradition and is looking to build on strong foundations to drive it forward.

The Council consists of 27 representatives who meet four times a year and are elected directly by members.

Charles Mills, Show Director said: “Our shows are an important part of the work we do at the Society but we are also so much more. We are about promoting, supporting and spreading the message about food, farming and the countryside through a wide range of networks.

“To help us do this, we are looking to keep the Council evolving with a strong cross section of members, covering all four corners of Yorkshire. We are appealing to our members to help create a strong and robust governing body who will drive the Society and our shows forward.”

The Council elects Trustees as well as advising and guiding the Society in all activities and events including the Great Yorkshire Show.

Any member can be nominated to stand for election for a three-year period and this will be voted on by members in each area.

To get involved, please fill out the enclosed application form or contact Jayne Dyer on 01423 546201 or email jayned@yas.co.uk

YOUR SOCIETY NEEDS YOU!

Harrogate Caravan Park is now closed for the Winter but will still be taking bookings for 2019 on 01423 546145.

It will reopen on Monday 4th March 2019