Exploring local collaboration, the future of agriculture at The Great Yorkshire Show
July 16, 2024
On 10th and 11th July, The Royal Countryside Fund was delighted to attend the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate, where we met with beneficiaries and partners from across the North of England and beyond.
On Wednesday afternoon, we were once again hosted by our friends and partners at NFU Mutual for a drinks reception and discussion, led by RCF trustee and Head of Agrifoods at HSBC Bank Allan Wilkinson and featuring guest speakers Richard Betton of UTASS, Andrea Gardner of Myerscough College and Veronica Waller of The Farmer Network. Topics discussed included the impact of our Farm for the Future programme in Yorkshire and how collaboration between local organisations can bring increased benefits to the farming community. We’d likely to thank NFU Mutual Chair Jim McLaren MBE and their entire team for their support at the Great Yorkshire Show and all other shows this season.
The RCF team also met with Sophie Throup, Head of Agriculture, Fisheries and Sustainable Sourcing and Alice Liddle, Corporate Services Specialist – Agriculture at Morrisons, one of our long-term corporate partners, to discuss the progress and successes of our Farm Resilience and Carbon Clarity programmes, which offer free, expert training and advice to farming families around the UK.
The following afternoon, the RCF team attended a forward-looking panel event hosted by Morrisons with keynote speaker Jack Bobo, Director of the Food Systems Institute at the University of Nottingham. Both suppliers and stakeholders from across the business took part in a discussion of what the next century of agriculture may look like, and what we can do now to prepare the industry to meet the challenges and make the most of the opportunities that may arise. It was a thought-provoking afternoon, and a fitting way to celebrate the incredible 125th anniversary of Morrisons this year.
The RCF would like to thank Morrisons, NFU Mutual and all that attended for a fantastic few days in Harrogate. To learn more about how Morrisons and NFU Mutual support our work, click here.
