Farmers spread Red Tractor message at Bristol Rugby Club
Livestock farmer John Hore with Thornbury NFU Mutual branch manager Jason Cavill and chicken producer Charles Bourns Two West Country farmers have taken a Massey Ferguson tractor to Bristol Rugby Club to encourage fans to look for the Red Tractor logo on the food they buy.
Livestock farmer John Hore from Easter Compton and chicken farmer Charles Bourns from Charfield parked the machine at Bristol’s Ashton Gate before 6,500 fans arrived to watch the match against Moseley last weekend.
Both are lifelong Bristol Rugby Club fans and for the past four years have sponsored centre Jack Tovey. Every time Jack scores a home try, Red Tractor Assurance is mentioned on the public address system.
Mr Bourns, who is a former chairman of the NFU poultry board and supplies two leading supermarkets with chicken, said: “My main reason for being involved is that I’m a passionate believer in Red Tractor and have been a Bristol fan for 60 years.
“Jack is a Bristol boy and sponsoring him is a good way of getting the Red Tractor in front of people. I hope that more farmers try to do this with rugby clubs because it promotes the right image of good, wholesome UK produce being connected to fit young people.”
Fans and players were invited to have their picture taken next to the branded Massey Ferguson, which is being hired by farmers across the country to use when they are talking to the public.
Mr Hore, who has 700 sheep and 200 beef cattle, said it was crucial to take the farming message to people in towns and cities. “There are other opportunities to do this across the board and it would be great to see more farmers coming up with ideas like this.”
Farmers can visit assurance.redtractor.org.uk/marketing-toolkit to book the tractor and enter a free competition to win the tractor to use on their farm throughout 2017.