Menu

Farmers celebrate rural diversity at Birmingham Pride

Ed Henderson 27 September 2021
>More in
© Will Evans© Will Evans

Agrespect’s “Sassy Ferguson” tractor stole the show at Birmingham Pride this weekend as farmers took to the streets to celebrate and support diversity in the countryside.

Thousands of people gathered to cheer on the colourful machine which joined the parade through the city centre on Saturday (25 September).

The rainbow-coloured MF 8S, featuring the Union flag, shone among the vibrant floats that entertained a crowd excited to be back after last year’s Pride was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

See also: James Herrick: Discrimination still rife in farming

Agrespect supports rural diversity and wants to help LGBTQ+ people be open about their sexuality.

The group said the aim for this year’s Birmingham Pride was to celebrate agriculture as a whole and to showcase how all farmers are different.

Michael Oakes, NFU dairy board chairman, was among the farmers who followed the tractor. He said it was a brilliant event for the industry to be part of.

Mr Oakes was up early to milk the cows before heading into Birmingham to join the crowds.

“All credit to Matt Naylor, Amie Burke and the rest of the Agrespect team, it was such a positive day,” he told Farmers Weekly.

“It sends a signal to our customers, but also to people living in rural communities, that we aren’t all the same, and who cares?

“In the past, we perhaps haven’t been the most inclusive industry, but times are changing and we are welcoming diversity.”

Colour and noise

North Wales mixed farmer Will Evans took his family along and said his daughters were “mind blown” by the colours and noise.

“I wanted to take my kids because, from my point of view, we are like a lot of farming families, quite insulated, and I wanted to show them there is a whole other world out there,” he told Farmers Weekly.

“I get frustrated by the farming echo chamber and this event was such an eye opener because you are communicating with a whole new demographic. People were going nuts for the tractor. You could see there was a wave of good feeling.

“We need more diversity on agriculture boards and farming groups and our presence at these events will help.”

‘People need this’

Agrespect member and Herefordshire farmer Ben Andrews said Pride events are vital. He said more people from farming joined this year’s event after the success of Brighton Pride in 2019.

“People do still need this. If coming out wasn’t a thing we wouldn’t need it, but it is. People go through early years trying to be someone different and keep it hidden, but it gets to this point where they can go to an event and talk and be themselves.

“It meant a lot to new people this year who could speak to other people in agriculture who have come out.”

Agrespect teamed up with Massey Ferguson and Farmers Weekly to run the Pride in Farming Tractor Design competition for the parade on Saturday, which was won by the Watt family, from Drumtogle Farm, Aberuthven, Perth.

 

See more