Opinion: Farming shows are the ultimate ‘influencers’
© Cath Morley It was with immense pride and more than just a few tears that I stood with my family recently as we unveiled a plaque on the newly restored Brian Morley Barn.
Belonging to The Hope Agricultural Society, and within the grounds of Hope Show, the old stone barn has been skilfully rebuilt and restored by my brother John and nephew Sam.
A fitting and lasting tribute to Dad’s memory, on the 30th anniversary of his untimely death at the show.
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Hope is one of numerous agricultural shows round the country which rely on an army of volunteers to set up, organise and run them.
When everyone pulls together to make it happen, there’s a real sense of belonging. Those who help out often do so for years, encouraging and inspiring the next generation.
I remember as a child going with Dad to the showground, I’d be given a handful of baler string and sent off to tie up sheep flakes to build pens.
It was a high-pressure situation, the responsibility not to lose the penknife or cut the strings too short was almost too much to bear.
Eventually, I advanced to putting chairs out, setting up the cattle tent and then latterly joining the executive committee and organising my own little section.
I can still hear the voices of the older chaps laughing and joking at each other’s expense, putting the world to rights and discussing the issues of the day.
I now realise that social interaction and banter was probably keeping those fellas going, a chance to socialise in an otherwise lonely and isolated existence.
I learned many life skills being on the show committee. One of the first and most valuable was diplomacy; knowing when to speak up and when to keep your head down and be quiet is certainly a transferable skill.
I held negotiations that Nato would have been proud of, while trying to find extra tables for the YFC tent, and mediation was usually required when disagreements between the cattle and horse sections threatened the very existence of the show itself.
All agricultural shows, whether large or small, are a fantastic vehicle for farmers, growers and industry representatives to showcase everything that’s great about British agriculture, a true celebration of all we do.
Sending positive but serious messages to the general public through displays of perfectly turned-out cattle, accompanied by interesting and factual commentary, is a hugely effective way of encouraging consumers to support British farmers.
Recently, social media has taken over as the main way of promoting farming, but the algorithm on those platforms promotes negativity.
Slating our customers for not understanding agriculture or telling them they have to thank us for feeding them isn’t doing anyone any favours. It doesn’t strengthen consumer support, in fact it probably alienates the majority.
I wish we could count the number of positive interactions that have occurred at our shows over the summer. I bet it’s into the millions, a figure even the most popular influencer would be proud of.
All the committee members and helpers who have dedicated their time and energy into putting these wonderful events together should pat themselves on the back for a job well done.
Me? I’m going to raise a glass to my dad and remember the good times, just like I do every Hope Show day.