20 July 2012

Farming minister Jim Paice has encouraged members of the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC) to play an active part in an initiative to kick-start the drive to get more young people into agriculture and farming. The Future of Farming Group will look at ways in which barriers to young people entering the industry can be broken down. Fewer young people are choosing agriculture as a career choice and the group will address the challenges facing new entrants such as lack of training, access to land and affordable loans.

Unveiling the scheme at the Young Farmers Clubs’ Great British food for Great British athletes cookery demonstration at Leeds Castle, the minister urged Young Farmers to take a lead: “Our industry needs keen, clever and enthusiastic young people to feed us in the future. Young Farmers’ Clubs have many such members and I am very anxious that they are represented in this project,” he said.

Diane Calvert, Chief Executive, NFYFC said: “We are very excited at the prospect of being involved with the Future of Farming Group, we have many talented members who have plenty to say on the difficulties of making farming and agriculture a realistic career option.”

19 July 2012

Young Farmers’ Club (YFC) members will be signing off their involvement with the London 2012 build-up with a two-day extravaganza at the Mayor of Newham’s Show on 21 and 22 July. The Young Farmers will be hosting a cookery demonstration as well as running games and activities throughout the two days for the public to enjoy at Central Park in East Ham.

The National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC) has been holding cookery demonstrations across the country as part of its Great British Food for Great British Athletes initiative, which gained a prestigious London 2012 Inspire Mark. All the cookery demonstrations have taken place along the Olympic Torch relay route and the final event for the project coincides with the Torch visiting Central Park. The Young Farmers’ event will see members from Essex and Kent entertaining the crowds in the park at two Food Adventures marquees.

Food Adventures is a partnership between the NFYFC, Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food - Stratford, East Potential and Natural England and has been developed especially for the weekend. This partnership marks an alliance between ‘town’ and ‘country’ based on their common love of food and growing.  The objective is to bring together young people from different backgrounds, but with a common interest in food, uniting to run inspirational activities for families at the Mayor’s Newham Show.

 One YFC member, Tom Collison, who carried the Olympic Torch through the streets of King’s Lynn, will be taking part in a ‘cook-off’ competition on Saturday at 1.30pm with a fellow Olympic Torch bearer from Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food - Stratford.

As well as the cookery competition club members will be running games and activities for the public to enjoy. The activities, with an agricultural twist, will include milking a model cow, butter making, wheat grinding as well as crop and food matching.

NFYFC Agriculture Chair Helen Reeve said: “NFYFC’s Agriculture committee wanted to do its bit in Olympic year to promote all that is good about British food and farming. London 2012 has provided the platform for YFC members to do this.  We have worked with Natural England to develop and deliver a project to include as many YFC members as possible during the Olympic Torch Relay. This is the culmination of all the hard work that our members have put in to this project and, I am sure, has showcased to a wider public all the great skills that YFC members have.”

19 July 2012

Read all about it! All NFYFC members should be receiving their own copy of the latest edition of the magazine shortly.

We hope that you like the handy new size and that the articles are of interest to you. Early comments suggest that you like it! Please feedback all your comments to magazine@nfyfc.org.uk  There was a slight printing glitch on the back page in the ‘Give the mag a new name’ competition. The small box at the bottom asks you to send suggestions for a name for your magazine to the email address above with a short explanation as to why you chose it. We will be preparing the autumn edition soon so if you have any ideas, suggestions for articles or just want to see your picture in the mag, let us know!

• Download a PDF version here
• Download the Welsh version of the text here

13 July 2012

The National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC) is showcasing its talent at Leeds Castle near Maidstone when the Olympic Torch relay arrives on Thursday 19 July. Young Farmers’ Club members from across Kent will be holding a cookery demonstration as part of its Great British Food for Great British Athletes project and have invited Jim Paice, the agriculture minister, to sample the fare. The initiative, which gained a prestigious London 2012 Inspire Mark, will use locally sourced produce, promoting the role that British farmers are playing in encouraging consumers to buy sustainable, local food. Working in partnership with Natural England the NFYFC have been holding cookery demonstrations at 10 Olympic Torch Relay sites around the country.

The idea is an evolution of the annual cookery competition that NFYFC has held for over 30 years; challenging clubs to come up with inventive meals using local produce and giving young people hands-on experience of food and cookery. Kent Young Farmers will prepare a ‘meal in a bun’ on camping stoves and the organisation’s cow mascot, Supermoo, will be on hand to entertain the crowds.

Food and Farming Minister Jim Paice said: “Farmers and the food they produce are vital to British life and the economy and these events perfectly showcase our high quality produce. We’re already working to grow food and drink exports but the Olympics provides the perfect platform to show the world just how great British food can be. I hope it fuels the engines of our Olympic athletes, giving them the edge to take gold this summer.”

NFYFC Agriculture Chair Helen Reeve said: “NFYFC’s Agriculture Forum wanted to help promote British food and farming during London 2012.  We have worked with Natural England to develop and deliver a project to include as many YFC members as possible during the Olympic Torch Relay.  We are excited and delighted that farming minister Jim Paice will see for himself what Young Farmers can do to support British farming.”

11 July 2012

Why not celebrate your club and county fundraising efforts by entering the national competition for how much you raise? National trophies (as well as the kudos of course) are up for grabs and will be presented at the Annual Convention in Blackpool next year by our President. The Prince Of Wales Perpetual Challenge Trophy will be awarded to the county that comes out on top and The Lionel Hill MBE Club Charity Cup will be awarded to the club raising the most (conditions apply). No matter how small or large your county is, everyone is in the running for a trophy.

The rules for the two competitions are attached, together with the application form, which needs to be returned to sandra.bromley@nfyfc.org.uk  by Friday 23 November 2012.

A further helpful attachment is a copy of ‘Guidance Notes on YFC Clubs and YFC County Federations on Raising money for Charity’, more advice on fundraising will be published on the website shortly.

Get fundraising and Good Luck!

• Prince of Wales Cup Rules
• Entry form
• Charity Fundraising Guidance Note

10 July 2012