Yorkshire Agricultural Society

Schoolchildren enjoyed unique flavours of the fruits of the land as they explored the Great Yorkshire Showground’s collection of Yorkshire heritage apples. Some 65 primary school children toured the Showground’s best kept secret, its orchard of regional apple tree varieties in Harrogate this week, where they were inspired by a tasting session and got hands-on […]

Dinner jackets and ball gowns meet Wellington boots at the first ever Harvest Dinner Dance hosted by the Future Farmers of Yorkshire at the Great Yorkshire Showground this Autumn. Black tie with a hint of agriculture is the dress code on the evening of Saturday 18th November 2023 at Pavilions of Harrogate for what promises […]

Diverse careers of Yorkshire’s rural women will be celebrated at a milestone 10th autumn get-together held by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s Women In Farming Network. The Network’s flagship annual event, its Autumn Gathering, will be held at Pavilions of Harrogate on the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate on Tuesday 10th October 2023 between 10am and […]

A prestigious competition to decide who supplies this year’s Christmas tree for Downing Street will be held by the British Christmas Tree Growers Association in South Yorkshire next month. Expert growers from across the UK will attempt to wow the judges with their finest homegrown trees at Billingley Christmas Tree Farm, based at New Hall […]

A growing competition to inspire children about where their food comes from has culminated in a grand finale at the 164th Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate. The Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s annual School Veg Box Competition challenges primary schools across Yorkshire to grow their own vegetables in imaginatively decorated wooden veg boxes and chart their learning [...]

More than 200 farmers and industry professionals came together for the Future Farmers of Yorkshire’s popular Breakfast Meeting at the Great Yorkshire Show where they were urged to cut through tough economic challenges by focusing on factors within their control and plotting a clear plan for their businesses. This flagship annual get-together of Future Farmers, [...]

High-tech modern farming and the latest agricultural innovations will be showcased in a brand-new Innovation Zone at the 164th Great Yorkshire Show. The Innovation Zone will inform visitors about how farmland is carefully managed in new ways for food production. Located near the Pig and Goat Rings, the Innovation Zone will offer displays, demonstrations and […]

A huge horse sculpture made of more than 600 horseshoes from across Yorkshire has been carefully lifted into place at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate. The stunning 12ft equine ode has been created by 31-year-old North Yorkshire sculptor Ollie Holman. Weighing about 750 kilograms – three-quarters of a ton – the intricately welded design […]

Heather Parry, Managing Director of the Yorkshire Event Centre Ltd on the Great Yorkshire Showground, is to move on to a new chapter after nearly 30 years. Heather is set to take a break after an incredible innings, where she has taken the business from strength to strength. Heather’s drive, passion and determination was behind […]

Stirring stories of farming resilience will be shared at a breakfast meeting at the 164th Great Yorkshire Show to empower those trying to make their way in the agricultural industry during a time of testing economics. Future Farmers of Yorkshire, a thriving network of farmers, vets and other industry professionals supported by farming charity the [...]

Thousands of schoolchildren from across Yorkshire enjoyed a great variety of fun hands-on activities and displays all about farming, food and the great outdoors at the Great Yorkshire Showground this week.Farming charity, the Yorkshire Agricultural Society welcomed 4,000 primary school pupils to the Showground in Harrogate on Tuesday 13th June and Wednesday 14th June for [...]

Farming’s culture is being challenged by the so-called regenerative agriculture movement, with its role in shaping resilient and profitable farming futures at the heart of the debate, a packed audience of Future Farmers of Yorkshire heard at the Great Yorkshire Showground. Some 240 farmers and allied industry professionals took part in a lively Spring Debate […]

Farmers will be asked to consider whether they can carry on farming in the same ways they have done for decades at a Spring Debate hosted by the Future Farmers of Yorkshire at the Great Yorkshire Showground in March. With farm input costs at an all-time high, existing farm support payments being phased out, all […]

A first-generation West Yorkshire farmer is combining her passion for growing with her medical training after being awarded a prestigious international scholarship, sponsored by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society. Dr Hannah Fraser, 26, of Denby Hall Farm near Cawthorne is embarking on a two-year Nuffield Farming Scholarship to explore ‘Displacing empty calories with nutrient dense food’. […]

Farming can have a fantastic future by embracing regenerative approaches to producing nutritious British food, delegates heard at an open event held by the Farmer Scientist Network at the Great Yorkshire Showground. With major retailers signing up to new soil directives, consultant Neil Fuller said he believes there is more incentive than ever before for […]

A compelling story of rural women’s integral role as part of modern, forward-thinking countryside enterprises is being shared by the Women in Farming Network at Ryedale Folk Museum. Photography exhibition ‘All in a Day’s Work’ tells a powerful story of female entrepreneurialism in the countryside through an evocative and atmospheric collection of 27 stunning curated […]

Thousands of visitors flocked to Springtime Live today for the sell-out event which celebrated farming, food and the countryside. More than 4,000 visitors enjoyed a feast of activities including meeting Peppa Pig and Shaun the Sheep. This was the first Springtime Live event held since 2019 due to Covid and tickets sold out well in […]

Allister Nixon, the Chief Operating Officer at Castle Howard Estate Limited, has been announced as the new Chief Executive to replace Nigel Pulling. Nigel is retiring from the Yorkshire Agricultural Society after over 20 years’ service at the end of March 2022. Allister is a chartered accountant and a highly experienced, successful and well-regarded business […]

Chief executive of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society Nigel Pulling, is due to retire after over 20 years at the helm. Nigel will retire from his role in March 2022 after overseeing a number of hugely successful commercial projects across the Great Yorkshire Showground. This includes the building of Fodder, the Regional Agricultural Centre (the Society’s […]

Income from tourism in the Yorkshire countryside can be boosted if rural businesses capitalise on a growing desire for authentic experiences. That was the message from Yorkshire Dales marketeer Susan Briggs at a meeting of the Yorkshire Rural Support Network, held at Pavilions of Harrogate on the Great Yorkshire Showground. Addressing the theme of bringing […]

A Yorkshire farmer has been awarded a Nuffield Scholarship to study how the introduction of livestock onto arable farms can heal soils, have a net positive impact on the earth and make financial sense. Alastair Trickett, who is also Chairman of Future Farmers of Yorkshire, has been awarded the Nuffield Farming Scholarship funded by the […]

Yorkshire’s farming community will be celebrated at Ripon Cathedral with the support of the Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire. Johanna Ropner will give an address at the Cathedral’s traditional Plough Sunday Service on 12th January, where the message to the assembled congregation will be one of positivity, support and pride. The service is supported by […]

Two inspirational farming events will be held at the Pavilions of Harrogate next month – with last few tickets remaining! The Women In Farming annual conference will feature a series of guest talks as well as a Q&A session, lunch and networking when it’s held on Tuesday October 15. New Zealand’s “Resilient Farmer” Doug Avery […]

Free farmer health checks run by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society have been given a £10,000 boost. Thanks to funding from The Prince’s Countryside Fund, the YAS can now roll out more free farmer health checks at Livestock Marts and Machinery Shows across Yorkshire. YAS has been offering free farmer health checks for the last 10 […]

The Farm Retail Association (FRA) has announced its appointment of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society (YAS) as its new management team. YAS’s appointment by the national body which represents farm shops, farmers markets and pick-your-own enterprises across the country is part of the FRA’s long- term strategy, described by Chairman Rob Copley as bold and forward […]

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society can today reveal a whole new look, with the launch of a contemporary new logo and website to drive the charity forward. While the traditional YAS crest will still be used when appropriate, the new logo will give a modern look as well as working across different media platforms including mobile […]

A Yorkshire farmer has been awarded a Nuffield Scholarship to study how to increase profits and productivity in beef herds. Sarah Pick, aged 29, who was brought up on a family farm in Tadcaster and lives on a dairy farm in Barnsley, has been awarded the Nuffield Farming Scholarship funded by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society. […]

Agricultural experts will headline an event at the Pavilions of Harrogate, organised to prepare farmers for Brexit. Sir Peter Kendall, Chair of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, and Clare Bend of Agrii will be joined by Yorkshire farmers, Hugh Shedden and Chris Clark at the Brexit Boom or Bust debate next Thursday November 29. […]

Actress and writer Kate Willoughby will headline a Yorkshire Agricultural Society event which celebrates women in farming. Proud of her North Yorkshire farming roots, Kate will be guest speaker at the next Women in Farming Network event, at Brymor Ice Cream Parlour, Jervaulx near Masham. The Women in Farming Network regularly hosts meetings, offering business […]

Michael Gove, Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will be guest speaker at a conference organised by the Yorkshire Food, Farming and Rural Network. Farmers will have the chance to put questions to Mr Gove as part of the event – “Defining a Future for Yorkshire Farming” – organised […]

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society is celebrating a special partnership with Saint Michael’s Hospice as it reaches its 30th anniversary. The Society has become an ambassador for the hospice after joining its Guild of Patrons. As well as raising awareness of the work of this charity, Guild members invest in further developing these vital services so […]

An auction at the Cheese and Dairy Section of the show raised a whopping £6,403.25 which was handed over to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance outside the Yorkshire Event Centre today. The auction is held every year on the last day of the Great Yorkshire Show giving visitors the chance to bid for a round of […]

The Great Yorkshire Showground and Harrogate Caravan Park have both scooped gold in Yorkshire in Bloom. The showground and the onsite caravan park took the highest accolade in the prestigious competition thanks to hard work by all areas of the business – from office staff to the onsite facilities team. Yorkshire Agricultural Society Chief Executive […]

The East Peak LEADER programme can offer grants for projects which meet one or more of the priorities listed below. There is a strong emphasis on economic growth and job creation in the programme therefore all projects must directly support the rural economy or contribute significantly to improving the local economy: Support for increasing farm […]

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society is celebrating after four of its businesses have been shortlisted for the prestigious White Rose Awards. Food hall and café Fodder, Yorkshire Event Centre, Harrogate Caravan Park and the Great Yorkshire Show have been shortlisted for the awards. Based on the showground in Harrogate, all are owned by the Yorkshire Agricultural […]

More than 6,000 children from across Yorkshire are set to flock to the showground for Countryside Days next week. The free two-day event will see primary school children from all corners of the county, enjoy a full programme of rural activities and demonstrations on Tuesday June 13 and Wednesday June 14. Yorkshire Agricultural Society organise […]

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society is urging the Government to relax rules around term time trips after highlighting the educational benefits of the Great Yorkshire Show. The Society is inviting the Secretary of State for Education Justine Greening, Shadow Education Minister Angela Rayner and Yorkshire MPs to the show which is now England’s premiere agricultural event. […]

Expert testimonies about the impact of Brexit on agriculture will be submitted to the Government by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society. As Prime Minister Theresa May is set to trigger Article 50, charity YAS will submit four summary reports that identify key concerns of the farming industry and highlight policies which will need to be reformed. […]

The Chief Executive of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society has been awarded at the House of Lords for services to agriculture. Nigel Pulling was presented with the national award from the Council for Awards of Royal Agricultural Societies. The Award of the Associateship of Royal Agricultural Societies (ARAgS) is a recognition of outstanding contribution to agriculture. […]