The High Commissioner of New Zealand to the UK will be guest of honour at a breakfast meeting at next month’s Great Yorkshire Show with world trade and opportunities for farmers amongst his topics for discussion.
The Rt Hon Sir Lockwood Smith is one of three guest speakers invited to attend the event which is organised by the Future Farmers of Yorkshire, a group of like-minded farmers, vets, consultants, machinery dealers and land agents. Open to all farmers and anyone with an interest in the rural industry, the meeting takes place courtesy of the National Farmers Union at their stand on Wednesday 9 July, the second day of England’s premier agricultural show.
The show runs from Tuesday 8 – Thursday 10 July and is held at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate. It will showcase top class livestock in the competitive classes as well as the latest in farm machinery.
Robert Barker, the Future Farmers’ chairman will introduce Sir Lockwood, along with fellow speakers, Tamara Hall and Kate Morgan.
Sir Lockwood served as a senior New Zealand government minister with portfolios including education, agriculture and trade. He also served as Deputy Minister of Finance, Minister of Forestry and Minister of Tourism and as Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2008 to 2013. He retired from Parliament and was appointed High Commissioner of New Zealand to the United Kingdom in March 2013.
A trained opera singer and keen sportsman, Sir Lockwood graduated from Adelaide University with a PhD in Animal Science and runs an award-winning beef farming operation with his wife Lady Alexandra.
His address will be followed by a talk by Tamara Hall (pictured), who revolutionised the 1,250 acre Molescroft Grange Farm in East Yorkshire and is a Yorkshire Conservation and Farming Director. Tamara has a particular interest in Community Supported Agriculture and is a Yorkshire Agricultural Society Nuffield Scholar. Also speaking at the event will be Kate Morgan, Director of the family pig farm at Pockthorpe, near Driffield. Also a Nuffield Scholar, Kate is Chair of the Young National Pig Association.
Future Farmers of Yorkshire is a social and informative group organised by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, the Yorkshire Food, Farming and Rural Network and the Yorkshire Veterinary Society.
To register for a free place at the breakfast event, which starts at 8.15am on Wednesday 9 July in the NFU Stand at the Great Yorkshire
Showground, contact Elizabeth Hudson at the Yorkshire Agricultural Society on 07702 598108 or email futurefarmersofyorkshire@yas.co.uk
Main photograph: Tamara Hall who farms near Beverley and is one of the speakers