Eastern region conference to tackle industry’s leading concerns

A jam-packed day will see rural crime, farm safety and mental health among the topics at this month’s East of England Farming Conference.

Organised by the East of England Agricultural Society, a range of top speakers and industry experts have been lined up for the conference on Thursday, 16 November, at the Holiday Inn West, Peterborough.

Arable farmer and conference committee member Will Oliver said: “Getting off-farm in our industry is crucial; getting off the treadmill of everyday life and meeting other people across the sector is hugely valuable.

“You may learn something that can save your business money or come up with your next diversification project – who knows. But put yourself out of your comfort zone and you’ll be amazed what you can achieve.”

Expert advice

East of England Agricultural Society events manager Ruth Trolove said the goal was to deliver attainable advice for delegates, as well as facilitating peer-to-peer conversations that could have a real benefit on farms.

“We have consciously moved away from an over-arching theme this year, listening to members about the issues that matter to them, and speaking to leaders in our sector about how we can come together to help solve some of those problems.”

The morning programme will include a session on communicating with consumers. It will be led by digital marketing expert Milly Fyfe. Other sessions will include ways to combat rural crime and the importance of professional development.

The conference will include a trailer screening for the documentary film Six Inches of Soil; a farming case study with Johnny Wake, of the Courteenhall Estate; and a mental health check with the You Are Not Alone (YANA) rural mental health charity.

Current affairs

An afternoon current affairs debate will be chaired by Joe Stanley, of the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust’s Allerton Project. The panel will include NFU deputy president Tom Bradshaw and Natural England chairman Tony Juniper.

Tickets include a hot lunch and refreshments throughout the day, a goody bag featuring items and gifts from the sponsors, trade stands and networking opportunities.Sponsors include British Sugar, Brown & Co, the Forestry Commission, Oakbank Game & Conservation, Roythornes, and Yagro. Representatives from these companies will be on hand throughout the day.

Tickets can be purchased at www.eoefarmingconference.co.uk