Sitting at her kitchen table on a rainy day in the South Pennines, three weeks after being elected as NFU Vice President, upland farmer Rachel Hallos says the reality of being an officeholder doubles down on everything she鈥檇 expected.
鈥淭his organisation and the people that work in it, the cogs that turn behind the NFU, are quite extraordinary. If I could harness a tenth of what I have felt these past few weeks and take that out to membership, it would be so powerful and that鈥檚 exactly what I鈥檓 going to try and do with the regional board chairs.鈥�
Having served as a regional board chair herself (North East), and completed two terms as West Riding county chair, Rachel says while she wasn鈥檛 na茂ve about becoming an officeholder, she鈥檚 found the reach that accompanies the position is 鈥渜uite extraordinary鈥�.
A big believer in going after what you want, Rachel has certainly hit the ground running since the election, hosting press on farm, visiting NFU offices in both Stoneleigh and Westminster, and meeting peers in the House of Lords to discuss various challenges facing members.
Two of those challenges she foresees as being top of her mind in the years ahead, are water and infrastructure. The latter particularly so ahead of a general election that she suspects will see prospective governments looking for land 鈥� a move which, potentially, could impact NFU members.
鈥淭hey need land, it鈥檚 as simple as that, whether that鈥檚 going under or over or across it and that鈥檚 where our members come into play, and we鈥檝e got to be ready for it,鈥� she says.
鈥�It鈥檚 just the four of us here, so we鈥檙e a true family farm. From the word go we have talked about everything with the children around this table.鈥�
NFU Vice President Rachel Hallos
Water is also high on her agenda.
鈥淲e have a serious problem with water. There鈥檚 either too much, too little, or it鈥檚 in the wrong place and not the right quality. We have a massive piece of work to do there and that鈥檚 from everybody 鈥� us, the Environment Agency, drainage boards, and farmers doing their bit as well.鈥�
Path to officeholder
A farmer鈥檚 daughter, Rachel didn鈥檛 plan to follow in her father鈥檚 footsteps, working initially at Bradford & Pennine Insurance and later for a greeting cards company, with roles spanning admin, IT, and project and retail management.
She credits those years with giving her a different perspective and learning the importance of organisation and processes; skills that came in handy when she returned to farming and moved with her husband-to-be, Stephen, to his family farm, which the couple took over in 2000.
Since then, Rachel and Stephen have evolved from a milk producer/retailer unit to focus on their Salers herd, hill sheep and environmental outcomes. Together with their two children, they also operate a holiday let and contracting business across the 2,000-acre Yorkshire Water tenanted farm near Ripponden.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just the four of us here, so we鈥檙e a true family farm. From the word go we have talked about everything with the children around this table. We鈥檝e always been open and honest with them so they鈥檝e always understood why we can do this but can鈥檛 do that and now they鈥檙e taking ownership of their own roles on the farm.鈥�
It鈥檚 her family Rachel credits with supporting her bid to run as Vice President.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 take the decision to stand as an officeholder of the NFU lightly. I had a lot of questions to ask of myself, never mind my family, who would have to pick up the pieces in my absence, should I be successful.鈥�
Now in post, Rachel believes she has been elected to 鈥渂e a person that members can believe in鈥�.
鈥淚 spoke to a lot of people leading up to the election and I didn鈥檛 ask them anything apart from, 鈥榠s there anything you want to ask me?鈥�. And I think that鈥檚 all that people want; they want to be heard.
鈥淚鈥檓 not an expert in a good many things but I鈥檒l be honest, listen and learn and ask the questions for you.鈥�
Falling back in love with food
鈥�There is so much that can be delivered by this industry, but it won鈥檛 be by what we鈥檝e done in the past, we need to stop hanging on to that because nothing stays the same.鈥�
NFU Vice President Rachel Hallos
As for Rachel鈥檚 farming passions, in addition to her Saler cows, which she shows competitively, it鈥檚 food that has the new Vice President鈥檚 heart.
鈥淲e鈥檝e fallen out of love with it,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 become just a fuel, and we don鈥檛 appreciate the value of good, home-grown food. Whether it鈥檚 sitting around a table like we are or a having takeaway pizza with friends, food brings people together and gets them talking.
鈥淲e need to get people falling back in love with food and to understand what good food can do for you because it can make you feel so much better.
鈥淭here is so much that can be delivered by this industry, but it won鈥檛 be by what we鈥檝e done in the past, we need to stop hanging on to that because nothing stays the same. We haven鈥檛 stayed the same, none of the farms around here have, or if they have then they鈥檝e gone out business.
鈥淢y main passion is food; we have got to fall back in love with it as a nation because it can deliver so much more.鈥�
A people person
So, with a two-year term ahead, where does Rachel hope to be in 2026?
鈥淚 hope to have delivered for members,鈥� she says simply. 鈥淚 hope those members that voted me in say, 鈥榶eah we made a good choice there鈥�.鈥�
A self-proclaimed 鈥榩eople person鈥�, Rachel is looking forward rolling up her sleeves and getting stuck in on behalf of members.
鈥淚 genuinely believe in and love people,鈥� she says, gesturing to a full kitchen of NFU staff. 鈥淚f you just talk to people normally and be straight with them, you鈥檙e halfway there.鈥�
As for the NFU, it鈥檚 business as usual.
鈥淚 want us to be seen as the go-to place for farmers wanting to know how to get to the other side of whatever it is they facing, and that, literally, is whatever they face. We will go with them.鈥�
