NFU North鈥檚 Regional Policy Manager Adam Briggs and Northumberland County Adviser Anna Simpson manned the NFU stand, which attracted a steady flow of visitors throughout the day.
The lambs and calves on stand certainly caught the eye of the next generation, with plenty of families with young children stopping by to pet the animals and chat to Adam and Anna about British farming. Annabel the milking cow was another popular attraction, with youngsters and adults alike putting their milking skills to the test.
Adam and Anna were on hand in the hospitality tent to greet members and non-members who stopped by for a chat. Topics discussed included the impact of the wet weather and the recent announcement of the general election.
The member stand was run by Hexham NFU Group Secretaries Cath Reed and Catherine Bowman.
Northumberland County Chair James Drummond and Northumberland Vice Chair Mac Young also attended on the day to meet with the public and talk to them about farming.
Visitors to the stand included the Bishop of Newcastle Dr Helen-Ann Hartley and the Dean of Newcastle Revd Canon Lee Batson. Susan Dungworth, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria, stopped by to speak to the NFU about rural crime. Issues discussed included fly tipping, livestock worrying and machinery theft, and the NFU emphasised the importance of police presence in rural areas.
Support for the industry
Adam Briggs, NFU North Regional Policy Manager, said: 鈥淚t was great to meet everyone at Northumberland County Show, thank you to everyone who came along to speak to us. Thank you to NFU Group Secretaries Cath Reed and Catherine Bowman for running the member stand, and thanks to NFU Group Secretaries Kate Sowden, Jayne Watson and Jane Potts for coming down on the day too.
鈥淚t was a good opportunity to engage with the public and promote British Farming and to talk about the work that we do for our members. The stand was busy all day - we had lots of positive comments from lots of people. Everyone was really supportive of what we do as an industry - it shows just how much the general public value farmers and the work that they do.鈥�