The new National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC) chairman is calling on young farmers to support the environment in their communities during the Government’s Year of Green Action – even going as far as saying the organisation should plant a tree for every member in 2019.
Katie Hall, 30, a member of Tewkesbury Young Farmers’ Club, Gloucestershire, for 12 years, was elected as the national chairman of the Federation at the Council meeting on February 17 at the Quality Hotel in Coventry.
Supporting Katie in her role will be two newly elected vice chairmen – Dewi Parry from Clwyd FYFC and Rachel Goldie from Yorkshire FYFC.
Katie, a calf nutritionist and regional sales representative for Bonanza Calf Nutrition, officially launched the ‘Protect Your Future’ campaign during the council meeting and set all Young Farmers’ Clubs a goal of planting one tree for every member in 2019.
The tree initiative has been set up in partnership with the Woodland Trust and was instigated to support the Government’s Year of Green Action and the ‘I Will 4 Nature’ campaign. It could see thousands of trees being planted across England and Wales.
Following on from the Government’s 25-year environmental plan, Defra, and a group of 25 environment and youth-sector partners, of which NFYFC is one, want to keep young people at the heart of environmental social action.
Katie Hall said: “This year is all about YFCs putting their green feet first and supporting the environment and our local rural communities. I am excited to be spearheading this campaign and ensuring the next generation are making the environment and sustainability a priority.
I am a proud supporter of what Young Farmers’ Clubs can achieve when they work together and I am ecstatic to be leading our 615 YFCs during my year as chairman.
“This organisation inspired my career in agriculture and I hope that I can inspire more people to join what I consider to be the best youth organisation in England and Wales.”
NFYFC’s president and Farming Today presenter Charlotte Smith said: “This campaign is a great way for YFC members to support the environment and their local communities.
We want to show how passionate young farmers are about sustainability and the environment and to demonstrate how much we care about the rural communities where we live and work.
Young Farmers have until August to order their sapling trees from the Woodland Trust. The tree planting will then take place across England and Wales in November 2019.
Board of Management elections
NFYFC will also be developing a range of resources to help YFCs proactively engage in a wider campaign to look after the environment.
New members of NFYFC’s Board of Management were also officially elected during the meeting. Delme Harries from Pembrokeshire was elected as the new chairman of the Board.
He is currently a life vice president of NFYFC, life vice President of Wales YFC, life member of Llysyfran YFC and vice president of the Pembrokeshire FYFC.
Delme brings a wealth of professional experience to the Federation’s Board as a senior manager with a track record of delivering training, developing and supporting staff and volunteers, working with young people at local, national and European levels and communications.
Fay Thomas from Herefordshire FYFC, Alice Longmire from Cumbria FYFC and Laura Elliott from Glamorgan FYFC were also all formally appointed as YFC representatives on the Board during the meeting too.
