Young Farmers ready for annual skills event

The next generation of farmers from across Shropshire will be showing off their skills at a Young Farmers' rally this weekend.

The event, a highlight in the YFC calendar, is taking place in Buckley Farm, in Maesbury, near Oswestry.

The Olympics is the chosen theme for tomorrow's rally and a comedy dry synchronised swimming event is planned.

It will also be a chance for the 900 members of Shropshire's 19 Young Farmers' Clubs to show off their talents with events that include activities such as sheep-shearing and stock judging, flower arranging and cookery.

There will also be a large amount of home section competitions which members have taken time to complete such as making a paper mache Olympic torch, an Olympic cities theme club exhibit, photo competitions, club scrapbooks and different cookery competitions.

Many of the competitions held at the rally are national competitions where the winning members can go on to represent Shropshire at the national finals.

Money raised this weekend will also help to build a Forest Schools training centre.

The YFC Federation has chosen the project for its 2012 community challenge and launched a fundraising appeal for it this month.

The site of the centre will not be revealed until the launch on May 30, although YFC chiefs say it is likely to be in woods just south of Shropshire.