Farmers in 'lonely business' urged to come together at Shropshire arable extravaganza

The Arable Event, organised by Wynnstay and GrainLink, is expected to see 1,500 farmers and industry specialists gather for a day of farm demonstrations, learning and socialising.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the event and organisers say it will be even bigger and better and provide a crucial opportunity for farmers to come together as the industry suffers growing levels of mental health issues.

A study by Farm Safety Foundation found that almost 95 per cent of 450 farmers under the age of 40 regarded poor mental health as the biggest hidden problem facing the industry today.

Arable Event organiser Kelly Dolphin said: “This month is Mental Health Awareness month and what better time to call out to farmers to come together. The Arable Event is a great place to meet up with old friends and make some new ones over a relaxed drink or a bite to eat.

“Farming can be a lonely business, and it’s so important to sometimes just step away from your own work to interact with other people and find out what’s going on in the industry beyond your own farm gate.

“The speakers we have lined up are guaranteed to be both interesting and informative, and I’m sure the speakers’ tent will be the place to be.

“But there is a lot more for visitors to see and have a go at, including tours of the seed trial plots, machinery demonstrations and trade stands.”

Clarkson’s Farm star and managing partner at leading consultancy Ceres Rural, Charlie Ireland will be the keynote speaker alongside influencer Olly ‘Blogs’ Harrison and Ryan Wooley, a technical support engineer for Morris Lubricants.

Olly, who became an “accidental YouTuber” at the start of lockdown and now has 120,000 subscribers to his channel, posts daily video updates about life on his farm and as a contractor near Liverpool.

Free fast track tickets are still available to book and include entry into a prize draw sponsored by Mornflake. Visitors to the Arable Event can also collect BASIS and NroSO points.

Seed trial plots this year include a full complement of new and conventional winter cereals, including a wide variety of winter cereals including wheat, barley, oats, hybrid rye and triticale.

The trial plots have been expanded to showcase a range of fertiliser and bio-stimulant demonstrations with industry leading fertiliser manufacturers Yara, ICL, LKAB and Omex on site to provide advice on their product ranges.

The Arable Event takes place on June 19 at Woodlands Farm, which is part of Bradford Estates on the Shropshire and Staffordshire border, close to Junction 3 of the M54. It starts at 9am and runs through to 5pm.

For more information and to register for a free ticket, visit https://www.thearableevent.co.uk/home