Young farmers clubs alive and kicking in the East Riding

During the ensuing years some clubs that had once held fearsome reputations were brought to their knees, others either merged or disappeared.

The East Riding of Yorkshire is an arable farming hotbed and as such has seen first-hand just how much the move to huge horsepower tractors and quick turnaround combine harvesters in the past four decades has decimated the on-farm workforce.

Nearly every interview I have ever conducted with a Holderness or Wolds farmer in the past 25 years who recalls those days tells of how even a 200-acre farm, regarded as a small farm today, would employ at least four men where now it is down to just the farmer himself.

Less people working on farms means less children being born to farming backgrounds and therefore less of an immediate young farmers club membership for the future.

Fortunately the Young Farmers movement does still exist and having plateaued at a much lower membership level than the pre-increased mechanisation days it shows little sign of fearing for its future today.

Katie Dale is a farmer’s daughter and joined Howden YFC when she was 13. She has been the club secretary for a number of years and is presently the chairman and organiser of this year’s East Riding Federation County Rally that will take place just a mile or so away from the family farm next Saturday (May 28).

Katie is currently close to completing her degree in occupational therapy at York St John University and sees pursuing that, plus a combination of special event organising, as her future, as well as continuing to show sheep.

“I’ve managed the wedding venue at Saltmarshe Hall next door to our farm and I’d like to start up as an event organiser as well as perhaps working with the NHS in occupational therapy.

“The work I’ve done at the hall has certainly helped in my confidence organising the rally. Young Farmers Clubs in the East Riding are now set up as clusters so that you work together with others and in our cluster are the clubs of Goole, Newport, South Axholme and of course Howden. Collectively we go under the cluster name Ousevale.

“The Young Farmers movement has an important role to play not just in the lives of those who come from farming backgrounds but all who are interested in rural life. While everyone talks of social networking these days this is a very real rural social network. I’ve met such a lot of fantastic friends through it that I know I will stay friends with throughout my life.

“Our own club at Howden has grown massively since I first started. When I joined we had around 15 members now it’s close to 50 and we meet every Wednesday. We won the cup a few years ago and I’ve got my fingers crossed that I’m going to lead us to victory again on home turf this time, but it’s always a great day and with strong clubs like Brandesburton, Thorngumbald and Skirlaugh you never know what will happen.

“This year’s theme is Tomorrow’s World and as we’ve come up with a number of new competitions, which will include an East Riding’s Got Talent show featuring stars of YFCs for the future; plus one about making an alien character out of vegetables; and the main event is to race a YFC club-made spaceship around the arena.

“There will also be all the regular competitions from stockjudging to tractor driving, flower arranging and cake making.

“The East Riding Federation raises funds for Yorkshire Air Ambulance and if they’re not attending an emergency they may be landing on the main arena.”

Katie, and her siblings, have a reputation for showing livestock at the summer agricultural shows, and some of her proudest moments have been when she won the young handlers classes at the Great Yorkshire Show and Countryside Live.

FAMILY’s FARM LIFE
Katie lives with her mum and dad John and Joanne at Bank House Farm in Saltmarsh next to the River Ouse.

Her father is originally from Halifax and her parents moved to Healaugh near Tadcaster before taking on their present farm in 1999.

They have a flock of Texel X Beltex ewes, a suckler herd of Limousin X cows with progeny taken to between 18-22 months, and black and white bullocks bought as young calves from dairy farms and taken through to finishing at around 12-13 months.

The family also has two self-catering holiday lets on the farm that are proving very popular.