Passionate Rebecca promises to give it her all in new NFU role

The NFU has been in existence for more than a century, having formed in December 1908. It has been in constant dialogue with the Government ever since ensuring that farming is represented, and in 1918 six members stood as candidates at the General Election on the NFU ticket including one in Yorkshire, William Parlour, for the Richmond constituency. He went on to finish second with 33.2 per cent of the vote. None of the six NFU candidates won their seats.

While much has changed in agriculture that fervour of nearly a century ago will be just as intense next month at the NFU’s national conference in Birmingham and in Yorkshire there has always been a strong, highly committed following among the national membership’s 55,000 farmers and growers.

The team that provides the ongoing support and management for the North East region is based at Tadcaster Road in York and farmer’s daughter Rebecca Hesketh took up her role as NFU York East County Adviser just four months ago.

Rebecca studied agriculture at Newcastle University, has worked on her parents’ mixed farm at Hesketh Bank - not named after her family - near Tarleton in Lancashire and has worked on Brocklesby Estate in Lincolnshire and packing lines for vegetables and cut flowers in Cambridgeshire.

Rebecca has driven telescopic handlers and tractors, and she lives and breathes farming. She’s totally committed to the NFU and how it can work for the good of the farming community.

“What I’m very passionate about is that we involve every farmer and I would particularly like to engage with younger members. It’s so important that we are relevant to everyone in the farming world and that farmers have their chance to talk about what they want and what they need.

“I’m a very positive person and while there is presently a great deal of uncertainty over what will happen regarding Brexit, there is a strong belief that 2017 holds a lot of opportunity.

“My role is to work with the group secretaries and farmer members in the York East region and build on the ideas and thoughts that everyone has to provide what will hopefully be a better future for us all.”

Rebecca’s background means that she understands what farmers go through and her practical experience, friendly character and keen interest in politics will come as a breath of fresh air to everyone that she meets.

“I’ve stacked bales, packed broccoli, sprouts and cabbages on a rig, been involved with lambing and so I’ve seen first hand some of the many jobs farmers and food companies have to do. I’ve been on farm management trainee schemes and was an assistant crop manager in Stratford upon Avon.

“What I want to be able to do is to allow members to have a voice to put forward their ideas. Farmers sometimes find it difficult to give their time as they’re always under pressure. I want to make things easier so that they can do it the way they would like.

“Of course there are the regular activities too. We have our senior crop protection expert Emma Hamer from NFU headquarters coming up to Driffield next month to talk about pesticide issues; we’ve recently had meetings regarding the latest changes to livestock movement restrictions; and we are still undertaking a tremendous amount of work in ensuring the BPS is paid to all of our members and we’ve had a significant number that have come forward who have struggled to get paid. It is a real concern and we know many who have had quite a task in tiding their businesses over as a result.”

Keeping farmers informed and setting up meetings or finding out what people need to know are all essential elements of Rebecca’s role and she relishes the job and all its facets.

She knows there are challenges for the industry ahead but she believes farmers are in-built with the qualities that will see them flourish.

“In our industry prices fluctuate greatly and there is always uncertainty about what will happen but farmers are extremely resilient whether it’s my dad, the farms and farm businesses I’ve worked with and now our NFU members.”