Driffield Show evolves with new two-day format, outdoor food zone and tractor demonstration area

Fenella said she believes the society’s brief to educate is now more important than ever and that Driffield Show has always been at the vanguard of making sure everyone understands where food comes from and the career opportunities within farming and all related industries.

“The Driffield Agricultural Society brief is to educate farmers and the general public, farmers through latest techniques, equipment and planning the way forward, and the public through what goes on, where things come from, how they can also be involved and how important agriculture is to Britain.

“The show has grown hugely. We have a lot more activity areas where the public can see what goes on. We have changed and continue to change with the times because agriculture is in a continual state of development. We have changed our attractions to reflect this and have also maintained Driffield Show as a very strong agricultural show with very strong agricultural content.”

Fenella said that one of the biggest changes made to the showground had been the move of the livestock classes from their former residence in a corner of the showfield some years ago.

“The move to where the livestock classes are held today allows far greater livestock entries, but just as importantly it also enables far greater access for the exhibitors and has given the public a far better view. People like to see livestock and most who come to an agricultural show want to be able to get close to them.

“Our entries in the sheep, pig and cattle sections have increased massively since we made the move.”

Driffield is of course in a major arable farming region of the UK with the fertile lands of the Yorkshire Wolds and the Holderness coastline on the doorstep. Fenella said the society’s work with farm machinery exhibitors was to encourage them to use the show as an education for the public as much as entertaining farming clients.

“One of the things we have done to encourage farm machinery exhibitors to educate the public is that we have allocated 60 per cent of the points allocated for best agricultural tradestand to education. We want them to engage with the public, showing more information about the machinery on display and how it works.

“There is a great lack of supply of labour right across the agricultural industry at the moment. I’ve been working with agricultural tradestand exhibitors extolling the virtues of using the show as an opportunity to attract others to work for them by educating over what skills are necessary.

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“We need to get away from people thinking that agriculture is all about driving a tractor or chasing pigs in a shed or sheep in a field. Our industry needs everyone from scientists to technologists, technicians, engineers, IT guys and marketing people just as much as it needs farm workers and farmers.”

Fenella said the society is also learning lessons all the time about the show and learned a valuable lesson last year about the food hall.

“Everything evolves. We’d always had a food hall but last year, due to the Covid restrictions prior to the show, we had decided to have a food zone with all exhibitors in their own gazebos. The food zone became far bigger and everyone preferred it. We’ll not go back to a food hall.

“People prefer things to be outside and enjoy the greater space to move around. This year we will have another new feature with tractors and other agricultural equipment in action with a specialist demonstration area.

“We’ve several other new additions this year. There will be a new handicraft demonstration area; a farrier display, a gardeners’ theatre and one of my favourites will be the climbing poles in the forestry area. Now, that’s something exciting to watch.”

Prior to the pandemic, lockdowns and restrictions, there had been a historic calling among some for Driffield to become a two-day show. In the light of trying to put on the show last year the society decided to go with it in order to attract numbers needed financially, but this year without restrictions it is a two-day show again. Fenella said this year is the real trial.