Radio show highlights work of Yorkshire's farmers and food producers

It is running over a 13-week pilot produced by the station, Great Yorkshire Radio, on its local Coast & County station and airs on Sundays from 6am to 9am before being repeated in the evening from 7pm to 10pm.

Audiences in and around the coastal towns of Whitby, Scarborough, Filey – as well as the countryside towns and villages within Ryedale – can pick up the show.

The programme has been developed by Grow Yorkshire, an project led by the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, with a £25,000 grant from the Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF).

The business lead for Grow Yorkshire, Mark Blakeston, said: “Farming across Yorkshire has much to be positive about and to be proud of.

“Our high standards of food production alongside our net zero ambitions ensure we are leading the way in many aspects of modern agriculture, so through Farming Outlook we want to showcase some of that and hear from the characters behind the region’s food production.

“Whether they are innovating in some way or facing tough challenges we hope this pilot will provide a glimpse into the sector.”

The content is based around a broad theme of decarbonisation in farming and is being developed with partners at Future Farmers of Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, The Country Landowners Association, the Food and Environment Research Agency and Young Farmers.

It also hears from characters and personalities from farming and rural areas and aims to showcase locally produced food.

Farming Outlook’s producer at Coast & County Radio, John Harding, said: “Coast & County Radio is proud to serve the communities of Whitby, Scarborough, Filey and Ryedale and we’re looking forward to hearing the real-life stories and experiences of those who work, live and play in rural communities in North Yorkshire.

“We’ll be meeting the personalities and characters who are part of rural community life in the county and showcasing the cost-effective opportunities available to rural businesses.”

The programme is broadcasted on 97.4FM in Whitby, Ryedale, Scarborough and Filey and online.

A series of podcasts featuring content from the Sunday programme will be available after each broadcast.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the Rural England Prosperity Fund are central pillars of the Government’s levelling up agenda and provide £2.6bn of funding for local investment by March 2025.

Shared Prosperity in North Yorkshire will enable the people, communities, and businesses across our rural, coastal and urban areas to harness opportunities to thrive. North Yorkshire has been allocated £16.9m to spend on programmes and projects through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund as well as £5.4m from the Rural England Prosperity Fund - a capital programme targeted at rural areas.

North Yorkshire Council’s leader, Cllr Carl Les, said: “This radio programme is a fantastic example of how this funding is engaging with different communities across our county.

“North Yorkshire’s farmers and producers grow and create incredible food and products, and this programme celebrates that whilst looking to the future of farming in our county.

“I hope farmers will tune in to hear about new developments in the sector which may be able to improve the efficiency of their farm.”

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