This display of street art comes from the fabulous tent full of displays from Young Farmers from Worcetsershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. There are some fabuolous flower displays and - a personal favourite, vegetable animals - on my Flickr site. There were also some great "pimp my tractor" entries. I found myself explaining what that was all about to the people with me and a few others who were nearby!
I was also lucky enough to meet the youth worker for the YFC and make links with More Than Sport, a local group working with young people.
That was all after a marvellous morning being taken around the show by some farmers who showed us the cattle lines, lamb carcass inspections, ear tag displays, the blue tongue presentation and answered all our ignorant "townie" questions. I thought I might come away knowing more about the rural community and I have but of course, as Socrates would be proud to hear, I came away realising how LITTLE I knew.
I did learn;
- Bluetongue is going to be very serious for sheep, deer and cow farmers as is African fever which will affect horses.
- Sheep farmers pay more to shearers than they get for the fleece and some have to pay to have the fleeces taken away as hazardous waste
- Many farmers face the choice of selling up in order to get a pension and leaving the farm to their children and having no provision for their retirement.
- The Show used to be midweek and for the rural community but since it moved to the weekend it has become more of a "countryside" show with commercial stalls and the like.
- One of the farmers who led us round has a farm which produces some GORGEOUS icecream and I had a taste when we got to the Bennetts Farm stall.
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