Secrets of farm business success to be revealed

First-hand experiences of farmers who have overcome challenge and change to succeed in business will serve as inspiration at the Future Farmers of Yorkshire’s Spring Debate.

The panel of farmers will be joined by ‘game changer’ consultant Kat Thorne for the debate at Hornington Manor near York on the evening of Thursday 20th March 2025, entitled ‘Mission POSSIBLE: Adapting your vision for success’ and sponsored by McClarrons rural insurers.

Future Farmers of Yorkshire is a thriving network of more than 1,000 farmers, vets and other industry professionals supported by farming charity, the Yorkshire Agricultural Society. Everyone with a stake in British agriculture is welcome to join Future Farmers and go along to its events. The Spring Debate is free to attend by prior registration and includes a free supper and networking opportunities with like-minded people from across all sectors in the industry.

Alicia Martin, Future Farmers Management Board member and Northern Technical Advisor at crop consultants Kings Crops said: “Our panellists will offer plenty of food for thought for your own business journey, as we task them with debating the routes to success.

“They will explain how they have reaped the rewards of their own decision-making, how they have seen opportunity in challenge, and how they adapted their vision to navigate obstacles - whether real or imagined – to show us that your mission to be a success is indeed possible.”

International keynote speaker Kat is known as The Morning Game Changer and will talk about creating small positive habits to boost wellbeing, resilience and performance.

The farmers on the panel are East Yorkshire pig farmer Anna Longthorp, West Yorkshire strawberry grower Chris Jones and North Yorkshire dairy farmer Ian Carlisle. Anna produces fully free-range pigs and sells direct to the public at Anna’s Happy Trotters near Howden. Chris is from Annabel’s Deliciously British near Micklefield, Leeds, which has moved away from supermarket supply chains, while Ian is adapting his dairy business near Leyburn as part of a family succession plan.

The panel will be chaired by Amy Hughes, Head of Engagement at AHDB (Beef & Lamb). Amy grew up on a suckler and sheep farm in North Yorkshire, is a vet nurse by trade and now manages the AHDB's flagship knowledge exchange programme, Roots to Resilience.

Setting the scene for the Spring Debate further, Alicia added: “We all know that agriculture never stands still, it’s an industry that is constantly at the mercy of external dynamics and threatened with change. With so many factors outside of our direct control, how do we adopt and maintain a resilient mindset whilst seeing opportunities? Join us at our Spring Debate as we search for answers that can help to drive us forward.”

Nationally recognised, Future Farmers of Yorkshire offers a year-round programme of activities to further the personal and professional development of people in the industry, providing a platform for debate and networking, and training and bursary opportunities.

Already this year, farmers have been awarded bursaries to attend major industry events, the Oxford farming conferences and AHDB’s AgriLeader Forum, and plans are underway for the network’s flagship event of 2025, its Breakfast Meeting at the Great Yorkshire Show on the morning of Wednesday 9th July.

To register for a free place at the Future Farmers of Yorkshire Spring Debate at Hornington Manor from 6.30pm on Thursday 20th March, visit yas.co.uk/futurefarmers.