2024 Lincolnshire County Harvest Festival was celebrating and giving thanks for the 2024 harvest and also celebrating 50 years since the formation of the Lincolnshire Federation of Young Farmers Clubs. There were the usual beautiful displays of vegetables kindly donated by local farmers and producers, along with displays by Young Farmers Clubs from around the county.

Representatives from Lincolnshire Young Farmers, LRSN, NFU and LRAC, lead prayers and read the Old and New Testament readings. The Rt Rev’d Stephen Conway, Bishop of Lincoln presented the Sermon. 

Foreword from the Order of Service

This year it has been more of celebration… Thank you to all the individuals, groups and churches have generously donated to the Lincolnshire Rural and Agricultural Chaplaincy Fund (LRAC) ensuring chaplaincy remains in the county, whilst also recognising my 25th Anniversary as your chaplain! Please keep donating – today the offertory will be split between LRAC and LYFC! We rejoice also for the 25th anniversary of Lincolnshire Rural Support Network, and also rejoicing in the foundation and formation of the Agricultural Union 120 years ago:

“The seeds of the Lincolnshire Farmers Union were sown at the 1904 Harmston Annual Show, a very large affair held in the grounds of Harmston Hall (Harmston Park) under the auspices initially of WH Morton and then of Natty Cockburn. At some stage of the Show a group of five Lincolnshire farmers were discussing the state of the nation from a farming aspect following the end of the Boer War. No doubt this was over a beer or two; tradition has it that this took place at the Joiners Arms in School Lane, Welbourn. They decided to contribute to start-up fund and organise a larger meeting; this was held at the Albion Hotel in Lincoln and from that meeting grew the Lincs Farmers Union. By 1908, The National Farmers Union was formed.”

As you can see in the displays to your left and right, the 50th Anniversary of the inauguration of the Federation of Young Farmers Clubs across Lincolnshire, is our focus today. It is utterly remarkable that so many young lives have been inspired and transformed by this, the largest youth organisation in the County!

And since last we met… What difficult times for growing, planting, harvesting – the wettest period in living memory! For some farmers, delayed cropping; for too many, limited cropping or transferring land into environmental schemes to ensure an income. For the majority, mediocre to poor harvests with mediocre to poor prices. For livestock, we have ended the season in the midst of a county-wide bluetongue restriction zone – affecting cattle and sheep, alpacas and llamas. We have the ongoing fear of TB in cattle. A deep concern for pig farmers is the possibility of African Swine Flu coming across the North Sea from Europe. Avian Flu in poultry has had devastating impacts amongst Lincolnshire poultry units and the wild birds numbers let us hope this doesn’t come back this year!

Our ongoing, climate emergency feels real – we have seen floods sweep through Europe, and apocalyptic fires in Greece and California. Warring conflicts are everywhere in our daily news. All in all, horrendously challenging times…

Thinking of your livelihoods… Your families being squeezed economically and emotionally from many angles – it is vitally important we look after each other in the months ahead and use this Harvest Thanksgiving for support and prayer too.

We hold all this in our hearts and minds as we worship today with grateful hearts that we are in relative peace, though, the mindless violence in the summer is a reminder how fickle this can be!

Across Greater Lincolnshire there is a slew of infrastructure schemes from solar parks to reservoirs, pylons, pipes and substations galore, all of them putting pressure on businesses and upon our Lincolnshire landscape. Therefore, I am grateful to Bishop Stephen Conway for his support, hosting small forms of concerned farmers and policy influencers which has resulted in purposeful conversations and actions.

In our harvest we recognise all the people who have served as officers, board members, and members of the above organisation – their countless hours of dedication and their passion and energy shaping and inspiring lives. Let this harvest of 2024 be filled with compassion for the vulnerable but also a time of immense gratitude for all the care and love of over generations. That’ll do.

The Rev’d Canon Alan Robson MSc FRAgS FRSA, County Agricultural Chaplain

For more pictures click here to go to the Facebook page post.