LINCOLNSHIRE Showground welcomed hundreds from across the country’s farming industry for the annual Lincolnshire Farming Conference, organised by the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society.

350 farmers and delegates from across the farming world attended this year’s one-day event which had the theme, Healthy soils, Healthy minds. The theme has been a key talking point in recent years due to ongoing issues with soil health across the UK, as well as reports that 36% of farmers in the UK admit to being “possibly” or “probably” depressed, according to Farming Life.

Kicking off the annual event, Kelly Hewson-Fisher, chair of the Lincolnshire Farming Conference opened the conference by discussing the importance of soil health, stating that increasing soil organic matter by 1% can improve the water holding capacity by 20,000 gallons per acre.

Highlights from the event included speaker Will Evans, Farmers Weekly columnist and beef cattle, arable crops and free-range egg unit farmer, who spoke about the important topic of depression within the farming community.

Meanwhile, Heather Wildman, managing director at Saviour Associates, who provides farmers with access to unbiased advice, coaching and mentoring, took to the stage to provide insights into her farming journey and the life-changing Nuffield Scholarship.

The Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust awards scholarships to those beginning their career in the agricultural industry, allowing farmers to go oversees to develop and learn from others and helping them to share their ideas when they return home. Heather also discussed her own personal Nuffield Scholarship experience and her report, Influencing and motivating change: have dairy discussion groups had their day?

David Exwood, National Farmers' Union of England and Wales (NFU) Vice President, rounded off the conference by discussing soil health on his own farm before finishing by talking about his own experiences with mental health and why healthy soils and healthy minds go hand in hand

Alongside this, the day also featured a range of topical workshop sessions on the future of farming and how to make soils work effectively, as well as demonstrations and Q&A sessions, and a number of exhibitors for attendees to browse.

Sarah Duxbury, business development and trade sales manager at Lincolnshire Showground, said: “After being unable to host the Lincolnshire Farming Conference for two years due to Covid-19, it was great to see the event back with so many attendees.

“It was an incredible event which was filled with speeches from key names in the industry who provided their unique insights and perspectives into the theme, Healthy soils, Healthy minds, a particularly important theme for all those who work in the world of farming.  

“Of particular note from the conference was the open discussion on mental health in farming and the sheer number of people it affects in the industry. It was particularly eye-opening when speaker Will Evans asked those who are affected, or know someone that is, to stand up, and I hope to see this important topic continue to be discussed.  

“A big thank you to everyone who made this year’s event so memorable – it was certainly worth the two-year wait. We’re already excited for next year’s conference and looking at ways to make it even better.”  

This year’s event sponsors included Omex, University of Lincoln, Woldmarsh, Streets, Shakespeare Martineau, Anglian Water, Dallas Scott Davey, CLAAS, Brown & Co JH Walter.

For more information about Lincolnshire Showground, visit

www.lincolnshireshowground.co.uk.  

To find out more about the Agricultural Society, visit https://lincolnshireshowground.co.uk/agricultural-society/our-charity.