We, as farmers, work tirelessly, often for no financial reward. Why do we do it? Because our reward is greater than money; it is knowing that you are producing the highest-quality food in the world, and that food is being used to feed the nation.
It is the purest of feelings – that you are a good person, doing good things to make your world a better place.
But when you feel your people are turning their backs on you, as has been apparent in recent years, there is an overriding sense that you are wasting your time.
That nobody really cares for your efforts. That despite the imperative need for you and your skill set, you are, in fact, dispensable. It is a horrible feeling you must try to ignore, but, unfortunately, it never seems to go away.
Celebrated
Thankfully, there are fantastic events such as the National Pig Awards where, for one night, at least, you are celebrated for doing a good job. And it was here where my feelings of despair began to give way to the happier feelings of pride I now hold.
This year’s awards were extra special, as I had my farrowing manager, Nicola Aisthorpe, shortlisted as a finalist for the Stockperson award.
I have tutored Nicola since she came to us as a novice just four years ago and have watched her flourish into the incredible stockperson I see each day. Unfortunately, this was not to be her year, but to be a finalist in such a competitive category is no easy feat. Well done, Nicola!
It is people like Nicola that make my job all the more enjoyable, and encourage me to always try to go the extra mile. This year, it felt as though that had been recognised, as I came away as the winner of the Unit Manager category.
I am extremely grateful to receive the award, but I should note that I am just the face of a very driven and determined team, and so a huge part of the accolade deservedly goes to them too.
The 2024 awards were graced by the industry’s newest recruit, Jeremy Clarkson, who appeared quite humbled to have won the award for Innovation of the Year for his farrowing ark, piglet-protecting ring, aptly named ‘Clarkson’s Ring’.
I joined him on stage at the end of the awards ceremony for the customary winner’s photo, where I overheard him say to his wife, Lisa: “This is better than winning a BAFTA.”
How true that is, only he knows, but it still made me feel quite chuffed that even the most famous value the National Pig Awards in much the same way as the rest of us do.
The farmer rally
Jeremy and his camera crew left soon after that, but the night’s celebrations continued long into the night (and into the next morning), which didn’t set me up too well for the events on Tuesday, November 19 – the farmer’s rally at Westminster.
It was probably the lack of sleep, but I found the whole event quite emotional. There we all were, an army of fed-up farmers, together in solidarity, fighting against those who vowed to protect us.
Those who truly understand the reason for the gathering will know that it wasn’t solely because of the increased tax burden – there are issues that run far deeper.
As a group, representing the great plethora of British agriculture, we had reached the end of our tether. Our outputs have long not matched our inputs, and our government, representing our people, does not value us.
We could all sell up and be rich, but that is not what we are all about. We could all strike, as other industries have done with success, but we refuse to let it come to that. Why? Because we are farmers – good people, trying to do good things, to make the world a
better place.
To see everyone in that crowd with that same feeling as mine, my pride at being a farmer became so overwhelming, I actually cried.
The hangover probably played its part and, thankfully, the freezing rain masked my tears, but it made me realise even more that our industry and livelihoods need protecting.
This generation and those to come need us; they need our farms. We must defend them.
