Young farmers in mutiny
- Thread starter roscoe erf
- Start date
Not been in YFC for 25 years or gone to an AGM ,but I recently read Mathew Naylor's column in the FW and I agreed with it 100%.The AGM makes very little money for the YFC,plenty for Blackpool though!
May be somebody could put a link to it?
Wasn't it Yorkshire who voted down a sub increase of a few pounds ? The cynic in me thought it was they could have more money for beer!
May be somebody could put a link to it?
Wasn't it Yorkshire who voted down a sub increase of a few pounds ? The cynic in me thought it was they could have more money for beer!
kfpben
Member
- Location
- Mid Hampshire
Little money for YFC? AGM props up the whole organisation!
- Location
- East Essexshire
I don't blame them.
For the majority of members, the AGM is the only reason they know that NFYFC exists, and the impression round here is that they've banned it because it might give a bad impression and jeopardise some of the subsidies they get to run their office in the manner to which they've become accustomed!
Listening to a lot of the members who do tug of war, Yorkshire would have a lot of backing from Essex. I'm sure actual members all over the country feel the same.
For the majority of members, the AGM is the only reason they know that NFYFC exists, and the impression round here is that they've banned it because it might give a bad impression and jeopardise some of the subsidies they get to run their office in the manner to which they've become accustomed!
Listening to a lot of the members who do tug of war, Yorkshire would have a lot of backing from Essex. I'm sure actual members all over the country feel the same.
After the antics over the last few years, did they have any choice ?
- Location
- Buxton, Derbyshire
Can't say I'm surprised. A lot of clubs and counties would struggle without the income from the "agm" members.
If NFYFC start losing the big northern counties (Cumbria, Yorkshire & Lancashire) I can't really see them continuing tbh. Derbyshire had a vote about 10yrs ago, maybe a bit more, about leaving NFYFC and basically partnering with Cheshire. But they decided to stay as we've always done well at the national competitions. There's still ill feeling amongst a lot of past members towards Mr Eckley though.
If NFYFC start losing the big northern counties (Cumbria, Yorkshire & Lancashire) I can't really see them continuing tbh. Derbyshire had a vote about 10yrs ago, maybe a bit more, about leaving NFYFC and basically partnering with Cheshire. But they decided to stay as we've always done well at the national competitions. There's still ill feeling amongst a lot of past members towards Mr Eckley though.
- Location
- East Essexshire
I know these things are 'only a few quid', but what is the average member seeing for their national subscription?
Paying for insurance yes, and to run the county, but area and national levies must just seem like a waste of money to most now.
Relatively.
- Location
- Buxton, Derbyshire
It's not the amount that's the problem, it's how national always dress it up and hide the real reason why they need the increase. They always say, you get all this benefit from your money, like the agm (which you pay extra for) or competitions (half of which you dont enter) but we need a little bit extra. If they were upfront and honest and said they were losing x amount per member or were planning on an investment programme that would benefit all members then no one could argue. They can tell you why because I called them out on Twitter over it this year and they sent me several fancy graphs and graphics, but they choose to hide it.
Rowland
Member
- Location
- Northeast England
Many years ago when I was in the YFC all we seam to have to do was raise money for the county so they could pay national ! Is there any point to national now that there no AGM and the fun that went with it !
Excuse my ignorance , do young famers not represent the next generation?
If so a five pound increase is like one pint!
They behave terribly yet want public sympathy?
Surely they should be out promoting ag as it’s their future business that will benefit rather than moaning they have lost their annual pee up?
Promote ag, make more money and then you can have as many pee ups as you like!
I back the banning as it was out of hand
If so a five pound increase is like one pint!
They behave terribly yet want public sympathy?
Surely they should be out promoting ag as it’s their future business that will benefit rather than moaning they have lost their annual pee up?
Promote ag, make more money and then you can have as many pee ups as you like!
I back the banning as it was out of hand
- Location
- Buxton, Derbyshire
But YFC isn't just for farmers, in my small club we have a teacher, police officer, nurse, paramedic, recruitment consultant, builder, office worker, fireman, haulier, shop worker; why should part of their membership fee go on promoting an industry they aren't involved in? YFC is for any young person from a rural area, not just farmers. Its like TFF, although its the farming forum you don't need to be a farmer to join and you don't have to talk about cows and tractors.
- Location
- East Essexshire
Attachments
How much do YF members pay in other countries within the UK?
Scottish members pay over £50 per year.
I was in SAYFC a long time ago and that was always a conundrum. Our club were asking some youngsters to pay a reasonable amount of money, on a promise of competitions and travel opportunities, when all they wanted was to go to club meetings. Meanwhile those further up the tree (including myself) had many unique experiences on the cheap.
kiwi pom
Member
- Location
- canterbury NZ
I always thought the YFC was for farmers as in Young FARMERS Club, why would a police officer want to join (unless they were also farmers) every day's a school day.
TFF is a FARMING Forum, not a Farmers forum.
Anyway Is the NFYFC's board made up of Actual farmers or the same people that run Red tractor, AHDB, NFU etc?
Farmers (young or old) do seem to have issues with boards.
- Location
- Buxton, Derbyshire
Admittedly most of my clubs members are from farming backgrounds, parents or grandparents farm, however some are friends of farm kids. A lot however as I've pointed out have gone on to have careers well away from farming, in fact our county chair is a dog physiotherapist and one a couple of years ago an accountant- they now represent the county at national level. The current national top table are actually farming- Lynsey Martin is a self employed farm worker and Ed Ford an arable farmer and founder of Forage Aid. However previous national chairmen haven't been, Chris Manley works for Tesco I think.
The name Young Farmers started in the '30s when the first clubs were started as calf rearing clubs, and the names just kind of stuck. Maybe they should change it to Rural Youth or something similar, so that the TFF faithful don't get their knickers in a twist every time they have a few drinks!
Scholsey
Member
- Location
- Herefordshire
As far as the public are concerned YFC is strongly linked with agriculture and any bad press YFC gets it looks bad on farming as a whole, just have to read the comments on the newspaper/facebook articles after the whole Blackpool debacle to see what people think. A few quotes from the blackpool gazette https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/...ackpool-was-appalling-1-9154830#comments-area
'Their behaviour was awful and disrespected Blackpool. I was on a bus with my son going through Blackpool and there were crowds of them spilling into revolution and every other pub along the prom at 10:30 am already seemingly intoxicated. They were trying to jump over shop keeper signs and then took a yellow bucket and were flipping it with no regard for who was around them. And I feel for the hotels, B&Bs who have to deal with the fall out of it all, a friends words were "we are just having to clean the carpets". We wouldn't go to the countryside and treat it how they treated this town it was disgraceful behaviour and not good role models.'
'So much for farmers being poor.... Maybe the 4 million spent would be better going towards the welfare of their animals.The NFYFC should be made to pay for all damages! This is disgusting behaviour
'i own a guesthouse in foxhall village the week they arrive i lock up and go home they cause trouble on the street act like animals urinate in front of families and always give verbal abuse to passing people should be ashamed of themselfs i dont need or want their money'
Admittedly there are some ok ones aswell but no one cares about the OK ones 1 bad comment cancels out 10 good ones. Allowing the AGM to continue as it was with the small minority who think its fine to smash things up, attack people in the street and racially abuse a band member as he plays at the event at the winter gardens would be sheer madness. If a few farmers and their policeman/fireman/accountant/shopworker/hairdresser mates want to go on the lash then good on them but dont go representing an already struggling with PR British agriculture.
Farming has enough bad press as it is without brain dead idiots like that making it worse!