FCN on hand to support farmers at Midlands Machinery Show following a tough year

FCN on hand to support farmers at Midlands Machinery Show following a tough year

The Farming Community Network (FCN) will once again be at the Midlands Machinery Show this November to offer support to attendees after a particularly challenging year for the agricultural sector.

Rachel Davey, Marketing and Events Officer at the FCN, believes that general uncertainty and unease in the sector has meant the charity’s services are arguably needed now more than ever before.

“There are so many problems outside of farmers’ control at the moment and a lot of uncertainty about the future,” she says.

“It was always going to be a difficult couple of years because of the reduced payments – it’s very difficult to shift from a set up that’s been in place for so long and many have found that huge transition extremely difficult. Many farmers are having to consider how to ensure their businesses can remain viable in the future and for the next generation.

“What we talk about on our stand depends on the climate in farming at the time. So, the conversations may differ, but what we offer in terms of support doesn’t change.”

The FCN team are keen to promote FCN FarmWell, a one-stop resource which contains all the information and resources a farmer may need if they ever find themselves in any kind of difficulty.

“Our FarmWell website is a huge wealth of information relevant to farmers, covering everything from succession and business planning to mental health and physical health issues,” Rachel says. “It’s a collection of signposts to appropriate support for farmers. The FCN team are all connected to agriculture, so we understand the sort of information farmers need.”

The FCN stand at the Midlands Machinery Show will be manned by Nottinghamshire FCN volunteers, who look forward to the event every year.

“We have a really good group of very dedicated and active volunteers in Nottinghamshire,” Rachel says. “They are extremely keen to attend any kind of local event, particularly those at the Newark Showground.”

She adds that the Midlands Machinery Show is a must-attend event for the charity.

“It’s a prominent show that draws in an awful lot of the farming community,” Rachel explains. “So, you can be assured that everybody who attends and exhibits at the show will have something to do with agriculture.

“It's a big show, but not overwhelmingly huge. There are probably more opportunities to have longer conversations with farmers as it feels a little bit more personal than some of the larger events.

“It’s also held at a great time of year – it comes at the end of harvest and drilling, so it’s a good opportunity to bring arable farmers together.”

In recent years, Rachel has noticed that farmers are much happier to approach the FCN stand and chat to the volunteers, suggesting that the stigma surrounding mental health and admitting you need help is waning.

“Farmers are much more willing to wander up and say ‘hi’ at events nowadays, whereas in the past we may have been seen as the almost secret gazebo in a corner for ‘people with problems’. Nowadays, they’re happy to come over and show that they’re supportive of the work we do.

“Younger people in particular are very switched on about looking after their mental health and they don’t see any shame in having a problem and needing someone to talk to.

“If you come to the stand, no one is going to push you to talk about anything you don’t want to – we’re more than happy for you to pop by, chat to us about the weather and take some information away with you, in the hope that you remember our name if you or someone you know ever needs any help.”

Midlands Machinery Show 2025 is taking place on Wednesday 19th November at Newark Showground. Book visitor tickets here: https://midlandsmachineryshow.ticketsrv.co.uk/tickets/visitor