9 February 2023 - Flipbook - Page 46
46 FARM WEEK
RURALYOUTH
NOVEMBER 23 2017
Youths For Change
L
AST Saturday evening I had
the pleasure of attending
Kesh YFC’s Anniversary
Dinner to celebrate 50 years of
this fantastic County Fermanagh
club.
It was tremendous to see such
a large crowd attend the event
that was held in the beautiful
Killyhevlin Hotel.
Kesh YFC is a very strong club
and it was great to meet up with
past and present members as
well as past YFCU President
Noel Baxter and past YFCU Vice
President Wesley Acheson. It was
a great night and I was delighted
to attend – well done to Kesh
YFC and I look forward to them
celebrating the next 50 years.
On Sunday I flew to Birmingham
for the annual meeting of the
Five Nations with the YFCU
CEO Michael Reid. It was good
to catch up with the other
organisations to hear how they
are developing their organisations
as well as give them an update on
the YFCU including the success of
the Land Mobility Scheme.
Massey Ferguson, who sponsor
all of the Five Nations Young
Farmers’ Clubs, also gave
a presentation on how they
are planning on working and
being involved with the next
generation of upcoming farmers.
Unfortunately Macra Na Fierme
were unable to attend but it was
still great to catch up with the
remaining four nations.
On Monday evening I gave
a presentation to the South
Londonderry Ulster Farmers’
Union Group. Chairman Ian
Brown who is also a member of
Moneymore YFC, asked me to
come along and give a short talk
on the workings of the YFCU.
I spoke about our farm safety
initiatives, working with
stakeholders, promoting the
importance of the environment
to our members through Ulster
Wildlife’s Grassroots Challenge,
rural crime initiatives and
explained how we are a dynamic
organisation who are adapting to
the needs of rural young people
all over Northern Ireland. UFU
President Barclay Bell also spoke
at this meeting and it was great
to share a platform with him.
Wednesday night saw a visit to
my local livestock mart when I
bought some store lambs to graze
over the winter months as I am
building up my sheep stock.
I travelled up to Belfast on
Thursday evening to attend the
George Scott Robertson Memorial
Lecture in Riddle Hall at Queens
with YFCU president James Speers
University. The evening was
led by Lord Donald Curry who
was the author of the The Curry
Report “Farming and Food – A
Sustainable Future” that was
published in January, 2002 and
set out a clear direction for UK
agri-food policy over the last 15
years.
I was delighted to be in
attendance with the key
stakeholders from farming all over
Northern Ireland and hear Lord
Curry reflecting on the original
report and its recommendations
15 years on from its publication.
I finished off last week by
attending my own club, Collone
YFC’s boiler suit party that was
held in Armagh City Hotel. It
was great to see lots of local
people attending and enjoying
themselves. All in all, the week
was a varied and enjoyable one!
Co Londonderry dinner dance and prize giving
F
VISIT: Mourne members recently visited Cunningham’s Butchers and Food
Hall in Kilkeel.
From the farm gate
to the dinner plate
MOURNE Young
Farmers’ Club
enjoyed a very
interesting farm
diversification talk
at Cunningham’s
Butchers & Food
Hall in Kilkeel last
Monday evening.
Members were
invited to take
part in a sausage
making master
class in which
everyone got
to try their
hand at making
Cunningham’s
award-winning
sausages. A great
evening had by
all and the club is
delighted with its
partnership with
Cunningham’s.
RIGHT: A great
evening was enjoyed
by all.
RIDAY, November 17 saw County
Londonderry YFC’s annual
dinner dance, prize giving and
awards held in the Royal Court
Hotel, Portrush.
With a crowd of 245 in attendance, a
good night was had by all.
The following prizes and awards were
distributed:
Home Safety Under 18 - Joint - Jenna
Mullan, Dungiven YFC and Lauren
McFarlane, Dungiven YFC.
Home Safety Over 18 - Joanne Smyth,
Coleraine YFC.
SRK Equipment Cup for Farm Safety
- Girls - Joint - Rebecca Lamont,
Coleraine YFC and Rachael Boyce,
Garvagh YFC.
Johnston Gilipin Cup for Farm Safety Under 18 Boys - Kyle Mairs, Coleraine
YFC.
H.A. McIlrath Cup for Farm Safety
- Over 18 Boys - Thomas Millar,
Coleraine YFC.
County Londonderry Agricultural
Show Cup for Home Industries Garvagh YFC.
R.H. McCombe Cup for Soil
Assessment - James Purcell,
Dungiven YFC.
Milk Marketing Board Trophy William Bolton, Curragh YFC.
Londonderry County Committee Cup
for Beef Judging in Ulster Young
Farmer Competition - Sam Patterson,
Dungiven YFC.
Prepared Public Speaking
Henry Cup for 12-14 - Joint - Alex
Lamont, Coleraine YFC and Rachel
McCollum, Coleraine YFC.
Usher Cup for 14-16 - Ellen Bates,
Moneymore YFC.
Hamill Cup for 16-18 - Maxine Smyth,
Coleraine YFC.
County Londonderry Committee Cup
for 18-21 - Charlotte Linton, Kilrea
YFC.
Thompson Cup for 21-25 - Rebecca
Lamont, Coleraine YFC.
County Londonderry Committee Cup
for 25-30 - Melissa Millar, Kilrea YFC.
Impromptu Public Speaking
Porter Cup for 16-18 - Maxine Smyth,
Coleraine YFC.
County Londonderry Committee Cup
for 18-21 - Adam Alexander, Kilrea
YFC.
Hunter Cup for 21-25 - Claire Adams,
Coleraine YFC.
County Londonderry Committee Cup
for 25-30 - Zita Blair, Moneymore YFC.
WINNERS: Some of the prizewinners from Co Londonderry YFC’s awards night.
Stock Judging
King Cup for 12-14 - Amy McCollum,
Coleraine YFC.
Topping Cup for 14-16 - Lauren
McFarlane, Dungiven YFC.
Adams Cup for 16-18 - Zara Fulton,
Dungiven YFC.
Buchanan Cxxup for 18-21 - Thomas
Millar, Coleraine YFC.
Cochrane Cup for 21-25 - James
Purcell, Dungiven YFC.
County Londonderry Committee Cup
for 25-30 - Robert Sloan, Kilrea YFC.
Efficiency Competition
Best Club Leader - 1st Zita Blair,
Moneymore YFC; 2nd James Purcell,
Dungiven YFC; 3rd Gordon Crockett,
City Of Derry YFC.
Best Secretary: 1st Lynne
Montgomery, City Of Derry YFC; 2nd
Claire Adams, Coleraine YFC; 3rd
Katie Love, Dungiven YFC.
Best Treasurer: 1st Stuart Mills,
Moneymore YFC; 2nd Andy Ady Nevin,
Coleraine YFC; 3rd Joel Eakin, City Of
Derry YFC.
Best Public Relations Officer: 1st
Laura Smyth, Garvagh YFC; 2nd
Emma Montgomery, City Of Derry YFC;
3rd Zara Fulton, Dungiven YFC.
Best Club 2016-2017: 1st
Moneymore YFC; 2nd City Of Derry
YFC; 3rd Kilrea YFC.
H.A. McIlrath Cup for Senior Member
of the Year - Danielle Black, Coleraine
YFC.
Adrian Cooper Cup for Junior Member
of the Year - Lauren McFarlane,
Dungiven YFC.
County Proficiencies
12-14: 1st Amy Smyth, Coleraine YFC;
2nd Francesca Boyd, Coleraine YFC;
3rd Jenna Mullan, Dungiven YFC.
14-16: 1st Sarah Smyth, Coleraine
YFC; 2nd Joint - Lewis Gregg, Garvagh
YFC, Chloe Millar, Coleraine YFC; 3rd
Claire Young, Dungiven YFC.
16-18: 1st Zara Fulton, Dungiven
YFC, 2nd - Joint - Sarah Cunningham,
Garvagh YFC and Paul Adams,
Coleraine YFC; 3rd Maxine Smyth,
Coleraine YFC.
18-21: 1st Ruth Adams, Coleraine
YFC; 2nd Thomas Millar, Coleraine
YFC; 3rd Lynne Montgomery, City Of
Derry YFC.
21-25: 1st Claire Adams, Coleraine
YFC, 2nd James Purcell, Dungiven
YFC; 3rd Joanne Smyth, Coleraine
YFC.
25-30: 1st Robert Sloan, Kilrea YFC,
2nd Zita Blair, Moneymore YFC, 3rd
Stuart Mills, Moneymore YFC.
Thanks must go to Guest Speaker
Victor Chestnutt and wife Carol, also
to the sponsors of the new cups for
Stock Judging – Tom Topping, Ian
Buchanan and William King.
q For more more pictures from the
awards night see Pages 48-49.