Tama have been sponsors of the Young Farmers Clubs Travel Program for many years now, helping the next generation to broaden their horizons and experience different cultures. Lucy Trevarthen, from Totnes Young Farmers, went to Jamaica recently and has written below about her time overseas.

During our first week in Jamaica we visited “Mustard Seed: Gift of Hope”, a residential centre for children and young adults with physical and cognitive disabilities. Whilst volunteering at Gift of Hope, our main ambition was to prepare a field ready for use as allotments and to begin planting some seeds. We worked to clear the field by hand so that all areas were accessible for the staff and residents. It took four days to completely clear the field and this was extremely difficult work in the Jamaican sunshine! We discussed with the staff at the centre which crops would be most beneficial to them as it is planned that the produce from the allotment will be used to make meals for the residents. Gift of Hope are experiencing food insecurity and so in addition to helping them to develop a sustainable, long term plan, we were able to donate non-perishable food items for immediate support.

We were privileged to be invited to spend time with some of the people who call Gift of Hope home. Most residents who live at Gift of Hope are expected to remain there for life and so the staff worked tirelessly with the few resources they had to enrich their daily activities. Each person had very complex individualised needs and with 26 residents and only 8 staff on site at any one time the centre were extremely grateful to have extra support. Each day I assisted with feeding those who were unable to feed themselves and spent this time learning more about each person that I supported. On our final day at Gift of Hope the staff and residents put on a musical showcase for us, inviting us to sing songs of gratitude with them. This was a very emotional day for all of the NFYFC volunteers as we said goodbye to the new friends we had made.

Our second week in Jamaica was spent at the Ebenezer Rehabilitation Centre, a residential establishment for men suffering from mental health difficulties and homelessness in the region of Manchester, Jamaica. Many of the men had spent time in hospitals or prisons before reaching the rehabilitation centre. Residents are supported with reintegration into society and many have been assisted in finding employment, allowing them the freedom of leaving the site each day. Our aim at the Ebenezer Centre was to prepare an area of land and replant it with new crops, working alongside the residents. Once again, we had no machinery and had to clear the land by hand. While working alongside the men we were able to teach them techniques for clearing land more quickly and the most effective ways of planting different fruits and vegetables. The residents also shared with us stories of their time living at the centre, and how the farmland has grown from a small allotment to large fields of crops and even some livestock. As we progressed with clearing and replanting the field more quickly than expected, we were also able to prepare a large greenhouse for some seedlings to be planted too!

Once again I would like to express my gratitude to Tama for your kind support. For me personally this trip was an invaluable experience which helped develop my skills of resilience, perseverance and teamwork.

A Herefordshire young farmer says it feels “absolutely brilliant” to win the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC) Junior Member of the Year competition.

Lucy Hall, 18, a member of Dilwyn YFC in Herefordshire, won the title after competing at the national final, which is sponsored by Tama, in Staffordshire in July.

Lucy, who recently completed studying for A Levels at Hereford Sixth Form College, joined her local club in 2019 and has been an active member ever since – even during lockdown periods of the pandemic.

Over the past membership year Lucy has competed in competitions as varied as stockjudging and dancing. Keen to represent younger members’ voices, Lucy joined the club and county junior forum committees. She is currently busy fundraising for a trip to Kenya in August with NFYFC and Projects Abroad, where she will support projects in rural communities.

The competition requires participants to keep a record of their YFC activities throughout the membership year, and then take part in an interview and give a presentation to the judges.

Lucy said: “I really enjoyed my interview process. I had to do a speech about YFC. I am so passionate about it that it just felt natural sharing all I had achieved in the past year.

“The experience of preparing for the competition was brilliant and I got to look back at everything I had achieved, which was a such unique opportunity in a competition.

“I think this is a great award because it really encourages juniors to document what they have done and by qualifying for it you get a place on the national Youth Forum, which I am looking forward to getting involved in,” added Lucy.

NFYFC’s Youth Forum is made up of the seven finalists from the competition as well as an elected representative from each of NFYFC’s seven Areas.

Lucy, who would like a career as a veterinary surgeon, will now join the national Youth Forum and be part of their meetings where they ensure younger members are represented throughout the organisation.

Despite Lucy’s active involvement in YFC, she admits to being nervous while waiting for the results on Competitions Day.

“It’s always a horrible feeling when you hear more and more names. Your heart rate goes through the roof, your knees go all funny and then my name was called out and it just felt absolutely brilliant. I’m so proud to have won this award.”

To the full article, click here

Polly Baines, a 28-year-old member of Staffordshire FYFC, won the Senior Member of the Year 2023 award, sponsored by Tama. She was praised for her ‘have-a-go attitude’ and her involvement in YFC at various levels. She competed against five other finalists and gave a speech at the AGM before the final. She encouraged others to enter the competition next year.

To the full article, click here

Cumbria Young Farmer wins Senior Member of the Year

Robbie Tuer from Grayrigg YFC in Cumbria has won the Senior Member of the Year award 2022, sponsored by Tama.

Robbie, 25, is the current County Chair for Cumbria and was recognised by the judges for the work he has done to support YFC members and the local community.

Robbie, who has been a club chair and a chair of the Northern district of YFC, said:

“I am overwhelmed. I could have cried in the AGM when I was recognised as Senior Member of the Year. Winning this award shows I have done well, and I have put the time and effort in, as have the other finalists.

“The amount of work that goes into the competition is massive. I do feel I am an ambassador for Young Farmers and I hope this accolade can help me promote YFC to people in Cumbria and nationally. I wouldn’t be the person I am today, personally or professionally, without joining YFC.”

During the pandemic Robbie, who has been a YFC member since he was 16, organised a charity bike ride and raised £11,000 by cycling 140 miles with 15 other people to visit all the YFCs in Cumbria.

Robbie said: “Clubs were not able to meet in 2020 and I wanted to boost morale, get everyone together and do something worthwhile. The government promoted exercise, and it has been proven to improve mental health. Agriculture is such an isolated industry to work and live in, so I wanted to get people off their farms and exercising. Raising £11,000 for two charities by biking around all the YFCs in Cumbria over two days was very rewarding. I have another county bike ride planned for this year and I hope to raise even more this time.”

Robbie, who is not from a farming background but is now a Ruminants Specialist for Aspatria Farmers, is passionate about promoting agriculture and YFC to more people outside of the industry.

In his role as County Chair for Cumbria YFC, he has worked with Multicultural Cumbria to connect with more ethnic minorities and break down any barriers. Robbie spoke passionately at NFYFC’s AGM about the need to promote the industry to more people when he backed a motion for YFCs to actively source local British produce for their events and activities.

Robbie’s comments earned him the Sidney Fawcett Trophy for making the greatest contribution to the democratic proceedings at the AGM.

“I work in agriculture and it’s a tough industry to be in – and it’s going to be an even tougher eight months, even if things settle down elsewhere in the world. We need to realise farmers are important and what we produce here is important. I’m an advocate of using local produce where I can. The less food miles, the better. Being awarded Senior Member of the Year is going to help me promote British agriculture more.”

Robbie dedicated his Senior Member of the Year Award to Gordon Brown, a former Senior Member of the Year from Cumbria, who sadly died last year.

Tama, specialists in crop baling solutions, sponsored the Senior Member of the Year Award and said Robbie was a worthy winner.

The Senior Member of the Year is an annual competition organised by NFYFC. Finalists of the competition must compete in county and Area rounds to get through to the national final. The seven national finalists are then asked to complete a synopsis form, give a presentation and be interviewed by a panel of judges, and take part in an on-stage interview in front of an audience.

Andy Lanczak from Tama UK hosted an evening with Durham City YFC – the future farmers of our industry, last week. He shared his knowledge of Tama’s Crop Baling products and things to look out for when the farmers are baling in the fields.
Andy gave a talk and presentation on the history of Tama and talked about Tama nets and twines. He shared insights on what to look out for if you are having problems with your bales (clue: it’s not always the net, twine and stretch film to blame!) and explained how Tama Assist can further help in diagnosing and finding solutions for any problems. He also explained the relationships Tama has with dealers both large and small, as well as detailing Tama’s commitment to farmers worldwide.

Huge thanks to ALL involved in the organisation, especially Helen Shaw, Jess Stewart, and Caroline Gregory.

If you would like Andy to visit your club, then just let us know!

After winning the national finals of NFYFC’s pallet upcycling competition, Cumbria’s FYFC’s wooden curved chair took pride of place at the Westmorland County Show in September before gracing the winner’s garden.
Robbie Hutchinson and Shannon Barnes from Cumbria FYFC won NFYFC’s online pallet upcycling competition, sponsored by Tama, back in August. The competition required competitors to dismantle pallets and produce an item complementing the theme The Great Outdoors.
For their winning entry, Robbie and Shannon used inspiration from living in the Lake District where they have seen lots of chairs cut into oak trees. They decided to create a seat that looked like an oak tree as the main feature. It took nine hours for them to craft the chair, which included a lot of time-consuming curved shaped pieces, cut by hand.
“I’ve always taken part in the general woodwork competitions since I started in YFC but I’ve been doing the upcycling competition for Grayrigg YFC for the past couple of years,” said Robbie who admits his skills have been perfected by working for a family-run joinery business.
“We had an unlimited amount of time this year to produce our entries so it gave me an opportunity to add the most detail possible. I created plenty of nice flowing curves, which hug you as you take a seat. Also, simply hand planing the wood added to the finished piece.”
The competition required competitors to dismantle pallets and produce an item complementing the theme The Great Outdoors. YFC members were asked to use as much of the wood as possible, as this was taken into account by the judges when marking. As the competition had to be moved to an online format due to the pandemic, competitors were asked to submit before, during and after photos along with details of their work.
Tama representative Andy Lanczack helped to judge the award, alongside NFYFC Life Vice President Ben Westwood and they were both impressed with what YFC members had made.
Andy said: “Thank you to everyone who took park and congratulations to the winner. It’s marvellous what you can do with a few old pallets! We had some fantastic entries – YFC members did really well with the items they made but also the written details that were submitted.”
Two other counties earned top positions in the competition with Matthew Kirk and Scott Bradley from Leicestershire coming third in the competition for the YFC Bar they made out of pallets. Jennifer De Rochefort and George Shacklock came second for a statue of a stag they made that now sits on the green at Bicton College.
Robbie, who now enjoys the chair in his garden at home, said he was shocked to win due to the high standard of entries.
“The night the results were announced, I was watching the live broadcast on Facebook and I was blown away by how amazing the creations were that had won third and second places.
To to see mine win was shocking but absolutely brilliant,” explained Robbie. “It was the first national round I’d ever competed in so to win was truly astounding. It really is an achievement of a lifetime for me to be the 2021 winner of the pallet upcycling and an experience I will never forget.”

Young Farmers’ Clubs who have been supporting their rural communities during the Covid-19 pandemic have been recognised at The National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs’ (NFYFC) YFC Achiever Awards 2021.

Pontfaen YFC in Brecknock was revealed as the winner of the Community Spirit Award, sponsored by Tama, at an online awards ceremony on Tuesday 14 September 2021. TV presenter and Welsh farmer Gareth Wyn Jones announced the results and praised YFCs for looking after others and offering hope during challenging times.

As well as grocery deliveries to vulnerable people and making scrub bags for NHS staff, Pontfaen YFC created a ‘talking bench’ as part of a local community project organised by PAVO (Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations), where residents of Merthyr Cynog could sit and talk to others. Club members also decorated their bench with stones that included numbers for organisations that people could contact for support or counselling.

The idea impressed the judging panel, which alongside Gareth included CEO of the Farming Community Network Jude McCann and NFYFC Chair Rachel Goldie.

Gareth Wyn Jones said:
“It was really difficult to pick five finalists and even harder to choose the winner. All of the finalists did some fantastic work over the last 12 months in a very difficult situation. We were all impressed by the achievements of Pontfaen YFC and especially with their talking bench – a great way to support local residents’ wellbeing and much-needed during these challenging times.”
“Congratulations to all our finalists and winners of the Community Spirit of the Year Award. Without Young Farmers’ Clubs and what they do our industry would be a lot poorer.”

As well as the talking bench the club also held an illuminated tractor run at Christmas, dressed their President up as Santa and used a tractor to tow his sleigh around the village, and produced a virtual Carol Service, complete with readings, prayers and songs to bring some festive cheer to a community in isolation. They also raised more than £800 for their local ICU department through a Christmas raffle and a further £1600 for charities through an online auction.

Club Chair Raiff Devlin “On behalf of Pontfaen YFC, it is brilliant news to hear that our members have been recognised for their work in supporting the community and raising money for charities by being awarded first place in the Community Spirit Award.”

“I would like to personally thank all involved for their continued commitment to the community and the wider YFC movement.”

Tama are proud sponsors of the Community Spirit Award 2021 and Warren Tatton, Tama UK Commercial Manager said:

“Tama is extremely proud to support this year’s Community Spirit award. It is a real testament to the individuals and clubs that have excelled in challenging times, going beyond personal interests to benefit others through charitable actions.”

“Well done to all the finalists and I hope they continue to make other people’s lives better.”

The YFC Achiever Awards shows are running from 13-17 September 2021 and each evening is introduced by NFYFC President and former international rugby referee Nigel Owens MBE.

All the awards videos can be seen here – https://www.nfyfc.org.uk/AchieverAwards21Finals

The awards are a celebration of achievements from the previous membership year and mark a positive start to the new YFC membership year. Clubs are now meeting again following pandemic restrictions being lifted and more information about joining a local YFC can be found here. https://www.nfyfc.org.uk/Becomingamember/Becomingamember

See more information about all finalists of the New Member Award here – https://www.nfyfc.org.uk/CommuitySpiritFinalists21

Tama has been working with The National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC) for almost a decade to engage, educate and inspire Young Farmers and provide them with a platform to communicate and learn from each other.

One major area of Tama’s support has been for NFYFC’s Rural+ campaign, which launched in 2014 in partnership with the charity The Farming Community Network (FCN). Rural+ provides information and tools to encourage YFCs to become a strong support network for young farmers who may be experiencing rural isolation and mental health issues. Tama sponsored a video toolkit, a help guide and posters that were needed to launch the campaign and has also helped to produce pocket guides for members that contain useful helpline numbers. In 2019 Tama stepped in again to help fund additional Rural+ training sessions to help increase NFYFC’s capability to deliver the training at a club level.

Warren Tatton, Tama UK Commercial Manager explained why he is proud of the long-standing relationship with NFYFC. “I am particularly proud of Tama’s contribution made to NFYFC over the years. Several members of the Tama UK team, myself included, grew up being part of a local Young Farmers’ Club so we understand the huge benefit of being involved in activities that help guide and support agriculture’s next generation. The varied programmes and campaigns, such as Rural+ that Tama has been an advocate of, really help to drive confidence and knowledge for all involved in agriculture today, and tomorrow.”

Tama has been involved with a variety of YFC projects over the years, including sponsoring the YFC Travel booklet. NFYFC has a unique travel programme, which offers its members the opportunity to experience rural life in different locations around the world through working scholarships, study trips, volunteering or staying with host families.

The travel booklet helped potential applicants through the application, interview and hosting process. It answered common questions and promoted how valuable the experience is for their future careers.
Tama has also been a key sponsor of NFYFC’s membership magazine Ten26 for many years.

And the relationship with NFYFC continues this year. Tama is a proud sponsor of the YFC Achiever Awards 2021 – a fantastic opportunity to recognise and reward the dedication and commitment shown by young people who are supporting the British countryside. Tama is pleased to be sponsoring the Community Spirit Award and is looking forward to celebrating all of the work YFC members have done over the past 12 months to support their local communities during the pandemic.

NFYFC’s Chief Officer James Eckley said: “We are extremely grateful for all of Tama’s support over the years, which has made many vital projects a reality. Thousands of young farmers have had access to mental health support thanks to Tama’s involvement in Rural+ and without them the campaign would not have been such a success. We look forward to developing more work with Tama and continuing our long standing and trusted relationship.”

Back in the summer, Tama attended the Young Farmers Annual convention and ran a competition that gave one lucky winner a chance to win clothing for their club.
Bakewell were the lucky recipients of the prize, and Andy popped along in the autumn to present them with their tops as well as having a chat about Tama.
As you can see, they were over the moon with the clothing!
Look out for Andy coming to a club near you soon, for one of his now famous Tama Talks. Who knows, maybe your club can benefit in the future from one of our competitions!

2016 sees Tama supporting the YFC Travel programme. This programme enables hundreds of Young Farmers the opportunity to don their hiking boots, unearth their sense of adventure and reveal their inner explorer for the discovery of a lifetime. NFYFC offers all its Welsh and English members the chance to get involved in this unique programme (specially designed for young farmers) which provides a range of exciting trips, educational seminars, home stays and working exchanges to destinations around the world. Past travellers have tackled white water rapids in Canada, helped out in an ice cream factory in Sweden, shorn sheep in New Zealand and built schools in Uganda. Participants experience another way of life by living it, seeing new places, making new friends and soaking in new cultures. These adventures are designed to leave a lasting impression amongst our members which they will hopefully share with their own rural communities and fellow young farmers.

To encourage more YFC members to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity, Tama has worked with NFYFC to produce a YFC travel guide. With an introduction written by Tama’s Commercial Director, Aviv Linn, not only does this guide promote all the fantastic trips and experiences available but it also supports potential applicants through the application process, answers the most common questions and concerns that Young Farmers have and promote how valuable the experience will be for their future careers.

To view a copy of the guide visit the NFYFC website

Part of Tama’s involvement with the NFYFC is the sponsorship of their Travel programme. Tama donated to Sarah Kidd’s journey to Jamaica and you can read all about her adventures, in her own words, below:

London Heathrow to New York

An overnight stay in Newark, New Jersey could not be enough without a flying visit to New York City.  So a few hours after leaving London Heathrow and in a jet lagged state we arrived in the Centre of New York City for a brisk and humid tour around the city and the sites until 3 am. Our New York Trip entailed flying visits to Times Square, Hard Rock Café and a towering trip up to the Empire State building with some spectacular views over the city.  The Journey back to the hotel involved taking advantage of a trip cheaper than the taxi their, which just happened to be in a Limousine.  If only there was a sky roof in this particular one!

Our Jamaican Host Family

The two weeks was spent in Mandeville in Manchester Parish with our host families. Mrs Nelson cooked plates & plates of food. The main dish; Curry goat! Not forgetting Chicken & rice, oh and some more Chicken and rice!

The Results

Two acres of sweet potatoes, pumpkins, courgettes and peas, and a new found appreciation of any form of Machinery!

We purchased a hose after noticing the sweet potatoes were wilting and the organisation couldn’t afford to buy one. So no more bucket watering two acres at mustard seed!

Appleton Rum Estate

A visit to a plantation of 11’000 acres of sugar cane in a beautiful Jamaican valley. The tour took us right around the distillery and quite rightly included ad lib Rum shots at the end – young farmers took full advantages of this, no surprises there! If you ever get the chance to get your hands on Rum Cream you will not regret it we promise!

Jack Sprat Beach

Nothing like a Jamaican beach; sun, sea and a Pina Colada! Shropshires very own Tom Sellers was responsible for the Tom’s Special which was made up of Rum Cream, evaporated milk, a single banana and a splash of syrup.

Little Ochi

At Little Ochi we stuffed ourselves with Jerk Fish netted from the Caribbean Sea we looked out over and grilled before our very eyes. Certainly a dish to remember!

Ocho Rios Beach, Montego Bay
A visit during the week Usain Bolt was running in the Rio Olympics mesnt the locals were having their very own races along this beautiful beach. We also took the opportunity to take a glass bottom boat trip and try out some snorkelling in the Caribbean Sea.
All followed by a meal in a local restaurant and trip into the market stalls in Montego Bay. We found some stall sellers had a less aggressive sales technique than others to put it mildly!

Commercial Pig Farm

We went to see a pig unit of 96 pigs whilst on our travels, and this was considered large scale in Jamaica. We also met a Jamaican Land agent who resolved land disputes for the cooperative his farm was owned by. He was also kind enough to climb a tree and harvest us some avocados.

Commercial Strawberry Farm

Strawberries are grown in Jamaica. We were surprised at the subsistence scale of Agriculture in Jamaica compared to the UK, and found it is still very much developing.

First stop for Andy on his tour this year was at Skirlaugh. Lots of people, from all age groups, attended the evening as Andy talked through various aspects of farming and answered questions posed to him from the Young Farmers (and some parents!)
Isabelle Moulds, Vice Chairman said: “We all had a fantastic time. Andy was really enthusiastic and obviously passionate about his job. He got everyone involved and managed to target everyone, from our youngest member who is 10, up to the parents and older members that were there too. We all thoroughly enjoyed it and learnt a lot.”
Julie Bligh, Parts Supervisor at the Hull depot of Ripon Farmer Services, commented “I am sure the young farmers will have found it a very enjoyable and informative evening, as an ex-young farmer myself I certainly did!!”
Andy will be visiting more YFC’s in the near future and will also be at the Annual Convention in Blackpool later in the year, so pop by the Tama stand and say hello!

This November, Andy Lanczak continued his series of visits to Young Farmers Clubs, meeting and talking to members of the Crook, County Durham branch. The evening covered a wide range of agricultural subjects, including what to look for from your crop packaging products, how to get the best coverage for your bales and discussion on the new types of twines and twine knotters coming onto the market. As well as this, Andy was on hand to give out some of the Tama flashlight caps that were such a success with Young Farmers at the Lamma show back in January!

The evening was very well received by all involved. Richard Carruthers said: ”I didn’t realise how much technology went into manufacturing Wrap, net and twine” whilst Will Smith (no, not that one) was clearly delighted with his new headgear, commenting: “’The caps are amazing!”

Andy will continue his tour in 2016.

Staff from Tama Farm Grown Solutions took time out of their busy schedule to attend the NFYFC’s Annual Convention in Torquay on 24th-26th April.

Andy Lanczak and Ben Feltham met with hundreds of Young Farmers as part of the organisation’s growing relationship with Young Farmers’ Clubs. It was the second successive year that the agricultural organisation made its presence felt at the event, having attended 2014’s Annual Convention in Blackpool.

The Convention is held over several days and includes workshops and discussion forums about farming in the UK and worldwide, as well as a chance for members to socialise with friends and compete in their national competition finals. The team from Tama were invited as guests for the weekend and spoke with Young Farmers during registration and contributed to the AGRI Forum, which was held on the Saturday.

Lynsey Martin, NFYFC’s Chairman of the AGRI Steering Group, said: “We are extremely grateful to Tama for their continued support for Young Farmers and the future of agriculture in this country.

The topic of discussion at this year’s AGRI Forum was ‘What is your future in farming?’ and it led to a fascinating discussion and great advice about what Young Farmers can do to ensure that they have a bright future in the world of farming. Hopefully the whole event proved to our supporters, such as Tama, that Young Farmers are hugely dedicated to the future of British agriculture and making sure that it is an attractive industry for young people to work in.”

Tim Carr, Tama UAT Sales Manager, commented: “We value our relationship with the NFYFC’s very highly and attending the Annual Convention represents the perfect opportunity to meet with young farmers face to face. It was great to see so many of them at the AGRI Forum, and the high level of discussion once again confirmed to us that the future of the industry is in good hands.”

In mid-February Tama UAT’s Andy Lanczak attended a meeting of the Young Farmers, Stratford and Studley group. Andy gave a short presentation and also took questions from various members regarding a variety of subject including the best baling practices and what farmers can expect from Tama products.

Feedback from the event was very positive, with one member commenting “’baling will never be seen the same again!” Katie Morton, Secretary of Stratford & Studley YFC, said “Andy was great, it was lots of fun and it was interesting to learn so much, in so much depth“. Tim Carr, Tama UAT UK Sales Manager said of the event “We at Tama feel it is important to have face-to-face contact with the next generation of farmers, and events like this are an ideal opportunity to do so.”