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.”

Tama – Farm Grown Solutions continued to show its support for Young Farmers at this year’s LAMMA show in Peterborough. 40,000 visitors, including scores of Young Farmers, descended upon this year’s show, which brings together some of the biggest names in the world of agriculture and farm machinery.

As part of its support for the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC), the organisation gave out complimentary, Tama-branded, baseball caps to any Young Farmers who visited their stand at LAMMA. YFC members were simply required to take a selfie by the Tama stand and share it on social media, using the hashtag #tamalammaselfie.

Tama has been keen supporters of Young Farmers since 2012. The company, which specialises in crop packaging products, has provided invaluable support by sponsoring the NFYFC’s triannual magazine, Ten26, and the federation’s Rural+ campaign, which helps tackle rural isolation and social exclusion amongst young people.

Staff from Tama expressed their delight after seeing such a strong presence and eagerness from all Young Farmers who attended LAMMA.

Tim Carr, UK sales manager at Tama, said: “Tama has been working with the Young Farmers’ Clubs for several years now, and we were delighted to meet so many enthusiastic members at the LAMMA show. We were particularly impressed with their level of knowledge, not just about crop packaging products but about all aspects of the farming industry. It gives us great hope for the future of agriculture!”

Young Farmer scoops national prize

FUEL costs will be taking a back seat for Lucy Hawkins of Belper Young Farmers Club in Derbyshire, the winner of a competition drawn at this year’s National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs Annual Convention in Blackpool, attended by over 5500 young farmers from across the UK.

The cheque for £800, to cover the cost of 4,500 miles of fuel, reflects the new 4,500 metre length of bale netwrap produced by crop packaging specialist Tama UK, which organised the competition as part of its ongoing relationship with the NFYFC.

Lizzie Merryman of Barlow YFC in Derbyshire and Bobby Barne of Yarcombe & District YFC in Devon each received runners-up prizes of £25 iTunes vouchers.

“I’m over the moon,” says Lucy, who has been a member of Belper Young Farmers Club for nearly nine years. “I am going to Wales in August for a short break, so it will be nice to not have to think about fuel costs. I also commute around 30 miles to work each day, so I’m looking forward to not having to budget for fuel!”

“YFC really is the best thing, especially the social life,” she enthuses. “But it’s also great to learn about different topics at meetings, and take part in competitions for things you didn’t even know you were capable of.”

The prize win wasn’t Lucy’s only success this year either. Earlier this year Belper YFC ladies tug-of-war team came second in the East Midlands region. “A really massive achievement!” she says.

Although Lucy currently works as a laboratory technician, she is keen to get a job closer to farming. Her grandparents farm, one side of the family raising beef cattle and the other side producing arable crops and running stables. Lucy’s brother Joe, who is currently studying Agricultural Engineering at Reaseheath College, is expected to continue the family’s farming tradition.

Belper YFC’s 35-plus members meet at Alderwasley Village Hall every Wednesday at 8pm. Activities range from farm walks, talks, bowling and paint-balling to mock auctions, sports, stock judging and clay pigeon shooting. “And you don’t have to be a farmer, or even from a rural background, to be a Young Farmer!” says Club secretary Sarah Booth.

The NFYFC Convention is an annual highlight, with at least 10 members attending, or more if the farming calendar allows. This year 14 went. “It’s a good way to meet new friends, catch up with old ones, see the National Rounds of the Competitions, and get merry!” says Sarah.

Indeed, Belper YFC had further success with Joe Pilgrim and Joe Hall winning the first ever National ‘Drive it Home’ competition, designed to raise awareness of the importance of vehicle maintenance and road safety.

The Club has plans to get involved with the NFYFC’s Rural+ campaign to overcome the stigma of mental health problems, an initiative that has the full backing of Tama (See: www.nfyfc.org.uk/Ruralplus).

“As someone who works in the Health Service I especially feel Rural+ is an excellent project for young people,” says Sarah. “Continual cuts to community links can make it difficult to access help. Young Farmers is a young people’s organisation, led by young people, so I think it lends itself to being more accessible to young people experiencing difficulties.”

Belper YFC also undertakes community work, helping at the local Turnditch and Windley Country Show and raising funds to help refurbish the village hall it uses in the winter.

* For more information see Belper YFC’s Facebook page.

Friday 9th May saw the first day of the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC) Annual Convention in Blackpool. Every year more than 5,000 members from Young Farmers’ Clubs across England and Wales attend the event. 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. This year Tama attended the event as part of its growing partnership with NFYFC, and held a prize draw for members to win 4,500 miles of fuel.

Chris Manley (NFYFC Vice Chairman of Council) commented that: “It was fantastic to see Tama at NFYFC’s Annual Convention and to have the world renowned agricultural company associated with our high profile event. It’s the highlight of the YFC calendar and it was a great opportunity for more than 5,000 young farmers to meet with the Tama team and learn more about the company and their support of our Federation. It was also great to announce the winners of our special Tama and YFC competition at our Agricultural Forum during the weekend too.”

Warren Tatton, Tama’s Regional Technical Manager, was at the event and said: “Tama is a forward thinking company that knows the importance of the next generation of farmers. The Annual Convention represents the perfect way to speak to young farmers face to face. We can discuss their thoughts on the future of farming and we also get an idea of what they, as future purchasers of crop packaging, want from us in terms of products and support. It is always nice to hand out prizes as well!”

The winner of the first prize, 4,500 miles of fuel, was Lucy Hawkin of Belper Y FC. Runners-up (who both received a £25 iTunes voucher) were Lizzie Merryman of Barlow YFC and Bobby Barne of Yarcombe & District YFC.

“The National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs is delighted to be working with TAMA on projects that inform and educate the next generation of farmers. Their support for the NFYFC’s Rural+ campaign is also proving invaluable as it is helping us to raise awareness about the issues associated with rural isolation.”
The National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC) is one of the largest youth organisations in the UK. It heads a nationwide body of 644 Young Farmers’ Clubs (YFCs) located throughout England and Wales dedicated to supporting young people in agriculture and the countryside. Their memberships comprise more than 24,000 members aged 10 to 26 and they provide a unique opportunity for members to develop skills, work with the local community, travel abroad, take part in a varied competitions programme and enjoy a dynamic social life. There are a further 1,100 associate members, many of whom are involved in the running of the clubs and NFYFC. For more information about NFYFC, visit www.nfyfc.org.uk