Photographic exhibition

Local North Yorkshire artists have responded magnificently and are helping us by providing exhibitions and installations. Included is Val Mather's exhibition “Yorkshire Born and Bred: Farming Life” which will be on display in All Saints', Helmsley from 6 – 15 September.

Here is some background on Val's project:

Yorkshire Born & Bred: Farming Life

In 2019 an article in Country Life informed me that only 3% of British farmers are under 35 years old and the average age of a British farmer is 59. These alarming statistics made me want to see for myself what life was like for smaller farmers in and around Yorkshire. So, I set out to build relationships and visit as many farms as I could. I was fortunate to meet families that have been farming the same land for three and four generations, as well as first-generation farmers not long out of agricultural college.

These images are from the limited-edition book which I produced in 2021 to record this journey and hopefully they provide some insight into the farming world of today.

Going forward, the farming community is facing the biggest changes since tractors replaced horses. Significant challenges being the post Brexit threat of cheap food imports not produced to the UK’s high animal welfare and food quality standards and how they farm in the light of climate change and other

environmental initiatives.

Their success or failure will impact us all, as farmers are the custodians of our land and their actions affect the countryside we enjoy and the quality of the food we eat.

I hope you enjoy this part of the exhibition and think about our farming industry when you shop and support them when you can.

Valerie Mather