Farming makes an invaluable contribution to rural communities and I was delighted to see Ribble Valley constituency farmers celebrated on Back British Farming Day.
The brilliant John Alpe, NFU Council delegate, opened the doors to his farm on the day to give guests a glimpse of farming life and some of the challenges his farm faces.
On the day of the visit, held with the NFU, I was in Westminster for an important vote, so two of my team accepted the invite and went along on my behalf.
The 200-acre farm, part of a 1,000-acre operation, produces sheep, beef and dairy, while benefiting the environment through habitat management and nature recovery projects.
The tour by tractor included discussions on issues including bluetongue, planning and access to labour. I’m in regular contact with John and other farmers and am currently planning my next farmer engagement event in the constituency.
