Speaking up for your county

On the ground

Have you ever wondered what you could do on a personal level to make sure British farming’s voice is heard? Former Student & Young Farmer Ambassador Karl Franklin spoke up in front of his local council earlier this year, and this is what happened:

Imay have fi nished as an NFU Student & Young Farmer Ambassador back in December, but my campaigning and support of British Farming is defi nitely here to stay. During a Young Farmers’ committee meeting in January, I heard that Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) were proposing to serve only vegan food at their cabinet meetings.

Now, I feel it is important to say that I have no problem with people choosing to be vegan, but I did know I needed to get involved in opposing this decision. They proposed this change on the basis that that eating a vegan diet is more sustainable and better for the environment; sadly this is just not true. With my history of being an NFU ambassador, it was decided that I would represent the Oxfordshire Young Farmers (of which I am vice-chair) to try get the council to re-think their proposal and put actions in place to support local farmers by purchasing a balanced, seasonal and locally-sourced menu.

The original plan was to speak at the full council meeting in February, for which the great NFU team helped me write a speech so I could feel confi dent speaking in front of an audience bigger than I ever had previously. After all this eff ort, the council announced they were dropping me from their public speaking section as the matter was not on the agenda. I was absolutely gutted, but fortunately I had a BBC Radio Oxford interview organised before the meeting and a TV interview with BBC South Today as they were still keen to cover the story.

Determined not to give up yet, I was invited to speak at the cabinet meeting in March. At this point, I thought the story might go quiet but less than a week later I received a call from BBC Radio 2 to speak on the Jeremy Vine Show. I debated with Liz Leff man, the OCC Chair. Once again I received support from the NFU in prepping for this debate. It was a great experience to debate live on the radio, as was speaking to stand-in host Tina Daheley.

The day fi nally arrived for me to speak at the cabinet meeting, and despite giving talks to groups of more than 80 people

previously, I was more nervous than I’d ever been before. A group of farmers including Jeremy Clarkson were outside the council offi ces before the meeting to try and speak to councillors before they went in. My turn to speak came around so I passionately fought our corner, however this wasn’t enough and they sadly voted for the vegan menu.

I always try to look for the positives, and in this situation they are that the council have agreed to buy locally and seasonally. I will be applying for ‘freedom of information’ on their menu so I can see what suppliers they choose to use now this decision has been made and keep the pressure on them to back Oxfordshire and British farmers.

If this happens in your area, please don’t be scared to stand up and have your voice heard.

BACK BRITISH FARMING AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE

Student Farmer shares its top tips for making an eloquent argument on behalf of the British food and farming industry

1GET YOUR POINT ACROSS What point are you making? Make sure you know the crux of your argument and why you want to make it. Is everything you’re saying logical? And, most importantly, remember to link it back to how it a ects your farm business or the items you produce. For example, if, like Karl, you’re campaigning against an all-vegan menu, focus on why buying locally-sourced British food is good for your business, the environment and the local economy. Remember the NFU has loads of stu online, visit NFUonline.com or Countrysideonline.co.uk to get started

2THINK ABOUT YOUR AUDIENCE Are you targeting the right person or group of people? If it’s a county council, like in Karl’s case, you’ve got a captive audience with the power to make change. But if you’re just challenging a troll on social media, check if the argument is worth your time and energy.

3FEEL PREPPED Do your research. The NFU and other organisations such as AHDB, RUMA, TB-Free England and CFE have loads of resources on their websites to help you back up your arguments. But make sure the sources you use are reputable and peer-reviewed; you don't want to be sharing fake news as this will undermine your point.

4USE SOCIAL MEDIA It might seem obvious, but social media gives you the power to infl uence people from the comfort of your own home (or fi eld!). Get some great pictures or videos of yourself out on the farm, share fun facts about how you’re helping to produce food to world leading standards. Make sure to tag your local MP or @StudentFarmer in your posts – we’ll share them if we can!

5EVERY LITTLE HELPS Small acts really can make a big di erence, so don't forget about your ability to infl uence in every day life. Out with your mates for tea? Ask to see the restaurant's sourcing policy, and explain to sta and your friends why a good sourcing policy is important. Even smaller than that, a share or like of someone's social media post can go a long way.

6DON’T GIVE UP Like we saw in Karl’s case, you can’t win every battle. But when that happens, get creative with the di erent avenues you can go down. Contact other young people in your are and see what they’re doing, invite your MP on farm or write a letter to your local newspaper.