York food festival will feature farming too

A packed farming marquee - featuring everything from sheep and dairy calves to bread-making and seed planting will be in York city centre next week as part of the Food and Drink Festival.

The farming extravaganza is being organised by the North East NFU and can be found near Brown’s department store for three days from Tuesday 20 to Thursday 23 September. Each day will feature a different theme to highlight how Yorkshire farmers produce the wealth of fabulous produce for which the county is famous.

Tuesday 20 September
On the first day the stand will revolve around sheep production – with the county home to more than 2 million sheep of all shapes and sizes. Centre-stage will be a pen of lowland sheep accompanied by local farmer Rosey Dunn, who can answer any questions visitors may have.

To celebrate the wonderful lamb produced by Yorkshire farmers, the NFU is also joining forces with Askham Bryan College to provide two butchery demonstrations in the demonstration area on St Sampson’s Square – one at 12 Noon and another at 5.00pm.

These demonstrations are designed to give members of the public an insight into lamb production and the various cuts available. Inevitably some are better known than others but the aim is to encourage people to enjoy meat from the whole animal.  Alongside butchery expert Keith Morton, the Festival’s in-house chef Phil Leverington will prepare lamb dishes for people to taste and back in the NFU marquee will be a wealth of recipe ideas and cooking tips for lamb.

Also in the NFU marquee on Tuesday will be a focus on wool as the national Campaign for Wool gathers pace. Visitors will be able to have a go at spinning and find out more about how they can help get wool to the London Olympics in 2012.

Wednesday 21 September
On the second day the focus will be on milk production. Centre-stage in the marquee will be two jersey dairy calves and ‘Annabelle’ the NFU’s wooden cow that loves to be milked – especially by children!

Members of the public will be able to meet local dairy farmer David Shaw, and find out why the NFU is campaigning to ‘Stop the Great Milk Robbery’. Recipe leaflets and even a free trial bottle of milk will be on offer on the day plus the chance to have a go at making some butter.

Thursday 22 September
Finally on Thursday the marquee will be transformed into a harvest festival celebration. On display will be a range of cereal crops grown locally plus a colourful show of fruit and vegetables.

On the vegetable side, people will have the chance to ask any ‘Grow Your Own’ questions of local growers while younger visitors will be able to plant a seed in special biodegradable pots that they can take home.

With the Yorkshire cereals harvest just completed, visitors will also get the chance to grind some of their own flour from wheat grain before taking part in a free bread-making workshop with York bread aficionado Andrew Wood. Participants young and old will have the chance to make and bake their own loaf to take home complete with recipe.

Throughout all three days, there will be a wealth of recipe leaflets, information booklets, farming related of puzzle books, free badges and stickers for youngsters.

Commenting, NFU regional director Barney Kay said: “We are staging this mini farming festival as part of our Why Farming Matters campaign – designed to highlight not just the food farmers provide but also how they care for the environment and contribute to the economy.

“We know people are increasingly interested in where their food comes from and York’s Food and Drink Festival provides a great showcase both for local farmers and the finest local produce.”