It’s the eighth time they’ve visited his dairy unit where his robotic milking system always sparks interest from the RCDS members.
The briefing took place on Thursday 12 December and was led by NFU North West staff Adam Briggs, Carl Hudspith and Liz Berry who were assisted by NFU Lancashire County Chairman Olly Harrison. Also on hand to answer questions was John Wherry from Myerscough College.
The RCDS is the Senior College of the UK Defence Academy located in Belgrave Square, London.
The college runs the RCDS course over one year which looks to ‘prepare senior military officers and officials of the UK and other countries, and future leaders from private and public sectors, for high responsibilities in their respective organisations, by developing their analytical powers, knowledge of defence and international security, and strategic vision’.
To do this it takes its members (70% of who are from overseas) out of their comfort zone to explore the wider strategic issues that underline security, stability and prosperity.
One of the modules looks in detail at the UK and involves a visit to the North West.
Officials from the UK foreign office, Sri Lanka, Germany, Finland, Nigeria, South Korea, Egypt, Qatar and India were involved this year, visiting places such as Manchester City Council, Aintree Hospital, Lancaster University, Strangeways, the BBC at MediaCity and of course the NFU on Graham’s farm.
Adam Briggs spoke specifically about how food and farming creates £122 billion for the economy and underpins four million jobs, Graham Young talked about the transformation of his dairy farm since taking on the business with wife Janet in 1997 whereas Olly Harrison focussed on the future and how new technology would aid him in years to come.
NFU Lancashire County Adviser Liz Berry said: “Hosting a visit for the Royal College of Defence Studies is a huge honour and one we at the NFU are proud to say we’ve sustained for many years. Communicating the challenges agriculture in our region faces to military leaders who are mostly Brigadier and Major General in rank is an opportunity not to be missed and one that would only come the way of an organisation like the NFU.”