We are delighted to invite you to our annual NFU East young members conference. This event is open to anyone associated with your membership, aged 40 or under.
We hope the event will inspire delegates to think outside of the box and encourage ideas that can be implemented back on the farm.
Our theme for 2026 is the agricultural workforce. We will explore how to attract talent to the industry, retain good people and develop our people management skills. This will begin with the conference, followed by county-based activity and finishing with a regional skills workshop, where we will look at how the key findings can be personally implemented at farm level.
Harvesting Talent: The Future of the Agricultural Workforce will begin by looking at the national perspective of the agricultural workforce.
It will then move into employment law, good practice for people management on farm, where resources and support can be found, before finishing with our popular ‘The Farmers Apprentice’ breakout groups. Lunch will be provided.
Spaces are limited so please respond quickly to secure your place.
How to register
To register your interest to attend this event, either:
- select the 'Register your interest' button below to automatically register, or
- Contact [email protected] by email, where a member of the team can assist you.
The deadline for registration is Thursday 22 January.
Event programme
|
9.30am |
Registration opens – refreshments available |
|---|---|
|
10am |
Welcome and introduction to the day |
|
10.15am |
National view of the agricultural workforce |
|
11am |
Your workforce and the law |
|
11.30am |
How the NFU can support you |
|
12 noon |
Networking lunch |
|
1.15pm |
Managing staff on the farm |
|
1.45pm |
The Farmers Apprentice |
|
3.30pm |
Closing remarks |
|
3.35pm to 4.30pm |
Networking drinks reception |
Meet the speakers
Tom Bradshaw
NFU President
The home farm is based around arable production but has also diversified into equestrian and renewables.
Tom has represented the NFU from Local Branch Chairman through to Chair of the National Combinable Crops Board.
Tom was elected to the position of NFU President in February 2024.
Responsibilities
- Animal health and welfare incl. bTB
- Trade and standards
- Climate, energy and net zero
- Food supply chain (fair dealing, mergers and acquisitions, competition, regulation)
- Animal ID and movements
- Assurance review
- Taxation and fiscal policy
- Immigration
Valerie Lambert
Partner, HCR Law
She mainly works on behalf of corporate clients and helps take the stress out of any human resource issues they might be facing. Valerie prides herself on a thorough, responsive approach and provides pragmatic commercial advice to resolve matters in the most cost-effective way.
Karen Jones
NFU legal and technical team leader
Karen started working for the NFU’s legal and technical team within the CallFirst service in March 2019.
She became one of the three Team Leaders who provide day-to-day management of and support to the team in December 2022. Prior to this she was a legal and technical adviser.
Karen also has responsibility for the training needs of the team as it is essential that everyone keeps their legal knowledge up to date to be able to provide a high quality and reliable service to members.
In addition to this, Karen coordinates the reviews and finalises updates to over 100 of the business guides (non-employment) which are available to members.
Karen has previous experience of working within other membership organisations, predominately in the manufacturing industry where she provided employment and HR advice to members. Prior to this, she spent over 15 years delivering telephone based private and commercial legal advice covering numerous areas of law, together with inhouse training for staff.
Thomas Price
NFU employment and skills adviser
He leads on:
- Access to labour and the seasonal worker scheme.
- National Living and other minimum wage rates.
- Employment regulation.
- Skills development representing the NFU on Agriculture Trailblazer groups and T Level consultative groups.
Ryan McCormack
NFU Combinable Crops Board appointee, East
Dennington Hall Farms is a 1,600ha combinable crops and sugar beet operation.
Since joining the business in May 2022, Ryan has developed a diverse cropping rotation, set a new machinery strategy to suit a regenerative approach and is creating a forward-thinking team culture.
With a key focus on soil, air and water health, Ryan now operates a 12-year cropping rotation, integrating grazing livestock across arable land, moving to variable rate liquid
fertiliser, reduced tillage and a block of Wildfarmed Bi-cropping.
Ryan is BASIS and FACTS qualified and has a continued passion for data, innovation and technology.
Ryan achieved silver in the British Farming Awards, ‘Arable Innovation’ award in 2019.
A member of the 68th Worshipful Company of Farmers, Ryan completed his Advanced Business Management Course in 2018.