皇家华人

Your Wiltshire county NFU update

Katie Davies

Katie Davies

NFU County Adviser (Wiltshire)

Autumn arrives

Well, like many of you I鈥檓 sure, I have been very glad to finally see some rain! Between the night鈥檚 drawing in, leaves changing and some wet weather, it certainly feels like Autumn has arrived.

Firstly, I want to give a warm welcome to Grace Stokes, our new Assistant County Adviser for Gloucestershire & Wiltshire who started in the role at the beginning of the month. You can find out more about Grace below. From the first of September, I have also taken on the role of County Adviser for Gloucestershire, covering both counties with the excellent support of Grace, whilst Gloucestershire County Adviser Hattie goes on maternity 鈥� we wish her all the very best. Grace and I are looking forward to working together and I know she will be warmly welcomed to both counties.

September has seen a flurry of events already, from a Rural Crime 鈥楤arn Day鈥� with Wiltshire Rural Crime Team (read more below), to preparations well underway for Frome Agricultural and Cheese Show and Newbury Show on consecutive weekends. As well as our Wiltshire Harvest Festival at Salisbury Cathedral on the 5th October. We are also planning events for the coming months.

It is nearly time for your local branch AGMs, when circulated please do put the dates in the diary and try to attend, this is a chance for you to let us know what you want to see over the coming year. 

Another date for the diary is our County AGM on the 4th December. Several key roles within the county are coming up for election during the AGM. If you want to find out more about what they entail, please contact myself or Grace.

As always, if we can be of any help, please do reach out.

Local news

Grace Stokes Joins as Assistant County Adviser for Gloucestershire and Wiltshire

Hi, my name is Grace, and I鈥檝e recently stepped into the role of Assistant County Adviser for Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. I joined the NFU in November 2024 as a Regional Administrator, and I鈥檓 delighted to now be taking on this fixed-term secondment role for maternity cover.

I grew up in rural Somerset and later studied Criminology at Oxford Brookes University, graduating with a BSc in Criminology in 2024. During college and university, I spent my summer holidays and Christmas breaks working on a local dairy farm and with a rural events company in Devon. Those experiences really sparked my interest in agriculture and made me realise it was the industry I wanted to be part of.

In my spare time, I鈥檓 an active committee member of my local Young Farmers Club, where I regularly take part in a wide range of activities 鈥� from Tug of War and the YFC Pantomime to organizing events and supporting local fundraising initiatives. I also play netball and enjoy running!

Although I don鈥檛 come from a farming background myself, working across different areas of the agricultural sector has made me passionate about encouraging young people into the industry鈥攅specially those who may not have considered it simply because they didn鈥檛 grow up on a farm.

I鈥檓 really looking forward to getting out and about in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire and working more closely with members and stakeholders on the issues that matter most to them.

Event

Newbury Show

NFU Wiltshire and Berks, Bucks and Oxon have joined forces for the show and, with support from agricultural dealers across the region, will give showgoers a taste of farming. 

They will be able to mill their own flour straight from the combine at the NFU stand on the Village Green.

For the younger farmer a range of pedal tractors will be available for testing, ahead of a raffle for farming charities on Sunday afternoon.

Older farmers can catch up with group secretaries and County Advisers over a cuppa or a pint.

Start date

20 September 2025 at 8:00am

End date

21 September 2025 at 6:00pm

Location

Newbury Showground, Thatcham, Berkshire, RG18 9QZ

Local news

County Elections - County Chair and Council Representative

This is a notice for the Wiltshire elections for County Chair and Council Delegate. 

Nominations are invited for these posts to serve for a two year period (2026 to 2028). 

If you are interested in either opportunity or would like to discuss the role further, please do get in touch with your County Adviser Katie Davies 鈥� [email protected] 

Both County Chair and Council Representative will serve as NFU Council members and will be expected to agree to the NFU's code of conduct for office holders. 

This is a great opportunity to serve your fellow farmers. 

For the full election notice, see the September issue of the British Farmer & Grower magazine.