Saturday 25 January saw farmers from across the UK participate in events in town centres in a demonstration of visual support for the Stop the Family Farm Tax campaign.
The day also provided the opportunity for the public to show their support and saw events stretching from Shetland to Cornwall, and from the Giant鈥檚 Causeway to Kent.
Farmers engaged with the public, suppliers and politicians to explain the detrimental impact the government鈥檚 measures would have on Britain鈥檚 family farms.
Three key messages ran as a constant throughout each event:
1. We just want to keep farming, producing great British food for the public, caring for the environment and being at the heart of rural communities. Thank you for your support.
2. The government consulted with nobody on this, and its data is wrong. Up to 75% of farms will be affected, and for many it will be the final straw.
3. Farms can be worth a lot of money on paper, but that value will never be seen unless the farm is sold. Farm incomes are often very small. Farmers, already suffering from huge pressures, are being asked to find money they don鈥檛 have to pay this tax and when they can鈥檛, their farm disappears.
Photograph: Terry Harris
鈥�We will keep fighting this awful tax and hopefully, eventually, the Chancellor will listen.鈥�NFU President Tom Bradshaw
鈥榃e will keep fighting鈥�
NFU President Tom Bradshaw spoke to a crowd gathered at Parker鈥檚 Piece in Cambridge.
Speaking after the event he said: 鈥淚t was great. We had five tractors and 50 of our members in the centre of Cambridge and it was quite a spectacle. And events like this were replicated all over the UK.
鈥淪aturday was all about engaging with the public and helping them understand the challenges we are facing and thanking them for their support.鈥�
皇家华人President said all of the events together with the petition handed to No. 10 last week and the new analysis from the Office for Budget Responsibility helped to keep the pressure up.
鈥淲e will keep fighting this awful tax and hopefully, eventually, the Chancellor will listen.鈥�
Potential solutions
NFU Deputy President David Exwood began the day at Worthing Pier in West Sussex, finishing on farm in Marlow in Buckinghamshire.
He said: 鈥淲e met with so many farmers but also MPs, councillors, vets, tractor dealers 鈥� everybody was coming out and supporting farming and standing up to be counted. There was huge support from the public, people clapping and cheering.
鈥淚鈥檝e never been so proud of the industry. It鈥檚 been a great day to see events across the country.鈥�
Photograph: Diensen Pamben
"Everybody was coming out and supporting farming and standing up to be counted.鈥�
NFU Deputy President David Exwood
NFU Vice President Rachel Hallos spoke to farmers and supporters at Chester Town Hall in Cheshire. 鈥淲e know the figures that the Treasury have looked at is not the full picture. Sit down and talk to us. We have potential solutions that would help them fill the gap.
鈥淲e鈥檙e here today to explain to the public why we鈥檙e so worried, what鈥檚 going on and why we must stop the family farm tax.鈥�
See the day in pictures
122915,122911,122913,122914,122910,122909,122908,122907
NFU member Ray Brown with his cow in Chester
Members of the public outside M&S, Crawley
David Exwood attending the Worthing event
Rachel Hallos at the Day of Unity event in Chester
Gathering at Morrisons, Gravesend
Members at Morrisons in Carlisle
County Chair Freya Morgan in Hitchin town centre
Farmers in Worthing
What happened in my region?
To see where events took place, look out for the yellow tractor pins on our campaign map. You can also read write ups of what happened in each region.
Photograph: Gareth Jones
"We have potential solutions that would help [the Treasury] fill the gap.鈥�
NFU Vice President Rachel Hallos
East
鈥�I think it鈥檚 massively important that we as farmers connect with the public.鈥�
NFU Hertford Vice Chair Hannah Buisman
Midlands
鈥�This will seriously damage generations of work and efforts to protect and enhance the countryside.鈥�
NFU South Lincolnshire chair Simon Gadd
South
From Aylesbury to Par, members gathered to show their opposition to the Government鈥檚 plans and to underline to MPs that the campaign will not stop until the government thinks again.
North
鈥�It really was NFU Cheshire at its best, I鈥檓 lucky to be surrounded by a great team with such a passion for agriculture who pull together to make things happen.鈥�
NFU Cheshire county adviser Helen Wainwright