The vital role farmers play in feeding the nation and caring for the countryside will be celebrated at a special Plough Sunday Service at Ripon Cathedral at the start of the new year.
The service takes place on Sunday, January 11 and is supported by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, with all members of the public warmly invited to attend.
Blessings and thanks will be offered to farming families and rural workers, with an address given by the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell. The service marks the beginning of a year-long programme of support for the farming community from the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.
The event also launches a series of January activities for those working in agriculture, culminating in the Society’s first-ever Yorkshire Farming Conference at the Great Yorkshire Showground on Wednesday, January 28.
The conference will feature a trade show, panel discussions, networking opportunities and a keynote address by Cumbrian farmer and bestselling author James Rebanks.
Allister Nixon, chief executive of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, said the service was a powerful reminder of community and shared purpose at the start of the year.
He said: “Bringing people together as horizons reset for the months ahead is a useful reminder of community strength and support. It is a chance to celebrate what farmers deliver for us all, take pride in the hard work that shapes the countryside, and look forward with refreshed energy and focus.”
Plough Sunday is an ancient tradition, revived in Victorian times and traditionally held on the first Sunday after Epiphany. In medieval villages, the community plough would be brought into church for blessing before the start of the sowing season, symbolising hope for the year ahead.
Archbishop Stephen Cottrell said: “Plough Sunday reminds us that before there can be harvest, there must first be hope, hard work and faith. This service offers a moment to recognise the contribution of farming families and the deep rural heritage that continues to shape our communities.”
The service will be led by The Dean of Ripon, the Very Rev John Dobson, who will bless a ploughshare presented by the Yorkshire Federation of Young Farmers Clubs. A tractor provided by Ripon Farm Services will be on display outside the Cathedral, while members of the Future Farmers of Yorkshire network will take part in readings during the service.
Representatives from farming charities will also attend, and a share of the collection will be donated to the Addington Fund, which provides housing and emergency support to farmers across England and Wales.
Anyone wishing to attend is invited to gather from 2.30pm for hot pork rolls, kindly provided by Tancred Farm Shop, and hot drinks from Ripon Cathedral, before the service begins at 3.30pm.
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