TWO leading national figures in the farming world and a full house made the prestigious Pershore Conference last Thursday one of the best ever.

The conference was organised by the Pershore and Upton-on-Severn branch of the NFU at the Frank Parkinson Centre at Pershore College.

Delegates enjoyed an enthralling evening with The Tale of the Two Adams, featuring Cotswold farmer Adam Henson, presenter of BBC Countryfile and Adam Quinney, a Worcestershire farmer and NFU vice-president.

Mr Henson, who farms 1,600 acres at Guiting Power and runs the Cotswold Farm Park set up by his father, alongside his TV work, said being a farmer was his ambition from a very early age and he was pleased to be able to promote the industry through his media work.

It was important, he said, to attract young people into the industry.

“If we are to do that we have got to make it sexy and profitable,” he said.

“It is about selling ourselves when we are out and about.”

Mr Henson added: “I think we have got some exciting times ahead of us.

“We can now use all sorts of social media to reach people and I would urge you to think about these things. I really believe we are on the crest of a wave with a huge challenge ahead to feed the world, provide the environment the public wants to visit and to grow fuel.”

Mr Quinney said he also came from a farming family and eventually joined the NFU in order to try to promote the industry.

He was pleased that the NFU was now getting into schools more and explaining to young people why agriculture mattered so much.

Ray Foster-Morison, Pershore and Upton group secretary, said he was very pleased with the conference.

“We had two really good speakers and a lively audience which made for a topclass evening.”