Suffolk’s Harvest Festival to be celebrated in true farming style despite the impact of deadly Bluetongue disease.
Farmers and farming were the focus of the county’s showpiece Harvest Festival celebration at the home of the Suffolk Show.
The annual thanksgiving for the County Harvest Festival is a traditional event at the Suffolk Showground, Ipswich, where farmers join clergy and a congregation drawn from across the county to give thanks for the fruits of the harvest.
The mix of activities organised for Sunday 6 October included craft displays, the iconic Suffolk Punches and live music. However, the line-up had been affected by the threat of Bluetongue disease and so there were no sheep or cattle as previously planned for the event. The disease, which can kill cattle, sheep, goats and deer, has led to movement restrictions on animals.
Bishop Martin, who attended the event, has urged more Government support for affected farmers.
He said: "We have been anticipating for some time that Bluetongue could come to this part of the world since it has been present in midges the other side of the North Sea and it was only a matter of time before they reached us. What we need now is much more support for farmers and others who are suffering from the impact both of the disease in their livestock and the consequent restrictions on moving their farm animals."
Bishop Martin is President of the Suffolk Agricultural Association, and he was due to be joined by the Ven Sally Gaze, Archdeacon for Rural Mission and Graham Miles, Rural and Agricultural Chaplain for Suffolk. Bishop Martin led an outdoor service with Canon Sharon Potter at 2.00pm where farmers were invited to bring gifts of produce for the straw bale altar. Fresh produce and tinned food will later be distributed to charities.
Bishop Martin is President of the Suffolk Agricultural Association, and was joined by the Ven Sally Gaze, Archdeacon for Rural Mission.
He said: "I was delighted to attend the two-day Suffolk Show here earlier this year as President during which I met many farmers and long-serving devoted farm employees. I learnt how they adapt working on the Suffolk countryside to meet our changeable climate, and the challenges they face in bringing food to our plates. Now we take the opportunity to thank them for the harvest, an annual event which puts many demands on a farm as everyone works long hours to bring in the harvest and then prepare for winter."
He added: "The County Harvest is all about celebrating and thanksgiving, and gives us a chance to reflect at the end of a busy season. We have so much to celebrate in our beautiful county, not just the farmers and food, but also our nationally-renowned livestock – and we will be celebrating in true farming style with an abundance of fruits of the land and animals."
The Harvest Festival is organised in collaboration with Lightwave; a Christian community with a special focus on sharing God’s light and love in rural areas of Suffolk. Their work has many aspects from foodbanks, youth work, environmental initiatives and pastoral care for the farming community.
Members of the Suffolk Agricultural Association, National Farmers’ Union and the Suffolk Farming Community Network had been invited for the four-hour celebration.
The gates opened at 11.30am for a noon start. Last year the annual County Harvest was held at St Edmundsbury Cathedral with a focus on farming and living water. Guests included children from Wetheringsett CofE Primary School and animals.
The last County Harvest to be held at the Suffolk Showground was in 2022.