Last weekend I spent a glorious sun-soaked Saturday attending our local agricultural show, ostensibly for work purposes but also because it’s a great day out. With everything from livestock to dog shows, driven Clydesdales to craft stalls and tug of war to vintage tractor football – honestly, it’s a thing! – there really was something for everyone. The ever-popular dog show involved whole families, with a hotly contested waggiest-tail prize and a somewhat more limited entry in the best-behaved dog category! And whilst the sunshine of last weekend is far from guaranteed on a show day, I have it on good authority that it never rains in the beer tent. 

But agricultural shows have an even more important role to play…

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Livestock 

As soon as I arrive at a show, I’m heading for the livestock area to catch up with friends and veterinary clients old and new, to enjoy the atmosphere and appreciate the results of many long hours that have been dedicated to getting these animals into show condition. From muscly beef bulls to immaculately turned-out dairy cows or calves with that look of mischief in their eyes, seeing each one groomed to perfection and quietly led by a stockman/woman who knows and cares for this animal individually is quite a sight. 

Then onto the sheep pens displaying the many and varied breeds, each taking their turn to be shown and judged, with handlers focused on ideal presentation or in some cases, just trying not to let go! Goats and poultry of all shapes and sizes are on show too and some events now see the return of pigs, who largely disappeared from agricultural shows after the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in 2001. 

On the equine side, in my eyes anyway, there really is nothing to compare with the rumble of a team of heavy horses driving a pristine but often vintage cart around the arena. Many shows also have ridden horse classes and in-hand showing, as well as demonstrations of other rural settings in which horsepower still means legs not engines, such as forestry or gamekeeping. 

Trade stands and crafts

Showcasing rural businesses is an important part of agricultural shows. There’s something for everyone in the craft tent, from traditional crook making and wool working, to modern jewellery design or clothing. All tastes are catered for too, whether it’s the butcher’s barbecue, the strawberry stall or the local dairy farm’s ice cream van. It’s a chance for visitors to enjoy local sustainable produce and for small businesses to grow their customer base. 

Education 

The trade stands feature everything from animal feeds to tractor parts, veterinary services to the latest on-farm technology, food for thought for those already involved in agriculture. But you don’t have to know your Belted Galloways from your British Toggenburgs or your Charolais (cattle) from your Charollais (sheep) to be welcome at the show. Our veterinary practice stand last weekend featured a life size model dairy cow who we invited showgoers to try their hand at milking. This offer, it transpired, appealed to participants spanning 2 to 82 years of age, with even the youngest dairy hands questioning why there was water and not milk coming out of the udder but slightly surprisingly, some of the adults questioning if the cow was a boy or a girl (spoiler alert…only the girls produce milk!)

Shows provide the opportunity for farmers to connect with consumers, take pride in showing how well cared for UK livestock are, and give and opportunity to those from any background to get involved in farming. One visitor commented to me that he loved the shows and felt he had been “born in the wrong place!”, that he’d have thrived in a farming life if he’d had access to it when he was young. Young Farmers’ clubs throughout the UK are welcoming and open to anyone with an interest in farming, the countryside or rural life, not just those born into it, and provide a fantastic opportunity for personal development, education and support.

Socialisation

It’s not just the Young Farmers’ that value support, however. A long, wet winter and spring such as we’ve had this year challenges even the most resilient and experienced of farmers, pushing mental and physical limits especially during lambing time and leaving dark mutterings about “selling the whole bloomin’ lot”! Farming and crofting can be an isolated business at times so this chance to get together with friends and neighbours on a warm sunny show day celebrating all things positive in the agricultural industry is always welcome. 

The past and the future

Agricultural shows have been around for hundreds of years, from the days of the horse and plough, through the introduction of heavy machinery to the latest GPS guided combine harvester – a lot has changed! Shows have provided support to the community through times of uncertainty, post war years, devastating disease outbreaks such as Foot and Mouth, industry challenges including brexit and, more recently, rapidly changing consumer trends towards exclusively plant-based diets – something I am confident that we will look back at in years to come as a short-lived flash in the pan. 

Throughout that history we have seen huge changes in the livestock present on UK farms, moving away from slower growing native breeds and towards fast maturing continental types particularly over the last 50 years. Whilst the reasoning for this has been sound – rapidly increasing global demand for meat and milk being quicker to meet with fast growing beef, sheep and poultry breeds, suitable for more intensive systems – the traditional breeds have their advantages too and it is important that they are conserved for the future, particularly as we look to balance productivity with sustainability. 

Rare Breeds of Livestock

Agricultural shows may feature the extremes of some modern livestock breeds – double muscled Belgian Blue cattle for example or Beltex sheep – but more traditional breeds also have their place at the show and increasing awareness of these breeds and the need to protect and promote them is vital. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) is a charity which aims to do just that, conserving native breeds of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry and horses, and promoting them as sustainable alternatives to the more intensively farmed breeds. 

  • RBST has a watchlist of breeds, indicating those that are highest priority (red), at risk (orange) and monitored but doing well (green). 
  • A Gene-bank exists to store genetic material from at risk breeds. This protects against loss of breeding lines through disease or dwindling numbers, reduces inbreeding in small live populations and provides a resource for DNA researchers.
  • RBST promotes recognition of the need to preserve genetic diversity in livestock both to the public and through government policy.

Why are rare breeds important?

Sustainable farming 

As the demand for animal protein increases along with rising global populations, our natural resources come under increasing pressure. Native breeds are generally very well adapted to our landscapes, meaning that not only do they thrive on ground that other breeds would find impossible to utilise, but they also benefit those environments in terms of supporting plant, insect and animal biodiversity, and restoring soil quality – key principles in regenerative farming. 

The Woodland Trust employs this idea of conservation grazing using native breeds of sheep, cattle, horses, goats and pigs to benefit many woodland management situations in the UK. This is a win-win situation when rare breeds are used such as the Longhorn herd of Neroche in southwest England, as they have contributed to securing the breed from near extinction to today’s green list status. Belted Galloway cattle have enjoyed a similar resurgence through recognition of their productivity within low input regenerative systems.

Productivity 

As livestock farming has intensified, livestock have tended to get bigger, with the average 500kg native breed cow now replaced with a 750kg Charolais. The Charolais takes more feeding and housing compared to the native breeds yet produces the same one calf per year. The Charolais calf will fatten quicker but with higher inputs, this doesn’t always represent increased productivity. The same can be said for some poultry breeds where intensive farming of heavier birds can have real animal welfare implications. 

Rural economy 

With consumers increasingly aware of animal welfare and sustainability, while also looking for unusual or specialist meats, cheeses, eggs and wool products, native breeds are ideally placed to meet all these demands and to support rural economies. Gloucester cattle for example are on the red priority list but produce milk ideally suited to cheese making. This opportunity has been harnessed in producing Single Gloucester Cheese which has a EU PDO (Protected designation of origin) i.e. it can only be produced from these cattle.

Culture 

As a vet in Scotland, being up close with highland cattle is a fairly common occurrence, but for our visitors from all over the globe, the sight of these iconic beasties is part and parcel of the tourist experience when visiting Scotland. In 2023 there were 4 million visits to Scotland, resulting in around £3.6million into the national economy. Our native breeds and their harmony with the natural landscape are a very valuable part of this.

Disease resistance and research 

Different breeds and bloodlines appear to have varying levels of natural disease resistance, a power which can be harnessed now and in the future, to reduce medicines use and improve animal welfare. Maintaining breed diversity will also support research into various areas of animal health and production and allow faster adaptation based on the findings.

The show must go on

If you eat – and we all do! – you rely on farmers and agriculture every single day, be that for crops, dairy products or meat.  As consumers we have become increasingly detached from the source of our food, but agricultural shows present an ideal opportunity to get back in touch with that while also supporting local businesses and farming communities. So, whatever your background or interests in farming and the countryside, I encourage you to look up your local agricultural show below and enjoy a great day out!

Further reading