A driving force of the NSW Farmers Association is to increase its membership base, with particular emphasis on younger members and student networks. Of these members there is strong support to encourage more active participation from the grassroots level, and develop members capable of taking on community, regional and industry leadership and representation positions.

Through a range of programs and activities, the Young Farmers Committee develops personal, professional and business development skills in members, focusing on networking functions and young farmer advocacy.

Sam Gunn is the Chairman of the association’s Young Farmers Committee and coordinated the Young Farmers Forum last year. He says much of the Farmers Forum focused on how they could play a bigger part on the formation of policy and moving key issues related to young farmers forward. Getting a like-minded group of people together with the same passion and drive for farming was also encouraging for the future.

“It is hard to demonstrate to people, especially young people, that we can have a say in what happens in our industry and we can take our future into our own hands. The forums we have been running take on this theme and it is our goal to develop a voice for the future of agriculture which comes from the future of Agriculture,” he says.

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”The motions we put to the NSW Farmers Association Annual Conference this year were specific to the needs of young farmers and young people from regional areas. I feel this validates what our committee is all about, which is representing members aged between 18 and 35. It has also shown there is a sympathetic ear in our leadership who are willing to listen to us and act upon our suggestions.”