The Yorkshire Agricultural Society was formed in 1837 and is a charity dedicated to supporting the farming industry and rural life.
The value of the support it provides to regional farming and countryside initiatives has risen year on year to nearly £1m.
Based at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate, the Society is the organiser of the annual farming and country show case, the Great Yorkshire Show and its sister event, Countryside Live. The 2009 Great Yorkshire Show runs from Tuesday 14 – Thursday 16 July and Countryside Live is on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October 2009. Both take place at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate, North Yorkshire and are flagship events for agriculture and rural life.
The Society plays a key role in supporting rural life, through grants, sponsorships and has a very active education department which runs a wide range of activities aimed at increasing the knowledge of young people and their teachers about the important role farmers play in producing our food and caring for the landscape.
An important date on the annual calendar is the annual Countryside Days event when thousands of primary school children use the showground as a resource for learning.
In June 2009, the Society will open its Regional Agricultural Centre at the showground which will be a focus for excellence for the industry, as well as the new home of the Society.
Yorkshire Event Centre Limited (YEC) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Society and all YEC’s profits go to fund its charitable work.