Lincolnshire gears up for its annual agricultural showcase

18 May 2012, Press Releases

Over 60,000 visitors are expected at this year's Lincolnshire Show on 20th and 21st June, to learn about the importance of agriculture and farming in the life of the county.

Reflecting the agricultural heart to the Show, this year's events will include the ever popular pig racing; the spectacular Grand Parade of the best of the county's livestock and the vintage to modern day agricultural machinery display.

As well as the county's finest animals on show, there will be a mix of rural and family attractions, including the best of Lincolnshire produce at the massive Select Lincolnshire and Tastes of Lincolnshire Food Court, including the launch of a major new Lincolnshire cheese from Lymn Bank Cheese of Thorpe St Peter, near Skegness.

Produced with local milk from nearby Rich Pastures Dairy, the Skegness Blue cheese will be unveiled by cheese maker Stephen Grinstead, who is looking for national markets for his traditionally produced, blue veined cheese. He said:

"It's gone well in the trials and we've come up with something that is slightly creamier and less blue than a stilton. We're hoping it will become one of the biggest sellers in the country."

Lymn Bank Cheese plan to launch another new cheese later this year – Skegness Gold – which is a naturally cloth bound cheddar.

The Lincolnshire Show will also host three of the giant Quadtracs that will be taking part in a world record attempt in the county later this year, for the most cultivating Quadtracs in one field, with organisers hoping to have more than 20 of the machines taking part. The attempt has been launched by fourth generation farmer Helen Clarke in memory of her father John Rainthorpe.

The Discovery Zone will be hosting Pork to Fork : The story of the Sausage, explaining how one of Lincolnshire's most famous products reaches the table, and other Show performances will range from falconry to bee keeping.

Also making a second appearance are dogs on the Lincolnshire Showground. For the second year running, dogs will be allowed into the Show, and Scruffts have confirmed that they will be running a regional heat on both days of the Show this year for their Family Crossbreed Dog of the Year competition.

The Show has retained its major sponsors, with Clydesdale Bank and Duckworth's Land Rover on board for a further year and director Jayne Southall has confirmed that the Show will continue in its mid-week slot in future years, saying this is the strongest way to retain its agricultural heart. She explained:

"We are set on innovation and continuing to broaden our appeal, but the Show must support our core charitable aims – which are to promote understanding, and awareness of the role played in the county by agriculture and food production – and we must have the agricultural community fully on board."

She added:

"The Show is still the county's best kept secret. We've pushed up to more than 60,000 visitors but there is still huge potential and we're set on increasing numbers of both visitors and exhibitors in 2012. I want to develop more involvement in the Society by young people and further boost our links with education."

The Lord Taylor of Holbeach, CBE, Government minister for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and head of one of the UK's leading horticultural companies is this year's President of the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society.

In the presidential role, Lord Taylor will represent the Society at the Lincolnshire Show. He said:

"The Society plays an important part in the economic life of Lincolnshire as well as performing a great task as advocate for the agricultural and horticultural industry, in what is the country's premier agricultural county."