Farmers and rural communities will gather beneath the vaulted ceiling of Ripon Cathedral this month to mark the start of a new farming year and celebrate the vital role agriculture plays in feeding the nation.
The Plough Sunday Service, supported by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, will take place on Sunday 11 January 2026 and is open to all.
Thanks will be offered to farming families, with an address from the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, as the sector looks ahead to the months of work to come.
Allister Nixon, chief executive of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, said the start of the year was a natural moment for reflection and renewal.
“Bringing people together at the start of a new year, as horizons are reset for the months ahead, is a useful reminder of community strength and support,” he said.
“It is a chance to celebrate what farmers deliver for us all, to take pride in the hard work that shapes the countryside, and to look forward as one, with refreshed energy and focus.”
Plough Sunday is an ancient festival, revived by the Victorians, and traditionally observed on the first Sunday after Epiphany. In medieval times, the village plough was brought into church for a blessing before ploughing began on Plough Monday.
In an era when winter work was scarce, the ritual looked forward to sowing and the promise of harvest — a message that continues to resonate for farming families today.
The Archbishop of York said the tradition remains deeply relevant. “Plough Sunday reminds us that before there can be harvest, there must first be hope, hard work and faith,” he said.
“At a time when farming families face many challenges, this service offers a moment to pray together, to recognise their contribution, and to mark the beginning of the sowing season with gratitude and hope.”
The service will be led by the Dean of Ripon, the Very Rev John Dobson, who will bless a ploughshare presented by the Yorkshire Federation of Young Farmers Clubs.
“We celebrate the efforts and contributions of farmers and all who work in rural businesses in caring for the land and livestock, producing the food which is essential to the wellbeing of us all,” he said.
Outside the cathedral, a tractor supplied by Ripon Farm Services will be on display, while members of the Society’s Future Farmers of Yorkshire network will give readings during the service.
Representatives from farming charities will also attend, with a share of the collection going to the Addington Fund, which provides housing and disaster relief to farmers across England and Wales.
The service also marks the start of a busy January programme bringing people across farming together. It will lead into the Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s first-ever Yorkshire Farming Conference at the Great Yorkshire Showground on 28 January.
More broadly, the service signals the beginning of a full year of support from the society, including events, training, bursaries and grants designed to boost professional development, knowledge exchange and wellbeing.
