King Charles has visited farmers in North Yorkshire to see the impact his rural charity and others are having on the region.
The King visited the market town of Malton, where he met with representatives of the charity he founded in 2010, the Prince’s Countryside Fund (PCF), as well as others.
The PCF has provided support to 166 farming families across North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire.
It has also invested over £500,000 in grant funded projects across the region, including funding for the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.
Farming couple Stevie and Laura Woods of Wethercote Farm near Helsmley, who recently participated in the charity's Farm for the Future programme, met the King.
We had a tremendous time in Malton this afternoon introducing farmers from our #FarmfortheFuture programme to HM King Charles III. The King heard about how our support had helped these farmers move their business forward and take advantage of environmental opportunities ???????? pic.twitter.com/M7VVeIom4A
— The Prince's Countryside Fund (@countrysidefund) April 5, 2023
Laura said: "He was really interested in the farm, in the Swaledale sheep that we have, and how the Farm for the Future programme had helped with our succession planning.
"It encouraged us to think about how we want to run our business and we’ve taken on some more land as a result.”
Farm for the Future supports farmers in England, helping them to develop a better understanding of their finances and to take advantage of environmental opportunities.
Coordinated in North Yorkshire by the Farmer Network, currently 30 farming families are taking part.
Great honour to have an audience with HM King Charles lll today. His passion and knowledge of farming and the environment was plain to see. https://t.co/0ObEkBgaaB
— Fraser Hugill (@FraserHugill) April 5, 2023
Keith Halstead, executive director of the PCF said: "The opportunity to introduce some of the hardworking farmers that we’ve helped to HM King Charles III has been wonderful.
"As a farmer himself, the King really understands the challenges that farmers are facing, and we are so proud to be able to support them."
