Agricultural shows, once the domain of farmers, now appeal to a much wider group of people.

This was evident at last month’s Royal Welsh Show when lots of visitors from outside the farming community gathered at the showground for four days to watch the sheep shearing demonstrations, mooch around the food stalls and watch the picture perfect livestock on parade.

They may even have accounted for two thirds of total visitor numbers because a survey of showgoers commissioned by the organisers a few years ago showed that 66% didn’t work in agriculture and over a third had no farming background whatsoever.

This divide will likely grow as people lose their emotional connection and understanding of agriculture so it is right that shows adapt to bridge that connection, to build a community that understands and values Welsh agriculture.

Education has become an important part of shows, as well as shopping and food.

Without non-farming visitors shows like the Royal Welsh just wouldn’t be financially viable, it’s as simple as that.

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For me, the highlights of the 2023 Royal Welsh were the beef and dairy competitions, watching Graham’s Ruth, a British Limousin, crowned supreme beef champion, and Jersey cow, Windyridge Tequila Diamond, nab the equivalent in the dairy section.

Agricultural shows are annual celebrations of livestock and produce and have been handing out awards to champion farm animals and crops for hundreds of years.

For others with connections to farming, it is the machinery area that excites them, getting up and close to some of the latest farm kit.

Shows are also a way for the public to reconnect with farmers and understand how food is made, something that the population in general is largely disconnected from.

I also think that shows encourage people to source and shop locally because they create an interest around how food is reared and produced. People in general want ingredients that come from trusted sources.

Probably the best local show in Wales is Pembroke Town and Country Show, but I would say that wouldn’t I, because it is my local show.

It is a show that has moved with the times, rebranding itself with a name change from the Pembroke Farmers’ Club Show it was known as.

It has done really well in recent years, which seems down to the committee tapping into that eagerness by people to be part of farming life.

At its heart are real communities of people coming together to say ‘this is what we did this year’.