‘Talking farming with farmers is my happy place!’
SHOW season is here again – which is always a great opportunity for the British farming community to get together!
And among those looking forward to meeting fellow farming folk at the spring county shows is Ben Wood, Rural Asset Finance’s head of sales.
“County shows have an atmosphere all their own,” says Ben. “I just love spending the day meeting people who might come from different types of farming backgrounds but who all have that shared passion for the countryside.”
And there’s a reason Ben so enjoys that connection. He, like his colleagues at Rural Asset Finance, comes from a farming family.
“I love looking at all the tractors, the machines, all the new tech – there are some amazing bits of kit out there, some of the gadgets are incredible,” says Ben. “But what I love most of all about these days is the people. You make new friends, you catch up with old ones – talking farming with farmers is my happy place!”
And he’ll get plenty of opportunity to do just that, as Rural Asset Finance once again sponsors the CLA marquee at the Suffolk, Norfolk and Lincolnshire shows through May and June. And, says Ben, farmers appreciate that the team at Rural Asset Finance speak their language.
“I love talking to farmers, but I think they like the fact that we are lenders who are genuinely interested in their businesses on a farming level, and understand what they do. Because we all come from farms, we understand the day to day of what that looks like, the challenges, the issues, the idea that no two days are the same.”
That understanding enables RAF to offer finance solutions that are farmer-led, bespoke packages created to suit individual situations and requirements. And they understand that in the current uncertain climate, farmers need support, whether it’s to shore up their traditional food production or expand into diversification through tourism, countryside management, renewable energy or any other innovative alternative revenue streams that can be based on the farm.
“I think the farmers we meet genuinely appreciate not just that we speak their language, but we ‘get it’, we know what they go through, because our own families have likely faced similar uncertainties and challenges,” says Ben. “But it’s not just about the challenges – it’s knowing what it feels like when things go well, too, and being delighted for them when their projects and ideas are really successful. That’s why I love talking to farmers and I can’t wait for the shows, to hear those stories. Now all we need is for the sun to shine!”
Rural Asset Finance is sponsoring the CLA marquee at the Suffolk Show on May 28 and 29, Lincolnshire Show on June 18 and 19, the Royal Norfolk Show on June 25 and 26.
