TAVISTOCK Young Farmers' Club is thriving despite the foot and mouth crisis which left some other clubs struggling — exactly a year after the disease hit Devon the club is celebrating its 60th anniversary.
The first case of foot and mouth in Devon last year was recorded on Saturday, February 24. Tavistock YFC chairman Matthew Hitchcock said the date was one everyone associated with farming would remember.
'The whole rural community came to a standstill,' he said. 'Tavistock YFC's events calendar came to a halt, and many members were confined to their farms for many weeks.'
The only contact members had with one another was by telephone as all fortnightly meetings and other events such as cinema visits were postponed.
'All the annual activities and fundraising events — such as the dung sale, sheep shearing, stock judging and valuation evening — were also cancelled, which had a great impact on the club,' Matthew said.
It was not just the club that was affected financially, but also the chosen charities which would have benefited from its income. Only a draw took place, conducted by Russell Woolcock of Ward and Chowen.
Matthew Hitchcock said that after six months — as foot and mouth cases decreased — it was decided to hold the occasional social event to keep non-farming members involved in the club and to give an opportunity for members of the farming community to meet.
In September the harvest supper was one such event — but it took the form of a dinner and dance to replace the one cancelled earlier in the year. Matthew said the successful night gave a welcome boost for the future.
Despite 'the very tough year', according to Matthew, the club is now strong with an increased membership of around 50 of whom around 60% to 70% have links with farming. It has a calendar packed with varied activities, including the re-instated dung sale, which is scheduled for March 16.
The club is celebrating its 60th anniversary on March 1 with a dinner and dance at Tavistock Town Hall. Founder member Ena Medland from Tavistock will be one of the guest speakers, along with James Morrish from the Devon Rural Stress Network. Tickets for the event were sold out within a fortnight and there is now a waiting list.
Matthew said they hoped that everything would now be back to normal and the club would be 'even stronger than it was before'.
Anyone wishing to know more about the club or wanting to order dung can contact Matthew on 01822 852479 or Donna on 01822 810526.