The Kent County Agricultural Society has announced that it will facilitate the continued running of Biddenden Tractorfest, with the event set to continue at the original Woolpack Corner site on the weekend of 15-16 August 2020.
After this year’s event, Sue Boon, chairman of Biddenden Tractorfest, and the organisers agreed that the event had reached a scale that could no longer be run efficiently by volunteers alone and that sadly it would not be held in 2020. Following talks with the Kent County Agricultural Society, it was agreed that the Society could take on Biddenden Tractorfest, aiming to continue the event in keeping with the idea of how it was originally set up with existing volunteers still forming much of the organising committee.
The Kent County Agricultural Society already run four agricultural events throughout the year including their showcase event, the Kent County Show, as well as the Heritage Transport Show.
Julian Barnes, vice chairman of the Kent County Agricultural Society, owner of Biddenden Vineyards and resident of the village said: “When I heard that Sue and all the volunteers felt they could no longer continue to organise Biddenden Tractorfest along its current lines, I knew that we needed to find a way for this important event in Biddenden village to continue. The aims of the volunteers that set up the event are very much in line with the charitable objectives of the Kent County Agricultural Society, so it made sense for the two to discuss the opportunities available.”
Sue Boon and her committee have endorsed this move which they feel will offer visitors to the much-loved event an opportunity to enjoy it for years to come.
The Kent County Agricultural Society has been supporting education and improvement in agriculture, horticulture, forestry and related industries since its foundation in 1923. It provides grants to Kent Young Farmers Clubs and offers university scholarships to students wishing to study in related fields. The Society also provides free education on farming to children through the ‘Farming in the Classroom’ initiative & the Living Land event, whilst supporting the county’s agricultural and land-based industries & workers through recognition awards along with its trade show, Farm Expo.
Stand applications for Biddenden Tractorfest are open now, with tickets going on sale early in the New Year. More information and updates may be found at www.tractorfest.co.uk
