YFA Drinks Reception at the Royal Highland Show June 2023

The Young Farmers Ambassadors (YFA) organisation in the UK was set up sometime after the start of the international exchange programme in 1948, and at that time it was with USA. The international programme soon developed with many other destinations being added over the years and the YFA was a way of continuing the aims of the programme as well as members keeping up the contact and fellowship of others who had had this experience. Scotland, England & Wales, Northern Ireland each have their own organisation, but we come together annually for a UK reunion and we have the opportunity, to attend International Farm Youth Exchange (IFYE) events worldwide.
We like to recognise certain anniversary years, and one of the aims of the Drinks Reception is to bring them together, reminisce and rekindle friendships. At this year’s event held during the Royal Highland Show, the biggest agricultural event in the UK, 25 guests attended from the anniversary years 1963 to 2018 with the biggest group coming from 1983, with 13 of them attending. In that group there were people who had had their exchange to many parts of the world – Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, and Northern Ireland. Although some of them had not seen each other very much in the last 40 years, you could see the excitement and joy at meeting up again. Indeed, several of them who had let their YFA membership lapse, have now re-joined, seeing the benefits of keeping in touch with others who have had similar experiences as well as being able to participate in future YFA events here and abroad. Facilitating such an event, bringing more than 100 people together from all over the country and beyond, chatting and sharing their experiences has so many positives for everyone.
In November 2021, with the valuable support of the Honourable A Sebbar, Governor of Meknes and his team, Morocco established the Moroccan Association Agricultural Youth Ambassadors, MAAYA, and joined the global IFYE organisation, signing an agreement in Meknes for exchanges of young people between Morocco and USA. The key objectives of this rural based program to broaden members’ global perspectives are:
* To develop a sense of global citizenship
* To cultivate a deeper understanding of rural practices and the rural way of living
* To explore personal values through new cultural experiences
* To better understand cultural differences
* To share agricultural knowledge and leadership skills
In June 2022 MAAYA welcomed their first two guests on this program, Sanders Barbee and Marit Hovey from Kansas and Iowa USA respectively.
Hopefully MAAYA will be able to develop and expand its exchange program with other countries and hold similar reunion activities in years to come.