Education

Connecting young people with the countryside, food & farming in Suffolk. 

Suffolk Show

A day out for all the family, remaining a traditional agricultural show at heart. 

Trinity Park Events

The trading subsidiary of the Suffolk Agricultural Association, the 350 acre park holds events year round. 

Suffolk Agricultural Association

The Suffolk Agricultural Association

As an organisation we aim to raise our profile as a charity by being a force for good and central to all matters food, farming and the countryside in Suffolk.  We aim to build a dynamic and vibrant membership association with relevance to all farmers and those engaged in Suffolk’s rural economy. We also wish to harness the commitment and enthusiasm of our members and volunteers to disseminate knowledge and education about food and farming.     

For education we aim to provide facilities/facilitation for learning about food, farming, the countryside and wider environmental issues enabling informed connection between tomorrow’s consumers and the producers, and to contribute to the growth of the rural economy through inspiring particularly younger people to explore the wide range of careers the sector offers.           

Our biggest opportunity to achieve our charitable objectives is through the two day Suffolk Show which draws together the many and varied communities throughout the county. Through the Suffolk Show we aim to continue to be a ‘best in class’ county show which is relevant and appealing to a modern and increasingly urban based consumer/visitor.  We also want the show to be a focal point for the ‘Suffolk brand’ and promotion of the cultural offer.   

With our home, Trinity Park, we aim to manage the estate to best advantage in order to contribute to the long-term financial sustainability of the SAA, whilst enhancing the Show infrastructure and educational activities on offer.

We run a year round programme of activities, many involving education, others recognising and rewarding the outstanding achievements of our agricultural members and relevant to the interests of our members.

As a charity we work closely with sponsors across different sectors who are targeting the same audience, to help achieve our programmes.

In 20 years our schools programme has enabled every primary school age child to attend the School Farm and Country Fair. This one day event held at Trinity Park attracts over 4000 key stage 2 pupils to a day of discovery about food, farming and the countryside. About 90 exhibitors give up their time to assist learning in a fun and hands-on way the importance of food production, the environment and conservation.

This is the major project in a fast growing dynamic education programme that also includes a National Potato Council Grow your Own Potatoes workshop for schools, a Farming School of the Year Award involving butchery and cooking; a highly successful careers Food and Farming Student Day taking 300 13-16 year olds onto a farm for a practical day of meeting industry professionals to discuss career opportunities.

Every other year a horticultural conference attracts a full house of keen gardeners from the industry’s leading horticultural experts.

We are keen to recognise achievements in our own industry for farm management, diversification and business enterprise so established the annual agricultural awards dinner to celebrate the winners of the Suffolk Farm Business Competition.

SAA Strategic Plan 

To become a Member of the Suffolk Agricultural Association click here.