THE next generation of rural advocates are rolling up their sleeves and hitting the hustings.
NSW Young Farmers memberships rising 30 per cent over the past 12 months.
Young farmers chairman Josh Gilbert, Sydney (formerly Nabiac), spruiked the membership surge during his address to the NSW Farmers state conference at Luna Park today.
The increase comes on the back of grassroots renewal for the rural youth movement in NSW, with four new branches - including a Sydney metro branch - to be established this year.
A branch at Hay is already operating, with Dubbo and Wagga Wagga to follow suit in the coming months.
In May Parramatta's Commercial Hotel hosted the launch of the Sydney Young Farmers branch, with a crowd of 50 young producers, agriculture students, and agribusiness professionals turning out.
The Wagga Wagga branch will launch on Juy 24 with a Q and A-style panel discussion on the hot topics affecting youth in agriculture.
The panellists will include Nationals MP Michael McCormack, Rennylea Angus cattle producer Lucinda Corrigan, #AgChatOZ founder Danica Leys and agricultural student and Horizon Scholar Claudia Raleigh.