SPENDING a Saturday pulling a tractor around Jersey would not be every young person’s idea of fun, but for the Jersey Young Farmers Club it has become an essential part of their Battle of Flowers float fund-raising each year.
This year the 12 willing participants took to the streets on the same day as the Itex walkers – Saturday 21 June – with their collection buckets in tow. The team started their ‘pull’ at 8.30 am at Red Houses and finished at Gorey at 4.30 pm – although they admit that they did stop at a couple of pubs and for lunch along their way.
But the young people’s efforts were not in vain, with the event pulling in £873.20 to go towards their 2008 float, Jersey Young Farmers Chaos.
However, before the team had even recovered from the event, the hard-earned cash had been spent. ‘We used the funds to help with our wood orders and to pay our excess harestails bills,’ explained team leader Emily Ryan. ‘We get our wood progressively from Normans when we can afford it. Luckily we don’t have to pay for our flowers until they send the bill through, though, which is usually in September.’
Emily said that the team have ordered between 9,000 and 10,000 flowers for the float this year, all grown in Holland. For this exhibit they particularly need a large amount of red and white flowers to cover their barn. As well as flowers, the team will also be using turf this year, as well as natural papas grass to cover a six-foot chicken.
Since the JEP last caught up with them, the young people have also been giving some thought to their costumes for the parade. The team’s Battle outfits are usually made by Emily’s mum, Jean, but this year they decided that it would be too much hard work for her and are sorting them out themselves.
‘We decided that it wasn’t fair to ask one person to make them all, as it is such a struggle,’ said Emily. ‘Everyone has decided to buy their own instead as we can’t afford to take them out of out Battle funds. The girls will be dressed as milkmaids and the guys as funky farmers with ripped jeans, their hair spiked up and some sort of body paint to make it look like they’ve been rolled over with a tractor. The only thing that my Mum is making for us is about 15 pairs of bloomers for the girls.’
The ‘chaotic’ theme of the float will see a person on the spit roast, genetically modified people and a number of animals who have taken over. Emily said that these farm animals are now starting to come on slowly.
‘We have been carrying on,’ she said. ‘The boys kept on going with the mechanics and the pop-up rabbits are nearly working now. The boys have also starting making the animals – such as pigs, sheep, chicken and ducks –out of wiring. The tractors have also now been attached and a few of the boys have been working on putting the base down, which is a bit fiddly.’
In the last couple of weeks Emily says that the team have also heard the good news that they will be receiving sponsorship from Holme Grown. However she said that no other companies have yet got back to her, which is still a worry.
So what are the team’s plans for the next fortnight?
‘We now need to get our sound equipment in and we will be carrying on with the wood and metal work. We need to get the animals made so that we can harestail them,’ said Emily.
‘Also, we started our tractor which is used to drive the float the other day, and although it started it took a few attempts. So we need to check the mechanics to make sure that everything is fine and that we won’t break down.’
• In the next instalment: Will the team get their sound equipment sorted?
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