PLANS are well underway for this year’s season of agricultural shows in the North York Moors National Park area.

Some 21 will be staged, many in and around Ryedale, including Malton Show, at Scampston Park on June 29, Ryedale, near Kirkbymoorside, July 29, Thornton-le-Dale, August 6, Danby, August 13, Rosedale, August 16, Egton, August 20, Farndale, August 25, Bilsdale, August 30, Kildale and Lealholm, September 6, Castleton, September 13, and Stokesley, September 20.

David Smith, senior ranger at the National Park Authority, said: “Farmers, shepherds and Country people have met socially for centuries to celebrate harvests, trade animals and swap stories. Consequently, the origins of many traditional shows are lost in the distant past but all our still thriving. What they have in common is a deep-rooted appreciation of the countryside. If you want to know what makes the rural areas of Ryedale and the national park tick, the local agricultural show is the place to start.”