There was a real buzz in Crediton Library as readers gathered for our event with Minette Batters, and she did not disappoint. Speaking with warmth, humour and remarkable candour, she delivered an evening that was thought provoking, entertaining and packed with the energy that has made her one of the most influential voices in British farming today.

In front of our largest audience for an event in nearly three years, Minette brought the same determination, candour and infectious energy that runs through the pages of her new book Harvest. We are enormously grateful to Crediton Library for hosting the event and helping us welcome such a large and engaged audience for what proved to be a memorable night.

After a brief introduction, including thanks to Minette for making the long and very hot journey down from Wiltshire on a Friday evening in mid-July – a challenge not entirely out of keeping with the many obstacles she recounts in the book – our chair for the evening, Devon farmer and agricultural campaigner Andy Gray, quickly set the pace. Picking up on the opening of the prologue, set at the Devon County Show in 2018, Andy immediately drew Minette into conversation about the experiences that shaped her remarkable career.

What emerged throughout the evening was a portrait of someone driven by grit, resilience and an unwavering sense of purpose. From her childhood on the family farm and her success in point-to-point racing, to becoming the first female president of the National Farmers’ Union in its 109-year history, Minette’s story is one of determination overcoming obstacle after obstacle. She spoke openly about being highly dyslexic, not taking the conventional route through higher education, and her early fear of public speaking. There was plenty of encouragement in her story for anyone who has ever doubted their own abilities.

Minette admitted that she had never intended to write Harvest. In fact, she joked that she originally thought about writing a book focused on Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. Thankfully, her editor persuaded her that her real story lay in her passion for farming, food production and the countryside. Judging by the audience reaction, that was clearly the right decision.

One of the strengths of the evening was Minette’s ability to move seamlessly between humour and hard truths. Her anecdotes about encounters with politicians had the audience chickling, particularly her observations on publicity stunts, unintended accidents with lambs, soundbites and some rather surprising moments behind the scenes of government. Yet beneath the humour was a palpable frustration with short-term political thinking and a fierce anger at decisions she believes have damaged British farming and rural communities.

That combination of warmth, wit and righteous indignation made for compelling listening. Minette spoke passionately about the consequences of trade deals, the challenges facing food production, and the need for long term planning rather than political theatre. Whether audience members agreed with every position or not, there was no doubting the sincerity of her convictions or the strength of her desire to see meaningful change. Again and again, she returned to the belief that Britain needs a credible long term plan for farming, food security and rural communities, and that real progress will only come when politicians are prepared to look beyond headlines and soundbites.

The conversation could easily have continued for several more hours. Andy still had questions to ask, and Minette remained in full flow as we moved into a wide ranging audience Q&A covering everything from soil health and agricultural policy to Jeremy Clarkson’s impact on public awareness of farming. The discussion was thoughtful, lively and often entertaining, before the evening concluded with a lengthy book signing.

Harvest is part memoir, part manifesto and, after hearing Minette speak, it is impossible not to recognise it as the work of someone who refuses to stand by quietly when she believes things need fixing.