A Suffolk young farmer is helping to put farming centre stage at the Lord Mayor’s Show in London on Saturday.

Beth Duchesne, 21, from Stanningfield near Bury St Edmunds, is part of a National Farmers’ Union (NFU)-organised team of young farmers from across the country who will accompany a state-of-the-art combine harvester through the streets of central London.

The NFU is teaming up with The Worshipful Company of Farmers and agricultural equipment manufacturer John Deere to encourage the public to back British farming. The combine is being used to demonstrate how our food is produced and will be transformed with stunning vinyl graphics depicting the great British countryside.

Beth said: “I’m really looking forward to it. It’s a great opportunity to promote young people in farming and hopefully tackle some of the stereotypes there are about agriculture. I think this is something that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

Beth has been a member of young farmers in Suffolk since she was 10. She graduated from Harper Adams with a degree in farm business management and works for agribusiness consultants Bidwells, based in Cambridge. She also helps parents Richard and Ruth Duchesne on the family farm when she can.

Saturday’s event is the 687th Lord Mayor’s Show and is expected to attract crowds of more than half a million people on the day, lining the pavements on the three mile long procession through the City of London, as well as millions more watching the live broadcast on BBC 1.

NFU vice president and Essex farmer Guy Smith said: “We are very honoured and excited to take part in one of London’s biggest and most prestigious events. Being involved with the Lord Mayor’s Show is a wonderful opportunity to showcase farming to a wide audience, many who won’t have seen a combine harvester up close before.

“The combine will look stunning and will be specially branded to promote our back British farming messages and to let the public know that farmers are proud to produce their food.

“Having eight young farmers with us, all of them passionate about what they do, will also provide the perfect platform to engage with the watching crowds and inform them about the different and varied careers available in agriculture.”