NEW chairman of the Yorkshire Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs is Silsden dairy farmer Georgina Fort.

She has taken over the chains of office from outgoing chairman Kirsty Searby.

The 29 year-old farms the 250-head Silmoor Holsteins herd with her father and sister.

She also has her own sheep enterprise on the farm and juggles it all with looking after her young son Alexander.

Georgina took a degree in theatre and performance studies, culminating with working on ITV soap Emmerdale as a background artist, before returning to work on the family’s 300-acre farm.

She also picked up the prize of ‘Young Farmer of the Year’ in last year’s Rural Awards. Georgina said: “Becoming chairman is a huge honour and I hope to meet as many members as possible during my time in office.

“These are difficult times for the farming industry and, more widely, for young people living in rural areas. Young farmers gives us one voice and I take getting that voice heard very seriously.”

Georgina maintain that she is a huge advocate of women working within the traditionally male-dominated world of farming.

“People still often presume that because I’m a woman I’ll be a farmer’s wife - when I’m actually the farmer,” she says.

“It’s important that as an organisation we continue to challenge such outdated attitudes.”