Bridgette Baker: How to organise a Young Farmer barn bash

With December nearly here, my local Young Farmers’ Club has been pressing on with preparations for our annual “Saucy Santas” barn party, which is one of the biggest events in our YFC calendar.

Good organisational skills can be learned by planning one of these, and, if you attend, you will be partying hard all in the name of charity. So where do you start to get a party organised?

See also: Bridgette Baker – Career decisions suddenly looming

About the author

Bridgette Baker

Somerset young farmer Bridgette Baker hails from a mixed beef and arable farm near Yeovil, and studies agriculture at the Royal Agricultural University. An enthusiastic member of her local Young Farmers Club, Bridgette keeps her own Oxford Sandy and Black pigs and works her family’s farm rearing calves.

Read more articles by Bridgette Baker

Step 1 Find a venue with enough capacity for guests and car parking. This is the hardest part as sheds are in maximum use over winter, storing grain and machinery.

Start asking around in summer for the best chance of success.

This year, we managed it by October so we could begin publicising it well ahead of party day on 10 December.

Throughout the planning process, your networking skills are vital, as existing contacts will be familiar with your club and invested in helping you pull off a brilliant event.

Step 2 Organise an alcohol-selling licence, find security, get the fencing, first-aid, portaloos, and other useful bits from local farmers, such as trailers and spud boxes for making a bar.

People might be prepared to help on the basis they’ll receive an agreed payment at the end, assuming profits reach a certain amount.

Try to keep costs low – for example, by avoiding overestimating how much alcohol is needed.

Step 3 Get a popular local DJ. This is critical as you need someone who will play the necessary belters of “Wagon Wheel”, “Nellie the Elephant” and, of course, “Hit the Diff”.

This is what makes YFC parties legendary, as we can catch up with fellow friends from across a few counties and dance to our favourite classic party songs.

Step 4 Encourage club members to work as a dream-team for painting signs and setting up and decorating the shed ready for the big day.

It’s exciting to plan such a large event as a group, knowing profits will go towards putting on good weekly club meetings and activities, rather than just gathering at the pub.

If you’re a young farmer in Somerset, please come along to “Saucy Santas”.

And if you’re not keen, get keen!