by Angela Cole
acole@thekmgroup.co.uk

From record breaking tractor gatherings, to well-groomed animals – the Kent County Show this weekend has it all.
Preparations have been under way all week at the Kent showground in Detling, near Maidstone, where the annual event is held, to welcome hundreds of stalls, stands and, of course, farm animals.
Our radio station, kmfm, will be sampling Kentish goodies with Julie Monkham from Produced in Kent, and speaking to Kent Agricultural Society chairman George Jessel and former Maidstone and the Weald MP, Ann Widdecombe.
New breakfast show presenter Benedict Smith will be making an outside broadcast for The Saturday Show.
The Why Farming Matters stand, a partnership with other organisations, including the NFU and Hadlow College, will be giving us a flavour of the importance of farming to Kent, and to Britain as a whole.
Young farmers’ clubs will also be in evidence, proudly showing their animals, and there will be a whole section devoted to Kentish produce.
New for this year will also be a village green, complete with cricket, cream teas and traditional fairground rides.
Members of the Ford and Fordson Association will be hoping to break a Guinness World Record when they bring together the largest gathering of Kent Fordsons, which were made narrow enough to fit through the hop gardens.
History will also be in evidence, with a display on the show’s origins and locations over the years, and a book commissioned by the agricultural society, Let the Show begin, will be launched .
The show opens today (Friday) and runs until Sunday.

Are you at the County Show? Email your pictures to messengernews@thekmgroup.co.uk