A COUNTY Harvest Festival will take place in Worcester Cathedral.

The service will give thanks for the farmers who ensure we have food on our plates and celebrate rural life in general.

It has been organised by the Chaplaincy for Agriculture and Rural Life (CARL) and the preacher will be Howard Petch, CBE who is Chairman of Germinate, formerly Principal of Bishop Burton College, Chief Executive of Landex and Vice Chair of the Farming Community Network. 

There will be a procession by Worcestershire Young Farmers, who will bring various gifts to the altar.

Prayers will be offered focussing on the concerns of a range of organisations involved in farming and rural life. There will also be a collection for the Farming Community Network, a voluntary organisation and charity that supports farmers and families within the farming community through difficult times.

Nick Evans, chair of CARL, said: “The harvest celebration is an important one for the farming community and all people involved in rural life.

"It’s an opportunity to come together and thank God for our crops and livestock at a time when hopefully the harvest has been ‘safely gathered in’.

"We’d be delighted for people to come and join us at this special service and help celebrate our beautiful countryside and all those who work in it for all our benefit.” 

All are welcome to the Harvest festival, which will feature traditional and more modern hymns of thanks and an anthem by the Cathedral Voluntary Choir.

The service will take place at 6.30pm on Sunday, 7 October and there will be light refreshments available afterwards in College Hall.