FATHER AND SON WERE BOTH PART OF CHESHIRE’S AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY — THEN A TRAGEDY AT THE FAMILY FARM TOOK THEM TOGETHER

Alan Ford had spent seven years at the helm of the Cheshire Agricultural Society. His son Rick had followed in his footsteps, becoming a director and continuing a family connection to the farming community.

Then, on a summer afternoon in August, father and son were both lost in a tragic incident at their family farm.

Alan Ford, 72, and his 42-year-old son Rick died after falling into an industrial slurry tank at a farm on Cann Lane in Aston by Budworth, Cheshire, on August 26.

Emergency services were called at around 12:20 p.m. after reports of an industrial incident.

Police, firefighters and ambulance crews rushed to the farm.

When rescuers arrived, they found the two men inside the tank.

Both were eventually rescued, but despite the efforts of emergency crews, they were pronounced dead at the scene.

A FAMILY DEEPLY CONNECTED TO CHESHIRE FARMING

For many people in the region, Alan and Rick were more than farmers.

They were familiar faces within one of Cheshire’s best-known agricultural organisations.

Alan had served as chairman of the Cheshire Agricultural Society for seven years, becoming one of the prominent figures associated with the organisation and its work supporting agriculture and the rural community.

He stepped down as chairman and director in April 2026.

But his departure did not end the Ford family’s connection to the Society.

Rick had already been serving as a director for several years.

The father had helped lead the organisation.

The son was continuing the family’s involvement.

That connection made the news of their deaths particularly devastating for colleagues and friends across Cheshire’s agricultural community.

“PROFOUND SADNESS”

Following the tragedy, the Cheshire Agricultural Society released a tribute to the pair.

The organisation described Alan as its past chairman and Rick as a director who had been involved with the Society for several years.

The Society said the Ford family had worked “tirelessly” for the organisation over many years.

The tribute also described the loss as an extremely painful moment for everyone connected with the agricultural community.

“Alan and Rick will be very sadly missed by everyone who knew them,” the Royal Cheshire County Show said in a separate tribute.

For those who had worked alongside them, the tragedy was not simply the loss of two family members.

It was the sudden disappearance of two people who had spent years helping to support and represent the farming community.

THE INCIDENT AT THE FARM

The tragedy happened at a farm on Cann Lane, in the rural area of Aston by Budworth.

According to Cheshire Police, officers were called shortly after midday following reports of an industrial incident.

The two men had fallen into an industrial slurry tank.

Such tanks are used on farms to store liquid agricultural waste, making incidents involving them particularly dangerous.

Emergency services immediately began a rescue operation.

Alan and Rick were brought out of the tank, but neither survived.

Police confirmed that the incident was being treated as a tragic farming accident, with investigations continuing into what happened.

A SON WHO FOLLOWED HIS FATHER

There is something particularly heartbreaking about the story of Alan and Rick.

Their professional lives were connected not only by blood, but also by the same agricultural community.

Alan had spent years in a leadership role.

Rick had followed him into the Cheshire Agricultural Society.

While Alan had only recently stepped away from his position in April, Rick remained involved as a director.

It meant that even after Alan retired from the Society, the Ford name continued to have a presence within the organisation through his son.

That family connection is now part of the legacy colleagues are remembering.

TRIBUTES ACROSS THE FARMING COMMUNITY

News of the tragedy quickly spread through Cheshire’s agricultural circles.

Tributes described the Ford family as highly respected and deeply committed to the rural community.

Friends and colleagues remembered Alan and Rick for the contribution they had made over many years.

Their loss was felt particularly strongly because both men had been so closely connected with the Royal Cheshire County Show and the wider agricultural community.

The Society’s tribute made clear that their involvement had extended far beyond a job title.

They had given years of their lives to supporting an organisation that plays an important role in celebrating Cheshire’s farming heritage.

A TRAGEDY THAT HAS LEFT A COMMUNITY GRIEVING

Alan had retired from the Society only months earlier.

Rick was still helping carry the family connection forward.

And then, on August 26, everything changed.

A father and son who had spent years working in the same agricultural world were suddenly gone.

Their family has asked for privacy during this extremely difficult time.

Meanwhile, the Cheshire Agricultural Society and members of the wider farming community continue to remember two men whose lives were closely tied to the land, agriculture and the people around them.

Alan Ford spent years helping lead Cheshire’s agricultural community.

Rick carried that connection into the next generation.

Their story was one of family, farming and service.

And now, their names are being remembered together — not only as father and son, but as two people who left a lasting mark on the community they served.