Farmer Focus: What’s the best route into sheep farming?

At this stage every year I’m always optimistic. I enjoy having a look back at the past 12 months – dwelling on the highs while blocking out the lows before thinking about what the year ahead may bring.

If nothing else, 2016 will be challenging, which certainly brings a degree of excitement along with various other emotions – many of which I try to park in the same place as the lows of last year.

Over the festive period the kids, aged seven to 14, had a great time. All bar one have sussed the story of the big lad in the red suit squeezing down the chimney may be fictional.

Child number one, James, is away skiing in Italy with school. I hope there is snow as it’s a 36-hour bus trip each way.

I’m finding it difficult without him here, to be honest. He’s a top bloke and I enjoy his company. We have similar interests and his sense of humour is developing along similar lines to my own, which is also a worry.

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As parents, our thoughts are starting to drift towards further education and what the kids may do, if anything, and where they might go, if anywhere.

If I were to bet on it, I think three out of our four may end up in this wonderful industry, and obviously we want them to get the best education available to help them fulfil their dreams.

I wonder if the quality of secondary education available is good enough at the moment for those who want to pursue a career in beef and sheep, and whether it can deliver what the industry will need in 10 years’ time.

If you were a parent whose kids were destined to be part of the beef and sheep industry, where would you start looking for suitable courses? Are they available in the UK or do I need to look further afield?

John Scott farms 200 suckler cows, 4,500 breeding ewes as well as some crops across 2,226ha. He also has two contract farming operations and generates energy from a small scale wind turbine and biomass boiler.