Robert Law backs our Farmers Apprentice
Congratulations to George Brown on winning Farmers Weekly‘s Farmers Apprentice. It seems a longtime since he came to help us at lambing as a rather green 15-year-old. We soon saw his can-do, entrepreneurial spirit when, at the end of lambing, he took some orphan lambs home to rear and sell in lieu of payment from us.
These supplemented the poultry he was already collecting at his home in the village of Barley. Some of its inhabitants didn’t always appreciate the early morning calls.
We wish George every success with the 30 heifer calves that he will be buying with the proceeds of the award and his endeavours climbing the farming ladder.
While on the subject of new entrants into farming, I have been very honoured by an invitation to be part of DEFRA minister David Heath’s Future of Farming Review Group. We have all heard about what the average age of farmers in this country is and the “tsunami of retirement” which is going to hit the farming and food industry over the next 10 years.
The review seeks to investigate how to improve access for talented, entrepreneurial young people and how to make it a more attractive career choice. It is not just about farming, but also associated industries such as engineering and science.
The importance of schools in promoting careers in the farming and food industry was greatly appreciated. With two school age daughters, I realise they are in the company of their teachers for 200 days a year, who can be quite a influence. I remember an underwhelming response from them when I suggested a career in agriculture.
Now to cart water and thaw some pipes, although I must admit getting two daughters to and from school every day in the recent snow is more problematic and stressful than attending to the needs of 3,000 sheep.
Former Farmers Weekly Farmer of the Year Robert Law farms 1,200ha on the Hertfordshire/Cambridgeshire/Essex borders growing cereals, peas, forage rape for seed and sugar beet. He also manages 500ha of Nottinghamshire sandland.
Read more from Robert Law
Read more from Arable Farmer Focus writers
Staying sharp shouldn't be a chore
