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Young farmers

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YOUNG FARMERS

Fergus MacGregor: Why I'm incurably attached to my tractor

My dad has a beaten-up black Volvo that is older than I am. Its door handles play up, causing it to consistently fail its MOT and spares are now nearly…

YOUNG FARMERS

Video: 90 and Counting - Milly Garnett, Ayrshire

In the penultimate article in our series focusing on a farmer born in each of the decades since Farmers Weekly first published in the 1930s, we meet young farmer Milly…

YOUNG FARMERS

Rebekah Housden: Sometimes you must forget the stats

Lambing is drawing to a close, both on the farm where I work and on the smallholding I share. The statistics are good, with most family outfits turned out into…

YOUNG FARMERS

Emily Lees: A great farm might not be a great business

It is important to say from the get-go, this article is not an ad. Although I pay my AHDB levy like many of us, I also used to grumble at…

YOUNG FARMERS

Daisy Wood: Farming is 'a mystery in plastic' to most people

Despite growing up on a farm, I went to school in a city and sadly don’t have many farming friends. As a result, I often feel I miss out on…

YOUNG FARMERS

Peter Gittins: Urban-rural divide is stark - and dangerous

I’m reminded how disconnected the public are from where their food comes from. Comments such as “I don’t get inheritance tax relief, so why should farmers”, or “you never see…

YOUNG FARMERS

Alasdair Boden: The Rivers Trust is helping me find my way

Farmers have to be flexible. In fact, they need the flexibility of a Cirque du Soleil performer to cope with every government U-turn. The problem is that while the government…

Britain's Fittest Farmer

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COMMUNITY

BFF judge attempts 8,848m Everest rope climb

Britain’s Fittest Farmer judge and Farm Fitness founder Tom Kemp is taking on a Guinness World Record challenge to raise money for the Farming Community Network (FCN), by attempting the…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Britain's Fittest Farmer: Get stuck into regional qualifiers

Three host farms for the second stage of Farmers Weekly's Britain's Fittest Farmer competition have been revealed – and you might notice some familiar faces. Wiltshire farmer and long-standing arable…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Britain's Fittest Farmer finalists to compete at YFF19

Important announcement: The Young Farmers Festival is postponed until 2020, the new date will be announced soon. The Britain's Fittest Farmer live final will go ahead on 4 May as planned…

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Young farmers

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Careers

CAREERS AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Farm manager salaries stagnate but benefits rise

Farm managers earned an average of £52,268 in 2017, just £30 more than two years earlier. This was made up of a £48,760 gross salary plus an average £3,508 bonus…

LIVESTOCK

How swapping jobs with dairy farm owner helped a new entrant

An owner and farmworker have swapped places on a dairy farm on the Welsh Borders. The reversal of roles for semi-retired farmer Philip Davies and his former herd manager, Hannah…

FERTILE MINDS

Fertile Minds 2016: Insights and innovation

Great insights and inspiration abounded when young farmers gathered in Cumbria for the Fertile Minds conference, run by Farmers Weekly in association with NFU Mutual. The delegates heard from  a…

Careers advice

From getting your first job in agriculture to maintaining your work skills and developing your career, we provide advice and insights.
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Advice and tips

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What's next? Options for farmers' children leaving school

A new year brings new beginnings - and for school leavers, this means considering what will happen after exams are finally over. What’s the best choice - home to the…

CAREERS AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

How to find help to fund agricultural career development

Agriculture may be the fastest growing subject at UK universities, but studying is expensive, with most universities charging tuition fees of £9,000/year – and then there are living expenses to…

CAREERS AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Tips for agriculture students on securing financial help

So you’ve decided what you are going to study and where – next comes the question of how you are going to pay for it. While students can get loans…

FERTILE MINDS

Podcast: Fertile Minds on retailers and business plans

The first of our Fertile Minds regional roadshows took place on 17 November at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. The initiative, by Farmers Weekly in association with NFU Mutual, is…

TRACTORS

Taking your tractor test – all you need to know

The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) tractor test gives budding farmers the chance to drive machines on the road at the age of 16, but it shouldn't be taken lightly. The…

Top tips for young farmer business success

Who better to pick up tips about farming than other young people who have “made it” in the industry? Packed into Europe’s largest underground building last week were more than…

YOUNG FARMERS

10 pieces of advice for young people starting in agriculture

Experienced entrepreneurs had plenty of advice for the next generation at the NFYFC Annual Convention (4-6 May), offering insights into farming’s challenges – and how to overcome them.  We asked…

BUSINESS

Business Clinic: Share farming v contract farming

Whether you have a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Here, Georgina Sweeting of Savills advises on the pros and cons of…

COMMUNITY

Is an agricultural degree worth doing?

Over the past three years, figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency have shown a gradual climb in the number of students enrolling to study land-based and agricultural degrees. In…

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Managing expansion and business planning as a young farmer

Preparing years in advance, constantly updating business plans and keeping a handle on gradual expansion all help dairy farmer Sam Bailey move towards his long-term goals. Sam, 24, beat about…

BUSINESS

Podcast: Fertile Minds on finding and managing finance

New entrants to farming who turn to the bank of mum and dad for funding should always agree the terms in writing. This was the advice from John Hartwright of…

Photos and video

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FARMLIFE FRAMED

Photo of the Week: Ewe got this bottle-fed lamb

This week’s photo was sent to us by veterinary nurse Maria Hibbert, who also works on the family beef and sheep farm in Greater Manchester. This little ewe was nine…

YOUNG FARMERS

Video: 90 and Counting - Milly Garnett, Ayrshire

In the penultimate article in our series focusing on a farmer born in each of the decades since Farmers Weekly first published in the 1930s, we meet young farmer Milly…

FARMLIFE FRAMED

Photo of the Week: Mint Sauce and Morris Minor

Emily Watson captured week-old Valais Blacknose lambs Mint Sauce and Morris Minor enjoying the sunshine at Reach Out Farming, near Eastleigh, Hampshire. Easter is in full swing at the care…

FARMLIFE FRAMED

Photo of the week: Feeding cattle defeats Spider-Man

We thought Spider-Man had super-human abilities – but feeding cattle has clearly defeated our hero this time. Behind the mask is four-year-old Jack Whitehouse, who was clearly exhausted by helping…