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Young farmers

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YOUNG FARMERS

Daisy Wood: Seeing how others farm is a great investment

I visited Madeira recently to escape the perpetual rain. I spent time walking their unique network of irrigation channels, known as levadas, that weave through the mountains. Next to the…

YOUNG FARMERS

Peter Gittins: You can’t regulate what you don’t understand

“Clueless civil servants sent to farms to learn how they work,” was the headline in the national media. It refers to Defra’s new Baseline Agricultural Training programme – a four-year…

COMMUNITY

Four young UK shepherds to contest European finals

Four young sheep farmers from across the UK will represent their nations at the European Shepherd of the Year competition in Paris, following regional victories. Selected by the National Sheep…

YOUNG FARMERS

Alasdair Boden: Highland cattle provide an Instagram opportunity

When picking a breed of livestock there are many factors to consider. The land you have, the available housing, market trends etc. However, there’s a new consideration – how Instagramable…

YOUNG FARMERS

NFU selects next cohort of young farming ambassadors

Leadership training, personal development and helping to tell the story of British farming are on the cards for six young farmers who form the latest batch of NFU ambassadors. The…

YOUNG FARMERS

Rebekah Housden: Starting lambing as a 'rare-breed' farmer

With January out of the way, we are on the home straight hurtling towards the start of lambing. All the winter jobs filled the start of the year: patching fences,…

YOUNG FARMERS

SAYFC halfway to ‘Big Build’ fundraising goal

Scottish Association of Young Farmers' Clubs (SAYFC) chairman Jillian Kennedy has outlined progress on the organisation’s ambitious “Big Build” campaign, revealing £800,000 has now been raised towards a £1.6m target…

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

JOB PROFILES

Farming careers: Tractor driver to assistant farm manager

Simon Little, 35, is the assistant farm manager of the arable enterprise on a 3,000-acre mixed estate in East Sussex. From a non-farming background, Simon took a summer job carting…

CAREERS AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Why are army veterans so suited to a career in agriculture?

Established at the end of 2019, Forces Farming is on a mission to put agricultural careers on the radar of military veterans and service leavers. After speaking with a friend…

ARABLE

How a new entrant became an arable manager

David McLaughlan hasn’t taken the traditional route on his way to a management role at Bartlow Estate in Cambridgeshire, as he has no farming background or formal qualification in agriculture.…

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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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…

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…

MACHINERY

Top tips for starting a new farm contracting business

Starting out in contracting can be daunting and financially terrifying but it can equally create a lifestyle driven by a true love of the outdoors and machinery. Farmers Weekly speaks…

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…

YOUNG FARMERS

Tips for young farmers on making media appearances

Ben Chilman has received a raft of requests to appear on TV and radio since he won the coveted Farmers Weekly Ag Student Award last autumn. The most recent was…

YOUNG FARMERS

Young sheep farmers share tips on year-round lamb marketing

Britain’s next generation of sheep farmers are taking the lead in promoting home-grown lamb as a healthy and sustainable choice for shoppers. These young industry representatives – aptly named “lambassadors”…

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…

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…

BUSINESS

Podcast: Fertile Minds on planning your diversification

Farmers should look beyond sources of agricultural funding when seeking finance for diversification, the fourth Fertile Minds Roadshow in York heard last week. Young farmers at the roadshow, heard from…

BUSINESS

4 young farmers on setting up successful joint dairy ventures

Young farmers are successfully using joint ventures in the dairy sector as a way of developing their careers while increasing their net worth. Tony Evans, partner with consultant The Andersons…

Photos and video

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FARMLIFE FRAMED

Photo of the Week: New Greyface Dartmoor lamb gets piggyback

This week's photo of a Greyface Dartmoor lamb and ewe is right up there in the cuteness premiere league. The photo was sent in by Amy Griffith, who is livestock…

FARMLIFE FRAMED

Photo of the Week: Tabby takes power nap with Charlie Flindt

This week we take a break from lambing to catch up on forty winks with Tabby the cat, chilling with the help of Charlie Flindt’s book as a pillow. It…

FARMLIFE FRAMED

Photo of the Week: Honey sports natty jumper to keep warm

This week’s photo of the week was sent in by Tanya Earnshaw. It shows her Badger Face Texel, Honey, wearing her new jumper to ward off the winter chill. Tanya…

FARMLIFE FRAMED

Photo of the Week: Football fan lambs enter Pedigree league

This week’s photo of pedigree Shropshire ram lambs sniffing their new toy was sent in by Mark Openshaw. Mark produces the 25-strong flock with Yvette Openshaw. He says the football…