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Know How / Young farmers

Whether you’re an agricultural student, a new entrant, a young farmer hoping to get your first tenancy, or working on the family farm, you can find out what’s going on in the young farmers’ community here. Hear from other farmers about how they got their foot on the farming ladder, get advice on careers, hear from our former Young Farmer of the Year, Josh Dowbiggin in his column and find out about events for young farmers.

Young farmers

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HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Hannah Jackson: It's not selfish to take time off the farm

Let’s talk balance. This may go against the grain of the common internal fight most farmers face – the expectation that farming life means we work every hour possible. I’m…

YOUNG FARMERS

Video: A day's lambing with FW's Young Farmer of the Year

Lambing 2019 has been a relatively straightforward affair for Farmers Weekly's reigning Young Farmer of the Year, Jacob Anthony – a welcome relief after tough and bitterly cold season last year. The…

YOUNG FARMERS

The young farmer who launched a machinery repair business

A young farmer from South Wales has launched a machinery repair business, setting himself the ambitious target of having his own dealership within a decade. Tom Jenkins founded Jenkins Agricultural…

YOUNG FARMERS

Jacob Anthony: Farm improvement starts with the farmer

It’s all too easy for us as farmers to become immersed in habit and stuck in a rut of repeating the same processes over and over again. Many of us…

YOUNG FARMERS

Dorset young farmer scoops New Zealand shearing title

A young farmer from Dorset has won a major shearing competition in New Zealand – the first English competitor to claim the title in almost 30 years. Having worked for…

YOUNG FARMERS

Ben Theaker: Farmers love a lorry nearly as much as tractors

It's true, farmers love a lorry nearly as much as they love a tractor, which is why in the heart of Nottinghamshire a young farmer has “tanged up” his Toyota…

YOUNG FARMERS

Video: Is this farming's most unusual new entrant?

Philosophy graduate Sam Robinson, who was raised in Oxford, would seem a pretty unlikely new entrant to farming.  But with no industry knowledge or background, the 27-year-old moved to the…

Young farmers community

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YOUNG FARMERS

"Party's over" – YFC members react to Convention being axed

Young farmers have reacted with anger and sadness at the decision to axe the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC) Annual Convention for good. After 50 brilliant years, the…

YOUNG FARMERS

7 things not to miss at the 2018 NFYFC Annual Convention

There are only a few days left until thousands of Young Farmers rock up in Blackpool for the 2018 Annual Convention – three days of celebrating everything that makes YFC…

YOUNG FARMERS

Wasps' James Haskell on his love of rugby, music and JCBs

Rugby union star James Haskell has been announced as the Sunday night headline DJ at the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs Annual Convention in Blackpool on 6 May. The 75…

Events

Farmers Apprentice

Farmers Apprentice aims to help young people from all walks of life get a foot on to the farming ladder. See more on the ten young apprentices who have been selected to take part in a bootcamp.
Visit the Apprentice website

Careers

10 steps to farm shop staff recruitment success

Recruitment expert Max MacGillivray, who has worked throughout the agricultural sector including at the NFU, shares his tips for hiring the right candidate. See also: Vacancies on the Farmers Weekly…

CAREERS AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

How to create rapport in an interview

You’ve impressed your potential employer and made it through to the interview stage. Some employers, particularly for relief and contract farming jobs, may conduct a telephone interview first to whittle…

POULTRY

Video: Highs and lows of a rookie broiler farmer

“A real learning curve” is how Harry Shepherd describes his first months as a broiler farmer, pointing to disease challenges and equipment issues that have all added to the mix.…

Careers advice

From getting your first job in agriculture to maintaining your work skills and developing your career, we provide advice and insights.
Visit our careers page

Advice and tips

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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…

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

A beginner's guide to careers in agriculture and farming

Some people find the idea of a career in agriculture hilarious. They think it is all mud, wellies and sticking your arm up the business end of a cow. But…

FARMLIFE

8 secrets to progressing up the ag careers ladder

Getting your first job in the agricultural sector is a real milestone, but what does it take to get the next one and the one after that? If you’ve got…

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…

TENANCIES AND RENTS

How to become a county council farm tenant

County council farms provide a great opportunity for people looking to reach the first rung in the farming ladder and many holdings are designed specifically with new entrants in mind.…

FARMLIFE

Why you should consider a land-based apprenticeship

The opportunity to earn while you learn will be an appealing prospect for many young people. So what’s involved in a land-based apprenticeship and could one be right for you?…

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…

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…

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…

FARMLIFE

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

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…

Photos and video

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YOUNG FARMERS

Video: A day's lambing with FW's Young Farmer of the Year

Lambing 2019 has been a relatively straightforward affair for Farmers Weekly's reigning Young Farmer of the Year, Jacob Anthony – a welcome relief after tough and bitterly cold season last year. The…

YOUNG FARMERS

Video: Is this farming's most unusual new entrant?

Philosophy graduate Sam Robinson, who was raised in Oxford, would seem a pretty unlikely new entrant to farming.  But with no industry knowledge or background, the 27-year-old moved to the…

FARMLIFE FRAMED

Farmlife Framed: Lambing, low temperatures and little farmers

One of the highlights of the farming year, lambing season is a challenging but joy-filled time for Britain’s farmers. As lambing 2019 gathers pace, our amazing readers have been sharing…

FARMLIFE FRAMED

Farmlife Framed: Wintery weather and livestock newborns

Winter is a great time to get out on the farm for a spot of photography. With a chance of snow, bare trees making for intriguing silhouettes and perhaps a…