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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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YOUNG FARMERS

Gloucestershire gay young farmer shares his coming-out story

Stuart Gardener is typical of a farming 20-something. Having grown up with agriculture “in his blood”, the 28-year-old would love to have his own farm one day. In the meantime,…

YOUNG FARMERS

Opinion: Time to preserve all that is good about Young Farmers

The party is over for our young farmers. No encore. No last hurrah. After a 50-year roller-coaster, the essence of what makes the Young Farmers’ Clubs so special is dead.…

FARMLIFE

Video: Farming rap sensation raises cash for NFYFC

A new-found rapping sensation has released a track inspired by life on the farm and tasty British pork – and listening to this banger will help fund our young farmers.…

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…

EVENTS

Convention cancelled: NFYFC calls time on popular weekend

The National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC) will no longer hold its annual convention after half a century of events, following a review of the popular weekend. The NFYFC’s…

YOUNG FARMERS

5 minutes with Devon young farmer Nikki Holliday

Welcome to “5 minutes with” where we get to know one of Britain’s brightest and best young farmers. These brilliant young people are the future of the agriculture industry and…

YOUNG FARMERS

Josh Dowbiggin: Keep calm and counter vegan argument

A few weeks ago I agreed to engage in a head-to-head debate with a vegan called Nik for a BBC Three series about differing opinions. I had mixed emotions about…

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

FARMLIFE

Agricultural ancillary careers – varied and exciting

The countryside offers a huge diversity of exciting and stimulating jobs, alongside hands-on farming opportunities. We catch up with four young farmers’ sons and daughters who are pursuing successful careers…

Job profile: What it's like to be a DairyCo extension officer

There are a wide range of job opportunities in the food and farming sector. Farmers Weekly asks what it is like to be a dairy extension officer. Name Becky Miles          …

ARABLE

Job profile: What it’s like to be a plant breeder

It’s not easy to become a plant breeder, but if you are passionate about crops, it can be hugely satisfying to see something you helped create growing in fields across…

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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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…

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…

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

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Photos and video

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FARMLIFE FRAMED

Upload your farming photos and videos to FW’s new galleries

We've got some exciting news for all of our snap-happy readers – Farmers Weekly’s galleries are back and they're better than ever before. Earlier this year we launched our new…

FARMLIFE FRAMED

Farmlife Framed: Pool parties, harvest and sunsets

Welcome to Farmers Weekly’s photo series – Farmlife Framed. We’re incredibly lucky to be sent a shedload of photographs by our fantastic readers, keen to share a snapshot of their lives. From…

FARMLIFE

National prize for photos showing realities of farming

A collection of photographs detailing “Honest Agriculture” has won a national award for farmer’s son and photography student, Jac Williams. Originally from north Wales, Mr Williams is a final year…

YOUNG FARMERS

Video: FW columnist Josh Dowbiggin takes on hardcore vegan

Young farmer Josh Dowbiggin has delivered a masterclass in how to deal with extreme vegan rhetoric in a BBC3 short video. The Farmers Weekly Awards reigning Ag Student of the…