Young Farmers and Careers

Get training from outside of your employer to reach your career goals, say farmers who proactively sought to improve their skills and career development. Jez Fredenburgh reports.

Gareth Staples-Jones, 24, and Grace Collinson, 23, farm in Stone Fold Village, Accrington. Gareth works as a commercial account handler at NFU Mutual Preston and Grace works at Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary.

An outbreak of American Foulbrood (AFB) has been found in a single hive in an apiary in the Stanley area of Perthshire.

Lauren David,19, is a beef and sheep farmer in Cowbridge, South Wales. She is also an NFU Student and Young Farmer Ambassador.

Ailish Ross, 26, North Warwickshire, is an event and sales cataloguing manager for the Texel Sheep Society.

National Federation of Young Farmers’ Club (NFYFC) members have voted to increase the membership age from 26 to 28 from September 1.  

Bruce Keillor, 23 is from Forfar, Angus and works as the lead tractor man on a 850ha arable farm at Brechin and Forfar.

Nia Griffiths, 29, is from Aberdeenshire and works on her partner’s livestock farm situated near Ballater in Royal Deeside.

Skilled staff are vital to farm business success, but training does not have to mean endless expensive courses for employers to fund. Jez Fredenburgh speaks to a training consultancy specialist to find out what options are out there to benefit both parties.

Lucie Trapp is a 23-year-old sheep farmer based in Sevenoaks, Kent. She set up her lamb business in 2019.