Young Farmers and Careers

Helping to motivate, inspire and guide staff to achieve their best can help a farm business thrive. In the first of a two-part feature, Clemmie Gleeson speaks to two farmers who, although from different sectors and backgrounds, let their staff know what they do matters and is appreciated.

Lee Robb, 29, works at Ladyyard Farm, Mauchline, Ayrshire. He is a Crossroads YFC member, past Ayrshire District chairman and a current Ayrshire representative for agri and rural affairs.

Starting out in farming has been a steep learning curve for Rosie Howes and Scott Brame, but as they told Clemmie Gleeson, they have lots of ideas and plans for the future.

An innovative approach, together with investment, has been central to success for first-generation dairy farmers Liam and Annie James. Barry Alston reports.

Joe Bramall, 20, is from a 162-hectare (400-acre) dairy farm, milking 240 cows, outside of Chester, Cheshire. He studies agri-business at Harper Adams university and is an NFU Student and Young Farmer Ambassador.

Staff are the key to any business, but why can farmers, who are also employers, be sometimes reluctant to secure the best team around them? And why is it so important to a business’ bottom line? Clemmie Gleeson finds out more.

Catherine McKenna, 26, works on her family sheep farm in Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland.

Olivia Holt, 25, from Thorton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, works on two dairy farms as well as at home on her father’s suckler beef farm.

Catherine Hynd, 27, is from Jedburgh, Scottish Borders. She graduated from Heriot-Watt University with a degree in business management and is working towards becoming a rural bookkeeper.