Young Farmer Focus

Megan Watkins, 22, grew up on her family farm in Craswall, Herefordshire, where they breed pedigree Texel sheep and Limousin cattle. She graduated in 2021 from Harper Adams University and recently joined Pilgrim’s Pride, in the Dalehead Foods division, as lamb supply chain and procurement coordinator.

Stuart Mitchell, 29, is a head partner of a 440-hectare mixed family farm in the Scottish borders, running cattle, deer and arable enterprises.

Hannah Slim, 19, grew up on the outskirts of Birmingham and is a former vegan. She is currently studying conservation and environmental management at Harper Adams University.

Josie Troop, 23, currently lives on her family’s beef and arable farm in Newark, Nottinghamshire and is the NFU’s student and young farmer ambassador for the East Midlands.

Floss Styles, 30, is the founder of the First Generation Farmers Group on Facebook. From two sheep to 60, she is building up a farming business in Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, while working full-time.

Benjamin Middlewood, 24, works on his family’s 182-hectare (450-acre) arable farm in Driffield, Yorkshire Wolds. They grow a typical range of combinable crops, as well as vining peas for a local group, and sugar beet for the Newark factory.

Sophie Moore, 27, is a first generation farmer from Birmingham with a passion for running a sheep business around a full-time job in one of the most unlikely areas of the UK.

Emily Bennison, 23, lives on her family’s mixed livestock and arable farm in Swallow, Lincolnshire. She currently works for H&M Haylage and manages her family’s small herd of suckler cows.

Stephen Allen, 26, is from Rothes, Moray and works as a farm manager for Delfur Farms, a mixed beef and arable farm situated on the banks of the river Spey. The main focus of the farm is a herd of 150-head of pedigree Simmental cows along with 162 hectares (400 acres) of spring barley, all of which is for malting.

Andy Moye, 24, lives near Sudbury, Suffolk and is currently working on a beef unit.