For 24-year-old Elle Slade, a sixth-generation farmer from Exeter, a career in farming was ‘non-negotiable'. It was, she says, quite obvious from a very young age that farming was her passion.
LISTEN NOW:
But a turning point for Elle was when her dad told her and her brother that if they wanted to come back to the family farm one day, they must bring ‘something else to the party'. He also encouraged them to both find additional work elsewhere off the farm.
Calf rearing business
Elle says: "It sounds quite brutal, but it was the best thing he said to me and my brother." She did exactly that and has recently started her own calf rearing venture at the family farm, as well as working at a nearby 1,700-head fattening unit.
"My part of bringing something back to the family business was calf rearing. Land in the area, when it does come up for sale, can be extremely expensive – to the point farming would not pay it back.
Young farmer
"So it made sense to go into calf rearing, because acreage is very low."
Rearing calves is something Elle has done since she was 13, recalling the little portable wooden hutches that would hold about eight calves.
As a youngster, she would mix her own milk replacer up in churns and ‘lug it up to the calf shed'.
READ NOW: Dual milking system offers flexibility on Cornish family dairy farm
Now in her 20s, Elle is at the very start of her new venture. She says rearing calves has always been a job she has found very rewarding, especially when it is going well.
She has decided to go down the automatic calf feeding route, something she was a little nervous about at the start.
Automatic calf feeder
"I very much want to get the job done and know the job is done. It is like milking in-parlour, or milking robotically."
It works in her favour, given she was not ready to go back to the farm full time, and the automatic calf feeder has allowed her to split her time between the calves and working at the fattening unit.
READ NOW: Manufacturers will adapt to President Donald Trump's 'disruptive' tariffs
While the calf rearing unit has only recently launched, Elle says it has not come without its challenges. It was only the other week that she ordered some gates for the calves, but every gate was one-metre too long, due to a mix-up at the depot.
Budget
She says starting the venture when beef prices ‘have gone mental' has also been something she did not expect.
"My original budget for the shed has stayed where I want it, but my budget for calves has gone out of the door," she adds.
Quality over numbers
But Elle says quality will always sell, although she adds finding the quality of calves is proving tricky at the minute.
"That has been my biggest challenge yet – sourcing the right sort of calf I want to take forward. I do not want to buy calves from anywhere and it be a numbers game," she says, adding her dad thought she was being a ‘little bit too picky'.
Building relationships
"The market for calves is a tough environment." Elle predominantly looks for British Blues and Limousin calves, buying mainly through markets, although she would like to change this over time.
For her, the perfect system would be to develop strong relationships with dairy farmers and gain a reputation that way.
"I would like to get into a position where I have built some very trusting relationships and we work together. We can then discuss aspects like semen and breeding."
It is important for Elle, though, to ensure the transition for calves on to the farm is as seamless as possible – calves, she says, are creatures of routine. Feeding times, milk powders, environment – there has to be consistency.
READ NOW: Arla to merge with Germany's largest dairy coop
"That way you will see very positive daily live weight gains. Obviously as a business that is a win-win," she says.
Going forward, Elle's aim is build up her calf rearing facilities, and her engagement through social media has instilled confidence that her venture is going in the right direction.
Social media
"People are asking to put an order in for reared calves. From the response I have had from people through social media, it has given me the want to go ahead for expansion," she adds.
Her advice to anyone looking to go into calf rearing is to ‘not to be put off by the costs' and ‘big fancy companies' telling you what to buy. Keeping it simple, she says, is best, and you should focus on making the system work for you.
READ NOW: Farmers Kaleb Cooper and Rebecca Wilson named amongst most influential young people in UK
"It is not a one-size-fits-all system. What works for me might not work for other people," she says.
Elle believes calves develop at different stages, and she would rather sell her animals when they are each ready - not because she feels they have to reach certain weights or ages.
Education and careers in agriculture
Although Elle is right where she wants to be, her journey through school was challenging. She even describes it as ‘horrendous', explaining how her interest in farming and farm upbringing was misunderstood.
"Myself and another lad were constantly being held back after class. We were either not engaging, or not understanding what was going on. Instantly we were classed as the thick farmers," she says.
READ NOW: New Clarkson's Farm series to document one of the 'toughest years' for British farming
But Elle is keen to show that the agricultural sector has opportunities for anybody, offering diverse career paths which should be celebrated. And, if more agricultural topics were on the school curriculum, not only would more people join different careers in the farming sector, but more people would have a better understanding of how their food is produced.
"The general public are so undereducated on the agricultural sector, it is embarrassing." She feels the Government is most at fault for this, but admitted farmers also have a part to play in speaking out.
Advice
For those starting out on their journey, she urges others to take every opportunity they are given and work hard.
"There are 24 hours in a day. Use that 24 hours but do not forget to have fun," she says.
And when it comes to the biggest learning curve to date, Elle says it was working at the fattening unit, being only 5ft 2in.
Confidence
She says: "I am able to hold my ground with the livestock and in the sector in general. People say that I am confident, but from a woman's perspective I think you need to be. Do not be shy of speaking up."
She believes the future of farming is bright, though, and on a personal level she will just keep chipping away, working hard and making mistakes. "The biggest lesson you will learn from is a mistake," Elle adds.
