Revealed: The winner of Farmers Apprentice 2018

And the winner is…

… 22 year old Sam Coote from County Durham has been crowned the winner of Farmers Apprentice 2018, following 5 days of challenging tasks.

Sam beat eight other finalists to clinch the title, walking away with a cash prize of £10,000 to invest in his farming future.

Sam performed consistently well throughout the week-long bootcamp, with particularly strong performances on the first task – fitting an autosteer system to a tractor – and the final challenge – delivering a presentation to primary school pupils.

Sam with the winning cheque © Richard Stanton

The judges were particularly impressed with Sam’s calm good-sense, adaptability and sheer determination.

Sam has just graduated from Askham Bryan college near York, achieving a first in his agricultural management degree. He is currently working on farms in New Zealand to broaden his farming experience.

Not from a farming background, Sam’s journey into agriculture began in 2011 when he left school aged 16 to study for a level two diploma in agriculture at East Durham College.

Throughout his studies at Askham Bryan Sam gained practical experience working on a mixed beef and arable family farm – L R Welsh & Company – close to his home in Spennymoor, County Durham.

He developed his leadership skills as Chairman and Treasurer of the Durham City Young Farmers Club.