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Young farmers

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YOUNG FARMERS

Olivia Rohll: Ag college prepares next gen for the industry

I loved my time at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU). I was only there for a year, but that was more than enough to get a sense of the huge…

YOUNG FARMERS

Alasdair Boden: 'Accidental' farmers bring fresh ideas

Christmas morning 1994 and, under the tree in our suburban house, was a wooden model farm. It wasn’t for me, it was for my brother. I was the one documenting…

COMMUNITY

Lucy Walker: Frustration at fields filled with ramblers

With 20m people living within a one-hour drive of the Peak District, it sometimes seems like 19 million of them walk through our fields on a Sunday afternoon. This is…

COMMUNITY

Fergus MacGregor: Maintenance mistake sparks new approach

Heading out on a crisp Saturday morning, I was looking forward to my day drilling winter wheat. The evening before I had calibrated up and reminded myself how to use…

COMMUNITY

Rebekah Housden: Tup transformation brings lesson in change

As the season changes to autumn, we prepare to release the tups. Initially, they aren’t keen on the idea and shuffle, fidget and snort as I put on their harnesses. They’re…

YOUNG FARMERS

Five minutes with…Tiffany Fairey, farmhand and young farmer

Tiffany Fairey is a 21-year-old from Belper, Derbyshire, who is dedicated to shaping her future in farming. Tiffany currently works at Derby College Broomfield Hall as a farmhand, caring for…

YOUNG FARMERS

Five minutes with…Bizza Walters, young farmer and ag advocate

At 26, Bizza Walters from Warwickshire is deeply rooted in the world of farming. Coming from a farming family where her dad and uncles are third-generation farmers, she has spent…

Britain's Fittest Farmer

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COMMUNITY

BFF judge attempts 8,848m Everest rope climb

Britain’s Fittest Farmer judge and Farm Fitness founder Tom Kemp is taking on a Guinness World Record challenge to raise money for the Farming Community Network (FCN), by attempting the…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Britain's Fittest Farmer: Get stuck into regional qualifiers

Three host farms for the second stage of Farmers Weekly's Britain's Fittest Farmer competition have been revealed – and you might notice some familiar faces. Wiltshire farmer and long-standing arable…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Britain's Fittest Farmer finalists to compete at YFF19

Important announcement: The Young Farmers Festival is postponed until 2020, the new date will be announced soon. The Britain's Fittest Farmer live final will go ahead on 4 May as planned…

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Young farmers

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Careers

Novice sheep farmers are perfect tenants

Two self-confessed novices have shown that establishing a profitable sheep enterprise can be achieved, despite having a limited budget. The secret, according to the couple, has been opting for Lleyns,…

DAIRY

Getting into dairy farming: Options for new entrants

Buying land for £13,000/acre (£32,000/ha) or renting at more than £250/acre (£6,100/ha) in dairying areas is extremely challenging for a young business without much equity.  However, if you are young,…

Why you should consider a land-based apprenticeship

The opportunity to earn while you learn will be an appealing prospect for many young people. So what’s involved in a land-based apprenticeship and could one be right for you?…

Careers advice

From getting your first job in agriculture to maintaining your work skills and developing your career, we provide advice and insights.
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Advice and tips

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Why you should consider a land-based apprenticeship

The opportunity to earn while you learn will be an appealing prospect for many young people. So what’s involved in a land-based apprenticeship and could one be right for you?…

COMMUNITY

Is an agricultural degree worth doing?

Over the past three years, figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency have shown a gradual climb in the number of students enrolling to study land-based and agricultural degrees. In…

CAREERS AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

A beginner's guide to careers in agriculture and farming

Some people find the idea of a career in agriculture hilarious. They think it is all mud, wellies and sticking your arm up the business end of a cow. But…

YOUNG FARMERS

Tips for young farmers on making media appearances

Ben Chilman has received a raft of requests to appear on TV and radio since he won the coveted Farmers Weekly Ag Student Award last autumn. The most recent was…

What's next? Options for farmers' children leaving school

A new year brings new beginnings - and for school leavers, this means considering what will happen after exams are finally over. What’s the best choice - home to the…

CAREERS AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

How to find help to fund agricultural career development

Agriculture may be the fastest growing subject at UK universities, but studying is expensive, with most universities charging tuition fees of £9,000/year – and then there are living expenses to…

BUSINESS

4 young farmers on setting up successful joint dairy ventures

Young farmers are successfully using joint ventures in the dairy sector as a way of developing their careers while increasing their net worth. Tony Evans, partner with consultant The Andersons…

FERTILE MINDS

Podcast: Fertile Minds on retailers and business plans

The first of our Fertile Minds regional roadshows took place on 17 November at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. The initiative, by Farmers Weekly in association with NFU Mutual, is…

BUSINESS

Podcast: Fertile Minds on finding and managing finance

New entrants to farming who turn to the bank of mum and dad for funding should always agree the terms in writing. This was the advice from John Hartwright of…

MACHINERY

Top tips for starting a new farm contracting business

Starting out in contracting can be daunting and financially terrifying but it can equally create a lifestyle driven by a true love of the outdoors and machinery. Farmers Weekly speaks…

BUSINESS

Podcast: Fertile Minds on planning your diversification

Farmers should look beyond sources of agricultural funding when seeking finance for diversification, the fourth Fertile Minds Roadshow in York heard last week. Young farmers at the roadshow, heard from…

Top tips for young farmer business success

Who better to pick up tips about farming than other young people who have “made it” in the industry? Packed into Europe’s largest underground building last week were more than…

Photos and video

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FARMLIFE FRAMED

Photo of the Week: Rainbow arches over winter wheat drilling

Thanks to James Richardson at John Richardson & Son in Gipsey Bridge, Lincolnshire, for this scenic shot of winter drilling framed by a glorious rainbow. David Richardson told Farmers Weekly:…

FARMLIFE FRAMED

Photo of the Week: Super cat on Super Dexta

Next up in our cats ’n’ tractors series... This is 13-year-old Jacsyn atop a 1964 Super Dexta, which is awaiting restoration. Lowri Lloyd Williams, who submitted the photo, says of…

FARMLIFE FRAMED

Photo of the Week: Feline farm security

We’ve all heard of guard dogs, but what about a guard cat? This security-conscious feline surveys the farm yard from the the vantage point of a John 6150R. Who needs…

FARMLIFE FRAMED

Photo of the Week: Young Phoebe picks her first pumpkin

Phoebe Brice may only be nine months old, yet she is already loving life on the farm and picking her first pumpkin at her great-grandfather’s farm shop in Draycott. Seager’s…