Help us build up valuable insight into what challenges and opportunities agricultural workers are facing today and into the future.
The survey is part of Farmers Guardian’s #ThisIsAgriculture campaign, which aims to raise the profile of careers in agriculture and the range of employment opportunities available to those inside and outside of the sector. For more information visit FGinsight.com/thisisagriculture
Have your say and win £50 Farmers Guardian is running a survey to understand more about the skills gap in agriculture, what training opportunities are available and the recruitment challenges within the sector. FGinsight.com 24FGinsight.com | SEPTEMBER 25 2020 SEPTEMBER 25 2020 | 25 1. In what region of the UK are you located: q Scotland q Wales q North West q North East q Midlands q South West q South East 2. Are you male or female? q Male q Female 3. How old are you? q 16-25 q 26-35 q 36-45 q 46-55 q 56-65 q 66+ Take the survey q BTEC q Diploma q Certificate of competency q Other (please specify) 16. What would you say is the biggest barrier preventing you from progressing your career to the next level? 17. Have you ever sought to improve on your professional skills outside of work/ independently of your employer? q Yes q No 18. If yes, how and what course? 4. Which of the following best describes the terms of your employment? q Permanent q Temporary q Fixed term 5. Which of the following best describes your level of seniority? q Entry level q Intermediate q Advanced 6. Which of the following best describes the business you work for? q Farming q Ancillary industry 7. What is the size of the business you work for (number of employees?) q 1-2 q 2-10 q 11-50 q 51-100 q 101-200 q 201-500 q 500+ 8. What sector is the main focus of your business? q Arable q Livestock q Machinery q Horticulture q Pigs and poultry q Mixed q Other (please specify) 9. How long have you held your current position? q Less than six months q Six months - one year q One to two years q Two to three years q Three to four years q Five to 10 years q 10+ years 10. How many days of training do you receive per year? q None q One day q Two days q Three days q Four days q Five days q One to two weeks q Two to three weeks q Three-plus weeks 11. Have you ever received one or more of the following training methods through your employer? q On the job q External coaching q Events q E-coaching q Events q Seminars q Conference 12. What is your top priority for your own training and development? (tick one) q Technical expertise q Practical skills q Leadership q Communication q Project management q Marketing q Customer service q Health and safety q Data analysis administration q IT skills 13. Were training opportunities a factor that influenced your decision to apply to your current role? q Yes q No 14. Have you ever gained any qualifications through your job? q Yes q No 15. If yes, what? q Apprenticeship q Degree q NVQ 19. Out of 10, what rating would you give your employer for the level of training and development you have received? (One being the lowest, 10 being the highest) 20. What new skills have you developed as a result of changes to working practices caused by Covid-19? 21. Have you had any training or development plans cancelled or postponed due to Covid-19? q Yes q No 22. Have you or your colleagues been placed on furlough due to Covid-19? q Yes q No 23. Have you been unable to apply to a new job due to Covid-19? q Yes q No FOR INFORMATIONMORE ThisIsAgricultureFGinsight.com/ Supported by PLEASE enter your details here and post the completed survey to: Danusia Osiowy, Farmers Guardian, Unit 4, Fulwood Park, Caxton Road, Fulwood, Preston, PR2 9NZ Address:Name: Postcode: Email: How to enter • This survey will not be used to personally identify you in any way and you will remain anonymous. Your information will not be used for marketing purposes and you will not be contacted by Farmers Guardian unless you are selected as a prize winner. We will not share your information with any third parties • The results of this survey will be published on FGinsight.com and in Farmers Guardian magazine, as well as being shared with selected partners. WHETHER you are working as part of a farm business, have joined an industry organisation or business or are self employed and carving your own career path, we want to hear from employees across the industry to share their opinions and experiences about personal development and training.
“There also needs to be a change in mindshift from thinking of training as a cost to the business rather than an investment leading to safer working and better productivity. This culture needs to change.”
A s agriculture is continually developing and becom ing increasingly technical, lifelong learning will need to be the norm. But with the pressures of post-Brexit Britain and a forthcoming onset of recov ery from a global pandemic, how will the need to upskill those working in the agricultural industry be managed and encouraged?Itisnosecret much still needs to be done to encourage farming businesses to prioritise investing in their staff’s skills and knowledge and to make that as simple as possible.
Janet agrees: “It is perfectly clear in the discussions we have had that youngsters want to be alongside their peers in other industries in terms of having a career route and help in terms of how they can develop.”
Feedback from young people has strongly indicated they want a profes sional and co-ordinated approach to their careers in agriculture, she adds.
Janet says: “At the moment it is not clear to farmers where they would start, how they can ensure they are keeping up to date and how that is recognised. “We need a much more structured approach which is accessible, efficient andAndeffective.”thatisthe fundamental premise behind the AHDB’s SLG, which has engaged with other industry bodies to develop a professional framework for careers in agriculture.
Richard gives the example of the Professional Manager Development Scheme course run by AHDB. Richard was involved in development of the course, which was originally for man agers in the pig industry, but has since been extended for other sectors. He says: “At the end, participants give presentations and one area is the bene fits they have accrued to their business over the 18 months of the course.
becomes even more pertinent in a post-Brexit world.” Richard wants farming business to have access to an ‘interface’ for skills and training. His vision includes not just information on specific training oppor tunities ‘at the click of a mouse’, but also case studies and a return on invest mentHecalculator.says:“We need good case studies of what people have done and achieved and be able to demon strate that if you invest X in training you are likely to get a return of Y. It is notoriously difficult to do that, but does not mean we should not try.”
MORE INFORMATION For more information and progress on the SLG, ahdb.org.uk/future-skillsvisit
“I think there is a real need for the industry to define what good looks like, then have a way of training people to those standards and then hence being able to recognise excellence.” All farming businesses need to take note, adds Richard. “As someone said to me recently, every business is either growing, declining or changing, and that is a driver for the need to upskill.”
FARMERS Guardian has joined forces with key industry stakeholders from across the farming sector to promote careers in agriculture, collaborating with industry bod ies and industry partners to see how and where we can work together to shape the political agenda, drive educational reform and provide learning resources.
‘Farmers
Janet says: “That is what they want in the future for skills and training to be. It is about providing a more structured approach equally ensuring it is accessible.”Sowhere does that leave farmers who are employers and want to get the best out of their staff?
Evidence Documenting and evidencing skills and experience was also an essential part of this, Richard says.
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Janet says: “There are lots of training opportunities out there already, but it can be difficult and time-consuming to find information and make decisions. “There is no shortage of activity, but it is very fragmented. There are lots of players, which does not make it easy for the farmer. In most industries there are formal frameworks for people to acquire skills and continue with their professional development, and a lot of clarity about what basic skills are needed in various differentLessonsareas.”from other countries, includ ing Canada and Australia, which have developed similar frameworks, were all being learned from in the develop ment of something similar in this country, Janet“Thatadds.isparticularly important as trade
Liz says: “This should trigger a change from agriculture, and many other land-based careers, being perceived as what some people refer to as ‘the destination for the bottom 10 per cent’. “We do not yet know what Brexit will mean for UK agriculture and/or farming subsidies, but whatever it is it is very likely that upskilling and re-skilling will be key to success.”
“Such a lot of training is informal peerto-peer with no qualification or ticket. You cannot say they are unskilled, but they are not professional because they can not demonstrate that competence.”
“Their ideas need nourishment. They need ongoing support for ideas and space to try them out and maybe fail or succeed, but ultimately to be listened to.”
Benefits Richard says: “It seems crazy to me that some farmers willingly spend thousands of pounds on machinery but baulk at spending £500 or £1,000 on training. It is all about return on investment. “Upskilling people can mean the difference between profit and loss for a ridiculously small outlay. In the grand scheme of things it really is not that much.”When it comes to younger people, the trend dictates they are generally very keen to take opportunities to under takeLiztraining.says: “There is absolutely no problem with a lack of enthusiasm among young people wanting to upskill.
Richard says many farmers are indeed mostly sold on the benefits of training. He says: “I believe the general attitude of farmers is pro-training, when they get round to it. “When I go to meetings and I am promoting training, I never have a farmer
“There is some serious money being made or saved; far more than the cost of the course itself. We need more real-life examples like that, which farmers will take more notice of than an academic.”
Richard Longthorp, pig farmer, fellow member of the SLG and long-time advo cate of training and ‘professionalisation’ of the industry agrees, but warns of the inevitable sceptism it brings. He says: “Sometimes farmers say ‘if I train him he might leave’, but investing in an employee’s skills is highly valued by staff in my experience. “The risk therefore is that if you do not train your staff they will leave and join a business which will. “As an industry we will fall behind and lose the best and most go-ahead staff.” Closing the gap Investing in skills can help close the gap between the best and worst performing farming businesses, says Lantra’s Scot land director Liz Barron-Majerik. She says: “In most sectors there is a big productivity gap between the top 25 per cent and the rest, which is not solely down to size of farm. One of the big fac tors is Trainingskills.”needs to cover advancing technology, but also interpreting resulting data, any bolt-on tech, best practice and so on.
Janet Swadling, independent consultant, author of the Swadling Report on workforce development and one of the founder members of the AHDB’s Agricultural and Horticulture Skills Leadership Group (SLG), says: “Frankly we will be left behind if we do not develop new“Farmersskills. need to continuously update and keep abreast with new information and, without that, some farm businesses are going to struggle. “Businesses which invest in training and skills tend to be the most successful. “We will fall behind with productivity and will not be attractive to retain skilled staff and we will not be competitive with other industries like construction.”
A framework which recognises skills and knowledge gained through experi ence would therefore be useful, says Liz.
“There is a huge wealth of experience in the sector which is not recognised like the formal training structures. Such a structure needs to be flexible enough for the people you are doing it for and also integrated with traditional structures.
“The problem can be that they have fantastic ideas, but no opportunity to take them forward and eventually that enthusiasm dissipates.
FGinsight.com 28FGinsight.com | OCTOBER 30 2020 OCTOBER 30 2020 | 29 saying I was talking rubbish. They say am“Theyright.are genuinely interested in training, but when they get home, despite having the best intentions, they have so much else to do that the skills folder gets pushed down the desk until it falls off the Reluctanceend.” to invest or prioritise train ing can stem from a worry of ‘admitting what you do not know’, adds Liz. She says: “Going into an environment and admitting what you do not know can be quite hard. am heartened by the growth of online delivery, which think will make a real difference, ranging from threshold or taster courses through to longer courses.
“This gives us a lot of potential to break barriers and it would be great to have more support for that.
Articles will feature in Farmers Guardian to help agricultural businesses and farms understand recruitment and staff retention challenges and practical ideas they can adopt to mark the evolving changes which are happening in the careers, skills and training arena.
elsehavetraining,interestedareinbutsomuchtodo’ 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. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit FGinsight.com/ThisIsAgricultureFOLLOW #THISISAGRICULTURE: On Instagram @this.is.ag; Twitter @This_Is_Ag; and search on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Arable unit: John Haynes, farm manager
The business, which has a team of four full-time staff plus seasonal workers, is a member of the Chelmsford and West Essex Training Group which organises courses hosted by local farms. Staff who are well-trained get more out of machinery, he says. John also recognises the value of developing staff by giving them responsibility for certain tasks across the area of arable managed. Ownership John says: “James, my assistant manager, has taken ownership of the winter maintenance programme. He is taking the lead and driving it.”
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Being given a chance to become more involved with the farm business me. I get on well with the team, but if there is ever a situation am a bit unsure about I can use what I have learned and link it back to something from the course.” He enjoys John’s approach to wel coming staff input to business decisions.
JAMES Houseman is assistant manager for M.J. and S.C. Collins, where he has worked for nearly three years. He has welcomed the opportunities to attend courses and other learning opportunities. He says: “We are a busy com pany, but we still get on and book courses, although it has been diffi cult this year.” In pre-Covid-19 times, he would also attend agronomy meetings with other local farmers, encour aged by John to develop a broader knowledge.Jamessays: “We have an annual appraisal where he feedbacks on how we are doing, our strengths and weaknesses and he likes us to he works for has prompted a deeper loyalty and pride.
Since attending the artificial insemination (AI) refresher course, Shaun has been working with the herd’s AI technician and, as a result, overall herd fertility has Spendingimproved.timeaway from the farm to attend courses, conferences or meetings has also proved beneficial forHeShaun.says: “It has been brilliant to network with people of a similar age, meet key speakers and get my name and face out there.”
While it is hard to measure the possible productivity increases from his investment in his staff, John is sure of the benefits of having employees who are engaged and motivated. He says: “If you are constantly having to recruit and retrain new staff, you are not getting anywhere, you are just treading water.”
Adams University students over theHeyears.says: “We do on the job training to upskill them, teaching them new techniques, particularly if they are not from a dairy farming background.” from £300 to £1,000 depending on the level. But the benefits to my business have been Developinghuge.”his employees’ know ledge has improved animal health and welfare, as staff are confident in being able to spot signs of problems earlier.
How to build staff loyalty
Some training, such as health and safety, is essential, while other areas are about developing the skills the employee is keen to learn.
Articles will feature in Farmers Guardian to help agricultural businesses and farms understand recruitment and staff retention challenges and practical ideas they can adopt to mark the evolving changes which are happening in the careers, skills and training arena.
FOLLOW On Instagram @this.is.ag; Twitter @This_Is_Ag; and search on Facebook and LinkedIn. MORE INFORMATION: Visit FGinsight.com/ThisIsAgriculture
JAMES’ CAREER TIPS: l Be a team player, work hard and do everything asked of you l Do not be afraid to speak up if you have something to say or a suggestion of how something could be better l Go on courses when you can, but take opportunities to talk to other farmers at events when possible too helped him develop skills, knowledge and“Theconfidence.entrepreneurs course looked at the business side, such as business plans and milk contracts and putting a business plan together, as well as staff management,” says Shaun, who won a silver award winner in this year’s Farm Worker of the Year at the British Farming Awards. “It has opened my mind to things I could do in the future and hope to have do the same thing. He is open to feed back and constructive criticism.”
Tim says: “The cost of training courses may be off-putting to some farm businesses. It is not cheap – a trailer course, for example, can cost
John is also keen to share all aspects of the business with his team and those who are interested in the budgeting and planning are welcomed to spend time with him in the office for an insight into that side of the farm. team have missed not being able to attend them this year due to Covid-19 restrictions.Peertraining has a place too, particu larly for students on work placements, and Tim has hosted about 35 Harper
SHROPSHIRE dairy farmer Tim Downes believes staff development is a big investment, but one which is repaid ‘10 times over’.
Shaun says: “It is a good feeling to be involved; like you are making a difference and I like the job satis faction whether that be from seeing the cows looking well and getting into calf in a certain time window or being able to control their mastitis homoeopathically.“Itfeelsmorelike it is your own, not just a job. You are not just a worker, you are there to improve things.”
Similarly, being able to competently use telescopic handlers and ATVs reassures Tim he is doing all he can to ensure his team’s safety. He says: “Training is a good team building exercise too. It is hard to com pare what the business would be like if it were only me driving trailers or working a chainsaw, for example, but it has defin itely improved our productivity to have employees with all those skills. In particular, the homoeopathy training has enabled us to access the US premium milk pool, which would not be possible if we did not have everybody trained up.”
John says: “It very much depends on the individual and what they are interested in.”
“There will be huge pressure to cut costs and be sustainable, but you cannot do that if your staff do not understand what is going on.”
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SHAUN’S CAREER TIPS: l Take opportunities which come your way to do courses for improv ing your skills l Make sure you network with really good farmers, consultants and other experts in your sector l Find a few great mentors; people who you look up to and who you can ask for advice or to talk things through and who will help push you on ures from cashflows and budgets. It makes you appreciate the cost of everything and why you should respect it. We also have discussions a couple of times a year after busy times to discuss what went right and what could be improved next time.”
In the meantime though, Shaun is highly motivated to continue improv ing herd health and performance at the farm. He says: “When your employer enables you to go on a training course, it makes you want to help drive the business forward more. The better you do for that business, the better it is for you and your future.”
The employee: Shaun McKay, herd manager
The employee: James Houseman, assistant manager
“You need to train staff so they are competent and always progressing and feel like they are part of the team,” says Tim, who employs five people across his two organic dairy herds, which total nearly 500 cows. “We have a young workforce which tends to want the opportunity to build knowledge and develop new skills andTimideas.”runs regular reviews and appraisals, which he says are import ant for identifying any skills gaps and pro-actively funds training courses for his employees, which range from homeopathy and artificial insemina tion to trailer training, chainsaw and telehandler use.
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The family dairy farm: Tim Downes, dairy farmer
The business farms more than 1,214 hectares (3,000 acres) of arable crops across three sites in East Hert fordshire and West Essex. John has a team of four full-time staff plus seasonalAndworkers.withthe loss of subsidies and Brexit on the horizon, investing in staff is more important than ever, he adds.
He says: “I got to where am because I had the opportunities. It is experience as much as training.” He is particularly keen to support and encourage new entrants to the industry. “We need the younger generation to get involved. We need their enthusiasm and intelligence as farming evolves.”
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.
SHAUN McKay is herd manager for Tim and has been working for him for two-and-a-half years. Over that time Shaun has attended many training courses, including a three-day homoeopathic course, a refresher course in artificial insemination and, more recently, a longer course on entre preneurship in dairying.
JOHN Haynes, farm manager at M.J. and S.C. Collins, says: “We invest in machinery and infrastructure, so why not in our staff as well.”
“He is not afraid of showing us the fig
All of the training, plus opportun ities to attend conferences, have
Accessing new ideas and learning best practice is also key and involvement in discussion groups with other farmers is also hugely important, so Tim and his
FARMERS Guardian has joined forces with key industry stakeholders from across the farming sector to promote careers in agriculture, collaborating with industry bodies and industry partners to see how and where we can work together to shape the political agenda, drive educational reform and provide learning resour ces.
James attended an assistant man agers course in October 2019, which covered how to manage other people. He says: “It was important for my per sonal development and has really helped my own contract farming or joint venture agreement in a few years.”
HUGO’S LESSONS LEARNED SO FAR: l Take every opportunity you are given l If people say no to you, don’t take it to heart, use it as motiva tion to move on l Friends and family are key; don’t be afraid to use them as your support network l Be open about how you are feeling, as there is nothing bad about saying you are struggling l Keep learning, keep reading and keep pushing yourself to be at the forefront of new innovation and ideas and then hearing sirens and the Air Ambulance and the feeling of relief that someone was there.” Hugo’s injuries were severe and included a fractured skull, broken ribs, blood on the brain, nerve damage and his pelvis was broken in five places. He says: “I am not good at sitting on the sofa, so for me to be sitting on the sofa for just over three months and not being able to do anything was really hard.”
As well as incredible support from sheep and it was really nice they had trust in me to do that. I am a lot more con fident now with everything like talking to landlords and speaking to customers buying ewe lambs. I’m also more confi dent in my abilities with knowing weights and grades of lambs sent to slaughter.” As well as solidifying his knowledge, the placement taught him new tech niques. “Their business is completely different to ours. They use different worming strategies and lambing is differ ent. I’ve learned a lot. James believes placements are essential part of learning and to launch ing a successful career: “Nearly every job you see advertised says experience is essential, so it is important to be able to get that.” his parents and the team of doctors, he also hugely appreciated the sup port offered by Joe. Recovery Hugo says: “He kept me on and put me on sick pay. He told me to focus on getting better. wanted to be back in time for lambing in March – that was the goal – but I came to the realisation that it was not going to happen. was still on crutches and unable to drive. “I spoke regularly with Joe through it all and the whole team was great, keeping me up to date with what was going on on the farm. owe them a huge amount and am very grateful for all that they did. “I went back in May all guns blaz ing, but crashed and burned. I wasn’t capable of working full-time. Joe was brilliant again and allowed me to come back “Perhapspart-time.heknew that if he didn’t allow me back I would not have coped. I felt like I had lost everything.”
JAMES’ PLACEMENT ADVICE: l Get out of your comfort zone and do something you haven’t done before l Meet as many new people as you can, as contacts could open doors for you l Don’t be tempted to stay near home; moving away gave me more independence
As the business grew, Jo and Rob ert struggled to find a shepherd with outdoor lambing experience.
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About #ThisIsAgriculture
In 2018, local student Hugo Dwerry house joined the team for a work place ment as part of his degree course at Harper Adams University. Harvest Joe says: “He came and worked over harvest and into autumn, but then had a terrible car accident.”
FARMERS Guardian has joined forces with key industry stakeholders from across the farming sector to promote careers in agriculture, collaborating with industry bodies and industry partners to see how and where we can work together to shape the political agenda, drive educational reform and provide learning resour ces. Articles will feature in Farmers Guardian to help agricultural businesses and farms understand recruitment and staff retention challenges and practical ideas they can adopt to mark the evolving changes which are happening in the careers, skills and training arena.
Joe says: “We have had placement students here pretty much every year since the mid-1990s. We always need extra help at harvest and it is good to have a student on board. “It is a good thing to do. For the students it is good for them to get practical experience of a busy work ing estate and commercial farm.
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JO Franklin and Robert Hodgson started their Kaiapoi Romneys busi ness in 2013 with 200 ewes and 24 hectares (60 acres) of rented grazing. The flock now stands at 2,250 ewes on 405ha (1,000 acres) of semi-improved grassland and solar panels, plus 647ha (1,600 acres) of arable crops. The focus of the north Hertfordshire-based business is the integration of livestock and arable systems with sheep grazing includ ed in the rotation plus forage crops and stubbles being grazed by lambs during winter.
Having such a capable student enabled them to push ahead with devel oping other sides of the business, such as their upcoming sheep dairy, she says. They have also recruited someone to the arable side of the business and plan to invest in his BASIS training.
Students proving their worth
The student: James White, BSc (Hons) agriculture with animal science
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The employer: Jo Franklin, Kaiapoi Romneys
JAMES White is in his final year at Harper Adams having completed his placement with Robert and Jo in September. His family has a small beef and sheep farm in Yorkshire and, with sheep being his main interest, he particularly wanted to find a placement with a large flock. He says: “Their business is a lot bigger than ours at home and they have more focus on genetics. I went to meet them and they gave me a tour to see what they did and we had a chat. It was much better for me than a formal interview.” James spent a total of 15 months with them and thoroughly enjoyed it. He says: “It was really good. I was doing my own thing with the me. am generally back to full health now and, although I do still have some problems with fatigue and flashbacks, life carries on. “I’m loving my new job as assistant manager for a 1,000acre farm, just south of Thame, and looking forward to bringing some of what I learned on my placement to my new role. “The whole experience has been an eye-opener that life is too short and we should make the most of every opportunity. I’m now more driven than ever.”
Employing students is not just of benefit to the student, securing valuable experience to launch a career after graduation. Clemmie Gleeson speaks to an estate manager and farm owner who believe students bring welcome gains to their enterprises, and to the students who benefited from their commitment. On Instagram @this.is.ag; Twitter @This_Is_Ag; and search on Facebook and LinkedIn. MORE INFORMATION: Visit FGinsight.com/ThisIsAgriculture Hugo Dwerryhouse was on a student placement with The Watership Down Partnership in 2018 when a car accident left him with multiple injuries and unable to work for several months. He says: “I went to check on my own sheep, when only about a mile from home I came round a bend to see an artic lorry swerv ing. It then rolled over and came down on top of me in my 4x4.
Hugo’s returned to Harper Adams in September 2019 for his final year and was resolute that he wanted to graduate at the same time as hisHefriends.says: “It was a slog, but Harper Adams was incredible and supported James is looking forward to returning to Kaiapoi next year and, in the mean time, is working on completing his degree, including a dissertation on differ ent lamb milk powders and their effect on lamb growth rates. He plans to develop his own sheep flock alongside his role at Kaiapoi. He says: “In the longer term, I would love to grow it so I could eventually set up on my own.”
The former student: Hugo Dwerryhouse BSc (Hons) agriculture
Joe says: “We like the idea of having someone for 15 months and then they move on. It’s good for them and it’s good for us. “If we have a really sparky student who gets stuck in, it tends to lift the rest of the team. It is good for morale to have ing skills, as well as all the basics about being polite and turning up on time – the things we don’t want to be thinking about. We like someone who is keen for responsibility which takes a lot off our Meanwhile,plate.”Harper Adams student James White was looking for some where to spend his year’s work place ment and a mutual friend put him in touch with the couple. Jo says: “James was so capable and ran the sheep side of the business for us. We could see a real difference in James’s confidence by the end of his time. He was very shy at first, but towards the end he did part of a talk to the National Sheep Association with me. He worked hard and was fun to be with. Robert and have been 100 per cent of the workforce for five years and built up the business, but James is a better shepherd than either of us, so we let him do what he is good at.” different faces. We have had a whole plethora of students, some excellent to others who you just have to wonder if they will ever make it, but I don’t regret having any of them.”
The employer: Joe White, estate manager, Watership Down Partnership
“I remember up to the impact
Jo says: “We needed somebody good to take things forward. We tried advertising in different places, but it wasn’t working. We want engaged people and people who can think for themselves, have good problem-solv
JOE White manages 1,620 hectares (4,000 acres) for the Watership Down Partnership in Hampshire and is no stranger to welcoming student on placements.Aswellas its large arable unit, con tracting business, herd of pedigree Angus cattle and 1,000 commercial lowland ewes, the estate has a large property portfolio.
The accident happened off the farm, while Hugo was returning home after checking his own sheep flock. Joe says: “He was very seriously injured and off for a long time before coming back part-time.
Both Jo and Robert are Nuffield scholars and take staff to the Nuffield conference every year, as well as other events, such as discussion groups or open days to encourage new meetings andJames’opportunity.placement was such a suc cess that James will be joining the team full-time after finishing his course in June 2021.
Young people and students in particular are the future of farming, says Joe: “Students will be running these farms in the next 15-20 years, so if we don’t give these students a chance to gain experience, where will they gain those invaluable lessons? You need experience to get a job and how else would you get that? Some one has to give them a break. “Our students all say they have had a wonderful experience and we enjoy having them here too. They are a part of the team at Watership Down.” is not all about sitting in a shiny tractor or combine all day. There are mucky jobs as well as the decent ones. They are involved in every single aspect of theHeestate.”hastaken students from all the main agricultural colleges, but admits it has proved more difficult to find the right candidates in recent years, although that has not deterred him. He will continue to offer placements and believes there are benefits to doing so.
“It is important they realise farming
“We saw him through until the following September and he would not have got through his final year at uni versity without completing his place ment. It did cost us to do that, but it was the right thing to do to support him.”
Virtual appetite But like many other industries, agriculture was not exempt from furlough, according to the data. Forty-eight per cent of ancillary employers stated they had furloughed staff compared to 11 per cent of farming employers.Breaking it down into company size, it seems employees who worked for medium- to large-sized businesses had been or had colleagues placed on fur lough, with 33 per cent for businesses employing 10-50 staff, 18 per cent for 51-100 staff, 33 per cent for 101-200 staff and 17 per cent for 201-500 staff. In comparison, only 14 per cent of employees working with 10 or less col leagues had been or had colleagues furloughed.Training opportunities were also slashed, according to the data, with 34 per cent of farming employees stating they had training cancelled.
But 28 per cent of businesses which said they had decreased budgets cited the negative impact of Covid-19 on the business, as well as profitability (24 per cent) and fewer employees (7 per Lookingcent).forward, 76 per cent of ancillary employers and 74 per cent of farming employers said they predicted this trend to continue.
Mr Charles said: “The Covid-19 pan demic has taught us many lessons and smaller bite-sized e-learning modules and guides which can be consumed at leisure have been key.
Achieving balance But while training may have been cancelled, only 14 per cent of ancillary employees said they had gained no skills as a result to changes to working practices caused by Covid-19, with online use (17 per cent), face-to-face meeting alternatives (22 per cent) and technology (13 per cent) highlighted as new skills developed. Yet while 11 per cent of farming employees listed health and hygiene as a new skill developed, 51 per cent of farming employees said they had gained no skills due to changes in working practices. This could reflect the nature of farming itself, with farmers often working in isola tion in remote areas, so it seems unlikely
Similarly, new skills linking to health and hygiene could reflect a cautious ap proach to the pandemic, with an aware ness for limited rural resources, as well as the impact the virus could have on theirBusinessesbusiness. also took different approaches regarding their training budget during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond.Fifty-four per cent of farming employ ers said they had increased their budget for upskilling workers, compared to 64 per cent of ancillary employers, with the rest opting to decrease these funds. Thirty-two per cent of businesses which increased their budgets cited staff motivation and investment as the main driver, with 27 per cent citing develop ment needs.
FARMERS Guardian has joined forces with key industry stakeholders from across the farming sector to promote careers in agriculture, collaborating with industry bod ies and industry partners to see how and where we can work together to shape the political agenda, drive educational reform and provide learning resources.
the impact of CLAIRECovid-19MORGAN
About #ThisIsAgriculture
Covid-19 andtrainingshake-upseesofneedsattitudes
“We have managed to switch to virtualbased learning across the company, but this differed across markets as some were less affected than others.
Mr Charles said: “They could also educate managers to ensure regular goals are set for training consumption and auto assign courses to individuals or groups with a time stamp for completion.”
Mr Fisher said: “There has still been good levels of demand, with the most safety critical operations taking place.
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Claire Morgan, a UK and international recruitment expert at Agricultural Recruit ment Specialists, said she had experi enced its busiest year in eight years. Ms Morgan said: “With the candidate market so buoyant, it is a fantastic time for employers to secure candidates who may not have come to the market had it not been for the impact of Covid-19. “In more than 60 per cent of cases, we have found that on placement of a candidate and the employer realising the quality of talent, they have opened up other vacancies to capture the talent they may not have done previously.”
Mr Charles said: “This may be due to the factor that not only were we in a remote working situation, but before the pandemic we had made the decision to transition into new IT and collaboration platforms.”DavidFisher, head of industry part nerships at Lantra, said Lantra had seen lower levels of training delivery due to restrictions on travel and social distan cing, which meant courses took place with reduced numbers and was ‘for locals’ only.
“But while technology has been great and very helpful, it cannot replace the human face-to-face element we took for granted, so we will need to find a balance between using technology and having real conversations.“Wehope to resume face-to-face training in quarter three or four of 2021 to meet huge demand, but VILT will still be on offer in the future as it can save time and money for a dealer.”
Yet the figure nearly doubled for those employed in ancillary industries at 63 per cent, indicating that training is perhaps the Covid-19 pandemic changed their day-to-day farming operations, hence there was no need to develop new skills.
Mr Charles said:“It is always important to keep upskilling and developing our employees and the pandemic has certainly showed me the need to regularly ensure my team is happy with the tools we provide.”
Mr Fisher added Lantra saw the big gest growth in its e-learning training for the safe use of pesticides, which has led to an online assessment for the HSErecognised level two award in the safe use of pesticides. He said: “This fully online route has been really well received and shown to us that this model works well for knowledge-based areas.
“We have also developed free courses in areas including mental Health in agriculture and Covid-19: health and safety guidance in the workplace, which have seen good levels of uptake in recent months.”
Upskilling He added employers can support upskilling employees in the future by ensuring there are little and often courses to consume and make training a part of the working week or month.
more formalised and ‘out-of-office’ for this Richardsector.Charles, AGCO aftersales customer care and training manager for UK and Ireland, said: “Our training was very much face-to-face instructor-led, where dealer employees would attend an AGCO training facility.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit FGinsight.com/ThisIsAgricultureFOLLOW #THISISAGRICULTURE: On Instagram @this.is.ag; Twitter @This_Is_Ag; and search on Facebook and LinkedIn. It is a fantastic time for employers to secure candidates
Articles will feature in Farmers Guardian to help agricultural businesses and farms understand recruitment and staff retention challenges and practical ideas they can adopt to mark the evolving changes which are happening in the careers, skills and training arena.
The Covid-19 pandemic has not only caused supply chain disruptions, but has also impacted on the industry’s workforce and its training needs. Hannah Binns reports on what has changed and the positive framework it has created going forwards. who may not have come to not been for
He added employees had the oppor tunity to attend more training modules than he had ever seen before.
C ovid-19 has shaken the industry’s approach and attitudes to training and upskilling, new data from Farmers Guardian’s This is Agriculture survey has found. The survey was aimed at employers and employees to better understand their thoughts on the need to upskill and training opportunities available, with bal anced representation from all sectors across the AttractingUK.359 responses, it found a clear change in training needs and attitudes from employees and employers due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but reflected the job market had remained relatively positive. In fact, 82 per cent of employers con tinued advertising vacancies throughout the pandemic, with 84 per cent of farm businesses and 80 per cent of ancillary businesses stating they had not with drawn job adverts.
Ms Morgan added while the company tended to attract more permanent, full-time vacancies, clients had been reaching out for seasonal vacancies as the impact of Brexit had resulted in their return labour not being available. She said: “A definite trend we are seeing is that employers are more open to candidates requiring a visa to work and supporting this to gain the right talent and experience.”
“The pandemic has seen more inter action with Lantra’s e-learning training, which can be used to minimise time away from the workplace, with learners still benefiting from instructor-led delivery and interaction at a time best suited for them, before going into a training centre to be assessed.”
the market had it
“In the UK and Ireland, we were only able to offer virtual instructor-led training [VILT], due to our markets leadership decision and UK Government as the safety of our staff and those of dealers were a priority.”
“It can sometimes be hard to answer the question ‘where do you want to be in five years’ time?’ Some people need help to answer that.
WHAT TOM HAS LEARNED ABOUT MANAGING STAFF: l I write notes every day I am on-farm, as you can’t beat referring back and ensuring what we discuss gets actioned l Our people get more thought time than the cows, so remember that people are a priority as we need them to be the best advocates of our brand l Don’t be afraid to take a gamble on people, as while you don’t want an entire team of novices, you need to give people a chance; don’t expect somebody to be the finished article on day one l Inspire your staff; we held our first staff mini conference in 2019 when we hired relief milkers so everyone could attend; managers gave presentations and there were awards for the best farm and most improved; it was an absolute gamechanger and gave younger members of staff the opportunity to see their potential
and New Zealand. He returned to Dews bury two years later with new skills and experience and started working his way up the ranks at Evolution Farming. Henry says: “It has gone really well and I certainly hit the ground running. had to prove myself as a dairy assistant then herdsman and then to being in full responsibility of a herd.” Henry is now a line manager himself and is keen to encourage other young people to progress in a similar way. Training is part of it, both on-farm learning and from external providers. “If we want good people then we need to give them good training.
He says: “Like the army, Velcourt is very good at career develop ment. Every annual review is a review of what you like and don’t like and an honest appraisal of strengths and weaknesses.
“We encourage everyone to have an open dialogue with their line manager who are all constantly pushing to improve and develop their staff.
Jonny says: “Any motivated person will make their dreams come true if they are realistic, but this made it happen faster. “I particularly wanted to move to Wiltshire, but knew it might not happen. However, in February 2017 I started my role as farm manager in Pewsey, Wiltshire, and manage 1,000 hectares of arableJonnyland.”isnow happily settled with his wife and two children and is keen any further career progression will be in the same geographical area. He says: “I am now established as a farm manager and have the capacity and ambition to take on something else as Velcourt grows.” left the army knew farming was the only other job I wanted to do.” In particular, he was keen to pursue a career in arable farm management. He says: “I looked into Velcourt and thought if could get onto its management training scheme I would be on the career path that I wanted.”
FOR
Career development is high on the list for those entering the workforce, but according to a Farmers Guardian survey, employees believe there is a lack of opportunities available. Clemmie Gleeson speaks to two employers who support staff in developing their careers and the benefits it has bought.
Employee: Jonny Kerr, farm manager
The benefits to Velcourt of adopting career progression plans include engagement and motivation of its staff, says Nick. “Our job is to place individuals and manage teams of people in farming businesses. Unless they are engaged and driven, that quickly falls on its face as a business model.”
Tom says: “We have strategy ses sions too where we discuss people and where they want to go to enhance their“Collectively,career. we find out about that individual and offer them opportun ities. We encourage people to have a go at stepping up and want to nurture a culture where there is no shame in trying things. There is a stigma of failure in this industry, but you won’t fail if you never push the boundaries.”
#ThisIsAgriculture
NICK’S ADVICE ON WHAT BUSINESSES CAN INTRODUCE FOR STAFF: l Have detailed descriptions for every role plus a person specification which covers the skills, experience and qualifications required; it removes ambiguity and enables staff to see how they can progress l Understand the expectations of the new generation; they want to understand their purpose and want a defined plan l Don’t be afraid of people leaving; if the business doesn’t have scope for staff to develop you need to accept they will move on NICK Shorter is managing director of Velcourt, which employs about 150 people directly and oversees 100 more staff for the farms it manages. Considering an employee’s career plan is essential for several reasons, saysHeNick.says: “Firstly so we can manage their expectations and help them achieve what they want to achieve and also understand how they fit into the business.”Everyrole in the company has a detailed job description from trainee manager through to the upper end of management, Nick says. “These detail the skills, experience and qualifica tionsNewrequired.”entrants to the business can then be matched to roles, with any gaps in their CV addressed through training. “We then have annual appraisals with all our staff. As well as looking at
“It is a two-way process – we also often say to someone ‘we think you would be good at this’. We try to have a strong development and support culture to help people move into new roles.”
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“I would never have thought two-anda-half years ago would have the ability to look after two or three farms, but hav ing someone to push me out of my com fort zone was really helpful. It made me expand in lots of different ways from my practical skills to having more brain cap acity. I am really interested in the people element of the business and I love being a regional manager, speaking to lots of people, travelling between farms, solv ing problems and negotiating issues.”
He successfully applied to the company in 2014, taking on the role of assistant manager of a Cambridge shire arable farm alongside Velcourt’s training scheme. This covered all aspects of farm management from crop production and agronomy to accounting and budgeting.
Tom says: “Without growth good people will have to leave. Whenever we are growing we are providing new opportunities for people to grow into. So we need to carry on growing for thoseTherepeople.”isconstant discussion between managers about the people in the business, how they are doing and where they want to be.
TOM Rawson is director of Evolution Farming, which runs eight dairy units with a total of 3,000 cows, plus beef, sheep and arable enterprises. The business employs 55 people, both full- and part-time. Tom says: “We’ve gone from 500 to 3,000 cows over the past five years and from 600 acres to more than 9,000 acres. That can’t be done without good people.” Supporting staff and their career development is part of the company’s commitment to attract and retain staff. Having a clear route of progression within the business is important, he says. “We have an obvious route to management. We are a multi-site farm and are expanding and frequently move people up to different farms.” Once in a management role there is further progression to become an equity partner if they wish to become a regional manager overseeing a few farms. The company has an administrative and human resources team headed by Emma Cutress. Emma and Tom both hold regular discus sions with individuals. development, he says. “Among young people there is a real sense of them wanting a purpose, both personally and for wider society, not just a pay cheque.”
It is now more important than ever to consider employees’ career
Tom says: “Our role is to get to know the individuals and make sure they are in the right place to benefit theirNotescareer.”are made during such discussions with information shared between the senior managers.
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performance, these discussions cover future ambitions and what is needed for them to progress.
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JONNY Kerr left the army in September 2013 and started a graduate diploma in agriculture at Royal Agricultural University just two weeks later. He says: “I had spent time on relatives’ farms and driven tractors as a student and loved it. When I
‘Take a gamble on people’
HENRY Spellman is currently farm manager across two dairy units for Evolution Farming and hopes to take on a third in early April. He initially joined the company as assistant herdsman soon after finishing his agricultural degree at Aberystwyth University. He was keen to join a harvest crew in Australia and made this known to Tom and his business partner Charlie Crotty. They encouraged him to follow his dream, giving him contacts to secure harvesting work followed by work on dairy units in both Australia
About
Employer: Nick Shorter, managing director, Velcourt Employer: Tom Rawson, director, Evolution Farming
Employee: Henry Spellman, farm manager
FARMERS Guardian has joined forces with key industry stakeholders from across the farming sector to promote careers in agriculture, collaborating with industry bodies and industry partners to see how and where we can work together to shape the political agenda, drive educational reform and provide learning resour ces. Articles will feature in Farmers Guardian to help agricultural businesses and farms understand recruitment and staff retention challenges and practical ideas they can adopt to mark the evolving changes which are happening in the careers, skills and training arena.
“We discuss where we want to be in two or 10 years.” This enabled him to focus on what was needed to secure a management role.
School farms have increased from 60 in 2006 to 130 in 2022 l The initiative has changed chil dren’s lives. Ian Egginton-Metters says: “An animal will not reject you, but humans do. For disturbed children their interaction with animals on a school farm can be the first time they have not been rejected and feel of any value.” It has helped save school farms l Launched a popular Facebook page l Many children have gone on to study agriculture in higher education l The initiative has supported teach ers trying to set up school farms
Case study: Brockhill Park Performing Arts College, Kent Measures of success
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Founder Ian Egginton-Metters believes their benefits have transformed the lives of many children not just through education but with social and emotional support too.
“Being a farmer has evolved from being basic manual work to operating high-spec mechanical equipment and systems such as GPS. Our animal management course is equivalent to A levelDonna’sbiology.”husband is a local farmer and she believes building up a network of support within the surrounding agri cultural community is vital. “School farms need to be financially viable and the two main ways of secur ing this are getting as many children involved as possible and building up a support network within the local farm ing community.”
Offering support to those running or considering starting rearing livestock or growing produce in schools is at the heart of the School Farms Network.
l For further information and to get in volved, visit farmgarden.org.uk
Ian, who received an OBE in 2014 in recognition of his work, says he has seen many examples of children’s lives being turned around through getting involved in school farms. He says: “It’s simple but true that if young people learn to care for an animal they go on to care for themselves and in turn other people. “I’ve seen kids kicked out of other schools for bad behaviour completely turned around. It’s wonderful when pupils get their eureka moment. It can be something simple like weighing out animal feed or logging the growth rate of lambs which then helps them turn a corner in their understanding of classroom learning. “Mental well-being, concentration and attendance are core benefits of school farms. There is also the under standing of farm-to-fork and eating good quality locally grown produce.”
Donna says: “Having a farm on our school is a unique selling point. It is something different and unusual which encourages children to come to school, which in turn has a positive impact on the budget. “The farm is not a token gesture, it is integral to the school. A total of 500 students a week are doing farm and outdoor-related activities.
Articles will feature in Farmers Guardian to help agricultural businesses and farms understand recruitment and staff retention challenges and practical ideas they can adopt to mark the evolving changes which are happening in the careers, skills and training arena.
About #ThisIsAgriculture B enefits to children attending school farms are more important than ever since the coronavirus pandemic. Sadly though, the futures of such educational holdings are under the spotlight as local authorities come under increasing pressure to makeFormedsavings.in2001, the School Farms Network is a pioneer in the field following its creation of school farms and gardens across the UK.
The launch of a Facebook group has driven the organisation forward, with members posting questions from the simple, how to hatch eggs in an incubator, to getting access to advice on dealing with financial matters. The network is constantly campaign ing to get more help from farmers and the wider agricultural industry. to the farmer’s expertise. Having the local farming community involved and supporting a school farm gives credibility, the power of which cannot be underestimated.”
Brockhill Park pupils enjoy compulsory farm lessons called the ‘great outdoors’. It would mean a
For more information, visit FGINSIGHT.COM/THISISAGRICULTURE Read about Abbey Court School’s farm in Rochester, Kent, at THISISAGRICULTUREFGINSIGHT.COM/
Obvious Ian says: “It had become increasingly obvious there were a handful of teach ers doing a huge amount of work, feel ing isolated and always having to justify what they were doing. “Over 20 years on and the support and advice the network offers is more important than ever. We’re living in a time when the education system is getting narrower and narrower – voca tional learning is definitely not on the agenda of Ministers.”
Conference In July the network will be hosting its conference at the Royal Agricultural University and it aims to encourage and inspire outdoor and land-based learn ing in schools, transforming lives and encouraging young people into agricul Ian says: “Something simple, like the loan of a trailer to take the schools animals to market, can make a huge difference. Most school farms are small and they cannot afford the investment of buying large pieces of equipment which will be rarely used. “There are also areas such as sup plying feed and fodder. Many school farms do not have the storage facilities to buy in bulk, so a farmer getting involved can help make cost savings. “As well as loaning equipment, some farmers send youngstock – to be returned at a later date – such as pet lambs to the children. “Stock gets well fed and looked after and in return the school gets access tural further education and employment.
A WORKING farm has been part of Brockhill Park for many years, since its beginnings as an all boys school. Now a mixed sex academy, with specialist status in the areas of per forming arts and rural studies, this 24-hectare (59-acre) school farm has cattle, sheep, sows, free-range hens and small animals.
Ian says: “It would mean a tremen dous amount to us if the farming sector would really get behind this conference and help raise its profile. “From attending, sharing ideas and generally showing support of school farms through to sponsorship of our awards, there are lots of ways to get involved. We would truly appreciate it if people helped out where they can.”
IANhelpthiswouldtheamounttremendoustousiffarmingsectorreallygetbehindconferenceandraiseitsprofileEGGINTON-METTERS
“While some school farms are run as quite separate entities, ours is ab solutely central to our whole ethos,” says Donna, who served as chair of the School Farms Network for severalDonnayears.believes the fact that every single year seven and eight pupil receives one lesson a week based on the farm is key to its success, rather than the farm just being accessible to certain groups of children. These compulsory farm lessons are called the ‘great outdoors’ (GO for short) and cover the full life cycle from cows being artificially inseminated through to birth.Lucky students may get the possibility of showing a calf at Kent County Show before body condition scoring it and sending it as finished beef, some returning in beef boxes to sell in the school’s farm shop. Donna says: “As well as the traditional farming calendar, we have widened our course to look at the environment and got involved in things such as tree plant ing to offset the school’s emissions.” As well as having their farm shop, some items produced on the holding are sold back to the school canteen.
The number of school farms has doubled since the School Farmers Network launched. Sarah Todd finds out why the initiative has called on the farming community to support the cause.
Brockhill Park has cattle, sheep, sows, free-range hens and small animals.
A lot of students have gone on to study agriculture, animal science, veterinary nursing and one former pupil has become a vet.
FARMERS Guardian has joined forces with key industry stakeholders from across the farming sector to promote careers in agriculture, collaborating with industry bodies and industry partners to see how and where we can work together to shape the political agenda, drive educational reform and provide learning resources.
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‘It’s wonderful when pupils get their eureka moment’
Progression Donna Ashlee is now vice-principal of the college, but started off as a stockperson on the school farm before going on to university and getting her teaching degree. She recalls other students who have gone on to be dog groomers, vet nurses, farm managers, dairymen, tractor drivers and many other agricul ture-related careers.
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l For more information, go to brockhill. kent.sch.uk
F arming faces a skills deficit and a challenge to recruit and keep bright young minds. But if farmers can offer training and development, they can turn this around and bolster their business in the Youngprocess.people are going to be critical if farming is to successfully deal with post-Brexit changes and environmental challenges, and tap into new natural capital markets.
Mentality Off-farm, more formal training opportun ities are wide and varied, ranging from a couple of hours to years-long courses.
Use peer networks Farmers can also tap into their own net works for free knowledge exchange. This is a good option for smaller farming busi nesses with fewer staff where it is harder to formalise training.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit FGinsight.com/ThisIsAgricultureOn Instagram @this.is.ag; Twitter @This_Is_Ag; and search on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Y (those born from the mid-1990s onwards) also have a thirst for knowledge and rank training and development as their primary factor when deciding on a new job, according to recruitment agency The Hays.
Be open about ambitions Understand how your staff want to develop and have open discussions about it. Doing so will help you offer opportunities which encourage them to stay or help you plan for if they think they will leave in the future. Sue says: “One of the best questions you can ask your staff is ‘where do you want to be professionally and personally in around five years’ time’. If you drive an open relationship and they are able to say that in five years time they want to apply for their own farm ten ancy, then you know where you stand and that in four years you will need to look for a replacement.
Consider whether staff who do a task well can teach others, so everyone can pitch in and the farmer is not left with jobs at the end of the day that only he or she can do, she adds. This will also build resilience into the business. She says: “If you do a few training sessions with everyone on how to feed the cows, for example, then you reduce your business risk. Otherwise, if Mr Smith is injured or off work and he is the only one able to feed the cows, the risk to your business is huge.”
TRAINING is a continuous job, but staff will pay you back 10 times over with their motivation and new skills, says dairy farmer Mary Cook, at Smokey Farm, Somerset.Herteam of five farms 202 hectares (500 acres), milks 280 dairy cows for Arla and has 100 followers, plus another 100 dairy beef cattle, which are fattened for Tesco. Staff have a wide mix of backgrounds and abilities and most people have been taught almost all of their skills on-farm through a combination of formal and on-the-job training. They include a herdsman and a youngstock manager who both started working at Smokey Farm as teenagers; a tractor driver; Mary’s son who helps with milking; and a general farm worker who is a laid-off airline pilot and is help ing inject his own leadership skills. Mary says: “I am in my 70s and cannot be there all the time anyway, but by training people to take on more responsibility I feel confident to delegate more. “I am very keen on training and I look out for anything which comes up from my vets and AHDB that my staff might be interested in. If I spot a webinar on in the evening, I might see if they want to do it and pay them for their time. It is also about understanding that as a manager I need training in how to train other people.”
“They are phenomenal at absorbing knowledge and will help drive change on farms, so it is important to develop theirGenerationskills.”
“If staff feel looked after, they will respect you and want to look after you too, so they are less likely to suddenly leave you in the lurch and might even help recruit and train up a replacement for themselves.”
“The other farm gets an extra pair of hands and you have done without your worker for a morning, but you have brought knowledge home and it has cost you effectively nothing.”
Soft skills, such as communication and leadership, could also be import ant for staff who have a more manag erialSuerole.says:
Young people often think training means something formal involving certifi cates, so when recruiting it is important to ask about their career ambitions and to communicate what training, formal or otherwise, will be provided.
Farmers can easily run a competency assessment to identify areas for staff training, particularly if cash is short, as this will also help prioritise what to spend time and money on.
She suggests farming businesses provide one-to-one mentoring for an employee in this area, either by the farmer if they have those skills or a mentor outside the Communicationbusiness.skills are linked to leadership skills and include how to give instructions, how to coach someone and how to discipline someone. Again, men torship can be helpful.
Upskilling staff does not have to be an endless cash cow
Yet in a recent Farmers Guardian sur vey of 359 businesses, only 25 per cent of farm employers and 36 per cent of ancillary employers said they advertised training opportunities as a recruitment tool, and while 85 per cent said they the way you and your actions impact others. A training course will not help with that because it needs to be pointed out to you by the people around you.”
Staff have been on a variety of courses including for foot trimming, calving and telehandlers, and all are important investments.Marysays: “Other than land, staff are your most valuable asset. Staff retention is key, so you have to treat them the best you can. All that money invested will be paid back tenfold over the years.” “Most training can be done on-farm and needn’t cost anything. It is about spending 30 minutes showing people what to do and following this up, either to say ‘you have done a good job’ or to show them how to do it better. I always encourage staff to get involved when the vet visits or someone comes to repair something, so they learn.”
received on-the-job training, 37 per cent said they had no formal training days. When staff are well trained, feel motiv ated, listened to and the employer has a plan for their development, the whole business benefits and productivity can accelerate hugely, says Sue. It also means staff are more likely to stay. She says: “High staff turnover is costly.”According to research by Oxford Economics and Unum, the average cost of replacing an employee who is paid £25,000 is more than £30,000.” However, farmers should not assume people will stay in one place forever and it is okay if they move on even after investment, she says. “There is a mentality in farming of ‘why should train someone if they might leave?’. Well, because they are with you today, and if you can encourage some one to follow their dreams, even if it means they leave, then you can have five years of great productivity, communication, train ing and development, rather than five years of no investment and plateau work.”
Skilled staff are vital to farm business success, but training does not have to mean endless expensive courses for employers to fund. Jez Fredenburgh speaks to a training consultancy specialist to find out what options are out there to benefit both parties.
Sue Bryan, farm consulting manager in the southern region for Promar, says: “It is not daunting for them in the same way; they see it as an opportunity.
On the other hand, an employee might have ambitions which can be met on-farm, she adds, such as having the responsibility to be in the parlour on their own or drive the combine. In this case, put a training plan in place which works towards that ambition.
“A lot of the time, leadership is about developing self-awareness about
To do this, work with each staff mem ber to list every task they do, then assess their competency in doing that task. If they need to improve, is it something which can be taught on-farm by some one else, or does it require more formal training? Prioritise training in areas which are holding the business back. Sue says: “It is purely about understanding where the competence priorities are and who is best to actually deliver that. Watching a webinar for something practical is going to be very unproductive, for example.”
About #ThisIsAgriculture
Providers to tap into include vets, AHDB, Lantra, agricultural colleges and universities, and it is also important farmers proactively look for training opportunities advertised in the farming press and by professional bodies and companies.However, professional development is not all about formal training and does not need to cost a lot of money. In fact, formal training is ‘marginal’ compared to the continuous teaching and learning process which should be happening on-farm and peer-to-peer.
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Case study: ‘Staff are your most valuable asset – training them will pay back tenfold’ The team at Smokey Farm, Somerset.
Sue says: “If there is a bigger farming business up the road, a staff member could go and do the calf feeding there for a morning and understand how they do it.
Not only is this an opportunity for your employee to learn and network, but they can then drive improvements on-farm and help your smaller businesses keep up with industry developments. Encouraging staff to attend discussion groups, talks, events and spend time with professionals who come onto the farm, such as vets, mechanics and agronomists, are all good ways to plug into industry knowledge, improve skills and help staff network. With Brexit-related policy changes and the opening up of the natural capital market, there are also likely to be many information sessions available for farmers, which staff could also attend. Enabling them to engage in big issues will help them to drive necessary changes in the business.
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Sue says: “What young people really want is somebody to spend time with them to show them how to do things. Training is often about helping employees understand why they need to do something and the way it needs to be“Farmingdone. is relentless, so training is about building competencies so you can surround yourself with a team which does not create work by being incompetent.“Iftheydo, you need to take a step back and understand who is responsible for that incompetence. Is it that you haven’t shown them any differently?”
FARMERS Guardian has joined forces with key industry stakeholders from across the farming sector to promote careers in agriculture, collaborating with industry bod ies and industry partners to see how and where we can work together to shape the political agenda, drive educational reform and provide learning resources.
Articles will feature in Farmers Guardian to help agricultural businesses and farms understand recruitment and staff retention challenges and practical ideas they can adopt to mark the evolving changes which are happening in the careers, skills and training arena.
An important part of continuous learning is remaining approachable, says Mary, so staff can raise issues, present ideas and say if they do not understand something. She says: “It is important to listen to ideas, even if we have to explain why we cannot do something, so they feel part of the team.” “This rounded approach has been vital for getting the team to where it is today; a motivated and happy group of people who work well together, help each other out and share ideas.”
“Agriculture is about to go through many big changes, including adapting to climate change, new farming policy and natural capital markets – and that offers opportunity,” says Sue. “Businesses will need young people’s fresh minds. You’ve really got the chance to make a difference and do your own self-directed learning,” she says. “Develop yourself, attend courses, be open minded, and never stop seeking to learn and to find that information. Be cause right now, everything is in turmoil
For ambitious employees who want to help drive change in a business, now could also be the perfect moment to make the most of self-directed learning, says Sue Bryan, Promar’s farm consult ing manager in the southern region.
“Often the only way of hitting those milestones is to do it in your own time. If knowledge and how to get my points across in an assertive, but polite way, while also teaching me how to listen and take on board other views.” What he learned has become more important as he’s taken on in creasing responsibility, he says. “It has helped me deal with people at a strategic level but I am also now a better manager and leader. I listen to feedback more and understand individuals better so I can get the best from them.”
“It normally involves a couple of nights in a hotel with other course participants, which gives you a chance to network. It’s a pretty expensive course, so it’s import ant to put in what you want to get out.” Since her employer is paying for the training, this also involves another big commitment – Beth has signed a con tract to remain with the business for at least four more years, or else pay for the course fees if she leaves before then.
“Longer term, would like to manage a farm and potentially have equity in a “I was happy with my employer but my role had developed and I wanted to get a broader understanding of agri culture and its interlinking sectors. “Increasingly as your career pro gresses you find yourself around more and more knowledgeable people and you need to be able to hold your own with them. also wanted to improve my team management skills,” he says. “Velcourt has an enormous skill set within it, but also wanted to meet other people outside the company and broaden my horizons.”
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For 16 to 25 year olds and 25 to 35 year olds, this was even higher, at 60 per cent and 62 per cent respectively.
SOMETIMES it is necessary to study outside of work to reach your career goals, says Beth Kirby, dairy herd man ager at Sansaw Dairy, Shropshire. Having graduated in bioveterinary science at Harper Adams University, Beth, 26, is now managing a 1,250head dairy herd and is a leader of one to two staff teams who she is continu ing to develop her management skills with. She is already in her third year of the role, having worked her way up from assistant herdsperson.
The personal development was most valuable, says Sam, and he saw the biggest difference at board meetings.“Thecourse showed me how to bet ter present myself and how I might be viewed by other people. It gave me more confidence in my own abilities and business one day. But I’ve probably gone as far as I can in my current job as above me is an experienced farm manager who is unlikely to leave,” says Beth. Keen to continue to progress in her current role though, Beth is part of the Tesco Future Farmers Programme, which she put herself forward for, and is also studying under Promar’s Dairy Management Academy. The course is a big commitment – it involves eight mod ules over two years, comprising two days per module, per quarter. In be tween, Beth does home study.
“While I’d always wanted to go into farming, 10 years ago I couldn’t have imagined that I’d be farm manager for such a high profile estate,” says Sam. While he credits his employer with pushing him hard and offering oppor tunities, he says his IAgrM training has been important to his career pro gression.Having studied agriculture at Cirencester, Sam entered farming through Velcourt’s management training programme, working his way up to farm manager at another of the company’s businesses, Castle Hill Estate in North Devon.
Case study: ‘If you’re ambitious, take charge of your own career’ and it might feel daunting, it might feel that there is not enough information around [about upcoming changes], but that available information will grow and you can remain at the forefront of it.
T here is a lot to be learned from on-farm training but what if you have reached the limit of what your employer can, or is willing, to offer you in terms of develop ment, either in-house or otherwise?
Invaluable The opportunity to network with other individuals at the top of their game was also invaluable, says Sam, and he now has a book of contacts to call on who can help open doors that might not have been possible other wise.“Iwould definitely consider train ing outside my employer again. The industry really struggles to find good farm managers, so it is vital we have good young people progressing in it,” he “Talksays.toyour employer about train ing – it will make the whole process easier and any good employer should be looking at it anyway.”
you are ambitious you need to take charge of your career and put in the miles yourself,” says Beth. She advises other young farming professionals to discuss training with their“Talkemployer.tothem about your goals and help them see that your training will improve things for them too. “If that doesn’t work though, take time to educate yourself. There are plenty of resources out there, including YouTube videos, webinars run by AHDB and discussion groups. I’ve got textbooks I use, but you can also ask for book recommendations.”
IT is vital to look for training opportun ities outside of your employer, says 38-year-old farm manager Sam Bri ant-Evans, who graduated from the Institute of Agricultural Manage ment’s (IAgrM) Leadership Develop ment Programme in 2018. Sam manages 13 members of staff on the 1,000-hectare, 800-dairycow operation on the Velcourtmanaged Clinton Devon Estate Farms, Devon, and has been in the role since February 2020.
Development Sam enrolled on the course and stud ied policy, international affairs, management and communication skills, and personal development, with a week in Brussels, London, and Cirencester.“Thewhole experience was very eye opening,” remembers Sam. “The other course attendees were all excel ling in their fields – and there was a moment where I realised that I must be excelling too.”
Sam Briant-Evans
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Get training from outside of your employer to reach your career goals, say farmers who proactively sought to improve their skills and career development. Jez Fredenburgh reports.
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Case study: ‘I wanted to meet other people outside the company and broaden my horizons’
Employees turn to increaselearningself-directedtoskills
“I had been in the job at Caste Hill about eight years and done a lot of development,” says Sam.
FARMERS Guardian has joined forces with key industry stakeholders from across the farming sector to promote careers in agriculture, collaborating with industry bod ies and industry partners to see how and where we can work together to shape the political agenda, drive educational reform and provide learning resources.
About #ThisIsAgriculture
“No professional, no adviser, no con sultant is ever going to think badly of you, or be frustrated; if we receive a phone call from a young person out of the blue who asks, ‘please tell me more about this’,” says Sue. As well as formal courses and industry development opportunities, there is a huge range of other training that employ ees can seek out, from courses run by their vets, to webinars from AHDB, to online videos, e-courses, and ample reading materials.
Articles will feature in Farmers Guardian to help agricultural businesses and farms understand recruitment and staff retention challenges and practical ideas they can adopt to mark the evolving changes which are happening in the careers, skills and training arena.
Beth Kirby
In the future, Beth would like to travel to New Zealand for six to 12 months and bring knowledge back to Sansaw Dairy, which runs a NZ-style system.
For young employees, gaining formal training through their employer appears to be getting harder. According to a re cent Farmers Guardian survey of 359 businesses, 88 per cent of those aged 55-65 had help from their employers in gaining qualifications, compared to 43 per cent of those aged 16-25. Opportunities Now more than ever is a time to chase your own learning opportunities. In fact, in the same survey, 63 per cent of ancil lary employees and 50 per cent of farm ing employees said they had sought skills independently of their employer.
He considered applying for a Nuff ield Scholarship, but did not think the time commitment needed would be possible for him. So he broached the subject at his next appraisal and his manager suggested the IAgrM course.
She says her employer has been very supportive with on-farm training, which has included workshops and learning on topics such as breeding, facility management and grazing.
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dential programme also provides excellent networking opportunities between delegates. Fees are £7,500.
Jez Fredenburgh takes a look at the some of the key training opportunities available.
Topics previously covered include: grassland management; sheep nutrition; performance recording and understanding estimated breeding values; lamb marketing; and on-farm efficiency and profitability.
For more information, email director@nuffieldscholar.org, or visit rolesnuffieldscholar.orginfourdifferent businesses over two years in the UK or abroad and receive formal off-the-job training, coaching and mentoring. Trainees are employed by MDS at a salary of £21,500 in the first year and £22,500 in the second year.
Articles will feature in Farmers Guardian to help agricultural businesses and farms understand recruitment and staff retention challenges and practical ideas they can adopt to mark the evolving changes which are happening in the careers, skills and training arena.
The Farmers Club Charitable Trust awards places every year on the Wind sor Leadership Trust’s Women in Leadership course. The programme focuses on the challenges faced by senior women in leadership roles. On a residential course, participants hear from inspirational female leaders and cover topics such as: the unique A COLLABORATION between Farm ing Connect and Wales YFC and is for people aged 16-19. Applicants must live in Wales and must be an employ ee, business partner or immediate family member of a registered Farming
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Advanced Agriculture Business Management Leading and Managing Agri Academy Business and Innovation Programme Women in Leadership Agri Academy Junior Programme IAgrM Leadership Development Programme NSA Next Generation AmbassadorsNuffield Scholarships MDS Graduate Scheme Women in Agriculture Practical Training Fund farming unions and membership or ganisations; Lantra; and Farming Connect.Here,we take
l For more information, email sales@lantra.co.uk, or visit
l For more information, email info@ mds-ltd.co.uk, or visit mds-ltd.co.uk
l For more information, email connect/businessbusinesswales.gov.wales/farming-griffiths@menterabusnes.co.uk,gwenno.orvisit
l For more information, email women-leadership-programmevisitjoys@windsorleadership.org.uk,marion.orwindsorleadership.org.uk/
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l For more information, email connect/businessbusinesswales.gov.wales/farming-griffiths@menterabusnes.co.uk,gwenno.orvisit
Courses include: business skills; environmental and sustainability; and vehicles, machinery and equipment; although other courses will be con sidered. Funding rounds are monthly.
courage self development:
THIS five-day course aims to develop capable and effective leaders and managers for the food sector through practical application of theory and development of soft skills. The course includes: how to func tion as agents of change; improving operational performance and profit ability; leadership and management theory required for self-management
THIS programme is for business owners and senior managers. It is run by the Worshipful Company of Farmers and held at the Royal Agricultural Uni versity. Applications for the November THIS one-day course teaches partici pants how to identify their preferred leadership style, develop an awareness of other styles, and when they might be used to best effect. THIS Farming Connect programme looks at threats and opportunities facing businesses; personal develop ment; and offers networking with indus try experts and business leaders.
l For more information, email enquir ies@iagrm.com, or visit iagrm.com/ events/leadership-course
l For more information, email scot land@lantra.co.uk, or visit tical-training-fundlantra.co.uk/women-agriculture-pracscotland.
initiatives
She suggests employers and managers also complete SWOT an alyses when looking into training for their teams. Industry bodies who either supply training opportunities or signpost to them include: AHDB;
FARMERS Guardian has joined forces with key industry stakeholders from across the farming sector to promote careers in agriculture, collaborating with industry bod ies and industry partners to see how and where we can work together to shape the political agenda, drive educational reform and provide learning resources.
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l For more information, email elizabeth. badger@rau.ac.uk, or visit rau.ac.uk/ Costsstudy/wcfand location vary with providers.
l For more information, email katie@ nationalsheep.org.uk, or visit bassador-groupalsheep.org.uk/next-generation/amnation towards travel and subsistence expenses. Applicants must be aged 22-45 at the time of applying (deadline July 31) and be working in the farming, food, horticulture, rural and associated industries, or be in a position to influ ence these industries.
A survey run by Farmers Guardian earlier this year revealed 50 per cent of farming employees said they had gained skills independently of their employer, reflecting a desire to upskill themselves.
THIS business training programme for aspiring dairy producers is organised by the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers in collaboration with The Andersons Centre, AHDB Dairy and the NFU. Many students have gained contacts to help establish or develop their own businesses, including share partnerships and tenancies.
l For more information, email carri erobbins@rabdf.co.uk, or visit rabdf. co.uk/entrepreneurs-in-dairying
Connect business. Students will be considered.
“There are many tools and templates to help with this, but a good SWOT analysis is as good as any. By listing your strengths, weakness, opportun ities and threats, you can put the weak nesses into an action plan.”
Applicantsproviderscourse/leading-and-managingcourse-lantra.co.uk/mustliveandworkinWales.
2021 course are open. Fees are £5,275, but assistance is available.
The 2021 course includes sessions
l
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trainingCareer-boostingcourses
skills and benefits senior women bring; progressing within a male dominated organisation; the barriers and enablers women face; and ways to increase self-confidence and resilience.
Leadership and People Management Entrepreneurs in Dairying a closer look at some of the available which en
NUFFIELD Scholars travel anywhere in the world (Covid-19 permitting) for a minimum of eight weeks, in order to investigate an agricultural topic of their Theychoice.mustpresent their findings and industry recommendations, including in a written report, at the Annual Nuff ield Farming Conference. A bursary of about £7,000 is given THE MDS Graduate Scheme is for future leaders of the food and fresh produce industry. Made up of a part nership of companies, it aims to equip young people with the experience, training and mindset so they have the confidence and ability to rapidly become senior business leaders. Trainees gain experience of four WOMEN in Scotland working in agri culture, studying agriculture or wanting to enter the sector, can apply for gov ernment funding of up to £500 for prac tical skills training. The aim is to support the personal development of women, giving them additional skills to prog ress their careers and employment opportunities in Scottish agriculture. and the management and motivation of individuals and effective teams. It is run by the AgriFood Training Partnership at Harper Adams Univer sity, and is for graduates, or those with experience in the food industry. Fees are £1,200. l Interested applicants should register their interest at leadership-and-people-managementaftp.co.uk/course/ about understanding the milk market, future opportunities, people manage ment, finance, business planning and succession planning. Most sessions will be run remotely this year and will run from September to December. Cost is £395 plus VAT.
W hether you are an individual looking to develop your career path or an employer wanting to support staff progression, there are many development and training opportunities in agriculture to tap into. When looking for training and development opportunities, it is a good idea to start by narrowing down the area of interest, advises Amie Burke, skills development manager at AHDB. “There is so much out there and you cannot possibly complete everything at once, so where do you begin?
THE Institute of Agricultural Managers’ Leadership Development Programme is a masters-level policy course designed for individuals already in management roles with a desire to effect change. The three-week resi THE National Sheep Association (NSA) Next Generation Ambassadors scheme is free and was set up to strengthen the sheep sector and developing individuals’ technical and business skills. There are five teaching sessions, each lasting two or three days and ambassadors subsequently develop a longstanding relationship with NSA.
FARM manager Jonathan Kerr is employed by Velcourt, and manages 900 hectares (2,224 acres) of arable land over two farm businesses in Wiltshire.
1 Give purpose and praise: For most people, being happy and fulfilled at work is not about the money, but about having a purpose, knowing what they need to do and why, and having the skills and training to suc cessfully fulfil these responsibilities. It also costs nothing to say ‘thank you’, ‘good job’, ‘well done’, but can make a person feel great.
l RUPERT Major milks 630 spring-calv ing cross-bred cows on 313 hectares (773 acres) in Staffordshire. He employs five full-time staff, plus three seasonal calf rearers and a part-time college stu dent and apprentice. To keep a high rate of staff retention, Rupert says the business aims to be a greatHeemployer.says:“Will Sanders, the farm manager, and I are always focused on how well we are managing the team and how happy they are.
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5 Provide quality accommoda tion and facilities: Don’t under estimate how important this is if accommodation is provided. It must be up to a standard you and your family would live in. Some staff prefer to live in caravans to keep their overheads down, but find out their needs and don’t assume.
“The most important thing is to give people something to work towards.” l
How to retain your staff
Tips from employers Tips from employees Expert advice
“One of the attractions of a career with Velcourt is the fact they will give you training, experience and responsibility early on and push you to develop your self,” says Jonathan, who has been with Velcourt about six years, after starting as an assistant farm manager. “This means I feel confident and capable to do my job, which in turn gives Velcourt the ability to take on new businesses knowing there is a flow of people ready and keen to become farmThemanagers.”loyaltybetween company and employee is a major reason Jonathan says he has stayed with Velcourt.
After recruiting and training your staff, you want to keep hold of them, but how? Jez Fredenburgh speaks to farm employers and employees about how to boost retention.
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HEATHER Wildman, agricultural business consultant and change motivator, gives her top tips on retaining staff:
l JACK Griffiths and his father own and run two dairy farms in Gloucester shire, including the home farm, Tayn ton Court Farm. Soon this will increase to three dairy enterprises, taking cow
About #ThisIsAgriculture
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“We believe ‘to be informed is to be involved’, so we have a weekly team meeting where we review the week gone and explain the plan for the week ahead. This includes explanation of the current grass position and animal health challenges.”
Paul Harris, managing director of Real Success, which provides HR advice and staff management training to the agricultural sector, says: “Staff are one of the single biggest financial investments a farm business will make, and it can cost up to £15,000 to replace an “Planningemployee.andexecuting effective staff retention takes time, money and commit ment. But those farmers who embrace this challenge are the ones securing and retaining the best employees.”
Good planning and communication are key, says Rupert, as is resourcing the farm properly and training staff so they can work to a high standard with out big time pressures. numbers to 1,600 and staff to nine fulltime and nine part-time employees. The business has several long-stand ing members of staff who have worked for the family for more than a decade.
2 Create a business to be proud of: This does not mean having the newest and most expensive facilities or equipment, but rather it’s about cre ating a business which employees are proud to say they work for. This rests on the reputation of the business in the people/owners, in the management and welfare of the livestock, the care of the steading and its staff, land, machin ery, environment, wildlife and inter action with the local community.
4 Give responsibility to enable impact: Staff have personal responsibility and are able to manage and impact their work and results. Some people are happy to be told what to do and how and they consistently do this each day, while others need to be able to influence their work. Get to know your staff’s work styles and fit them into the right roles and tasks.
Articles will feature in Farmers Guardian to help agricultural businesses and farms understand recruitment and staff retention challenges and practical ideas they can adopt to mark the evolving changes which are happening in the careers, skills and training arena.
Jack Griffiths Jonathan Kerr We believe ‘to be informed is to be involved’, so we have a weekly team meeting RUPERT MAJOR
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Alec Heron
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Jack says: “We’re specialists and invest in training so our staff have a chal lenge and can find out what they like doing. As they gain new skills and responsibilities, they can climb the lad der with us at the home farm, then we promote them to their own dairies. We also pay well and try to offer a good work-life balance. We all spend a lot of time together and it is important we get on, so we hold social events where part ners and children come and we can all do something outside of farming.
l ALEC Heron started off at Taynton Court farm 26 years ago as a young herdsman, before working his way up to farm manager about 12 years ago. He manages the home farm, milking 900Aleccows.says: “I feel like things are always moving and improving in the business.“Theowners back the staff, so if say something isn’t right and needs changing, for example a piece of machinery which would help make the job less manual and time-consum ing, they listen. feel like I’m able to have an influence. “I’ve worked for the business a long time. I have reasonable hours, a good work-life balance, lots of training and have had a chance to progress.”
FARMERS Guardian has joined forces with key industry stakeholders from across the farming sector to promote careers in agriculture, collaborating with industry bod ies and industry partners to see how and where we can work together to shape the political agenda, drive educational reform and provide learning resources.
Y ou spend money, time and effort recruiting good people to your farming business. But then, just when they have the hang of the job, they leave. Why? And more importantly, how do you stop it happening again?
Improving your communication and gaining a deeper understanding of the personality styles of your team members are soft skills which will help improve staff retention, says Paul. Annual reviews, investment in training, decent working conditions and ensuring accommodation is to a standard your family would live in are also simple steps which can show staff they are valued.
3 Value each team member: Indi viduals know where they fit into the team and how their job impacts the bigger picture, regardless of whether they are the relief milker, tractor driver, calf rearer, cleaner, contractor, man ager or owner. Everyone is part of producing what leaves the farm and this is must be recognised.
7 Have clear job descriptions and contracts: Before recruiting, review the business, what skills it needs, who might want to work more or less and whether that can be resourced from within the team. Then ensure employment contracts and job descriptions so everything is clear.
6 Ensure holidays and rest: Some people are happy to prioritise their job and work long hours so they can climb the ladder. Others prefer to have set roles, few responsibilities and minimum hours so they can do their job, but then leave and switch off. We need both, but beware of burnout for the keen beans and ensure holidays, rest and time off for all.
What next?
FARMERS Guardian has joined forces with key industry stakeholders from across the farming sector to promote careers in agriculture, collaborating with industry bod ies and industry partners to see how and where we can work together to shape the political agenda, drive educational reform and provide learning resources.
Research by Leaf Education has seen an astonishing five-fold increase in engagement this year from its work with young people on-farm, in schools andCarlonline.says: “A hybrid approach is required to provide opportunities for young people to learn directly from real-world experiences, where they can question, learn and chal lenge farmers and become inspired to enter our Educationsector.”initiatives across the industry seized upon the potential online learning provided to give students a unique insight into farming.
Josh says: “Continued collaboration is key. Agriculture is made up of lots of smaller organisations and everyone is doing different things, but we need to talk to each other and put on a united front for schools so we can get the best bang for our buck. We do not have the same level of funding as some of the bigger industries out there.”
The crucial role the countryside played in safeguarding people’s physical and mental health will not be forgotten in a hurry. A survey commissioned by Farmers Guardian as part of the #FarmingCAN campaign found that as many as 71 per cent of people said they felt fortunate to be able to access the British countryside.And a survey by Censuswide for the NFU revealed that 87 per cent of respondents said visits to Britain’s farmed landscape had improved their well-being over the past year. Nearly half said they valued the British countryside and farmland more since the pandemic began and 84 per cent
Josh says: “Do your part. You have your own kids, grandkids and people you know who are teachers. We’re doing excellent work, but a lot of people still don’t know about it. Don’t be afraid to get in touch and offer to talk to students about your life.”
NFU’s Science Farm Live! ran on March 8-12 this year and connected a staggering 223,000 students with the Great British countryside and with the people who look after its landscapes, animals and farms through four interactive broadcasts. These broadcasts included a trip to a sheep farm for Lambing Live, Future Farming Robots with researchers from Harper Adams University, watching chicks hatch with Eggucation and a farm vet visit on a dairy farm.
agreed their visits had made them appreciate the role farmers play in creating our iconic rural landscapes.
In 2004, Otley College had just five T he unforeseen events of the past two years have put farming firmly in the public spotlight for a host of different reasons. Covid-19 and the ensuing lockdowns played an enormous role in transforming the value consumers place on home-grown food, the British countryside and job security. Unprecedented school closures and a shift towards online learning enabled farming organisations to reach a record number of young children and teenagers and give them access to workplaces which were usually off limits. Add to this the burgeoning issues of the environment and climate change and there are now opportunities for the taking to highlight the cutting-edge work our industry is doing to play its part. Together, all these factors have cap tured the attention and imagination of a huge demographic from the younger generation to teachers, consumers and tourists. But now the industry faces a considerable challenge in how to main tain this interest as life returns to normal. Setting the scene
Theagriculture:intimeisnow
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farming students. By 2020, 63 learners were enrolled on farming courses at the newly-named Suffolk Rural, which is now run by Suffolk New College. Holly Williams, head of land-based studies at Suffolk Rural, says: “This year we have already eclipsed these figures and we are still enrolling students up until the middle of October.” She believes a number of factors may have contributed to this rise, but says TV shows such as Countryfile and more recently Clarkson’s Farm, have played a keySherole.says: “These shows have got people talking about agriculture, which is fantastic. I also think the industry is more inclusive and that can be seen by the fact that we have more students who did not grow up on a farm joining our courses at Suffolk Rural. It is great to see a higher number of female students enrolling.”
“I guess the message to everyone is to keep working together and keep being creative to help fly the farming“Nowflag.is not the time to sit back and think that the job is done. Now is the time to put our collective foot on the accelerator to encourage more and more people into our fantastic industry.”
Josh says: “When it comes to how we solve issues around agriculture, such as the supply chain and labour, a lot will require new solutions and new ways of “Thesethinking.kidsare the ones we want to do it. We need to get to them now and show them that if they want to be a robotics engineer or programming artificial intelligence they can do that within agriculture.”
Job security was also at the forefront of people’s minds and farmers’ roles as key workers highlighted their important place in society.
Local surroundings He says: “We saw a lot of people becom ing more aware of their local surround ings, but that was largely within middleclass environments. Those who had the budget were going out more, growing food at home, baking and cooking and those aspects of society now have a greater understanding. In some areas, however, it made little difference.” And there is still an important role the individual farmer can play.
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Carl Edwards, director of education and public engagement at Linking Environment and Farming (Leaf), says: “One of the consequences of the pan demic was that it reawakened people’s interest in food and made them truly value it. We don’t know what we’ve got until it’s gone or limited. “This put farming in the spotlight and highlighted its importance to us all in society. Going out on Leaf Open Farm Sunday and listening to the conversa tions that young families were having with their local food producers and farm ers made it is clear to me that they have a renewed sense of appreciation for what our industry does.”
Soil Association farm adviser Jerry Alford says: “New ideas and entrepre neurial thinking have always been welcome in farming and the need to focus on how we can use soil and farming systems to sequester carbon, improve soil health and the climate is a great opportunity for the next generation of farmers.”
Josh is keen to highlight that increased appreciation for the countryside and home-grown food are not luxuries accessible to everyone and the industry needs to join forces in order to reach those children denied such experiences during the lockdowns.
Josh Payne, chief education manager at the NFU, says: “At the end of the day, everybody has to eat. That will never change.”
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Science Farm Live! reached about 223,000 students at 1,476 schools/homes l During Science Farm Live!, 682 questions and 454 shout-outs were submitted in advance, with a further 3,495 comments and questions submitted using the live chat l Most of the teacher feedback (83 per cent) rated Science Farm Live! as seven or above out of 10, with Comres survey for Farmers Guard ian’s #FarmingNow campaign) l Eighty-one per cent appreciate the role farmers play in creating our iconic rural landscapes (Source: Censuswide survey for NFU) l Forty-seven per cent value the British countryside and farmland more since the Covid-19 pandemic began (Source: Censuswide survey for NFU) more than half of the feedback scor ing the event 10/10 l Linking Environment and Farming worked with more than 1,000 teachers – 100 per cent said they felt more confident and able to deliver more food and farming work in the classroom l A total of 71 per cent of people feel fortunate to be able to access the British countryside (Source: Savanta the next generation in statistics
Inspiring
Carl agrees for more collaborative working.Hesays:
l
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Articles will feature in Farmers Guardian to help agricultural businesses and farms understand recruitment and staff retention challenges and practical ideas they can adopt to mark the evolving changes which are happening in the careers, skills and training arena.
Careers
Today marks the launch of the fourth, and potentially most important, year of our #ThisIsAgriculture campaign, at a moment in time when showcasing careers throughout the industry has never been more crucial.
Student numbers soar This unique set of circumstances has already had a tangible impact, with agricultural colleges around the country reporting an increase in the number of students opting to study agricultural courses.CLA president Mark Bridgeman says: “A career in the agriculture sector can often be overlooked by those without a direct family link to farming. “But at this critical time when there is an increasing focus on the environ ment, climate change and sustainable farming, it is no surprise that agricultural colleges are seeing growing interest from young “Perhapspeople.somestudents feel inspired by the work farmers did to feed the nation during the pandemic or were able to make the most of our glorious countryside for long-distance walks. After all, stewardship of our natural environment is an honour and a responsibility many would wish to share.”
Carl agrees that young people are interested in the effect of what they eat and buy on our climate and they are keen to play their part. He says: “I see a real desire to learn more about sustainable food production, the technology behind it and how it impacts on climate change.”
#THISISAGRICULTURE:
An increased awareness of food provenance can undoubtedly be traced back to the panic-buying witnessed in the lead-up to the first lockdown.
“We need to work together to help join the circle and offer exciting and motivating experiences to empower our young people to make informed decisions about the hugely varied and rewarding careers our industry has to Hollyoffer.”says:
Climate change However, the pandemic is not the only crisis on people’s minds. The fight against climate change is a key driver for young people and an increased aware ness of the positive work the farming industry is doing in this area has started to have an impact.
In order to capitalise on the increased interest and positive feeling towards the industry, experts agree organisations working together is essential.
training on how to raise the standard of curriculum-linked farm visits, ways to fine-tune your health and safety practices and the opportunity to share best practice and new resources with other farm educators.
Articles will feature in Farmers Guardian to help agricultural businesses and farms understand recruitment and staff retention challenges and practical ideas they can adopt to mark the evolving changes which are happening in the careers, skills and training arena.
l More information: leaf.eco/farmer agerstime/homecan be daunting at the best of times, volunteers are offered training on how to tell your story, how to keep audiences engaged and tips on how to hone your presentation style. l Find out more about the NFU’s education work by visiting educa tion.nfuonline.com
About #ThisIsAgriculture
F rom food shortages during the Covid-19 pandemic to growing concerns about the links between meat produc tion and climate change, British agriculture has been put firm ly under the spotlight over the past twoTheyears.public’s interest in food and agriculture is greater than it has been for decades, however, the industry faces a new challenge of finding ways to maintain their interest and, more importantly, ensure they hear the facts about how their food is produced.
businesses, as well as farmer-specific courses through her Just Farmers initiative, which aims to help build farmer confidence in speaking and being interviewed by the media.
l More information: visitmyfarm.org learn more about farm visits, as well as network with other farmers and farm educators. Sign up to find out about seminars in your area.
ALMOST 2,500 farmers and educators have undergone train ing through The Countryside Educational Visits Accreditation Scheme (CEVAS), an accredited training programme designed especially for people who want to offer education or care farming experiences on a farm or country sideEachlocation.year, CEVAS-educated
Farmer Time NFU Speakers for Schools CEVAS Plus Visit My Farm Leaf Education seminars Just Farmers Leaf Open Farm Sunday
Caroline Stocks looks at training initiatives open to farmers.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit FGinsight.com/ThisIsAgriculture
Royal
FARMERS Guardian has joined forces with key industry stakeholders from across the farming sector to promote careers in agriculture, collaborating with industry bod ies and industry partners to see how and where we can work together to shape the political agenda, drive educational reform and provide learning resources.
FOLLOW #THISISAGRICULTURE: On Instagram @this.is.ag; Twitter @This_Is_Ag; and search on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Anyone can sign up to host an event and, once you have registered, you will be sent a handbook containing all the information you need to organise your day — whether that is hosting a farmers welcome 500,000 school children on-farm. CEVAS involves two days of on-site learning with a tutor, where you learn about the practicalities involved in hosting visits, how food and farming can be incorporated into the curriculum and how to communicate effectively with teachers and pupils.
Courses Thankfully, there are training cours es available to give farmers the right skills to communicate with schools, teachers, consumers and the media, as well as advice on how to host farm visits and other activities. Here, we list some of the ones on offer. withengagementbetterthepublic
l More information: www.rhet.org. uk, or call 01313 356 227.
With more and more people interested in food production and farming’s impact on provenance, environment and rewards it offers from careers to the countryside, engaging with the public has never been more important.
LINKING Environment and Farm ing-backed initiative Farmer Time offers farmers the chance to speak virtually to schoolchildren and answer their questions through free fortnightly calls on FaceTime and Skype. Calls between farmers and their paired classes last anything between 10 and 20 minutes and ideally take place throughout an entire academic year.
There are more than 300 schools signed up to the scheme and volunteer farmers can access online resources, as well as help from their paired teacher, to come up with ideas for conversations and find tips for answering the toughest of children’s questions.
There are few people who understand food production better than farmers, but if you have never engaged with the public, spoken to a group of people or welcomed visitors on your farm before, it may well seem a daunting prospect.
l More information: farmgarden. org.uk, or call 01179 231 800. it to specific audiences, as well as giving ideas on curriculum-based games and activities to offer. RHET also puts prospective hosts in touch with other farmers to hear how they connect with chil dren and offers help with required health and safety paperwork.
educational partners, Visit My Farm has a host of online resources and ad vice for farmers, including self-directed training materials, how-to guides and videos.
As an accredited training pro vider, the organisation offers a var iety of workshops and training events covering subjects ranging from how to set up a care farm to how to meet the needs of specific groups, such as people living THE Royal Highland Educational Trust (RHET) was established to teach young people in Scotland about food, farming and the countryside.Farmersand land managers can volunteer to become classroom speakers or host classes on-farm, with RHET offering training in what information to share, how to tailor
CEVAS training
THE NFU’s Speakers for Schools programme sees NFU members and industry experts partner with local secondary schools to deliver sessions encouraging pupils to see the connection between farming and food. As speaking to a room of teen
Gardens
l More information: justfarmers.org farm walk or a more elaborate event. It also has a template risk assessment and tips on ensuring your event is safe.
l More information: org/cevas-farmer-trainingvisitmyfarm.
The Highland Educational Trust
Enabling
SOCIAL Farms and Gardens is a UK-wide charity which works to connect communities with farms through nature-based activities.
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More information: 02476cation/for-farmers/training,leaf.eco/eduorcall413911.
IF you took the CEVAS qualification some time ago and want to update or refresh your skills, CEVAS Plus could be the course for you. Designed for anyone who received the initial training more than five years ago, it offers advice on new ways to engage with schools, as well as IF you are a farmer or farm educator and you want to start running educa tional visits, Linking Environment and Farming Education has a variety of educational courses and resources on offer. Developed in collaboration with LINKING Environment and Farm ing Education runs regular semin ars and workshops on a variety of topics, ranging from maths on the farm to outdoor learning in second aryTheschools.workshops offer a chance to IF you want to learn how to connect to the public using the media, journalist and farmers’ daughter Anna Jones’ workshops on communication, story telling and interview techniques could be for you. She runs full day courses for SINCE the first Open Farm Sunday event was first held in 2006, more than 2.7 million people have visited more than 1,600 farms across the country. The event is held each year on a Sunday in June and offers people of all ages the opportunity to visit a farm and learn more about producers’ roles in producing food, enhancing the country side and conserving the environment.
l More information: org/cevas-farmer-trainingvisitmyfarm. with mental ill health or learning disabilities.Aswellas face-to-face training, Social Farms and Gardens has a regular series of webinars discussing subjects like how to grow connections with schools and how to talk about food to children of all ages.
l
l More information: openfarmsunday. org/open-my-farm Social Farms and
Climate Superheroes winners
Jennie Devine
The NFU’s Farmvention competition, aimed at encouraging children to think about the ways they can help farmers look after the environment and tackle climate change, welcomed nine young winners to the House of Commons. Danusia Osiowy reports.
A The teaching resources link to the national curriculum to enable teachers to deliver the content they need to through the context of agriculture. The resources were accredited by the Association for Science Education to demonstrate they were of high quality and encourage teachers to use them.
TWELVE-year-old Samay Kachalia devised The C-Shift, a device to extract carbon dioxide from non-arable soil, separate the elements and transfer pure carbon into soil. He used the school’s design technology workshop to devise a model which was functional, using 3D printing, soldering and assemblingSamaytechniques.spoke with farmers who he was put in touch with via NFU Educa tion and continued to research his con WE caught up with Jennie Devine, education manager at NFU Education, to find out more about one of their most popular educational initiatives.
Q Is there a prize?
their creativity to invent solutions to these problems. About 6,000 children have taken part since it began.
The 10-year-old pupil designed a set of carbon footprint labels to demonstrate how much carbon diox ide is in flowers and to help shoppers make better decisions when buying their floral favourites. She said: “Thirty-two British alstroe meria flowers have far less carbon than ones which are imported from Europe. “The labels work out how much they use and are designed to work like
Samay Kachalia, The C-Shift About FarmventionMillie Nabarro, carbon footprint labels
NFU president Minette Batters presents Roland Christopher, a King’s School pupil, with a Farmvention trophy.
Q What is Farmvention?
A Farmvention was launched three years ago to challenge children to think about the challenges faced by British farmers and growers and use MILLIE Nabarro heard about the com petition in a school meeting and said it seemed ‘a good thing to do’.
Q Why did you launch it?
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Q How is the curriculum integrated?
A We worked with Hi Impact Media to create four virtual 3D tours to enable children to digitally visit three NFU members’ farms and the Small Robot Company workshop. In the videos, the farmers and engineers explain how they are fight ing climate change on their farms.
HouseshowcasedfarmingClimate-smartinventionsinofCommons
A Farmvention (when farming meets invention) is a national STEM competi tion for primary and lower secondary aged schoolchildren aged between five and 15. Children are challenged to invent a solution to a range of problems faced by farmers and growers.
A Prizes for winners include a class farm visit and the opportunity to present ideas as part of our Farmvention winners’ showcase at the House of Commons. If anyone would like to get involved, keep an eye on our social media for how to get involved (@NFUEducation).
Q How can farmers support you with future development? A Farmvention will be changing again next year and we will be pairing up participating schools with farmers so they can ask them their questions directly. the traffic light system on food labels. “It is quite surprising that 50 years ago almost all flowers in the UK were British and yet these days 90 per cent of the flowers we buy come from Holland. “We need to support British farmers and buying British is better for our environment and for our farmers. It helps them with profit, so they have a higher chance of success. “It would be nice to see some farmers visit our school and tell us what they do.”
Q Children can choose to work with a number of farmers on your website. How does this happen?
Freemens School, designed a vertical farming system to enable crops to be grown in salt marshes l Aryan Soni, from Wootton Park School, invented a ‘smart irriga tion’ system l Millie Nabarro, from Thomas’s Clapham, developed a carbon labelling system for British flowers l Samay Kachalia, from Mer chant Taylors’ School, developed The C-Shift – a carbon recovery and soil injection device l Roland Christopher, from King’s School, investigated and designed an Arduino-based lighting system for growing crops
These initiatives are so important in highlighting positive impacts future generations can make JO andMinisterCHURCHILLforAgri-InnovationClimateAdaptation
About #ThisIsAgriculture S choolchildren from across the country proudly showcased their climate-smart farming inventions to MPs in the House of Commons last week. From more than 400 entries submit ted by students across the country, nine winners of the NFU’s Farmvention com petition were chosen to present their ideas to MPs, educational leaders and farming professionals, after fulfilling the brief to design an invention which would support farmers to become carbon neu tral by 2040 and fight climate change. Pupils had four areas of development to choose from: technology; soil and plant health; renewable energy; and sustainable food. They were then asked to utilise their science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) skills and knowledge to develop practical tools for sustain able farming and help the industry be net zero by Innovations2040.from the children, who were aged five to 14 years old, included a smart irrigation system, a vertical farming system to reduce water use, a carbon recovery and soil injector, drones to help with flooding and an all-seasonWelcominggreenhouse.guests at the parlia mentary event, NFU president Minette Batters said the focus on climate change was not just on the farmers who deliver sustainable food, but the creatives and scientists who come up with the new technologies which enable us to do it. Understanding She said: “For me, the best thing was seeing each project demonstrating a real understanding of the needs of farm ing and food production, as well as an impressive element of creativity, innov ation, scientific knowledge and skill. “It highlights what teachers who have used our resources already know – that farming is a fantastic way to teach STEM subjects in a practical and meaningful way.”
“I would love to invite local farmers to come into school and tell us what they do, so more of us can be aware of how special the farming industry is. “Being a farmer isn’t just standing with a pitchfork in a field – it’s being a key part of our society.”
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THE nine winners were named the 2021 Climate Superheroes: l Alfie Roberts, from Shoreham Village School, invented a waste-saving app l The Edenham Home Edders, from Bourne Tuition, designed drones to help solve the problem of flooding in Lincolnshire l Gregory Laycock-Hammond, from Yatton Junior School, inves tigated and built a greenhouse for all seasons l Class 2 at Wark Primary School invented the Sensor Sprinkler 2021 to reduce water waste l Dean Araj, Pip Bimson and Ben Sullivan, from City of London cept and understand their challenges. He said: “Every person needs to do their own bit to help end our climate crisis. It is my generation which will be key to helping to solve and protect the future.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit FGinsight.com/ThisIsAgriculture Farmvention is a perfect example of how STEM subjects can be applied to help tackle real issues facing FarmingVICTORIAfarmersPRENTISMinister
FARMERS Guardian has joined forces with key industry stakeholders from across the farming sector to promote careers in agriculture, collaborating with industry bodies and industry partners to see how and where we can work together to shape the political agenda, drive educational reform and provide learning resour ces. Articles will feature in Farmers Guardian to help agricultural businesses and farms understand recruitment and staff retention challenges and practical ideas they can adopt to mark the evolving changes which are happening in the careers, skills and training arena.
What are visitors most interested in?
Annabel Shackleton, manager of Open Farm Sunday for Leaf, has been in the role for a decade and believes that, even in this day and age of social media and instant images, there is nothing to beat the impact of getting the general public onto farms to gain a valuable insight.
“This widening of the age dynamic is something that farming needs to resources and can talk to one of our ambassadors – farmers who have done open days already.
IN October 2021, Leaf asked visitors what they were most interested in learning more about on Open Farm Sunday 2022: a self-guided walk. Leaf has some great resources, as does the NFU, with posters and leaflets. which is not normally open to the public to have their picnics. “They are not looking for a theme park; they are just interested to see what a normal farm is like. “One of the best parts for me was people going home realising farmers do not harm the environment and that we work with nature.”
SEEING how much her sons’ school friends enjoyed visiting the farm spurred Anne Mair-Chapman to open for the first time last year. Anne says: “Like so many farmers I find myself grumbling away to myself about problems within the industry. But I have started to realise that if we do not speak up we will not be heard and that it is up to us as farmers to advertise the industry in a better light.”
Since the first Open Farm Sunday in 2006, more than 1,600 farmers across the UK have opened their gates and recognise. As an industry, farming has long appreciated the importance of engaging with children and many organise school visits. I’ve found it really exciting to see these younger adults showing an interest in farming and where their food comes from.”
It was revealed 43 per cent of those visitors had not visited a farm before and 99 per cent of visitors rated the event they attended as good or excellent.
A new initiative for hosts is free online ticketing, which takes away the worry of not knowing how many people will turn up for an open event. Annabel says: “Farmers can release as many tickets as they want. Having set times is also useful, rather than just having an open invite for the whole day. “Some find it easiest to do an early 9am farm tour, for example, then another at 2pm. Then there is time between to get on with the farm work.
“The most important message is to please register your event. There is no obligation, deregistering is simple, and it is perfectly fine to decide that this year it is not for you.
F armers have been urged to pick up the baton presented by the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent interest in locally produced food it generated and host an Open Farm Sunday event. The annual event, run by Linking Environment and Farming (Leaf) takes place on Sunday, June 12, and the ambition is to recruit more farmers across the country than ever before. Although numbers were unsurprisingly down last year because of Covid-19 restrictions, one in three of the hosts opened their farm gates to the public for the first time.
Top tips to make your event a success
In the field: Anne Mair-Chapman
“If you are registered you can find everything you need to know about Open Farm Sunday and make your final decision from there.”
FACTS l Anne farms with her father David Mair at 150-hectare (372-acre) Kypie Farm, near Berwick-uponTweed, Northumberland l Sells up to 60 pedigree tups at Kelso Market every year from a flock of just over 200 pedigree Suffolks, Texels, Blue Texels and Hebrideans l The farm also harvests 32ha (80 acres) of wheat and barley
THINKING of taking part in Open Farm Sunday for the first time in 2022? l Start small: It may be best to start with something small, such as a farm walk for a limited number of people l Keep it short: You do not need to run the event for a whole day; a few hours is plenty l Ask for help: Other local farmers and friends will be happy to support you l Keep it simple: Concentrate on your
Last year, about 60 visitors came through the gates. Anne, who has become a North East ambassador for Open Farm Sunday, so is somebody other farmers can talk to about the event, says: “Dad, who was a bit wary, was stood at the gate and he was soon chatting away to people and enjoying it. “We did last year’s first event as
Annabel says other trends can be also identified via an increase in the num bers of younger adults visiting farms. “Last year there was definitely more people in their 20s and 30s whereas just five years ago coming to an Open Farm Sunday event was more of interest to the older generation.”
Anne says the most important thing she learned from her debut open event was ‘do not overthink it’. She says: “You can panic and think you need to bring in exciting things for visitors to see and do.
“They looked out for things which were highlighted on the handouts then picnicked and everybody seemed to have a great time.
“This year’s Open Farm Sunday is key for keeping the momentum going.”
4 5 =3 =3 1 2 Technology used in farming: 65% (2019: 57%) How crops are grown and used: 70% (2019: 67%) Farming to enhance the78%environment: (2019: 76%) Animal68%welfare: (2019: 82%) Sciencefarming:behind70% (2019: 55%) Wildlife biodiversity:and89% (2019 response: 70%)
“We invited the local minis rugby team, which my sons – Henry, eight, and Ewan, 11 – are part of, and that was perfect for getting us started.
Annabel says: “Arable farmers worry that nobody will be interested because they do not have any livestock. Then livestock farmers are not sure because they do not have any big machinery for visitors to look at.
FARMERS Guardian has joined forces with key industry stakeholders from across the farming sector to promote careers in agriculture, collaborating with industry bodies and industry partners to see how and where we can work together to shape the political agenda, drive educational reform and provide learning resour ces. Articles will feature in Farmers Guardian to help agricultural businesses and farms understand recruitment and staff retention challenges and practical ideas they can adopt to mark the evolving changes which are happening in the careers, skills and training arena.
FOLLOW #THISISAGRICULTURE: On Instagram @this.is.ag; Twitter @This_Is_Ag; and search on Facebook and LinkedIn.
“Now we have dipped our toe in we are looking to have 200-300 visitors this year. Our plan is to target local schools and parents.”
“The truth is the public are fascinated by those everyday activities farmers do without thinking. There is no need for massive tractors or cute baby ani mals. Time and time again it is proved that just general everyday farming is what people are interested in.” Interest Since the very first lockdown, Annabel has noticed that people are more in tune with the seasons and interested in food miles and the field to fork journey. She says: “It is vital that, as an indus try, farming has a big push to capitalise on this interest. As people return to work and their lives get busier again, the interest in food could get pushed aside.
Anne Mair-Chapman
Manager of Open Farm Sunday for Leaf Annabel Shackleton (left) with Leaf chief executiveDrummond.Caroline
“Two years ago animal health and welfare was the question on the tips of most visitors’ tongues. While this remains of interest, the environment and wildlife has overtaken it as the topic of most interest.”
Farmers urged to open their gates as appetite to learn increases With Open Farm Sunday taking place later this year, farmers have a chance to make a significant difference in educating the public and offering an on-farm experience to remember. Sarah Todd looks at the benefits.
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About #ThisIsAgriculture
“The fact is people were really happy simply having a walk around the farm and appreciated having access to a hill story and what you feel comfortable sharing; you do not need to tell the story of every type of farm in the UK l Make it memorable: Using props and hands-on activities really helps visitors remember their time with you l Share the link between your farm and people’s fridges: If you process your own food have it out on display or buy some which could have been produced on your farm to help visitors make the link
“But if farms are registered, they can then start getting access to ideas, welcomed in excess of 2.7 million people onto farms for one Sunday eachPerenniallyyear. popular Open Farm Sunday events include farm walks, nature trails, tractor and trailer rides, demonstrations, activities for children and food stalls. l For further information, call 02476 413 911, or visit farmsunday.org
To hear more from farmers taking part in Open Farm Sunday, visit FGINSIGHT.COM/THISISAGRICULTURE
The 2022 National Food, Farming and Environment Competition will launch in March. For more information, visit ing-and-environment-competitioneco/education/the-national-food-farmleaf.
About #ThisIsAgricultureT eenagers from across the UK are being helped to see the potential in agricultural careers, thanks to an educa tional competition designed to showcase the high-tech, innovative and rewarding jobs available in the sector.
l “During the weekend I learned about the variety of careers in agriculture, which seems to be growing with all the new technology opportunities coming through.”
“Most importantly though, Leaf Edu cation has become a link and a sound ing board if ever have a question, and that is incredibly valuable.”
“By the end of the weekend, that same group were using the term ‘professional’ when they talked about farmers.“They recognised the industry has chemists and biologists and countless other skilled people, and that agricul ture is more than mud and wellies.”
at land-based colleges. But we’ve also heard from teachers who have told us they have changed the way they teach GCSE science because of what they have learned on these weekends.“Thatmeans 5,400 other children –not just ones who attended the week ends – have benefited. If we can continue to have that impact and inspire the next generation of skilled workers to the industry, that is a great thing.”
HAS TAKING PART IN THE COMPE TITION MADE YOU THINK ABOUT A CAREER IN AGRICULTURE? l “I am still considering my options, but would like to work with machines in the future.” l “I have wanted to work in marine conservation for a long time, but I am Leaf Education has improved my subject knowledge, so I am better informed and more up to date when discussing topics around farming with the students.
l “We learned lots about how funding of farmers is changing and how they are having to be more environmentally sustainable to achieve grants.” l “We learned about agroforestry and WINNING Leaf’s National Food, Farm ing and Environment Competition in 2021 gave pupils at Laurus Ryecroft, Droylsden, Manchester, the chance to broaden their experiences and opened their eyes to careers they might never have considered, says food technology teacher Ciaran Ellis. He says: “Many young people from towns and cities do not have access to rural life experiences or know about the variety of careers and opportunities available within the farming industry.
Opportunities “I have also been working closely with our Leaf Education regional consultant to build in opportunities for more stu dents to meet different farmers on vis its. In 2021, it enabled us to undertake school trips to learn about environ mental stewardship and the raising of heritage breeds within our area.
Carl Edwards, Leaf Education direc tor, says the competition aims to open young people’s minds to modern agri culture and highlight ways they can join the industry, as well as to connect with teachers to find ways they can bring agriculture into the curriculum.
Changing mindset As well as changing mindsets of finalists, Leaf has discovered the compe tition has had wider, positive impacts onCarlschools.says: “We do follow-ups six and 12 months later with the finalist schools and we’ve found that more than one-third of students involved in the weekends have gone on to study Up to 50 secondary schools across the country enter each year – a num ber Leaf hopes it can increase even further this year.
FOLLOW #THISISAGRICULTURE: On Instagram @this.is.ag; Twitter @This_Is_Ag; and search on Facebook and LinkedIn.
WHAT SURPRISED YOU ABOUT AGRICULTURE? l “I was surprised with how little I knew. now realise I knew nothing. It is com pletely different from what expected.” considering how similar this is to water management within the environment.”
Launched in 2018, the contest was created in response to a Leaf survey which found only 4 per cent of 12- to 19-year-olds had been given information about how to get a job in agriculture, despite more than 60 per cent saying they were interested in the Theindustry.annual competition involves up to 10 schools being selected as semi-finalists, with each school receiving an on-farm visit to learn about how farmers are guardians of the naturalFromenvironment.those10,five finalist schools are chosen to win an activity weekend at Coleg Cambria Llysfasi, North Wales, where pupils take part in hands-on activities, such as milking, tractor driving, habitat management and soil analysis.
Urban astochangesschoolcurriculumpromotefarmingarewardingcareer
I used to be a teacher and I know that traditional careers events don’t work. We wanted to provide young people with an experience they CARLrememberEDWARDS
“Having entered in other years, I know how valuable an experience the competition could be and while it was an amazing achievement to win, the experiences the students got will allow them to have a better understanding of farming and food production and the struggles producers are under.” Ciaran says the weekend at Coleg Cambria Llysfasi was an incredible experience, teaching students about careers in environmental science, as well as helping him learn more about food“Whenproduction.welearned about the science of soils and how important these were going to be to future crop growth and carbon sequestration, the students and were amazed. “I hadn’t realised the very current, technological innovation going on within the industry and was perhaps guilty of believing many of the ill-informed things had read about farming in the past. “As a teacher, I have learned loads.
Hands-on experience has inspired secondary schools to promote farming as a rewarding career to their pupils. Caroline Stocks finds out more about how a slow and steady approach is paying dividends.
Carl says: “I used to be a teacher and know that traditional careers events don’t work. We wanted to pro vide young people with an experience they remember. We also know how busy teachers are, so instead of asking them to do more, we want to show how agriculture can support the curriculum, whether that is through food technol ogy, science or geography.”
For more information, visit FGINSIGHT.COM/THISISAGRICULTURE
STUDENTS from last year’s winning school, Laurus Ryecroft in Droyls den, Manchester, share what they learned about agriculture through Leaf’s contest: WHAT DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT FOOD AND FARMING BY TAKING PART IN THE COMPETITION?
2021 winning school: Laurus Ryecroft, Manchester Education in numbers
Misconceptions Teachers nominate their schools themselves by explaining why their students deserve a place in the com petition, as well as the benefits it will bring to their school.
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‘Farming is completely different from what I expected’
how different farming methods can be combined to produce food at a more sustainable level.”
Linking Environment and Farming’s (Leaf’s) annual Food, Farming and Nat ural Environment competition aims to work with students and teachers to dis pel myths about food production, while opening their eyes to the array of highskilled career opportunities on offer.
HOW DO YOU THINK AGRICULTURE CAN BE PROMOTED TO YOUNG PEOPLE? l “I wish we were able to have more experiences like this. It’s different when you’re actually doing it and hearing from real people than learning about something in school.” *The names of the children have been withheld at the school’s request. l “I was surprised with how technology had become so valuable to farmers. Everything from anaerobic digesters to intelligent eyes using artificial intelligence.”
MORE INFORMATION
Children who have benefited from a change in curriculum following involvement in the Percentagecompetitionof12- to 19-year-olds who have been given information about agriculture as a career Percentage of children who said they were interested in the farming industry
Articles will feature in Farmers Guardian to help agricultural businesses and farms understand recruitment and staff retention challenges and practical ideas they can adopt to mark the evolving changes which are happening in the careers, skills and training arena.
Carl says: “We want to target the high-achieving students aged 14-16, because that is when they are starting to make decisions about what GCSEs they want to take or what careers they might like. Working with children when they are aged five or six is great, but what impact are those farm visits going to have when the children are making career decisions at 16? “We want to increase their percep tions of the industry and change mis conceptions.”Carlbelieves the weekends have shown there is still misunderstanding among young people about what food production entails, making the competi tion as important than ever. He says: “We took one group into a milking parlour and one girl asked where the milking stool was. She had never considered there was technology involved in milk production.
FARMERS Guardian has joined forces with key industry stakeholders from across the farming sector to promote careers in agriculture, collaborating with industry bodies and industry partners to see how and where we can work together to shape the political agenda, drive educational reform and provide learning resources.
Students and teachers from 2021’s winning school, Laurus Ryecroft in Droylsden, Manchester.
5,4004%60%
Farmer
Articles will feature in Farmers Guardian to help agricultural businesses and farms understand recruitment and staff retention challenges and practical ideas they can adopt to mark the evolving changes which are happening in the careers, skills and training arena.
Development Linking Environment and Farming (Leaf) Education is now continuing to develop the initiative in collaboration with Tom Martin, the Cambridgeshire farmer who spearheaded the idea. In its Impacts Report published last year, 100 per cent of teachers would recommend Farmer Time and said they had enjoyed the experience. The initiative has also seen a rapid global expansion, with international partners in Sweden, Finland, the Repurged farmers to get involved after they announced 230 teachers, representing nearly 7,000 children, were waiting to be paired with farmers. While some teachers have since been paired with farmers, there is still a waiting list of 100. The pre-requisites are simple. Any farmer can take part, it does not cost anything, apart from time and willingness ublic of Ireland and as far afield as Australia and New Zealand. Last year, campaign organisers to talk to children and a decent digital connection.Farmerscan work with schools as to the frequency of talks, which can be as regularly as once every two weeks or once a month. l For more information about Farmer Time and how to get involved, visit farmertime.org
For more information, visit FGINSIGHT.COM/THISISAGRICULTURE
There has been a surge in demand from teachers linking up with farmers to help educate schoolchildren about where food comes from. Danusia Osiowy looks at the impact Farmer Time is having on the consumers of tomorrow.
l Awarded a gold mark Food for Life accreditation l Employs its own chef, who only uses produce from the area and vegetables grown on-site l Children have a choice of three locally sourced meals each day and a salad bar l Polytunnels l Members of the community help look after different areas l Beehives produce honey for the school l Wormery l Rescue chickens l Sensory garden packed with wild flowers to create habitats l Aeroponic growing system
About #ThisIsAgriculture M ore farmers are still needed to help educate young schoolchildren about where and how their food is produced, due to unprecedented demand by teachers across the UK. Since Farmer Time began in 2016, the social media initiative has con nected 742 teachers (equating to just under 33,000 children) with farmers, creating a platform for pupils to gain a real-time, year-round understanding of farming and the countryside, all from a secure, live video call within the classroom.
The children have loved it and it has become a natural part of our school life
Discussions Highlights
Teachers queue for children to be educated by farmers
The school has been involved with Farmer Time since it launched and the initiative is part of the school’s exemplary THROUGHOUT the 30-minute ses sion, Jake talks to the children about many topics including: bee hives, pollination, cover crops, water courses, Usain Bolt, the summertime, happy places, owls, birds, swimming, what leaves are made from and giant fungi. questions, such as asking about the crops he grew and animals he kept. “Now these are much more varied and specific to what Jake talks about. Children have gained so much and it is such a different, real-time experience. They can see how it fits into our econ omy and everyday lives and means their food is meaningful and has con text. You cannot put a price on that.”
All the children at Washingborough are involved in Farmer Time and will change farmers as they progress through school to enable them to learn about different sectors and locations in the UK.
CATHERINE WILKINSON
FARMERS Guardian has joined forces with key industry stakeholders from across the farming sector to promote careers in agriculture, collaborating with industry bodies and industry partners to see how and where we can work together to shape the political agenda, drive educational reform and provide learning resources.
“Academia is important, but actually children should leave with the under standing of how to be healthy and happy. The children have loved it and have flown with it and it has become a natural part of our school life.”
Case study: Washingborough Academy, Lincolnshire from the Time 2021 Impacts Report
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Values Catherine says: “Farmer Time is one of my favourite parts of the week and Jake is absolutely brilliant. We speak to him once a fortnight and it is flexible based on what works for the school, but farmers join us once a month.
About Washingborough Academy
More than half of calls have discussed sustainability 742 teacher and farmer pairings since Farmer Time began, involving 22,696 children, representing 43,596 learning hours Advertise, apply and browse the latest jobs in agriculture
WITHIN seconds of walking into Wash ingborough Academy, it is clear food education is a fundamental focus of the many activities the schoolchildren do. From the on-site allotments and poly tunnels to an aeroponic system grow ing strawberries in the Year 6 corridors, food and farming education is prolific. Punctuating the walls are creative, colourful posters about climate change and the environment, and there is one area in particular which stands out. The Farmer Time area is adorned with stories written by the children about what they have enjoyed learning about during their regular phone calls with the different farmers who have helped educate them about where their food farm – from the salmon farm in Fife to the drilling and harvesting of crops on an arable farm in Reading. Today’s live session is with ‘Farmer Jake’, as Key Stage One learners (children aged between five and sev en) gather cross-legged on the floor in front of the computer ready to be taught their final lesson before lunch arrives.At11.15am, their teacher Catherine commitment to food education which has been accredited by Ofsted. With 300 pupils aged three to 11, the school has a holistic approach to learning and looks at the personal and social growth of pupils as well as their academia. The school has its own vegetable beds for each class, an orchard, bee hives, a herb garden and a polytunnel. A wood-fired pizza oven encourages them to create their own pizza toppings from produce grown in the school grounds and dedicated food days run throughout the year where teachers plan a range of lessons around the topic of the day. In reception, children try ingredients their parents say they would not try at home, such as blue cheese, salmon and beetroot and by the time they leave, all pupils are taught 10 staple dishes to cook, including a full roast dinner. A natural choice for Farmer Time, the school was contacted by Leaf, which put them in touch with Jake and, in Catherine’s words, the school has ‘never looked back’. She says: “In week one, Jake showed us around the farm and the children loved it but were very much spectators of what was going on. They were keen to ask questions but stayed with safe Wilkinson starts video calling and, within seconds, the children are connected to Farmer Jake Freestone as he streams live into the classroom from his arable farm in Gloucestershire. All the children wave excitedly towards the screen as he reciprocates the gesture explaining it is a very cold day at Overbury Farm. Habitats Today the children are learning about habitats and Jake wastes no time giving the children an update on the lambs before getting into his current farming tasks, which have been the planting of trees and 250 metres of new hedgerows. He takes them on a virtual tour using his phone to show the farm’s woodland habitat and talks through its history, uses and why it is important for certain types of wildlife and birds. The children then take it in turns to ask their questions and Jake answers them as practically as he can, showing on-farm examples as he walks.
100 per cent of farmers and teachers have enjoyed the Farmer Time experience Nearly 80 per cent of calls have covered science, the environment and animal welfare 90 per cent of farmers feel their paired class gained a better understanding of the food supply chain
To watch more of Jake and hear more from the children at Academy,Washingboroughvisit THISISAGRICULTUREFGINSIGHT.COM/ Farmer WashingboroughpupilsspeaksJaketofromAcademy.
FARMERS Guardian has joined forces with key industry stakeholders from across the farming sector to promote careers in agriculture, collaborating with industry bodies and industry partners to see how and where we can work together to shape the political agenda, drive educational reform and provide learning resources.
A From the farmers’ perspective think there are many who care about educat ing and inspiring future generations. For schools they are crying out for engaging, interesting speakers who can open the eyes of their students to new perspec tives and opportunities.
Articles will feature in Farmers Guardian to help agricultural businesses and farms understand recruitment and staff retention challenges and practical ideas they can adopt to mark the evolving changes which are happening in the careers, skills and training arena.
F armers for Schools is a pro ject designed and run by the education team at the NFU, more widely known as NFU Education. The idea is to offer secondary schools in England and Wales an opportunity to have a 30-minute assembly hosted by two farmers. This includes finding out more about them and their role within the agricultural industry, as well as opportunities for ‘farming myth-busting’ and for the students to ask questions. To date, about 140 farmers have joined the initiative and organisers are looking for more to throw their support behind it and help educate children about food and farming.Initialfeedback from participating teachers and farmers has been really positive, showing an increase in confidence among ambassadors as well as a positive reception from schools.
A Yes. We have just come to the end of our inaugural round of training,
VIEWING schoolchildren as the future consumers of the food he produces is a mindset which motivated Ernie Richards to volunteer for Farmers for Schools.“I’vebeen video calling primary school classes as part of Farmer Time and the way this scheme engages with older children seems to make absolute sense,” says Ernie, who works as a shepherd running a 1,000-head flock of Lleyn sheep near Hay-on-Wye.
A Farmers sign up to attend a course run at a location within their region. We provide them with a Disclosure and Barring Service check and training materials. Once trained they become an ambassador and are linked by us to local secondary schools.
“Because I’d always been quite academic at school, some people were quite horrified that decided to go to an agricultural university. They didn’t think there would be good job opportunities for me. There is also the belief that farming jobs are poorly paid, which isn’t necessarily the case.” Anna says the fact the assemblies are done together with another farmer means they are not as nerve-wracking as they could be. She says: “This scheme gives farmers the opportunity to make agriculture a bit more relevant to younger people.”
About #ThisIsAgriculture
A To have a passion for the industry, be willing to be slightly out of their comfort zone and be available for a training day, as well as committing to visiting at least two schools per year. All ages and types of farmers are wel come to get involved. Because the vol unteers will be going out in pairs, pupils get a real cross-section of farming life. which has seen us travel the length and breadth of England and Wales, but we intend to run more as we’ve had a magnificent response. The more ambassadors we have the more schools we can reach.
ANNA BOWEN Anna Bowen
Q Where do farmers go for more Ainformation? We have lots of examples of the train ing and content on our social media platforms (@nfueducation on both Twit ter and Instagram). If you’re interested, send an email to education@nfu.org.uk or visit nfueducation.com
A We have great relationships with lots of schools already; we’re also partnered with organisations such as the Association for Science Education and local enterprise partnerships across the country.
“There is a myth that to get into farm ing you have to be born into the lifestyle and that’s something I’m keen to dispel.
A good example of this is the fact milk from Anna’s cows goes to make the mozzarella cheese used in Pizza “That’sHut.afact they seem interested in. It’s farming’s loss if we don’t reach out to teenagers who don’t normally come into contact with agriculture. “Even though I’m from a traditional farming background, I can see that we need to encourage people from wider backgrounds into the sector, which can only benefit from increased diversity.” Anna’s top tip: “Throw in some inter esting facts, such as the use of sexed semen and the way many farmers are now social media savvy. Anything environmental-related always goes down well.”
Contract farming
Q Why is there such a demand?
A They are typically very interested. They have a lot of questions, which shows they are engaged and willing to discuss the topics in hand.
“There’s been a lot of time put into getting young kids engaged with Farmer Time, so it did seem a shame we weren’t having conversations with the next generation of consumers –the secondary school-aged children.”
Q What is the children’s response?
“There is nothing worse than hear ing young people who don’t know where their food comes from, saying things like ‘milk comes from Tesco’. The real challenge is to try and do something about it, to talk to them.”
CASE STUDY: Ernie Richards, Herefordshire
Farmers venture into school assembly halls
For more information, visit
“You don’t realise at the time, because you’re just having fun, but all the skills like public speaking that you learn at Young Farmers equip you for doing things like “Anythingthis.which helps explain what we do to the next generation of con sumers has to be a good thing. I’m expecting to get a lot of questions about veganism and the environment.
Q How is it different from Farmer Time? A Farmer Time is virtual; this is an in-person assembly. Farmer Time focuses on primary pupils due to the restrictive timetables of most second ary schools. Saying that, some of our ambassadors also do Farmer Time.
FGINSIGHT.COM/THISISAGRICULTURE
Q&A: Joshua Payne, NFU chief education manager
Ernie Richards
Joshua Payne
CASE STUDY: Anna Bowen, Ceredigion
“My partner and I enjoyed being involved with the NFU’s Farmer Time scheme, so signing up to do Farmers for Schools was just a natural progression. feel it’s really important to get across to young people that farming isn’t just milking a cow or driving a trac tor. It’s really important to get out the message that there are loads of exciting job opportunities within agriculture.
Members of the Farmers for Schools team. Advertise, apply and browse the latest jobs in agriculture It’s farming’s loss if we don’t reach out to teenagers who don’t normally come into contact with agriculture
“Students seem interested to learn about the way we contract farm. We’re farmers, but we don’t own our own farm.” Anna is also an enthusiastic cham pion of women in agriculture, inspired by a negative approach she has encoun tered throughout her journey.
Q What is the requirement?
“My parents don’t farm and, to be hon est, I only joined Young Farmers when I was 16 to go to the dances, but then it took hold of me and I ended up county chair back home in Herefordshire.
A Young people are perhaps more removed from food production and agriculture than they ever have been before. They are inundated with infor mation, often inaccurate, about food and the environment, yet many have never met a farmer.
Q Are you looking to recruit more?
THERE is an old saying that if you want something doing ask a busy person and Anna Bowen epitomises this. A graduate of the Royal Agricultural University, Anna grew up on a dairy farm in Carmarthenshire and now lives in Ceredigion, where together with her partner Freddie Lawder, she contract farms a herd of 300 spring block calv ing dairy Alongsidecows.this, she is completing a Nuffield Farming Scholarship looking at whether the UK can improve the eth ics of its dairy calf management while retaining profitability. She also holds down a job working as a farm business consultant for The Andersons Centre, as well as writing and private tutoring to GCSE and A levelAnnastudents.says:
Q How are the farmers trained?
Ernie, who lives in a converted barn on the farm with his partner and young son, says he is lucky to have the support of his employer. He says getting involved with the NFU is helping to bridge the gap after his involvement with the Young Farmers’ ClubErniemovement.says:“My grandparents, who are in their 80s, still have a smallhold ing and I got my love of farming from helping them on weekends and in the school holidays.
Q Why is it needed?
Q How does it work?
“The farming way can be to ignore topics they find threatening, but it is far better to engage with these children and answer their questions.
JOSHUA Payne, the NFU’s chief education manager, talks more about the initiative and why and how farmers can get involved.
A new kind of land army of specially trained farmers is being mobilised to venture into assembly halls around the country to talk to children. Sarah Todd finds out more about the Farmers for Schools project.
Q How is the initiative promoted?
A We run a five-hour session which puts the presentation that is going to be delivered to the students together step by step. Farmers are encouraged to collaborate to practice and enhance their presentation alongside support from the NFU Education team, which is formed of ex-teachers with extensive experience in schools outreach.
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“There are so many myths out there about things like cows and carbon emissions that this is the perfect opportunity for us to dispel them.
l For more information, go to nfyfc. org.uk/futurefarming
Other NFYFC learning initiatives
INDUSTRY -supported website Countryside Classroom offers resour ces for teachers, such as topic sug gestions for primary school children and debate subject inspiration, such as the badger problem and ethical food production for older students. There are also tips for organising a farm visit, along with career suggestions.
THE NFYFC Future Farming pro gramme, which is incorporated into the online Countryside Classroom resource, provides a whistle-stop tour of British agriculture, giving information about: l The farming year l British produce l A day in the life of a farmer l Career opportunities in the sector
About #ThisIsAgriculture
A joint project between The National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC) and Linking Environment and Farming (Leaf) Education is already inspiring young people to discover and research career options in the food and farming industry. Defra has given financial support for the training resource, called Future Farming, which is available for YFC trainers to deliver to clubs and in schools, as well as being accessible to teachers on the popular Countryside Classroom learning resource website. Aimed primarily at schoolchildren in year nine, aged between 13 and 14, the Future Farming project aims to break down misconceptions that a career in farming is just about tending livestock and driving tractors. Future Farming is an interactive session and the uptake by schools has been positive as it slots into the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) lessons they are required to teach. The idea is it gets children to discuss living in the wider world, encompassing economic and environmental well-being and aspects of agricultural, food and retail careers education.
Future Farming is an interactive session and the uptake by schools has been positive. Advertise, apply and browse the latest jobs in agriculture rather than just the traditional manualEdroles.Dungait, NFYFC’s chair of council, praised the Future Farming resource as an ideal way for the organisation to demonstrate its support for the industry and play its part in ‘promoting the varied and exciting opportunities within it’. Ambassadorial role
“The agricultural industry as a whole wants and needs more young people to be excited and enthused about the future of farming.
NFYFC on a mission to recruit new members
AS well as the work it has done with the wider community through its Future Farming programme, NFYFC supports its members to further their careers or interests in agriculture with a number of initiatives, including: l Apprenticeships: Supporting the work of land-based training provider Lantra l Achiever Plus: Free online ser vice to help members record their YFC skills, training and achieve ments and access to career advice l Eblex: Meat for the Market regional training events, teaching members how to produce meat for today’s market and gain practical farming and business skills l E-learning package: Resource which has been created with HMRC, guiding members through everything they need to know about the financial side of managing a new business l Explore the Wool Chain: The British Wool Marketing Board offers members a free practical insight into wool processing by following the wool chain from fleece to furnishings l HOPS: Recruitment and training opportunities in agriculture are available through HOPS – NFYFC’s commercial trading arm; from a sen ior farm management role to getting a foot on the agricultural ladder, the business has three services which can help – HOPS Labour, HOPS Re cruitment and HOPS Education; its profits are invested back into NFYFC l Tenancy Training: Delivered by Savills, this informal training covers forms of land occupation, including contract farming agreements, Farm Business Tenancies, Agricultural Holdings Act tenancies and busi ness advice l For more information, go to nfyfc. org.uk
The Young Farmers’ Club mantra that you do not need to be a farmer to join its ranks continues to be its message as it recruits members. It is also the opening gambit put forward to introduce teenagers to agriculture as a career possibility.
“Youth, enthusiasm and passion for farming are attributes which could be used to describe any typical YFCCarlmember.”Edwards, director of Leaf, agrees it is important to harness the power of YFC members when it comes to educating the wider public about agri culture and opportunities within it. He says: “YFCs are a force for good. Our joint Future Farming project with the movement has been incred ibly well received by all young people in schools and clubs across the UK that have had the opportunity to take part and further understand the vital role of our “Whetherindustry.engaging with the com munity, taking part in county or na tional rallies or simply providing an opportunity for rural youth to meet and socialise, YFCs have helped thousands of individuals grow in confidence and improve their communication skills, as well as developing leaders of the future and showcasing the huge variety of career opportunities in the agri sector. “As our industry undergoes enormous change, the role of YFCs has never been more important – developing young people and working together to connect the public with farming and the high stan dards of UK agriculture for both environ mental stewardship and animal welfare.”
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W hile children may well have heard of the sea sonal worker short ages in UK agriculture, with some farmers fearing they only have a quarter of the staff needed to harvest this year’s produce, many will be unaware of job prospects aside from these traditional shortfall roles, such as fruit picking.
Whistle-stop tour
Articles will feature in Farmers Guardian to help agricultural businesses and farms understand recruitment and staff retention challenges and practical ideas they can adopt to mark the evolving changes which are happening in the careers, skills and training arena.
Not all YFC members are farmers, but many of them are working in industry roles and make great ambassadors for the careers available in EDagricultureDUNGAIT Ed Dungait, NFYFC’s chair of council, praises the Future Farming resource.
He says: “YFC members themselves have a much wider ambassadorial role to play in promoting agriculture and careers within the sector than they probably realise. “Not all YFC members are farmers, but many of them are working in industry roles and make great ambassadors for the careers available in agriculture.”
“It makes sense that among the best people to convey a sense of enthusiasm about agriculture and the opportunities available within it to children are those who are still young themselves and passionate about it.
l For more information, go to countrysideclassroom.org.uk Classroom Cultivation
FARMERS Guardian has joined forces with key industry stakeholders from across the farming sector to promote careers in agriculture, collaborating with industry bodies and industry partners to see how and where we can work together to shape the political agenda, drive educational reform and provide learning resources.
On completion of the session, children go away with a basic understanding of the role farming plays in solving global challenges and where British food comes Technologicalfrom.developments within the sector are also looked at, again opening students eyes that careers in farming offer many high-tech options,
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