THE PEOPLE WORKING HARD FOR YOU

Elevating your voice

We've got a group of enthusiastic new NFU graduates ready to help farmers everywhere, so let’s learn a little more about them...

Isabella (Issy) Roberts

Age: 23

From: StratfordUpon-Avon

Studied: International Relations and American Studies at Swansea University, with a year abroad at the University of Texas at Austin.

What have you been doing since you joined the NFU?

I have joined the external a airs team based in Westminster. I will be helping to plan and run events in Parliament, running the @NFUPolitical twitter and doing a lot of parliamentary monitoring. I’m currently managing responses to a cheese tasting event we are holding in Parliament, which is very exciting because I love cheese! “I think that especially during the pandemic the emphasis on supporting your local area became very apparent”

“I back British farming because I know that farmers are the ones behind the countryside that I’ve grown up in awe of”

If you could swap a role with someone at the NFU for a week, who would it be and why?

I would swap roles with Sam Ette or anyone in the press team. I think that how the media works as a whole is so interesting. They work so closely with the rest of the comms department as they promote all of the NFU’s messages in the press. I would love to learn how to write a press release!

Why do you back British farming?

I think that especially during the pandemic the emphasis on supporting your local area became very apparent. The ways in which your local farmers and stores could supply the things we are looking further afi eld to fi nd is amazing. I think it is important that we invest in ourselves, whether that be as communities, counties or as a nation.

What is your dream job?

My dream job is to work in public a airs for a charity and help to shape legislation to make changes in the world and people’s lives. I would love to fi nd a job that combined my love of politics with giving back to society.

Anna Wright

Age: 22

From: Easingwold, North Yorkshire

Studied: Geography at the University of Oxford

What have you been doing since you joined the NFU?

I’ve been working in the net zero team. This has involved helping to run our fi rst ever Countryside COP, being in charge of our monthly net zero pledge prize draw and, excitingly, I helped with planning for my team and other NFU members to go to COP26.

What is your dream job?

I think my dream job would be to take on my grandmother’s hill farm up in Cumbria, but I think I’ll need to learn a lot from working at the NFU to fi gure out whether I’m cut out to be a farmer!

If you could swap a role with someone at the NFU, who would it be and why?

If I could swap roles with anyone in the NFU for a week it would probably be one of the external a airs managers so that I could see what it was like working with MPs and maybe even get a look around Parliament.

Best thing you’ve learned since working at the NFU?

I’ve learned a lot since I started working at the NFU, but one of the things that’s interested me the most has been the benefi ts of rotational grazing and herbal leys. Not only can they increase soil organic matter and fi x nitrogen, but they can also reduce the incidences of worms in livestock!

Why do you back British farming?

I back British farming because I know that farmers are the ones behind the countryside that I’ve grown up in awe of. I also know that buying British food is so much better for the environment than imported goods, and that it supports the people that make up the rural fabric of Britain and keep us fed.

Sam Williamson

Age: 27

From: :

Bolsover, near Chesterfield

“I’m supporting the general day-today workload whilst putting together our new red meat Studied: Sport export strategy” and Sociology at the University of Bath, and a Masters in Global Political Economy at the University of Sheffield

What have you been doing since you joined the NFU?

I’m attached primarily to the livestock team, where I’m supporting the general day-to-day workload whilst putting together our new red meat export strategy.

Best thing you’ve learned since working at the NFU?

The understanding I’ve gathered regarding carcass balance in animals has been particularly eye-opening.

Why do you back British farming?

British produce reflects my own personal beliefs surrounding food; that it should be environmentally friendly, produced in alignment with exceptional welfare standards, and sustainable.

Jennifer Cox

Age: 24

From: London

Studied: Politics at the University of Edinburgh

What have you been doing since you joined the NFU?

As a comms graduate, I started my first placement in the campaigns team. So far, I have been learning the ropes on social media and getting stuck into planning our posts for Christmas. I have also been working on our positive livestock and dairy campaign and of course getting to know the fabulous team as well.

What is your dream job?

My dream job would be working on the comms desk in 10 Downing Street. No political affiliations here, just the enjoyment of rubbing elbows with the top dogs.

Why do you back British farming?

I think it’s so important to back British farmers, not only to support all the hard work they do but because they grow high quality and healthy food. Buying British food is also one of the best ways we can combat climate change. “Buying British food is also one of the best ways we can combat climate change”

Rebecca Pilkington

Age: 23 “By buying British, you’re supporting a supply chain of local farmers producing quality fresh food”

From: Ribble Valley, Lancashire

Studied: Politics, Management, and International Relations at Lancaster University

What have you been doing since you started at the NFU?

Since starting at the NFU, I’ve been incredibly busy! I joined the international trade team and immediately started on a sector-wide, deep dive into exporting. I’ve joined meetings with Defra and AHDB, coordinated the international trade newsletter and written articles for NFUOnline. I’ve visited a sugar beet farm in Norfolk, attended DIT’s opening International Trade Week event in Birmingham, visited Melton Mowbray Market and joined a Farm Safety event in Lancashire!

If you could swap your role with someone at the NFU for a week, who would it be and why?

Joining the education team for a week would be really interesting. The week I joined the NFU, the team hosted more than 50,000 children at the Harvest Live sessions creating rainbow salads and pizzas! Educating children about farming is invaluable – I met people at uni who had never seen a cow in real life. NFU Education are creating award-winning free resources to teach children about farming, and I’d love to contribute.

Why do you back British farming?

I really value knowing that my food is of a great quality and standard. British farmers produce food to such high environmental and animal welfare standards (significantly higher than other countries), and the agricultural industry is so important to the makeup of the UK economy and countryside. By buying British, you’re supporting a supply chain of local farmers producing quality fresh food.

The NFU Communications and Public Affairs Graduate Scheme is open for applications until 27 February 2022. For further details and how to apply, please visit our careers page at www.nfuonline.com/careers. For any queries, please email hr@nfu.org.uk or call 02476 858742.

IT’S FREE YOU SAY?

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NEW LOOK

September 2021

to improve your social media game

NFU Student & Young Farmer membership is free to students and YFC members. It allows you to have a say and to contribute towards the future of agriculture, and you will benefi t from access to experts in policy, food and farming, plus bonus perks!

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DOING OUR BIT FOR SUSTAINABILITY

The Low Carbon Agriculture show will take place, in person, on 8-9 March 2022, at the National Agriculture and Exhibition Centre (NAEC, Stoneleigh), to support farmers as they move through the agricultural transition.

The event will provide practical guidance on sustainable land use, renewable energy generation and emission control, cutting through the noise to get to the heart of what new changes mean for farmers by covering specifi c pressing topics such as policy, carbon storage, soil health, natural capital, net zero, renewable energy, low emission vehicles and agri-tech.

Held in partnership with the NFU, the show incorporates four expos including the Environmental Business Expo, the Farm Technology Expo, Energy Now Expo and Low Emission Vehicles Expo.

The Low Carbon Agriculture show will feature its renowned multi-streamed conference, workshops, an exhibition, test drives of low-emission vehicles and machinery and demonstrations of the latest innovations in agri-tech. Visitors to the event will be able to make one-to-one appointments in advance of the event, as well as attending networking roundtable discussions run by exhibitors.

To learn more or to fi nd out how to get your ticket, visit www.lowcarbonagricultureshow.co.uk