#STUDENTFARMER - May 2018

The low-down on getting a leg-up in the industry, Lambing 2018, wanging wellies, and the future of farming

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05 TAKING THE STRESS OUT OF REVISION 06 BRB, OFF TO NEW ZEALAND 09 PREP YOURSELF: HOW TO GET A JOB 10 INTERVIEWING WITH STYLE 13 WANG THAT WELLY 17 YOU GOTTA START SOMEWHERE 18 #STUDENTFARMER AT NFU CONFERENCE 20 START UP IN YOUR STUDENT HALLS 22 SO, WHAT’S A COMMAND PAPER? 25 DING-DONG, IT’S LAMBING TIME 29 COUNTING SHEEP IN COLLEGE 35 GET FUNDING FOR YOUR PROJECT 36 TOP THINGS TO DO AT THE GAME FAIR 38 YOUNG FARMERS OF EUROPE, ASSEMBLE! 40 YOU CAN GO YOUR OWN WAY 42 SLOW-COOKED LAMB CURRY ONE GIANT LEAP FOR A FARMER

25 Published by: NFU, Agriculture House, Stoneleigh Park, Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, CV8 2TZ Filled with words by: Huw Hopkins, Orla McIlduff, Tom Sales, Jo Travis, Ali Parker, Tim Relf, Molly Chenery, Hannah Binns Designed by: John Cottle To advertise, contact: Alan Brown on alan.brown@nfu.org.uk Contact: Email: studentfarmer@nfu.org.uk Facebook.com/StudentFarmer Twitter: @studentfarmer Instagram: @studentfarmer

Maybe you can help us out with a debate we’ve been having at #StudentFarmer HQ: are wellies the most important piece of personal equipment on farm?

Personally, I couldn’t live without my mobile – you could send me out naked to do some milking as long as I can tweet while I’m there. Others wouldn’t leave the house without a pair of overalls, but the most sensible option was probably a pair of wellies. They allow you can walk over any terrain whatever the weather and are important for farm safety. So, we put our best feet forward to test some of the best boots on the market in the most rigorous way we knew how: welly wanging.

But on to more serious topics, we called this magazine the Next Step Edition, because we wanted to make sure student farmers like you are properly set up for whatever is coming up in your life. It could be exams in the next few weeks; what you plan to do after you leave school, college or university; setting yourself up to get a job; or preparing for an interview. Whatever you have lined up, we’ve got the best advice for you.

We’ve also got some epic lambing content, stories to get you excited about your future career, notes from CEJA and the NFU Conference, plus everything you need to know about the most important agricultural moment since 1947.

Huw Hopkins Editor, #STUDENTFARMER @HuwNFU #STUDENTFARMER / MAY 2018

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# r e v isio n

Stuck in a rut Farmer’s daughter and Uni of Leeds student Hannah Binns shares her top tips to beat exam stress and revise like an agri-ninja. Read more from Hannah at www.hannahbinns.blog/

USE FRIENDS, FAMILY AND ANIMALS

Farmers love to talk, so why not take the opportunity to teach friends and family your revision? By teaching the material to others you will aid recall skills, as it requires you to learn and organise knowledge in a clear and structured manner. It can demonstrate you know more than you think or identify areas you need to go back over. And if you would rather that person doesn’t talk back, teach it to your favourite heifer, tup, pig, goat or dog for an additional confidence boost.

EAT WELL

Trips to the auction mart offer more than just updates on trade and a chinwag with local farmers. There is ALWAYS a good cafe. Eating a healthy balanced diet can help you focus and avoid illness while revising, and the auction cafe serves a variety of wholesome British food waiting for you to tuck into.

CREATE A PLAN

THINK POSITIVE

Revision can be dispiriting, especially when it’s a struggle. But it needs stressing that exams are not the end of the world – seriously. All you can do is give it your best shot, just like everything in life.

Remember your sole value is not that you got a B in GCSE chemistry or a 51 in your university economics module. You have skills and talents beyond the classroom, such as an ability to shear sheep, drive tractors, plant trees, bake delicious cakes or bombard Instagram with photographs of the farm and you should be proud of that.

Just like in farming where you plan your activities – dosing sheep on a Tuesday, cleaning the tractor on Wednesday afternoon and possibly cutting the grass if it’s still sunny on Friday – you need to create a revision plan that is achievable in terms of the subjects you are revising and the time available. Also, just like farming, your plan needs to be flexible as some things may take longer than you thought. Be flexible but stern.

TREAT YOURSELF

“Well done for revising!”

Nobody ever says this in real life but they really should. It is important you reward yourself when you finally grasp a tough subject, remember a definition, or can quote a literary text. So whether you have been eyeing up a new Schoffel fleece, a vital tractor part or simply an ice-cream from your local dairy farm, go ahead.

YOU DESERVE IT.

FRESH AIR AND EXERCISE

Being surrounded by fields has never been so advantageous when it comes to revision breaks. There is nothing better than taking the collies through the meadows, or a quick jog around the fields to check if any lambs have got stuck in the fence. And by breaking things up into shorter sessions and exercising, you are boosting brain activity for more effective study, in addition to lowering stress levels and easing the pressure. So put down your highlighters and get out there. #STUDENTFARMER / MAY 2018

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# gapyear

You’ve finished agric college or uni – what’s next?

Orla McIlduff chats to three graduates who are farming in New Zealand to see how practice differs from home NAME: Alice Partridge BACKGROUND: Sheep and cattle, Suffolk DEGREE: Agriculture BSc Working and travelling in New Zealand and feeding of heifer and bobby calves. At is great. Having finished my degree, I the peak of calving, more than 25 calves wanted to travel and gain agricultural were being born per day with 48 calves experience abroad before returning on my busiest day. All calves receive to the UK. I began my working colostrum as soon as they are holiday back in July, and picked up from the field and At her started on a dairy farm are then fed milk twice a day. busiest, milking 1,200 cows in From three weeks old, calves Alice Canterbury just before the were turned out in the oversaw 48 calving season. paddocks in groups of 100 calvings in The cows were milked and fed from two calfeterias one day! twice a day through an towed into the paddock. It 80-bale rotary parlour. This is was demanding but I found it an an extremely effective way of milking enjoyable learning experience. a large number of cows with just one Since finishing on the dairy farm in person required in the shed. On farm I was December 2017, I have been taking a continually impressed with the efficiency break from work and road tripping around of the business. Cows and calves were both islands of New Zealand. managed to high welfare standards with In the next couple of months I’m production and profitability key factors in planning to spend some time on some decision making. high country sheep and beef stations to I was employed as the calf rearer, which gain a completely different perspective meant I was responsible for all the care of farming in New Zealand. I’m finding 06

it fascinating to spend time on the other side of the world and experience different styles of agricultural production and would highly recommend it to anyone considering travelling. @alicempartridge

MAY 2018 / #STUDENTFARMER

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# gapye ar

NAME: Amelia Ingell BACKGROUND: London, born and bred DEGREE: Agricultural and Livestock Science BSc New Zealand isn’t much bigger than their own beef and sheep up on the hills the UK and produces a lot of the same of the farm. Every two or three days I commodities. Agriculture is the largest would move mobs of 30 cows to fresh provider to the trade economy. A stark grazing. This is a rigorous grazing rotation, contrast is how few people there are, and grass is then left for approximately with 70% of the country’s population 20 days before the mob returns (weather living on the North Island. conditions and time of year dependent).

Certain differences between Sheep and beef are left to get on with farming styles in New it for the most part, making them Zealand and the UK have anti-social and unpredictable.

Amelia become clear after a few My favourite experience used a helicopter months of living here. so far has been working in to fertilise You won’t see farmyards the Bay of Plenty. I hadn’t a crop of here, and definitely no ever fertilised an avocado avocados stock sheds. All stock orchard, in fact I had never lives out year round. even seen them growing before I spent time making hay – so, of course, I had to get stuck and silage on a beef and sheep farm in in. The orchardist had mentioned we the Waikato region. This is used in the might spray by helicopter if the weather winter months as feed out when grass was right, no wind and no rain. A mix of growth slows. The farm took dairy copper and seaweed combined with a weaners and grazers too, alongside gel to stick to the fruit was loaded into

NAME: Emily Look BACKGROUND: Dairy farm, Somerset DEGREE: Agriculture BSc I arrived in Auckland at the end of October and had no firm strategy, just an informal plan to work for an agronomy company sampling soil in Canterbury from the beginning of February. I held a one-year working holiday visa.

Just before heading out to New

the chopper tank. Spraying with the helicopter is quick and efficient with a slick operation run by the ground team.

Lucky for me I got a ride in the cockpit and the pilot wasn’t hanging around. An awesome experience with a great view, and something you just don’t get to do in the UK. @ Mealipede

As it’s an informal arrangement, it means you can just spend short or longer amounts of time in each place. I was lucky enough Visit www. to spend one month on wwoof.org. a 900ha beef and sheep uk for more station near Gisborne, information situated around 800m about above sea level. They did ‘Wwoof-ing’ most of their stock work on horseback due to the very rugged terrain, as everything was grass fed and never housed. I also got to spend some time on a station that had deer. I’m keen to go to a few more places before I leave, to learn Zealand someone made me aware of more about different farming systems.

‘Wwoof-ing’, which stands for ‘World I’ve just started working for the wide opportunities on organic farms’. agronomy company in Canterbury, Bed and board is provided in return for which has been a great way to get about three-to-five hours of work a day onto lots of different farms, enjoy on the farm. Depending on where you go, the summer weather and be near the it can be a great way to experience the mountains. I’m also learning lots about Kiwi lifestyle. There are a range of places, arable farming and agronomy here in from small lifestyle blocks to large farms New Zealand. or stations. There are also websites and schemes such as Helpx and Workaways that offer more diverse places. @emily_look

#STUDENTFARMER / MAY 2018

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# ge tajo b

Editor of British Farmer & Grower Jo Travis is old, probably as old as your parents. This means she has had many jobs – here is the benefit of her ‘wisdom’

L

ast year was exhausting – I had to hire four people for the editorial team. Application forms, interviews, competency tests, Powerpoint presentations and second interviews – the team is in place now and they are great, but it was Hard Work.

And this year I was involved in the selection for the NFU’s Graduate Scheme – a conveyor belt of the country’s brightest and best came through the front doors of Stoneleigh. There were more than 100 applicants for two places, which is good in some ways but not if you are trying to get on the first rung of the job ladder.

My working life started at 13 with two paper rounds and then progressed through supermarket bag packer, cinema usherette, fire extinguisher checker, data input clerk and café assistant before I landed my first job in journalism. Back then, I was not expected to have a blog or a second career as an influencer, and there was no social media for future employers to dig up the dirt on me.

But having ploughed through mountains of CVs and application forms I have to say that some people really do not help themselves. Here are a few tips to avoid falling foul of the paper sift: 1.

Answer all the questions on the form With high volumes of applications, interviewers often use a skills matrix to mark forms to ensure that the candidates they interview meet the job spec. Higher scoring candidates get interviewed, so if you miss out a question, you are likely to miss out.

2.

Look at the word count If your future employer has given you a 400-word limit to answer their question they are going to take a dim view of a one-word answer. Similarly, writing the full works of Harry Potter in a 200-word box means you cannot edit your thoughts.

3.

Put yourself in their shoes If your passion for farming stems from summers spent on your uncle’s farm you have to tell them.

Think about what your prospective employer might need to know about your experience, interests and qualifications, and make sure you let them know – don’t assume.

4.

Be yourself Honesty is the best policy when you are applying for a role. If you lie about your experience you will soon be found out and your career will be short-lived. It is okay to admit you have knowledge gaps – employers will often train people up if they think they meet key criteria.

NFU Jobfinder The NFU allows its members to advertise jobs within the world of farming on its website.

Work across all sectors are available at a range of levels and they are all visible to NFU Student & Young Farmer members. Visit https://jobs.nfuonline.com/home/

#STUDENTFARMER / MAY 2018

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# GETAJ OB

you’re hired!

Tim Relf, who interviewed countless would-be employees during a 23-year career at Farmers Weekly, shares 10 of the clangers that candidates dropped – and explains how to avoid them MONEY MATTERS

In a bid to be assertive, some candidates come across as unreasonable. Negotiating on pay is more likely to be effective if you’re polite. Be realistic, consistent and demonstrate you’re the sort of personable who will be professional to deal with. First, though, you have to convince the employer you’re the best person for the job…

BODY AND SOUL

When someone tries to break your fingers with a handshake, you don’t think ‘assertive’, you just think ‘Aaarrrggh, let go’. Then again, there’s nothing more off-putting than a handshake that feels like you’re greeting a dead eel. Aim for a middle ground – and practise it if need be. Also, if you’re being interviewed by multiple people, make eye-contact with them all and don’t assume who the boss is.

EXPERIENCE ISN’T EVERYTHING

Your attitude to work, people, the livestock and machinery you’ll be working with is as important as your experience. No one likes a know-it-all.

DOWNWARDLY MOBILE

The adage ‘show, don’t tell’ is a useful one. So don’t say: ‘I’m good at people management’. Say: ‘In my last role, I managed three harvest students.’ Don’t ramble. Don’t swear. And remember, clichés are meaningless. I used to feel nauseous when someone told me they would bring a lot to the party.

BE SOCIAL

10

WHY ARE YOU THERE?

I lost count of the number of cut-andpaste applications I received so, when one was written specifically for the vacancy concerned, it leapt out at me.

This doesn’t mean adding one line to the top of an otherwise standard letter, it means applying for jobs you desperately want – then conveying that at every stage of the process.

PLAIN SPEAK

No ifs, no buts – turn your phone off before you arrive.

Do a quick social media audit to make sure your blog and recent posts don’t highlight anything too embarrassing. A few high-spirited photos of Young Farmer bashes or student parties are fine, but I’d rather not see you in a mankini, thank you very much.

IT’S ALL IN A NAME

Someone insisted on repeatedly calling me Tom during one interview. They didn’t get the job.

ABOUT TIME

We all know arriving late is a big no-no, but turning up 45 minutes early merely annoys the interviewer because they either have to stop what they are doing or leave you hovering in reception or the yard. Get there five or 10 minutes early.

DRESS TO IMPRESS

The watchword is ‘appropriate’ – and aim for the smart end of this. If it’s a lambing job, don’t turn up in a pinstripe suit or high heels, but don’t wear a slurry-covered boiler suit, either.

Muck out your car, too, if you’re driving to a farm interview. A consultant I know always glances in a candidate’s car as he reckons you can tell a lot by the state of it. Six empty bottles of Magners on the passenger seat doesn’t create the right impression.

MAY 2018 / #STUDENTFARMER

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E

aston and Otley College has an abundance of agriculturally related courses at their campuses that are based in Norfolk (eight miles west of Norwich) and Suffolk (eight miles north of Ipswich).

Both Easton and Otley campuses have on site farms that offer ongoing practical sessions during courses that start at level one and progress all the way through to degree programmes.

The college aims to offer as many exciting external opportunities for students as possible.

For example, learners get the chance to compete at county shows in livestock competitions and received a clutch of awards in various classes in 2017.

It is hoped that more of the same will be forthcoming at the upcoming Suffolk and Royal Norfolk shows.

In addition to county shows, agricultural engineering students ended up winning a national skills competition (in March 2018).

The learners were participating in an event organised by the Institute for Agricultural Engineers (IAgreE) that took place at the Perkins Engine factory in Peterborough. During this occasion, students had to build an electric vehicle to climb a ramp.

Following on from Easton and Otley victories in 2014 and 2015, two level three agricultural engineers called Sam Simpson and Kurtis Dack came first – setting a competition record in the process. (A pair of level two students (Josh Hibbard and Sam Sibley-Patman) from the college also came second).

Also in Peterborough, more farming successes were seen when a team won a competition called Winterstock. In terms of the competition itself, students took part in the stockjudging of prime lambs, breeding pigs, lamb carcasses and in a mystery

Laura Marsh and Ava Prentice are pictured representing the college and the UK in a faming competition in Paris.

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www.eastonotley.ac.uk challenge they had to identify five cuts of beef during an occasion that was held at the East of England showground.

Moving away from Peterborough, some classes travelled to Paris and two individuals represented the UK, Ireland and Easton and Otley College at the SIA agricultural show.

Laura Marsh from Binham in Norfolk and Ava Prentice from Great Blakenham in Suffolk ended up being placed fifth and thirty ninth respectively.

This was not the first time that the college had taken part in Paris but Laura – who is currently studying on a two year animal physiology degree – made college history, beating previous achievements by Easton and Otley students when finishing fifth. It was also the highest place a competitor from the UK or Ireland had ever finished in this competition.

During the cattle judging, competitors had to judge both beef and dairy breeds.

Agricultural lecturer from the college,

Students won a national competition called Winterstock and they are pictured with principal Jane Townsend (who is sat front row centre).

Charlie Askew, attended this event.

He said, “The college was delighted to represent the UK in this prestigious competition. As a result of attending this event, we have been invited to attend a further cattle judging competition in Burgenland, Austria in October 2018.

Experiences of this kind are invaluable to our students, helping them to become more ‘work-ready’ and bringing recognition to them, their employers and Easton and Otley. Both current and ex- Easton and Otley students are prevalent throughout the beef and dairy herds in East Anglia.

Together with the success in Paris and previous success of students at the East of England Winterstock Show, we can be proud of our students as we help to train them so that they can go on and help drive the UK livestock sector forward in the future.”

Moving from Paris to Germany, a team from the college represented the nation at a skills competition last year.

And on a separate visit to Deutschland, 34 learners visited the ‘largest agricultural machinery show in the world’ and the CLAAS combine factory.

Elsewhere, students were involved in a European crop research project and Adam Henson from the BBC show Countryfile dropped in to discuss his epic journey from farming to the nation’s TV screens.

Community is a big part of what the college stands for and this has seen students go along to local primary schools during the harvest time to explain the journey of food from the plough to the plate and a lecturer got dressed up as Farmer Christmas where he handed out gifts to youngsters to promote farming careers to young people.

For more information about farming courses at Easton and Otley College you can visit www.eastonotley.ac.uk or call 08000 224556.

A group of students and staff are pictured on a study visit to the CLAAS combine factory in Germany.

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#w e l l ies

Give it some welly Fashion, function or just dirt cheap? If you’re looking for a new welly boot, the #StudentFarmer team might have an option for you

A

s esteemed members of the media, we are trusted by you, dear reader, to utilise our journalistic skills and integrity within the world of agriculture to educate and inform you about some of the most important questions we know you’re asking day-in, day-out.

That is why members of the #StudentFarmer team scoured

Dickies Land Master Pro

Gumleaf Viking Worn by Orla gumleaf.com £109

What I loved about the Gumleaf wellies were the ease with which I could get them on and off.

There’s nothing worse than 10 hours on your feet in the lambing shed, then giving yourself cramp in the leg trying to get boots off at the back door.

I was also especially looking to see how waterproof they were, because my toes have been wet and cold too many times in wellies. I am happy to report that my feet were still dry after marching around in a large puddle for ages. I think this is the start of a long and happy friendship with these boots.

Ease of getting on/OFF: Comfort: Hill walking: Mud walking: Puddle walking:

the welly market. There are several routes we could have taken to determine the best boots: factory visits, stress tests, investigations into the materials used. However, to ensure you are informed to the highest standard, we really wanted to stretch the limits of product reviews.

We had a welly-wanging competition.

5 4 4 4 5

Bekina Steplite

Worn by Ali bekina-boots.com £59.99

Worn by Huw dickiesstore.co.uk £95 As a fan of wellies with a neoprene top, I knew what to expect from these boots from Dickies but I was surprised by how much better they were than my current pair. The flexi-top is higher up, so you can still slip your foot in but walk into deeper rivers and puddles without them falling off.

They feel particularly tough, but an underrated element is the reflective spur, which will be useful for dog walkers on country lanes in winter months. They also have a kick-off spur that massively aids their removal.

The Bekina boots are a great pair of wellies manufactured in Belgium. Walking in wet and muddy conditions is easy thanks to their deep tread, which provides excellent grip. While being sturdy and build to last, they are also lightweight, making them comfortable to walk in over long distances.

Thermo-insulation keeps your feet warm on even the coldest of winters, ideal for any early morning or late night shifts. The boots even come with insoles to provide you with that extra comfort, which you can change to keep your boots smelling like new all year round.

Ease of getting on/OFF: Comfort: Hill walking: Mud walking: Puddle walking:

Ease of getting on/OFF: Comfort: Hill walking: Mud walking: Puddle walking:

4 5 4 4 4

3 4 3 5 5

#STUDENTFARMER / MAY 2018

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#WELLIES Skellerup Quatro Safety

Le Chameau Vierzonord

Bekina Agrilite

The first thing to note about these boots from New Zealand’s Skellerup is that they are heavy duty, complete with an armoured toe-plate.

The company makes a variety of products for the dairy sector, as well as specialist footwear for the fire and forestry services, and the Quatro Safety might well tackle all of those disciplines at once. If there’s any risk of a burning fresian falling out of a tree onto your foot, you’d be fine in these.

They are also properly waterproof.

Solid these are, but beneath the vulcanised, armadillo-ribbed exterior they are super comfortable and insulated.

Hopes were high for the Rolls Royce of rubberised footwear, but were unfortunately dashed. I am sure Le Chameau are lovely – as long as you have the calves of a gazelle. But for mere mortals, the narrow gauge of the leg and ankle made getting them on a challenge.

Getting them off was easier, but only because I used Orla as a boot jack.

Once on, the close fit meant that there was zero chance of losing them in mud and strenuous water testing revealed them to be fully waterproof. The neoprene lining added comfort but not much warmth. Probably more suited to a festival rather than a dairy parlour.

Despite being fairly heavy-duty boots built to withstand anything you throw at them, the Bekina Agrilites are remarkably light. They slip on easily and hug the foot without feeling like you have blocks of cement on your feet. If they don’t fit perfectly there’s a handy insole included, which is a nice bonus.

I certainly wouldn’t call these fashionable wellies, however, they’re discreet enough to suit most situations and they are very affordable. There’s even the added protection of a steel toe-cap, which is perfect for when you’re lugging timber round the yard or rolling a keg into a festival.

Ease of getting on/OFF: Comfort: Hill walking: Mud walking: Puddle walking:

Ease of getting on/OFF: Comfort: Hill walking: Mud walking: Puddle walking:

Ease of getting on/OFF: Comfort: Hill walking: Mud walking: Puddle walking:

Worn by Jo lechameau.com £170

Worn by Tom skellerupfootwear.co.uk £69

5 5 2 4 4

Worn by John bekina-boots.com £54.99

1 2 3 4 4

5 4 3 5 4

Welly wanging

The most important part of the review was testing just how far we could throw our wellies.

Simply put, we were going for distance.

One pair of boots each, two chances to get it right.

Tom went first and set the bar high with the Skellerups. The armoured toes for safety on farms gave his boot extra weight to carry them further during the flight.

Huw’s first throw landed mere inches behind Tom’s and showed off the aerodynamics of the Dickies.

Orla then launched her Gumleaf with the ferocity of a Viking and managed a respectable distance, even if it was a few feet behind Huw’s welly.

Jo stepped forward and flung her slimline Le Chameau a decent distance, but in a bizarre direction that rendered her attempt pointless within the realms of this competition.

And in a final challenge to Tom, John’s unorthodox over-the-shoulder throw was a brave way to gain distance but only landed a few inches ahead of Orla’s boot.

To make the welly wang more even, the testers probably should have left the throwing to one person, but they all agreed that Tom’s will have still been flung the furthest, thanks in part to the added weight.

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MAY 2018 / #STUDENTFARMER

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Travel, Earn and Learn on a Paid CAEP Agriculture Program!

Kasper Kobbero Is Creating A Big Social Network All Over The World Sugarbeets – “It is one of the main reasons I came here,” Kasper Kobbero explained. For years, he has wanted to venture to the United States to experience a sugarbeet harvest in the Red River Valley. “I have a few friends from back home who have been to the same farm through CAEP, and they have had a really good time.

After listening to all of their stories, especially about harvesting sugarbeets, I thought that this would be a good time in my life to go out and see something else and gain some real-world experience.”

During sugarbeet harvest, Kasper drove a Kenworth semi-truck, hauling a total of 98 loads (2300 tons) of sugarbeets to the pilers and sugarbeet factory in Wahpeton, North Dakota. “It was awesome because I am not allowed to drive semi-trucks in Denmark due to strict regulations and high costs. It would cost me almost $8,000 to get licensed to drive a semi-truck back home!” Although some farmers do farm sugarbeets in Denmark, most of the crop is used to feed cattle. “With huge piles and hundreds of trucks hauling all-year long, sugarbeets in America are very different compared to sugarbeets in Denmark.”

When Kasper arrived in Minnesota last spring, he and other trainees had the opportunity to learn how sugarbeets are processed during a tour of Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative in Wahpeton. “Nobody would even understand how big the factory is until you see it for yourself.”

“Coming over here has been the best thing I’ve ever done in my life. I really like this place and the people I work with.” Kasper is doing his training on a crops farm located outside of Breckenridge, Minnesota where he has helped

his hosts, Bob Yaggie and Bruce Yaggie plant and harvest wheat, soybeans sugarbeets, and corn.

“Before I came over here, I couldn’t even say a simple phrase such as what my favorite meal was, so English was a big personal challenge for me. Especially when I was working on the farm, and I would have to describe an issue not knowing the right word to use. In the end, I realized there was only one way I was going to figure it out and improve my English– just try!”

Before wheat harvest began, Kasper and his fellow trainees ventured on a 16 -day road trip. They visited the Badlands in North Dakota, Mount Rushmore, and the Black Hills in South Dakota, Yellowstone National Park in Montana, Banff National Park in Canada and Seattle. “It was an awesome trip, and we saw a lot of different things that I’ve never even dreamed about, so that was a really good experience. We also spent a lot of time at my hosts’ lake this summer, running the jet-ski and having a lot of fun trying to wakeboard.”

From one little town in Denmark to a little town in Minnesota, Kasper Sjerno Kobbero has seen many new places and made many

new connections during his time in the United States. “The people are very friendly in the United States, and almost everyone asks about my story and where I come from; people seem to be very interested which is for sure something different compared to Denmark,” Kasper explained.

“I have a few friends who would like to come over here through CAEP, and they’ve been asking me many things about my experience. The only thing I can tell them is “do it.” Of course, I told them about how great my hosts are, and the farm I work on is. Nevertheless, it is also about seeing other parts of the world and getting to know a lot of awesome people. I am creating a big social network all over the world.”

To travel the world all while building your agricultural resume, visit caep.org to apply or email madison@caep.org for more information.

#B E YO U R OW NBO SS

Chloe Dunne told Molly Chenery how she launched her own egg business alongside holding down a full-time job

S

tudying for a degree and carrying out a year-long student placement at NFU just wasn’t enough for Chloe, who set up an egg business alongside her boyfriend James last October.

She has always loved being outside, animals and the idea of running her own business, so buying a flock of 40 laying hens was the natural thing to do for the entrepreneurial 22-year-old.

Chloe has already done two years at Nottingham University studying agriculture and business management, but has been working within the Food Chain team at NFU since last June.

Despite her keen interest and obvious career direction within the agricultural

industry, Chloe is not from a farming background. She explained: “When choosing work experience at school I loved animals and the outdoors, so I rang all the local farms and found a lovely farmer who took me under his wing. I was there every weekend from the age of 16, lambing and going to market.”

More recently, Chloe has worked on projects for the NFU Poultry team, so her interest in chickens grew from there. “I had time at the weekend to plan my business when I started at NFU; it’s something I’ve always wanted and chickens seemed the easiest option compared to other livestock.”

She had to hold fire on setting up the business until James, a seventh-

generation farmer, had finished harvest.

“I had to research all sorts of things from what breed to get, where to buy the feed, if the chickens needed supplements, what sort of house to get them, to what sort of enrichment is best,” said Chloe.

In the end she made her business niche by buying traditional breeds, purchasing 40 chickens from four breeds – Bason Whites, Black Rocks, Suffolk Rangers and Rhode Rocks. The chickens have an insulated house and a large field in the middle of James’ farm in Leicestershire.

“I am able to sell to friends, family and at the farm gate but not to shops.

To do that would have meant a lot of hassle with form filling,” said Chloe.

She launched the business by leafleting around the local area, setting up an honesty box on her drive way, creating a Facebook page, posting in local buy-andsell groups on Facebook and promoting the business at work by giving out cakes made with her eggs.

She is now selling out of eggs each week, which have proven popular, particularly at the office. So surely the future can only mean expansion? “In the short-term I’d like to get the flock up to 100 birds, but we don’t want to run before we can walk.”

Setting up your own business is something that many people aspire to, but Chloe has a few top tips for those visionaries: “Do your research, and give yourself plenty of time to get everything ready. Be prepared for setbacks but don’t let them put you off, learn from them and move on. Price is key, make sure you don’t price yourself out of the market but make sure you’re getting a fair price for your produce. And finally, talk to people, and get as much advice and help as you can.”

#STUDENTFARMER / MAY 2018

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# nfu18

the young ones Molly Chenery took a group of young farmers backstage at this year’s NFU Conference to experience the press room, meet with NFU advisers and uncover the future of the farming

N

FU18 saw more than 1,500 farmers from across the land meet at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Birmingham. The conference ran for two days at the end of February with all delegates focused on a Recipe For Change.

When we think of a conference in February it’s easy to picture an icy hall with no heating, uncomfortable fold-up chairs, and speakers droning and just reading off the slides of a Powerpoint presentation behind them – a wasted day you’ll never get back. But this image couldn’t be further from the NFU Conference experience.

Day one of conference was opened

by Meurig Raymond, outgoing NFU President and part of the officeholder team for the last 14 years, who spoke passionately about the issues the agricultural industry faces and how we can unite together to strengthen the future of farming. Defra Secretary of State Michael Gove was urged by Meurig to listen to the farming community and take

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issues such as fly-tipping and the labour crisis seriously.

Each year, the NFU gives 50 NFYFC members the chance to attend both days of the conference free of charge. Eight of these farmers joined #StudentFarmer to gain exclusive back stage access.

These young farmers attended the opening address and the political session.

Michael Gove started off by saying: “I want to see farmers better rewarded for their vital public services, but I know that farmers would not be in the position to provide these services to the countryside that we cherish without successful, productive, profitable farm businesses.”

He also announced a “long overdue” review of the farming inspection regime, which was well received by all those attending conference and gained a lot of support online and on social media from the farming community. Young farmer Amy Panton, who studied at Harper Adams University and is now a technical manager and livestock co-ordinator from Lancaster, said: “It sounds as though

Gove is making all the right noises, he is prioritising farmers and understands how important we are both in the food chain but also for the environment. Can he produce the necessary policies? Only time will tell.”

The ICC has a reputation for providing brilliant catering at Conference and it certainly didn’t disappoint this year, serving up 100% British produced food.

We took the chance at lunch to meet some of NFU’s experts including chief legal adviser Nina Winter and BPS senior adviser Richard Wordsworth. They explained the work the NFU does for its members and how they can help young farmers in the future.

Five different workshops ran for an hour and a half on varying topics including ‘driving food production with environmental performance’ and ‘managing change and building financial resilience’. One particular session that made a large impact with the attendees was ‘future-proofing your business by safeguarding your people’.

MAY 2018 / #STUDENTFARMER

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# nf u18 The workshop’s aim was to inspire and the NFU respond to activists extreme explore how every farmer can face up to comments online and on social media. the challenge of improving safety, health She responded: “As an organisation and and wellbeing in their business. an industry we have nothing to hide, we North West dairy farmer James are proud here in Britain to produce Jackson was one of our young some of the highest quality If you farmers who attended the produce with the highest want to the session. He said: “It was animal welfare standards chance to attend a real eye opener. We in the world. We let this NFU Conference need to speak up as an hard work and high 2019 sign up for industry to prevent the quality produce shine free AT: number of incidents through and speak for nfuonline.com/ that happen on farm and itself as well as educate membership breakdown the stigma our the general public as to industry seems to have over what work farmers do for the mental wellbeing.” countryside as well as how their We then went backstage to the press food is produced.” room where 67 journalists from regional We had to drag our young farmers and national newspapers, magazines and away from the press room in time for television were working to document the commodity sessions. Livestock, and release the latest news coming from combinable crops, horticulture, sugar, the conference. There were journalists poultry and dairy each held their own representing a variety of newspapers and sessions to highlight the recipe for broadcasters including the Telegraph, the success for the future. Callum Kendall, Guardian, Sky and the BBC. a contractor and engineer from the East Our young farmers met NFU head Midlands, attended the crops session. of communications Sharon Hockley, He said: “I decided the crops workshop who explained how the press team should be interesting as it’s the sector collaborates with external press to I am mainly involved with. There were get NFU Conference in to the public various industry experts who each gave domain as much as possible and spread a presentation however the one that farming’s key messages to the general stood out to me, and I have been telling public. Sioned Davies, student at Harper everyone about since, was by Richard Adams University, asked Sharon how Counsell. Richard is a farmer’s son

from Somerset who completed a Nuffield Scholarship in 2016. He presented a new type of crop insurance that uses complex algorithms and use of a super computer to create an end product that was simple and easy for farmers to use at an affordable price.”

Once the commodity sessions had finished it was time to run back to hotels for a freshen up ready for the dinner. It was a chance for our young farmers to dress up and network with even more industry experts. Miles Jupp, comedian and previous cast member of Balamory CBBC, ended the dinner with his comedy that certainly didn’t disappoint, particularly his impression of the Secretary of State. The night was still young just like our farmers, who paid Walkabout, the local club, a visit and showed the NFU how to throw some shapes.

TAKING THE LEAD A new officeholder team was elected at NFU Conference. Minette Batters became the first female NFU President, Guy Smith took over the role of Deputy President and the newcomer to the team is VicePresident Stuart Roberts. Read all about them at NFUonline.com.

#STUDENTFARMER / MAY 2018

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24/04/2018 15:00:09

# f i eld&flow e r

I

t’s a discussion countless students have in halls and it runs something like this: “Hey, you seem sorted… one day we should go into business and I bet we could take on the world!”

But for James Mansfield and James Flower, who met on their first day at Royal Agricultural College, there’s an important difference.

They pretty much did it.

Their luxury free-range meat box subscription business, field&flower, is planning further expansion following a crowdfunding campaign, which raised almost £1 million.

They are currently working with Amazon to break new ground in what is already a hugely successful business story.

Delivering bespoke meat hampers direct to homes across the UK, field&flower now has 4,500 subscribers and revenue of £2.7m, after launching after graduation in 2010.

Londoner James M focuses on management and marketing while fifth-generation farmer James F has a hands-on role in rearing livestock.

Then there was a long planning process, using spare time at university to perfect a subscription model to sell grass-fed, free-range beef direct to consumers.

They started small, purchasing a single Hereford from the Flowers’ family farm in Somerset, and supported the fledgling business with part-time jobs.

James M said: “In the first year, we did early morning deliveries and travelled to London to sell our meat at Borough Market. But after a few months delivering our boxes, we had an email from Virgin asking us to cater for 2,000 VIP guests in the Virgin Media Louder Lounge, so we launched the field&flower kitchen.

The catering arm was lucrative, but we soon focused our attention on the home delivery business, which was taking off.”

A clear ethos has been crucial. James added: “What sets us aside is that we supply ethical, high-welfare, free-range meat with complete traceability. That’s the core of what we do.

“In our business, we are always trying to reconnect the consumer with the farmer. A traceability card goes into all of our boxes with the farm name, breed, kill date and butchery date and we invite our customers to free events to meet our farmers and watch a butchery demo.

“Consumers have complete transparency about what they are eating.”

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field& flower

Two Royal Agricultural College students told Tom Sales how to turn a good idea into a £2.7 million business…

It’s proved a winning formula, and since those Borough Market days the Jameses have won a cabinet-full of awards and delivered to more than 20,000 homes, including comedian Russel Kane, celebrity nutritionist Madeleine Shaw, English rugby stars Will Greenwood and Anthony Watson and even Buckingham Palace.

The booming business has gone beyond the Flowers’ farm gates to source West Country producers, with all stock raised in traditional conditions on a diet largely comprised of grass and forage.

And they’ve branched out; field&flower provides a range of poultry, wild game, fish, dairy and deli products from

independent farmers, fishermen and producers that share the same standards.

For ambitious students plotting their futures in halls right now, James M has a message. He said: “There are likely hundreds of young entrepreneurs out there who are going through the same things we did – they have a great idea, but are unsure about how to bring it to fruition. But there are so many resources to help you. It helps to first understand what it is that sets you apart from your competitors. The first few years were a hard slog but looking back it’s definitely worth it. We’re building a brand we truly believe in.”

“What sets us aside is that we supply ethical, high-welfare, free-range meat with complete traceability“

MAY 2018 / #STUDENTFARMER

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# s peakupf o rfarmi ng

Change is coming, so we want you to SPUFF

H

ave you guys heard words and phrases like ‘Command Paper’ and ‘Health & Harmony’ kicking about?

Well, it’s been kind of a big deal here at NFU HQ. Basically, the government has been looking for feedback because politicians are looking to change the laws around farming and the environment, especially because Brexit has forced them to think about where we get food and how we look after the countryside. The EU used to be in charge of a lot of these things, but, for better or worse, the UK will soon

be making these decisions, so the guy in charge of Defra (the politicians that looks after farming, food and the environment) Michael Gove has set up the Health & Harmony Command Paper consultation to find out what he needs to do as part of a new Agriculture Bill.

The consultation closes on 8 May, so #StudentFarmer has been trying to get people to have their say on what they want farming to look like in the future.

The industry is going to change in a massive way in the next few years, so it’s only right, as the people who will be alive to see it, that you have a say.

Amy Panton 27, livestock co-ordinator As an industry we have a real opportunity to shape the future agriculture policy.

Every farming business is producing food to feed the growing population. It is important for consumers to recognise that every day, three times a day they need a farmer to produce and grow what is on their tables.

The new agriculture policy must champion British farmers and support them so they have the ability to grow their business. In my opinion, it is a priority that farmers receive a fair price at the farm gate for the products they are producing before BPS is removed.

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“it is a priority that farmers receive a fair price at the farm gate for the products they are producing before BPS is removed” There is also a need for transparency throughout the supply chain.

Greater support in this area will enable farmers to produce a product that the market can sell.

Consideration needs to be given to innovation and the use of technology on the farm. Farmers that are actively using technology to drive their business forward and increase efficiencies need to be supported. The industry needs to continue to have access to a seasonal labour particular horticulture and the manufacturing sector. But above all it is important that the government recognise that public money should be spent on public goods.

MAY 2018 / #STUDENTFARMER

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#s p e a k u p f or far m ing

Weird terms and sayings Command Paper This is one of six different types of government publication presented to parliament to vote on: State Paper include treaties and international agreements; White Papers are new proposals for legislation; Green Papers are government consultation documents; Select Committee reports; Royal Commissions; Statistics and annual reports.

Health & Harmony This is shorthand for the Command Paper we are talking about. The full title is Health and harmony: the future for food, farming and the environment in a Green Brexit, but honestly, who can be bothered to write that out?

Implementation period The period between the UK officially leaving the EU at the end of March next year and before the new, yet-to-be-negotiated relationship with the EU comes into force. Some people call it the transition period.

CAP to DAP In the EU, the UK was part of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which made sure everyone got paid. This will be replaced by the Domestic Agricultural Policy (DAP), which will do the same for British farmers when we are no longer part of the EU. Read about the NFU’s vision for a future DAP at NFUonline.com/ dap-framework-summary-oct-17/

Sioned Davies 19, agriculture student I am a second-year student in Harper Adams and innovation in the industry surrounds me – from one end of the campus to the other. The changes happening on this one site are world leading, for example, the hands-free hectare project.

The developments within the industry, even within my short lifetime, have been extraordinary, and Brexit means that my generation will now have a voice to influence what a British agricultural policy will look like. This opportunity is unique in the lifetime of me and my peers, and I feel strongly that this policy should be one that drives the industry forward into new and exciting times.

“My vision for the industry is one that supports the active farmer and encourages young British farmers to be the best.

This should be done by focusing on the skills and innovation that we have within the next generation of the industry” ‘If you were Prime Minister what would you do?’ This is a question that at first seems easy to answer. Quite simply, I want British people to eat British food and for the farmers to get a fair price in return. But, apparently, it is not as simple as that. So, what would I do if I was Prime Minister, or even sat in Michael Gove’s position?

I want an industry that is controlled by pioneering innovation, that has a relationship with its consumers, and that works in harmony with the environment.

“Grow more, sell more and export more Great British food whilst ensuring we are the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we inherited it.” This was a statement made by the Brexit minister David Davies in the House of Commons, and it stands out to me.

Michael Gove launched the Health & Harmony consultation that focused on public money or public goods, and from what he has said, this will go primarily towards benefitting the environment. But the synergy between food and environment is not an either-or situation.

Food is not seen as public good, but it is a public right. How are we supposed to grow more, sell more and export more when the support and prioritisation is being put on the environment?

Also, this is not in tune with the devolved nations. I am a Welsh young farmer and our government has highlighted and stressed the need for food production to be a priority. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the carbon footprint of what they eat, and innovation is one way of combating and reducing our carbon footprint. The environment and food production naturally go hand in hand but technology and innovation has to be the third leg of the stool.

My vision for the industry is one that supports the active farmer and encourages young British farmers to be the best.

This should be done by focusing on the skills and innovation we have within the next generation to reverse the decline in productivity and efficiency. This has been documented by the AHDB in a report, highlighting that the industry has lost £4.3 billion because of the lack of productivity since the year 2000. This must change to allow young British farmers to be the best. The next generation must have the opportunity to deliver.

What do you think?

Shout about what you think farming should look like in the future by visiting NFUonline.com/speakup/ – consultation closes 8 May #STUDENTFARMER / MAY 2018

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What textbook?

When it comes to education, Molly Chenery visited Moreton Morrell to find that there is no better way to learn than to do

#STUDENTFARMER / MAY 2018

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# L AM BIN G20 1 8

C

hoosing a college can be a hard decision to make. Do you want to be close or far from home, a city or rural location, a big or small college? But eventually it all comes down to the actual course itself.

The thought of learning theory inside a box room for eight hours a day, five days a week and rarely getting the chance to put it into practice can put people off.

But Moreton Morrell College couldn’t be further from that picture.

The Warwickshire college is set in the middle of a 750-acre working farm that allows students from seven agriculture courses to put their theory into practice.

It operates in the same way as any other commercial farm and gives the students a realistic representation for when they leave college. There is a balance of machinery and animal husband tuition, with 300 acres of arable land to let students practise ploughing, drilling, cultivating, grass topping and more.

“if you’re not from a farming background but are thinking about agriculture as a career, you’ll never know unless you get stuck in“ Laura Power, 17, studying level 2 agriculture

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Farm manager Henry Dingle has been in his role for nearly two years. At 24, he is probably one of the country’s youngest farm managers, but he has the farm running like a well-oiled machine. It used to be a dairy unit but the dairy cows have been sold and the barns renovated for different uses. There are now 555 ewes permanently on site and 200 B&B cows that are owned by farmers who use the college to house and tend to the cows.

“Our flock is made up mainly from North Country Mules and Texel X ewes with a small number of Suffolk’s,” explained Henry. “We crossed them with Charollais and Texel rams in October and scanned at 184% so we should have around 1,000 lambs by the end of April.”

With so many ewes in lamb there’s plenty for the students to get involved with. There are just over 60 who help out with the lambing from level 2 and 3 agriculture and a few from the animal welfare course. In December they scan the ewes and mark them accordingly to how many lambs they are due.

Then in January, it’s time to get the shears out for crutching, removing the dags from the rear end of the sheep.

The students are given a shearing demo, one-to-one tuition and then it’s over to them. At the same time as crutching, the students give ewes a multi-vitamin dose and a vaccination. This helps keep the ewes in top condition throughout their pregnancy and avoid clostridial diseases.

When February comes the students build lamb pens and get the shed

organised. Henry said: “We’ve got a very efficient system compared to what other farms might have. How we lay it out is all fairly simple so there shouldn’t be any excuses for anything to go wrong.”

Once the pens are built and up to scratch it’s time to bring in the ewes, this means the students are put on rotas to carry out six hour lambing shifts. For each shift there are three to four students keeping an eye on the ewes, feeding and bedding down. The first lamb arrived on 19 February, a few days earlier than expected but it’s kept the students on their toes.

“When we do the rota we try to buddy up the students so there’s a mix of people who are experienced with lambing. We always make sure there’s a student on each shift that took part last year who knows the set up well” said Henry.

The shifts run from 6pm-12am and 12am-6am. During the day, students are in the lambing barn with lecturers and Henry is always around checking up on the ewes. At the weekend when the students are at home it’s over to Henry and his assistant Kieran to keep things running smoothly. Every morning, Henry will check how the students got on overnight and mark up any lambs before they go to the hardening off pens for a couple of days.

The students are involved in every process of the lambing timeline. By the time they’ve finished the course they’ve got all the skills they need to go on to the next step and work on a commercial farm.

MAY 2018 / #STUDENTFARMER

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Learning from lambing

The best way to learn is by doing, and that is something Oaklands College takes to heart

W

hen you drive through the typical, well-developed housing estate on the eastern outskirts of St Albans, you will pass mini-roundabouts, shops and schools. If you’re not a regular visit to the area, you could blink at the wrong moment and possibly miss one of the best educational establishments for farmers in the country.

But don’t mistake Oaklands College as being shy. The school works regularly in the Hertfordshire community, visiting town centres to show off hair and beauty students and promoting shows of their arts and music performers. On top of this, several times a year, Oaklands will host a weekend on campus that opens up the gates to reveal 500 acres of farmland.

There are horticulture courses, animal management and agriculture, and one

weekend in March this year saw the students show off the newest lambs born to 8,000 visitors.

Oaklands’ farm manager Del Knowles said: “We are a working farm and the reality is that their experience is valued day-in, day-out in helping me care for our animals. Lambing Weekend is a great way to share a little of our world at Oaklands and the local community.”

Level 3 student Tanya said: “I did the Lambing Weekend last year but there are activity sheets this year so it's more interactive. You can go to other farms but they’re not like this.

They’re commercial and you don’t have interaction with the workers, whereas we can hold lambs for some of the kids to pet.”

But it’s not just looking at the cute, fluffy lambs, according to second-year

George: “Events like this are one of the few ways we’re going to teach the public about where their meat comes from.

“The cattle are going well at the moment. We went to market to buy them, took turns in bidding and got them back here. The end game is beef production so we need to fatten them up a bit then show them at Herts in May.” There is a big emphasis on work placements at Oaklands, on top of the time they spend with Farmer Del, and agriculture tutor Karen Hood shared her perpetual concerns about seeing her students move on: “There’s not a lot of jobs out there. We’re getting my year twos ready for their placements right now and it’s quite difficult. Two of them have jobs to go into – one of them is livestock the other is arable – one would like to go overseas so I’m helping them, and the other two are looking at apprenticeships.”

Regardless of the job opportunities available, the students at Oaklands are clearly fully prepared to get where they want to be, and look set for a life in the big wide world of farming by the time they leave the small town of St Albans.

Want to study at Oaklands?

For more information about the courses, or to attend one of the open weekends, visit www.oaklands.ac.uk

#STUDENTFARMER / MAY 2018

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24/04/2018 14:04:18

# F REESTUFF

What takes two seconds to do, gives you cool stuff and is free?

Joining the NFU as a student or young farmer member

T

he NFU recognises the importance of supporting the next generation of farmers.That’s why we’ve made NFU membership free for students and YFC members, allowing you to have a say and contribute towards the future of agriculture and horticulture.

Join the largest and most influential farming association and receive: • Access to your local group secretary, NFU meetings and industry debates • The latest news and briefings from our policy experts and NFU Bulletin • #StudentFarmer and British Farmer & Grower magazines delivered to your door • 10% saving on trailer training • Welfare of Animals in Transport test for £35+ VAT • Huge savings with Merlin Attractions (Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and many more) • Special and heavily discounted member rates to attend the NFU Annual Conference and other discounts

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To sign up, visit NFUonline.com/student/ or contact NFU CallFirst on 0370 845 8458 to find out more about the benefits offered by NFU Student & Young Farmer membership

MAY 2018 / #STUDENTFARMER

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Love food?

We do.

Have you thought about a professional career in the food industry?

Call or email Andrew Fitzmaurice to discuss your options.

Professional recruitment services for the fresh produce, food and horticulture sectors. andrew@morepeople.co.uk

WANT A GREAT CAREER IN AGRICULTURE? Reaseheath College can help you We’ve invested

£80 million in

cutting edge technology and specialist training facilities across campus, ensuring you have the

best possible start to your career

97% of last year’s

leavers gained satisfying jobs in the agriculture

industry or progressed onto higher level courses

We could say more... like our switched on staff all have industry experience and we’ve great on-site accommodation and leisure facilities, but we’d rather you came and saw our campus for yourself.

Find out more, visit

reaseheath.ac.uk/getacareer

Coming soon £7m Agri-Tech Centre

Our modern farm is home to

our elite dairy herd

and commercial sheep and pig units - and we have a

state-of-the-art Food Centre

We offer degrees, diplomas and apprenticeships - so there’s

definitely a course for you! � Agriculture

� Agricultural Engineering

� Countryside and the Environment � Forestry and Arboriculture � Game Management � The Food Industry

� Butchery Apprenticeships

You’ll gain unique insights and very relevant experiences by joining study tours in the UK and abroad, and by completing

‘hands-on’ work experience

...and many more!

You’ll gain the skills

employers want, thanks to input from our industry partners

Ofsted Care Standards September 2017

enquiries@reaseheath.ac.uk 01270 613242 Reaseheath College, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 6DF

Get connected

# BEALOCALHE RO

Be a local hero

C

Are you helping out in your rural community?

Now let someone give you a hand

learing the roads of snow, towing cars out of ditches and supplying people with the necessities of life – farmers are the heroes of local, rural communities.

But these aren’t the only public goods farmers do, so the Prince’s Countryside Fund (PCF) is putting £400,000 toward community-led projects that help people living and working in rural areas. These can be anything from Young Farmers’ Clubs to community shops, as long as it is offering support to people in parts of the country that are most vulnerable.

Exmoor spans 693km across Devon and Somerset, stretching from inland out to the coast. It’s super pretty, but the land is rugged, tough to manage and “raises concerns for farmers’ quality of life and living standards” according to The State of Farming in Exmoor 2015. People help each other there, and that is something the Exmoor Hill Farmers Network (EHFN) takes particular pride in.

Cannington College graduate Dave Knight is the chairman, and he said: “The main ways I’ve benefited are from discussion groups. I’m a member of one and go to all the meetings – they are full of

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likeminded people so we get to chat about stuff and visit other things.”

The EHFN wants people to learn through peer support groups. It includes the Women in Farming Group, the Micro Farming Group and the Forward Farming Group, which aims to bridge the gap between younger and older farmers, as Dave explained: “It has no age limit.

There are about 20 members and we meet 10 times a year, visiting other farms or businesses that are mainly agricultural.

We’re there to see what they do, get a tour and ask awkward questions, but we’re all good friends and quite close – we are able to share farming problems that you wouldn’t with others.

“It’s a social aspect,” Dave said. “An old bloke said that we mustn’t let the group be an extension of YFC, but that’s the opposite of what I think it should be. It is a bit more grown up, yes, but you can feel at home.”

The funding saved the EHFN, which was developed after the Exmoor Hill Farm Project broke down. The Prince’s Countryside Fund director Claire Saunders said: “The applications demonstrate the breadth of challenges

faced by those living in rural areas, and the creativity of organisations in working together and coming up with the solutions to solve them.”

It’s made a difference in Exmoor, and Dave believes the EHFN wouldn’t last without the funding.

So, if you’re struggling in your rural community and want some support to keep a project going, Dave had some final advice: “The main funding criteria for an application is engaging with next generation, and talking to people in their late-teens and early-20s. We struggled to not tread on YFC toes at first but it’s more of a formal young persons' discussion group. You need to keep your application exciting and show that you have made progression from the last one.”

So what are you waiting for – go be a hero, already!

Apply today The grant application period is open until 14 June. Find out how to submit yours by visiting www. princescountrsidefund.org.uk/grants

MAY 2018 / #STUDENTFARMER

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LOOKING FOR A CAREER IN FARMING AND AGRICULTURE? Job Pages The National Farmers Union recruitment site for rural and agricultural vacancies

jobs.nfuonline.com

# GAM EFAIR

GET YOUR GAME ON

If you’re a young farmer who’s keen for some adventure this summer, then The Game Fair is just the ticket. Here’s what’s happening on Friday 27 July-Sunday 29 July at Ragley Hall in Warwickshire Subaru 4x4 off-road experience

Put your driving skills to the test on the off-road course, held in conjunction with Subaru. The brand’s Forester, Outback and all-new XV are well known for their off-road capabilities and award-winning safety features, and you’ll be able have a go to see for yourself

Daystate long-range airgun challenge

Reckon you’re a good shot? Come and try the distance targets on the Daystate range and see if you can win yourself a brand new £1,500 airgun. You’ll need to be accurate and fast as you’ll have to not only hit eight targets at distance, but you’ll have to beat the clock.

Get to grips with birds With the biggest display of birds of prey in recent years, the Falconry Village is well worth a visit. There’ll be talks, demos and the chance to handle one of these fabulous birds. It’s an experience not to be missed.

Shoot Europe’s longest shooting line

The famous Subaru Shooting Line returns and with it the chance to show your pals how good a shot you are, whether it’s on the have-a-go stands or in one of the open competitions. The Celebrity Pro-Am Shoot run by the CPSA is on Saturday afternoon, in which you could be rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous.

Cast a line

Head for the Fishing Village or the lake to show off your casting skills. Try out new gear and watch top anglers on the famous casting pools or go lakeside for tuition and have-a-go option. If you’re up 36

to the challenge, there are loads of prizes up for grabs in the British Fly Casting Competition events.

Go back in time

The Game Fair is 60 years old this year and to celebrate there’ll be some amazing things happening. You can also pop into the Museum of Curiosities to see how it all started and view some historical and valuable artefacts.

Archery

Get political

The Carter Jonas Game Fair Theatre and the Fishing Theatre are where countryside debate gets serious. Come and have your say on the issues of today.

Live Music

On Friday and Saturday, the famous Ronnie Scott’s celebrates The Game Fair’s 60th birthday with jazz and soul evenings respectively. Tickets (including food by celebrity chef James Martin) are available through the website.

If gunpowder and firearms are not for you, try your hand at this ancient sport in the Field Archery area. Line up on Olympic style targets or 3D animal targets at a range of distances, under the supervision of an experienced instructor.

The International farrier competition

Young farmers will love watching the Shoeing Lab Championships. Held across all three days, the competition is open to farriers from around the world and there’s £5,000 of prizes up for grabs.

Working dogs

Head to the Working Dog Ring to see your favourite breeds put through their paces by the experts. You (and your old dog) might learn a few tricks yourself.

For more information, visit: www.thegamefair.org or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheGameFair Advance adult tickets cost £27. Child tickets cost £10. Accompanied children aged 8 and under are free. Members of the Country Land & Business Association, National Gamekeepers’ Organisation, National Farmers’ Union, National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs, Countryside Alliance or Kennel Club are entitled to a promotional rate and all members of the British Association of Shooting & Conservation are entitled to complimentary entry for all three days.

MAY 2018 / #STUDENTFARMER

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# ceja

connecting countries What happened when a group of young farmers from across Europe came together to discuss the impact of the UK leaving the EU?

F

arming is known to be one of the friendliest industries, and this is definitely true of the next generation of European farmers. The NFU Next Generation Forum and the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC) met with members of the European Council of Young Farmers (CEJA) at its Brexit and Beyond seminar and made promises for continued collaboration in the face of an uncertain future post-Brexit.

The NFU and NFYFC share joint membership of CEJA, and, with policy and trade changes on the horizon, opportunities for collaboration between farmers at home and in Europe are ripe for discussion.

It wasn’t the warmest of welcomes, as the farmers battled abnormally snowy conditions to meet at Stoneleigh Park in March. CEJA’s President Jannes Maes said: “In these times of change, it is of paramount importance that we keep an open dialogue among young and CEJA President Jannes Maes discussing Brexit with NFU EU exit and international trade adviser Tom Keen

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Delegates at the “Brexit and Beyond” seminar met in March at NFU headquarters future farmers across Europe. British young farmers have been longstanding and valued members of CEJA and we look forward to continuing this fruitful collaboration, regardless of what Brexit might bring.”

The seminar involved workshops and talks from NFU director of policy Andrew Clark and EU exit and international trade adviser Tom Keen, himself a young farmer. He concluded the seminar with delegates discussing four of the major challenges posed by Brexit: trade, productivity, the environment and risk management.

Chairman of the NFU Next Generation Forum Richard Bower said: “Our organisations have always enjoyed a close relationship and the jointmembership of CEJA has been productive and enjoyable. We want to ensure future next generation collaboration and to maintain a close, working relationship with European young farmers.”

NFYFC Chairman Lynsey Martin said it was essential to get young farmers talking.

“Collaboration and forward-thinking discussions with European young farmers are important during this time of change.”

Get involved!

BECOME AN NFU STUDENT & YOUNG FARMER MEMBER BY VISITING: NFUonline.com/membership/ membership-news/students-andyoung-farmers/ FIND OUT MORE ABOUT NFYFC AT: www.nfyfc.org.uk/ FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE NFU NEXT GENERATION FORUM AT: NFUonline.com/sectors /next-generation/

MAY 2018 / #STUDENTFARMER

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# ne xtgen e rat i o n

Go your own way

There are so many great things about being involved with the farming industry. The sense of community, the camaraderie and working in the fresh air are just some of the reasons we love to farm. But it’s not always as simple as just doing it, as Orla McIlduff recently found out

O

livia Richardson is 26 and grew up on her mixed family farm on the County Durham and Yorkshire border. “I was always on the tractor and combine from a really young age as I’ve always loved it. In 2014, I went to Australia to do a harvest season on the wheat belt, so when I came back home I felt I’d earned my stripes and was able to get a bit more involved with the farm, which is quite nice.”

But just because you’ve got a passion for farming doesn’t necessarily mean the business will be handed to you. Olivia explained: “Because I’ve got a younger brother, I’ve always been told that he’s going to get the farm so I had to take a bit of a back step.”

This is why Olivia went into teaching.

She’s been working as a high school art teacher for the last few years, but even though she loves it, she can’t get the idea of farming out of her mind. This is the reason that she’s going to teach parttime and farm on her days off starting in September, be that contracting or looking at developing diversification possibilities on the farm.

“While I’ve been teaching I’ve been getting more and more involved with the NFU and seeing the opportunities for diversification out there.”

Olivia joined the NFU’s Next Generation Forum in 2017 after attending her first ever NFU Conference. “I went along to the Next Generation Forum session just to see what it was all about and I’m so glad I did because they were missing a North East representative. I applied, and now I’m on the forum.”

Joining a forum may seem a bit intimidating, especially when you’re one of the only girls, but Olivia took it

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“The best advice I’ve ever been given is to remember there’s a lot of time for farming before 9 o’clock in the morning and after 5 o’clock at night” in her stride. One of the first meetings she attended was with Defra Secretary of State Michael Gove in London, and she really got to know the other members. “The other board members are so knowledgeable, so it was a great experience and the two days gave us enough time to really break the ice.”

Olivia is passionate about young people getting involved with the decisions being made about the future of agriculture. She said: “Young people are able to take so much information in and use it with the

technology that’s now available. They’re willing to embrace new ideas, which is what we’re going to need post-Brexit, especially with subsidy payments being phased out. Farmers need to take on the challenges we’re facing and ensure our businesses are working as whole rather than just sticking to what we’ve done in the past.”

This attitude of encouraging us to stand up and take responsibility for our own future is exactly the same type of singlemindedness that Olivia shows when it comes to getting back into the industry she loves. “The best advice I’ve ever been given is to remember there’s a lot of time for farming before 9 o’clock in the morning and after 5 o’clock at night.”

Find out more about the NFU’s Next Generation Policy Forum, by visiting the website at NFUonline.com/ sectors/next-generation/

MAY 2018 / #STUDENTFARMER

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ARE YOU PLANNING TO START AN UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE IN AGRICULTURE? The NFU Mutual Agricultural Undergraduate Award will give four selected students a £3,000 bursary to help support their tuition, work experience and living costs.

To find out if you’re eligible to apply for the award, please visit nfumutual.co.uk/undergrad

The National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society Limited (No.111982). Registered in England. Registered Office: Tiddington Road, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire CV37 7BJ.

# d on ' tgetsc urv y

Preparation Place your lamb in a large bowl (if it's still on the bone take a sharp knife and hack the meat into bite size chunks), add in the paprika, garam masala, tumeric and yogurt, as well as a good pinch of salt and pepper. Mix it together and cover with cling film to let it marinade in the fridge for two hours, or overnight.

Method • Take your lamb out the fridge 20 mins before you start.

•C hop up your onions, chili, peppers, garlic and ginger, and chuck In the third of our 'Don't get scurvy' series we show you how to make a delicous lamb curry without having to buy any jars of sauce or phoning your local takeaway. This recipe couldn't be easier as it uses a slow cooker to do the hard work, which means if you do the prep in the morning and you'll have a lovely dinner waiting for you when you get back from a hard day on the farm.

The best thing about using a slow cooker is that unless you're expecting John Torode and Greg Wallace to pop round for dinner you really can just throw your ingredients in and turn it on. Even so, it is still worth letting the meat marinade with the spices overnight to make it extra tasty.

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INGREDIENTS

To serve

800g diced lamb (leg or shoulder) 2 tsp teaspoons of paprika 2 tsp garam masala 1 tsb tumeric 1 tsb ground cumin 2 cloves of garlic 1 bunch of coriander 1 red chilli 1 thumb piece of ginger 2 onions 2 peppers 2 tin of tomatoes 2tbsp yogurt

Rice Lime Your favourite beer Naan bread

them in the slow cooker.

• F inely chop the stalks of the coriander and add them to rest of the veg. Keep the leaves as we’ll add them in at the end so they don't go all soggy.

• T hrow the mixture into a frying pan on a high heat and add a little oil, then fry until they change colour. You're not looking to cook the meat through at this stage, you just want to seal the outside of the meat so it holds in the flavour.

•O nce the lamb is ready, add it to the slow cooker then crack open the tins of tomatoes and pour them in. Fill one of the empty cans with water and add that to the frying pan to pick up any spices that have been left behind then pour that into the slow cooker too.

•G ive the ingredients a good mix then pop the slow cooker on low for eight hours or high for six hours. Keep the lid on throughout the cooking so you keep the moisture in. About an hour before it's ready, taste the curry to see if it's to your liking, if you want to add some more heat it's not to late to add in some extra spices... don't go mad, a little can go a long way!

•W hen you’re ready to serve, chop up the rest of the coriander leaves and stir them into the curry.

MAY 2018 / #STUDENTFARMER

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