Digital Editor at Farmer’s Guardian, Emily Ashworth, chaired the session on ‘Encouraging new people into farming: creating a diverse future’ and was joined in the discussion by panellists:
- Joshua Payne, Chief Education Manager at NFU Education.
- Holly Shearman, Head of Livestock and Farm of the Future Programmes at Innovation for Agriculture and the Royal Agricultural Society of England.
- Coco Jalloh, recently nominated for Farming Student of the Year at the British Farming Awards and featured in NFU Education’s live lessons: Festive Farming Quest.
- Harriet Cowan, beef and sheep farmer from Derbyshire, and star of Clarkson’s Farm.
Taking small steps to break down barriers
Emily referenced the impact of TV shows such as Clarkson’s Farm in raising awareness of career opportunities in farming. Holly agreed that these have helped with accessibility, especially for those from non-farming backgrounds: “It’s really up to us farmers to shout about what we do. There’s so many opportunities in agriculture, it’s a really exciting time.”
Josh emphasised the importance of role models when educating children about farming, to challenge perceptions of the industry and raise awareness of the diverse career opportunities in the food and farming sector for new entrants.
He spoke about the AgriFuture Scholarship programme, a project created to address the lack of representation within agriculture in partnership with the British Veterinary Ethnicity and Diversity Society.
“It’s really up to us farmers to shout about what we do. There’s so many opportunities in agriculture, it’s a really exciting time.”
Holly Shearman, Head of Livestock and Farm of the Future Programmes at Innovation for Agriculture and the Royal Agricultural Society of England
The inaugural cohort of AgriFuture scholars attended LAMMA that day, participating in tours and workshops to prepare them for a career or further study in agriculture.
He shared how working on the programme has shown him the importance of engaging with parents and local communities, as the vital support network to encourage young people into agriculture.
Practical, tangible solutions
The panel touched on representing farming in the National Curriculum, to further encourage young people to see it as a career option.
Josh highlighted the NFU’s Farmers for Schools programme and live lessons as practical, tangible solutions to represent farming in schools. By showcasing farming role models in assemblies and live lessons, supported by curriculum-based free resources for teachers, it’s a further step towards raising awareness and creating positive perceptions about the industry.
Accessibility for people from non-farming backgrounds
Coco highlighted apprenticeships as a great opportunity for those who are not from a farming background, like herself. She shared her story of wanting to pursue agriculture at school but was discouraged, as well as her journey of being diagnosed with autism and ADHD and her determination to change misperceptions around being neurodiverse.
Josh agreed that there is so much opportunity in this sector for new entrants who are neurodiverse and how much they can flourish, sharing his experiences of working with neurodiverse young people on NFU Education’s programmes.
"If you can’t get that first step, you can’t get into the industry."
Joshua Payne
Benefits to farming businesses
Coco praised the students on her farm who bring so many new ideas, knowledge on new technologies and how rewarding it is to see their impact on the farm business.
Harriet agreed that new ideas can make things simpler and encourage progression. She gave LAMMA as a prime example of the value of in-person conversations, demonstrating innovation and how new skills can be developed on an established farm.
Josh encouraged attendees to offer work experience where they can, to give young people their initial start in the industry: “If you can’t get that first step, you can’t get into the industry.”
How can you get started?
Harriet recommended for new entrants to join young farmers clubs and take on work where they can, starting from the bottom and working up. She also highlighted the advantages of social media in showcasing careers in agriculture that people can thrive in, especially to those who may have not considered it before.
Harriet and Coco shared that while they have had a lot of positive support on social media, they have also received misconceptions on what a farmer looks like, referencing their gender and perceived ability. They said that there is still work to do to challenge misconceptions, to show that while they may not look like farmers, they are.
What piece of advice would you give?
Josh said: “Take every opportunity you get. If you don’t have an opportunity, introduce yourself and make opportunities for yourself.”
Holly said: “There are so many options to have that initial conversation and take the next step. Join a young farmers club, get in touch with a farmer to ask about work opportunities, or contact an agricultural college. Go out there and find a farm.”
Coco said: “Always ask questions. It builds your knowledge and can open the door to future progression and opportunities.”
Harriet: “Be confident and go out and meet people, find those opportunities.”
