Born a farmers daughter, I cannot recall exactly when my love for farming first began I would spend every evening after school and weekends out on the farm with my parents and grandparents.
However, due to being primarily tenant farmers, my parents encouraged me to look at other careers away from the farm that may provide me with more security, with the option of always returning home in the future.
I, therefore, completed my A levels and headed to Sheffield for three years to study nursing frequently returning home to help on the busy days!
After completing my degree, I moved back to the farm, juggling working full time as a nurse and doing what I could to help my parents.
Within a couple of years, I took a career break to go travelling to Australia and New Zealand. I visited many farms in New Zealand including travelling with sheep scanners and joining a shearing team.
It was a great eye-opener and valuable experience to pick up new ideas and compare different farming practices.
On returning, it was clear that farming is what I wanted to do. I soon got back into working alongside my parents on our mixed farm in North Yorkshire, and reduced the days I worked at the hospital, which currently balances well.
We farm sheep, cattle, free range hens and a small amount of arable primarily for animal feed. We have grown the sheep numbers up to 600 breeding ewes with 100-150 ewe lambs kept each year.
Currently made up of North County Cheviots, Cheviot Mules and North of England Mules. Around 50 head of Limousin cross cattle and 4,000 free range hens, selling all the eggs direct off-farm to shops, cafes, markets and recently from a vending machine on-farm.
Along with many other farmers, we have looked into diversification options in what are undoubtedly uncertain times ahead. We have been running a holiday cottage for the past two years and continue to explore other diversification options with being situated in a popular tourist area.
I have been fortunate to be involved in the NFU North East ambassador programme and NSA next generation programme, both of which have allowed me to gain lots of new ideas from the farm and industry visits we were taken on, along with speaking to industry experts.
A further highlight of the programmes is spending time with other young people in the agricultural industry, sharing ideas and gaining great friends spread all over the country.
In terms of my passion on the farm, it would have to be ensuring high welfare standards and producing livestock I can be proud of.
I am always looking at ways to improve what and how we do things and would like to sell more produce direct off-farm in the future.
