Young Farmer Focus - Sophie Thompson: "In the future, I hope to help and encourage other small, more traditional farmers to improve their farm viability by breaking down barriers to data use"

Coming from a small village in County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, my love for agriculture developed at a young age during time spent at my grandad's farm.

Although I was not fortunate enough to eventually take on the family farm, five years ago I began farming alongside my fiancé.

I now manage a small flock of mules as well as being involved in silage contracting.

I count myself lucky to have always been surrounded by this lifestyle, and even more so to make a career from it.

After finishing school, I studied for an honours degree offered jointly by the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise and Queen's University Belfast, studying agricultural technology with professional studies.

The highlight was undertaking a 12-month placement as a McDonald's Progressive Young Farmer (PYF) with Moy Park in 2020-2021.

Having a beef and sheep background, it was a great experience to have insight into the ever-advancing chicken sector.

The rotational nature of the PYF programme meant I had the opportunity to gain knowledge and practical experience throughout the many stages of a sustainable chicken supply chain, from farm to front counter.

On a personal level, completing the programme gave me confidence to establish a career within the industry, equipping me with the interpersonal and practical skills to take on greater responsibilities.

Graduating with first class honours last October, I successfully gained a place on Dunbia's graduate programme as an agricultural graduate.

The programme has provided me with the opportunity to rotate around various production areas of the business, which has enabled me to develop a better understanding of the different cogs which keep the production wheel turning at factory level.

By doing this, I have gained a good foundation of knowledge to build upon when I transition into the agriculture team, where I will continue the rest of my programme.

When starting university, I discovered a passion for research I did not know I had.

As a result of this new-found interest, I was presented the best final year research project in areas related to agriculture within the school of biological sciences.

For me, there is fulfilment in discovering uncommon knowledge, piecing together information and applying these discoveries in practice.

On the farm, I am enthusiastic about improving the use of data and information to increase efficiency.

In the future, I hope to help and encourage other small, more traditional farmers to improve their farm viability by breaking down barriers to data use.