To provide new entrants with advice to get into farming, The Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust and the Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE) have launched an online 34-page online guide to highlight the best advice and practical case studies from previous Nuffield Farming scholar reports
Launched at LAMMA, ‘New entrants and young farmers – making a start in farming; A Bitesize Guide' is available free to download. It contains a wealth of information from Nuffield Farming scholars, each of whom has spent at least eight weeks travelling the world researching issues associated with starting in farming.
The booklet collates key messages and case studies from their reports, as well as action plans and a wealth of additional sources of help and information. It also contains direct links to each scholar's report for more detail.
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Nuffield scholar and RASE technical director Stephen Briggs says: "Getting started in farming has never been easy – and today, it can seem more challenging than ever. But, as Nuffield Farming scholars and case studies in this Bitesize Guide show, it can be done.
Ideas
"This Bitesize Guide ‘New entrants and young farmers – making a start in farming' is designed to provide a range of ideas to help anyone who wants to get going in farming, from a look at the pros and cons of different methods of land tenure, to the mindset and support required, as well as a range of inspiring case studies."
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Each year, up to 25 people aged 25-45 are selected as scholars and sponsored by the Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust to travel, research and report on subjects they are passionate about and which contribute to advancing farming, food, horticulture, forestry and ancillary industries.
New thinking
Rupert Alers-Hankey, director of the Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust says: "These studies bring new thinking, technology or management approaches from across the globe to the UK.
"However, it has been a real challenge to extend findings from Nuffield Farming scholars more widely. Few people are aware of the huge knowledge base that can be accessed via the Nuffield Farming library, and for those who are, finding the time to read large reports may be impractical. This Bitesize Guide makes accessing that valuable practical information much more straightforward,"
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The Bitesize Guide series is supported by the Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust, Central Region Farmers Trust and Gloucestershire Agricultural House Foundation.
New entrants at LAMMA
In a panel at this year's LAMMA Show about getting new people into farming, panellist and young farmer Coco Jalloh said there needs to be more diverse representations within farming so those outside the industry can see themselves in it.
Clarkson's Farm star Harriet Cowan said farming is not entertained as a career in schools.
She said: "If it could be part of the curriculum we would be better off as a country, because people would know where food comes from and it would be seen as a profession for all kids in schools."
Holly Shearman, head of livestock and farm of the Future Programmes with RASE has helped to launch the new entrant guide, and said there are so many opportunities out there, but knowing how to enter the sector can be a barrier.
She also said there are new opportunities in technology and innovation.
More info
‘New entrants and young farmers – making a start in farming; A Bitesize Guide' can found on the website https://www.rase.org.uk/reports/
