The National Federation of Young Farmer’s Clubs is one of the largest rural youth organisations in the UK dedicated to young people who have a love for agriculture and rural life.
Led by young people, for young people, Young Farmers’ Clubs provide their 24,500 members in 615 clubs aged 10 to 26 with a unique opportunity to develop skills, work with their local communities, travel abroad, take part in a varied competitions programme and enjoy a dynamic social life.
Gloucestershire based calf nutritionist Katie Hall is the current Chair of Council of NFYFC and believes that young farmers today are like elastic and bounce back from all their problems in both their lives and on the farm or so they are portrayed to by what we read in the media and online, the question we should be really asking is… do they?
The macho image is changing with our members living well and farming well, our members are very aware of their mental health during the challenging times that are affecting the agricultural industry at the moment and in the future to come. More members are asking for help if they are struggling even though there is still a huge stigma attached to the subject however our members are changing this and find it incredibly powerful to talk to their friends and family
Young farmers are changing the way they see the work life balance and by not being afraid to get off the farm and have fun with their friends and family the times of working 24/8 is changing with our members making the time for their friends and going on holiday, yes I said it they go on holiday! When 10 years ago they wouldn’t have left the farm I personally find that having things booked in the diary with my friends is incredibly important and invaluable. I especially enjoy jump racing and I find when we are at the races we are all in that moment not worrying what’s happening tomorrow or what we did yesterday.
Our members are resilient in many different ways and are embracing the challenges and changes that are in front of them within the industry and within their lives, farm safety is a top priority for our members and they would stop and think before they put themselves in a difficult or dangerous situation they would feel they can put their head above the parapet to say something is not right rather than just taking the easy route and going with what their boss has told them to.
Our members are making the changes for the future and pushing themselves to ensure these changes are adhered to and not just slipped back into the old ways of doing things.
Young farmers across the country are truly inspiring and resilient in many different ways and we can all be incredibly proud of them, they are embracing the challenges and changes that are being thrown at them from various directions. They are the future of our industry and may I say with them at the helm of it, our future is bright and will definitely be a strong one and I think we can all learn a lot from them and their outlook on life and work.
For more information about NFYFC visit www.nfyfc.org.uk
