About Me

Having been brought up on a working beef suckler herd farming has always been part of my life, although it has only been in the last 6 months that I have taken an active role in the running of the farm. With the sudden loss of my father, Mum and I took the hard decision to sell the cattle and venture into arable farming. It has been a very steep learning curve, but one that is starting to flatten, we will be growing the crops for an innovative new anaerobic digestor. Being passionate about how we can evolve farming to fit society’s changing ideas regarding the environment and food production, this is a venture I’m very excited about.

I will also be starting a degree in Business Management alongside running the farm, I love learning!

Rural life

I’m a Kenn Valley Young Farmer. It’s such a brilliant way of connecting with like-minded people and offers so many opportunities. Last year I was part of the Haldon Group Choir and we ended up going all the way to Nationals where we were crowned national choir champions. Not many people realise the wide range of activities young farmers get stuck into, it’s not all driving tractors.

I also love Show Jumping, I and my father, would travel up and down the country competing, although that has been scaled back recently I am still a member of the British Show jumping Association and compete my father’s horse whenever I can.

Rural challenges

Our farm is located in a very unique location. Despite feeling like you are ‘in the middle of nowhere’ it is only 5 miles from the centre of the city of Exeter, and is, therefore, very easy and quick to get anywhere.

The most frustrating thing about my rural location are the narrow, high hedged roads that make riding the horses on the road very dangerous, thankfully I have the farm to ride around so it’s easily avoided.

Despite apparently having fibre-optic broadband, sending a video to the Rural Youth Project requires me to walk to the highest point on the farm to use 4G because our wifi can’t handle it!

The best thing about living in a rural area

The quiet, I love the peace and tranquillity of rural life. In the mornings, the birds singing as the sun comes up never fails to lift my spirits.