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1497: Farmers of the Future

This paper is summarised from a report prepared for UTASS on the Farmers of the Future project

Year of Publication2012

Over the next 10 years farming will need 60,000 new entrants. Farmers and agricultural workers are often highly skilled but lacking in formal qualifications. Farmers of the Future (FOF) was a pilot project led by Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Services that aimed to deliver upland livestock farming skills to trainees over 12 months through certificated training courses and farm placements. FOF encompassed 12 trainees (9 completed the full project), 49 trainers, 34 farmer-trainers, 23 other farmers (i.e., who loaned equipment and premises); and offered 34 courses and 21 farm placements. While FOF’s longer term goals of successfully generating new blood into agriculture may not be realised for many years to come, the project has provided a route map to assist young people in entering employment, self employment or further training.

This item is categorised as follows

• Subject Collection > Rural policy & development > Economic development
• Subject Collection > Social & community enterprise
• Subject Collection > Training & skills

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