I am very excited to be able to say that I am the new leader for Farming Connect’s Agri Academy programme. This is a unique and very special leadership scheme which brings together 12 farmers from diverse sectors across Wales to complete two UK based residential sessions and one international study tour.
My plan for the programme is to challenge the participants by pushing them out of their comfort zones and working with them to better understand their farms as businesses. Through controlling the controllables and building resilience I hope they will emerge as positive and profitable farmers who can be ambassadors for the industry and inspire others with their progress.
The first session will focus on the factor that underpins all farming businesses and every step of the supply chain; people. Whether you are a sole trader, work with your family, or employ staff, understanding people is crucial. We are hoping to run a session on understanding yourself and others, particularly on communication, which will help the participants as they get to know each other as well as when they return to their home businesses.
The first weekend will also see sessions on diversity in agriculture with the opportunity to complete the new AgDiversity training module and a talk about neurodiversity in farming. We’ll then get out on farm to see an example of a successful joint venture, and to meet the Challenge Farm. All 12 AgriAcademy participants will present their plan for the Challenge Farm at the second residential session.
The international study tour is a highlight of the programme and for the last few years has taken participants to Canada. This year we are hoping to visit Japan where the farmers will see traditional UK sectors in a new context as well as visit farms growing crops that aren’t commonly grown in the UK such as tea and rice. Visiting a country with a different culture and language and seeing the challenges and opportunities that unite farmers globally should be an amazing opportunity. I can’t wait to start planning these visits, for which I will draw heavily on my connections in Nuffield.
The final residential session will look at business and personal resilience. I will draw on my work as a consultant to talk the farmers through using their financial accounts for benchmarking their performance, and I hope to bring in speakers to discuss personal resilience, human nutrition, and market analysis. The visits I hope will encompass impressive farming businesses and trips to the wider supply chain such as an abattoir or fresh produce packer. On this weekend the farmers will also present their plan for the Challenge Farm.
I encourage any Welsh farmer to apply for the programme if they are prepared to challenge themselves, build a positive and resilient mindset, take home new skills and ideas to their businesses, and make friends and connections for life. This should be a fantastic series of sessions and I can’t wait to get started and to meet the new AgriAcademy farmers!