A 21-year-old young farmer provides an insight his life, sheep farming in the UK.
Tom Nancekivell, who holds a level-three diploma in agriculture, describes himself as a “21-year-old passionate sheep farmer”.
He admitted that sheep farming “is the most rewarding job in the world, and I would not change it for anything”.
The young farmer recently provided an insight into the highs and lows of sheep farming as part of a series produced by the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association. The video series showcases various careers within the agricultural industry.
Speaking about sheep farming in the UK, he said:
“My job, as a sheep farmer, is to keep sheep happy, alive, healthy, and most of all, to stop them from getting out into another farmer’s field. To get into agriculture, you need to be hard-working, passionate, devoted, and most of all, you need to love it.”
“Sheep, do test your patience, and it takes time to become a good sheep farmer. We are still learning all the time.”
Salary ranging from £10,000- £50,000
He highlighted the importance of working well together and warned that “things do fall apart” when people do not collaborate.
“You need to work well together to succeed. My dad is very good when it comes to business, and I am very good when it comes to the sheep side of it. So, all, them things together, we work well as a team.”
“There are many different job roles in farming today, and the salary can range from £10,000- £50,000, whether you are a sheep shearer or a farm manager.”
“In our case, we are an independent, and we depend on how good sheep prices are or how bad they are. It is [about] finding that balance in between.”
“My advice to you is to follow your dreams. Most of all, if that is sheep farming, go for it. You can either do this by working on a sheep farm, you can be an apprentice or a farmworker, and you can work your way up there to achieve what you want to achieve.”
“I rate my job 10/10, if not more when it is a good day. That is, when everything goes well, the sun is shining, and the lambs are dancing around.
However, it can be a 0/10 when things go wrong, when the weather is terrible, and it is such hard work. Luckily, those 10/10 days overrule the 0/10 days.” Tom concluded.
A day in the life – sheep farming in the UK:
