Joe from Heckington & Sleaford YFC might only be 13 but he’s proving that hard work and determination can make your dreams come true
When eight-year-old Joe asked his mum for a couple of Jacob sheep, she told him he would need to raise the money.
This wasn’t a few extra sheep to add to an already established flock – this would be Joe’s first ever sheep that he would eventually grow into the 60 ewes, rams and lambs he now owns. All bought with his own hard-earned funds.
Joe, now 13 and a member of Heckington and Sleaford YFC in Lincolnshire, did not even live on a farm when he asked for his first sheep. His parents are not farmers, and his only agricultural connection was with his grandad’s 40-acre arable farm.
It was his grandad who first sparked Joe’s interest in food production. He built raised beds for Joe to grow potatoes in the back garden of his family’s bungalow.
Not long after the country went into lockdown during the pandemic, Joe began ordering seeds online so he could sell seedlings, alongside his potatoes, to the local community. Sales proved popular due to garden centres being forced to close.
“I just love being outside. It was in lockdown when I started, which was a good time to start a hobby,” said Joe, who after mastering vegetables, quickly added chickens into the mix, so he could build up funds to purchase his first sheep.
“When I’d spotted the Jacob sheep online my mum told me I’d need to work for it. It took me a lot of savings to reach what I needed by selling my veg and six eggs in a box for £1.”
When Joe finally had enough money, he paid for his three ewes and a lamb at foot in loose change, using the 50ps and 20ps he’d gathered from the sale of his produce. Luckily, to begin with, Joe was able to graze his sheep on land his grandmother owned.
His focus quickly turned to purchasing a ram so he could start breeding lambs to sell. It’s an ambition he achieved, and Joe now owns two Jacob rams and has bred many ram lambs. That’s alongside the cows and pigs he is also managing on his small holding in Lincolnshire where he now rents 13 acres.
It’s thanks to a supportive family that Joe has made it this far – and a community that’s been behind him too. His family have rented out their bungalow to allow them to move closer to Joe’s land and everyone gets stuck in during lambing.
“This is going to be his life. School hasn’t always been easy for Joe, but farming is where he thrives,” explained Joe’s mum Clare.
“It has been a learning experience for us too as we knew nothing about farming and I obviously needed to help with lambing and to manage when Joe is at school.
“I want Joe to understand the realities of farming. He’s having to consider selling some of his animals to pay for feed for the winter. It was hard to watch him lose a cow recently. He had raised it from a calf and planned to sell it, but sadly, it developed a twisted gut and had to be put down. Not only did he lose the potential sale, but he also faced the unexpected cost of the vet fees – which were far from cheap."
Despite the challenges, Joe frequently rises above them – often with an entrepreneurial mindset to rival that of Alan Sugar. He’s recently started using the sheep fleeces to make and sell his own rugs, for example. He learnt how to wash and spin the wool and uses a vintage peg loom that someone gave to him.
Joe’s journey also caught the attention of Rob and Dave Nicholson at Cannon Hall Farm, which is featured on a range of Channel 5 programmes. Joe has since made regular appearances on the On the Farm show as well as taking part in other TV work showcasing his enterprise. Rob and Dave also bought Joe a calf for Christmas one year too – one present he’ll never forget!
In 2024, Joe joined his local YFC – Heckington and Sleaford – for the first time. With few friends at school who understood his new farming venture, Joe was relieved to find a group who truly did.
“My Dad used to be a member of YFC and I had a friend who was a member of the club, so I went along with him,” said Joe who doesn’t spend much time socialising and prefers to be working on his farm.
“It’s great to get together with people who like to talk about farming. You don’t find a lot of people who speak about farming at school.
“Joining the club has made me want to socialise more. In farming you can soon get addicted to it and you don’t see a lot of people. It’s great to go there and hang around with people with the same interests.”
Last Christmas Joe helped to raise much-needed funds for his YFC and the local Air Ambulance Service through an outdoor nativity that was staged on his farm.
The show brought the whole community together and was supported by celebrity farmers including Kaleb Cooper and Adam Henson, who provided some exciting raffle prizes. The sell-out event raised over £2,000 each for the club and the Air Ambulance with more than 200 people coming to watch the show.
“I couldn’t believe it. We had donkeys from Cannon Hall Farm, my brothers were shepherds – it was amazing. We finished the nativity and then four days later we got our first lamb so we had to change the venue from a nativity scene to a lambing shed.”
With big plans for the future – he’s looking at selling meat boxes next – Joe’s excited about making a difference to his family’s life as well as to young people interested in farming.
“When I get older I’d love to show cows and I’d like to develop the beef side as well – Limousin cattle – and breed some stock calves. I just want to keep going and have a few acres of land for my cows – and a stockman, mum says,” said Joe. “I’d like to earn enough so I can rent the farmhouse, so my mum can go back to her bungalow.”
He sees YFC as part of his future too – where he can continue developing skills and connections.
“I have done calf stockjudging at YFC and enjoyed that. I also did cake judging, which was good as I got to taste all the cake!
“I’d love to stay in YFC and help and support them. I’d love to host the club on the farm and bring young people here to attract others into farming.
“We are currently planning an open day in May for children from the local primary school to come and learn more about where their food comes from too.”
Joe is proving that where there is a will there is a way. Using the connections he’s making through YFC and his TV appearances, Joe is hopeful that he can remain in the industry – even with the high cost of straw!
“If you’re going to live a dream,” said Joe who certainly believes he is living his. “You have to work hard.”
