Jess Radnor, who is a member of Wentwood YFC in Gwent and also Woolhope YFC in Herefordshire, is a Back the Future Ambassador, and has been helping to share positive messages about food and farming at recent events.
Back The Future is a collaborative project between SOS-UK, The Nature Friendly Farming Network, FLAME (the youth branch of the Landworkers Alliance), Sustain and NFYFC. I am one of five ambassadors, and we all have personal topics that we are pursuing. My focus is on the importance of food and farming education for the next generation.
So far, I have had the opportunity to attend multiple events through the project to network, collate information and gain valuable training to aid us in pursuing our chosen interests. We are a very diverse group of ambassadors so we bring lots of different perspectives to our relevant topics.
I was on a discussion panel to talk about my experiences in the food and farming industry, while also networking with the different organisations present. Our role as panellists was to inspire other young people to get involved with food and farming.
I talked about the Back the Future project and how better education around food and farming is integral for giving young people an understanding of where their food comes from. I discussed the careers involved with getting food from the ground on to the table and how all of this can help young people understand what food we should be eating.
I also discussed the amazing Countryside Classroom resources – and the Future Farming career cards NFYFC helped develop with LEAF Education.
I shared my route into the industry and talked about how YFC is my backbone and has given me the opportunities that led me to my career as a Farm Catchment Advisor.
I discussed how I had grown up on a farm that sadly is no longer operating and how this has shaped my passion. It is really important for young people to not only learn about food and farming in the classroom but also to see it on the ground!
There was a lot of positive feedback and all the individuals engaged with everything we had to say. Two people said the panel was the highlight of their day, so that is positive!
It was a positive experience to talk with other panellists. There are still pressures for women in farming, but mindsets are changing, and I am seeing more women getting into the agricultural industry.
I talked about my challenges and that it can be hard to know where to go to learn and gain knowledge – again I mentioned the Countryside Classroom resources and how YFC has played a massive part in getting me to where I am.
We discussed what makes us proud, the networks and initiatives that have supported us on our journeys and what advice we would give to young women pursuing a career in farming.
My response was to encourage them to join their local YFC and approach local farms to gain experience wherever they can. My career in my late teens started from approaching a local farm shop and asking if they wanted help on their farm.
I enjoy being involved to share positive messages about food and farming.
I was also involved on the panel for a Future of Farming event and talked about upcoming technologies – no fence collars and mapping technologies (mapping technologies are so important in my full-time role), farming practices that are gaining traction and mindsets on "regen" practices and whether it's niche or becoming more mainstream.
Another question was around climate change and how it is impacting farmers – I discussed how farming is part of the solution.
Being involved in these discussions means you can help influence views on farming, dispel the myths and inspire others to want to join our industry.
