Farming Talk: Academy helps improve business skills
A three-year funding programme to help farmers and farm workers to improve their business management skills is now in its second year in Shropshire.
Shropshire Fresh Start Academy received a £49,587 grant from The Prince's Countryside Fund to continue for three years and in its first year attracted 20 young people eager to boost their farming careers.
About 45 to 60 young people will benefit over the three-year period with the funding primarily being used for staffing costs as the training is delivered by specialists from the industry who give their time voluntarily.
This year's management training programme was launched on February 18 at the Greenhous Stadium in Shrewsbury where new candidates were able to meet some of last year's academy members and talk to some of the specialist volunteers who will be delivering their training.
Topics to be covered over the year include business plans, applying for tenancies, asset appraisal and management, financial management and planning, employing labour, raising finance, marketing, diversification and gaining planning consent. The candidates will also visit a farm and carry out a mock tendering exercise with business plan.
Berrys has been involved with Shropshire Fresh Start Academy since it began five years ago and we are very pleased to continue our support. The academy gives young people the opportunity to improve their skills to progress their careers in the industry.
Feedback from previous years has been extremely good according to Victoria Jones who organises the academy for Shropshire Rural Hub, and there have been a lot of inquiries from people interested in joining this year's group.
Zara Roberts, 22, of Caynham, Ludlow a qualified estate agent, farm secretary and interior designer, said how useful the course had been to her. She enjoyed the farm walk and tenancy application exercise which she believes will help immensely if she gets the chance to tender for her own farm.
For more details about Fresh Start, contact Victoria Jones at victoriarhp@ruralhubspartnership.co.uk.
Fresh Start is an industry-led initiative to encourage new entrants into farming and to help established farmers think about how they can develop their business in the future in the light of CAP reform.
Stephen Locke is based at Berrys Shrewsbury office
