Ellie has been involved in the agricultural industry since she was young. After being persuaded by her mother to join young farmers, Ellie decided to give it a go and has been a member of her club – Purton and Cricklade YFC – for 10 years.  

She has taken on many roles within the club, starting out as secretary and then taking on the role of chairman. In August, she was given the opportunity to be county chairman of Wiltshire YFC, which she described as a ‘huge honour’.

Ellie is also involved in the South West Area committee and sits as vice chairman of the National Competitions Steering Group.

Are you from a farming background? 

Indirectly yes, my parents and grandparents used to farm in Buckinghamshire, but that was sold before my time. My father stayed within the agricultural industry and I can remember asking to help him relief milk from a fairly young age, which he somewhat reluctantly agreed to from time to time. But I have relief milked now for over 10 years so that keeps me busy every other weekend, when YFC commitments allow. Luckily the farm I milk for are very understanding. I also have a full time job as a civil servant working in resilience and business continuity, so that's always interesting. But by choice, YFC takes up the majority of my free time.

What are the benefits of being involved in a young farmers club?

Where do I start... There really is something for everyone, and the more you put in, the more you get out. Competitions to learn new skills, boost confidence and employability are fantastic. The people you meet and connections you make will set you up for life. The fun you have is second to none and the opportunities really are endless. I'm off to Canada at the end of this week with 17 other young farmers from across England and Wales, what other youth organisation can offer you that? But equally, if you're someone who doesn't want to compete, isn't interested in all the extra bits, then that's absolutely fine too- there is a huge place for anyone who just wants to turn up to weekly meetings and have a bit of a social life. YFC is what you make of it.

Are you looking forward to your year as chair? 

It's come as a bit of a surprise to me, I hadn't planned on taking on the role but the opportunity presented itself and I couldn't say no. I'm really excited for the year ahead, although it's already going so quickly! To lead nearly 300 members and deliver an exciting and unique program of events, competitions and opportunities to them is not something to be taken lightly and I look forward to working closely with Charlotte, our county organiser and our Vice and Junior Vice Chairman, Rob and Luke.

Our Rally Chairman Natasha has already got things well underway for the numerous competitions across the calendar and we have many more events and fund raising initiatives in the pipeline! I'm conscious we now have a much younger membership demographic and we need to keep those members engaged whilst also offering something for everyone and maintaining the support of past members too, without whom we would struggle.

If your club received £1million, what would you spend it on?

Wow, that's a difficult question. I'd put a chunk of it towards some sort of marketing campaign. We are very good at internally promoting what we do, but as an organisation we need to be better at reaching those outside the farming community. It would be great if we could promote YFC for what it really is, rather than what it is perceived to be. 

I'd put some into a training fund for those that want to do further education or short courses and qualifications. We already have a small pot for this, but it would be great to continue to offer this in the future. It's becoming increasingly difficult for young farmers to set up on their own or enter into tenant farming agreements, so some sort of investment fund or young farmers start up loan might be interesting to look into.

I'd also look at creating a Wiltshire YFC Hub. We currently rent a very small office, but if we had a larger more usable space, that would be a great asset to the county. Somewhere central to hold meetings, competitions, maybe rent space out to business or the community to keep it ticking over. I'm sure this is more complicated than I'd like to think it is, and would probably want more than £1million to do it!

How do you see the future of farming evolving, particularly for young people?

Technology is taking over the world at a somewhat frightening rate, but for agriculture the developments are really exciting. Improvements and efficiencies are getting better all the time, but I don't think we'll ever live in a world that doesn't require a farmer. We need to encourage more people into the industry and make more of the employment opportunities in the technological field. I think this is where we can make more of a tangible link to those outside of agricultural industry.

The recent budget has dealt the farming community a difficult hand, which has caused a great deal of upset in the immediate term. There will certainly be some difficult conversions to come. We are an essential industry, not one that can be forgotten about, although a lot of the time it feels like we are. It's important that we keep raising the profile of British Agriculture, and the NFYFC Agri Steering Group is where the future of British Agriculture is at. As young people, we must push to shape our own futures and do what we can to influence those who hold the power. 

Is there anything else you would like to add?

If you like the sound of YFC or want to find out more, the best way to do this is either via Facebook and finding a club local to you. Or go to the NFYFC website and fill in the contact form, where the national office will put you in touch with your local club. Give it a go, it will literally change your life.