The Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s latest crop of Pathfinders are undertaking their development journeys as part our Goodall Agri-Development Pathway.
This fully-funded training programme supports the development of farming’s next generation.
It helps young people to develop their skills and experience, improve their performance and prepare for enhanced responsibilities as their career in agriculture evolves.
Scroll down this page to read introductions to our 2025 Pathfinders.
For more details about the Pathway, please click on the button below.
Applications for the 2026 round of the Pathway are now open. The deadline for applications in 1 December 2025 and you can use the button below to access the application form.
Introducing our 2025 Pathfinders
Alex Warriner farms in partnership with her parents near Pickering on the edge of the North York Moors, where their enterprise consists of beef cattle and arable.
Alex is also Agriculture Manager for the North at Arla Foods which involved building and maintaining relationships with dairy farmers who supply milk to Arla.
Alex is taking the Pathway to help “find her voice” through personal development with likeminded people.
Martin Abell is 32 and runs the family arable farm at home, north of York. A Harper Adams graduate, he also works as a freelance engineer.
Martin chose to apply for the Pathway to help him to focus on the best opportunities for growing the farm business and hopes the Pathway provides him with the knowledge, skills, connections and confidence to take the next steps.
Megan Mulholland is a farm manager of a mixed livestock farm that supplies a sister company butchers shop.
She runs a pedigree herd of Pasture for Life certified Belted Galloway and Hereford cattle, Hampshire Down sheep and Berkshire pigs.
Megan is taking the Pathway to hone her managerial skills and has ambitions to develop the farm’s low input system further.
Chad Stevens is a late entrant fifth generation farmer who unexpectedly took on the family farm alongside his wife ten years ago.
Since getting started, with no previous farming experience, the couple have grown, changed and diversified from a 200-acre arable farm to a mixed farm that welcomes the public for lamb feeding and pumpkin picking.
Chad is involved in the Pathway to bolster his understanding of the industry and connect with likeminded individuals.
Lucy Bywaters from Holmfirth farms with her parents and has previously worked in the engineering industry.
Lucy has gone on to start her own business to add value to the farm’s rare breed Whitefaced Woodland sheep flock. She produces natural sheep’s milk soap and items from their wool.
Her ambitions are to expand her diversification business and increase awareness of rare breeds and their place in modern agriculture, and so she hopes that the Pathway will embolden her further in her mission.
Bryan Barrett from Halifax runs a small beef and sheep farm and aims to build up his livestock numbers whilst adapting the business to be more sustainable and environmentally conscious.
Bryan is set on honing his organisational skills further and growing his knowledge in key areas of business during his time on the Pathway.
Alice Hannam works for a start up company looking at new modes of action for herbicides, having previously worked for Syngenta, NIAB and Adas.
Selby-based Alice was inspired to apply for the Pathway after hearing about it at the Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s Women In Farming Autumn Gathering and is motivated by a thirst for greater business knowledge.
Sam Else works alongside his parents on the family’s organic dairy farm near Scarborough and has previously completed the Tesco-sponsored Future Farmer programme.
As he takes on more responsibilities in the running of the business, Sam is looking to boost his business knowledge, confidence and skills.
Ashton Harrison works as a Livestock and Estate Officer at the Harewood Estate where he helps manage Highland and Aberdeen Angus cattle, Hebridean sheep and deer.
Ashton is taking the Pathway to finetune his skills and knowledge to aid his progression at Harewood Estate and to pass on his knowledge to new members of the team.
Eleanor Gill is a self-employed physiotherapist who grew up on the family farm and is now returning to the industry to farm in her own right alongside her husband in County Durham.
The couple currently run a small flock of native breed sheep but they wish to scale up their business, introducing rotational grazing and finish their stock on a grass-based diet.
Eleanor is taking the Pathway to gain helpful perspectives away from the farm and to meet likeminded people looking at similar journeys for their businesses.
Jacob Copley works with his parents at Farmer Copleys in Pontefract, which has diversified as a farm shop, cafe and pick-your-own attraction.
Jacob has joined the Pathway to develop his business skills which he hopes will serve him well as he takes on more responsibilities within the family business.
Alyssia Horsley works on the family farm near York with cattle, sheep and pigs, helps run the family’s butchery business and also works part-time for McCains.
Alyssia has ambitions to break into the world of farm retail and is looking to the Pathway as a way to grow her confidence, skillset and access to resources that will help her along the way.
Why is it called the Goodall Agri-Development Pathway?
The Yorkshire Agricultural Society is grateful to the late-Mary Goodall, who kindly bequeathed a legacy to the Society to further its charitable aims to support young people in the agricultural industry.
The result of this kind gift is the Goodall Agri-Development Pathway: Her Legacy, Your Future.
