Here, Joe Seels introduces himself as the new Chair of Future Farmers of Yorkshire following the end of Nick Grayson’s term at the helm of the network.
I’m Joe Seels, a beef and arable farmer from near Barnsley. I keep busy enough on our family farm. One day you’ll find me bedding, feeding and generally looking after our Aberdeen Angus cattle, the next I’ll be working on the arable side, from preparing fields and drilling crops to harvesting wheat, barley and maize.
On top of that, for the last three-plus years I’ve been showing what we get up to on the farm with a daily video on YouTube and TikTok. Yes, every single day, and I haven’t missed one yet!
The growth of my social media has been helped massively by the connections I’ve made and the workshops I’ve attended through the Yorkshire Agricultural Society and, most notably, Future Farmers of Yorkshire, a network supported by the Society for forward-thinking farmers, vets and industry professionals.
WATCH: Joe talks about his appointment as Future Farmers Chair in this YouTube vlog
‘Future Farmers opens doors’
Highlights for me from getting involved in the group include receiving a bursary to attend the Oxford Farming Conference (OFC) at the prestigious Oxford University, taking part in behind-the-scenes visits to leading agricultural businesses and using my platform to raise £12,500 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
Future Farmers has mattered to me because it’s opened doors I didn’t even know were there. From bursaries that let me attend OFC, to standing in the Houses of Parliament talking about the future of our industry and even travelling to Anuga in Cologne with AHDB thanks to connections I made through the group – it’s pushed me well outside my comfort zone.
I’ve met people I’d never normally cross paths with, from farmers in other sectors to policy makers and industry leaders, and those connections have been just as valuable as the knowledge I’ve picked up along the way.
When the vacancy came up to chair Future Farmers, it took some thinking about. Time is always tight between working on the farm and running what started as a social media hobby and has now become a business, but I felt it was the right thing to give back and hopefully help inspire the future development of the group.
Nick Grayson, the outgoing Chair, has been there since the start of my involvement with Future Farmers, though our history goes back further. We were the only two farmers at Wath Comprehensive back in the day, which means the school now has a 100% success rate for producing Future Farmers Chairs!
Nick has led the group through some challenging times for the industry with real energy and commitment and leaves me with some big boots to fill – though hopefully not too muddy for meetings!
Coming up next
Looking ahead, we’ve got a brilliant line-up of skills workshops this autumn. Running over dates in October and November, we’ve teamed up with Amy Hughes at EmpowerAg to offer new skills training looking at Goals, Reality, Insights and Planning.
It’s designed to help you develop a step-by-step plan to achieve your goals for the year ahead, and here’s where you’ll find all the details.
Around the same time, we’re offering a Pathways to Farm Entry training programme looking at farm tenancies, shared farming and contracting.
We’re lucky to have the support of excellent and experienced industry people who will share practical knowledge and the benefits of their own experiences. Take a look here to find out more.
And, please do Save the Date for our Autumn Debate on 29th October when we will be inviting everyone along to explore a hot industry topic.
I’m looking forward to helping the group continue to grow, creating opportunities and supporting the people who will shape the future of farming in Yorkshire.
Join us to find out more – it’s free and open to everyone in the industry, regardless of age or experience. Sign up here and find out more about what’s on offer this autumn here.
