The names of this year’s intake selected to take part in the Agri Academy 2024 have been announced.

This year’s intake includes one candidate from Crai, one from Hundred House, and two from near Newbridge-on-Wye .

The successful candidates will meet for the first time at a reception at the Royal Welsh Show on Tuesday, July 23.

Exactly 300 alumni have completed the Agri Academy since the first cohort was recruited in 2012. Demand for the much-sought-after spaces has grown year on year and this year’s recruitment process was exceptionally competitive with a record number of candidates.

Previous alumni have credited the Agri Academy for forging invaluable friendships and business connections that lay the foundations for a network of support and knowledge that can be tapped into for years to come.

The Agri Academy provides an action-packed programme of training, mentoring, support and guidance over three intense residential sessions and including overseas study visits and has 2 distinct elements.

The first is the Agri Academy – for individuals over 21 and aimed at supporting and inspiring the next generation of farming entrepreneurs and trailblazers in Wales.

The second is the Junior Academy – aimed at supporting young people aged between 16 and 21 years who hope to carve out a career or set up a business in the food or farming industries.

Later this year, candidates selected for the Agri Academy programme will undertake an overseas study visit to Ontario, Canada while the Junior Academy candidates will be visiting Norway.

The local successful candidates are:

Reuben Davies returned home to his family’s 300-acre organic farm after spending six years working away in Gloucestershire and a period in New Zealand and Australia undertaking contracting work on a variety of farms. This has equipped him with lots of experience and has taught him the fundamentals of crop growth and soil health.

Having now returned home, the next step for Reuben is to take on responsibility for his grandparent’s farm. Reuben has been exploring sheep milking for a number of years and his main ambition for the business is to continue to improve plant and animal genetics to become more sustainable and then furthering the farm’s diversification aims and income.

Having been away from home for many years gaining different experiences he wants to surround himself with like-minded people in the sector who want to further their career. His priorities for the Agri Academy are to learn more about farm shops, business planning, restructuring and risk management.

Sophie Thornton is looking forward to her journey as a new entrant into the agriculture industry with her partner.

Sophie’s strong background in agriculture, gained through both personal experience on her family’s livestock farm in Ireland and professional work with industry leaders such as Avara Foods, Sophie has a well-rounded understanding of agriculture.

Sophie formed the foundations to her career with a degree in Agriculture with Marketing at Harper Adams University. Sophie’s goal is to establish a successful family-owned business, focusing on diversifying and producing high-quality beef and lamb for a direct-to-consumer model.

Sophie is looking forward to connecting with other agri-business owners to collaborate and share knowledge through the Agri Academy. To learn about commercial applications and innovative practices. To also understand opportunities for diversification in the Welsh holiday and Agri tourism market.

Emily Thompson is currently studying for her A-levels in chemistry, biology, and mathematics at Ysgol Calon Cymru. At home, Emily works alongside her family farming a herd of Limousin cattle and a mixed flock of Welsh Mountain and Mule ewes as well as her own small flock of Dorset and Dutch Spotted sheep.

Emily is a proud member of the Builth Wells YFC and is currently Brecknock YFC junior stockman of the year. She also enjoys playing both the piano and saxophone.

Emily hopes to go on to University and aspires to become a veterinarian, possibly specialising in ruminants or parasites and already has her sights set on a doctorate degree! As well as working as a vet, Emily would like to farm her own herd of cattle and her flock of pedigree dutch spottedsheep.

Emily applied for the Agri Academy for the opportunity to expand her knowledge and understanding of diverse farming practices. Emily said that her “biggest dream is to become a large animal vet, working in a mixed practice.”

Jack was raised on a beef and sheep farm near Builth Wells, and he’s due to graduate this year from Harper Adams University with an Agricultural Engineering degree. Alongside his academic studies, Jack has continued to be involved in operations at his home farm, which produces mule ewe lambs and includes a Limousin cross suckler herd.

Before University, Jack took a gap year and spent six months in New Zealand, working at Wairere Genetics Stud Farm and large-scale dairy farms. This experience broadened his understanding of agricultural practices and techniques.

While Jack dreams of one day becoming a farm adviser, he recognises the value of building a strong foundation in other roles first. Equipped with his engineering background, Jack’s interests lie in designing solutions to enhance efficiency and sustainability within farming businesses including cattle shed design. His ultimate goal is to manage his own farm alongside delivering on-the-ground trusted advice to local farmers.

Jack said: “I believe that participating in the Agri Academy will mark a pivotal moment in my career and growth, offering opportunities to acquire new skills and forge connections with like-minded individuals.”