Young Farming, Showjumping & Busy Bees: Catching Up with Sarah

“I have always had a strong passion for agriculture and the outdoors. During my teens, I was lucky to be a part of Louth Young Farmers. Young Farmers was a great opportunity for me. I got to meet lots of lifelong and likeminded friends and venture out on trips, and I gained lots of useful experience and skills that I still use today. Gaining lots of confidence and learning skills like public speaking were such positive aspects of Young Farmers. I would definitely encourage any young person to join their local club, whether they’re from an agricultural background or not.

“After sixth form, I ventured down to the beautiful Cotswolds where I studied at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester. My degree in Agricultural Business Management was perfect for me, combining my passions for agriculture and business. During my time at university, I worked at a local organic farm shop. Working here definitely boosted my love for the organic side of things and taught me a lot of valuable lessons about sustainability.

“By the end of my time at university, I was very excited to be back in Lincolnshire, close to my family and back in the Lincolnshire countryside – something that I feel nothing can really compare to. My role at South Ormsby is my first as a graduate. I’m very excited to be learning and gaining lots of experience while making my own contribution to the Estate.

“Finding your first role as a graduate can be daunting, but one thing I’ve discovered is that good things come along at the right time. When I came across the graduate role at South Ormsby, I just knew this was the perfect opportunity for me. The application process was so friendly and I would recommend it to any upcoming graduates.

“Having started in July, I’m about to finish my first placement rotation in the Marketing Department. This has been right up my street as I am quite a creative individual. It’s been a good mix of learning and getting stuck in and I’ve been able to share my thoughts and ideas. I’m excited about all my placements and I’m sure by the end of the year I’ll have a good idea of an area of business that I hope to pursue in the future.

“I’ve also been learning a lot about the honeybees with Gemma. We’ve found a great spot on the Estate for our honeybees which is so exciting! The Estate is the perfect place for these pollinators as it offers a good mix of arable fields, meadow flowers, woodland and hedgerows. It was a very different experience being so close to hundreds of bees. I got to see them at their current site and even got the chance to try to spot the queen bee in a hive. She is much longer than an ordinary bee. We got to use a special device that allows us to mark her with a colourful dot to make it easier in the future to spot her.

“When I’m not working, I’m still a busy bee. I’m a very keen hockey player, playing for Louth Hockey Club. It’s been great to go back to the club after playing hockey at university, where I was captain for two years. My favourite part of being a captain was seeing the progress in the younger players, not just in their hockey skills but in their confidence and friendships. To really switch off, I’ve recently started to get back into painting, something that I learned from my grandad growing up. My favourite medium is watercolour and my friends say that my style is like the illustrations from Roald Dahl stories.

“The South Ormsby Estate graduate scheme has been amazing so far and I’m excited to get to try all sorts of opportunities, some of which I’ve never been able to try before. I start my cattle placement in a few weeks, where I will be trading my trainers in for steel-toecap boots. I’m really looking forward to getting stuck in with the cattle team, all of whom are so friendly. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of stories about our majestic Lincoln Reds to share with you soon.”

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