As part of our regular series of profiles on the region's Young Farmers' Club members, 21-year-old potato fields person HANNAH BRADSHAW says she used to have very different career ambitions – but the lure of the farming life proved too strong.
All of my family work within the farming industry, but I was determined I wanted to work with children. After school I went on to study health studies at college before training to become a teaching assistant. I completed a ski season as a nanny and I have also been a swimming instructor.
But look where I have ended up now... I think farming is just in my blood and I am very happy where I am. I can't see myself changing industries any time soon.
I have worked with Greenvale AP, a leading supplier of fresh potatoes and the UK's largest grower of organic potatoes, for about a year and a half.
I first joined the business in 2015 as a temporary quality control operative on the Norfolk-Suffolk border. I returned in 2017 to take on the same role and was then kept on as a fields person.
My day consists of visiting growers, their potato crops and stores. I also spend a lot of time in the office at this time of year, working on a document called the CID (crop intelligence data). This provides the factory with information they need to know about a particular crop that is due for delivery.
When I visit the fields it is my job to assist the grower with field support. My primary role is to get as much information about the crops for the Greenvale business, such as yield predictions.
I only started this role in November 2017 so I'm very new to it and I am yet to experience a planting or harvest season – but I have a lot of experience from my earlier work within Greenvale.
My role is very varied and there is a lot of potential for career development, so who knows where I might end up in the future. At the moment I am attending various training courses and applying for different opportunities to improve my knowledge of the farming industry.
You can become very focused on one area, so my aim is to learn and experience the whole industry so when I make future career decisions they will reflect on what I have witnessed from other sectors.
I have been a Harleston Young Farmer for five years now. I absolutely love it. I have had a variety of roles on the YFC committee. I have been press secretary, club secretary and currently I am vice chair, as well as being vice social chair on the county committee.
PROFILE:
Name: Hannah Bradshaw
Age: 21
Company: Greenvale AP
Occupation: Fields person
YFC Club: Harleston
How long have you been a Young Farmer?: Five years
• Harleston YFC meets at the clubhouse on Spirketts Lane on Wednesday evenings. For more details about Norfolk Young Farmers contact the county office on 01603 731307.
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