Are you a new entrant to farming?

Could you be Ireland’s best new entrant farmer? This competition invites entries from people who have recently taken up farming or have diversified their farming business

Background

Sustaining a cohort of new entrants is crucial for the agricultural sector and rural regions in Europe. New entrants bring innovation and entrepreneurialism, as well as practical skills and networks. However, new entrants face considerable challenges in entering the sector. The newbie network will address the challenge of enabling new entrants to successfully establish sustainable farm businesses in Europe.

Who are new entrants?

New entrants are defined in the Newbie network as anyone who starts a new farm business or becomes involved in an existing farm business. They comprise a wide range of ages, agricultural experience and resource access. Newcomers and successors can enter farming at any stage in their working lives. They face common barriers: access to land, labour, capital, housing, markets, knowledge and the networks needed to acquire these resources.

Read more about Newbie here

Could you be Ireland’s best new entrant farmer?

New Entrant Award eligibility criteria:

• Open to individuals or groups who have begun operating an agricultural holding since 2014.
• The business model must have been in place for two years or more (i.e. there must be evidence of the ‘success’ of the business model).
• Any age farmer is eligible.
• Must make use of agricultural resources (e.g. care farming, farm diversification actions are included); the business should be primarily located on a farm.
• Can be a whole farm approach or new business activity within an existing farm operation (as long as this activity is owned by the new entrant).
• The entrant must be the person running the farm/farm business.

Find out more and enter here