What I Got For Christmas 2016

You asked for another what I got for Christmas, so here it is! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and are looking forward to the new year! Once again, I am mostly just sharing the more country themed presents with you as those are most likely what you want to see but a big thank you to everyone who got me something, I love all my presents!

My main present from my parents this year was a new pair of boat shoes. I had bought a cheaper pair of boat shoes last year in America but I wanted a pair of real leather ones with leather laces. I put this pair from Orca Bay on my Christmas list and they are really nice! They feel like really good quality and they are comfortable too. They come in two more shades, one lighter and one darker than the colour I chose. I would definitely recommend these shoes as they look like they are really going to last.

I also had a Joules Harbour Top from my parents, I have been looking at these for ages and I keep meaning to order one. I got the navy and white stripe top, I have always found Joules really good quality and this top is really nice. I think it will be good for layering under a Schoffel and a coat as the weather is still cold. I will definitely look into picking up a few more of these in the future.

My one sister has booked us all to go on holiday to Bluestone in Wales in the new year, so that was our big present from them. I’m really excited to go as they have been before and had a great time so it should be really good! They got us all something to open on Christmas day though and I got this great fur pom-pom hat from Rydale. I have been wanting one of these for ages so I’m really pleased with it. Rydale is such a great quality brand and they make some lovely stuff!

My other sister got me a curling wand which I had asked for and it's brilliant! It makes really nice curls so I’m looking forward to messing about with it a bit more. She also put together a little bag for me and my other sister asking us to be her bridesmaids as she’s getting married in Summer 2018. They were lovely and even had little prefect style badges in them that said ‚Bridesmaid‘. She put some nail polishes in the bag to reveal the wedding colours to us and gave us each a little present. I got this lovely gold K mug which is from Marks and Spencers. Perfect for a cup of tea!

My Aunty has ordered me some new Ariat steel-capped toe work boots which she has dubbed my ‚Vet Boots‘ for my work experience and future ventures, but they are coming from America and haven’t made it over here yet... I’m really looking forward to seeing them and hopefully doing a review on my blog. She bought me this lovely navy, cable knit jumper from Crew Clothing and I think it looks great over a country shirt and under a Schoffel.

My Mum and Dad also got me this faux hunting horn which I thought was a really funny present. I think I am going to hang it up on my bedroom wall as a decorative piece. They also got me some new car mats which are great because I only had 3 originally so it’s good to have one on the driver's side!

I’m chuffed with all my presents this year and I hope you enjoyed reading what I got for Christmas.

**All Opinions are my own

1 Year Blog-Aversary & 2016 Round-Up

Today is my one-year blog-aversary or woesofwellies.com’s 1st birthday... My sister pointed out today that this time last year, my Dad was fixing the car with her husband and my Mum was looking after her daughter Sophie, while me and her sat down and she drew out my blog header. I thought that it would be a nice idea to do a post to round up some of the exciting things I have done this year to commemorate 1 year of blogging.

I decided to pinch this idea from Cesca (her blog is here) as I thought it was a lovely post and I really enjoyed reading hers and seeing all the things she has done this year. I don’t think mine will be quite as exciting as hers, as I haven’t been running any dairy farms solo, or flown to Portugal, but here it goes anyway...

•          I went shooting for the first time (properly).
•          I went point to pointing twice! (One outing was kindly sponsored by Subaru.)
•          I did my first bit of lambing – and saved a newborn lamb!
•          I competed in my first ever YFC  stock judging competition – breeding ewes.
•          I did my first YFC junior exhibit box all on my own.
•          I came 2nd in the WFYFC junior cookery competition.
•          I learned to weld and produced a weathervane (with a lot of help from my Dad.)
•          I did my GCSEs and came out with 1 A*, 8 A’s and 2 B’s. (and a new Schoffel & a pair of Le Chameaus!)
•          I went to Canada for what I’m pretty sure was the 27th time (genuinely) and spent my first Canada Day in Canada.
•          I competed in the YFC junior cookery at the Royal Three Counties Show and came 4th.
•          I spent a week doing work experience with a large animal vet.
•          I went to my first ever young farmers doo.
•          I went to my first ploughing match.
•          I went to Cambridge University on a residential.
•          I started sixth form and a-levels.
•          I got my provisional driving license & started driving lessons.
•          I won Best Junior Member in my YFC club and the stock judging cup.
•          I went milking for the first time.
•          I bought my first car.
•          I went to my first young farmer's ball/black tie event.
•          I went to the NFU Headquarters with #studentfarmer.
•          I competed in my first public speaking competition with YFC and won WFYFC Junior Member of the Year.

There are probably some more things that I have forgotten to mention, but these are the things that have stood out to me the most looking back on this year (in approximate chronological order).

Hopefully this time next year I will still be blogging and can do another post to commemorate my 2-year blog-aversary! Thanks to everyone for reading my blog & supporting it. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and I wish you all the best for the new year!

NFU #StudentFarmer Student Forum

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to the NFU Headquarters at Stoneleigh Park for a forum/feedback session about the NFU publication #StudentFarmer and some of their other publications, with the main focus being on Student Farmer. I was very keen to go as I recently signed up for student membership with the NFU – this is a free (yes, completely FREE!) membership option from the NFU which you are entitled to as a student or YFC member aged under 26. With membership, you get sent copies of #studentfarmer and B F & G magazine from the NFU, you also have the opportunity to visit lots of conferences and meetings so you can help to shape the future of farming, there are also plenty of discounts on offer to members ranging from discounts on trailer tests to savings at Merlin Entertainments (Alton Towers, Warwick Castle etc...). You can’t afford not to be a member!

In the week before the forum, I was sent a package of past editions of NFU publications to browse through and familiarise myself with on preparation for them to get our opinions. I really enjoyed reading them and seeing the variety of content through the publications.

Finally, the day came and we drove into Stoneleigh Park for the forum. I was the youngest person there (this happens to me all the time!), and there were only five of us. We all sat down in the conference room and were briefed on what we were going to do and who was going to come and talk to us, and then it was time for lunch. The infamous NFU lunch... There was a lovely spread of sandwiches, pastries and sausage rolls, as well as cakes and a fruit platter. Everyone loved it!

We spoke about the #studentfarmer magazine and then had editors from B F & G, NFU Poultry, Countryside Magazine and the NFU Comms come to speak to us about the publications and how they could be improved, what we like etc.

I had a really good day and I want to thank the team at the NFU for having me, especially Vicky who made me and everyone else feel very welcome. 

The Ultimate Country Christmas Guide - Country Gift Guide

Christmas is just around the corner, there are less than two weeks to go, so for all you last minute shoppers I thought I would compile a list of country related gifts to put on your Christmas list. Ruth from Farmer Ruth has also done a country gift guide for our Ultimate Country Christmas Guide so you can find that on her blog here. Here are my top 5 favourite country gift ideas for Christmas time!

1.      A Schoffel Lyndon/Oakham

This is the perfect gift for anyone who loves spending time in the countryside. It’s a classic piece that everyone needs in their wardrobe. I love to layer mine over a country shirt and under a tweed coat or something similar. They can be smart or you can wear it down to the yard or on the farm. I have the Lyndon in Ruby and in Navy but they come in loads of lovely colours! You can buy them direct from Schoffel or from any good country retailer...

2.      A Shotgun Cartridge Letter

This would be the perfect gift for someone who shoots! These letters are from Country Plum and are absolutely gorgeous... It would be a lovely thing to display in your home and its such a unique gift. You can get them here. Country Plum make lots more shooting related pieces that would make great gifts, like their festive feather baubles.

3.      A Magazine Subscription

Who doesn’t love getting post? I do! So why not give the gift of a magazine subscription to your friends and family... There are so many great country and farming magazines out there such as Farmers Weekly, Countryside (by the NFU) , Horse and Hound, The Countryman and much more.

4.       A Pom-Pom Hat

Pom-Pom hats are great for the winter and they’re so cute too! Lots of great brands are doing them now with real and fake fur pom-poms, some of my favourites are from Holland Cooper, Joules and Rydale. The one on my Christmas List this year is from Rydale, it's their grey one and I think it's really lovely so fingers crossed! Rydale is currently doing the 12 Deals of Christmas where a different one of their products is being offered with a great deal every day for 12 days! You can find these deals here on their website.

5.      A Pair of Le Chameaus

Le Chameaus are the Louboutins of the countryside, so what better to treat a loved one to than the finest wellies on the market? I would recommend the Le Chameau Vierzonord wellies which are neoprene lined and great for the cold weather. There are lots more wellies in their range, short wellies, zip up wellies, leather lined wellies and more – so there’s a pair of Le Chameaus for everyone!

I hope this has inspired your Christmas shopping, I look forward to seeing what everyone gets up to over the Christmas holiday! Me and Ruth would love to see your Christmas photos so you can share them on Twitter or Instagram using #UltimateCountryChristmas. 

**I have not been sponsored or asked to write this blog post, all views and comments are my own. 

YFC Public Speaking Competitions

On Sunday I was at Droitwich Spa High School with my young farmer's club for the Worcestershire Federation YFC public speaking competitions. I had been roped into the Junior Member of the Year competition my our chair lady this year, which is something new for me. I was also entered into the Brainstrust debating competition at the last minute. I’m not usually one for public speaking much to the surprise of my friends and family! At school I have always been criticised for being too quiet in lessons, but out of school it never seems to be a problem... When I was thirteen, working at the riding stables, I was given the Little Miss Chatterbox award at our Christmas party, so I suppose it was no surprise that they picked up on this at young farmers and signed me up for the competitions.

For the Junior Member of the Year competition, I had to prepare a CV and Personal Statement in advance of the competition day. This had to highlight my activity within YFC in the past 12 months, my qualifications and awards, my aspirations and my hobbies and interests outside of YFC as well as some general information about myself. This was sent off to the judges and then I had to prepare a presentation for the day. This was to complement my CV and personal statement, I also included some photos to make it more engaging. It is important not to overfill your slides with information, you should include only key points and give more information through the presentation of the slides. I prepared key note cards to prompt myself while I was giving my presentation without scripting it so that I could engage with the judges more, rather than just reading out information. After the presentation, I sat down for the formal interview. The judges first asked me some questions about my presentation, and then went on to the set questions about YFC. Competitors should definitely brush up on their YFC facts and figures for this part of the interview. My judges were both lovely and made it a really pleasant process to be interviewed.

The brainstrust competition is a structured debate in which four members compete in a team. One person is the chairman of the debate and receives a list of 6 topics just before the debate. They then select three of the six to offer to the panel of young farmers. The young farmers must listen to these topics and come up with their viewpoint on the spot, with relevant information to back it up. However at least one member of the team must agree with the motion and at least one must disagree. The brainstrust was an interesting competition and definitely a challenge.

I watched a few more competitions throughout the day, after dinner speaking being one of them, and street dance another that was particularly entertaining.

At the end of the day, all of the competitors gathered in the auditorium and the judges gave some feedback from the competitions. Then the national chairman of young farmers, Chris Manley, presented the awards for the day. We had had no indication as to how we had performed so it was all quite tense when they started to read out the results. There were four competitors in the Junior Member of the Year section, and they announced that there was a joint 3rd place which sparked excitement in my club that I had definitely placed! They called out the third place competitors and neither was me, which sparked more excitement that perhaps I had won. They called out second place and it wasn’t me. We all realised at the same time that I had won! It was great to win it for myself and for the club as we haven’t had a winner of Junior Member of the Year before! I was quite shocked I had managed to even get through the day as I had barely got a voice and I still hardly have one... The public speaking was a great experience and I would recommend it to anyone to have a go!

We ended the long day of competitions with a club trip to McDonald's where there was a lot of chat about the day and a general buzz of excitement and achievement despite how tired we all were. 

Update: Young Farmers, Hunting and #studentfarmer

Last weekend we went out following our local hunt for the first time this season. It was great to get out again to see the hounds, even if it was a bit cold! But we managed to see a couple of draws and got a few nice photos. We were stopped to watch them draw a bit of cover and some muntjack deer ran out into the field. With the trees changing colour and the wildlife, it was an autumn scene fit for a postcard.

I was at the Worcestershire Young Farmers Winter Wonderland Ball last night with my club. It was a really good night out with some great people and good music! We really danced all night... They had a live band, The Tsars, who were really good and a big bar. There were dodgems too which were hilarious. Everyone had loads of fun and the committee did really well to put such a great event on.

Next Friday I am going to NFU #studentfarmer headquarters for a forum they are hosting to improve their magazine and get some feedback. It’s going to be a good afternoon  and a chance to have a look around their headquarters and meet some people involved in the student farmer magazine. If any of you are going let me know and I’ll see you there!

Next Sunday I am in a young farmers competition, it is the Junior Member of the Year competition at county level. I have to give a presentation and have a formal interview so I better brush up on my YFC facts and figures! I will probably do another post about the competition day for anyone who is interested/wants to know what the competitions are all about. That should be a good day because there are a few competitions on the day such as public speaking and group street dance. It’s always a laugh when we all get together on competition days. 

8 Members You Will Find in Every Young Farmers Club

I’m sure many of you are young farmers or have at one point in your life been a young farmer. There are some massive clubs and it’s easy to let the crowds blur into one; after all everyone is in the same shirt, gilet, boots and polo belt... But if you dive deeper into the masses you will pick out a few distinct personalities, I thought I would pick some of these out (just for fun) and compile them into a list of the 5 people you will meet at every young farmer's club.

1.      The club chairman

Every club needs one, so every club has one. I take my hat off to the club chairman because running the club is a full-time job – one that you aren’t paid for! They give up their time to plan weekly activities and keep it all going. You can spot them as the extra frazzled looking one around rally time. Often, they are one of the more senior members of the club, they have been in young farmers for years and has really seen it all.

2.      The social butterfly

There is always one person in the club who is at every doo, dinner, and competition. They are the one who you can depend on for a lift to anything because they are definitely going! When there isn’t an event on they can often be found in the local pub organizing the next party and getting all the gossip on what’s going on and who’s been where.

3.      The one that's away at uni

There tends to be a lack of members aged 18-21 in my club, it’s because between these ages lots of people are off at uni. You will see these people again (eventually) but for now, the occasional message in the club group chat or appearance at a big event will be the most you see of them! Meanwhile, the club is severely lacking in intermediate members...

4.      The keen junior (I will admit that this one is probably me...)

We all know that juniors are the easiest to convince to do the pantomime or group dance competition but there is always one in the club that will literally put their name down for anything. They seem to have more competitions to do at rally than hours in the day but they manage to do them all and come away with certificates! (This eagerness will most likely wear down after a few years)

5.      The one that only turns up to doos

There are sometimes a few of these in the club. They hand in their membership forms at the start of the year and then you don’t see them until doo season. If you’re lucky you might convince them to do a competition at rally but it’s hit and miss to whether or not they will make it, or whether they will miraculously turn up for the after doo.

6.      The one that's always late

There is always that one member that somehow manages to turn up late enough to miss the meeting, but not so late that they miss the trip to the pub. Hmm... suspicious.

7.      The ‚Mum‘ of the club

There’s always one older member that seems to be unofficially in charge of the juniors. She has to wait for their parents to pick them up before she can go ‚off duty‘ and join the party.

8.      The one that has been in young farmers forever

Someone who has probably been a member since they were 10 and will be until they are 26. They have seen many rallies’s in their time, wins, losses and everything in between. If there are any discrepancies within the club they are the ones to ask because chances are they have seen it all before and know how to deal with it. 

Trophies, Cars, the NFU & More

I’ve been quite busy recently with young farmers, half term, milking and other bits and bobs. I thought I would do a quick update to let you know what I’ve been up to and what’s to come over the next couple of months and over Christmas.

On the Saturday before half term, I was at my young farmer's club’s harvest supper. It was my first time going to one of these but I knew it would be a good night and well worth going to as it is the last event hosted by last year’s chairman, as the chairman hands the shield over to the next year’s chair of the club. There was a lovely ploughman's buffet for dinner, and then some speeches from the previous year’s committee before they moved on to the cups and trophies for the year just gone. Last year I was lucky enough to be awarded the cup for the best junior girl member of the club, I’ll admit that I am one of the only junior members in my club so I didn’t have to fight off too much competition to win it again this year.  However what did come as a surprise was another cup I was awarded. This was the stock judging cup for the whole club. You may remember from my post earlier this year that my stock judging competition didn’t exactly go as well as I had hoped, although I did have a lot of fun trying, so I was shocked when I found that I had won the club trophy for it. Overall the harvest supper was a success and it was a great way to bid goodbye to our chairman who was unable to rejoin the club this year because he had reached the age limit. Hopefully, we will still see him at events from time to time.

The following week I was doing my work experience on the dairy farm if you didn’t already read my post about that you can find it here.

The weekend after my work experience, I went to look at a car to buy, since I have been doing driving lessons. We went to check it out and decided it was a good deal and that I liked it, so we bought it. I’ve shared a few photos of it on Instagram – it's a blue Hyundai Getz. I like to think its the same colour as the inside of my Le Chameaus! My family was laughing at me because they said how lucky I was to have air conditioning in my car, but I thought that all cars had air conditioning... I drove it for the first time this weekend too.

Another thing I wanted to mention is that I joined the National Farmers Union last week, and because I’m a young farmer, it was completely free! I would recommend joining to absolutely anyone because it is a great organization and you get so many benefits. Members are represented politically, there is a free helpline for Farmer & Grower members, you get a whole range of discounts and publications such as Student Farmer and much more. Anyone can join, the fee isn’t very much and it’s definitely worth it. If you are an agricultural student or a young farmer you can join for free, so what are you waiting for? Visit their website now and get signed up!

I’m back at school now and counting down to Christmas... But in the meantime, myself and Ruth from Farmer Ruth are going to be writing an Ultimate Country Christmas Guide on our respective blogs, so look out for news about that! 

Work Experience - Dairy Farm

This week I have been on work experience at a dairy farm/educational farm to do some milking.

I have never done any work with cows before, so this was a first for me! The farm I was at milked about 185 Friesian Holstein cows, twice a day, in a herringbone parlour holding 30 cows at a time but with the facility to milk 15 at a time. I was asked to come in for the afternoon milking session which meant I was there from 2:30 pm until 7:00 pm.

The first thing I did was help to feed the calves. There were approximately 20 female calves still being fed a milk replacement, and another 10 or so that had been weaned. There were also about 15 bull calves about to be sold on. I fed the calves in their pens out of buckets and made sure that the weaned ones had water and food. I loved spending time with the calves and feeding them. They all had so much character and they were so cheeky!

The next task was to fetch the cows in from the field and bring them onto the yard ready to be milked. There were two fields in opposite directions that the cows could be in, and each was near a pub but there was no stopping for a drink halfway! Most of the cows were really good and easy to bring in, but there was the odd one that just wouldn’t budge!

Once we had gotten the cows in, I suited up in my waterproofs and went into the parlour to help out. Over the week I went from being completely useless at milking and having no idea about what I was doing, to it feeling like something I had been doing for years! It was quite therapeutic because it was so repetitive and you start to miss the cows when you stop... Even though I’m sure my family doesn’t  miss me coming home smelling like cows!

It was a great experience milking and I think it helped me gain some experience working with cows. 

Favourite Homeware Bits

I thought that it would be nice to share some of my favourite homeware bits with you coming up to autumn and winter as I like to make my room feel a bit cozier this time of year. I have not been sponsored or asked to write this post it's just all my personal opinion so it's an honest view!

The first thing I wanted to share with you is my lovely Joules bedding which I got from Bedeck. Bedeck is a great place to get really good quality, branded bedding at a lower cost. The bedding I picked up is the Joules Heritage bedding. It’s not all in stock anymore but you can still get the duvet cover in some sizes here. It’s a really lovely print that has hounds and riders in red jackets, obviously imitating a hunting scene which I love! It has a fun pink candy stripe on the opposite side too which is a lovely touch and I managed to track down the pillow cases to match. The bedding itself is really good quality and washes brilliantly. I would definitely recommend Joules bedding.

I have got a load of throw pillows on my bed to jazz up my room a bit. The big one at the back is two crossed polo sticks which my sister got me for my birthday, you can find it here. She also got me the polo helmet one from the same place which you can find here. I have a ‚K‘ pillow from Next which I really like too, they have since changed the design a bit but the new one is equally as cute! The tweed dog pillow I have is from Homebase, unfortunately, it isn’t available anymore so I tried to find something similar which is linked here. Lastly, I have a small sheep cushion that I picked up at Homesense. I can’t find it online but this is a similar one.

You can also see my scrabble letter lights in this picture which are from here and my John Deere bunting which I absolutely love! Unfortunately, you can’t buy this as my mum made it for me!

One of my favourite things I have is the repurposed vintage tractor seat stool I had for Christmas last year. It’s a really fun and unique piece and it moves around the upstairs of my house quite a bit (even though it’s really heavy!). I sometimes have it at my desk to sit on, or sometimes I keep it next to my bed as an extra bedside table/chair for my room. I’m not 100% sure where my aunt got it from, but you can get a similar one here.

On my bedside table, I usually keep whatever I’m currently reading which at the moment is Emma Milne’s Tales from the Tail End – I would definitely recommend it for any aspiring vets (you can order it here). I also have this light up ‚K‘ which my other sister got me for my birthday, you can get a similar light up letter here. I also have a small candle that my friend got me and some other little bits and bobs.

The last thing I want to include is not technically homeware, but I wanted to show it to you anyway! It’s this really cute tweed, snaffle bit pencil case from Rebridled. Rebridled is a really unique company that makes bags and containers from old bits of leather tack and nice materials. The pencil case is really good quality and has a cute floral lining. I would definitely recommend it, you can find their shop here.  

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Five Foot Followers You Might Find at Your Local Hunt

These people or someone similar exist at every hunt. Wherever you go, whichever hunt you follow, you must have seen at least one of these people! (these aren’t meant to be anyone, in particular, they are just general observations and jokes!)

1.      Tea-Flask Tim

Tim has been following the hunt for years, he sets out in his car in the morning with his wife – who probably doesn’t want to be there as much as he does, his tea flask – an essential on cold mornings, his sandwiches – so he can stay out all day obviously and his binoculars– so he can always get a good view. (I think most cars probably have a Tea-Flask Tim or at least a tea flask!)

2.      ‚Gate Please!‘ Gabby

Gabby either doesn’t have a pony of her own or isn’t allowed out hunting, so she tries to get involved in the hunt in other ways. Any other ways. She’s often seen hanging around the horse boxes in case anyone needs a hand or waiting by the gate so that no-one has to stop and get off to close it or open it. She’s desperate to get out hunting any way she can!

3.      Newbie Nick

This is Nick’s first season following the hunt. He recently moved to the countryside or has married into a country family. He will stick out like a sore thumb without any of the gear (oh no my new trainers are ruined!) and doesn’t really know why he is there or what is going on... You might catch him exclaiming things like „argh it’s too muddy!“ or „it’s too early for this!“... Little does he know, most of the field has been up since dawn plaiting, brushing, polishing and tacking up – all he had to do was turn up!

4.      All the gear, no idea Alice

Alice can be spotted by her brand new, very clean, very green Le Chameau wellies or her spotless Schoffel (maybe even in Raspberry). Alice doesn’t come from a hunting family so makes a special effort to dress the part to not be caught out. Alice might be heard squealing „oh look the puppies are barking!“ at the sound of hound music or something similar. She will be at the hunt ball looking a lot more at home than she did in the field.

5.      Farmer Fred

Fred’s family farm in the area and the hunt might even be crossing their land that day, he knows all the terrier men, the MHF, and the whippers-in. He was a member of the local YFC club a few years ago, (and possibly still is as an associate member) so knows most of the county. He’s at every meet he can get to and makes the most of the hospitality (who doesn’t love the homemade fruit cake and port?). Everyone knows Fred by the end of the season.

Have you come across any of these foot followers at your local hunt? Leave me a comment and let me know!

The Unofficial (Autumn/Winter) Uniform of the Countryside...

I love autumn, partially because it means I can revert back to my staple wardrobe of jumpers and wellies without any funny looks (that's not to say I didn’t spend most of my summer in jumpers and wellies though).

The Farmers Weekly writing competition „The best thing about young farmers is...“ announced their winner a little while back and the winning entry (by 14-year-old Caroline Whittaker) mentioned the ‚unofficial uniform of Rydale checked shirts, Schoffel gilets and polo belts‘, which got me thinking how true it was! (The piece of writing is brilliant by the way – you can read it here!)

Whenever you turn up to an event within the countryside community you are met with an overwhelming crowd of tweed and tattersall check. I thought I would compile a list of essentials, for anything from a Young Farmers doo to a morning following the hunt.

1.      A Schoffel Gilet

I got my 1st one almost exactly a year ago from Phillip Morris and Son (navy), and my second one direct from Schoffel (ruby) almost exactly a month ago. Both companies were lovely to deal with and Phillip Morris and Son were great when we had to exchange it for a different size. There's no two ways about it: they’re absolutely fabulous! So great for layering under coats and over shirts, and they can make you look a bit smarter and more put together. Plus they have zip pockets which is definitely a bonus!

2.      A Good Country Shirt

Rydale makes some lovely ones for men and women, it can be really hard to find good quality, affordable country shirts for women and Rydale have some great ones. The women's shirts are 2 for £20 (so affordable!) and I have somehow accumulated 6 now! My favourite ones are the Poacher checks and the Lucy stripes.

3.      A Comfy Pair of Boots

I had Dublin River boots for Christmas and I love them! I think they’re really smart and sturdy (and comfy!). I got mine from Derby House... I would also swear by Le Chameaus even though I’ve only had mine for a short while. They were quick to wear in, they felt perfect since day one and feel such good quality! I picked mine up from Marsh Farm Supplies near Tamworth in Arden but you can get them from loads of places! Fairfax and Favor and Dubarry (to mention just a few) make some great boots too if you’ve got a bit more to spend.

4.      A Long-Lasting Coat

If there’s one brand you can rely on for a lifelong-lasting coat its Barbour. In fact, mine has been around for longer than my lifetime! I have my Dad’s old Barbour Border and you can’t get anything better quality. I also have a sturdy tweed coat that I picked up from the Warwickshire Clothing Company, you often see them at Game Fairs and other outdoor events so it’s worth a stop if you see them.

If you have any more country clothing essentials leave them in a comment below or send me a tweet @woesofwellies! 

Here's a list of all the brands mentioned in this post if you want to check them out:

Philip Morris and Son

Schoffel

Rydale

Dublin

Derby House

Le Chameau

Marsh Farm Country Supplies

Barbour

Warwickshire Clothing Company

**All Opinions are my own and are not influenced or sponsored by the brands

Friday- Social and Leisure #NationalYoungFarmersWeek

#ThanksToYFC young people all over England have the opportunity to meet like-minded people in the same boat as them!

YFC is so important to young people in the rural community. Sometimes it can be hard for young people from farming backgrounds to find the time to get out and meet new people. Young Farmers brings all of these people together who might not have met each other otherwise and allows them to make great connections and lifelong friends. In rural communities there often isn’t much available for young people and that's where YFC comes in. It provides a place for them to relax, have fun and see their friends on a weekly basis.

There are so many social opportunities for young farmers from weekly meetings to the AGM held in Blackpool or Torquay each year attended by over 6000 of us. Young Farmers gives you the opportunity to try new things with a great bunch of people. Just this year, my club has been skiing, bouldering, bowling and loads more on top of our weekly meetings. You can always rely on young farmers if you’re looking for something to do or somewhere to go... There’s almost always a party or doo on the weekend and then there’s rally and other events throughout the year to attend.

AGM is the biggest event in the calendar, where over 6000 young farmers from all over England head down to the biggest Young Farmers convention for a weekend of socializing, competition and partying. It’s a chance for them to let their hair down and have a break from such a hectic lifestyle.

The NFYFC motto is ‚Fun, Learning, and Achievement‘ and that sums up perfectly what the club is all about... We like to kick back and have fun, but at the same time, it's great to learn new skills and see where it can take you.

If you want to find out what NFYFC can do for you, and where you can go with young farmers, you can check out their website here and get more information. I hope you enjoyed my week of posts celebrating #NationalYoungFarmersWeek and that it has inspired some of you to go sign up to your local clubs!

Thursday- Training and Development #NationalYoungFarmersWeek

#ThanksToYFC clubs have the opportunity to offer training sessions in a variety of areas and can offer specific training to members.

Last membership year, my club along with the other clubs in the Worcestershire county was offered the opportunity to hold a curve training session free of cost to the club, which we could choose from a list of sessions. Available to us were sessions ranging from safeguarding younger members, food for thought (learning about what expiry dates and best before dates really mean), team building activities and much more... Curve training brings a different aspect to the club and allows members to learn a new skill. This is a wonderful opportunity for members to get some training and information, and even qualifications.

We had great fun at our ‚Dream Team‘ session where we learned how to be more successful as a team. We had a presentation and did some activities in groups such as building bridges and we all learned something about working as a team. This was a really useful activity as I think that next year at rally we will be able to take on board the information we learned and work together better, delegating and communicating more efficiently.

There are loads more training opportunities with young farmers such as first aid training, which is useful for jobs, in young farmers and it is a good thing to have every day in life. There are courses available to clubs ranging from butchery to dry stone walling. New club officers have the opportunity to go through train the trainer sessions and club officer training.

In the members only area on the NFYFC website, there are so many discounts available to members. Some of these are training opportunities such as 50% off of ATV training and 10% off towing courses. Members can find these here. 

If you aren’t a member yet but think that you would like to join, you can find more information about becoming a member here.

Wednesday- Competitions #NationalYoungFarmersWeek

#ThanksToYFC young farmers have the opportunity to compete in all sorts of things like traditional rural and agricultural activities, sport, art, life and vocational skills.

Competitions are a massive part of young farmers. Throughout the year there are so many opportunities to learn new skills and take part in a variety of competitions from within the club, in the county and up to national level...

One of the biggest events in the young farmer's calendar is county rally. This is a full day of competitions ranging from the tug of war to cake decorating that anyone can get involved in regardless of experience. It's a great opportunity to develop your skills, there’s always someone willing to help you out or impart words of wisdom before you go and make fun of yourself on stage (there’s lots of this!) or step out on the tug of war field.

In my first year of young farmers, I competed in the junior cookery. I didn’t think  I had much of a chance, but I wanted to have a go and represent my club anyway. As I was a junior, I had to make the starter for the cookery competition. I made poached eggs with asparagus wrapped in parma ham and hollandaise sauce and managed to place 2nd. This meant I would go on to compete at the Royal Three Counties show in Malvern. I managed to come second in this too!

This year I took on more in the way of competing, I cooked again, made a weathervane for the metalwork competition, did face painting and produced the junior exhibit for my club. I had great fun at rally this year and managed to come away from it with a new skill – welding!

I would urge anyone in young farmers to make the most of the competitions available. You always have great fun whether you win or lose, and it's a great thing to be able to take part in.

If you’re not a young farmer (yet!) and you think that it sounds like fun, you can find more information about competing here.

and if you think you might want to join young farmers, you can find information about becoming a member here.

Tuesday- Travel #NationalYoungFarmersWeek

#ThanksToYFC young farmers have the opportunity to travel all over the world for work and fun!

Although the NFYFC operates in England and Wales, that doesn’t mean it stops there! Every year there are several trips available to members, YFC can take you to places such as Canada, Sweden, New Zealand, Uganda and so many more! The possibilities are endless from homestays with families in different countries, work scholarships all over the world, team travel with friends and ski trips, as well as hosting international exchangees.

It is an incredible experience to visit new places as well as experiencing and learning about agriculture in other cultures. Just one example of this is an exchange that takes place with the 4H club in Canada. You can experience what young people on the other side of the world have to do with farming, how it differs from agriculture in the UK, and you can also make amazing connections and friends from experiences you will never forget.

 

Harvest in Canada (photo by Nordstrom Farms)

For those not so willing to hop on a plane and fly across the ocean, there are more local exchanges with clubs within the UK. This enables you to make friends a little closer to home, while still having an exciting adventure and trying something new.

So many people have had great experiences with their #YFCTravel trips. People from my club have been everywhere with YFC from Jersey to New Zealand! Check it out on social media and see the kinds of things you can do.

If you are a young farmer and you want to get involved in the great travel experiences available to you, you can find more information on upcoming trips here. 

Or if you aren’t a young farmer (yet!) and you think this sounds like something you would be interested in, then you can get some information about joining and finding your nearest club here. 

Monday- AGRI #NationalYoungFarmersWeek

#ThanksToYFC young farmers have the opportunity to be involved in AGRI chats and campaigns on a national level.

The NFYFC is an incredible organisation that aims to support its members in a multitude of ways, including giving us a voice on agricultural and rural issues nationally. Through the federation, they aim to promote farm safety (through campaigns such as the yellow wellies farm safety foundation), farming and food production careers, provide training opportunities and resources and so much more.

The #YFCAGRI Steering group also produce a monthly newsletter so you can keep up to date with any key events, pieces of news or opportunities available to you. You can find it here! This month’s issue has some great pieces including a chance to register for the Fertile Minds day – a day full of workshops, speakers and advice for young people (particularly young farmers) looking to go into Business; information about the world ploughing match 2016 (it was hosted around one of the girls in my club’s relative’s farm!) and  a chance to enter Young Agricultural Entrepreneur of the Year (you could win £3000 to invest in your business!)... You can access a year’s worth of these archived on the website and there is some great stuff to read.

NFYFC has so much available to young people in agriculture and now, while there is so much going on, is an incredible time to access it. There are 25,000+ members of the National Federation of Young Farmers who have access to a whole host of resources via the #YFCAGRI Steering group, why not join up yourself and be a part of it!

There are clubs spread throughout 48 counties in England and Wales so to find your nearest club visit this page and get in touch with your local county! They will put you in contact with your nearest club and you can start to see the wonderful opportunities you can have #ThanksToYFC... 

Getting to know me...

I thought I would answer a few questions about myself so you could get to know me more!

1. What is your middle name?: Morgan.

2. What was favorite subject at school?: Well, I’m currently doing Biology, Chemistry, Physics and History at A Level so I guess you could say those are my favourites.

3. What is your favourite drink?: Belvoir Lime and Lemongrass Presse.

4. What is your favourite song at the moment?: Cheap Thrills by Sia.

5. What is your favourite food?: Probably a full English with bacon, sausage, black pudding, a runny egg, beans, potatoes, and toast!

6. What is the last thing you bought?: According to my bank statement, two shirts from Rydale.

7. Favourite book of all time?: It's hard to say my favorite book ever but my favourite book at the moment is Tales from the Tail end by Emma Milne. 

8. Favourite Color?: Navy Blue. I’d say a solid 80% of my wardrobe is navy blue.

9. Do you have any pets?: I have a cat called Oreo and two goats called Will and Harry.

10. Favourite Perfume?: I like the body sprays from Bath and Body works and my favorite at the moment is probably Vineyard Champagne Kiss.

11. Favourite Holiday?: Christmas! I love to see all my family and eat all of the amazing food. We have some Ukranian heritage so we have all of the usual Christmas dishes plus all of the Ukrianian food!

12. Are you married?: Nope I’m only 16!

13. Have you ever been out of the country, if so how many times?: I have been to Canada 27 times, America 3 times, Greece 3 times, France once and Spain france.

14. Do you speak any other language?: I speak a bit of Spanish and German to GCSE level.

15. How many siblings do you have?: I have 2 sisters.

17. Favourite restaurant?: My favorite restaurant is probably either Handmade Burger company or Jamie’s.

18. When was the last time you cried?: I can’t remember!

19. Favourite Blog?: A few of my farming/equestrian favourites are Ask Aunt Annie, Terriers and Tweeds, Mammals and Microscopes, Solo Shepherdess and The Lincolnshire Farmgirl. There are more but I just can’t list them all!

20. Favourite Movie?: My favorite movie is probably Sixteen Candles with Molly Ringwald.

21. Favourite TV shows?: Gilmore Girls, Gossip Girl, Heartland, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Great British Bake Off and so many more!

22. PC or Mac?: PC but only because I don't have a mac.

23. What phone do you have?: A black iPhone 6S which has a big, bulky case on it because I'm terrified of breaking it!

24. How tall are you?: Last time I checked about 5“8

25. Can you cook? Yes! I have even done quite well in cookery competitions with young farmers!