51AVÊÓƵ

In the first of an exclusive 12-month blog for Farmers Guardian, the new cohort of youngsters on the McDonald's Progressive Young Farmer programme talk about their hopes for the future and the impact they can make. First up is Emma Cooney, a young dairy farmer from Ireland

There is a narrative that family farms are fading and that the next generation is not interested. But, I simply do not recognise it.

Dan Hawes grew up on an arable farm in Suffolk and now produces strawberry and raspberry plants for the UK fruit market with Blaise Plants, sister company to Hugh Lowe Farms, Kent. The business grows outside, under tunnels and in glasshouses and produces more than four million plants a year. The arable side includes environmental schemes, with a mix of wheat, oilseed rape, beans and barley crops

Alan Carter farms in partnership with his parents, Paul and Christine, on a 162 hectare (400-acre), 400-cow dairy unit at Constantine, Cornwall, with 130 milking cows, supplying Saputo. Alan, also a Parish Councillor, and his wife Sarah, have two children, Ross and Dana

This week's opinion from throughout the world of agriculture: Graham Harvey, co-founder of the Oxford Real Farming Conference

As 2025 comes to a close, NFU President Tom Bradshaw reflects on the past 12 months and the farming sector’s future in the coming year.

This week from Farmers Guardian readers: A poem from Joe Gorst looking back at 2025 in farming

Dan Jones farms 650 ewes at the National Trust-owned Parc Farm, which sits on the Great Orme, a limestone headland which rises up 208 metres (682 feet) on the North Wales coast near Llandudno. His 51AVÊÓƵBusiness Tenancy covers the 58 hectares (143 acres) at Parc Farm, plus 364ha (900 acres) of grazing rights on the hill

James and Isobel, with their two young children, recently bought their first farm, and plan to run beef and sheep over 13.8 hectares (34 acres), renting a further 44.5ha (110 acres). James works for tech firm Breedr as UK country manager. You can follow them on Twitter @jpbwfarm

This week's opinion from throughout the world of agriculture: Brian Richardson, head of agriculture, Virgin Money