James Chapman is the fourth-generation to work at his family's farm, Hunt Hill, in Driffield, East Riding of Yorkshire.
Newly qualified as a Level 2 General Farm Worker apprenticeship, James (17) is passionate about carrying on a family tradition stretching back to 1944 when his great grandfather first launched the business.
Hunt Hill's 300 acres are devoted to arable and dairy farming - 120 of them yielding higher tier quality milk from the family's 135 pedigree Holstein cows, with wheat, barley and maize grown on the remaining land for cattle feed.
"I've grown up with farming in my blood," says James, who tends his own flock of pedigree Suffolk sheep, "and I knew very early on that it was what I wanted to do as a career.”
"My dad and grandad both work full time on the farm - Grandad is 80 and probably works hardest of us all," he laughs.
Qualifying in January 2023 from the two-year course he began in October 2021, James almost forgets to mention that he completed his Level 2 eight months early from Askham Bryan College, near York.
"The course work was challenging but really interesting and covered animal health and welfare, biosecurity and legislation, machinery and the process from seeding to harvesting. I learned a lot and everything on the course was relevant to my job.
"I also liked the end-point assessment being conducted at the farm," James adds. "The assessor arrived at 9am and questioned me in the workplace throughout the day."
Eager to progress further in farming, James is already planning his next move to upskill. "I am thinking about starting my Level 3 this autumn," he reports. "If I'm to head up the family business one day, I need to continue learning. Training helps you expand your ambitions and gives you fresh ideas to apply on your own farm."
Meanwhile he knuckles down to what many would view as an exhausting schedule for the day job. When taking his turn at milking, he rises at 4.30am. "I prefer milking in the morning, which takes about two and a half hours, and I enjoy mixing the ration for the cows.” James feels fortunate to be involved in both dairy and arable farming.
How about the highs and lows of his work? "Mucking out is probably my least favourite job - every three weeks I help lead away 300 tonnes of manure. We are involved in a muck for straw agreement with a nearby arable farmer.”
The family firm can look forward to what promises to be a sustainable future, it seems. "Farming is a happy life for me," James concludes. "I don't see it as a job but a way of life. The work ethic is big but so enjoyable."
My job in three words: "fun, busy, inspiring"
