Cameron Farnan 25 Suffolk
Working as a full time shepherd for a previous NSA Next Generation Ambassador, Cameron is already well versed on the many benefits and networking opportunities the programme can deliver, describing the chance to join the scheme as a way of 'broadening his horizons'. Shepherding 1,000 organic breeding ewes on a contract agreement, running 500 NZ Romney ewes and finishing 1,500 winter store lambs should definitely be enough to keep Cameron busy - but on top of this he also shears around 3,000 sheep per year and has his own mixed flock of pedigree Charollais, Border Leicester and Ryeland ewes, selling lamb at local farmers’ markets. His ambition to continue to improve all aspects of his work impressed the interview panel. Cameron says; “I'm delighted to be accepted on to the programme and hope that the programme will provide networking opportunities that will help progress my career, as well as developing new friendships with like minded individuals.”
Cameron kept a blog in 2022
March. I've made quite a few changes since my first NSA Next Generation Ambassador meeting. I have taken the decision to leave my full-time shepherd position, which has not been an easy step to take. Although I enjoyed my job, and my employer could not have been more accommodating to the development of my own flock and business ventures, I felt I needed to make the break to progress my flock and farming enterprise forwards in a time-sustainable way. I have realised there will never be a perfect time to make a move and, with the changes in agricultural policy currently, who knows what the future holds. My small group of pedigree ewes have lambed well so far. It has been the first year I've incorporated a teaser ram before tupping and it has significantly tightened up the lambing window. I am looking to turn the ewes out to grass full time by the end of the month, and the recent warmer temperatures have notably brought on grass growth over the last week or so. I will be preparing for my last lambing with the 1,000 outdoor Romney's over the next week, which are due from the start of April. As with all outdoor lambing operations, I hope the weather remains favourable!
April. Since the last update the majority of my time has been taken up with lambing. I commenced lambing around Sunday 3rd April on the 1,000 ewe organic NZ Romney flock and we have just crossed over into the second cycle. It has been a really positive lambing with significantly lower lamb mortality losses, somewhat down to the warm weather being in our favour for the last 10 days or so. We synchronise the ewes here with teaser tups and have approximately three-quarters of the expected lambs on the ground already, so it has been at a relatively fast pace with just myself and my girlfriend Becky shepherding the whole flock as one team. Before lambing kicked off I managed to fit in a quick shearing weekend with fellow Ambassador Ed Brant, to pre-lamb shear his flock with winter cover combs. I’m really looking forward to the next Ambassador meeting in May.
May. It has been a rather busy spell for me, moving house along with a full shearing calendar. Most of my time has been occupied with shearing so unfortunately there has not been much else occurring, but for my first year shearing full time it has been encouraging that I have been kept so busy. Despite an average scanning from my group of 50 late-lambing outdoor Romneys and crossbreds, it has been the easiest group of sheep to lamb, with less than 6% lamb losses. Shearing the flock pre-lambing certainly simplified the system and they are one less flock to shear whilst I am at my busiest!
[July. Having qualified via the NSA Eastern Region competition, Cameron won the NSA Next Generation Shepherd Final at NSA Sheep 2022. He beat 17 other competitors to the top prize.]
End of the year comment. I am grateful to have been involved within the 2022 NSA Next Generation programme. The in-depth Barenbrug grass breeding tour was particularly helpful to improve my knowledge of forage and I will look to incorporate more drought resistant species into future leys – which could be key in our area. The networking opportunities the programme has provided will prove invaluable for my future endeavours within the industry. This autumn I have established an organic flock based within an arable rotation. The ambassador programme has certainly helped me evaluate different options more objectively and set out targets for future progression of the flock.
Working as a full time shepherd for a previous NSA Next Generation Ambassador, Cameron is already well versed on the many benefits and networking opportunities the programme can deliver, describing the chance to join the scheme as a way of 'broadening his horizons'. Shepherding 1,000 organic breeding ewes on a contract agreement, running 500 NZ Romney ewes and finishing 1,500 winter store lambs should definitely be enough to keep Cameron busy - but on top of this he also shears around 3,000 sheep per year and has his own mixed flock of pedigree Charollais, Border Leicester and Ryeland ewes, selling lamb at local farmers’ markets. His ambition to continue to improve all aspects of his work impressed the interview panel. Cameron says; “I'm delighted to be accepted on to the programme and hope that the programme will provide networking opportunities that will help progress my career, as well as developing new friendships with like minded individuals.”
Cameron kept a blog in 2022
March. I've made quite a few changes since my first NSA Next Generation Ambassador meeting. I have taken the decision to leave my full-time shepherd position, which has not been an easy step to take. Although I enjoyed my job, and my employer could not have been more accommodating to the development of my own flock and business ventures, I felt I needed to make the break to progress my flock and farming enterprise forwards in a time-sustainable way. I have realised there will never be a perfect time to make a move and, with the changes in agricultural policy currently, who knows what the future holds. My small group of pedigree ewes have lambed well so far. It has been the first year I've incorporated a teaser ram before tupping and it has significantly tightened up the lambing window. I am looking to turn the ewes out to grass full time by the end of the month, and the recent warmer temperatures have notably brought on grass growth over the last week or so. I will be preparing for my last lambing with the 1,000 outdoor Romney's over the next week, which are due from the start of April. As with all outdoor lambing operations, I hope the weather remains favourable!
April. Since the last update the majority of my time has been taken up with lambing. I commenced lambing around Sunday 3rd April on the 1,000 ewe organic NZ Romney flock and we have just crossed over into the second cycle. It has been a really positive lambing with significantly lower lamb mortality losses, somewhat down to the warm weather being in our favour for the last 10 days or so. We synchronise the ewes here with teaser tups and have approximately three-quarters of the expected lambs on the ground already, so it has been at a relatively fast pace with just myself and my girlfriend Becky shepherding the whole flock as one team. Before lambing kicked off I managed to fit in a quick shearing weekend with fellow Ambassador Ed Brant, to pre-lamb shear his flock with winter cover combs. I’m really looking forward to the next Ambassador meeting in May.
May. It has been a rather busy spell for me, moving house along with a full shearing calendar. Most of my time has been occupied with shearing so unfortunately there has not been much else occurring, but for my first year shearing full time it has been encouraging that I have been kept so busy. Despite an average scanning from my group of 50 late-lambing outdoor Romneys and crossbreds, it has been the easiest group of sheep to lamb, with less than 6% lamb losses. Shearing the flock pre-lambing certainly simplified the system and they are one less flock to shear whilst I am at my busiest!
[July. Having qualified via the NSA Eastern Region competition, Cameron won the NSA Next Generation Shepherd Final at NSA Sheep 2022. He beat 17 other competitors to the top prize.]
End of the year comment. I am grateful to have been involved within the 2022 NSA Next Generation programme. The in-depth Barenbrug grass breeding tour was particularly helpful to improve my knowledge of forage and I will look to incorporate more drought resistant species into future leys – which could be key in our area. The networking opportunities the programme has provided will prove invaluable for my future endeavours within the industry. This autumn I have established an organic flock based within an arable rotation. The ambassador programme has certainly helped me evaluate different options more objectively and set out targets for future progression of the flock.
