My first six‑month placement is split between the campaigns and Countryside membership teams. Working across two different areas means that my role is incredibly varied, where one day I could be out on a farm assisting with video production, and the next I could be developing content for the Countryside Instagram account.
One thing which stands out to me from my first month is that the NFU is fantastic at creating and implementing new ideas, and it’s exciting to work for an organisation that values this so highly.
My personal highlight so far has been going to the Labour and Conservative party conference fringe events, where the NFU hosted a debate about the future of British farming. Not coming from a farming background, this was invaluable for me, as the audience questions have given me a much broader understanding of the concerns of those both in and outside the farming community. It obviously helps as well when the answers come from NFU President Minette Batters and Defra Secretary of State.