© Writtle University College Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, the man behind The Black Farmer brand, is on a mission to bring diversity to the agricultural sector and inspire new entrants into the

industry. The high-profile farmer and marketer recently launched his New Faces For Farming initiative, welcoming a group of teenagers, aged 16-18, to the Writtle University College farm near

Chelmsford, Essex. See also: How farmers are helping to educate school children about agriculture The scheme is targeted at teens from urban and under-represented backgrounds, and for many

the weekend proved to be their first experience of agriculture. Hailing from inner-city Birmingham, for Mr Emmanuel-Jones the initiative is inspired by his own upbringing. He said: “This

to see if there were any suitable jobs in that industry. “My father had an allotment, like many of the people from Afro-Caribbean communities. It was my responsibility to look after it, and

that allotment became my sanctuary – I can remember at the age of 11 making myself the promise that I would have my own farm.” HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE  Passionate about putting agricultural

careers on the map and opening doors to those from diverse backgrounds, Mr Emmanuel-Jones’ initiative allowed the teens to gain hands-on experience of shepherding and lambing, along with

handling pigs and learning about growing arable crops. The students also attended talks from sector experts, agri-business owners and academics. “As these young people are deciding what they

want to do with their careers, wouldn’t it be great if they could all have a taster of what it’s like to work and live in rural Britain?” asks Mr Emmanuel-Jones. “There are certain things

that you cannot teach in a classroom – you’ve got to go out and live and breathe it.” FARMING – A CAREER CHOICE FOR ALL? © Writtle University College Learning about the many careers within

the sector, from agronomy, to being an on-farm vet, or working in the agri-tech sector, many of the students said that they would now consider a career in agriculture.  One student, 17 year

old Praise, above, said: “Everything was very new, refreshing and educational for me. “I can’t say that I was interested in food and farming before, however now that I know more than just

the surface levels of it, I can definitely say that it’s peaked my interest, and I really enjoyed learning about the science behind agriculture.” Another student, 17 year old Manjinder,

below left, also enjoyed the on-farm weekend. He said: “The experience on the farm and off the farm was just amazing. I learnt about the farm’s crops and animals, and developed quite a lot

of skills such as communication, confidence and critical thinking. “I would consider being a farmer now because I know that this is how people get their food – without farmers, there would

be no food.” © Writtle University College The residential weekend was only the first step of the New Faces For Farming programme, and the students will now receive mentoring and career

advice from sector experts. Next year, Mr Emmanuel-Jones hopes to arrange another event to host more teenagers from non-traditional farming backgrounds. But, to see true diversity and

welcome new blood into the sector, he says this needs to happen on a national scale, both in secondary and higher education. “Every single agricultural college around the country should be

doing a taster weekend for young people from non-traditional farming backgrounds to see if its something for them to consider,” Mr Emmanuel-Jones told _Farmers Weekly_. “What I would like to

see as part of the curriculum, is when kids get to 14 or 15, they have to go and spend some time in an agricultural environment so they can sample other professions.”