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'Farming can be pretty lonely and isolated'

Tony Fisherand
and Kian Boyle,in Stagsden
News imageKian Boyle/BBC A young woman standing outdoors in a field of tall, golden grass. She is wearing a dark polo shirt and has her hair tied back. Open countryside stretches into the background, with trees, fields and distant buildings visible beneath a cloudy sky. Kian Boyle/BBC
Emily Brown said it was important that young farmers checked on one another

A young farmer has spoken about the challenges of the rural industry and making it more inclusive.

Emily Brown farms wheat and barley crops an manages pigs, turkeys and beef cows at Browns of Stagsden, Bedfordshire.

The 27-year-old says her involvement with Agrespect, which champions diversity and inclusion in the countryside, has provided a "great opportunity for those in the LGBTQ+ community to meet up".

"Farming can be pretty lonely and isolated so it is super important you are checking up on one another," she added.

News imageKian Boyle/BBC A farmyard with large industrial buildings clad in pale green metal sheeting. In the foreground, a telescopic handler with a front bucket attachment is parked on a concrete yard surface, while a tractor is visible further back to the left. A young woman can be seen seated inside the cab of the telescopic handler, operating the vehicle. Kian Boyle/BBC
Brown said the extreme weather had made farming "challenging" over the past few years

Brown, who has a degree from an agricultural university, described the last few years as "challenging".

"Historically you would have one bad harvest every eight to 10 years, but the last three years have been awful," she said.

"Having the farm shop is not enough to offset what we are seeing on the arable side.

"A lot of that is down to the extreme weather we are seeing and it is really affecting the yield that we are getting."

She said there was a risk of fires and with machinery - "the last thing you want is that going up in smoke".

News imageKian Boyle/BBC Brown and white cows in a field. Most of the cows have their backs to the camera except for one white cow and one brown cow in the middle of herd. There are trees in the background at the edge of the field.Kian Boyle/BBC
The beef from the cows is sold in the farm shop

Brown said she has been involved with Agrespect for several years.

"I think it can be quite hard to come out in the agricultural community without a doubt," she added.

Ben Andrews, founder of Agrespect, said the organisation was intentionally informal and it organised meet-ups at agricultural events throughout the year.

"At its heart, Agrespect exists to create visibility and connection for LGBTQ+ people in farming and rural communities.

"We want people to know they are not alone, and that living openly and authentically should not mean having to choose between their identity and a future in agriculture or rural life."

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