Farmers Weekly in association with Tesco has launched a free one-day business event for young people who are hungry for success in agriculture.

Fertile Minds 2013 will bring together 150 ambitious young farmers in the early stages of their careers for one day of non-stop business inspiration at Sheepdrove Farm in Berkshire.

Leading the packed line-up of speakers are:

  • A special guest who is one of the UK’s most exciting young entrepreneurs.
  • Three business-savvy young farmers who have proved it’s possible to build successful farming enterprises completely from scratch.
  • Farmers-turned-sausage entrepreneurs the Keeble family, who have recently launched new sausage brand Heck and are stocked in Tesco.
  • Banking experts who will lead a session on developing and pitching a truly winning business plan.
  • Leading members from Land Partnerships, who will be sharing top legal advice on how to make that vital link between young farmers in need of some acres, and landowners with space to spare.

And Farmers Weekly will be presenting exclusive research on the type of jobs, wages, benefits and workload of those working in UK agriculture. Recruitment experts De Lacy Executive will also be on hand to shed light on what the results mean for the industry.

As well as hearing from established brands and businesses, it will also be a unique opportunity for young farming entrepreneurs to network with their peers – share ideas, discuss problems, talk solutions and possibly even sow the seeds of future business collaborations.

Farmers Weekly editor Jane King said: “There has never been a more exciting time to farm, but the next generation of farmers doesn’t have it easy. Feeding more mouths on less land will take imagination, ambition and lots of thinking outside the box. We hope everyone will leave Fertile Minds buzzing with ideas, and with a much clearer idea how they are going to achieve their business ambitions.”

Places are free but strictly limited to 150, so get your application in as soon as possible. The closing day for registrations is Friday 4 October and we will notify you by the start of November if you have got a place.

  • WHEN: Wednesday 20 November (9am – 5.30pm)
  • WHERE: Sheepdrove Farm in Lambourn, Berkshire
  • WHO: Entrepreneurial young people who are hungry to farm.
  • COST: It’s totally free, and lunch is provided