Ellie Scovell – A Walk in their Wellies blog

Hi! So let me introduce myself. My name is Ellie Louise Scovell, I am a first-generation farmer, born & bred on the Isle of Wight, but am now based in Wiltshire! I moved to the mainland in May of 2022 by myself (completely away from all of my family, friends, and everything I’ve ever known), to pursue my career in farming as the Island was a tad too small for me and I knew this was the next step I needed to make in my career! I originally moved to be a full-time calf rearer/herds person in Hampshire, where I ran my own youngstock unit. Since then, I have moved to Wiltshire, where I am currently based on a dairy farm as head calf rearer/herdsperson.

Can you tell us about the history of your farm and how you got started in farming?

So I’m actually a first-generation farmer, so I don’t come from a farming family or a farming background. I’ve been lucky enough to have been around horses & riding since I was 10/11, and since then I’ve been obsessed with countryside life. I originally thought I wanted to work full time with horses, but quickly decided that this wasn’t for me & that I wanted to keep it as a hobby instead! I had thought about working in farming previous to this but living on a small island with extremely limited opportunities, this didn’t seem to be a feasible career at the time! But as soon as I decided that full time horses weren’t for me, I immediately pushed and pushed for an opportunity to farm full time as I knew this was the career & lifestyle for me. Eventually after a lot of proving myself, hours of free labour & working my absolute bum off, I managed to get my first full time farming job on a dairy farm on the coast of the island. Safe to say, I have never ever looked back since!

Why did you decide to become a farmer?

I loved the idea of working with livestock, driving tractors & i absolutely loved the lifestyle. I’m an outdoors girl, always have been, and I didn’t feel like there was a better place for me to be. I also love the community and knew how proud I’d feel to be helping to produce great British produce!

What led you to decide to farm the animals you have?

I just love cows! Calves are my absolute favourite, honestly there isn’t an animal that I’d rather work with over calves. It’s something that I had a massive passion for ever since I started farming, and something that I’m now proud to say is my specialty. 

Briefly describe a typical working day.

In the heat of calving, it always starts with a cup of tea while I check round all of the calves (and say hello to my favourite girl Mary), then straight onto making the milk, feeding it all out, then teat training the newest calves, next is washing everything up, then onto bedding, waters & nuts, next would be getting in the fresh calves & cows, tagging them, and then lunch! After lunch, straight into feeding again, then tubing the new calves with colostrum, lastly washing up & then once I’ve made sure everyone’s happy & healthy, off home I go! (After giving Mary an evening scratch of course).

Do you get any time off? If you do, what do you like to do?

Time off in farming is so important. It’s such a full on job 24/7, that you do have to make sure you get a break & let your body have a bit of a rest. I love doing all sorts of things when I get time off. Whether that be beating in the shooting season, going for a ride on my pony Beebles, going for dog walks, visiting family & friends, or spending time with my boyfriend doing all sorts of bits & bobs! It’s so important to prioritise your mental health, especially where farming can be such a lonely job, and I find that spending time doing things I enjoy, really helps with this.

What’s great about being a farmer?

Oh there are so many brilliant things about being a farmer!! Whether that be bringing new life into the world, to knowing that your feeding the nation, to working with some of the best animals or driving the best kit! The lifestyle of being a farmer is just wonderful. Yes, it’s early mornings & late evenings, but in that you can find the positives. You get to see some of the most beautiful sunrises & sunsets, you get to see the world quiet before everyone else wakes up & see nature like no one else does. It’s also great to know that you’re helping to provide some of the best British produce to help feeding the country! You get to enjoy the company of some wonderful animals and know that you’re giving them the best care & love. Oh and did I mention how fun is it driving the different types of kit?

What job opportunities are available for somebody, man or woman, wanting to enter the trade?

There are so many different jobs available! You could go into anything from being a herdsperson on a dairy farm, to a tractor driver, a calf rearer, a farming freelancer, general farm worker, an AI technician, a farm vet, a chicken farm worker, an agronomist, a farm manager, a farm salesperson, an agricultural mechanic, a Shepard, a pig farmer, and so many more!! The wonderful thing about agriculture is that there are so many different types of farming that there’s something for everyone!

What are the key qualities needed to do your job?

Patience, commitment & attention to detail! (Also, you’ve got to love baby moos and not mind the smell of milk).

How did you train for and become competent at this role?

I actually never actually went to agricultural college, so all of my training has been on the farm while working! I just learned as I went, and I found this personally worked wonderful for me. I have done additional training along the way with certain things which has been great, and I have really enjoyed doing different bits! I learned so so much at my first full time farming job, I worked under 2 wonderful herdsmen who both took me on and taught me so many skills & things that I still use to this day! I’m forever grateful to them both for giving me the best start into farming.

What are some of the biggest challenges you face as a farmer in the UK today?

I feel like from my own personal experience, one of the hardest things I’ve faced working in farming, is having to prove that I can do the job just as good, if not better, than any other man. Being a first-generation farmer as well, I have really had to push to get where I am, and it really wasn’t easy and it took a heck of a lot of work to get where I am now. I do feel as well that a big struggle of farming right now in the UK, is that not enough people have an understanding of farming to support us as much as we need, especially at a time like this. I do think that there is so much more education needed for people that aren’t as familiar with farming & countryside life, and this is something that I do myself try and educate people on. 

Have you always felt supported when learning and on the job?

Yes absolutely. I am so lucky to have worked with some really brilliant people since working within the industry. I’ve been taught everything from scratch which can at times take a lot of patience! It that comes with a lot of learning curves, whether that be good or bad! I’ve always been lucky enough to (most of the time) have someone on the end of the phone whenever I’ve needed help, broken something (oops) or ever had an emergency. I also feel very privileged that I’ve been able to teach & help other people learn from scratch, and honestly it’s the most rewarding thing ever. One of the most important things I feel when working on a farm is to support your colleagues, in all ways you are able too! Teamwork makes the dream work!

What would you say to other people thinking of becoming a farmer?

DO IT!! It’ll be the most rewarding job you’ll do. Yes, it’s long hours. Yes, it’s working in all weathers all year round. Yes, you get covered head to toe in all sorts of things most days, but my goodness, it is the best job in the world. It might seem like a lot at first, but once you find your place in the industry, you’ll understand why what you’re doing is the best & most rewarding job. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made, and one I’d never ever change, I’d choose this a million times over.

What is your stance on the import of cheaper agricultural products from abroad, and how does it affect local farmers?

I feel that honestly, the best thing you can do for any British farmer, is to buy British. Whether that be when you’re shopping in the supermarkets, make sure your fresh produce is British grown, and also that it has the Red Tractor logo on the label! If you’re in a position where you can, absolutely buy from local farm shops too. You know you’re paying for high quality, British produce, from farmers with a very high welfare standard and that have reared & finished their animals in the correct & proper way. 

How do you feel about the portrayal of farmers and farming in the media?

I feel like farming & farmers isn’t always portrayed in the best light, which is absolute madness to me. I do feel like there is so much more education needed for so many people, to understand how they get their food & where it comes from. That people need to remember where the food in the supermarkets comes from & that everything they eat is all grown from a farmer. There’s always someone that tries to slam an awful light on farmers & farming, and it’s so sad & such a shame to see, but we do seem to be pushing the goodness of farming out there more in the media, and across social media which is brilliant. So let’s hope in time that it will continue to be talked about, more positivity will be shared & education behind it will increase. And from my part, I will continue to do my part to educate & teach everywhere I go & at every opportunity I get. 

Can you share a memorable story or experience from your time on the farm?

Oh I have so many!! One of my favourites, was my first time calving a cow. It was at my first ever full-time job on a dairy, and my best friend had popped in to see me on my lunch. I’d been keeping an eye on a cow that was calving (who was taking a little bit too long for my liking), so when I’d seen that she had not progressed in good enough time, I decided to give her a little hand & calved my first ever cow, right in front of my best friend! Another favourite memory of mine was when I had a very premature Angus heifer calf born. She was so tiny & extremely weak, so I did the only thing I thought to do and took her home with me! Her first night alive she spent it on my lap on the couch, warming up with a hot water bottle while watching a film! She lived her first ever 48 hours in my living room, with a dog coat on, and ended up absolutely coating my door & wall in calf poo! It was so bad that I had to bath her… she went up to the barn the next morning! She even got named Rosie and was more like a dog than a calf. She followed me absolutely everywhere & was the biggest personality in the shed. The last one I’ll share for now is a simple one, but a favourite of mine. It is simply seeing one of my heifer calves that I had reared (no.26) back on my first season on the mainland, then have her own calf 2 years later and go into the dairy herd. She was an absolute favourite of mine, and it just felt like such a full circle moment for me.

How do you manage stress and maintain mental well-being as a farmer, and what coping strategies have you found to be effective?

I 100% think that learning to do my best to put my mental & physical health first (well, I’m still working on this, but I’m trying my best) has done me the world of good. I think that farming is such a stressful lifestyle at times, that it’s really important to not forget to look after yourself and give yourself time to de-stress when you can. I know this is easier said than done, but it can be doing simple things, like walking the dog, sitting down with a cup of tea & watching a comfort film, spending time with loved ones, or even having a pint at the pub with some friends. My personal favourites are watching a comfort film with candles lit with my boyfriend, going for a dog walk with friends, going for a ride, and even just chilling on the sofa with a plate full of snacks. It has really taken me a long time to learn how to switch off and relax (and I am still learning this) but after a tough time last year where I really struggled with my mental health, I actually had to really push myself to put myself first as I knew I couldn’t carry on how I was. You need to remind yourself, that YOU are so important, and if you’re not looking after yourself properly, that it’ll affect you trying to look after & manage other things properly. Your mental & physical health is so important, and I really can’t stress that enough.