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Young Farmer Focus - Milly Denning: "Buying British should mean so much more"

Milly Denning, 23, is from Bath in Somerset. She is currently studying an MSc in sustainable agriculture and food security at the Royal Agricultural University

clock • 2 min read
RAU's Milly Denning said: "My ambition is to show the public that UK farming is something to be proud of."
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RAU's Milly Denning said: "My ambition is to show the public that UK farming is something to be proud of."

I was born and raised in a small town in mid-Somerset.

However, I do not come from a farming background – you could say that I ‘fell' into farming.

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I have ridden horses from the age of three to the present day.

This led to a desire to become a vet from a young age.

Whilst completing my A-Levels, I spent a week on a local dairy farm undertaking an unpaid placement for my application to university.

By the end of the week, I was offered a job and jumped at the opportunity.

Organic farming

I began working for Brown Cow Organics in September 2021.

The adjustment from conventional farming to organic farming took a while to get used to.

However, after only a few months of working there, I changed my mind about vet school altogether.

Being at Brown Cow Organics has given me so much more confidence in myself.

The farm team consists of two other incredible women and there are no limits to what we can achieve.

My main goal whilst working on the farm is to produce outstanding outputs, whilst taking care of every part of the food chain, from the soil to the consumer's spoon.

I believe that UK agriculture has something to prove to the public.

This is why I have become so passionate about my job and education.

Proud to buy British

My ambition is to show the public that UK farming is something to be proud of, and that buying British should mean so much more.

I seem to have a habit of 'falling' into things, but I am a believer that doors open when they are meant to, and in September 2022, I ‘fell' through the doors of University Centre Somerset to study my BSc in agriculture and business management.

Whilst studying, I was able to continue working full-time, allowing me to apply my learning to practice straight away, and vice versa.

Being the only organic dairy farmer on the course allowed me to educate and challenge my fellow students.

I graduated with a first-class degree in the summer of last year, with a newly ignited fire to continue my studies.

Currently, I am studying my MSc in sustainable agriculture and food security at the Royal Agricultural University.

Here, I plan to improve my depth of knowledge, undertake research in this essential area and increase my network of colleagues for the future.

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