Beth Alexander - INTERNATIONAL DAY OF RURAL WOMEN

CHAMPIONING RURAL WOMEN 15th OCTOBER

Name: Beth Alexander

Role: Beef and Sheep farmer and a specialist for QMS promoting best practice.

Background: born and raised on a beef and sheep farm, has a degree in Agribusiness and now undertaking a MSC in Agriculture Professional Practice. Lives on a sporting estate with her partner who is a hill shepherd.

Community work: Has a role with Young farmers and, as chairperson of Bankfoot Junior Agriculture club, nominates a charity each year to raise funds for.

Conservation work: Involved in the AECS scheme, sowing wild bird seed, fencing off burns & ditches and strict stocking rates for land parcels to encourage biodiversity.’

Educational work: Has hosted RHET farm visits and taken on a school placement student.

Ambitions and aims: To always be looking to do better for new ways of farming.

‘Live as though you’ll die tomorrow but farm as if you’ll live forever’

Favourite meal: Sunday roast, finds satisfaction with when raising lamb or cattle and following it through the whole process.

‘A diverse work place drives innovation. I believe this is the reason women have such an important role in the workplace. I am often the only female working amongst men but I am a valuable team member due to my varied skillset. My mother paved the way for me by taking down many of the barriers to women in agriculture which I may have faced if it wasn’t for her in our farming business.’