Young Farmer Focus: Melissa Evans - 'Opportunities over the years have shaped me'
Melissa Evans, 26, lives on her family’s 120-hectare (300-acre) mixed beef, arable and poultry family farm with a barn conversion B&B, with her parents, brother and twin sister. She is marketing assistant for Berrys, based in Shrewsbury.
Day-to-day: As well as helping out in the family B&B and in the busy calving season, in March I took on a position as marketing assistant for Berrys.
Berrys is a firm of chartered surveyors and valuers, property and business consultants and chartered town planners, with offices across the country, including Shrewsbury, where I am based. My job role varies considerably, every day is different.
Some involve office-based tasks such as co-ordination and management of social media, advert designs, brochures, banners and liaising with staff across the offices, while on other days I will be out with event set-up and organisation.
The summer is a busy time due to show season, but is a great chance for me to meet clients and network.
Diversification: My parents are very forward-thinking and are always open to trying something new, so we are looking into wine. My twin sister Zoe has worked in the industry since graduating university and I have recently completed my Wine and Spirit Education Trust qualifications.
We will be planting up next spring, hopefully producing award-winning wines in the years to come.
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Opportunity: I am heavily involved with my local Young Farmers Club, Alberbury, and have held various posts, as well as sitting on Shropshire County committees and helping with marketing and PR needs.
The organisation has so much to offer and the opportunities I have been exposed to over the years have really shaped me as an individual. Zoe is chairwoman of Alberbury Young Farmers, so supporting her has been keeping me busy too.
The club was recently announced as one of Birmingham Children’s Hospital’s ‘Top 100 Heroes’ after we raised more than £25,000 cycling around the entire perimeter of Wales.
We were invited to join with the celebrations and our members really enjoyed visiting the hospital – it makes us proud to think we are a part of it.
The money we raised went towards kitting out intensive care ambulances, making cycling all those miles worth it.
Social: I am looking forward to a busy summer on-farm, both with the B&B and with Berrys during the show season. One of my summer highlights has to be the Shropshire chairman’s ball on Saturday August 24.
It is one of the biggest Young Farmer events in the country, with lots of neighbouring counties in attendance. It really celebrates what we are as an organisation. If you are yet to experience it, get a ticket and come along. You will not be disappointed.
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