CEJA column, Issue 21, Nov 2015

In this month’s regular column from CEJA – the European Council of Young Farmers – we caught up with Alan Jagoe, the organisation’s recently-elected new President to tell us more about himself, his vision for young farmers and the role of CEJA.

Alan Jagoe

MF: Congratulations on your appointment! Can you tell us a little about your background?

AJ: Thank you! I’m delighted and honoured to be elected to the role and to be able to continue the great work of my predecessor, Matteo Bartolini. I’ve been a CEJA Vice-President for the last two years and worked closely with Matteo during that time. Prior to that, I was President of the Macra na Feirme, the Irish Young Farmers organisation. As for my agricultural interests, I run a 200 ha farm in County Cork, Ireland focused on dairy and cereals.

MF: What drew you to the Young Farmers’ movement and why is it important?

AJ: As with most people, for me, it started with the desire to enjoy the social aspect – the fellowship, trying new things, going to new places, having new experiences. Then it moved on from there when I became involved on the policy side and the drive to get a good deal for young farmers.  It is absolutely crucial that we have a strong and vibrant young farmer organisation. We are priming our members to be future farming leaders and the movement gives them the opportunity to experience everything that this entails.

To read the full article, please click here.