The National Sheep Association (NSA) has unveiled its 2026 cohort of NSA Next Generation Ambassadors, with the 12 sheep farmers set to undertake career development sessions in North Wales.
The NSA Next Generation Ambassador programme is part of the NSA’s wider Next Generation initiative, a dedicated area of work designed to encourage and support sheep farmers of the future.
As part of a two-day visit to North Wales, the first of five for the cohort, the group went on a guided tour of the Wool Testing Authority and learned about the future of efficient sheep genetics with a talk from Dewi Jones of Innovis. The session concluded at Coed Coch Estate by permission of the Featherstonhaugh family and head shepherd Daffyd Owen with a tour of the farming enterprise.
President of the Sheep Veterinary Society, Phillipa Page, then rounded off the first session with a practical talk on how to protect sheep flocks and improve animal welfare.
NSA technical communications officer Anna Wilson will accompany the group throughout the programme. She commented: “We have had a fantastic first delivery session, finishing on an excellent farm visit. The group have returned home full of motivation, ideas and excitement for the year ahead.”
Young farms show a range of experience
NSA said that the young sheep farmers selected to take part this year come from all corners of the UK and have taken a variety of different routes into the sheep sector.
Wilson continued: “The diverse group are typical of the current UK sheep sector, from first-generation farmers to employed shepherds and those with a long family history of sheep farming, the group is positive evidence that sheep farming can be an accessible career for many, whether from a farming background or not. The programme will enhance the young shepherd’s knowledge and personal development and provide plentiful networking opportunities.”
As NSA Next Generation Ambassadors, the association said the group will also begin a “close working relationship” with NSA, both regionally and nationally, and will help to promote the work of the Association, aiming to secure a positive future for the UK sheep industry.
Wilson concluded: “The group have already gelled together which makes for a very exciting year of activity that will see them travel to different locations allowing them to experience a range of sheep farming systems, learning from experienced farmers and industry experts. It’s an invaluable experience which we are certain will be of immense benefit to all members of the group.”
For more information about the ambassadors, click here.
