The National Sheep Association (NSA) Lambing List is now open for farmers ahead of their lambing season, offering a simple solution for those seeking extra help at their busiest time of year.
 

For many UK sheep farmers, the NSA Lambing List is a relied upon service, helping to connect those requiring assistance at lambing time with students looking for work experience as part of their studies.

One student says: "The NSA Lambing List was a great way for me to find lambing work and gain experience at the start of my career. I never had any connections to farming before starting my career in agriculture which made trying to get my foot in the door difficult. 

"I loved that the Lambing List had a huge choice of farmers that were willing to take on people with no experience and teach them the ropes. After my initial work experience on a farm found through NSA, it gave me the skills to be able to go on to work for various farmers up and down the country and many of these lambing jobs lead to further work throughout the year. 

"As a first-generation farmer, I honestly think lambing is the best and easiest way to get started in farming and with the Lambing List it made it so easy to take that first step into the industry."

A farmer also has commented: "The lambing list is a great service and one I use every year. We have been very lucky with all the students we have had to help with lambing, all from the list. This year we have 7 different students from different universities, and we look forward to welcoming more over the next few weeks."
 
The service is an additional benefit of NSA membership. Members wanting to advertise on the list must complete a short application form (available here) providing brief details of their system and the experience and position they can offer, including provision of accommodation, meals and other details. Adverts are listed in the order they are submitted, so NSA members are encouraged to apply swiftly.
 
The service is also very simple for students seeking a placement, with adverts displayed across NSA regions to highlight the positions available around the UK. The list can be found via the NSA Next Generation website in early November, once the list is populated with placements.
 
Katie James, NSA Communications Manager says: "This service is just one of the many ways NSA works to support sheep farmers, along with agriculture's next generation of farmers and vets. Young people accessing the NSA Lambing List will also find a host of online resources and activities designed to support and encourage young sheep farmers. This includes the applications for NSA Next Generation Ambassadors, which are now open."