Banking on a new career in farming

A FORMER banker has traded his high-powered job in the city for hard graft on a dairy farm near York as he chases his dream of one day owning and running his own farm.

Mike Mateer, 26 and his wife, Faith, 22, have set their hearts on a drastic lifestyle change that’s about as far removed from their urban upbringings as you can get. Mike was raised in Colchester, Essex and Faith hails from Tamworth in the Midlands.

Neither have family connections with farming yet they’re determined to become first generation farmers – a rarity in an industry that people tend to be born into and where land is often handed down from one generation to the next.

Mike is currently working at a dairy farm just outside York, where he has helped the owner increase his herd from 100 to 300 cattle. His role there is part of a self-imposed apprenticeship that Mike embarked on after quitting his job in the city as he pursues his long-term goal of becoming a farmer.

Mike explained: “I want to get as much work experience as possible before taking the plunge; this is my version of an apprenticeship. If I’d have gone to college or university, I’d have had to shell out money but would have had no practical experience.”

Perhaps not surprisingly, Mike’s colleagues back in London laughed out loud when he told them he was leaving to become a farmer and warned him that he was taking a huge risk.

A defiant Mike argues: “My idea of ‘risky’ is waking up at 40 and hating my life! I would rather take a risk on something I feel passionate about. I enjoyed banking, but I believe it’s on a downward trend, whereas I think farming is on a steep upward trend. After all, if you’d told people that there was money in mining a few years ago, they’d have laughed at you, but look at the price of gold and other resources now. I believe in making wise investments to give a return and the next boom will be in agriculture.”

Mike’s days on the dairy farm near York couldn’t be more different to his old life in the city. He starts milking at 5am and works until 5 or 6pm in the evening, but insists that it doesn’t feel like work.

He said: “There’s a quote I like, although I’m not sure who said it – ‘the day you start doing something you enjoy is the last working day of your life’.

“Farming is physically demanding, but I get to see and experience so much. You see the seasons, and the sunrise and sunset. I think I enjoy that most.

“I found it hard sitting in an office all day with my brain rotting away and the phone ringing. We figured that the best approach was to drop out early and spend a couple of years chasing our dream.”

Mike and Faith, who is pregnant with the couple’s first child, believe that farming will give them, and their future family, a better lifestyle, and are excited about the challenges and opportunities that await them.

Mike continued: “I like the people in farming; it has more of a family feel to it. We like the homemade meals, the socialising and going to nice events – it’s a lifestyle choice.”

As his time on the farm near York nears an end, Mike is looking for more opportunities to learn and is hoping other farmers will be keen to benefit from his financial knowledge in return for the chance to gain valuable work.

Anyone who would like to talk to Mike about future learning opportunities or work placements within the industry, should email: [email protected]