Duchy farming tenant Alastair Hunter Blair is the latest farmer to take over the popular Twitter account, 'Farmers of the UK'. The account was set up to show a week in the life of UK farmers and from Monday 17th to Sunday 23rd March, it's the turn of 26-year old Alistair from Weir End Farm in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire.
So far, Alastair has been tweeting about everything from the cost of farming machinery and the upcoming lambing season to learning how to use a GPS drone and having The Duke of Cornwall pop round for a cup of tea.
Each tweet is limited to 140 characters but there is also the opportunity to post photographs and video, including snapshots of the family dog and rolling fields of barley. Since it was set up just two months ago, the account has already attracted more than 6000 followers which include TV presenter Dermot O'Leary.
Alastair said: "Twitter is a great tool for farmers. We spend a lot of time isolated and Twitter keeps you connected. For me, I love getting information and sharing tips and advice. I asked a question about GPS for a tractor and had an answer within an hour."
He joked that farmers "are notoriously bad a self-promotion" and stressed the value of an online community that includes people from both in and outside of the industry.
As the Duchy's youngest farming tenant, Alastair has already starred in a programme called First Time Farmers which was broadcast on Channel 4 last year and has since been commissioned for a second series.
He grew up on Weir End Farm and took over its management when his father retired in 2012 after Alastair had gained the relevant qualifications. Alastair said: "The average age of a farmer is 58 and I'm very lucky to be in this position. I love what I do and I can't ever imagine doing anything else."
Alastair will be tweeting from @farmersoftheuk until Sunday 23rd March 2014 but you can also follow him on Twitter via @wyefarm.
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