Longford's Farmer Phil to be special guest at major event alongside Clarkson's Farm star

Longford's Youtube sensation 'Farmer Phil' and farmer and entrepreneur Kaleb Cooper will be special guests at this year’s inaugural Intro to Ag Fair.

On Monday, April 13th at the Aviva Stadium in Co. Dublin, projects submitted by students from across the country who took part in the Intro to Ag programme will be given the chance to impress Kaleb and fellow judges to be in with a chance of being crowned the national winner of the Intro to Ag programme.

The Intro to Ag Transition Year (TY) programme is designed to encourage students to take up Agricultural Science for Senior Cycle, while also introducing them to Further Education and Training (FET) pathways, and career opportunities within the agri sector.

This unique event will showcase the learnings from the programme, while also demonstrating to stakeholders in the agri-food sector the work Agri Aware and LOETB are actively implementing in this area of second level education.

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After the announcement of the National Winner of the programme, Kaleb will sit down and talk about his journey to date from becoming a farmer and contractor in the Cotswolds, to appearing on the hit Prime Video series ‘Clarkson’s Farm’ to travelling to the other side of world sharing his story from humble beginnings to worldwide fame that has helped to shine a light on the agricultural sector in the UK and further afield.

Kaleb will be joined by beef and tillage farmer and YouTube sensation Philip Stewart or otherwise known as ‘Farmer Phil’, while Katie Gleeson aka ‘Katie in the Country’ will chair the panel.

Speaking ahead of the Intro to Ag Fair, Agri Aware Chair Shay Galvin said: “It is with great pleasure to announce that Kaleb Cooper will be joining us for the Intro to Ag Fair, along with Farmer Phil to celebrate the ongoing work of promoting the agri-food sector in secondary schools, in this instance in the TY space.

"Days like this are a unique opportunity to showcase the brilliant work ongoing at second level education to promote the agri-food sector and encourage the youth of today to consider a career in the sector.”

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Also commenting on the upcoming Intro to Ag Fair event was LOETB Chief Executive Joe Cunningham who said, “Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board are proud to partner with Agri Aware on our agricultural schools' initiatives.

"Initiatives like the Intro to Ag programme are essential in supporting young people to make informed decisions about their future, highlighting the diverse pathways available through Further and Higher Education and Training, as well as the wide-ranging career opportunities open to them.

"We’re delighted to host this event with Agri Aware and look forward to celebrating student achievement and engagement, alongside some special guests.”