Sam Coote from County Durham has been crowned the winner of Farmers Apprentice 2018.
22 year old Sam was crowned the winner of Farmers Apprentice 2018, following 5 days of challenging tasks. He beat eight other finalists to clinch the title, walking away with a cash prize of £10,000 to invest in his farming future.
Sam performed consistently well throughout the week-long bootcamp, with particularly strong performances on the first task – fitting an autosteer system to a tractor – and the final challenge – delivering a presentation to primary school pupils.
The judges were particularly impressed with Sam’s calm good-sense, adaptability and sheer determination.
Not from a farming background, Sam’s journey into agriculture began in 2011 when he left school aged 16 to study for a level two diploma in agriculture at East Durham College's Houghall Campus.
Sam has just graduated from Askham Bryan college near York, achieving a first in his agricultural management degree. He is currently working on farms in New Zealand to broaden his farming experience.
Throughout his studies at Askham Bryan Sam gained practical experience working on a mixed beef and arable family farm – L R Welsh & Company – close to his home in Spennymoor, County Durham.
He developed his leadership skills as Chairman and Treasurer of the Durham City Young Farmers Club.
