A fresh wave of support for both sheep farmers and young entrants to agriculture has been launched as the National Sheep Association (NSA) reopens its Lambing List for the 2025 season.
The long-running service, relied on by farmers during the most intense weeks of the year, matches those needing extra hands with students seeking vital lambing experience.
The reopening comes at a time when labour shortages continue to bite across UK agriculture. Many livestock farms report growing difficulty securing seasonal help, and colleges say demand for hands-on placements now far exceeds supply.
Against this backdrop, the Lambing List has become an increasingly important bridge between farmers under pressure and newcomers trying to break into the industry.
For students, the scheme can be transformative. One student said it was “a great way for me to find lambing work and gain experience at the start of my career”, particularly as they had “no connections to farming” before studying agriculture.
They praised the “huge choice of farmers” willing to take on beginners, adding that the experience led to further work “up and down the country”. As a first-generation entrant, they said lambing remained “the best and easiest way to get started in farming”.
Farmers echo the value of the service. One producer who uses the Lambing List annually said it was “a great service”, noting they had been “very lucky with all the students” recruited through it. This season alone, they expect to host seven students from universities across the UK.
The Lambing List is available exclusively to NSA members, who complete a short application form outlining their lambing system, the placement offered and what they can provide in terms of accommodation, meals and training.
Listings are published in the order received, prompting the NSA to encourage early applications. For students, the process is simple: once populated, placements are displayed by region on the NSA Next Generation website from early November.
NSA Communications Manager Katie James said the scheme remains central to helping both current producers and future farmers. “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,” she said.
Young people using the list will also find online resources and activities, as well as applications for the NSA Next Generation Ambassadors programme, which are now open.
With lambing seasons approaching and demand for seasonal help expected to be high again this year, the NSA anticipates a busy response as farmers and students rush to secure placements.
