Farmers are among the proudest workers in the UK, according to a new study.
The study of just over 1,000 UK adults found that producing something tangible was the most common reason for professional pride in their work.
Real estate and tobacco industries have the fewest professionals who identify as 'very proud' of their work.
Getting out of the office could potentially elevate our professional pride.
Among the agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining and quarrying professionals, 81% said they were either ‘very’ or ‘extremely proud’ to work in their industry, that’s 50% above the national average.
'No surprise'
Andrew Freemantle has been farming pigs on the outside of Exeter, in Devon, for more than 20 years.
The family farm rears 9,000 pigs a year.
As well as supplying meat, they have diversified and run a successful hog roast and outside catering business.
The farm employs more than 15 full time staff.
"It really comes as no surprise that farmers would have the greatest level of professional pride," Freemantle said.
"There is pride in how we care about the animals that we breed on the farm and it is of utmost importance to us that while they are in our care they have the best life possible and we use the highest standards to care for them."
"And then there is the pride in supplying quality, safe and nutritious food for your consumers.
"When someone tells us how much they enjoyed one of our products, whether it was a pork roast on a local pub carvery or a sausage bap – you can feel pride in what you have provided.
"Farming is still hard work, it is a very physically demanding job.You know when you’ve had a hard day on the farm.
"It can be tough, but with that brings a great reward and a great pride in what you have achieved.
"With farming you have to be committed. This is long term, and whether you are ploughing a field, breeding animals or running a dairy, there is a great satisfaction, and pride in what you have created and what you are sustaining for the future."
'Farming can be tough, but without pride, standards would soon slip'
Neil and Sally Grigg have been tenant farmers at Burrow Farm, a National Trust farm near Exeter, Devon for nearly ten years.
They have a herd of 100 Red Ruby Devon cattle, as well as also running a mobile dairy unit in Dorset.
They run two butchers shops, and employ eight members of staff.
"I’m not at all surprised that farmers have the highest levels of professional pride," said Neil.
"Farming can be tough, but without pride, standards would soon slip.
"This profession is all about looking after your animals and crops, and ensuring the very best quality for the customer.
Neil and Sally gave up their jobs as an accountant and surveyor respectively to take on the farm tenancy in 2007.
Both were from farming families, and had attended agricultural college, so knew the levels of work and commitment that it would take to build up their business.
Since having their son in 2014, the responsibility of running the farm and ensuring its success has become even greater.
"Farming for us is about creating a sustainable future for our children and generations to come.
It’s wonderful to see how this local, Devon breed of cattle has become so popular now and,’says Sally.
As well as attending various markets throughout Devon, the couple also sell their beef through their two Exeter-based butchers shops and have won various awards over the years for the quality of their meat.
"Since taking on our butchers shops, we’ve received even more feedback directly from the customers, which gives us an enormous sense of pride and makes us want to continue to do what we’re doing, at the standards that we’re doing it."
'Backbone of this country'
"I am a passionate supporter of British food and farming," said farmer Wilfred Emmanuel–Jones.
"Our farmers are the backbone of this country and produce such a diverse range of food.
"However, I feel strongly that we need to reconnect farming with the urban consumer and bring people back into the food-making process in order that there is more understanding and appreciation of the work that farmers do and the food they produce.
"We need to re-engender pride in our great farming heritage."
'The overwhelming majority of them feel proud of what they do'
Regan McMillan, director of Stormline believes producing something real plays a big part in professional pride: "The UK’s farmers should deservedly feel proud of their industry and our study bears this out. The overwhelming majority of them feel proud of what they do.
"They can go home at the end of the day knowing they’ve played their part in producing something.
"This isn’t to do down the pride that teachers, health professionals and those at the cutting edge of software development should feel – they are rightly very proud of their professions too – but there is something uniquely satisfying about producing something that you can one day hold in your hands.
"Obviously we need all sorts of skills to keep the economy ticking over, but if our research encourages anyone to consider a career in one of the less glamorous industries in our study, such as farming, forestry, fishing or even shipbuilding, then that’s a good thing in our book."
