It can be sometimes disheartening to read reports about the declining numbers of farmers.

So, if you need an injection of positivity, you have come to the right place. In this publication of IFJ Junior, the enthusiasm of our youngest readers for farming and rural life jumps off the page. The future of rural Ireland is definitely safe in their hands.

We have taken a different approach to IFJ Junior this year. The publication is still focused on our younger readers but this year, we launched our Rising Rural Stars competition and we couldn’t have anticipated the fantastic entries that landed in our inbox.

The competition

We know that young people are talented in many different areas, so we cast the net wide.

As well as young farmers, we were also looking for those who are making their mark in rural Ireland, be it through sport, dance or their entrepreneurial spirit. I have to say, the day we sat down to judge the entries, I came away on a high. We were so enthused by the sheer talent and ‘go get ‘em’ attitude of all our entries. Believe me, it was very hard to whittle it down to the 15 people in this publication.

And so, on these pages, let me introduce you to our 15 Rising Rural Stars. They range in age from six to 18 years old, and while this is a quite a wide age range, what is evident throughout is that these are young people to watch out for.

Our finalists

All our finalists have been invited to the Irish Farmers Journal stand at the National Ploughing Championships in September where we will be hosting a prize-giving ceremony on the Tuesday afternoon. If you’re at the Ploughing that day, do stop in – I have a feeling it’s going to be lots of fun.

This issue of IFJ Junior is just the start of our focus on young readers this summer. Each week until the schools are back in September, we will have an IFJ Junior page in Irish Country Living.

Whether it’s initiatives aimed at young people or advice on starting your own small business, we hope our young readers will enjoy the read.

With that in mind, sit back, relax and get ready to be impressed by the future stars of rural Ireland.