Young farmer sells her flock and leaves farming due to extreme weather conditions
26th July 2025
A Kent farmer, Lucie Trapp, has made the tough decision to sell her flock of sheep and leave the farming industry for good due to, among other things, the recent extreme weather conditions.
With drought already declared in Yorkshire and the North West of England and the Environment Agency warning that up to five more regions could be in drought by September, the dry spell is making a permanent impact on the farming community.
Ms Trapp, who made the difficult decision to leave farming, said: “With climate change and other factors, I can’t make the sheep pay anymore. It looks like the Sahara Desert out there; I’ve never had to put bales out in July before. And mentally I just can’t do it anymore.
“I’d rather go out with a bang whilst I’m still able to look after the girls to my best ability than hang on longer and make a decision I regret down the line. We have some cracking-looking lambs on the ground and some really good tegs ready to have their first lambs, so it’s the right time to call it quits.”
Ms Trapp added that it is “the end of an era”, but she still remains hugely committed to locally produced food and will continue to support other local farmers who are navigating these difficult times.
“I just won’t be doing it myself right now. One day I hope things will be different and I can go back to it, but at the moment, something’s got to give to look after myself.”
Ms Trapp is now looking for buyers for her flock. Her contact details can be found here.
READ MORE: UK crops likely to suffer impacts of driest spring
READ MORE: £1.1m to be invested in on-farm drought risk assessments
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