'Women in farming have been almost invisible'

"For a long time women in farming have been almost invisible," a farmer has said.

Maria Warne-Elston, a TikTok star and farmer in Cornwall, has welcomed new research by the University of Exeter which she said was "powerful because it actually listens to women".

The university study suggested female farmers experienced lower mental wellbeing than the national average.

Warne-Elston, 22, said she wore "a lot of hats" like many other women in farming.

"Farming isn't just a job for us, it is our lives," she said.

"On any given day I might be doing anything from farm paperwork to feeding stock, sorting a few hundred sheep, running around after the kids and often all of this is done before lunchtime," Warne-Elston said.

"Farming can be rewarding, but it can also be isolating and exhausting.

"I don't think people realise the mental load women carry. We're often the ones managing finances, paperwork and family life, while also working physically on the farm."

Dairy farmer Bridget Whell owns Leyonne farm near Fowey.

She said women were "generally overlooked", and added "if you're not involved in the decision-making and how the business is forming...you could just feel a little bit like you're left out.

"It's an interesting situation for women."

The study, published by the university's centre for rural policy research and the Farming Community Network, was conducted last summer.

Researchers said they received more than 2,000 responses from women aged between 18 and 95 involved in farming in England and Wales.

Dr Rebecca Wheeler, project lead and senior research fellow at the Centre for Rural Policy Research, said there were "quite concerning findings", including 36% of participants scores suggesting low wellbeing.

"A lot of what they do isn't necessarily acknowledged and so, I think, can be less visible. It's really important to draw attention to that," she said.

Wheeler said 37% of participants had high anxiety and the study also suggested high levels of loneliness.

She said: "There are also a lot of women involved in farming who aren't necessarily, kind of, on the books of the farm as it were, but do an awful lot behind the scenes."

A spokesperson for the National Farmers Union said there were many "inspiring" women in the farming community.

"There are many women in farming who are ambassadors for our industry, beating the drum for food production and the work we do to manage the landscape," a spokesperson said.

"Many who are inspiring and making sure the industry has a strong and diverse voice."

Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.