Cornish TikTok sensation calls for farming support

Maria Warne-Elston said she was trying to show how much work farmers put into the industry

A young woman from Cornwall is making a impact on social media, educating people across the world about the agricultural industry.

Maria Warne-Elston has gained 80,000 followers on Tik Tok and 40,000 on Instagram just by showing the everyday life of a farmer.

The 22-year-old is a fifth generation beef, sheep and arable farmer, working with her husband, father, mother and sister on their family farm.

Mrs Warne-Elston said her family were hesitant at first at being highlighted although her "Granfer" (grandfather), who died recently, became a big hit on her postings.

Maria helps her family every day on the farm

Mrs Warne-Elston said her followers were from all age categories and many were from London and Scotland, and as far as the United States.

She said: "There's quite a few of them from Cornwall and Devon as well, which is great because it is the local community.

"I basically do it to push the name of agriculture and show how great our industry is, bridging the gap between farmer and consumer.

"At the end of the day, we can't expect support if we're not going to show why we need support.

"We're an industry feeding a nation and I feel it's very under-looked.

"Somebody said back along, and I absolutely love the quote and I always go back to it: 'You wouldn't expect a junior doctor to open a shop at the end of the road to bring in extra income, so why would you expect a farmer?'

"You need a farmer every day, three times a day."

"We need a bit more: 'Hey, you're doing great' from people."

She became an ambassador for the Farm Safety Foundation charity Yellow Wellies in 2020, and has since worked hard to share its messages on farm safety and mental health advice.