FROM UKRAINE TO ENGLAND: KATERYNA’S JOURNEY OF GROWTH AT NEW FARM PRODUCE

• Kateryna has grown and developed new skills at New Farm Produce, Lichfield, whilst earning money to send back to her family in Ukraine
• The friendships she has made with fellow workers from diverse backgrounds has created a real sense of community and given her friends for life
• England has become a place for Kateryna to call home.

A 29-year-old from Ukraine has revealed how her work on a British berry farm has changed her life and given her a new country to call home – while also enabling her to support her family back home in the war-torn country.

Kateryna Miskova first came to the UK as a seasonal worker. She worked on a farm in Staffordshire picking British berries like strawberries, raspberries and blueberries during the peak harvest season.

Six years on Kateryna now calls the UK home and still works on the same British berry farm – now as a supervisor. Her role enables her to send money back home to her family in Ukraine.

Kateryna works at New Farm Produce – an 80-hectare farm based just outside Litchfield, Staffordshire. Alongside growing British berries like strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, the farm grows other crops like cherries and asparagus, which are sold all over the UK.

Kateryna first arrived in the UK in 2020, aged 23, after finishing her degree in Agronomy at Sumy National Agrarian University in Ukraine. After working on other farms in Sweden and Germany, picking blackberries and lingonberries, the opportunity came up through her university to work in the UK. Kateryna jumped at the chance.

As she explained: “When I first heard about the opportunity to go to England, it seemed almost impossible. For us Ukrainians, a country like England had long existed only in books and movies”

When Kateryna came to the UK as part of the Seasonal Workers Scheme. That meant she was here for a few months over the British berry season to help pick and pack the berries before returning to Ukraine at the end of the season.

Despite only intending to stay for one season, Kateryna fell in love with the work and the UK and returned for another five harvest seasons.

Kateryna also shared news of her work in the UK with her friends and her boyfriend back home. She told them about the work that she was doing and how enjoyable it was. This inspired many of them to apply and secure jobs for the following season. When they arrived on the farm, Kateryna was able to pass on all her experience, giving them a head start before their first season began.

Kateryn and her friends were all warmly welcomed by the farm’s management. They also settled well into the close-knit community of other seasonal workers who had travelled from across Europe to work on the farm.

The early days were a learning curve for everyone, but with support from the farm, Kateryna quickly developed the skills she needed. Blueberry picking required speed and accuracy to meet targets. But Kateryna adapted quickly. As she honed her skills, she quickly became part of a top-performing picking team.

While living in a new country for several months, and starting a new job was sometimes challenging, being able to work and live on the farm with her friends made the transition significantly easier. Not only this, but the strong community on the farm and activities like BBQs, birthday parties and sports, meant that Kateryna became close friends with other people who had travelled to the farm from all over Europe.

Kateryna built her confidence and skillset over the season, getting faster and more efficient, which meant she was earning more and more money. During her first season on the farm, Kateryna worked as a picker. In addition to receiving the national living wage, she had the opportunity to increase her earnings through performance-related pay.

Her salary from the farm allowed her to travel around the UK and explore. Over the years, Kateryna visited London frequently, somewhere she had always dreamed of seeing, as well as exploring other parts of the UK, including Manchester.

In 2022, everything changed. War broke out in Ukraine, reshaping Kateryna’s life and the lives of millions. Through the UK’s Homes for Ukraine scheme, she was able to return to England with her sister and continue working at New Farm Produce. This was a difficult decision but she knew that working during harvest in the UK would enable her to support her family back home. With other seasonal workers coming over from Ukraine at the same time, she was also able to stay connected to her community.

“The 2022 season was emotionally very difficult, I constantly worried about my home, my family and my country”, said Kateryna. “But working on the farm over the summer gave me the opportunity to support my family, achieve my dreams and start to build a new life,” she added.

The work that Kateryna was doing in the UK allowed her to send money back to her father in Ukraine. She explained that in Ukraine, pensions are small – only about £100 per month – so some of the money she makes from the farm is helping support her father back home.

Last year, Kateryna returned to New Farm Produce as a raspberry supervisor, where she is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of a raspberry production, maintaining high fruit quality, and leading the team throughout the peak harvest period over the summer.

This new position allowed her to demonstrate her growth and leadership skills, and having worked her way up from being a picker to a supervisor, she knew how the process worked inside and out.

As she prepares for the 2026 season, Kateryna reflects on how New Farm Produce has been more than just a workplace; it has been a catalyst for her personal and professional growth.

Kateryna said: “I have grown a lot as a person, found friends from different countries, received strong support from management, and gained incredible life and professional experience”

Working at New Farm Produce as part of the Seasonal Worker Scheme has been a life-changing experience for her, and she encourages anyone seeking a meaningful opportunity to join the team: “Is it worth coming to work at places like New Farm? 100% yes.”