Career change

[Ffermer Bach]

Sheep would be a lower entry cost for you

You can build a flock and capital base

Where you are I’d be looking (eventually) at farming arable farmers looking for a hands off green manure
as opposed to chasing grazing grass that everyone chases

my son was just saying he same, asking if I remembered the name of the fellow who was grazing his sheep on his girlfriends fathers farm (who spoke at Groundswell). So seems a good plan, long term.

 

[Strangelybrown]

To those who farm part time around other careers, do you rent livestock land near to your home and then go there in mornings, evenings and weekends?

 

[Yale]

To those who farm part time around other careers, do you rent livestock land near to your home and then go there in mornings, evenings and weekends?

That’s what some do.

Work out what your objective and market is then structure your enterprise backwards.

Don‘t end up just keeping pets.

 

[The Seeker]

Lots of good jobs about as long as you dont want to be the "the boss" driving around pointing on the telephone, still never sure why everyone wants that job. lots of farms can offer long-term employment and a nice house in a nice location as long as you can bring smoothing to the table. id suggest you work a year in the industry then look to doing a degree to give you "qualifications " dont feel the need to put sling in the game just yet, find to if its really for you first

 

[DRC]

This estate in north Shropshire is often looking for people.

Jobs | Sansaw

sansaw.co.uk

 

[toquark]

To those who farm part time around other careers, do you rent livestock land near to your home and then go there in mornings, evenings and weekends?

Yes. Plus worked and saved like mad for 15 years to buy a holding. Farming is part time alongside an estate management day job, but it’s the time of the day that I spend working for me.

As others have suggested, get in tow with a local farmer who you can learn from. Ideally one with no heritable heirs

 

[Strangelybrown]

Thanks again everyone. Once uni exams and assignments are out of the way I'll seek employment on a farm so I can decide whether to pursue farming as my full time occupation or a profitable side venture (or just stick to reading about it in books!)

I will definitely look into the links that people have posted here

 

[Lackey]

To add my tuppence worth - I've no background in farming, had never really been on a farm until my early 40's. Moved to Cumbria with husband and kids, ended up next door to a (now) long suffering farmer (@pine_guy), who I made food for / got drunk and managed to persuade to let me volunteer for him for a few hours, which built up to a few days, which turned into me getting a part time spring calf rearing job at another farm, as well as doing a lambing season (when I was far too inexperienced for it, both best and worst experience ever), then got another part time calf rearing job for AYR herd, and carried on working with my friend at his farm. I now work full time on a spring calving dairy farm, when the calves are here that's my main role, at the minute I'm a general farm worker doing all that entails. I'm a 45 year old female, spent over 20years doing office based work, and the last 3.5 years building experience to get to where I am now. It's not easy, you need to be thick skinned, happy to work long hours, deal with bad days as well as good days, accept you'll never know it all (i barely know any of it but am happy to admit it), be willing to learn from others, always want to do the best job you can - if you work with livestock they are living creatures and should be treated well - they are as much, if not more, a part of the team than the staff are, and finally, as a farmer once warned me "it's not glamorous". But I think it's the best job in the world, my biggest regret is not having had the opportunity when I was your age and at least once a day, most days, almost pinch myself because I can't believe I do the job I do.

 

[ollie989898]

In light of the above, I wonder if it might be better to accept a job as an unskilled person and actually earn money rather than volunteer? As you will be better recognised and accepted by farmers??

I would consider putting an advert in the back of farmers weekly and certainly in the local paper.

 

[Tarw Coch]

I would consider putting an advert in the back of farmers weekly and certainly in the local paper.

Local paper maybe, I’d forget farmers weekly but in this day and age social media is the place to go.
Did the OP say they were based in Shropshire?
If so there’s a Facebook group Shropshire farmers and contractors, I think there’s another that’s tried to piggyback it too, Shropshire farmers and smalhelpers, if I think of more I will add them.
It could be Shropshire farmers, contractors and smallholders
Just found a north Shropshire and borders small holders group too...............don’t think I’ll bother looking for any more, just about everyone on here is more tech savvy than me so if I can find them I’m sure the OP can.

 

[Strangelybrown]

Local paper maybe, I’d forget farmers weekly but in this day and age social media is the place to go.
Did the OP say they were based in Shropshire?
If so there’s a Facebook group Shropshire farmers and contractors, I think there’s another that’s tried to piggyback it too, Shropshire farmers and smalhelpers, if I think of more I will add them.
It could be Shropshire farmers, contractors and smallholders
Just found a north Shropshire and borders small holders group too...............don’t think I’ll bother looking for any more, just about everyone on here is more tech savvy than me so if I can find them I’m sure the OP can.

Yep just found the Shropshire farmers and contractors group, as well as a few others. Thanks for your help!

 

[Strangelybrown]

To add my tuppence worth - I've no background in farming, had never really been on a farm until my early 40's. Moved to Cumbria with husband and kids, ended up next door to a (now) long suffering farmer (@pine_guy), who I made food for / got drunk and managed to persuade to let me volunteer for him for a few hours, which built up to a few days, which turned into me getting a part time spring calf rearing job at another farm, as well as doing a lambing season (when I was far too inexperienced for it, both best and worst experience ever), then got another part time calf rearing job for AYR herd, and carried on working with my friend at his farm. I now work full time on a spring calving dairy farm, when the calves are here that's my main role, at the minute I'm a general farm worker doing all that entails. I'm a 45 year old female, spent over 20years doing office based work, and the last 3.5 years building experience to get to where I am now. It's not easy, you need to be thick skinned, happy to work long hours, deal with bad days as well as good days, accept you'll never know it all (i barely know any of it but am happy to admit it), be willing to learn from others, always want to do the best job you can - if you work with livestock they are living creatures and should be treated well - they are as much, if not more, a part of the team than the staff are, and finally, as a farmer once warned me "it's not glamorous". But I think it's the best job in the world, my biggest regret is not having had the opportunity when I was your age and at least once a day, most days, almost pinch myself because I can't believe I do the job I do.

It's great to hear stories such as yours and others mentioned in this thread, where people have got into farming from a non agricultural background. It gives me inspiration to know that with some hard work (and some good luck) it can be done and a living can be made, whether as a full time or part time venture.

How did you find the transition to farming whilst also trying to balance family commitments? One of my concerns is not having enough time to spend with the family, especially in the early years when you're trying to make a name for yourself. Is it possible to work relatively sociable hours outside of the busy periods like lambing, or do you have to be at the beck and call of your employer?

 

[Lackey]

It's great to hear stories such as yours and others mentioned in this thread, where people have got into farming from a non agricultural background. It gives me inspiration to know that with some hard work (and some good luck) it can be done and a living can be made, whether as a full time or part time venture.

How did you find the transition to farming whilst also trying to balance family commitments? One of my concerns is not having enough time to spend with the family, especially in the early years when you're trying to make a name for yourself. Is it possible to work relatively sociable hours outside of the busy periods like lambing, or do you have to be at the beck and call of your employer?

In the very early days, when I was just helping out, most of the work I did was when the kids were at school and OH at work. When I took proper jobs then I chose the hours I would work as I was self employed. Now I'm working full time then obviously there is less flexibility and so I see the family less than when I was a stay at home mum, but I'm not convinced I see them less than if I had a full time office job. The job can be worked relatively flexibly, there are quieter times as well as busy times, and the real bonus is in holidays or weekends I can take the family to work with me and they can either walk the dogs farm whilst I work, or help me push up feed or do other little jobs.

 

[ollie989898]

The fact remains that only a lucky few are going to find a simple 9-5 job that pays 50K a year when they are in their 20's. Unfortunately there is a big demand for people who know how to graft and this means some inevitable sacrifice.

Arguably those working for a steady employer in agriculture will be able to provide a good family life because their job, although intense in hours, may come with a house or package (often a vehicle even) that will mean family life, in a village or small town and close to primary schools and other amenities makes up for the fact Daddy isn't at home in peak periods.

 

[Lackey]

The fact remains that only a lucky few are going to find a simple 9-5 job that pays 50K a year when they are in their 20's. Unfortunately there is a big demand for people who know how to graft and this means some inevitable sacrifice.

Arguably those working for a steady employer in agriculture will be able to provide a good family life because their job, although intense in hours, may come with a house or package (often a vehicle even) that will mean family life, in a village or small town and close to primary schools and other amenities makes up for the fact Daddy isn't at home in peak periods.

Mummy in this case. But definitely, we live in an amazing part of the country, our children have an upbringing not dissimilar to that of Enid Blyton characters (less midnight feasts, more technology), they get to feed lambs and calves, and play on bales, paddle in rivers and make dens in woods. When friends come to visit (when they used to be allowed, before 2020 went rogue) they always say how lucky we are.
It really is idyllic, and we take it all a bit for granted after only 4 years of it being our normal.

 

[Cows 'n grass]

What's your location? As @AI R has said there will be some work locally to you to get you started.
Like you, I was outside the industry untill mid/late 20s. Took part time work relief milking before taking the plunge to a full time job. 28 years later, I am now 3 farm jobs and 4 farm tenancies further on. No regrets!
Forget the RAU farm management stuff. If you're good, then opportunities (both for work and training) will come your way.
Good luck!

I always thought I knew you you were (H.D) but im guessing you must be the previous generation?

 

[Formatted]

RAU offers a Graduate Certificate in Agriculture

I did the Grad Cert, plenty of people in my year have gone onto farm management roles, generally in large farms but no reason why in a few years they couldn't be the sole manager on a small farm and in the future move to a bigger operation. Well worth doing, you can sign up a couple of extra modules as well if you fancy sitting in on the lectures

 

[Bury the Trash]

Once again thank you everyone for the replies and great advice. I have no desire to take part in mass scale farming, so gaining a few years of hands on experience before building a small enterprise does sound ideal.

@ajcc is there any reason in particular you say that? Honest feedback is appreciated.

Those sheep farming personalities you mention both have had an entry route into the positions they now have remember, and part of their living comes from elsewhere also.
Sheep farming, like all farming is not an easy way to make money especially establishing building numbers.(that are all yours not share type arrangements )
Loving the idea of it is all right as long as that morphs into a more sustainable interest than just a 'honeymoon period'
Thats not to say it isn't possible.

 

[Strangelybrown]

Those sheep farming personalities you mention both have had an entry route into the positions they now have remember, and part of their living comes from elsewhere also.
Sheep farming, like all farming is not an easy way to make money especially establishing building numbers.(that are all yours not share type arrangements )
Loving the idea of it is all right as long as that morphs into a more sustainable interest than just a 'honeymoon period'
Thats not to say it isn't possible.

I agree that at the moment I am full of enthusiasm and do love the idea of the lifestyle and the job. Like @Lackey and @onesiedale did I'll just have to get started in the industry, accept that things will be tough to start with and see if it truly is for me.

 

[Bury the Trash]

I agree that at the moment I am full of enthusiasm and do love the idea of the lifestyle and the job. Like @Lackey and @onesiedale did I'll just have to get started in the industry, accept that things will be tough to start with and see if it truly is for me.

The correct (crude ) terminology could be....., jfdi