How to find work on a farm!
- Thread starter Jcc48
- Start date
- Location
- Fife
Dress smart and knock on doors.
- Location
- Sedgefield
I’d suggest you Check out your local Ag college for Ag courses
Some do residential, some do day release
You’ll then get to mix with other farmers sons and aspiring farm workers
College may have jobs lined up ? Or experience jobs
And defo go visit all your local farms and talk to the farmer
Dress clean and smart
Not suit and tie or joggy bottoms
Ask them , be keen, show willing, be polite and if you get a toe in the door turn up, put your mobile phone away and be pleasant
Some do residential, some do day release
You’ll then get to mix with other farmers sons and aspiring farm workers
College may have jobs lined up ? Or experience jobs
And defo go visit all your local farms and talk to the farmer
Dress clean and smart
Not suit and tie or joggy bottoms
Ask them , be keen, show willing, be polite and if you get a toe in the door turn up, put your mobile phone away and be pleasant
- Location
- Carmarthenshire, West Wales
I remember a lecturer at Otley college telling me, he was from the centre of Norwich, and wanted to work in Ag, so he got on his bike and cycled round farms, when he got to farm 17 they said no we don't have any work, by the way how many farms have you cycled round? He said you are number 17. They then offered him a job and he stayed there for two or three years.
So, I would agree with the comments above.
So, I would agree with the comments above.
- Location
- Ceredigion
Go to a pub that's a farmers local and chat to a few , Mart is another place , if your happy and willing you will go far on the right place
- Location
- Glen Clova, Angus, DD8 4RD
What interests you? Farnsworth varies from shoveling Shiite out of pig pens and lose boxes via picking salads in the open all day to operating £250k of self propelled sprayer or combine. Each takes different skill sets and motivations and would need different approaches to gain employment.
Whatever you do want make sure you are punctual and helpful. If you operate kit or machines, take care in how you do it. If you look after livestock, likewise.
Where about are you? If you're in a livestock area and untested in that you're off work then talking to people at a market could be a good way in.
Whatever you do want make sure you are punctual and helpful. If you operate kit or machines, take care in how you do it. If you look after livestock, likewise.
Where about are you? If you're in a livestock area and untested in that you're off work then talking to people at a market could be a good way in.
- Location
- Cumbria
My guess is, if you turn up at an auction, and start chatting to farmers about a job, they'll look at you as if you've just landed from Mars.
However, personally visiting them and being open and honest may have positive results.
There is no shortage of Ag jobs, however many/most are full-time, and will require some basic skills, so a fresh faced 17 yo with no skills is going to have to show they have potential.
Reliability is key, good time keeping, a willingness to learn and a hunger for information and experience.
My advice is to also do a little research in advance on your prospective new employer, working for the wrong person at the start, could put you off for life. Thankfully, they are few, however a little time on Google, facebook etc could be time well spent.
However, personally visiting them and being open and honest may have positive results.
There is no shortage of Ag jobs, however many/most are full-time, and will require some basic skills, so a fresh faced 17 yo with no skills is going to have to show they have potential.
Reliability is key, good time keeping, a willingness to learn and a hunger for information and experience.
My advice is to also do a little research in advance on your prospective new employer, working for the wrong person at the start, could put you off for life. Thankfully, they are few, however a little time on Google, facebook etc could be time well spent.
Cab-over Pete
Member
- Location
- Kenilworth, Warwickshire
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
Showing you know how to use a broom or a shovel could be a good start! When I wanted to get some rabbit shooting, I'd turn up and pitch in if it was something requiring manual labour. The worst that can happen is to be told to do one and that's not lethal.
- Location
- Fife
Fear of rejection seems to cripple do many people unfortunately.
Always ask the prettiest girl to dance. If she says no you've lost nothing and there's plenty more!
kiwi pom
Member
- Location
- canterbury NZ
What type of farming and what kind of hours are you thinking when you say part time?
- Location
- West Wales
80 hours a week is part time to some
@Jcc48 what area?
I’ve trained a fair few up when I was in arable, but most had the very basics.
Last year I asked around the local town and put a lot of feelers out if anyone knew of anyone in the 17-24 category that would want work on a relatively laid back family farm etc etc, 1 person texted me and he was one person I would never employ, a true bad egg, wouldn’t have had him around the kids for a start.. The jobs are definitely out there as a cousin of mine said he’d take someone 2 days a week if I only had 4 days to occupy someone with.
- Location
- East Sussex
I have a lad at the moment with no previous farm experience.
He knocked on the door and as he was local and is going to ag college this Autumn I took him on at lambing time.
He was willing and not worried about shovelling sh*t.
He has finished his exams and is now working for the summer. He arrives on time and keeps going until we have finished. Genuinely is pleased to have a job. Doesn't look at his phone when working!!
He knocked on the door and as he was local and is going to ag college this Autumn I took him on at lambing time.
He was willing and not worried about shovelling sh*t.
He has finished his exams and is now working for the summer. He arrives on time and keeps going until we have finished. Genuinely is pleased to have a job. Doesn't look at his phone when working!!
I’m in the East Riding and it’s mainly arable with a few sheep farms.80 hours a week is part time to some
@Jcc48 what area?
I’ve trained a fair few up when I was in arable, but most had the very basics.
Last year I asked around the local town and put a lot of feelers out if anyone knew of anyone in the 17-24 category that would want work on a relatively laid back family farm etc etc, 1 person texted me and he was one person I would never employ, a true bad egg, wouldn’t have had him around the kids for a start.. The jobs are definitely out there as a cousin of mine said he’d take someone 2 days a week if I only had 4 days to occupy someone with.
There's lots of different farms in the East Riding of Yorkshire, what is your preferred area of agriculture?
I'm not too far from the ER, pm if you like
GeorgeK
Member
- Location
- Leicestershire
If the stories on here are to be believed turn up at an AD plant and they'll throw the keys of a 60k Fendt and 20t trailer at anyone with a pulse and a pair of sunglasses
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
I seem to remember from my youth that in the original story someone was asking for more than a dance. One girl asked, "If that's what you're asking, you must get an awful lot of rejections and face slappings!" "Yes", he replied, "But it's worth it for the ones who say yes!".
I just open my back door and it seems to be endless
- Location
- somerset
any young person keen to 'get' into farm work, needs encouraging, if they actually want to do some real 'grafting', rather than sit in a tractor, double the hourly rate, and be polite, they are few, and far between. We have had a few, over the years, ranging from the truly awful, to the good. The present one............. we have p/time, so only pay him for hours worked, he's what could be described as, a few pence short of a £1, he has 'back' problems, which don't get mentioned much here, as l have back problems, that are such, l am registered as disabled, and need two sticks, so that knocks most of that line out. He say's he can do xyz, which we have found, he can't, he gets offered odd temp jobs elsewhere, ie silageing, sheep shearing etc, drops us, and goes, the shearing, meant a week off after, with a bad back !!!!
If we could, we would find someone else, we can't, and have found 'limiting' his hours, to suit our workload, ie scraping the cubicles, strawing down, and loading/feeding out, 3 hours, in the morning, works well, any extra, a bonus. It's not deliberate, his actions, he just seems unable to realise, the consequences of his actions, for example, we help out a local silage team, with a tractor/driver, so, having done it before (?) off he went, he didn't know the name of the contractor, and very obviously hadn't. Quite enjoyed that rant, not quite on subject, but released some tension !!!!
If we could, we would find someone else, we can't, and have found 'limiting' his hours, to suit our workload, ie scraping the cubicles, strawing down, and loading/feeding out, 3 hours, in the morning, works well, any extra, a bonus. It's not deliberate, his actions, he just seems unable to realise, the consequences of his actions, for example, we help out a local silage team, with a tractor/driver, so, having done it before (?) off he went, he didn't know the name of the contractor, and very obviously hadn't. Quite enjoyed that rant, not quite on subject, but released some tension !!!!