How to Become a Farmer

Farming is one of the oldest professions on the planet. It’s an essential job that allows us to produce our own food and resources. Although farming is a tough job, it can be extremely rewarding, and many people are still interested in careers in farming in the modern day. With greater opportunities for freedom and the opportunity to play an important role in society, many young people want to know how to become a farmer in the modern world.

In this blog, we’ll guide you through the steps on how to get into farming, the skills and qualifications you need, and your daily responsibilities.

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Before you start researching how to become a farmer, you need to understand what farming entails and if you think this career is right for you. Farming involves a lot of physical labour, caring for living crops and animals, and your success as a farmer depends heavily on weather conditions, disease control and market prices.

While this job isn’t for the faint of heart, it can also prove to be incredibly rewarding. You’ll become an important part of the local community, care for animals and contribute to the UK economy with your own produce.

Understand Farmers' Jobs and Responsibilities

There are so many different jobs you’re responsible for as a farmer. While each area of farming has a different set of responsibilities, down below are the more generalised tasks you can expect to carry out if you decide to become a farmer.

Caring for Livestock

If you’re a livestock farmer, you’ll have to look after many different animals. You will need to feed, house and care for them and ensure they stay in good health. You’ll also need to be on hand to help cattle give birth and care for their calves. You’re also required to provide vaccinations and wear the correct PPE, like farming gloves, to prevent the spread of disease.

If your animals are being bred for their milk or meat, you will also be responsible for milking cows, ethically raising livestock, and strict animal welfare standards.

Manage Machinery, Vehicles and Equipment

Planting and harvesting crops across acres of land isn’t something that can be done manually, and machinery is essential for this job. You’ll be required to operate tractors, harvesters and transport your produce to and from markets or other areas of your farm.

Not only will you need a driving licence as a must-have for farmwork, but you’ll also need to be qualified to operate heavy-duty agricultural machinery. You’ll also need the skills to maintain specialist machines and keep appliances in full working condition.

Ensuring you have all the equipment and accessories you need for your daily tasks is also your responsibility. You’ll have to purchase all your machinery, equipment and uniform, like protective farm boots, to be fully prepared for every job.

Managing Produce and Crops

Planting your crops is easy, but keeping them alive and healthy is difficult. You’ll need to fertilise, monitor and protect your crops to secure your livelihood. You’ll be responsible for eradicating pests and preventing diseases, as well as quality inspection during harvesting season to ensure your crops are fit for consumption.

General Maintenance and Security

Just like how you’re responsible for daily chores and security in a standard home, a farmer also needs to maintain and secure the perimeter of their farm. The main difference is that you have acres of land and several buildings to keep in good shape. You’ll be required to fix fences, keep barns clean, and secure your farm by keeping livestock in and unwanted visitors out.

Why Become a Farmer?

Farming is a huge industry in the UK, with over 209,000 farms across Great Britain and 70% of the country’s total land area being used for agriculture. With so much land and opportunity to contribute to the UK economy, it makes sense that young people are interested in making the switch to farm life.

With the pressures of modern and urban life continuously increasing, escaping to the countryside has also become more appealing to the younger generation. Social media and the success of television shows like Clarkson’s Farm have also created a new interest in farming and present an image of a hectic but rewarding career.

Choose Your Type of Farming

Farming is often used as an umbrella term for anyone working in agriculture, but there are actually several different types of farming, each with a different purpose.

You can choose to be a livestock farmer, which involves raising and caring for animals classed as ‘livestock’. This can include chickens, sheep, cows and other cattle. Similar to this is dairy farming, where you’ll be looking after cattle but mainly for the production of milk, cheese, cream and other dairy products. This type of farming involves cows and sometimes goats.

If you want to focus on growing crops, you can choose arable farming. This is the formal name for a crop farmer and involves planting, harvesting and preparing a wide range of produce from wheat to fruit and vegetables.

If you’re passionate about the environment and the treatment of animals, you can specialise as an organic farmer growing crops or handling livestock. This farming is all about being sustainable, avoiding harmful chemicals, and providing cattle and livestock with suitable living conditions.

How to Find Jobs in Farming

It might seem difficult knowing where to start when searching for a farming job. However, you’ll be surprised to know that the hiring and application process is much the same as retail or office jobs

You can begin your search on job websites and apply as you usually would, or you can establish connections by volunteering at local farms or simply asking around if there are positions available.

If you have a degree or formal education in agriculture, your university or college may offer partnership schemes where you can find jobs or placements on farms across the country. Jobs in farming can be both seasonal and permanent, so you should also make it clear what position you’re looking for.

You can even find job sites specially dedicated to farming, like Farmers Weekly.

What Skills Do You Need for Farming?

As with every job, you need a wide skill set to be a successful farmer. Alongside knowledge and understanding of farming processes and techniques, you’ll also need some more general skills.

Fitness

This is something you can’t avoid when working on a farm. Daily tasks are strenuous and involve operating machinery, walking long distances across your land, and heavy lifting. If you want to get into farming but you’re not very active, you should focus on building up your endurance and strength before you begin. Remember that exercise doesn’t have to be a chore, and there are many outdoor hobbies to try that are entertaining while keeping you fit.

Good Communication

As a farmer, you’ll be communicating with a wide range of people daily. From visitors to customers and fellow farmers, you need to be adaptable to handle professional and casual conversations. You’ll also need to be clear, confident, and approachable to increase the chance of sales and form relationships with the local community.

Leadership

Although you won’t be the only person working on a farm, each member of staff has their own tasks and team to manage. You will need to effectively delegate tasks and ensure your farm is running smoothly across the board. If you decide to become a farm owner, you’ll be in charge of overseeing your entire team, and you’ll need to become a reliable and motivating authority figure.

Time Management and Organisation

There is a wide range of tasks to undertake on a farm, from admin to manual work. You’ll need to be great with time management and have effective organisation skills to ensure each task is prioritised and completed in a timely manner.

Final Factors to Consider When Becoming a Farmer

Farming is an ancient practice that has provided communities with produce and resources for thousands of years. As such, it’s important to honour and understand the traditions involved in farming.

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