Really interested in farming but not from a farming background

Emj123

Hi there, I've been interested in farming from a young age and I have always wanted to get into farming. I'm a 15 year old girl and I am not from a farming background. I am looking for someone to point me in the right direction to getting into the farming industry. Thanks in advance.

Floki

What are you interested in?

The growing of crops, veg or animal husbandry?

If it's animal husbandry you can't go wrong with studying to become a vet.
You could branch out into something else after (if you wanted) with those qualifications.

Emj123

Floki wrote: »

What are you interested in?

The growing of crops, veg or animal husbandry?

If it's animal husbandry you can't go wrong with studying to become a vet.
You could branch out into something else after (if you wanted) with those qualifications.

Thanks for replying. I'm not too interested in becoming a vet. More so looking to do a bit of farm work on a mixed farm

Floki

Marry a farmer so..;)

If I was your parent I'd say try and get a well paid job. Working on a mixed farm wouldn't be the best paying of jobs.

BUT. If you really want to pursue this line of employment/vocation look into doing the ag course in ucd (or kildalton) and maybe training to be a farm manager.
I went to kildalton ag college and there were 3 women out of 80 in that year.
One of them manages a very large dairy herd in Waterford with 3 workers underneath her and she afaik had no farm or land behind her.

Odelay

Emj123 wrote: »

Thanks for replying. I'm not too interested in becoming a vet. More so looking to do a bit of farm work on a mixed farm

Are you living in a town or the country? Sounds like you need a couple of Saturdays working on a farm, doing essential jobs like standing in a gap when moving cattle:) only joking, but it can be a very important job!!
How about asking in the local farm coop to talk to the manager if they know of a suitable farmer to spend Saturdays with? Send him an email? As you're 15 I wouldn't ask the lads at the counter, who knows where they would send you!

Waffletraktor

I'd say get out of ireland if you want a future and haven't/aren't due to be handed a golden spoon. And plenty can't even do that.
To expensive to purchase without something else to supoort it and not realy worth while renting without owned land to subsidise. Most jobs are to milk cows.

Timmaay

If your interested in livestock, there is a boom and a big labour shortage in the dairy sector at the minute. As others said go find yourself some work experience on 2 or 3 local farms over the next year or so (most preferably not on farms with cranky old negative farmers running the place ha), if your still properly interested then look at an agricultural college place (can be as short as 2 years to get your green cert, but likes of an IT or university course would be 3 or 4).

The lack of a farming background, or any land etc certainly wouldn't hold you back in the dairy industry at the minute, plenty of opportunity out there at the minute to get into shared farming and buildup yourown herd of cows etc. Far from the easiest job in the world, but for me beats the socks off some crap financial office job in the city with a 3 hr commute etc.

Emj123

Odelay wrote: »

Are you living in a town or the country? Sounds like you need a couple of Saturdays working on a farm, doing essential jobs like standing in a gap when moving cattle:) only joking, but it can be a very important job!!
How about asking in the local farm coop to talk to the manager if they know of a suitable farmer to spend Saturdays with? Send him an email? As you're 15 I wouldn't ask the lads at the counter, who knows where they would send you!

Hey there , unfortunately i am living in the town so I wouldn't know of the nearest farmers in the area or how to get in contact with them

Wildsurfer

Waffletraktor wrote: »

I'd say get out of ireland if you want a future and haven't/aren't due to be handed a golden spoon. And plenty can't even do that.
To expensive to purchase without something else to supoort it and not realy worth while renting without owned land to subsidise. Most jobs are to milk cows.

You're getting a bit ahead of yourself, did you read her op? She's 15!

Wildsurfer

Emj123 wrote: »

Hey there , unfortunately i am living in the town so I wouldn't know of the nearest farmers in the area or how to get in contact with them

I know of a few farmers who take in students for a few hours a week as part of their work experience in transition year, would this be a possibility? Could your careers guidance teacher help? One lad then went on to work weekends with same farmer. Or else contact a local Teagasc office and look for an advisor in area you are interested in. I'm sure he would find you a suitable farmer who wouldn't mind taking you on. You just need to think outside the box, there will be many oppurtunities for young people in the industry in the years to come. Best of luck.

august12

Emj123 wrote:

Hey there , unfortunately i am living in the town so I wouldn't know of the nearest farmers in the area or how to get in contact with them

Transition is a good year to get some experience here, try to get into a local veterinary practice as work experience on condition you can get out to farms with the vet. This might lead to the possibility of getting some hours on a farm as well. Also, consider doing ag science for leaving cert, you will need access to a farm for your project. Good suggestion here about contacting Teagasc.

Waffletraktor

Wildsurfer wrote: »

You're getting a bit ahead of yourself, did you read her op? She's 15!

What did i say that was wrong?

Emj123

Wildsurfer wrote: »

I know of a few farmers who take in students for a few hours a week as part of their work experience in transition year, would this be a possibility? Could your careers guidance teacher help? One lad then went on to work weekends with same farmer. Or else contact a local Teagasc office and look for an advisor in area you are interested in. I'm sure he would find you a suitable farmer who wouldn't mind taking you on. You just need to think outside the box, there will be many oppurtunities for young people in the industry in the years to come. Best of luck.

Thanks for your message! I will not be doing transition year as im already doing a trainee jockey course next year its just that im very interested in farming and would like to work maybe a few hours a week or for a farmer to take me on and show me the ropes!

Emj123

Hi there, I have been interested in dairy farming from a young age and I have always wanted to do a bit of part time work on a farm. I come from a riding background and have been working with horses since I was 4. I am 15 and still in school. I don't live in the country. I would like a farmer to take me on and show me the ropes. All advice taken on board. Thanks in advance

Siamsa Sessions

Emj123 wrote: »

Hi there, I have been interested in dairy farming from a young age and I have always wanted to do a bit of part time work on a farm. I come from a riding background and have been working with horses since I was 4. I am 15 and still in school. I don't live in the country. I would like a farmer to take me on and show me the ropes. All advice taken on board. Thanks in advance

Fair play to you for taking the initiative. Could you use any contacts from the equine side of the world to get a few hours at the weekend on some dairy farm near the stables?

To be honest, I’m not sure if boards.ie is the best place to look for a part-time job, especially if you’re under 16.

carrollsno1

Surely with the labour shortage at the moment a careeers guidance teacher could contact the FRS to get you to do a bit of time with them over the year.
Main thing to remember with farming is to leave your feelings at the door when your sorting cattle with a farmer

kk.man

Emj123 wrote: »

Hi there, I have been interested in dairy farming from a young age and I have always wanted to do a bit of part time work on a farm. I come from a riding background and have been working with horses since I was 4. I am 15 and still in school. I don't live in the country. I would like a farmer to take me on and show me the ropes. All advice taken on board. Thanks in advance

I thought the horsey folk were making more money that us 'poor ejits'

Dakota Dan

kk.man wrote: »

I thought the horsey folk were making more money that us 'poor ejits'

Tell me more, a good horse only comes once in a blue moon. Betting on horses is like trying to make money by saving it in the bank:(:(

kk.man

Dakota Dan wrote: »

kk.man wrote: »

I thought the horsey folk were making more money that us 'poor ejits'

Tell me more, a good horse only comes once in a blue moon. Betting on horses is like trying to make money by saving it in the bank:(:(

They be a few around me who would look down their nose at you...behind it all the don't couldn't afford a seat for their pants.

kk.man

Sorry OP not directed at you. Best of luck n nice to see the interest.
Don't mind me on my rant.

Emj123

Hi there, I have been interested in dairy farming from a young age and I have always wanted to do a bit of part time work on a farm. I come from a riding background and have been working with horses since I was 4. I am 15 and still in school. I don't live in the country. I would like a farmer to take me on and show me the ropes. All advice taken on board. Thanks in advance

Buford T. Justice XIX

Mod note: Hi emj123, I've merged your 3 threads so you can keep the responses together. If you're having difficulty finding this thread in the future, drop me or one of the other mods a PM and we can show you how to find it.

Regards,

Buford T. Justice.