How to become A Farm Manager

Farm Managers invest in agriculture - the most sustainable weapon against hunger and poverty. They make life better for billions of people by ensuring the smooth running of a farm or estate through seamless operations and sound business decisions.

• Agricultural Manager

What do Farm Managers do?

A Farm Manager would typically need to:

• Work with animal, dairy, or crop production or a combination of the three; supervise all steps of the crop production and the ranging process, including planting, fertilizing, harvesting, and herding
• Determine how to raise crops or livestock by evaluating factors such as market conditions, disease, soil conditions, and the availability of government programs
• Implement strategies for maximum yield; use different techniques to protect the farm from unpredictable changes in the market
• Apply for funding, if appropriate; negotiate with banks and other credit lenders to get financing to buy seed, livestock, and equipment; maintain farm facilities, such as water pipes, hoses, fences, and animal shelters
• Select and purchase supplies, such as seed, fertilizers, and farm machinery; ensure repair, maintenance, and replacement of all farm buildings as well as machinery and equipment
• Adapt their duties to the seasons, weather conditions, or a crop’s growing cycle; decide how to store, transport, and sell crops
• Ensure products are ready for deadlines, such as auctions and markets; serve as the sales agent for livestock, crops, and dairy products
• Monitor the constantly changing prices for their products; maintain relationships with vendors and clients to ensure maximum profitability to the farm
• Ensure that farm activities comply with government regulations; apply health and safety standards across the farm estate; protect the environment and maintain biodiversity
• Monitor animal health and welfare, including liaising with vets; keep pace with knowledge of pests and diseases, how they spread, and how to treat them
• Analyze existing operations, crops, livestock, staff, and financial documents; recommend suitable improvements
• Plan activities for trainee staff; mentor and monitor them
• Record financial, tax, production, and employee information; advertise and market the farm products or the farm
• Build professional networks; keep abreast of developments in agricultural science

Although much of the work can be office-based, some work-related activities need to be carried out outdoors and are thereby highly dependent on the weather. The time spent indoors is used to address the business’s administrative side, including conducting internet research and reviewing and paying bills.

As farms and the methods employed on each become more complex, many Farm Managers use computers to track financial and inventory records. They use computer databases to manage breeding or production on the farm.

You may spend some time traveling to participate in farmers' markets, conferences, and workshops. Where farming companies and growers have interests abroad, there may be opportunities to work overseas.

There is a wide variety of ways that Farm Managers dress, but the bottom line is being prepared for anything. Your clothes may get ruined, so the budget is typically pretty low for everyday clothes. Farm Managers wear older stuff, hand-me-downs, or shirts that agribusinesses have passed out at some point.

You should be prepared for an element of isolation, although many farming communities have a vibrant social life.

Most managers work full time. You will be on call day and night, seven days a week. The work pattern on farms is seasonally influenced; 16-hour workdays during harvesting and lambing are common. Managers who oversee several farms may divide their time between traveling to meet farmers and landowners and staying in their offices to plan farm operations.

Farm Managers on crop farms usually work from sunrise to sunset during the planting and harvesting seasons. During the rest of the year, they plan the next season’s crops, market their output, and repair and maintain machinery. Some work more than 40 hours per week.

On livestock-producing farms and ranches, work goes on throughout the year as animals must be fed and cared for every day.

On large farms, Farm Managers meet with farm supervisors and farm owners during the workweek, discussing any problems that arise, and offering solutions and well thought out plans of execution.

Vacancies for the position of Farm Manager are typically advertised by specialist recruitment agencies, in local newspapers and trade publications, both online and in print.

Farm Managers are generally employed by:

• Large Estates
• Agricultural Colleges
• Scientific Research Institutes
• Government Departments for Food/Environment/Agriculture/Rural Affairs
• Large Food Production Companies
• Small Farms
• Fresh Produce Companies
• Farm Management Consultancy Companies

Professional associations and organizations are critical for Farm Managers interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. Membership in one or more adds value to your resume while bolstering your credentials and qualifications.

• Highly stressful work due to uncontrollable factors; difficulty in long-term forecasting due to fluctuations in market prices
• A hazardous work environment involving the presence and use of tractors, tools, and other farm machinery
• Strenuous and tiring work extending over long hours in all kinds of weather conditions; rare days off between the planting and harvesting seasons; the need to work from sunrise to sunset during planting and harvesting seasons; an element of isolation possible
• The need to handle chemicals properly to safeguard the surrounding environment and avoid accidents

Practical knowledge of and experience in hands-on farming are as important as academic qualifications; management experience would be an asset as well; some employers may appoint you based on your experience alone. A sandwich course, vacation work, or a gap-year placement may help gain this experience. Some professional organizations offer work experience and training schemes to students and fresh graduates.

Prospective Farm Managers typically work as agricultural workers for several years; they gain the knowledge and experience needed to operate their own farm or switch to management. Some of them may grow up on a family farm and learn that way.

The amount of experience needed varies with the complexity of the work and the size of the farm. Those with post-secondary education in agriculture may not require previous work experience.

Universities and various government programs furnish prospective Farm Managers with viable alternatives to growing up or working on a farm. A good organization for arranging work experience abroad is the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF).

A high school diploma is a prerequisite for aspiring Farm Managers. As farm and land management grow more complex and costly, Farm Managers are increasingly in need of post-secondary education: an associate degree or a bachelor’s degree in agriculture, agricultural engineering, crop management, farm business, horticulture, animal science, or land/estate management will prove invaluable.

All government university systems have at least one land-grant college or university with a school of agriculture. Standard programs of study include business (with a concentration in agriculture), plant breeding, farm management, agronomy, dairy science, and agricultural economics.

Several government programs help new farmers get an education in farming. These programs may provide financial assistance for land and capital, finalize a business plan, and assist with conservation planning.

Farm Managers may choose to become certified to show competency in their chosen field. Additional certification in business management or administration is recommended. A valid driving license is an essential prerequisite.

Fresh recruits can expect to begin as an assistant to the current Farm Manager or manage a subsidiary enterprise, such as a dairy unit. With experience, you can progress to more responsibility and management. Eventually, you could be responsible for overseeing the work of several farms, all specializing in different aspects of farming - a dairy herd, potato production, or poultry.

Most farms are focused on a single activity, so you may choose to move from one farm to another to gain a broad range of experience. Different areas of the country specialize in different product types, as the climate and soil determine what grows best in a particular area.

A move into other areas may also be possible; this could be advisory work for government departments or consultancy work where you would give guidance and advice to farmers and managers. Lecturing on agriculture in further and higher education institutions is another option.

There are also opportunities for Farm Managers and assistant Farm Managers with experience and appropriate higher-level qualifications to work in Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Canada, Europe, and Russia as opportunities develop. Signing up with volunteer organizations to work in developing countries is yet another option.

Prospective Farm Managers may face stiff competition in the job market. Some job opportunities will arise from the retirement of older workers. Individuals with experience and an inclination to work outdoors will have the best job prospects.

If you enroll in a management trainee scheme, your training will be structured and comprehensive. In other situations, it will mainly be on the job.

Various external courses help with initial training aid continuing professional development (CPD). Farm Managers need to stay abreast of the latest legislation and technology. Regional and national courses relevant to farm management may cover farm conservation, animal health, welfare, bookkeeping, tax, and coaching for farming businesses.

Some government schemes provide funding, advice, and information for Farm Managers interested in the effective environmental management of their land.

It also helps to become a member of a professional body that may offer you good networking opportunities, knowledge of the latest developments in agricultural science, conferences, and trade press.

Another way to gain experience is to get a post-secondary education. Modern farming requires increasingly complex knowledge about the scientific, financial, and business side of the industry. Completing a two-year associate's degree or a four-year bachelor's degree in agriculture is becoming increasingly popular with Farm Managers.

Further education towards an MSc or a PhD in relevant areas is recommended if you want to follow the academic route towards research or teaching posts, rather than farm management.

Farm Managers operate establishments that produce crops, livestock, and dairy products. They take care of one or more farms, ranches, nurseries, timber tracts, greenhouses, and other agricultural establishments for corporations, farmers, and owners who do not live and work on their farm or ranch.

Seasonal labor can reduce your direct involvement in the day-to-day work on the farm. It can also be possible to build up a management team with different people offering advisory and consultancy inputs to lighten the load. There are many types of farms that a Farm Manager might be in charge of running.

Crop farms

This type of farm specializes in growing cultivated plants mainly harvested for food, clothing, and fuel. Typical crops include grain, cotton, fruit, and vegetables. Horticulture A Farm Manager on this kind of farm oversees the production of ornamental plants and nursery products such as flowers, shrubbery, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and herbs.

Aquaculture Farms

Farm Managers on these farms raise organisms like fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and aquatic plants. The breeding environment could be marine, brackish, or freshwater.

Livestock Farms

These farms raise domesticated animals for labor or produce commodities such as fiber and food. Some farms may specialize in one or multiple kinds of livestock. Some of the more common livestock farms include cows, chickens, sheep, pigs, goats, and horses.

Marketing and Business Acumen

Regardless of the type of farm they work on, Farm Managers must all be able to sell the farm's produce to a food distributor and market the product(s) for the farm to earn a steady income. It requires some marketing and business knowledge.

A Range of Experience

Most farms specialize in one or two areas such as crop production or dairy cattle, so it may be necessary to change jobs regularly to gain a range of experience. A Farm Manager’s duties vary depending on the type of farming practices employed.

Collective Farming

It involves various types of agricultural production taking place within the same property. Independent farms engage jointly with farming activities. It is also known as communal farming.

Factory Farming

It focuses on raising livestock such as cattle, poultry, and fish at higher densities rather than traditional agriculture. The purpose is to produce the largest possible amount of meat, milk, or eggs possible, often pushing animals to their limits and using chemicals and hormones to increase production. It is controversial whether such farming is sustainable or ethical.

Organic Farming

Diametrically opposite to factory farming, it relies on crop rotation, green manure, compost, and biological pest control. Despite varying definitions of “organic,” the main idea is to grow and raise food and animals in the most natural and ethical ways possible.

Multi-Crop Farming

It is the practice of growing more than one type of crop in the same space during a growing season. Vegetable gardens on small properties are a small-scale example. Specific strategies are used. For example, marigolds are planted beside tomatoes to ward off some pests that tomatoes attract.

Vertical Farming

It is a relatively new form of farming that grows plants within skyscraper greenhouses or on vertical surfaces. It takes up less land as the plants use vertical instead of horizontal space.

Greenhouse Farming

It uses greenhouses to cultivate plants in an enclosed space, allowing greater control over the environment of the plants. The greenhouses capture natural sunlight and store the heat within the structure to keep delicate plant life alive. The closed environment has its unique management requirements when compared to outdoor crops.

Ways to Supplement Farm Income

When supplementary farm income is needed, other activities may be useful: e.g., running a bed and breakfast or holiday rentals, field sports and off-roading, wind power generation, specialty herds such as llamas and alpacas, farm shops selling the farm's own as well as other locally-sourced produce, creating fishing lakes, horse trials, livery stables & riding schools, worm farming, and processing farm products, e.g., vegetables or cold-pressed oils.

Sweet Fruits of Labor

While work on the farm can be tiring and stressful, it also offers a satisfying lifestyle, where a Farm Manager can work outdoors in nature and see the fruits of his labor.

More and more farm equipment now comes pre-packed with software and data analysis tools to enable the adoption of precision farm practices.

Farm Managers strive to leave the land in a better condition than when they found it. They want to create more value using fewer resources, thus reducing the impact on the environment.

Competent knowledge, a judicious work ethic, and a continually evolving rural culture are tools that exemplary Farm Managers bring to their workplace. We are not talking here about “job training” but rather about an artist’s lifelong education, the wisdom that comes from unceasing attention and practice.