•Tractor driving and operation (John Deere with some limited Fendt and New Holland experience): Smooth and efficient operation of large tractors; Driving on a range of public roads, including with 14t-18t trailers and several other large pieces of kit; The ability to reverse with a large trailer and conduct tight manoeuvres; Hitching to a trailer and a range of other machinery

•Basic telehandler operation, including on the road and usage of forks/pallet forks, grab, and small and large buckets

•Field work Basic experience of the following: Sub-soiling; Rolling; Spraying (via buggy and knapsack); Fertiliser spreading

•Day-to-day machinery and tractor maintenance, i.e., grease application, tyre pressure management, and carrying out basic repairs

•Farm and Estate management: Fencing; Tree planting; Roundup application; Waste management

•Some limited experience with chainsaw operation

•The operation of other key agricultural machinery: Buggy (Kabota); Quadbike; A range of 4x4s/trucks with trailers

•Foundational understanding of cereals and legumes, including rotational planning, the basics of day-to-day crop management, such as disease, fungal and pest control and nutrient management

•Basic understanding of soil types and the resulting impact on rotations and soil and crop management

•Working knowledge of modern cultivation techniques, including when and how they are applied, e.g. the use of direct drilling, alongside subsoiling, rolling and selective ploughing, discing and power harrowing, in conjunction with spray and fertiliser application

•Foundational knowledge of the key elements of running of a modern farm, including farm finance (e.g. SFI, cash-flow management, investment decisions), succession pressures and planning, and staffing, as well as balancing tradition and family farming with commercial realities

•Miking parlour operation (Westfalia EC 800) as part of a split herd system

•Diary, beef (including suckler for store and finished), herd care and management (Holstein, Blues, mixed, Angus, Belted Galloways): Feeding; Daily bedding changes; Scraping/mucking out; Calf Care

•A working-level understanding of best practise in the care of cattle, including:

oRegular bedding changes and the importance of ventilation within cattle sheds

oReducing and managing animal stress

oCalf rearing and feeding, including tagging, deworming, and fly control

oMineral, salt and nutrition intake

oIdentifying disease, illness and red flags among cattle with some knowledge of care and treatment, e.g. mastitis, ringworm, staggers, lameness, distressed behaviour, food and/or nutrition deficiencies

oBull MOTs and monitoring bull behaviour

•Foundational understanding of combinable crops for forage, including rotational planning, the basics of day-to-day crop management, such as disease, fungal and pest control and nutrition application

•Working knowledge of grass management for silage and grazing, e.g. nutrient management and application, the role of soil and grass types, and weed and mole control

•Basic understanding of slurry and manure management, including compliant storage and safe application as part of a wider nutrient management plan