- 2018 Dairy Farm

During the summer I worked at a local dairy farm, learning how to milk, bolus and calve. At times I did these duties with a child in-tow! I had to learn fast and on-the-go, working from 5am to 11pm some nights. This shows I can cope well with long days, and work hard.

-2015 to 2019 (traditional working farm)

I started here in 2015 volunteering on Sundays, doing simple tasks like cleaning out and assisting on bookings to schools and hospices. When I started college in 2016, I began working as a part-time staff member. This meant I was partially responsible for ensuring the animals went out every day and were happy and fed. I also began to do bookings to residential homes and nurseries by myself. For this, I needed good organisational skills and time management, along with the ability to communicate and deal with different people requiring different needs.

Once I left college in 2018, I started to work full time, taking on the role of shepherd. As well as the day-to-day farm responsibilities such as feeding, cleaning out and checking fields, I was also responsible for keeping the sheep healthy and recording the medicines and maintenance; such as foot trimming. Another big job I partook in was the lambing and kidding of 150 sheep and 80 goats, including doing lambing checks and assisting difficult births. I began in 2015 assisting and by 2017 I was lambing and checking the ewes alone as well as teaching other members of staff. We also calved a small herd of 30 cattle, having about 8 calves a year, and foaling 80 donkeys.

Whilst working here, I worked with a large variety of animals including sheep, goats, cattle, donkeys and Poultry (chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys).

-2020 to 2022 (Artisan Farm)

In 2020, I began work at a private estate in the Tadley area. The main aim of the farm was to provide produce for the owner. We had 90 dairy goats which were milked twice daily, along with 4 dairy cows (milked on rotation), store and breeding sheep, pet alpacas, meat pigs, and a variety of poultry. My duties were milking daily, kid and calf rearing, carrying out general welfare checks, administering medicines (in conjunction with the vets and the health plan) cleaning and feeding using the tractor and carrying out the majority of the lambing and kidding. I also learnt some basics of cheesemaking including brie baths and how regularly to turn certain cheeses, which I greatly enjoyed.

-March 2022 to November 2022 (Reading University (CEDAR Unit)

My role at CEDAR was an Animal Technician. My time was split between the new pig unit and the dairy research unit. I carried out routine husbandry, Milking of the cows in the methane trials (using a portable milker), calf rearing, farrowing and dealing with the various equipment and feeds needed for the trials. I also voluntarily hand reared 5 of the severely runted piglets in the 6 litters we had whilst I was there.

-2022 to Present (Wildlife Trust

I began here in November 2022 as an Assistant Grazing Officer. This role was centred around using livestock (namely sheep and cattle, along with the odd pony) to manage wildlife reserves, targeting different species. We also contract graze for the MoD, along with private landowners. My role includes moving animals between sites, lambing, calving, assisting with TB tests, winter tractor work, along with some summer hay making and general husbandry. I have also taken on some admin responsibility, including recording moves and medicines, ordering medicines in, keeping the vehicle livestock meds boxes stocked and communicating effectively with the vets. As part of the Grazing team, I am part of an on call rota, to organise responding to any livestock emergencies out of hours.

-2023 to Present (Dairy Farm)

This Dairy Farm is run by the new tenants of the farm that ***** ****** was based at when I milked for them in 2018. I approached the owners when I realised how much I missed milking. I originally suggested relief work, but now work 2-4 milkings per week. At its peak, we milk 240 cattle in a 12 aside herringbone parlour. I am confident to milk alone and often do, happy to deal with the majority of issues that arise. We calve outside, keeping the calves at foot for 3 weeks wherever possible. They then get put on to ADF automatic feeders in the barn, until either being sold or weaned. As I live onsite, I assist with calving whenever possible, carrying out calving checks and moving recently calved cows and offspring to the next group, alongside supporting the day to day running of the farm when the owners are away. We also run a raw milk vending machine from the farm, so I have learnt how to fill and clean out the machine appropriately according to food safety regulations.