The Student Room Group

How to get farming work experience?

Hi everyone :smile:
I'm in Year 11 and aiming to study vet med at uni. I've got an idea of what work experience I need to do and generally know when I'm going to apply for- apart from farming. This will be pretty hard to get for me as I live in London- there aren't just farms up my road or anything like that :biggrin: Sooo I was wondering if you good people of TSR could give me some direction of where to start looking and how much farming w/e I generally need to have? I already volunteer at a small city farm once a week however I know that I need dairy/lambing experience as well as this.
Thanks guys!
Reply 1
Original post by ABC05
Hi everyone :smile:
I'm in Year 11 and aiming to study vet med at uni. I've got an idea of what work experience I need to do and generally know when I'm going to apply for- apart from farming. This will be pretty hard to get for me as I live in London- there aren't just farms up my road or anything like that :biggrin: Sooo I was wondering if you good people of TSR could give me some direction of where to start looking and how much farming w/e I generally need to have? I already volunteer at a small city farm once a week however I know that I need dairy/lambing experience as well as this.
Thanks guys!


Hey! I also live in London, and from my own experience can sympathise with you because it is a total pain.

I was very lucky with my first lambing placement. I secured it through a family friend and got to stay on the farm for a week, which was necessary as the farm was over 200 miles away from my house! Try and ask around in your family if they know anybody willing to give you the same opportunity.

My other farming placements I had to travel to. My amazing mum drove for two hours to get me to a placement every day for two weeks, plus the journey home. I don't recommend finding somewhere that far away however if you do have amazing parents who are willing to drive you to the middle of nowhere then look into it!

I had no problem getting equine related work seeing as I have my own horse and had many useful contacts.

I also decided to spend one Saturday being driven around the countryside asking farmers for experience in person, though I found more placements on line. Google is your friend so utilise it! I searched for farms that were open to visitors. The placements were some of my favourites because you have the human contact talking to the public as well as the animal contact.

Aim AT LEAST for Liverpool's minimum which is specified on their website. Keeping it varied is a good option too!

Hope this helps :smile: Trying to avoid physics revision :biggrin:
Reply 2
Hey, a fellow Londoner here
Just so you know, city farming doesn't really count so you've got the right idea looking at actual farms(me and my friend volunteered on one and Liverpool told us it didn't count as farm wex).
It comes down to how much travelling you are prepared to do or if you have any relatives to stay with. Sadly, I am not in the second category, as pretty much my entire family lives in London, so I had to travel. My furthest placement was 1 1.5 hours away.
In the end I managed to get dairy, a small holding farm and lambing booked for April as well as volunteering at a RDA. I also got a equine and mix practice vets.
I too have a very nice mum who drove me to my places, but if you don't have that option look for places near train stations.
I found all my placements using google,
Good luck!
Reply 3
Roughly where in London are you (to know in which direction you might travel out)?
Reply 4
Croydon, so I went into Surrey/ Kent.
Reply 5
I'm in south east London and have my loan horse in Swanley/Bexley, so around there. I've got a placement at an equine hospital which is between Sevenoaks and Maidstone so that's the furthest I'd (or my mum, lol) be willing to travel out.
Thanks guys for all of your suggestions! My mum suggested ringing up the NFU so I'll try that and see what they have to say about it :smile:
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 6
Original post by ABC05
I'm in south east London and have my loan horse in Swanley/Bexley, so around there. I've got a placement at an equine hospital which is between Sevenoaks and Maidstone so that's the furthest I'd (or my mum, lol) be willing to travel out.
Thanks guys for all of your suggestions! My mum suggested ringing up the NFU so I'll try that and see what they have to say about it :smile:


I live in Bexley! Which school are you at?
Original post by Chaelif
Croydon, so I went into Surrey/ Kent.


Hey, I also live near Croydon and I also want to be a vet. I've emailed and phoned a few places but I have got quite a few rejections. Where did you go for work experience in Surrey/Kent? I'm in Year 11 at the moment so I'm trying to get as much work experience this year after exams xxx
Reply 8
try WWOOF
I live in London too! I'm struggling to find work experience in lambing/equine/dairy farms :frown: And my parents work so they won't be able to drop me. The nearest equine place I found which is only 1hr away by driving but will take me 4hrs by public transport and I'd still have to walk for ages!
It's starting to depress me
Reply 10
http://www.nfyfc.org.uk/
Find your local Young Farmer's club. Farming community work through word of mouth and contacts. So be sure to attend lots of rural shows and volunteer. Farmers also hate parting with £ so will no doubt snap you up!!! X
I would mention that a lot of farmers may be willing to put you up in accommodation in return for free labour. I did this for my lambing placement - the farmers simply picked me up from a local train station and I stayed there for 14 days as they had a spare room in their farm house. They also fed and watered me for free which was a bonus :biggrin:

Another option is to book a local B&B / youth hostel / campsite so you can be outside of London but be local to placements without the necessity of travelling.

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