Agricultural Technician

Joseph is an Agricultural and Field Technician at Rothamsted Research in Okehampton, Devon

What I do

I mainly look after the day-to-day running of the farm and support research projects, looking at the sustainability of farming systems. My tasks range from animal welfare to machinery work and scientific tasks. For the scientific side, I take a lot of samples and record data, which is used in the research we carry out. I apply fertilisers to field experiments and record all of the data, collect forage samples of grass (which the cattle feed on) and even do wheat samples to check moisture levels. I also look after a project called Techno Graze, which studies the environmental effects of cell grazing for livestock, compared to continuous grazing, and looks at how this affects soil health, forage levels and livestock performance.

How I became a technician

After finishing school at 16, I felt quite a lot of pressure to do A-levels. Instead, I chose to do a Level 3 BTEC in agriculture and forestry at my local agricultural college. This suited me better as I was interested in farming and wanted to work outside. And it meant I could work at the same time.

Halfway through my second year, I saw a technician job advertised at Rothamsted Research – a working farm which carries out research. I applied and got lucky - the college let me work four days a week and finish my course on the fifth day. I came straight from college to this job, which was brilliant.

A typical day in my
working life

I start at about 8:00am. First, we chat in the office about the day's tasks. Then I head out to check on the animals, move fences for our grazing projects and do welfare checks. This includes moving the cell grazing plots daily and checking water and electric fences. We do monthly weighing of our cattle, recording the data in our software.

After that, it's coffee time with the farm team. In the afternoon, I might do field work like fertilising or grass mowing, and sometimes we have animal treatments to do. In winter, I might spend time entering data on the computer in the laboratory, weighing samples and preparing them for freezing. It's so varied - there's no such thing as a typical day, really!

Look further than what's offered to you. There are so many courses and opportunities beyond mainstream routes.

The advice I'd give to someone younger

Work hard in school but look further than what’s offered to you. There are so many courses and opportunities beyond A-levels and mainstream routes. Do your research and talk to people – having the confidence to ask is key. I found some great work experience opportunities just by asking. There are so many interesting technician jobs out there in important industries, so don’t be afraid to explore and ask questions!

A little more about
my everyday role

What I love most about my job

The variety. I love that I don't really know what I'll be doing week to week. There's also great flexibility - if I fancy doing something more science-y, my managers will push me towards working with the scientists. If I want a week concentrating on the farm work, I can go out on the tractor and do more mainstream agricultural work. It's brilliant!

The best bits about working in a team

We've got a brilliant group of very knowledgeable individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds. They're always happy to help and teach me things. What makes it different from a regular farm is that we've got a bit more time to do things precisely. It's great working with experts like Phil, who's got a PhD in crop science, and Bruce, who's worked his way up from the bottom and done every job here.

The skills I use most

Independence is a big one - we're often given our own responsibilities for the week. Being dynamic is crucial, especially when working with animals and agriculture, as things don't always go to plan. You need to be concise, detailed, and organised, especially with all the data recording we do. Being mechanically minded helps too, as we do a lot of our own machinery maintenance. And of course, you need a good knowledge of animal welfare and to know the symptoms of the current diseases to look out for.

My favourite piece of equipment

I've really taken to the fertiliser spreader. It's one of the precision jobs I've taken on, and I've even worked with John Deere to improve how we integrate the technology with our own databases. I also enjoy mowing - it's satisfying to see the work you've done at the end of the day.

What I like to do in my spare time

I still enjoy tinkering with cars with my mates. The Young Farmers Club has become a big part of my life too - there's a great sense of community and they have loads of events and training opportunities. In winter, I enjoy going out with my dog, beating on local shoots. And of course, there's always time for a pint in the pub with friends!

My school days

For my GCSEs, I chose Business Studies, Food and Nutrition, and Geography as my options. At school, I did quite well academically and after my GCSEs I felt a lot of pressure to go down the A-level route, but I knew it wasn’t right for me. Back then, I was more into sports like football and rugby. My interests have definitely changed since school - this job has become a bit of a lifestyle really, it’s so much more than just work.

Woman standing on large agricultural machine

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