Werken bij ForFarmers

Holly Fletcher Smith

Holly

Hi there, I’m Holly Fletcher-Smith, a 20 year old Harper Adams University Student studying BSc Agriculture with Animal Science.

A bit about me

Afbeelding: A bit about me- cow

I grew up in rural Buckinghamshire, where my passion for farming developed from a young age, whilst helping my grandparents on their small Beef and Sheep farm. My ambition is to become an active part in the farming community and one day pursue my career in agriculture. I am proud to have the amazing opportunity of the ForFarmers Pig Placement, allowing me start my exciting career in an industry which I have a passion for. I am thrilled to take you with me on this journey.

My Harper Adventures

Afbeelding: A bit about me- rugby picture

Harper provided endless opportunities and encouraged me to try new things, from volunteering on the Harper pig farm, and doing an AI course. Whilst on my second year, I took on the role as the Women's Rugby Captain, which I never would have imagined me doing. Here I found my feet and pushed on a level that I had never been before. My actual playing skills on the pitch however saw less improvement!

These valuable early experiences have improved my organisation and people skills to mention a few. Allowing myself to become more confident in my communication, which will support my role as I begin my placement experience.

My Placement with ForFarmers

When looking at placements, I wanted to be open minded, with no specific job in mind post-graduation. Therefore, I decided to utilise my interest in agriculture and nutrition, but into an area of the industry that I was less experienced in, pigs.

The ForFarmers pig scholarship placement allows me to explore the companies' various departments including; marketing, technical, compound and young animal. Widening my skills and experience, ultimately creating a clearer image in mind of the career I wish to pursue in the long term. Potentially leading to a job post-graduation with ForFarmers.

ForFarmers has made me feel valuable, before I had even started my placement, they greeted me with open arms. I will be sharing my journey over the next 12 months with monthly blog posts to help you visualise a placement with ForFarmers. Giving you an insight into what happens behind the scenes, and of course to laugh along with me at the inevitable mistakes I will make and learn from.

Afbeelding: Holly signature 2

  • September 2021

    20 September 2021

    As my placement year with the pig team at ForFarmers draws to a close, I’m reflecting on my experiences, lessons learned, and some of the challenges I’ve faced.

    Read more
  • July 2021

    16 August 2021

    Last month I was lucky enough to visit a finishing unit, and two breeding units, all indoors. One farm visit was different from the next, from vaccinations to weighing, local farms to a trip to Anglesey. The variety of producers was a great reminder for me about how ‘one si...

    Read more
  • June 2021

    20 July 2021

    This month I’ve been out on farm, supporting our latest VIDA trial, weighing, and weaning piglets weekly and into our office in Bury where I had the opportunity to meet more colleagues from various departments.

    Read more
  • May 2021

    21 June 2021

    My time with ForFarmers is flying by. We plan to fit in as much as we can in the last 3 months of my placement, including farm visits and mill tours.

    Read more
  • April 2021

    24 May 2021

    April marked the start of my time working with the Young Animal Feed team. I also spent the month finalising the Going Zinc Free social media posts and an article focused on improving uniformity in preparation for the zinc oxide ban'.

    Read more