Women have always played an important role in British farming, whether within their family-run farms or with large commercial enterprises, they’ve shaped the landscape, livestock, and rural communities across the country.
Greater visibility, educational opportunities, and recruitment efforts that have inclusivity as a top priority mean that women have never had more opportunities to pursue a career in UK agriculture. Whether you're typically down on the farm, or this is your first time exploring farming, this guide will help you understand the landscape of career opportunities and discover how Agricultural Recruitment Specialists can aid you in your venture into farming.
Meet Harriet Cowan - The Example of a New Generation of Farmers
Harriet Cowan drew public interest when she appeared as the temporary replacement for Kaleb Cooper.
However, Harriet wasn't just any farmer. Harriet was born and bred on the family's livestock farm whilst still working her way through her career as an NHS nurse. Harriet is the epitome of the modern farming woman; skilled, hardworking, and breaking the mould. When Jeremy Clarkson talked about Harriet he stated her performance was "brilliant" and that he would call her again "in a heartbeat."
Harriet became a firm favourite with viewers too, but undeniably the bravest part of Harriet's story was her comment: "Not all farmers are 60-year-old men... just because I’m a small blonde who likes to curl her hair and wear make-up, does not mean I cannot be a farmer".
Harriet's story is a reminder that women, trained in agriculture and those that have not been able to obtain formal training, can access careers and prosper in farming.
The Landscape for Women in UK Agriculture: Key Statistics
It will assist candidates to understand the current landscape, with the following statistics being the most revealing on women in British agriculture:
Farm Owners and Managers: Between 12-16% of farm holders in England are women.
Overall Agricultural Workforce: Around 28% of the paid agricultural workforce are women - if including unpaid family workers, that can reach approximately 55%.
Agricultural Education: Women are now predominate to men by 64% to 36% on degree courses in agriculture.
Leadership and Services role: Women represent around 32% of the workforce employed in agricultural services and management roles.
Industry Challenges: 60% of women believe that the attitudes within the industry impact their career prospects, 59% faced barriers to pay equality, and 75% believed childcare was an obstacle to progress.
While these statistics show progress over recent years, they also show how much work remains to level the playing field for women across farms and related careers.
Why Women Are Choosing Agriculture
Women are choosing to get into agriculture for many different reasons:
A desire to be out doors and connected with the land
An interest in animal husbandry, food production or sustainability
A career change following a change in lifestyle
A family legacy or inheritance
An exciting business opportunity in small scale farming, agri-tourism and direct-to-consumer produce
The interest is growing and the sector is rapidly modernising and bringing technology to the fore with more flexible working and diversity in roles.
Career Pathways for Women in Agriculture
Here are just some of the key roles where women are making an impact in UK farming:
Livestock Production - Such as stock person, farm manager, nutritionist and animal welfare position. These roles can include feeding, breeding, health assessments and general herd or flock management.
Arable and Mixed Farming - Women are also having great success in arable or mixed farming, including roles in crop diagnosing, spray operations or agronomists or even driving a combine!
Farm Management - There is a significant rise in women also becoming farm business managers to manage the day-to-day operations from logistics to overseeing a team and ensuring compliance with legislation.
Agricultural Engineering - Furthermore, women are also developing skills in machinery maintenance, farming infrastructure and agri-tech installations including automatic feeders, GPS technology, irrigation systems.
Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health - There are also intersections between farming on veterinary careers - herd health, artificial insemination, foot trimming or vaccinations are just a few.
Agri-Tech & Data Roles - As farming becomes ever more data-driven, software managers, drone pilots, and precision agriculture will be attracting the new breed of tech-savvy professionals.
Environmental & sustainability roles - From stewardship of the Countryside and Conservation roles to managing biodiversity and regenerative principles, women are starting to take on more strategic roles in land management.
Direct Consumer & Niche Farming - Roles in entrepreneurship such as micro-dairies, flower farms, organic veg boxes and farm shops, areas where women have been at the forefront of innovation.
Breaking barriers & challenging stereotypes
However, despite progress in certain areas, there are still many women confronting systemic barriers or outdated assumptions about women in agriculture. Unconscious gender bias affects many things, including access to land, capital and the physical expectation of certain jobs.
But people like Harriet Cowan show it’s possible to break those barriers. In agriculture, the rise of female voices, mentors, and leaders is slow, but progress is being made.
Support networks for women in farming
If you are interested in a career in farming, there are some great organisations and initiatives to consider:
The Prince’s Countryside Fund (some grants have female specific support)
Many of these groups offer a fascinating range of options from mentoring and events through to funding and mental health support.
How Agricultural Recruitment Specialists Can Help
At ARS we understand that agricultural recruitment and the industry is constantly changing, and how to make agriculture accessible for all. To that end, we:
Connect female candidates to future-focused employers who are serious about inclusion
Advise female candidates about career pathways based on skills, interests and aspirations
Promote agriculture jobs which are not on farm, to develop agri-tech, sustainability and leadership opportunities for women
Support candidates with relocating, CV writing and interview coaching
Whether you are a fresh graduate, experienced professional or looking for a career change, our experienced team can help you to a fulfilling career in farming.
Final thoughts
Women are the future of farming. As the industry and agriculture we know changes, so too do the opportunities for women to lead, innovate, and grow their careers and establish themselves in agriculture. With guidance from specialists, the right information and support, and our recruitment offer, the potential is vast.
So, have you decided on starting your farming career? Then check out our Job Board or speak to us today!
