Yes, you read the title correctly, I am finally getting round to giving you all an update on my journey into agriculture. If you haven't read the previous post in this series, click here.
If you follow me on Instagram (@jazmineinthecountry), you will have seen regular updates on how I'm getting on at college and all the exciting experiences I had during my work placement. If you don't follow me, you've missed out on so much!
My last post is now very out of date with regards to my farm knowledge and confidence. I'm really getting the hang of this farming thing now and I'm loving every minute! There's not a day that has gone by where I've doubted this whole career move, sure I've be very undecided on which road I will take (livestock or arable), but I have never once thought to myself "is this really what I want to do?". I've only been at college for around 8 months now (almost finished my first year) but my word have I learn't a lot! I don't think I could have made a better choice for going into this industry. A lot of people have said an apprenticeship would have been better for them and would have probably been better option for me financially but I'm all about the textbook learning I have discovered since leaving school, probably because I'm now studying something I love, but this has proven to me I have made the right choice.
So start of the year I also had a trip to LAMMA for the first time which was good fun, it was interesting to have a nosey at all the farm machinery and attend my first agricultural show. Further into the year, I completed my required 150 hours during February - April (16th) and spent majority of the time there either riding passenger in a tractor or writing out grain passports. If you don't know what a passport is, it's a document that has to be completed in order for the grain to be accepted at the depot. During the time there I got a good look at working on a farm in the real world and not just what picture college paints you and it was very insightful! Definitely been a bit of a game changer for what I want my end career to be, I would love to work on a mixed farm really as the quiet times on an arable farm aren't really ideal and I think I would eventually get a bit bored with driving a tractor day-in-day-out. Plus since starting college as I'm sure you know, I've a new found love for sheep!
Future plans from this series of posts is fingers crossed, keeping this up until I completed my qualification!
Speak again soon!
Much love,
Jazmine x