Agroecological Pathways – Horticulture

Working on an already established horticultural business or market garden in exchange for money.

Experience needed: A reasonable level of knowledge and experience in horticultural practice (usually gained via ongoing or long term volunteering opportunities, on-farm traineeships, apprenticeships or internships, practical accreditations or qualifications)

Qualifications needed: Not all jobs in horticulture will expect an accreditation or qualification, however it is a benefit to have one to show your level of knowledge, skills and understanding of the sector

Skills needed: Ability to carry out heavy lifting and intensive, repetitive practical tasks around the farm or market garden, capacity to use initiative and take the lead on tasks, in many cases you will be working with volunteers and so an ability to manage people and work within a team as well as alone, ability to manage competing workstreams, good organisational skills and knowledge of all day to day running activities of a market garden including tool and machinery usage 

Qualifications gained: None 

Pay/benefits attached: The national minimum wage or more

Where does this lead me? Paid work as a Seasonal Grower, Horticultural Worker or Head Grower can lead to further work and training opportunities as you progress your agroecological and horticultural knowledge. From here many will go on to managerial positions or to start their own horticultural businesses.  Possible sideways moves into other sectors/adjacent careers are also available, for example campaigning, farm advisory positions, research, teaching, business development/support, policy and advocacy work, community engagement etc.

Finding paid work is a great way to: 

• Put all of your previous skills and learnings to use
• Gain access to many skills and responsibilities not otherwise available to you via volunteering or on-farm training
• Gain experience on the job (offering financial support whilst you learn and progress your horticultural skills) 
• Learn from your wider team members and farm/market garden managers 
• Glean experienced knowledge 
• Deepen your understanding of agroecological and horticultural practice
• Give you the opportunity to develop your interests in certain areas of horticultural production 
• Give you an in-depth understanding of how to run a farm business

Whilst paid work is beneficial in many ways, finding relevant paid work is highly competitive as opportunities in the agroecological sector are few and far between. It is hard to make a land based business work to support paid staff and so many small-scale projects and businesses rely on volunteers and by offering traineeships. 

Even if you cannot find a paid position on an agroecological farm, perhaps starting with a larger organic farm who may have more resources to support paid staff is a great place to start. This knowledge will be transferable to the agroecological sector. 

It is also the case that many growing projects will keep on volunteers as paid staff when the opportunity arises. So having your foot in the door at a local project that you feel passionate about is a great way of eventually finding paid work  (check out the ‘Volunteering’ section of this pathway to find aligned projects near you). 

Accommodation 

Another thing to consider is that accommodation on the farm or close to your place of work (particularly in rural areas) can be a challenging find and especially on a relatively low wage. If you don’t already live in the area of your new work position, make sure to speak to your manager to find out about accommodation opportunities either on the farm or nearby. Some farms will offer accommodation with the job for a reduction in your wage. However if they do not then be sure to check out local accommodation options before making the move as this can sometimes be a barrier to working, particularly in rural areas with limited options. 

• The Landworkers’ Alliance often advertise paid work opportunities via their newsletters and membership communications 
• The GREAT project website is also a good place to find paid landwork
• Roots to Work is a job site all about good food and so often advertises paid farm work opportunities as well as work in other supporting areas of agroecology i.e campaigning, lobbying, policy work, farm advisory positions and more.
• Environment job posts adverts for work in both the on-farm and off-farm agroecological sector
• Careers Wales is another resource for finding work in Wales
• Agroecology Europe is a good place to look for EU based positions
• Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media channels are also a good way to find paid work opportunities directly from organisations as they are likely to advertise on all their online channels – so make sure to follow all prospective work places
• Signing up to the newsletters of the Landworkers’ Alliance, CSA Network, Permaculture Association, Soil Association a Social Farms and Gardens will also lead you to opportunities
• Make sure you regularly visit the websites of prospective farms/market gardens (found via the ‘Volunteering’ and ‘Training’ sections of this pathway),  to find out about upcoming work opportunities if they do not have active social media channels

Setting up your own agroecological horticulture business

Experience needed: A reasonable level of knowledge, skill and experience in agroecological horticulture production, usually via ongoing or long term volunteering placements, on-farm traineeships, apprenticeships or internships, practical accreditations or qualifications.

Qualifications needed: No qualifications are needed but they will be advantageous to your level of knowledge and understanding of the running of an agroecological market garden or horticultural farm business

Skills needed: An understanding of how to run a business and of UK business requirements e.g tax, health and safety certificates, insurance etc., entrepreneurial thinking and operating, a high level of flexibility and adaptability, ability to manage customers, staff and volunteers, basic accountancy, ability to carry out heavy lifting and intensive, repetitive practical tasks,  capacity to use initiative and take the lead on tasks, ability to manage people and work within a team as well as alone, ability to manage competing workstreams, good organisational skills and knowledge of all day to day running activities of a market garden including tool and machinery usage, marketing or promotional skills or willingness to learn and a good working knowledge of agroecological principles and practices

Qualifications gained: None

Pay/benefits attached: You will be in charge of your profit margins and therefore your own wage

Where does this lead me? Starting and establishing a business can open up a world of opportunity into: 

• Many areas of agroecological horticulture production such as fruit and veg to seaweed and mushrooms. 
• Expansion and diversification into other industry sectors and land based practices such as arable, dairy, livestock, poultry, forestry and woodland management, conservation, rewilding and much more. 
• Community/social based enterprise structures and land management models
• A diversity of processing and product design opportunities that go beyond your raw product offerings
• Carrying out specific agroecological training via courses 
• Participating in knowledge exchange networks with other similar businesses for local or national support
• Expanding your career into creative media, policy, advocacy, campaigning and other supportive work streams that share the stories and knowledge you have gained from running your own business 
• Joining land based networks, unions and movements that advocate for better land working conditions

Setting up your own agroecological business offers you the opportunity to:

• Put all of your skills, knowledge and expertise into practice
• Have a positive impact on the land and community around you
• Help build the food sovereignty and agroecology movement in the UK
• Learn whilst you work
• Deepen your relationship to the land
• Experiment, play with and explore agroecological practices
• Offer your community healthy, nutritious food
• Support others to get into the industry
• Add an experienced voice to wider social and political conversations around our food and farming systems in the UK

Seeking Business Support

Before you embark on setting up your business, reaching out to business support schemes is a great place to start, as they can offer you advice and support in writing a business plan, choosing a business and land model, finding land, funding and routes to market, planning promotional and marketing activities and generally offering guidance in all aspects of your business idea to ensure your business is viable. 

Community / Shared Business and Land Models

The task of setting up alone and getting your business off the ground can be long, arduous and lonely, so sharing this responsibility and passion with others is often the best way to start a successful business. There are many business and land models you can choose from such as partnerships, community interest companies, stacked enterprises, leasing land and share farming. Finding the right one for you from the beginning is important as it will be directly related to the success of your business. 

Accommodation

Another thing to consider is that accommodation on the farm or land plot (particularly in rural areas) can be a challenging find and especially on a relatively low wage. Organisations like the Landworkers’ Alliance a the Ecological Land Cooperative campaign for access to affordable, location appropriate housing in landwork.

New entrants experience a multitude of barriers in setting up their own market gardens and land based business, however there is an increasing amount of resources and support out there for you should you be looking at taking this next step in your career in agroecology.

Land and Finance

• The Ecological Land Cooperative supports access to setting up smallholdings for ecological agriculture use. They have a call out for land for sale or rent and a whole host of amazing resources on their website. Their lease agreement is one of the most accessible and innovative models in the UK so they are certainly worth checking out
• Land sharing is one of the most accessible ways to get access to land for any new business so it is worth considering this model when developing your business idea. Examples of Land Sharing are: Biodynamic Land Trust (UK), Earth Trust – Farm Step Programme (England), Soil Association Land Trust, Big Meadow CSA, Stream Farm, Farm Ed
• Shared Assets support the development of new models of managing land. They have some very useful information here on supportive land share agreements a sharing assets, as well as some good case studies a toolkits.
• CLAS – Community Land Advisory Service have some very useful resources, including their heads of terms templates for community groups wanting to lease land.  Sadly their services are no longer being funded in England and Scotland, though it continues in Wales.
• The Scottish Crofting Federation offers support in land access and funding in Scotland
• One Planet Development (Wales) is a government supported, innovative land use model that supports you to start your own agroecological business and build agricultural buildings and your own dwelling in a low impact way.
• The Land Mobility Scheme works to find collaborative land opportunities  (Northern Ireland)
• Access to Land facilitates land access and works with local authorities (EU)
• The NEWBIE Network offers support in land and finance (UK)
• The RHWYDWAITH FARMSTART is a fantastic starting point opportunity for you if you are considering starting your own farm business. You are given a piece of land attached to a larger farm business and join an incubator programme which allows you to kick start your own farm business whilst getting support, training and mentoring in the first 1-2 years of your business (UK)
• The Loans for Enlightened Agriculture Programme (LEAP) (UK) is a great place to find funding for agroecological food and farming businesses
• Check out Wakelyn’s farm to learn more about enterprise stacking
• The Community Farmland Purchase resource is there to help you with looking, finding and securing land in the UK
• Shared Assets support the development of new models of managing land. They have some useful information here on supportive land share agreements a sharing assets, as well as some good case studies.
• You could also contact your city or area council / local authority to find out about  land opportunities as they often arise

CEFNOGAETH BUSNES

• Business start up support is available from all governments in the UK and so is a good place to start: Wales, Scotland, England
• Farming Connect (Wales) can help with access to land, business advice, progression support and mentorships. They also have grants available to help you learn in your sector once you have an established business. On top of this they help to facilitate some interesting match-making services for joint ventures. In particular they have a Venture Handbook which is a useful starting point for those considering a joint venture, much of which is relevant for those outside Wales too.
• Tenant Farmers Association (UK) has a lot of support for tenant farmers leasing land
• Tyfu Cymru is a good place to look for resources to help with your business if you’re based in Wales
• The Landworkers’ Alliance offers and facilitates business support which can be found yma.
• The Scottish government is working towards farming Opportunities for New Entrants (Scotland)
• The Farm Advisory Service also offers support via a New Entrant Programme (Scotland)
• The Landworkers’ Alliance has done a lot of work on agroecological business planning – Agroecological business planning guide – and direct sales and short supply chains – Direct sales and short supply chains 
• Skillshare offers a free one month trial during which you can learn about marketing, social media, video editing and many more digital skills that will help with the success of your business 

Other Support

• LION – Land in Our Names is a Black-led collective that works for land reparations and supports those from BPOC communities to begin working and living on the land, they have a whole host of resources and support available 
• Ubele also offer support, advice and finance for BPOC communities setting up enterprises across the UK
• Organisations like the Landworkers’ Alliance, support members who are often marginalised in landwork and have unequal access to opportunities. Members organise a  LGBTQIA+ working group (called Out On The Land), a BPOC (Black and People of Colour) working group (called REAL) and a youth arm (called FLAME). 
• Also see the ‘Further Resources’ section of this pathway for other links to support and resources that you may find helpful when setting up your own horticultural business

Business & career progression is for those seeking to expand, diversify or build on their existing career or business

Experience needed: A paid working or equivalent level of knowledge and experience is necessary to access some further training opportunities and certain types of business support. 

Qualifications needed: If you are looking at progressing your skills and knowledge in the way of getting an accreditation then the minimum level of qualifications needed are usually a GCSE or equivalent in English (or Welsh if studying in Cymru) and Maths. But entry requirements will vary depending on the level of accredited training you are seeking. 

Skills needed: A paid working or equivalent level of skill is required for accessing advanced progression opportunities 

Qualifications gained: If you choose to progress by gaining an accreditation or qualification then you are able to gain a certificate in anything from a Level 1 NVQ to a Postgraduate Masters or PhD

Pay/benefits attached: Progression, expansion and diversification can lead to higher level job opportunities which usually equate to increased wages or increased business profits. You will also be gaining more knowledge and skills to practically apply agroecology.

Where does this lead me? Whether you are progressing your career in agroecology, expanding or diversifying your agroecological business or progressing your current business into agroecology, then this can lead to a diversity of outcomes:

• Advancements in your experience, knowledge and expertise, business offerings, level of responsibility, financial incentives, skill set and support for biodiversity and community wellbeing 
• Expansion into other sectors in the wider social and political spheres of your work including creative media, policy, advocacy, campaigning and other supportive work streams that share the stories and knowledge you have gained from running your own business or working on the land/a market garden.

Progressing your career

If you are currently working in a paid role in horticulture, expanding your knowledge and skill set in agroecology can be a great way to:

• Progress in your career
• Meet and network with like minded people working in similar areas to you 
• Gain a deeper understanding of what it takes to manage/work the land in line with agroecological principles
• Access a higher level of responsibility at work 
• Increase your ability to apply for more senior roles as you will have a wider environmental and sustainable application in a time of changing agricultural policy in the UK
• Access information, knowledge, skills and expertise relevant to starting your own business (please also refer to the ‘Starting your own business’ section of this pathway)

Progressing your business

If you already run a horticulture business then expanding and diversifying your agroecological knowledge and practice is a great way to:

• Ensure adaptability in changing markets 
• Access more routes to market
• Advance your skills, knowledge and expertise in agroecology
• Advance your access to a consumer market that is more climate and community conscious than ever before
• Grow your profits
• Grow your social and community impact
• Grow the biodiversity on your land
• Safeguard for future generations

Progression, expansion and diversification can be costly and time consuming so you need to ensure you are at the right stage in your career or business where taking on further training or business development opportunities will be beneficial and not lead to burn out. Running a business and working on the land is hard work and so consider whether this is the right time for you before embarking on something new. Many progression opportunities are available on an ongoing basis and so you will be able to find something you are looking for when you are ready. 

Many of the resources available in each section of this interactive pathway will be relevant to your progression needs, for example in accessing further training, courses, accreditations and qualifications and business support, so please refer to each of these sections to find out more detail about the progression opportunities available to you. 

Career and business progression

• The Gaia Foundation’s Seed Sovereignty Programme and wider seed networks offer training specifically in seed saving and seed production for those already working in horticulture 

• The Soil Association has lots of technical information available on their website for farmers and growers
• These resources from Agroecology are a great place to get practical, technical and theoretical  information if you are already in the industry
• The Agricultural Recruitment Specialists have information on career progression in farming
• The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board also offer support and advice in business and career progression
• The RHS offers career progression information
• The Chartered Institute of Horticulture also offer career progression information
• ACS Gardens offer career advice
• Seed Your Future has great resources for all career levels in horticulture
• ACS Distance Learning offer courses for professional development in horticulture
• This resource from Pearson is useful in looking at career progression routes in Horticulture
• The OGA have a lot of technical support and resources for growers

Business progression

• The LWA offers a lot of resources to new entrants to horticulture and farming including; New Entrants to Agroecological Farming: Example Business Start-up Costs and the Case for Public Support (LWA, 2021), New Entrants to Agriculture and Land Based Work: Survey Results (LWA, 2020), Supporting the Next Generation of Farmers (LWA, 2019), Planning Barriers Faced by New Entrants to Horticulture (LWA, 2019), Hand on the Land: New Entrants in Agriculture (LWA, 2017), Start Up Case Studies: Horticultural Units on Larger Farms (LWA, 2017), The Attraction of Agroecology and the barriers faced by new entrants pursuing agroecological farming and land work (LWA), Agroecological business planning guide (LWA), Direct sales and short supply chains (LWA), Whole farm agroecology scheme (LWA), Improving small farm productivity (LWA)
• The Ecological Land Cooperative offer resources and support including their Community Farmland Purchase Toolkit
• Shared Assets have great resources, toolkits, case studies and more info on sharing land and resources
• Farming Connect (Wales) can help with access to/securing land, ongoing business advice, progression, expansion and diversification support and mentorships/knowledge exchanges. They also have grants available to help you progress your learning once you have an established business. On top of this they help to facilitate some interesting match-making services for joint ventures which may be a route you are considering should you already run your own business. In particular they have a Venture Handbook which is a useful starting point for those considering a joint venture, much of which is relevant for those outside Wales too.
• You could consider entering your farm business into a farming award which will widen your customer reach and validate your practices: British Farming Awards, BBC Food and Farming Awards, Farmers Weekly Awards, Sustainable Food and Farming Awards, NFU Community Farming Hero Awards, ORC Young Organic Farmer/ Grower of the Year Award
• Rural Support offers support in Progression Planning and Succession
• There are also some specific support opportunities available to you should you already own your own horticultural or non-horticultural business and are looking to diversify into agroecological horticultural production. Here are some links to resources and further reading that you may find useful in this transition: Food, Farming and Countryside Commission, Transitions to Agroecological Systems: Farmers’ Experience, Sustainable Farming Incentive, Environmental Land Management Scheme, Agroecological business planning guide (LWA), Direct sales and short supply chains (LWA), Linking Environment and Farming, Nature Friendly Farming Network, DEFRA update on government actions to incentivise transitions
• Also see the ‘Further Resources’ page for other links to support and resources that you may find helpful when progressing your career or business

• Organisations offering wider support are: LWA, PFLA, OGA, LION, Ubele, CSA Network, Permaculture Association, Soil Association, Social Farms and Gardens, Sustain, OF&G, Shared Assets and the Biodynamic Association 
• New Entrants to Agroecological Farming: Example Business Start-up Costs and the Case for Public Support (LWA, 2021)
• New Entrants to Agriculture and Land Based Work: Survey Results (LWA, 2020)
• Supporting the Next Generation of Farmers (LWA, 2019)
• Planning Barriers Faced by New Entrants to Horticulture (LWA, 2019)
• Hand on the Land: New Entrants in Agriculture (LWA, 2017)
• Start Up Case Studies: Horticultural Units on Larger Farms (LWA, 2017)
• Training Case Studies: Courses and Apprenticeships (LWA, 2017)
• DEFRA Future Farming Blog (England) 
• Ten years to Agroecology in Europe (Soil Association)
• An Agroecological UK  2050 (FFCC)
• Transitions to Agroecological Systems: Farmers’ Experience (Organic Research Centre)
• Agroecology traineeship programme (LWA)
• The Attraction of Agroecology and the barriers faced by new entrants pursuing agroecological farming and land work (LWA)
• Agroecological business planning guide (LWA)
• Direct sales and short supply chains (LWA)
• Whole farm agroecology scheme (LWA)
• Improving small farm productivity (LWA)
• A short course in Agroecology at Tamrisk Farm
• The Land Skills Fair is a great place to go and network with like minded agroecological farmers, growers, foresters and fibre producers in the UK
• Groundswell is a great place to go and network with like minded regenerative and agroecological farmers and growers in the UK
• The Oxford Real Farming Conference is a annual gathering of people working in the food sovereignty movement
• The Wales Real Food and Farming Conference is another annual gathering based in Wales
• These resources from Agroecology are a great place to get practical, technical and theoretical  information
• The Soil Association has lots of technical information available on their website for farmers and growers
• The Jumping Fences report by LION, the Ecological Land Cooperative and LWA is an amazing insight into understanding and addressing the barriers to access to land for agroecological farming for Black people and people of colour (BPOC) in Britain.
• Support for Farmers and Growers in need of mental health support RHS offers careers information
• The Chartered Institute of Horticulture offers careers information
• The OGA have a lot of resources and technical information on their website