Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Hill Farmer

🎯 Role Definition

A Hill Farmer manages livestock, pasture and upland resources across steep, remote and often environmentally-sensitive terrain. The role combines practical stockmanship (sheep, cattle and sometimes goats), land and habitat management, machinery operation and commercial responsibility for producing meat, wool and other hill-farm outputs while complying with welfare, environmental and farm assurance standards. Successful candidates demonstrate strong physical capability, independent decision-making, experience with lambing/calving, stock rotation and predator control, and the ability to plan and execute seasonal cycles on marginal ground.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Shepherd / Sheep Stockperson (seasonal or full-time)
General Farm Worker / Trainee Farmer
Agricultural Machinery Operator or Farmhand

Advancement To:

Head Shepherd / Senior Stock Manager
Farm Manager / Upland Farm Business Owner
Contract Grazier or Conservation Grazing Specialist

Lateral Moves:

Estate Gamekeeper or Moorland Manager
Agricultural Advisory Officer or Farm Assessor

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead all aspects of sheep husbandry on steep and upland terrain including grazing management, stock rotation, drafting, weighing, and moving of flocks to achieve optimal condition and performance.
Plan and deliver lambing and calving programs: prepare lambing sheds, monitor ewes/cows during lambing/calving, assist difficult births, and implement neonatal care and record-keeping to reduce mortality.
Implement and maintain a proactive animal health program including routine vaccination schedules, parasite control (drenching), foot trimming and treatment, mastitis control, and liaising with the veterinary surgeon on diagnosis and treatment plans.
Operate and maintain farm machinery and vehicles commonly used on hill farms such as tractors, quad bikes/ATVs, telehandlers, bale wrappers and trailers; perform daily safety checks and routine maintenance to ensure reliability in remote conditions.
Erect, maintain and repair boundary fences, gates and drystone walls on uneven terrain to control stock movement, prevent losses and comply with tenancy, environmental and safety obligations.
Manage forage and winter-feeding strategy including making, storing and feeding silage, hay and supplemental feeds; plan feed budgets and arrange fodder contracts or purchases to protect stock through harsh seasons.
Conduct mustering and shepherding across rough ground using foot, ATV and working dogs; coordinate and train sheepdogs for efficient movement of stock across the hill landscape.
Carry out selective breeding, record-keeping and flock improvement tasks such as tagging, recording pedigree and performance data, culling decisions, and implementing breeding programs for resilience and quality.
Supervise and train seasonal staff, apprentices and contractors in safe animal handling, hill navigation, machinery operation and farm biosecurity to maintain consistent standards across the workforce.
Maintain animal movement, health and identification records to comply with national traceability schemes, farm assurance (e.g. Red Tractor), and seasonal reporting requirements for subsidies and grants.
Manage on-farm environmental obligations: implement conservation grazing, peatland protection, native woodland regeneration, heather moorland maintenance and buffer strips to meet agri-environmental scheme targets.
Plan and execute predator control and stock protection measures including secure lambing areas, night checks, sheepdog handling and liaising with neighbours and wildlife officers as required.
Monitor pastures and upland soils for erosion, poaching and botanical condition, and apply corrective actions such as revised stocking rates, fencing, reseeding, lime and fertilizer application where appropriate.
Coordinate seasonal tasks including shearing, dipping, lambing, weaning, tupping and weaning schedules to align labour, contractor availability and market windows.
Oversee on-farm infrastructure maintenance and improvements including sheep handling facilities, loading ramps, yards, water troughs, drainage and buildings to ensure safe and efficient daily operations.
Prepare and manage budgets for animal health, feed, machinery servicing and capital projects; place orders, manage invoices and work with the farm owner/manager to control costs and cashflow.
Market and arrange sales of store and finished stock through markets, private treaty or abattoirs; prepare animals for sale to meet quality and welfare standards and record transaction data.
Implement biosecurity, health & safety and welfare policies across the farm including safe chemical storage and use (pesticides/veterinary medicines), manual handling protocols and lone-worker safety plans in remote locations.
Work to meet quality assurance and certification standards (e.g., organic, Red Tractor, welfare schemes) by maintaining records, implementing audit actions and preparing for inspections.
Conduct regular health surveillance and disease prevention activities: monitor for notifiable diseases, maintain medicines and controlled drug logs, and follow veterinary advice on isolation, testing and reporting.
Liaise with landowners, tenant associations, agronomists, vets, contractors and supply-chain partners to coordinate grazing agreements, feed supply, contracting works and compliance with tenancy or stewardship agreements.
Use basic precision farming tools and farm management software for recording stock numbers, performance metrics, grazing plans and to support decision-making for breeding and pasture management.

Secondary Functions

Support farm-level administration tasks such as preparing grant applications, subsidy claims, stewardship returns and basic bookkeeping to support farm business compliance and income diversification.
Assist with conservation projects and collaborative initiatives with local landowners, NGOs or statutory bodies for habitat restoration, biodiversity improvements and erosion control.
Provide ad-hoc logistics support such as moving equipment, arranging contractor access, and scheduling and supervising external contractors for fencing, drainage or building works.
Contribute to customer-facing activities where relevant, for example hosting farm visits, agricultural tourism (B&B or guided walks) or direct-to-consumer sales of meat and wool.
Participate in seasonal planning meetings and help prepare the annual farm operational calendar, risk assessments and contingency plans for extreme weather or market fluctuations.
Help implement digital record systems and support the adoption of farm apps, GPS mapping and simple data capture tools to improve traceability and operational efficiency.
Act as a point of contact for neighbours and stakeholders when stock are near public rights of way or common grazing and respond to complaints or incidents professionally.
Supervise, mentor and evaluate seasonal employees and apprentices; contribute to their development plans and ensure day-to-day tasks are completed to farm standards.
Contribute to continuous improvement by identifying and trialling best-practice approaches in upland grazing, soil restoration and livestock welfare.
Assist in emergency responses such as out-of-hours stock rescues, flood or snow-related incidents and coordinate with emergency services where necessary.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Extensive livestock husbandry skills for upland sheep and cattle systems: lambing, calving, weaning, tagging and store/fattening management.
Competent operator of tractors, quad bikes/ATVs, telehandlers, trailers and common hill-farm machinery with maintenance and safety-first mindset.
Proficient in animal health procedures: drenching, vaccination protocols, foot-trimming, wound treatment and basic first-aid for livestock under veterinary instruction.
Strong stock handling and shepherding skills, including mustering on rough ground, lowland-to-upland moves and experienced use of working sheepdogs.
Practical fencing, gate and drystone wall construction and repair skills adapted to steep, uneven terrain.
Experience with forage planning and feed budgeting: silage/hay-making, bale handling and winter-feeding management.
Knowledge of upland pasture management: rotational grazing, reseeding, soil amelioration, and erosion prevention techniques.
Familiarity with farm assurance schemes, traceability systems and regulatory compliance for medicines, movements and animal ID.
Ability to use basic farm software, GPS mapping tools and digital record systems to log stock movements, health events and performance data.
Understanding of environmental stewardship and conservation practices (peatland, moorland, native woodland) and the ability to implement agri-environment scheme prescriptions.
Safe handling and application of veterinary medicines and agrichemicals in line with COSHH, H&S and manufacturer guidance.

Soft Skills

Strong self-reliance and ability to make timely decisions when working alone in remote upland locations.
Excellent observation and problem-solving skills to identify animal health issues, pasture condition changes and machinery faults early.
Physical fitness, stamina and resilience to undertake sustained outdoor work in adverse weather and on steep ground.
Clear verbal and written communication to liaise with vets, contractors, buyers and colleagues, and to maintain accurate records.
Team leadership and staff development capability to supervise seasonal workers and apprentices effectively.
Organisation and time-management skills to prioritise seasonal tasks and meet critical windows (lambing, shearing, sales).
Customer and stakeholder focus for contract negotiation, direct sales, PR and community liaison.
Adaptability and willingness to learn new techniques, equipment and digital tools that improve productivity or compliance.
Commitment to high standards of animal welfare, biosecurity and H&S, with attention to detail in record-keeping and procedures.
Commercial awareness to manage margins, cost control and to time sales and production to maximise farm revenue.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

GCSEs or equivalent practical agricultural experience; demonstrable on-farm experience will be accepted in lieu of formal qualifications.

Preferred Education:

Level 2 or Level 3 vocational qualification in Agriculture, Animal Management, or a related discipline.
Certificates in Health & Safety (e.g., CSCS/PA1/PA6 where applicable), tractor and machinery operation, or farm business management courses.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Agriculture / Agricultural Science
Animal Husbandry / Animal Science
Environmental Management / Land Management
Rural Business Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–10+ years practical experience on upland/hill farms, with evidence of independent management of sheep or mixed livestock enterprises.

Preferred:

3–5 years minimum of direct hill/sheep farming experience plus demonstrable competence in lambing, flock management and upland grazing systems.
Experience supervising seasonal staff, working with vets and contractors, and familiarity with farm assurance and environmental stewardship schemes.