Agriculture +
Horticulture

There are two main types of farming in England: growing crops and raising livestock, both of which require skills and knowledge about how to cultivate the land. This could mean producing high-quality grazing, or rich soils capable of supporting a whole range of crops. This wide range of farming types leads to a huge range of roles and opportunities within the agriculture and horticulture sector. While many farm jobs involve outdoor work, there are lots of specialist areas too, from engineering to crop biology and even the financial side of farms.

Cumbria has an amazing landscape with a wide range of habitats including vast areas of hill-top and uplands, sheep are generally farmed in hilly areas with 20% of the UK’s sheep grazing the hillsides and fields of the North West. Farming as a whole in the North West is worth about £2.5 billion with the North West being home to more than 26% of England's dairy herd, and this sector contributed £1.1 billion to the region's farming output.

Environmentally-friendly farming

One of the most interesting and important issues in farming is tackling the climate emergency. This has led to the introduction of many exciting programmes, innovations and career opportunities. Agriculture and Horticulture are dynamic sectors at the forefront of new technology. One example is the advances in technology which are making farms more efficient, helping them reduce their use of chemical inputs and optimise their use of water.