Agricultural entrepreneur

Briefly explain what you do for a living.

I have a dairy farm, and my duties include both crop farming and maintaining a livestock farm.

It is typical to become a farmer through a generational change. I was offered the opportunity to take on the managing of my home farm, and I wanted to take it.

How have you ended up in the profession of your choice?

It is typical that one ends up becoming an agricultural entrepreneur with the change of generations. I was offered the opportunity to continue on the homestead, and I wanted to take it.

Describe your typical working day or week.

No day is the same, and work tasks vary by season. For example, as a rule, field work is only carried out in the summer. The cows calve all year round, so there are cows and calves that need special attention every month. Animals require continuous care every day of the year and sometimes at night. There are a lot of things to consider in milk production as well as activities that must be carefully monitored and maintained daily.

What kind of work environment or working hours do you have?

I work in a barn and outdoors, for example in the field. The work environment includes machinery and animals. When you run your own business, you can make the work environment comfortable for yourself.

The working hours are irregular due to the varying needs of the animals. The working days are long, and due to the automatic milking, I am on-call alone 24 hours a day. I try to have at least two days off per month.

What kind of competence or qualities are required in the profession?

This work requires entrepreneurial spirit and the willingness to work long hours. Agricultural entrepreneurs must have basic knowledge of their own production sector and the ability to apply this knowledge in practice. This profession also requires basic knowledge of accounting and taxation. You must be able to plan your own tasks in the long term. Co-operation with experts and advisers is part of everyday life.  The physical and mental strain caused by the profession must be acknowledged in order to maintain functional capacity.

What is the best thing about your profession?

For me, dairy cows are the soul and heart of this job. Working with animals is eventful, and the annual cycle of field work has its perks. You can see the results of your work in everything you do, and set your own goals.

What are the downsides of the profession or what seems challenging?

The cost structure of agriculture is currently challenging, as compensation for the workload is not proportionate. Burning out is unfortunately common in the sector. Since 2022, farms have been closed at a steady pace, and there are weekly stories on social media of particularly dairy farms being run down.

I don’t think you ever get used to giving up a cow that is dear to you.

What would you tell a person considering the profession of an agricultural entrepreneur?

It is necessary to calculate and realistically consider the preconditions for starting agricultural activities. There are different production styles, so you should consider how you want to do this work in order to find the most suitable solution for you.

How do you see the future of your profession?

In the future, I would like to see more actions than talk about domestic food production. For example, the compensation received by the primary producer for milk and meat should be raised to a sustainable level. There will at least be opportunities in the future, and I believe that the next few years will show whether people are ready to take them.