Farm Management: From Infantry Officer to Velcourt Farm Manager

This episode features Ollie Pemberton, a former infantry platoon commander who now works as a farm manager for Velcourt. After leaving the military, Ollie explored several careers—including teaching mathematics and running a furniture factory in Vietnam—before studying agriculture at the Royal Agricultural University.

A chance encounter with Velcourt at a recruitment fair led him into farm management. Ollie explains that farm managers oversee day‑to‑day operations and long‑term strategy. They may be responsible for arable production, livestock, and estate management, and they lead teams of field workers, agronomists and specialistsnationaltrustjobs.org.uk.

Duties can include planning developments, securing funding, liaising with tenants and landowners, ensuring health and safety, and supervising staff and volunteerssuccessatschool.org. The role requires deep knowledge of rural and conservation issues, strong management and communication skills, numeracy and record‑keepingsuccessatschool.org, and the ability to juggle practical work (such as operating machinery) with finance and people management.

Ollie also discusses agri‑environment schemes and how changing climate and subsidy reforms are reshaping farming. He candidly notes that salaries for farm managers range from £22,000 to £34,000 depending on responsibility and experiencesuccessatschool.org but emphasises that the lifestyle, job satisfaction and community make it worthwhile.

00:00 Intro & series overview – Tom & Jamie set the scene and explain the purpose of the HighGround podcast

.02:01 Meet Ollie – Ollie Pemberton introduces himself and summarises his career in the infantry and subsequent roles.

05:00 Transition & early careers – Ollie describes moving from the Army to teaching, running a furniture factory in Vietnam, and then studying at the Royal Agricultural University.

10:00 Discovering farm management – Ollie meets Velcourt at a recruitment fair, learns about farm management and decides to pursue it.

14:00 What farm managers do – Detailed discussion of a farm manager’s responsibilities (business planning, team leadership, crop management, livestock, estate diversification).

20:00 Transferable skills – The team talk about military skills (leadership, resilience, planning) that help in farm management.

24:00 Estate details & daily work – Ollie talks about managing a 6 500‑acre estate near Aylesbury, with arable crops, shorthorn cattle and sheep.

28:00 Agri‑environment schemes & diversification – Insight into environmental land management, regenerative practices and estate diversification projects.

31:00 Salary, lifestyle & work–life balance – Overview of typical farm‑manager salaries and why lifestyle matters more to many people.

35:00 Advice to service‑leavers – Ollie wraps up with guidance on how to explore farming roles, the importance of volunteering/harvest jobs, and networking.

1. Transition & transferable skills: Ollie’s background in the infantry taught him leadership, planning and adaptability—skills that translate well to managing a farm. He also benefited from teaching and a stint managing a furniture factory, which broadened his problem‑solving and people‑management experience.

What do farm managers do?

1. Farm managers are responsible for strategic direction and day‑to‑day operations, ensuring land is productive and sustainablenationaltrustjobs.org.uk. They plan planting and grazing, manage budgets, recruit and supervise staff, liaise with landowners and tenants, oversee machinery and livestock, and comply with regulationssuccessatschool.org. They also design and implement agri‑environment schemes to enhance biodiversity and soil health.
2. Skills required: The role demands a wide skill set: knowledge of rural/conservation issues; budgeting and business management; strong interpersonal and communication skills; numeracy and record‑keepingsuccessatschool.org; and practical mechanical/field skills. Military experience in leadership, logistics and working under pressure can give service‑leavers a strong start.
3. Training routes: Many farm managers come from farming backgrounds, but others enter via graduate diplomas (like Ollie), Velcourt’s trainee scheme, or by gaining practical experience on harvest placements. Volunteering on farms or taking entry‑level agricultural courses can help develop field skills.
4. Estate vs. farm management: Ollie manages a 6 500‑acre estate near Aylesbury that includes arable crops, 150 English Shorthorn cattle and 1 200 sheep. His responsibilities cover both agricultural operations and estate diversification (brewery, commercial properties). Estates often include tenants and community projects, so managers must balance financial performance with landscape and heritage.
5. Salary & lifestyle: Countryside and farm managers typically earn around £22 000–£34 000successatschool.org, with some senior roles going higher. Accommodation is often provided, and salaries can be supplemented through diversification projects. Work is seasonal and sometimes weather‑dependent, but offers variety, autonomy and strong community ties.
6. Advice to service‑leavers: Explore the land‑based sector through short harvest jobs or volunteering. Take advantage of training schemes and networking events such as agricultural shows or organisations (e.g., Farmers’ Club). Consider applying your military leadership and teamwork experience to management roles in farming. “Be curious, ask questions and get your hands dirty,” Ollie says.

If you found value in this episode, please consider sharing it with fellow service‑leavers or reservists and rate the HighGround podcast in your podcast app. For more information about land‑based career opportunities, visit highground‑uk.org.