#MegaFarmingRoles – Meet Volac International’s Sarah Banks
When it comes to careers in agriculture it’s safe to say there can be a number of common misconceptions; from defining what a farmer actually does, to understanding the wealth of opportunities available within the agricultural industry - beyond farming itself.
With a growing number of roles within marketing, AI, product development, manufacturing, research, science and customer care - to name but a few - all requiring a predisposition for animal welfare, food provenance and care for the environment, there is definitely room for stigmas to be broken.
Over the coming weeks and months we’ll be sharing the experiences of a number of professionals within the farming community as they discuss their #MegaFarmingRoles in a bid to enlighten, entertain and eradicate the confusion.
First up, meet Sarah Banks, Head of Feed Additives and Sustainability at Volac International
We recently caught up with Sarah to learn how an early interest in rural life, and a lactose intolerant family member inspired her first foray into working as a goat farmer at the age of 10.
From there, her inquisitive nature saw her delving into the world of dairy farming, gaining on-the-farm experience with both dairy farmers and sheep farmers in her local area. It was here that she was first introduced to Volac’s products and the seed of a career in livestock nutrition was firmly planted.
“I first joined (Volac International) as a Technical Assistant and I’ve risen up through the ranks…”
In this short video you can discover what a typical day for Head of Feed Additives and Sustainability looks like here at Volac, what key skills are required for such a role, what inspired Sarah’s interest in this particular job and any surprises she’s encountered along the way.
“Part of my role is quite strategic thinking in terms of how we integrate (a new company’s products) into our current business, not only in terms of manufacturing and being able to pull everything into our own systems and under our own certifications, but also how we can market these new products within the range as well. And the third string, looking at sustainability…”
Watch to the end to learn Sarah’s top tips for anyone starting out on a career in the farming industry.
Check out the full conversation here.
Link: #MegaFarmingRoles ep 01 - Meet Sarah Banks
Stay tuned for more farming industry insight
We’ll be catching up with various members of the farming community to discover the diversity of career opportunities available to young farmers and anyone wanting to pursue a career in the agricultural sector, so keep an eye on our blog for future interviews as we explore more #MegaFarmingRoles.