Mentoring for people in horticulture.
Horticulture is a farming, ranching, forestry field with its own language, its own way in and its own unwritten rules. A mentorhero session puts a mentee in front of somebody already doing that job for 30 minutes, so the questions get answered by a person instead of a search engine. Land-based careers are passed down, not advertised. A session opens the door to people outside the family line.
- Session length
- 30 minutes
- Cost to the mentee
- Free
- Sector
- Farming, Ranching, Forestry
Why a session helps in horticulture.
The language of horticulture
A mentee leaves the session understanding the terms used on the job, not a glossary written by somebody outside it.
The route in, said plainly
Which qualifications, tickets or first jobs matter in horticulture, and which are a waste of money.
Thirty minutes, no cost to the mentee
Short enough that a working mentor can give it, long enough to change what somebody does next.
Somebody who has done the job
Mentors are matched on the work itself, so the person on the call recognises the problem straight away.
The language of farming, ranching, forestry.
These are the terms that come up in a horticulture session, and what they mean in practice.
Yield and margin per hectare
The numbers behind every decision on the ground.
Tenancy and succession
Who holds the land and who takes it on next. The hardest conversation in the sector.
Agronomy
The science of growing well. A route into the sector without owning land.
Diversification
Adding income beyond the crop or herd, from energy to tourism.
Where the jobs sit.
A mentor can walk a mentee through any of these, from the first job to the one after next.
Farm worker
Herdsperson
Agronomist
Machinery operator
Farm manager
Estate and land manager
The questions that come up.
Getting into farming without a family farm behind you
Whether an agriculture degree is worth it
Taking on management of a unit for the first time
Diversifying an income without risking the core business
Talking about succession with family
Half an hour is enough for this.
How land, tenancy and contract farming arrangements work
What employers look for in a farm manager
How to build a case for investment in a small business
Four steps, no cost.
- 01
Say what you do or want to do
Tell us the part of horticulture you are aiming at.
- 02
We match you
A mentor working in the field, chosen on the job rather than the job title.
- 03
Thirty minutes on video
Bring the questions. No preparation, no cost, no obligation.
- 04
Come back when you need to
Sessions are repeatable as the next decision arrives.
The things people ask first.
Do the mentors actually work in horticulture?
Yes. Matching is done on the work itself, so the mentor either works in horticulture now or has spent long enough in it to speak from experience.
What does it cost a mentee?
Nothing. Sessions are funded by our partner organisations, so mentees never pay.
I am changing careers into this field. Is that still a fit?
Yes, and it is one of the most common reasons people book. Thirty minutes with somebody inside horticulture is the fastest way to find out whether the move is right before you commit to a course.
Can employers in this industry offer sessions to their people?
Yes. Partners fund sessions for their workforce, their candidates and their local community, and get live reporting on hours delivered.
Working in horticulture?
Give 30 minutes as a mentor, or book a session as a mentee. Both start on the same page.