Meet Lottie: A Career as a Graduate Student

Discover Lottie’s career journey at Fevara, from studying agriculture and gaining hands-on dairy experience to working across trade, marketing and technical teams on a graduate programme. Find out how her placements build technical and commercial knowledge, the skills she uses and her advice for making the most of every opportunity.

What does a normal day look like in your job?

There isn't really a "normal" day in my job and that's what I enjoy most!

As a graduate at Fevara, I've been lucky enough to work across all of our brands- Crystalyx, Scotmin Nutrition, Tracesure Advanced and Horslyx so every week is a bit different.

I've spent six months in the Trade team, six months in Marketing, and I'm currently in the Technical team as part of the two-year graduate programme.

One day I might be out on farm talking to customers, the next I could be helping plan marketing campaigns, supporting product launches, analysing trial results or working with the sales team to solve nutrition challenges.

Before joining Fevara, I studied Agriculture with Honours at Harper Adams University and completed a placement year at Lloyds Animal Feeds. That experience confirmed I wanted a career in livestock nutrition, so it's been great to see the industry from so many different angles.

The best part is that no two days are the same. Every placement teaches me something new, and I get to work with different teams and meet people across the business while helping farmers get the best from their livestock.

How did you get into this role?

I've always known I wanted to work in agriculture, so I started by studying Agriculture at Nottingham Trent University's Brackenhurst Campus before going on to complete an Agriculture degree with Honours at Harper Adams University.

Alongside my studies, I built up practical experience on a range of dairy farms. I first worked on what was, at the time, the largest dairy herd in Leicestershire, with around 700 milking cows. From there, I moved to a local agricultural contractor, where I spent my summers working through the grass season and also gained experience on their robotic dairy farm.

I then joined a 350-cow spring-calving dairy herd that reared all of its own replacement heifers. That role gave me a great understanding of herd management and the day-to-day decisions that go into running a successful dairy business.

One of the biggest influences on my career was the farm owner in my last role (Gaynor Wellwood), who was also a dairy consultant. She encouraged me to think beyond being "just a farm hand" and really helped me develop professionally. Her support gave me the confidence to pursue a career in livestock nutrition and showed me how rewarding it is to work closely with farmers to improve animal performance.

During my placement year at Lloyds Animal Feeds, everything clicked into place. I realised livestock nutrition was the area I was most passionate about, and that experience confirmed it was the career path I wanted to follow.

That's what led me to apply for the Fevara graduate programme, where I've been able to build on both my practical farming background and my technical knowledge.

What skills or qualities matter most in your job?

The graduate programme gives you the chance to work with lots of different teams, so you need to be willing to learn, ask questions and step outside your comfort zone.

Communication is also really important. Whether you're chatting to farmers on farm, working with the sales team, or discussing projects with colleagues in marketing or technical, being able to explain ideas clearly and build good relationships makes a huge difference.

Having a genuine interest in livestock and animal nutrition is another key quality. You don't need to know everything when you start, but being curious and keen to keep learning is essential because the industry is always evolving.

Finally, I'd say having a practical farming background has really helped me. Spending time working on dairy farms means I understand the day-to-day challenges farmers face, which makes it much easier to have meaningful conversations and recommend practical solutions.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

Ive really enjoyed helping to build our portfolio of products.

Being involved with products such as LithoNutri and Biosprint has been particularly exciting because you can see the journey from the technical side through to how they can make a real difference on farm. It's rewarding to be part of bringing new solutions to customers and helping them get the best performance from their livestock.

Most of all, I enjoy the opportunity to keep learning. Every placement has taught me something different, and I've been able to develop both my technical knowledge and commercial understanding while working across all of our brands.

What advice would you give someone thinking about this career?

Don't worry if you don't have everything figured out straight away. Say yes to opportunities, ask plenty of questions and don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. Every experience, whether it's on farm, at university or in industry, helps build your knowledge and confidence.

I'd also say get as much practical experience as you can. Spending time on different farms gave me a real understanding of the challenges farmers face, and that's something I use every day in my role. It also helps you appreciate that every farm is different, so there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach.

Finally, be curious. Livestock nutrition is always evolving, with new research, products and technologies coming onto the market. If you're genuinely interested in learning and enjoy working with people as much as livestock, it's a really rewarding career with lots of opportunities to develop.