By Lucy Middle, BSc (Hons) Agriculture student at the Royal Agricultural University
As part of my BSc (Hons) Agriculture course at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester, I was asked to complete a 15-week work placement in the agricultural industry. As part of this, I chose two brilliant farm supplies, one of which was the StowAg store in Longborough.
In March, I was on my way back to university after a busy weekend of helping with lambing at home when I made the decision to stop in at StowAg. I walked into the store, introduced myself, explained that I had sent an email enquiring about any potential opportunities for a placement student. That face-to-face conversation made all the difference, and shortly afterwards, I was called back to have a second interview (not in my lambing gear!) with Eddie the director of StowAg. Following this interview, I secured my 13-week placement with them. And what an incredible journey it has been!
In the Longborough store
My placement began in the shop, working on the counter alongside Mike, Simon, Carol and Jamie. Right from the start, I was welcomed into the team and given the opportunity to interact directly with customers. I thoroughly enjoyed this part of the job, meeting local farmers, contractors, builders, equestrians and every other type of lovely customer. I tried my best with helping them to find the right products from the thousands that StowAg stocks!
During my time on the counter, I learned how to:
- Use the sales and stock management systems
- Understand pricing structures
- Navigate thousands of SKUs (stock-keeping units)
- Improve customer service skills, especially under pressure
- Troubleshoot product queries and guide customers to the right solutions
- Hear opinions on the current struggles in the agricultural industry
This hands-on experience gave me a solid understanding of retail operations and customer interactions, which are vital in any agri-business environment.
Customer service
Next, I moved into the customer service department, alongside Daisy, Kerrie, and Cheyenne. This role introduced me to the behind-the-scenes support that keeps StowAg running smoothly. I was responsible for:
- Answering phones and handling customer enquiries
- Taking orders and processing payments
- Setting up new customer cash accounts
- Coordinating with StowAgs other branches
- Liaising with customers from across different regions
I was lucky enough to be trained by the lovely Cheyenne, who was incredibly supportive throughout my time in the department. Her patience, clarity, and outstanding knowledge of everything within the company made learning the ropes much easier. With her guidance, I was able to build my confidence in dealing with complex queries. It gave me a real appreciation for the level of detail and organisation required in a busy customer service environment.
These tasks tested and strengthened my communication, organisation, and multitasking skills. I learned how to stay calm under pressure and how important good communication is, not only internally, but with customers too.
Out on the road with the reps
I was fortunate enough to spend time shadowing two of StowAgs sales representatives. My first outing was with John Seabrook to Rugby Market, where I watched the lamb sales and introduced myself to some of the farmers and spoke with them about their needs and current challenges within the industry. John discussed the realities of working as a rep, and I gained a much better understanding of the role.
I also joined Stuart Davies for a day visiting farms. One visit that really stood out was to an organic dairy farm, where I was given a full farm tour and saw how they incorporate innovative technology such as CoSecure cattle boluses. Later that day, we visited a beef and sheep farm, where I saw the impressive progress of their calves. These visits were both extremely eye-opening and gave me a first-hand insight into sales repping and various modern farming systems and technologies.
The Haemonchus event
Towards the end of my time in customer service, I had the opportunity to visit StowAgs Thame store, in Oxford, where the Haemonchus event took place. It was an engaging and informative evening that brought together farmers, vets, and industry professionals. I worked on the bar alongside Jamie and Cheyenne, where we served drinks and spoke with many of the attendees, including local farmers and supplier reps. The event featured a series of rotating talks from a range of experts and suppliers, including NorCal Vets and Elanco who led the Haemonchus talk, StowAg’s own Fetra Fencing and fencing team, Crystalyx, Netex, and Cotesi. Each of them provided insightful presentations, giving the attendees a chance to learn more about Haemonchus, parasite management, animal health, and Fetra fencing. It was a great experience to be part of such a collaborative and informative event, and it gave me valuable insight into how events like this support the farming community.
Agri-marketing
For the final leg of my placement, I joined the marketing department, alongside Rose, Charlotte, Jenny, and Lydia. I started with website tasks like customer categorisation and linking related items, which was great for improving my product knowledge and understanding of online sales platforms.
My first marketing visit was with Jenny Russell, where we visited a farm that was having Fetra Otter fencing installed. We took photos, filmed content, and spoke to the fencing contractors about the products they were using. This visit really helped deepen my understanding of the specialist fencing systems StowaAg offer and gave me more confidence when discussing related products with customers.
Shortly after that, I joined Jenny and Charlotte Evans for a trip to StowAg’s store in Alton, Hampshire. Our goal was to create content to showcase the store, highlight its layout, and promote its product range. I had the opportunity to direct, film, and even feature in some of the videos, which was a brilliant experience and something completely different from the rest of my placement. It taught me a lot about the creative side of marketing, brand visibility, and the planning that goes into content production.
Our final outing in marketing was to Overbury Estates, alongside Jenny Russel, Charlotte Evans, Stuart Davies and Elanco. At Overbury estates, we filmed content with the estate’s two contract shepherds, Shirley and Sam. They shared their approach to worming sheep, discussed anthelmintic resistance, explained the procedures they use to minimise resistance, and their approach to sustainable parasite control. It was a fascinating and insightful visit that not only strengthened my knowledge of animal health but also showed me how important it is to communicate these messages effectively to wider farming audiences.
My advice to other students
If you are a student looking for a placement, my best advice would be to be bold and walk in. Sending an email is easy, but showing up in person demonstrates confidence, enthusiasm, and initiative. That face-to-face interaction can open doors you didn’t even know were there.
I’ve loved every second of my time at StowAg. From sales and customer service to farm visits and marketing, this placement has given me a taste of what my future could look like. I have gained experience, new skills, and a deeper understanding of the operations needed to run a company of this scale. I will miss it here massively, but I’m also excited to take everything I’ve learned with me into my final year and future career in agriculture.