What kinds of farm work there are, what they involve, and when they are most in demand.
Tillage, sowing, crop protection and harvesting on larger fields — mostly machine work, with tractor or combine experience. Expect long days during the summer harvest.
Planting, hoeing, weeding and hand-picking in the open field or in polytunnels. Involves a lot of bending and standing; picking starts early in the morning and tunnels can be hot.
Pruning in winter and early spring, thinning in spring, picking from summer to autumn — strawberries, cherries, apricots, apples, pears. On ladders or at ground level, often paid by the piece.
Winter pruning, spring canopy work (shoot thinning, tying), summer leaf work and hand harvest in autumn; processing and bottling in the cellar. The harvest is a short, intense period.
Milking, feeding, bedding, calf rearing and watching animal health — all year round, with early starts and weekend shifts. Experience with animals is an advantage.
Feeding, cleaning, farrowing work and herd care in closed buildings, all year round. Strict hygiene rules and a regular rota.
Feeding, watering, egg collection and grading, cleaning houses and preparing for new flocks — all year round, in a team. Steady, repetitive work.
Grazing, feeding, milking, shearing and lambing or kidding work. Spring (lambing, shearing) is the busiest time; in summer often out on the pasture.
Feeding, grooming and exercising horses, stable work; guided rides at riding centres. Horse experience is usually required.
Checking hives, managing swarms, moving hives and extracting honey from spring to late summer. Expect stings; beekeeping experience is an advantage.
Driving tractors, combines, loaders and implements for field work and transport. A licence (e.g. tractor) and machine experience are needed.
Repairing and maintaining machines, tools and building services — preparing for the season in winter, fast repairs during it. Mechanic or welding skills are an advantage.
Installing, running and repairing irrigation during the growing season; drip and sprinkler systems. Flexible hours, sometimes at night.
Sorting, grading, packing and labelling produce in a packhouse or on the farm, mainly during the picking season. Standing work, often in shifts.
Storing and moving produce and supplies, cold-store work, stock records. A forklift licence is often an advantage or required.
Transporting produce, animals and supplies on the farm and to customers. The right licence (B, C) is needed; longer days in season.
Making cheese, dairy, meat products, jam, syrup or bakery goods in the farm's own unit. Hygiene rules apply and a health certificate is needed.
Planting, tending, thinning, felling and moving timber, mainly from autumn to spring. Heavy physical work; a chainsaw certificate is often required.
Growing ornamental plants, nursery work, maintaining parks and gardens: planting, pruning, mowing, watering. Busiest from spring to autumn.
Building and repairing fences, pens, barns and polytunnels, painting and small masonry jobs on the farm. Trade experience is an advantage.
Administration, orders and invoices, selling at markets and in the farm shop, welcoming visitors. Languages and customer skills are an advantage.
Typical months are indicative and refer to Central Europe; they vary by country and year.