Stepping into Agricultural Consultancy: My SAC Consulting Experience

I completed the SAC Consulting summer placement in Stirling, building on my earlier experience during my second year at SRUC Barony, where I worked with a consultant for a month. That was my first real introduction to consultancy. Before that experience, I was unsure which career path I wanted to take after graduating, and I’m very thankful I had the opportunity to explore it.

I thoroughly enjoyed advising farmers and carrying out a variety of work alongside SAF applications where I could apply my academic knowledge to real-world farming challenges. The experience encouraged me to apply for the SAC Consulting summer placement, where I was involved in a wide range of projects, from soil sampling and habitat mapping to contributing to carbon audits. I began my placement with time in the Lanark office before moving to Stirling, which gave me valuable experience working with different teams and clients.

I spent the majority of my time in the Stirling office. Stirling was a brilliant office with a wide range of farming enterprises, offering plenty of variety and insight into different systems. A significant part of my role involved assisting with agricultural schemes, particularly the Future Farming Investment Scheme (FFIS), where I was responsible for claim submissions.

Highlights of my placement include meeting farmers and attending industry events such as the Dumfries Agricultural Show, the Lanark Beef Group, the Deer Farming Farm Advisory Service (FAS) event, and the Stirling Beef and Sheep Group. I had the opportunity to meet Wayne Powell, Principal and Chief Executive of SRUC, to discuss education and the placement programme, followed by a tour of the manager’s farm. These experiences gave me a much clearer understanding of the key issues farmers face today, including greening changes, disease management, succession planning, inheritance tax, whole-farm plan changes, and sustainable farming practices.

I also designed and trialled my own succession planning survey with farmers, which will be developed further across all offices as part of my honours project.

Alongside the technical side, I really valued my time in the office, where I gained experience in client communication and event planning. By the end of the placement, I felt like a real part of the team and was grateful to my colleagues for their support - especially my manager, who was an excellent role model. Everyone was approachable, knowledgeable, and encouraging throughout.

The placement greatly strengthened my confidence, skills, and understanding of the agricultural sector, and I will carry what I’ve learned forward into my future career.

Isla Crawford

Posted by SAC Consulting on 14/10/2025