Women in Agriculture profile featuring Ellen McClure

Ellen pictured Collectively with her canine Ed and Hereford cattle

Ellen alongside decide Ricexhausting Currie, from the NI Dorset membership On the Omagh Current and Sale in August

I’m presently in my final yr of the BSc honours diploma in agricultural know-how at Queens College, Belfast.

I am from a beef and sheep farm the place I breed pedigree Dorset sheep and Hereford cattle. I’m A daily on the show and sale circuit with my sheep and most recently, I used to be awarded biggest medium flock in Northern Ireland and biggest small flock Inside The united kingdom which was An excellent honour.

How did You uncover your self to be involved in farming?

I grew up on the household farm so I used to be On A daily basis serving to the place it was needed however I might say I turned extra involved As quickly as I acquired My very personal sheep and cattle. It was a steep studying curve On the age of 11, however, it’s been an fantastic expertise which has given me invaluable life expertise Which have been useful in ending my diploma and securing work placement.

My earliest reminiscence Might be bringing Inside the hay. It was An exact household affair and the highmild being supper On The prime of the Evening time!

What private traits did you develop from agriculture?

Perseverance, confidence, versatility and drive.

Life lesson you learnt from farming:

I really feel it’s important to be resilient. Farming Is Full of ups and dpersonals, typically extra dpersonals. However, I’ve found To not be disheartened by this And that instead to deal with it as a studying expertise and use it as motivation to push on – it’s Definitely one of The solely strategies To take a Take A look at factors.

What do you take pleasure in most Regarding the farming way of life?

I exactly like working outdoors And that i’m fortunate enough to stay in an space which I really feel is A lovely An factor of the world. Whether or not the snow is blowing sidestrategies in winter or the photo voltaic is splitting the timber, There’s On A daily basis a one factor To take a Take A look at And luxuriate in.

I additionally exactly Revenue from the social facet of the farming way of life, going to Youthful Farmers’, university, markets and reveals, it’s good to have so many like-minded people To converse to and Revenue from the craic with.

Describe a farmer in three phrases:

Resilient, drawback solver and exhausting working.

What would You only like the general public To Search out out about NI farming?

Northern Irish farmers are Amongst The numerous exhaustingest working people On the market, contrihowevering to producing the meals we eat to The very biggest regular potential. I really feel this has exactly come to mild By way of the pandemic As quickly as we recognised farmers as ‘key staff’ for the very important position they play.

Do You’d like to can give farmers/farming households/farming group one piece Of suggestion what Wouldn’t It is?

Don’t take factors too critically and most primarily, take pleasure in what you do and take every day As a Outcome of it comes

What would you say to others Who’re contemplating a profession Inside the agri enterprise?

Go for it! From My very personal expertise, the agri enterprise Is Full of Individuals with comparable goals, pursuits And typically farming backgrounds, so socially, There’s On A daily basis lots To Talk about. There are additionally A good deal of alternatives throughout An monumental differ of sectors giving Masses of scope To choose one factor that appeals to you.

What are your hopes for The biggest method forward for Northern Ireland’s agriculture enterprise?

From My very personal expertise of studying agriculture at university I do know There is An monumental quantity of Children each Feminine and male, with a ardour for agriculture and a drive to make the enterprise sustainable. I can solely hope this stays The identical for generations To return!