Bethany Nutt combines dairy farming, sheep rearing and agricultural studies
Nutt farms with her parents, using a Dairy Master milking parlour, and maintains a small flock that includes Suffolk and Dorset ewes. Her latest purchase is her first Valais Blacknose lamb, an addition she describes with enthusiasm. Alongside livestock work, she pursues photography, using her own drone to photograph and film farmers and agricultural contractors undertaking different jobs. Her family’s agricultural connections extend through both parents: her mother grew up in the contracting family behind Lyons contracts, while her father established the farm himself. Her parents previously kept substantial numbers of sheep, and her father started dairy production in 2014.
She recalls spending time with the cows from the age of four, wanting to learn and participate in milking. Her father encouraged her involvement by assigning jobs he judged she could manage, giving her opportunities to acquire practical skills and confidence. Nutt credits his encouragement and trust with helping to shape her development as a farmer. An early memory is of wearing a Massey Ferguson boiler suit, a fluffy pink hat and glittery pink wellington boots while trying to join in. Because she could not reach the equipment, she stood on a small milk crate to imitate the people milking around her. She recalls that her determination to participate sometimes meant she was probably obstructing the work.
Her routine has included helping with milking before school, returning to milk afterwards and looking after her sheep. She says these responsibilities have developed her work ethic and taught her to organise her time and honour commitments. She also associates farming with resilience and adaptability, citing weather that disrupts silage operations and abrupt movements in market prices as examples of difficulties outside farmers’ control. Another lesson, she says, is the need to work towards personal ambitions and improvements on the farm. She credits her father’s example with reinforcing the importance of sustained effort and determination in pursuing what she wants.
The changing agricultural year is among the aspects of farming she most enjoys. She describes experiencing seasonal weather changes, the demands of silage-making and the arrival of newborn livestock, including lambs. Her involvement in Young Farmers also provides activities beyond the family holding. Through the organisation, she enters competitions, learns skills and meets people with interests similar to her own. Asked to characterise farmers in three words, she chooses “hardworking, independent and patient”. She describes farming as an occupation that can occupy a central place in a person’s life, with an attachment extending beyond the task of producing food.
Nutt wants the public to recognise the long working hours and effort involved in Northern Ireland’s farming industry. In her account, much of that work happens out of public view, and exhaustion and stress can accompany the commitment to supplying the community. She says farmers’ affection for their work can keep them going through those pressures. Her advice to farming households is to avoid allowing workloads to crowd out relationships with the people closest to them. She encourages farmers to make room for breaks and to leave work pressures behind when they need to, giving attention to their own wellbeing as well as their responsibilities on the farm.
She describes agricultural work as sometimes stressful, overwhelming or isolating. During difficult periods, she advises people to remember their reasons for entering farming and the people for whom they work. For anyone considering an agricultural career, however, her recommendation is to pursue it. She says dedication can bring skills, experience and opportunities, despite the challenges involved. She also points to the variety of occupations within agriculture, encouraging prospective entrants to investigate the roles available and choose an area that interests them. Her advice links that research with a willingness to put effort into developing practical experience and learning new skills.
Looking ahead, Nutt hopes women will feel more included in Northern Ireland’s agricultural sector and have access to a wider range of career opportunities. She also wants people experiencing difficulties to feel able to seek assistance. She says support is available and that asking for it should not carry embarrassment or shame. For her, discussing problems and reaching out for help demonstrate strength. Her hopes for the industry therefore include both greater participation by women and an environment in which people facing personal or work-related struggles are comfortable approaching others for support.
