Wilson farming future is in safe hands
Brian Donaldson • Published 9 Feb 2012 13:30
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When you are running a farming business, everyone involved gets their sleeves rolled up and gets on with the job.
That's certainly the case on the Wilson farm near Magheraveely, where David and his wife, Cindy, and their two boys, Jack(14) and Robbie(9), run a successful farming business where everyone's input is vital at key times of the year.
This week is a prime example where Cindy is at work at a local veterinary practice, David is keeping the herd of Herefords fed, and the two boys have returned home from school to help at lambing time. It's a hectic schedule which keeps everyone busy, from David and the boys in the lambing sheds to Cindy making up bottled milk for the pet lambs.
It's a case of all hands available as the work continues from early morning to late at night.
It's no surprise then that both Jack and Robbie want to be farmers in the future. Jack has his career path already laid out, wanting to go to Greenmount College once he finishes his exams at Portora Royal School where he is currently in Year 10.
Robbie is still at his local Aghadrumsee Primary School but has already stated his intentions of making farming his career.
To David and Cindy, this of course is welcome news because their farm in the townland of Lisrace has been in the Wilson family for 350 years, and succession is important in the agricultural industry.
The career aspirations of Jack and Robbie are indicative with what's happening in agriculture at present. More young people are applying for courses in agricultural-related subjects at colleges and universities. With agriculture proving to be one of the more positive aspects of the economy at present, more farmers' sons and daughters are realising there might be a future in the agri-food industry after years of challenges. Until now, the average age of farmers in Northern Ireland has been the mid to late 50s.
John Fay, Director of CAFRE which oversees agricultural education at Greenmount, Loughry and Enniskillen Campuses, says there has been a steady increase in student numbers applying over the past three or four years.
"This year has seen an all time high of applications. We've never had as many students applying for agriculture before and the applications we have in the pipeline for the 2012 start is up again," he says.
The Department of Agriculture works closely with the industry to ensure a good supply of qualified students but not flooding the marketplace.
John Fay has seen a trend of fewer students on the one-year certificate course and more on the three-year national diploma and foundation degree courses.
"We now have more higher qualified people entering the industry which works well," he says.
"There's a real buzz of enthusiasm now and there are now farming programmes on almost every TV channel now," he remarked.
The Wilson family are already known to TV viewers as one of the 16 families featured in the current UTV series, "Rare Breed," which follows them during a farming year. Each episode represents a month during 2011. On Monday night past, David Wilson was busy shearing his sheep in April last, during exceptionally warm weather as well as preparing his Hereford cattle for the Balmoral Show where he is a regular exhibitor in the Hereford cattle section.
One feature about the Wilson family farm is that they manage it themselves with little or no work contracted out. So silage cutting, slurry spreading, hedge-cutting, and even sheep shearing are done by themselves.
With the boys getting older, there is much more work for them to get involved in too.
Jack says, "Lambing is my favourite thing on the farm."
He's well used to rising early in the morning, often getting up at 6am to get the school bus after 7am to bring him to school in Enniskillen. He has his own purebred Texel flock to look after as well as the family flock of Suffolk and Texel cross ewes.
Robbie is equally enthusiastic about lambing. "I told dad that if there was one lambing he would tell me. I definitely want to be a farmer."
David and the boys all help to work with the Hereford cattle which David is passionate about.
"The Herefords are a great breed for the boys to work with as they are so docile," says Cindy.
David began farming at Lisrace 20 years ago and has gradually built up the farm from 40 acres then to 200 acres now.
"I started off with nothing as some farmers might have 200 acres to work with. I didn't even have a tractor then," he says, explaining that he began specialising in Hereford cattle in 1994, three years after beginning farming full time.
"I reared some calves and built up numbers and then bought a Hereford bull," David explained.
He was also the first generation of his long family line to introduce sheep at Lisrace. David's family were noted blacksmiths. His grandfather, Bob was the last blacksmith in the townland and the forge which once stood on the farm was moved, stone by stone to be rebuilt at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Cultra for public viewing.
Now you will find not only Hereford cattle and sheep on the farm but also pigs, ducks and hens and donkeys.
The business of farming here is round the clock, 365 days a year. Cindy remarked, "I remember New Year well last year with a sow pigging."
She is a great believer of the attributes of rural life. "Rural life is great for the children," she says.
The UTV programme, "Rare Breed" continues each Monday evening until April 2.
This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 09 Feb 12
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