What do you enjoy most about your role?
I really enjoy being out with our farmers. I grew up on a beef and sheep/ arable farm with little experience of dairying, but working with diary farmers everyday has helped me understand this industry so well. Every farmer is more than happy to answer questions with ‘show and tell’ and its been such a great experience from the day I joined Dale Farm. I enjoy having meaningful conversations on farms about topics important to them and also being a friendly face for them to go to for technical advice, particularly when it comes to sustainability.
What does a typical day look like?
I am an on farm advisor covering a wide range of topics including Red Tractor assistance, margin over concentrate benchmarking work and on farm sustainability. A typical day would involve visiting farms in a particular region of Northern Ireland and working through one or more of the above topics with them. No two days are ever the same as no two farms are the same!
What is your greatest achievement at Dale Farm?
Having worked for Dale Farm for just over 6 years now, I feel I have achieved a lot in my personal development and career. For me though, gaining my FACTS Qualification (Fertiliser Advisors Certification Training Scheme) which enables me to promote systems on farms that benefit soil and water quality, biodiversity and crop nutrition which has massively benefited my role.