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Unseen Struggles: Addressing Mental Health in Agriculture

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Working in agriculture brings immense rewards, but it also presents many unique pressures. While many picture farming as a peaceful life, few realise the psychological toll that the long hours, isolation, financial stress and increasing unpredictability of weather take on an individual. In the UK, the mental health crisis among farmers has become a significant concern, as it affects both men and women across the industry.    Farming is a lifestyle as much as it is a job; its full of early mornings, unpredictable hours and is always a constant battle against the weather. During busy seasons I can often find myself spending hours on my own in the fields, sometimes feeling a bit cut off from the world. My friends outside of agriculture sometimes don’t understand why I can’t come and see them during busy times on the farm. They don’t and many members of the public don’t understand the level of uncertainty we have to deal with, thus we have to work long hours when the weather permi...
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The People Who Inspire Me: Lessons From Family and Friends

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Growing up on our family farm, I’ve been incredibly lucky to be surrounded by hardworking, supportive people who inspire me every day. Each person brings something special to my life on the farm, and combined they’ve taught me the importance of resilience, teamwork and passion.   Firstly, my grandpa, who at over 80 years old is still out working with the same dedication he has carried for decades. He’s a quiet force on the farm, and I’ve never heard him once complain about long hours or hard work. His knowledge is unmatched, and he is an encyclopaedia of farming history and techniques. His humility and willingness to share what he knows is clear, and he has passed down lessons to me that no book or classroom could offer.    Granny and Grandpa! My dad is passionate about farming, especially potato farming, and he loves to share his knowledge with me both on and off the farm. His dedication to what we do is inspiring, and he never hesitates to teach me what he knows. He’s a...
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History of Women in Agriculture

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  Women have played a crucial role in the history of agriculture in the United Kingdom, contributing labour and knowledge to sustain the land and communities, yet often their stories remain in the shadows. Women’s journey in agriculture goes back thousands of years, from the very start of farming around 10,000 BC to the modern day, where their roles have constantly evolved in response to societal and technological changes.     Traditionally, rural Britian had a clear division of labour between men and women. While men handled heavy field work and large animals, woman would be in charge of smaller livestock tasks. They would have been indispensable during harvest time, gathering crops in a communal effort. Known dismissively as the ‘farmers wife’ these women would have ensured that the farm functioned smoothly, especially helping with book keeping, however their contributions were not fairly recognised.   The advancement of mechanical equipment in the 19 th ...
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Cultivating Change: Fighting stereotypes in a 'mans world'.

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In my opinion, loving the work isn’t quite good enough to gain respect on the farm. Being a woman in agriculture I felt (and I still do) that I had something to prove. I had entered an industry where woman are severely underrepresented and more often than not, face scepticism about their abilities. Showing an interest wouldn’t make people respect me, I needed to prove I could work just as well as the men. The sense of needing to work harder, to show I belonged, is something I’ve struggled with from the beginning. This struggle isn’t something unique to just me. In the UK, only 22% of farmers are women, which reflects the long-standing gender imbalance in agriculture.     Operating machinery, helping with livestock and managing heavy, physically demanding jobs came with an unspoken pressure. I felt my mistakes would be amplified – not because I was new, but because I was a woman. I didn’t want my mistakes to reflect my gender instead of just part of the learning process.  ...
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Watching to Working: My experience growing up and working on a farm.

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Growing up on a family farm, agriculture has and will always be a constant presence in my life. From a young age I watched my older brother immerse himself in the farming way of life, spending countless hours with my dad, uncle and grandpa, learning the ropes. Meanwhile I would find myself watching from the sidelines, more of an observer rather than a participant. Truthfully farming didn’t interest me back then. I probably believed, like many young women growing up in an agricultural setting, that farming was a ‘mans world’. That unspoken message was clear and without realising I probably internalised that belief.     Throughout my childhood whilst my brother was actively involved, I only helped out during the school holidays with small tasks – rouging wild oats, picking tatties in the grading shed – but I never felt like I had a real place on the farm. The big jobs, the ones that seemed like they mattered to me, were reserved for the guys and I did not show any enthusiasm tow...
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