Good news for the countryside column: Farming wiser helps you to farm longer

​In January of this year, an important initiative was launched with ‘older farmers’ in mind. The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI), Department for Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs, and the Farm Safety Partnership, launched a powerful new advertising campaign aimed at reducing the number of work-related deaths and injuries among older farmers.

At the launch of the initiative in Greenmount College, HSENI emphasised that this was not about stopping farming, “but recognising limitations, making small changes and reducing risk.” There was a clear acknowledgement that older farmers continue to have a vital role to play and are the backbone of the rural community. Sadly, however, they face increased risk due, among other things, to slower reaction times and reduced mobility. An alarming statistic given was that across Europe between 2014 and 2024 older farmers accounted for two thirds of all fatalities.

Everyone who is associated with farming knows that it is a way of life for many and never easy to step away from. For that reason, the focus is not for older farmers to stop farming, but to adapt. The hope is that they will analyse risk more urgently and make the necessary adjustments. In many ways, the title given to the campaign sums it up very simply, “farm wiser to farm longer”.

When we turn to God’s Word, the Bible, the theme of wisdom, or living wisely, is prominent, involving making decisions that align with God’s will in a way that also reflects His character.

Proverbs 3:5-6 advises, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

In the New Testament we have further reference to wisdom. James reminds us that wisdom originates with God, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5.)

However, if we wish to appreciate what it means to live wisely according to the Bible, the parables of Jesus also provide clarity. Jesus told a parable about five foolish and five wise bridesmaids who were waiting to welcome a wedding party (Matthew 25:1-13). Those who were foolish didn’t have enough oil in their lamps and missed the wedding party’s arrival. The lesson Jesus was highlighting here is how crucial it is to be prepared for His return.

A very familiar parable of Jesus concerns a wise and a foolish builder. The foolish man built his home on sand and when the storm came it collapsed. In contrast the wise man built his house on a solid foundation of rock and it remained secure. In Matthew 7:26 Jesus warns “…everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.”

Understanding the love of farming that is so strong, I sincerely hope safer practices will enable farmers to do what they love longer. However, while it is prudent to consider “farming wiser” the more important question for farmers of all ages, and indeed every person, relates to how we live: to live foolishly as if God doesn’t exist, or to live wisely by trusting Jesus our Saviour and seeking to follow what is taught in God’s Word?

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Having grown up in rural Tyrone, after leaving school at the age of 16, Knox worked for over 20 years on the family dairy farm near Aughnacloy. Having felt the call of God to full-time ministry, he was ordained in 2005 serving as minister of two Presbyterian congregations for 14 years. In 2019 he was called to be minister of Aghadowey and Crossgar Presbyterian Churches in County Londonderry.

If you would like to talk to someone about any of the issues raised in this article, please email Rev Kenny Hanna, PCI’s Rural Chaplain at [email protected] or call him on 07938 488 372.