Women in agriculture profile featuring Megan Morrow

​Occupation: I work full time as one of the farm sustainability advisors for Dale Farm as well as helping on the family farm whenever necessary.

Farming commodity: My uncle is currently milking a 65 head Holstein Friesian herd with replacements following, with possible plans to expand, all dependent on the ever-changing weather pattern and bovine TB which is on the rise down here in Co. Fermanagh - again. My grandfather would have always been milking in and around the 50/55 cow mark as well as being one of the numerous focus farms. However, since my uncle has come home full time, he has placed his own mark on the farm and has brought new genetics and expansions to the yard.

How did you become involved in farming?

I grew up on one of the out farms where the calves and heifers would have been during the grazing period, as well as helping after school and during school holidays. I always had the love and passion for livestock and nature from a very young age and as I grew up, I started to understand a lot more. With that came a deeper love and passion which is still here to this day. My grandfather and uncle never once let my gender or my age stop me from getting involved and now my uncle’s nine-year-old daughter and two sons whom are seven and three, are involved in all things farming also.

I got into my job role following graduation from Harper Adams with BSc (Hons) in agriculture with animal science, and having the passion to encourage and enable farmers to utilise their land and herds to their optimum - basically farming what you have well!

Sustainability is the current buzzword within the industry and across many other sectors. When farmers here me say ‘sustainability’, many shut down or respond with ‘oh so you are for culling the cows’, when that couldn’t be further from the truth. I do believe there is a limit on what some land and yards can handle when operating as a dairy herd and pushing for more can do more harm than good for a business.

I see my role as an opportunity to encourage and advise farmers on what they want from their herd. This can range from improving age at first calving, considering pit silage over bales if that would suit their farm business and labour better or focusing on getting two/three good stable cuts rather than pushing for a fourth cut which can ultimately in many cases, not be as cost effective as it may be advertised as it can cause many issues within both the herd and milk tank.

With a poor year overall and only a few windows to enable farmers to get the cuts done, this winter will be another testing season for herds and milk quality. Age at first calving, milk quality from grass and forage and how to make good silage are not new conversations, it’s just a new classification – sustainability.

Earliest farming memory:

Reaching up on my tippy toes to spray the cow’s teats after milking and even at that, just about reaching them!

What personal characteristics did you develop from agriculture?

One would be patience, especially having to deal with young calves. I have had to challenge my patience since becoming a mum last year to my daughter Carla, whom is already showing a keen interest in animals, as well as all things mess!

Second would be resilience, not giving up after a bad day or a bad moment. Time keeps ticking and cows need milked and fed no matter the weather or situation you may be facing. Having completed my final year of university pregnant and completing my exams with a newborn, my resilience (with a little help from coffee), pushed me to complete my degree and graduate, no matter what I had to do to get there.

Thirdly, compassion, particularly looking after newborn calves or a sick animal. Even whilst working with nature. If I was to come across a sick bird or injured hedgehog or rabbit, I would never leave it lying there to suffer. It’s our duty to care for them too.

Life lesson you learnt from farming:

‘There is a fine line between need and greed’. This is a line I repeat to myself daily and was always something my grandfather would have said to me when growing up. As long as you have enough to pass through, you will be grand.

What do you enjoy most about the farming lifestyle?

The freedom of being in the countryside and enjoying nature whilst working with it. Standing watching the milkers graze after milking time in a fresh pasture will forever be a great thing to experience, as well as admiring the autumn sunsets.

Describe a farmer in three words: Resilient, innovative and proactive.

What would you like the public to know about NI farming?

NI farming works with nature, not against nature no matter what the media may present. NI is one of the very few countries in the world where they can provide such a grazing platform for their herds and flocks, and with that, we can produce some of the best produce within the EU.

If you could give farmers/farming families/ farming community one piece of advice, what would it be?

Keep pushing on. There has always and will always be a need for the farmer.

What would you say to others who are considering a career in the agri industry?

Go for it. You will achieve a sense of satisfaction like no other when you see your work/help benefit the farmer and farm business within the current economic climate and what seems to be never ending new lists of rules and regulations. Even when working with livestock, seeing that animal you reared have their first calf or when you see an animal you reared running through the paddock, you will indefinitely achieve a sense of satisfaction and happiness that very few can say they achieve daily within their career.

What are your hopes for the future of Northern Ireland’s agriculture industry?

My hopes are that the people in power and their advisors in the background, realise what NI agriculture is worth and with that, they can support the industry better than what they currently do.

I also wish to see them stand up for NI agriculture more when it comes to media headlines and protests. The industry should be given the respect it deserves. I do believe the industry will continue to thrive in the coming years due to the resilience of the farmer, however, it cannot be denied that the industry needs to be provided with support with practical solutions, advice and guidance.