It’s all change again with new families, new farms and businesses, and new challenges – with some familiar faces thrown in!
‘Rare Breed – A Farming Year’ is the ground-breaking year-in-the-life observational documentary series charting the reality of farming in Northern Ireland.
For more than a decade, the series has taken viewers into the farming world through the lives of farmers across the country.
Now in its 11th year, this series follows 12 families as they deal with one of the most unpredictable periods in living memory.
The 12 families featured reflect the diversity and innovation in Northern Ireland’s agri-food sector. Be it traditional beef, sheep, dairy and produce enterprises, or social farming, breeding alpacas and sport horses, we see how they face daily challenges and constantly work in all weathers against a backdrop of Brexit, climate change and the War in Ukraine.
Sponsored by Dromona, ‘Rare Breed – A Farming Year’ starts next Thursday (19 January) at 8.30pm on UTV.
1. Susan Chestnutt and Shay O'Neill from Portrush and Derrytresk in Tyrone
We meet a couple who split their farm between Portrush and Dungannon - Shay O’Neill and Susan Chestnutt. Photo: Freelance
2. Leona and Richard Kane from Limavady
Richard and Leona Kane have a 750 acre arable farm. They grow a range of crops including wheat, barley and oilseed rape. They also produce carrots and, in January, Richard is busy lifting them. Photo: Freelance
3. John Egerton and his three sons from Rosslea
Award winning farmer, John Egerton, farms with his three sons, William, Robert, and Samuel, at Rosslea in Fermanagh. The family have a suckler beef herd of 90 cattle and a flock of 250 ewes. In January, John and his sons are looking forward to the arrival of new calves to the farm. Photo: Freelance
4. The Byers family from Ballinamallard
Dale and Vicki Byers have a dairy herd of 150 cattle at their farm in Ballinamallard in Fermanagh. Photo: Freelance