‘Breaking the grass ceiling’

Lynn Keatley’s journey as one of the few full-time female farmers in the North’s agriculture landscape sheds light on the challenges and rewards unique to women in a male-dominated field.

According to an NI Executive report labelled ‘Breaking the Grass Ceiling’, as little as five per-cent of registered principal farmers in the North are women – with females making up just 22 per-cent of the local agricultural workforce.

The challenges facing farming women are complex and multifaceted, with a range of practical, social and cultural barriers preventing them from progressing in the sector.

For 37-year-old Lynn, however, life has centred around farming since returning home to tend for 110 dairy cows and 250 acres of land after her father was diagnosed with cancer and passed away in 2012.

“I always felt that I wanted the farm to continue on; I needed to step into his shoes, which he would have wanted me to do,” recalled Lynn, whose family farm rests in the fields of Donemana.

Lynn, who attended a three-year degree in agriculture at Greenmount College, has continued to run the farm with her mum, Hazel, and younger brother, Alan, ever since.

Passion

“I enjoy being outdoors, close to nature, and I have had a passion for animals since I was a child,” she explained.

“I love that fulfillment of bringing new life into this world and seeing it grow and thrive – it’s God’s gift.”

Lynn begins every day by checking on the animals before moving on to milking, with trusty wellies and a beenie hat always featuring in her day-to-day ensemble.

“There are many everyday jobs to carry out but I find that whatever I have planned to do that day, I end up doing that stuff along with a bunch of other jobs,” Lynn laughed.

Farm life is demanding but is not without its rewards. Lynn is no less committed to her work than the next person, taking the rough with the smooth and believing that farming is simply ‘in your blood’.

“Every day can be a challenge, every farmer knows that things can go wrong, but we are dedicated to our work and try to overcome these challenges.

“I do struggle with lifting, carrying heavy objects like meal to feed to the cattle on a day-to-day basis, but I do what I can and make the best of it,” said Lynn resolutely, before addressing a more significant hurdle in her and her husband David’s life.

Stressful

“One challenge that I have faced since I’ve got married is infertility – a subject not many like to talk about,” Lynn bravely admitted.

“Personally working on a full-time farm, I find my days to be stressful both physically and mentally and it has without a doubt led to a downward turn in my reproductive health.

“Traditionally, women played the role of ‘housewife’, rearing the family and putting food on the table for the husband, who worked.”

And, although she is empowered by this role reversal and the quashing of an outdated stereotype, Lynn said it ‘can be difficult for ladies to do it all’ – to be the wife, mother, the full-time farmer.

“It’s not easy to take time off from something that I love doing.”

Lynn was unsurprised to hear that so little women have opted for the lifestyle she has chosen.

“Women are not considered farmers in their own right despite the work they do in agriculture,” she said, listing barriers such as income, laborious work and red tape as deterring women from pursuing the lifestyle.

“We may not be leaders in the farming community but our voices should still be heard – we do what we can.”

The report stated that 95 per-cent of women surveyed believe that more should be done to support women in the farming sector, with 92 per-cent believing that farming offers a viable career opportunity for females.

Using her final words to encourage other women to strongly consider farming as a career, Lynn said, “We are rural pioneers if you like, keepers of the land.

“And if you are a woman who is not worried about getting a little muck under the fingernails and getting stuck in, I would very strongly encourage you to consider farming.”