Stephanie Clokey has been appointed as the new Ulster Farmers’ Union peatland officer. She is from Magheragall, just outside Lisburn, where her family farms sucklers, mostly pedigree Salers.
Stephanie’s interest in agriculture started on the family farm, and through her love of wildlife, eventually blossomed into a passion for sustainable farming. She became familiar with sustainable practices though the application of the environmental farming scheme methods on her family farm, and then went on to gain a greater depth of knowledge while working as a site manager at an oyster farm in Larne Lough, which is located within an ASSI.
After graduating from the Ulster University business school, Stephanie began working for Kinder Garden Cooks, helping to educate primary school aged children on food production and biodiversity. She also volunteered with Natural world products, working with their peat-free compost in community gardens.
Her passion for sustainable farming alongside her appreciation of the importance of peatlands is what initially drew Stephanie to the role of peatland officer. She looks forward to working with farmers to raise awareness of the value and opportunities associated with sustainable peatland management.
