Bronagh and her son Patrick Óg.
From hill farming to milking cows, Bronagh Brennan discusses the importance of a tailored approach and creating a brighter future for her children, writes Tracey Donaghey.
The soil is where farming begins. It’s the Ulster Farmers’ Union mantra, and for Next Generation member Bronagh Brennan, growing up on a hill farm taught her valuable lessons as well as providing iconic views.
“Hill farming comes with a lot of challenges. In terms of farming stock on hill ground, the biggest lesson I learned was don’t focus on the fancy breeds, it’s very important to get the correct breed for your farm type.
“We’ve always sort of ran with Simmentals, and Limousins crossed with Simmentals, and found that they work well for our farm. They’re a good hardy breed, good calvers, good maternal traits. That worked well for us,” says Bronagh.
Working with what they have, producing cattle on land that can’t grow crops, planning is critical.
“Animal health was huge. Always making sure that the cows were getting their lick buckets, their minerals, and foot health, keeping on top of the hoof trimming.
“When you don’t have the availability of good ground, winter can be especially difficult. Getting your winter fodder planned well, getting your bedding, straw, all worked out before autumn or winter approaches. This year will probably be a very difficult year for those farming in less favored areas. It has been a very long winter, a difficult spring, and there wasn’t great growth in June.”
Daily life
Bronagh now lives on the family farm in Rasharkin with her husband and three children.
“We’re a Holstein herd. We’re milking twice a day, milking about 450 at the minute, calving all year round. We are farming at the minute about 700 acres. When I compare it to my home farm, it’s much better ground,” laughs Bronagh.
“We would do about 100 acres of our own barely. It’s a very busy farm, there’s always something to be at.”
Bronagh’s husband also works as a contractor, and with grass fever very much alive, time is precious.
“My husband actually jumps out of bed in the morning and loves what he does. We start milking about six, so he’s away at about 5.30am. That could be him to who knows what time, but he lives for that.
“Saying that, the last couple of years weather wise, especially at silage time, it just seems like the windows are getting shorter and shorter. We always prioritise our own cuts but he doesn’t like letting anyone down either. Weather changes so quickly. Definitely in the last couple of years, I’ve noticed the pressure has got a lot harder. You’re only working with a couple of days and there is maybe 500/600 acres that has to go in, and it has to go in. You need the grass. You can’t miss that window so what do you do? That’s the same across the entire country. It’s just a race all the time.”
Leaving a legacy
Bronagh is currently on maternity leave from her role with Rural Support. As a farm support coordinator, she managed the farm business sustainability pilot programme, working with farmers on a range of matters from environmental aspects to succession. Her knowledge of the industry coupled with being a mother, has heightened her desire to help shape a brighter future for agriculture.
“You want to leave behind a legacy for your children. At the minute, all my oldest two think about is farming, but I always want to make sure that they have something else to fall back on.
“There is so much coming down the line and so many changes. We will have to change certain ways we farm. We’re now on zone three of the soil health scheme, a big emphasis is going to be put on the health of our soils and how we farm those soils. You want the future generations coming up now to know those things from an early age.”
Soil health has become a common phrase in recent times and Bronagh admits, an extensive knowledge of soils was lacking in her early years.
“Growing up, we just knew that the mountain ground is poor soil health to supplement somewhere else. It’s not as if you can go out and spread fertiliser and actually work on that.
“I never would have been thinking growing up about having different species of grass, multi species swards, that stuff would have all been so alien to me with the type of farm I was farming on. It’s more common now for me, especially in this area dairy farming, we are looking so much at what our grass is at, we’re measuring grass all the time.
“Farming is becoming so data driven and that’s good in a way as well. I suppose for the future generations coming up, they are so use to working with technology.
“Between now and 2050, the date we’re supposed to be net zero, we’ve a long way to go and there are going to be huge changes between now and then. So who knows how we will be farming in 2050,” says Bronagh.
Team dynamics
As a farmer and farmer’s wife, Bronagh credits their teamwork dynamic for keeping the show on the road.
“We recently were on Farm Flix, they did a series of ourselves. Paddy had made the point that he couldn’t go and do his job everyday if it wasn’t for me at home in the background.
“A farmer’s wife is just as important of a role as a farmer and the farmer’s wife can still be the farmer. I love farming. I couldn’t do what I do without him and he couldn’t do what he does without me, so it’s just that teamwork dynamic.”
To listen to the full podcast with Bronagh, visit Spotify and search, UFU podcast Farming 24/7.
