Heather Stewart said she loves working in agriculture and being surrounded by livestock and the countryside
Background
For the past seven years, I have been the events officer at the Ulster Íæż½ã½ã' Union (UFU) and I suppose these days, you could say a part-time farmer too.
I live with my partner on his family farm which he operate alongside his parents.
We finish around 100 cattle - mainly Charolais - which are stored through to beef.
In the winter, we store about 450 lambs - mainly Texels bred with a few Suffolks.
My solo projects on the farm include a small but ever-growing flock of pedigree Kerry Hill sheep and I am trying out some bucket reared Belgian Blue calves this year too.
I do not come from a farming background originally.
I grew up in the countryside outside Ballyclare.
My father kept a dozen chickens in an old pigsty as well as some pigs when he was younger but this was about it.
Introduction to farming
My major introduction to agriculture was working in the Young Íæż½ã½ã' Clubs of Ulster.
It was a steep learning curve and I have never looked back since.
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As part of my role, I was secretary of the Agri and Rural Affairs Committee and thanks to a lot of help from the members, my knowledge of the industry grew as did my interest in farming.
Many years later I moved in with my partner on his beef and sheep farm and now you cannot get me away from the yard.
This has also given me the opportunity to build my pedigree Kerry Hill flock.
I bought five Kerry Hills ewes to start with three years ago and this year, I hope to lamb 16 with some of my own bred ewes entering the breeding flock.
As someone from a non-farming background, this is something I am very proud of.
As a breed society, the Kerry Hill Flock Book Society have been very welcoming, and many have been incredibly helpful to this newbie.
Memories
My earliest farming memory was when we had a small paddock at the back of the house which we rented to a local farmer.
One of the chores I had as a child was to take turns filling the water bath for the cattle.
This was not my favourite job as I had quite a fear of cattle then, but things are changing on this front.
My other early memory was my older brothers trying to convince me the hens had teeth.
I am sad to say I believed them for a while.
Development
I have definitely become more relaxed about time as I came to grow and develop in agriculture.
I have learned it is not possible to run everything by the clock on a farm, and there is always another job or five to be done.
You cannot control everything on the farm.
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I suggest you can try your absolute best with livestock - particularly breeding stock - and yet, what you get in return can be totally out of your hands.
An elusive, perfectly healthy, well-shaped lamb with flawless markings will forever be the ultimate goal which seems just out of reach.
Growing up as the only girl with two older brothers gave me a thick skin to start with, and working with livestock with my partner is helping to thicken my skin further.
Lessons
The one life lesson I have picked up from farming is you will never know everything about agriculture, and this is the beauty of being part of the industry.
I always say on the farm there is an order to my love of farming - sheep come first.
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If you let me, I would work with sheep all day.
I enjoy working with any livestock, seeing them grow and having pride in how they are looked after is enjoyable.
Most of all I love being outside, being surrounded by livestock and the countryside.
I never doubt how lucky I am to be a part of this lifestyle.
Career
To be a farmer, you must be hard-working, resilient and proud of your job.
I would like people to know about the amount of work which goes into producing some of the highest quality produce in Northern Ireland.
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It is not just the number of hours farmers put into it - which are vast - but it is genuinely the blood, sweat and tears which go into caring for their livestock and the environment all year round.
It is a way of life beyond any other career.
I would also like people to know the agricultural community is one of the best to be a part of.
I have never known so much kindness between people, from helping each other out with time and advice, to lending machinery and just general support.
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For anyone considering a career in agriculture, I would without a shadow of a doubt say go for it.
Life is far too short to be looking from the outside in at something you want to be involved in and worrying about what others will say.
Take the chance where you can, get involved, ask the questions which sound silly and learn from those around you.
Northern Ireland
I think Northern Ireland's agriculture industry will continue to be world leading in what we produce and the way we produce it.
Most of all, I hope to see more public support for the industry and a deeper understanding of where the food on everyone's table comes from.
Projects within the UFU such as Open Farm Weekend are a great way for the public to see real life working farms.
There are many individuals who support this and open their farm, but we are always looking for more people to be involved and be proud to show the public what they do.
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