Many of those I hold dearest to me are farmers.
I am a farmer's daughter and a farmer's wife, roles I embody passionately and with immense pride.
But I haven't always felt this way.
The space I hold in this world is something I have embraced gradually and in total honesty, with some reluctance.
Even now, there are still times when a separation between myself and the industry which has shaped who I am remains.
Self-preservation, perhaps?
As a child of the 80s, I remember scores of farmers on the brink of financial ruin fleeing the industry for a better life.
Listening, with naive ears, to conversations weighted with the pressures of farming and an overriding sense of hopelessness.
There seemed little to encourage me anywhere other than away from the farm.
Perspective is a funny thing, though.
And I often wonder how, without the filter of childhood, I might perceive these challenges now.
The course of time and the pragmatism of adulthood have altered my internal compass immeasurably and steadily guided me back towards farming.
Arguably, it has returned me to where I was meant to be all along.
The ambition which once pulled me away from farming has been overridden by a deep respect and admiration for agriculture and the farmers who represent it, and I've found purpose in reconnecting with an industry I once rebelled from.
The physical, emotional, and financial challenges of farming remain, but with two potential young farmers of my own now, I have more than a little incentive to add my weight to the pursuit of industry wide change.
Everyone involved in farming knows that British agriculture deserves so much better than the narrative currently being pedalled by the main stream media, by the government and by the many misguided but very loud voices that have a habit of dominating the conversation.
I often wonder what can be done to rewrite the script and cast aside that which is currently stuck on repeat.
And how I long to help bring about the positive change we all desperately seek.
An insurmountable dream, perhaps... but then again, you've got to dream!
✨️🫶🚜🌏
#timetochangethenarrative
#youvegottodream
