Rachel Barr
Occupation: Farmer
Location: Balmaclellan
We met up with Rachel Barr at the start of March, an incredibly hectic time for those in the farming community with lambing and calving in full swing.
Stealing some of her precious time, we discussed what life in this part of Scotland is like for a young person and if she would recommend it to anyone thinking of moving here. Rachel said:
“I think farming life's really good for a young person if you've got the drive and passion to be quite hard working. It's a very outdoorsy lifestyle, which I really like.”
Her family is originally from Northern Ireland, and they moved across to Galloway when Rachel was just five years old. Now aged twenty-one, Rachel has lived most of her life here. It is obvious when speaking with Rachel that she loves what she does:
“What I enjoy most is working with livestock day in and day out. Sometimes it can really be a challenge.”
She smiles warmly when she thinks on this and adds: “But in the summertime when you've got your fields of black cows and Charolais calves, there's just no better feeling.”
Her natural enthusiasm for farming life shines through:
“…and even seeing the ewes and lambs, that's just my favorite - my favorite part.”
Given her love of her life here, and farming, does she have specific ambitions for her future?
“I'd like to increase my own stock numbers. I've got my own cattle and sheep. I've built my own flock of up to 40 sheep… and then I've got about 10 cattle at the minute. So probably keep progressing with my own livestock numbers and I'd also like to show cattle.”
It’s no surprise that, for someone as committed to their career as Rachel, her only hobby is farming-related.
“I started showing cattle when I was 19; I bought my own kind of show type cattle in, and I put the limousine bull onto them…. so just kind of producing calves as best I can, and showing them.”
Rachel has been farming her whole life and is clearly very dedicated to farming, does she ever leave the farm to do other things? When asked this she started shaking her head and laughing knowingly:
“I don't really have any hobbies… it's every day, 365 days a year on the farm,” she enthuses.
Rachel has been brought up farming in the Glenkens and surrounding areas, but if someone wasn’t brought up in agriculture or in a rural area, she has some great advice for them to get started:
“I think getting in contact with… maybe like friends or anyone you know that is involved in farming, because during calving and lambing season, I feel like a lot of farms in the Glenkens will take on really anyone that's willing to work, anyone who is hard working and has a bit of passion and drive for the industry. I definitely think there's always work on farms here for people if they're interested.”
Giving this a little more consideration, she then adds how important it is to speak to people in a community that you are new to and to make yourself available, friendly and approachable if you are looking to find work and make connection:
“I would think if you're really, really passionate about getting into it, I don't really think there will be any barriers because I feel like if someone came to me and they asked me, ‘I'm really, really wanting to get into farming [what do I do?]’, I'd help them.”
At twenty-one, Rachel has found the farming community very welcoming, even though many of the local farmers are much older than her. She smiles:
“I've never really had any problems… with being a young female in agriculture. When I'm in the markets and things, everyone's nice to me… local farmers that are generations above me - they'll always stop and speak in the road if I'm out with the quad bike or something. I've had no problems. It's been grand.”
