FRS local offices have done a survey of potential demand for their services in spring – their busiest time of the year – and have discovered a requirement for approximately 200 workers for seasonal roles.

“We’re not getting enough people with the right experience applying in the right areas to match the demand,” says Peter Byrne, CEO of FRS Network.

Relief workers are needed for milking, general farm work and calf rearing in positions that generally last three to four months. But where are these workers needed? The big demand is in strong dairying areas, such as Munster and Leinster, while there is less demand in Connacht, for example. FRS expects roles will need to be filled, in particular, in Waterford, Tipperary, north and south Cork, Kilkenny and Limerick.

Why does Peter think it will be difficult to get enough people to fill these roles?

“There are a lot of other job opportunities. In general, the jobs market has picked up a lot in the last 12 months. In the recession, people came back to farming from construction but now a lot are gone back into non-farming work.”

This means that FRS has considered going abroad to get people to fill the jobs, with Peter noting that FRS has made contact with some agencies abroad – in Poland, for example.

“We’re being very selective,” says Peter. “We are only interested in bringing in people with farming experience. One of the problems with bringing people in from abroad is that they are only needed for a peak three to four months and then there is less demand from farmers. But people from abroad would want something more long-term.”

Are you suited to the role?

There are many people who may not know the flexible job opportunity that being part of the FRS operator team brings and FRS are targeting three particular categories of people who they think would be very suited to these roles. These include younger people looking for experience, those with spare capacity outside of their own farm work, and women – such as mothers – who can work while their children are in school.

With regards to young people, Peter says this kind of work allows them to come into the service with limited experience; it provides them with a good opportunity to upskill.

“There may be young people who have gone to ag college but are not needed full-time at home,” says Peter Byrne. “They may be looking at options outside of farming for a few years. If they went and worked on another farm for three to four months, they could pick up ideas they could implement at home.”

Then there is the experienced smaller farmer who has extra capacity with their time and can supplement their income by working with the farm relief. For example, you could milk your own herd of cows and work with FRS after that.

“A farmer might need someone from 10am-4pm,” says Peter. “If they have a small herd they might get their own work done before 10am and after 4pm.”

Another group being targeted by FRS is women. FRS already has a number of female workers who are effectively structuring work around their family commitments and the organisation is encouraging more to apply.

“Women might be looking for a part-time job but they mightn’t think of this,” says Peter. “Women are particularly excellent at milking and calf rearing because of their attention to detail.”

While a lot of farmers have informed FRS of their requirements in spring and a large staff of people are already booked in to do the work, FRS are really highlighting the need for more workers. They know more bookings will come in from farmers closer to the time and they want to ensure they can cater for this additional demand.

“A lot of farmers leave it until the last minute to get on to us” says Peter Byrne. “Plan now if you anticipate you will need any help in spring.”

Anne Galligan

One woman already working for FRS is Anne Galligan from Oldcastle in Co Meath. She is from a suckler and sheep farm but is currently working with FRS on a dairy farm in Kilskyre, Co Meath.

Anne works full-time with FRS rather than in the seasonal roles currently being recruited for. She works 10 to 12 days in a row and then has two or four days off in a row. Ann completed a Bachelor of Ag Science in Dundalk IT.

“I don’t think women are involved enough in agriculture myself,” says Anne. “When I did the Green Cert, it was me and 88 guys. The lads would say to me: “You’re in the wrong college, the beauty school is in Cavan town.”

Anne then went on to DkIT to complete a Bachelor of Ag Science. Out of a class of approximately 35, there were only two other girls. Her dad was fully behind Anne pursuing a career in farming, but her mother was concerned it was a tough life.

Many other people actually tried to talk Anne out of it, the general theme of their advice being: “It’s not a woman’s job.” But her theory was: “I’ve been doing it all my life, what’s going to change?”

When Anne goes to the mart she says men will look at her as if she’s lost. It’s accepted at home in her local area that she’s a farmer but she’ll still get a reaction in other places where they don’t know her.

One exception is the Gerry McCaffrey, who she’s working for: “The fact I am a woman never crossed his mind.”

“Women have been farming forever but just haven’t been recognised for it. Recognition always went to the male farmer,” says Anne.“Nobody wants to be looked down on,” she says. “When you have a woman doctor, a woman hairdresser, a woman childminder, it’s never questioned.”

Anne hopes more women will not take people’s opinions to heart as much in the future. Anne says that if she took people’s opinions to heart she wouldn’t be as involved in agriculture as she is.

“It doesn’t bother me that much, I chose this career.”

She agrees that work such as calf rearing is particularly suited towards women.

“Every woman has a motherly instinct. I think many women have more feelings towards animals than some men do. I put in endless hours to see that animals are either going to make it or they’re comfortable if they’re not. Women normally pay more attention to detail and they generally have more feeling and more empathy.”

Anne advises any women who is reading this and who has an interest in agriculture, that they should fire away and apply for the jobs.

Candidates can apply to become an FRS Farm Relief Services operator by filling out an application form on www.frsfarmrelief.ie/careers.