Country star Nathan Carter is just one of the people to feature on In The Auld Fella’s Time – a six-part radio documentary charting developments in Irish agriculture that returns for a repeat run on Cork and Waterford’s 104FM this Saturday.

The series was researched and presented by 25-year-old Marita Kelly, who has run the family’s 200-acre dairy and suckler farm with her mother Elsie in Knockanore, Co Waterford, since the untimely death of her father James (Jim) three years ago. Marita also has one brother, John, who is currently farming in Uruguay in South America.

Having presented a drive-time show on the station, as well as regularly reporting from different music and sports events, Marita (who previously blogged under the title The Devil Wears Wellies) was keen to combine her passions in one project.

“The documentary is what I grew up with, so it seemed like the obvious choice to marry the two of them together,” she says.

With contributors ranging from former IFA president John Bryan and current Macra head Kieran O’Dowd to country stars Sandy Kelly and Nathan Carter, the series charts the evolution of education in farming. It explores the impact of key events like the foot and mouth disease and the horsemeat scandal, it looks at advances in animal health, husbandry and technology, milking machinery, equipment and winter fodder – including the crisis of 2013. It examines the relationship between agriculture and wildlife and, in the final episode, takes a light-hearted look at socialising in rural Ireland, from the early days of Macra to the resurgence of the country music scene.

“For example, Sandy Kelly tells me that when she started in country music you had to have your skirt to your knee. People were telling her: ‘If we see your knees again on stage, you’re going to be thrown off.’”

“But now she talks about how country music has almost made the crossover to pop music and you have people like Nathan Carter, who talks about using social media to break down that barrier even further.”

However, the main aim of the documentary is to examine how people live and farm in Ireland in 2014.

“Why am I pressing a button on a milking machine? Why are we talking about kg milk solids when it always used to be a litre of milk?” says Marita. “We all go out and farm the way we do today, but how did we get to how we are today?”

While the first run of the documentary finished in June, demand has seen it rescheduled for a second run. Marita was overwhelmed with the response, both at home and abroad.

“I had somebody from France that had stumbled across it, New Zealand, South America – and I even got a couple of Tweets from the UK,” she says.

“For the turnaround to be so quick and for it even to be run for a second time, I wasn’t expecting it, but I’m so grateful.”

Marita is currently working on another project with an agri slant, but in the meantime, this wellie-wearing devil (who also has a degree in geography and archaeology and recently finished studying accountancy) has her feet planted firmly on the ground – whatever her footwear.

“On an average day, it’s literally taking off the Dubarry boots ... and putting on the newest high heels,” she laughs.

In The Auld Fella’s Time airs on 104FM, broadcasting in Cork and Waterford, from Saturday 19 July at 7am. Visit www.cry104fm.com to listen live or follow @OfficialMaritaK on Twitter for links.