The wheels were spinning but I was going nowhere, not one inch. And as the minutes passed, my heart rate started to increase. What if I end up stuck in a field for the night? I know I was being a bit dramatic but I’d already had a failed attempt by the National Ploughing Association (NPA) lads in a tractor to pull me out. After a few minutes, they branded me a lost cause – moving on to others whose mud situations weren’t quite as sticky as mine. They promised me they would return. “But when?” I cried, a little desperately.

And then, a little movement from behind, I felt my car rock back and forth. I looked in the review mirror. Not one, but five young lads and ladies giving my car a sturdy hoof.

“Here, give us a try,” said one of them, opening the driver door. I wasn’t quite sure he had a driving licence but that didn’t stop him getting in front of the wheel. In less than a minute, my car was on the move. A big cheer all around. The NPA lads obviously did the donkey work, but the young ones giving the final push deserved all the praise. There was an exchange of ‘thanks a million’ and ‘safe home’ and I was on the road again. So, to the three lads and two girls from Ballinasloe, I didn’t get your names, but you had me smiling the whole way home.

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That’s the thing about Ploughing, it’s the people that make it every year. This week, the rain may have fallen in Tullamore and there was a fair bit of muck, but that didn’t put a dampener on the goodwill and high spirits.

Meeting our readers on the stand is always the highlight. Some we meet for the first time. Others come in year after year, and we catch up on life, the family and the farm. I particularly enjoy chatting to Irish Country Living readers who tell us how a story impacted them.

One year, a lady told me she set up her own baking business having been inspired by a feature she had read in Irish Country Living. On Tuesday, a farmer thanked us for our in-depth piece on urinary incontinence in women (issue 9 July). After their third child, his wife had some pelvic floor issues, but was too embarrassed to look for help. After reading it, she realised so many other women were also impacted and she has since been to the doctor.

That’s the thing about Ploughing, it’s the people that make it every year. This week, the rain may have fallen in Tullamore and there was a fair bit of muck, but that didn’t put a dampener on the goodwill and high spirits

But it was the parents of our Rising Rural Stars who spoke so passionately about the excitement in their home when their child was featured in the paper earlier this summer that really warmed my heart – more on that next week.

As we come to the end of Ploughing, we look forward to our next event, our Women & Agriculture conference which takes place on 23 October in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Sligo. I’m delighted to announce that our keynote speaker will be Mary Martin. When Mary first met Micheál Martin while studying at UCC, I’m sure neither of them expected that one day Micheál would be the Taoiseach of Ireland. Mary has been by his side through the highs and the heartbreaks. The political landscape has changed over the years, especially with the rise of social media, putting her family into the limelight and so, personally I’m interested to hear her perspective on navigating that journey.

We’re delighted Mary is joining us to give a unique view on life in politics. Details on how to book tickets for the conference are on the back page.

We look forward to seeing you there.