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Where would you even begin to review 2020?
Well, the year started off on a high for me when my herd was selected as a finalist in the FBD €200 replacement index competition.
It was really nice to get a bit of recognition for all the work and effort that goes in to breeding a herd of cows.
Things progressed as normal through the first couple of months of the year. My breeding season starts on 1 January, so AI kept me busy into March.
Right from the beginning of the year, we’d been hearing about the issues in China and were amazed by how quickly they were able to build the specialised hospital they needed to treat people.
But that was on the other side of the world and had nothing to do with us over here.
Coronavirus
Soon, it became clear that the problem was spreading.
All too soon, it was in Italy and was heading our way and on 29 February the first case of coronavirus was confirmed here.
The words coronavirus and COVID-19 would be ringing in our ears from then until now and, by the looks of it, will be ringing for a while yet to come.
The word coronavirus was nothing new to me.
I’d been vaccinating my cows for it for years (a different strain of course), but how it has changed the way we live, some for the good, some for the not so good.
From the middle of March, the beginning of the first lockdown, I spent almost eight weeks working from home.
A phone, a laptop and an internet connection and I was almost able to do everything as if I were at work.
Obviously missing the face-to-face contact with the customer, but, for the most part, my job was very workable.
Zooms
Zoom calls and meetings became the buzz word on everyone’s lips, with virtual this and virtual that, even my 81-year-old mother started watching mass online.
In fairness, she wouldn’t have been a stranger to the internet before the pandemic, she’s been an avid user of Facebook for many a year.
Thankfully, as the first lockdown set in, so did the good weather and it was lovely from mid-March to early June.
Although we were hearing of sickness and death every evening on the news, for a lot of people the pace of life really slowed down and they were able to spend more time with families and maybe appreciate the simple things in life.
Something that was definitely true for me.
Scalp
One simple thing that myself and my family did during lockdown was to drive to the top of Scalp Mountain.
It’s less than a mile from my house, I’m looking at it every day and I can see it from every part of my house and farm, but never before bothered to take the time to go to the top of it.
You’ll notice I said drive not climb. Thankfully, a cousin of mine owns part of the mountain with a road right to the top and was good enough to allow us to go up.
It was the June back holiday Monday, an absolutely glorious day and the view from the top was spectacular.
Why did I never bother to do that before now? I just never seemed to have the time.
Positives
2020 will ultimately go down in history as the year of ‘the coronavirus’, but it definitely wasn’t all bad.
I know as we now face into 2021 the figures are looking bad again, but the vaccine is here - it will take time but it is here.
Hopefully, things will come under control and we can look forward to a more normal new year.
If 2020 has taught us anything, it is what and who is important in this world and what is needed to keep the wheels turning.
Healthcare workers are obviously number one, but all the other front-line workers come a very close second.
People who work in shops, people who drive trucks and all the hundreds of other professions that are needed to allow everyday life to function.
We as farmers are in there too. If the pandemic has highlighted anything, it’s the importance of homegrown food!
Happy new year everyone - stay safe and stay positive, we’ll get through this thing yet!
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