This is a subscriber-only article
There may be a slight perception amongst some that the Irish Country Living Women & Agriculture Conference is just for one specific type of woman – those farming or married to farmers – which, when you attend, you see is simply not the case.
Women living in rural Ireland or working in the industry, in whatever guise, from farm to fork are vital to the functioning of the supply chain and each person can learn something from another.
For Angela Ryan, this educational element is what differentiates the conference from others that she would attend as part of her work or her lifestyle.
Work focus
Passion for her work is obvious when you speak with Angela, a Department of Agriculture assistant agricultural inspector based in Backweston Farm in Celbridge.
Angela will be working in this role two years in September and such is her want to pass on her knowledge, I needed her to take a breath or we would spend our entire time together talking about plant diseases.
“Our role is to assess suitable cereal and forage varieties for Irish conditions for the recommended lists which are published annually for the tillage industry. Trials are carried out in conjunction with farmers.
"Ultimately, crop varieties are independently assessed for yield, quality and agronomic traits by the Department for at least three years. The recommended list that is published by the Department is a helpful tool for growers to decide on suitable varieties to grow,” Angela explains.
Education and Macra
Having deferred her college place in UCD to study agricultural science for one year after school, she completed a Level 5 certificate in agriculture through Gurteen Agricultural College.
This transition was huge but she found that her penchant for tea parties (in the very traditional sense of tea and biscuits) was a great way to make friends in college.
Meeting people is something that she relishes and she credits Macra with opening a new world of people to her since she joined as a member of the Ferbane/Banagher Macra club during her Leaving Cert year.
One of six girls in her family, Angela is one of the five sisters that actively partook in Macra events over the last nine years.
Not long after first joining, Angela was picked to participate as a personality (the term used to describe the contestants) in the Miss Blue Jeans competition, eventually going on to participate in all three Macra competitions (Miss Macra and Queen of the Land).
I know people can describe it as a ‘Lovely Ladies’ competition but it is an opportunity to meet people from other walks of life
“It was a great way to meet people and push your boundaries.
"I know people can describe it as a ‘Lovely Ladies’ competition but it is an opportunity to meet people from other walks of life and learn from their experiences and what they have come through. I consider it more like a miniature Women & Agriculture Conference as we learned from each other.”
The home farm
Angela describes her childhood as unique in that she grew up on a farm, third eldest of six sisters, the others – Kate, Grace, Lucy, Philippa and Shauna – all with very different personalities. “Our parents encouraged us to get out and experience the world and there was no pressure on us to come home.
"I see that with some friends who feel guilty if they don’t go home, we were lucky not to have this pressure.
My sister would swear that she could tell which hen laid which eggs
“My father was farming conventionally when we were young but made the decision to convert to organic farming in 2010.
"We now farm drystock, poultry and a small bit of tillage. We produce organic hen and duck eggs which we sell from the farmgate and we are licensed to sell organic duck eggs to local shops.
“The poultry side started when we were kids as we all had our own Rhode Island Reds.
"My sister would swear that she could tell which hen laid which eggs. It grew from there. It took off from having six hens, to 10, to 40 to where we are now.”
A familiar feeling
“I would draw similarities between Macra and the Women & Agriculture Conference, as with Macra you meet people with similar interests and the contact network that you build is fantastic. It’s not all about agriculture either, the conversation could be political or consumer affairs.
"There is also an important networking element if you are looking to build your career in agriculture.
"Through both, I know people that I could call on whenever I need help. Macra is about connecting rural young people and the Women & Agriculture Conference does that for rural women.”
There is a now an increasing distance between people and the farm
Angela believes that this social connection is very important in a world where depression and anxiety are on the increase.
“We are in a time when rural Ireland is seen as dying away and although the cities may be booming again, our rural towns and villages are still suffering.
"There is a now an increasing distance between people and the farm. I might only be in the Department for a few years but when mentoring students I can see that they are not from farms, their parents may have been but they are not. With agriculture when you come from a farm, you eat sleep and drink it and that link is broken now.
“My mum always stressed the importance of education to us whether that was meeting people and learning socially or going to a conference. In fact, spending time with my mum and my sisters was how I originally started going to the conference.”
Fulfilment
“The Women & Agriculture Conference is different as women are different, they will share their experiences in an emotional capacity. We share our life experiences and our interpretation of life in general.
“You actually feel you are part of the conference, by the time you come out of it, you have learned something but not just because of the speakers but the other women there. Whether that is learning something about a business, or someone sharing their mental health.
"Rhona O’Mahony, master of National Maternity Hospital was a fantastic speaker. She was of particular relevance to my sister who is training in obstetrics and gynaecology.
“Macra was one education for me, the Woman & Agriculture Conference has a role in fulfilling that educational element now.”
SHARING OPTIONS: