Paula Hynes: A week of 'new firsts' on Raised by the Village
The Hynes family with Karl and the crew of Raised By The Village
We were late finishing the Sunday evening when our episode of RTÉ's Raised By The Village was aired, so unfortunately, we didn't see it till later that night, but as I was milking, my phone went into overdrive with notifications, so I knew it was getting a good reaction.
Unfortunately, Becky was away when we were filming as she had been offered a great opportunity to show some heifers for another farm. We thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience with Karl, it was so worthwhile and rewarding. You only got to see a fraction of what we got up to for the week. He was always very open and willing to try new things. I did my best to explain to him that he needed to embrace the experience and enjoy the fact that he was getting the opportunity to try all these “new firsts".
The main thing I found with him was that he got frustrated when he couldn't do something right away, but as I explained, nobody can do everything on their first attempt; it's the taking part and trying your best at new things which was important, not succeeding the first time you try something.
He was blown away at the way my girls just automatically help around the house with the everyday chores without being asked. He told me he would only do things at home if he was asked a few times.
But he realized quickly why everyone chips in with the housework when he saw how busy the farm is. The early mornings were his biggest challenge, but after a day or two, he got used to it. As he had no gaming here to do during the night and all the fresh air during the day, he was exhausted and went to sleep early.
We wanted to give him the full insight into our lives as dairy farmers and as a family, so it was exciting to go to the Barryroe Show with him and show him exactly what goes on for show days.
It was a good learning experience because even though we were heading for a show, we still had all the everyday jobs to do, like milking the cows, feeding heifers and calves, and checking the stock that was out in paddocks.
For me, I think the funniest moment of the whole experience was the day after the show when I washed the show whites. It was a glorious sunny day (days we are longing for again). I asked Karl to help me hang them on the line, and he hadn't a clue how to use the pegs. "What?!" we all laughed. I can assure you he went home with plenty of practice using pegs and another life skill learned.
As they say all work and no play is not good for anyone, so another thing I wanted to show him was that we do take time off the farm to enjoy things as a family and how beneficial it is to spend time together.
We, as a family, love to kayak. There is something about being on the water that is so relaxing and fun. We are extremely lucky to have the amazing Ballyhass Activity Centre, which is local to us here in Coachford, based out of the River Lee Harbor.
They have an array of different activities. He wasn't too impressed with me when I suggested it, but I said what I had said for the week, it's all about firsts. This would be another string to his bow and another story to tell his family when he went home.
Once we got kitted out with our wetsuits and helmets, the instructor gave us all a safety talk, and off, we went. It was a beautiful day and once he relaxed, he really enjoyed it, we even ended up having races. We had to be nearly dragged out of the water. The staff at Ballyhass were outstanding and looked after us exceptionally well and we even got pizza after.
If you are into watersports, it's definitely a place I would recommend. I did get emotional when the time came to say goodbye. I felt that Karl and I really connected, and I had really enjoyed all the chats and one-on-one time with him, and I genuinely felt he had gotten something from his time with us.
Karl has stayed in touch, and I keep reminding him that there is more to life than hiding in his bedroom on the computer. His grades have improved in school, and he has been back for a week since the filming. Thanks to everyone who tuned in and sent messages, I really appreciate you all taking the time. Be sure to stay tuned in for the coming weeks, as there are a few familiar faces coming up.
On the farm front, is it ever going to stop raining? I feel like we are still in winter, and spring has forgotten to arrive. I don't remember a time when it has rained for this long.
These are the times when I would have sat down over a cuppa with my dad, and he would remember the time when the weather would have been like this, and he would tell me the whole story; I miss those chats with him as he would always put things into perspective. The cows are out grazing for three hours in the morning, but they are still housed at night.
We were lucky to source some extra quality silage bales, so we are okay for fodder. As Easter Sunday approaches, we have never missed a grazing with the cows this late in March, but as snow and sleet showers arrived on Wednesday, the decision was made not to graze as ground conditions are the worst we have ever seen. It has been a tiring six months, but we live in hope and look forward to a few days away for our wedding anniversary in late April
Tillage farmers can’t even get out into fields, and when the weather finally improves, they will be working night and day for weeks to catch up on work. Slurry tanks are full to capacity, yet farmers were advised not to spread slurry until late February when the reality is ground conditions were better in January.
Hedge-cutting contractors have been unable to access fields all winter to complete work. We as farmers don’t need to be reminded that climate change is real, but those who make the rule book for us certainly need reminding, given that they still expect us to calendar farm when the seasons have clearly changed, those who process our produce have clearly lost touch with how much it costs us to keep a farm running. Farming has become a fight for survival, and farmers need to be supported by policymakers
