Farming remains a treasured way of life for Fermanagh family

The Burleighs are well-known for their prize-winning pedigree Charolais and Simmental cattle, but Alan admits that alongside beef, he always had an interest in milk production.

In the end, it was the prospect of a more regular income and security that sealed the deal for this young farmer, and with help from his dad, Andrew, the pair began planning a major change in their farming policy.

Milking officially began on Friday, November 3, 2023, following the successful completion of a purpose-built cubicle house, tank and eight-point milking parlour.

The simple but effective setup has enabled Alan to milk 37 cows over 45 acres, while also leaving room to expand.

It has been an exciting new challenge for the former Greenmount student, and in many ways, he hasn’t looked back.

"It's like everything - it has had its ups and downs," said Alan, who lives near the farm with his wife, Katie, who is a teacher, and their one-year-old son, Arthur.

"It has been a gradual process. We built the tank in 2020 whenever stuff was the right value, and I picked up a second-hand parlour on DoneDeal from only ten miles away.

"We tried to do things as cheaply and simply as we could. We knew we couldn't afford a milking robot, so that was out of the question. We built a set-up that best suited our own situation.”

For Alan, the experience has been a learning curve, but a positive one at that. In particular, he enjoys the milking element, which takes place twice daily.

"I do enjoy the milking, I have to say," Alan laughed. "Many a man wouldn't stand in a parlour, but in my eyes there's not a hate wrong with it. At our current numbers, it takes about an hour, and that’s it done and dusted.

"Look, it's like anything - if you want to make it work, you have to put the work in. It doesn't matter what kind of farming you are at.

"It's like getting a beast ready for sale; it has to be broken in, and you have to put in the time. There’s no getting around that."

And while dairying is now the main focus of the Burleigh's farm business, a number of pedigree beef cattle have been retained.

This carries on the family’s long tradition of breeding pedigree livestock at Crummy, Lisnaskea, which began in 2003 when the farm was purchased in partnership between Andrew and his father-in-law, Harold Stubbs. 

Andrew runs a successful butcher in Ballinamallard, while Harold continues to play an active role on the family farm and is an invaluable source of knowledge. 

In regards to recent expansion into dairying, Andrew remarked: "Every man has their own set-up and way of working, and we aren't going to tell anyone how they should be farming.

“However, for us, dairying has been a step forward; there are more opportunities in the sector given the current climate, especially for a young fellow like Alan."

For the Burleighs, keeping things simple has always been their farming mentality, whether farming beef or dairy.

The father and son team admit that they aren't into flashy machinery; most work is carried out with a smaller Landini tractor, and a modern classic, the Case 5150.

These reliable machines suit their smaller set-up.

Meanwhile, silage is handled by a local contractor, which frees up time for slurry and dung spreading, especially during unpredictable weather.

Explaining his rationale, Alan said: "We have always tried to keep things as straight and simple as we can.

"Yes, getting a contractor for silage costs a bit of money, but it suits our set-up and is well worth it. Our grass could be gathered in a day, while before it could have taken a month."

Alan added that while dairy farming is more demanding when it comes to workload, the occasional services relief milker affords him the occasional break from the farm to spend with his young family.

However,  despite these labour-saving measures, Alan said that farming is still very much a 24/7 profession.

"With farming, you just have to get up and go. Every day brings a new challenge.

"You could go out in the morning and find a cow has slipped on the slats. You can't just stand there looking at it - you have to get her lifted.

"It's a non-stop job, and you have to be prepared to deal with whatever comes at you that day. That's just the nature of it, you know what you’re getting out.”

Andrew has a similar outlook.

"It's a way of life; if it wasn't, you wouldn't be at it," he remarked. "It's a game of ups and downs, with arguably more downs than ups.

"Losing a beast can be hard to take; but on the flipside, seeing a cow calving and bringing new life into the world is very rewarding.

"Yes, you could be standing in the cold at two in the morning calving a cow. But to see it getting up and suckling makes all the hardship worthwhile."

For the Burleighs, farming is a way of life that has been passed down through the generations.

In this sense, looking to the future, Alan is hopeful that his one-year-old son, Arthur, might carry on the family tradition.

"There's been a lot of change this past few years, what with getting married to Katie in July, 2022, becoming a father and going into milk production," Alan said.

"But you just take it as it comes, and having such a supportive and understanding wife has been a great help as well.

"Arthur is still very young, but it would be lovely to see him getting involved in the farming when the time comes. It's always been a way of life for us.”

Arguably, this local farming family's outlook when it comes to farming is perhaps best summed up with an off-the-cuff remark from Andrew.

"Farming is not for the faint of heart, I can tell you that, but it's one of the most rewarding jobs there is."