Farming is a family affair for the Littles from Tempo

Between the daily grind of milking, feeding, and fieldwork, life can get hectic for this young farming couple, and even more so with the arrival of their daughter, Molly, in 2021.

But, the old saying, "Teamwork makes the dream work" certainly rings true on this farm, and agriculture is a cherished way of life that Andrew and Margaret wouldn't trade.

"It's a hard life, but a rewarding one as well," said Andrew, who milks around 120 cows near Tempo.

"It's often said that you are married to the cows! It's a cliché, but it is a way of life for us; if it wasn't, you wouldn't be in it - simple as that!"

Margaret, who also works full-time on the farm in addition to relief milking for another farmer, has a similar outlook.

"Yes, some days are harder than others, but you take every day as it comes. You never know what you are going to be met with when you go out in the morning, but farmers are a resilient crowd.

"In this industry, resilience is the most important thing."

Andrew is a second-generation farmer, having taken on the farm from his father, Raymond, in 2017.

The farm was first established in the early 1980s when Raymond bought a parcel of land on Gardiner's Cross Road.

An initial herd of 16 cows grew to 40, and from a young age, Andrew developed an interest in farming.

"For as long as I can remember, I have always been out on the yard," he explained.

"The older I got, the more I was able to do. I came home full-time in 2017, and before that, I was working for other farmers and doing a bit of contracting.

"I didn't go to Greenmount [Agricultural College] or any of that craic. I was schooled around the country, you could say!"

But it wasn't a case of all work and no play for a young Andrew. He was heavily involved in his local Young Farmers' Club, and even rose the ranks to become Vice-President of the organisation.

It was through the Young Farmers that he met Margaret, who was an accomplished member of the Cookstown club.

"I remember that I was asked to go down to Cookstown to do a farm safety talk," Andrew recollected. "Another man had been asked but he had dropped out, so I was called to take it.

"It's a good job that he did! I met Margaret that night; the rest is history, as they say."

Bonding over a shared love for farming, the couple tied the knot in 2016. Life was to change even more when they welcomed their daughter, Molly, in 2021.

"For us, farming is very different to what it would have been like for us three years ago, because we have Molly," Margaret explained.

"Of course, it does change your life, and the way you farm. Sometimes it's a juggling act, but the work has to be done.

"On a day-to-day basis, I look after the calves, the vaccination programme and all the bookwork, and Andrew handles the milking."

While she is only three, Molly is already enjoying being out on the farm. Just like her mum, her favourite job is feeding the calves.

"She loves being around the calves, and mixing up their milk with what she calls a 'mix mix!'" said Margaret.

"She knows that the cows are daddy's, and the calves are mummy's. Every calf that is born, she asks, 'Did you get that for me?' It's hilarious!

"It's a joy seeing a toddler learning all about farming. We are lucky that we are able to give her these experiences."

Margaret added: "It's important to remember that the farm isn't a playground, either. Safety is the most important thing, and during certain jobs and busy periods on the farm, it's not sensible to have her out.

"She has to be able to be a child as well."

Margaret is part of a growing cohort of female farmers who are juggling the demands of parenting and farming.

"Female farmers are definitely becoming more prominent, and there is a massive shift in attitude," she said.

"Five years ago, I was full-time farming, but I am now a full-time mother.

"But that doesn't make me any less of a woman in agriculture, I just happen to be raising the next generation.

"So many women do unseen work, such as bookwork. Just because you aren't physically out milking a cow, it doesn't mean you're any less of a woman in agriculture.

"That shift is the best thing we have seen. You don't just have to be out there, feeding calves; they  [women] are doing their bit for agriculture too, even though they are holding down a job and raising a family."

With this, Margaret feels attitudes around women in farming are changing for the better.

"Yes, there are still stereotypes, but it's all in how you present yourself. Some people are never going to change their opinion, but I don't personally see a lot of problems any more.

"Whether you are a man or a woman, you go out, speak your piece, you get the respect that you deserve."

Between farming and parenting, Andrew and Margaret make a great team.

They admit that some days are tougher than others, but this couple feel that having a flexible approach can see them through most of farming's challenges.

"You need to have a flexible approach to your day," Andrew said. "Some days you will get up and achieve a lot, and other days you will get up and achieve very little.

"I am no angel at having a relaxed approach, but not every day will go textbook.

"A cow could be calving and it will hold you back, you have to deal with it. No two days are the same.

"I suppose that's one of the perks of being a farmer - it's flexible. If you get held back, the only person that is going to be annoyed is yourself - unless the milk lorry is waiting on you!"

Farming is a cherished way of life for the Littles. It's a job of ups and downs, highs and lows, but through it all, they are "living the dream".

"That's what farming is to us; it's getting to live the dream," Margaret concluded.

"Even on the worst days, when you could put the calves to the road because they aren't doing what they are supposed to, it could be worse.

"You still get up and do it because it's what you want to do, and on the bad days you have to remember that you are farming because it's what you are passionate about."