youngsRPS Women In Agriculture - Flipbook - Page 11
SALLY
BARKER
County Durham Farmer
What is your current role within the agricultural industry?
I farm a mixed lowland farm in partnership with my mum.
We have sheep, suckler cows, and arable.
As a woman in agriculture, have you come across any
challenges or obstacles?
Of course! For the most part, we face exactly the same
challenges as any farmer, with uncertainty about the rising
costs of inputs, the phasing out of BPS and the need to be
mindful of environmental concerns and carbon emissions. In
addition, we have had to learn to see the funny side every
time someone comes to the door and asks, “Is the farmer
about?”, and while it may sometimes be frustrating to have
to fight to be taken seriously within the industry it has also
made us stronger and more able to cope with challenges and given us a few laughs along the way. One favourite was
the female lorry driver who, on seeing my mum arrive on the
telehandler to unload her, said, “gosh, that’s unusual”. My
mum looked at her and said, “well, I don’t see many female
lorry drivers either!”
What changes, if any, would you like to see within the
industry to ensure the success of women in agriculture?
I would love to see a world both within and outside the
industry where everyone is respected equally for what they
do, and is judged on what they achieve rather than on their
gender or who they are.
Knowing what you do now, and the experience you have,
what advice would you go back and give your younger self
before embarking on a career in agriculture?
My younger self didn’t really see farming as a career
opportunity for a modern languages graduate. I would tell
her that no qualifications can fully prepare you for this job
and you’ll never stop learning as you go along.
What do you believe is the measure of a successful
woman in agriculture?
The same as the measure of any person who is successful
at their job - someone who has a love of what they do, and
a commitment to do it well.
Thinking specifically about what might mark a successful
female farmer, there are certainly times when you have to
rely on skill over physical size and strength, whether that
be to disconnect a stubborn set of oil pipes, to get the last
bit of muck out of the corner of a shed, or to encourage a
fat bullock that he really does want to go into the crush.
And finally, what is your favourite thing about working
within the agricultural industry?
I love the variety - no two days are ever the same and
working with animals and the great British weather things
rarely turn out exactly as you expect them to! I love seeing
a job all the way from start to finish, rather than just being
a cog in a large wheel. I also love the satisfaction of feeling
like what you do really matters.