Ann Groat – A Walk in their Wellies blog

Hi, I’m Ann — a 27-year-old Scottish girl, proudly raised on the tiny island of Shapinsay in the Orkney Islands, where the population is just around 300! Growing up there was such a privilege, and I feel incredibly lucky to call it my childhood home. While I’m not from a farming family myself, Orkney has a deep rooted agricultural community, and from a young age I have been surrounded by hardworking, passionate farming families. 

I now live with my partner on a smallholding just outside Cardigan in West Wales. We have cows, sheep, chickens, ducks, two horses, three Labradors — and a pug! I work alongside my partner on the farm and constantly learning new skills and widening my knowledge every day.

How did you first get introduced to farming life?

Although not originally from a farming family, I was brought up in a very agricultural community. My best friend was raised on a beef cattle farm which I spent many days there! I loved going out to see the bulls and cows to give them a scratch. This is actually where I saw my first ever calving! Now, my farming life now came as part of the package with my boyfriend, Connor.

I suppose I was introduced to the gamekeepers life primarily before I started the farming life! I met Connor 4 years ago in 2021 – he got a seasonal job working as a gamekeeper for the Balfour Castle Estate on our small island in Orkney. (Funnily enough he had never heard of Orkney before!) I worked on the island ferry and also as a waitress / gardener for Balfour Castle. The rest is history!

A few years of long distance between us, plus a 6 month agricultural working holiday together in Australia – I made jump to live with Connor in Wales in 2024. Connor is a full time farmer, who works on 2 different dairy farms as his “full time job” but also runs our smallholding with his dad, rearing cattle and sheep. We also rent another farm where we keep more of our livestock. This is where I truly became hands – on in this farming lifestyle! 

What part of farming surprised you the most when you first got involved?

I think a lot of things surprised me when I first got involved! One that springs to mind instantly is learning about TB in cattle, and the tests that come with it. I had hardly heard of TB before I moved to Wales, as Orkney has always been a TB free place (there have never been badgers in Orkney, thankfully).

What were some of the first skills you learned on the farm?

Learning how to lamb a ewe! It is something I wanted to learn straight away and it is a great skill to have on the farm! There is a lot of learning that comes with it, but I’ve had some great teachers, grabbed every opportunity to learn and be as hands on as possible about it, and I have had many great experiences of my own already. I would say I have built a lot of confidence from it! I know a lot of people joke about working with sheep – and I totally understand the reasons why as they can be difficult to work with! Personally it’s something I quite enjoy and love learning about. So much so, I started my own flock of Dutch Spotted Sheep in 2024!

Tell us about starting your own flock, why did you choose the breed you did? How did you decide when you were ready to start your own flock?

So I actually got gifted a Dutch spot ram , 2 Dutch spotted ewes and a texel ewe from my boyfriend on Christmas Day 2024! I’ve always enjoyed working with the sheep we already have in the main flock. He knew I loved the Dutch spotted breed from me seeing them at shows and out in the fields round here! I have always loved how unique and beautiful their spotty patterns are. They are also incredibly good mothers, docile, hardy and produce some strong lambs! I welcomed my first homebred lambs in spring 2025.  My flock has now grown to 14 total, with more spring lamb spotties due very soon! 

Briefly describe a typical working day – 

It’s very dependent on the season what we get up to. 

A typical working day on our farm currently and for the next few months: wake up and it’s straight out to the lambing shed to check the ewes. Put lambs and ewes into pens, move stronger lambs and ewes out to the communal shed, put out silage, feed ewes nuts, fresh bedding, top up water buckets, administer any treatments required. Also feed and give bedding to the calves and horses. Then let out and feed ducks and chickens. Breakfast time for me! We will tend to go and check sheep then with the quad bike. And any lambs strong enough to go out we will vaccinate, number and ring tails, then put them outside into the field. Then off to the other farm that we rent where we keep the rest of our beef cattle. Fresh bedding, fresh silage, feed nuts, scrape the yard and cubicles! Lunchtime. Check the lambing shed…again! Walk the dogs and collect eggs from chickens in the afternoon. Do any other jobs that need catching up on now. If I have time I try to fit in a bit of baking through the week. Then it’s off to feed the ewes, calves and chickens again in the late afternoon! Dinner time. This is where the evening winds down. Shower to wash off the day and into jammies! I get to spend time with my boyfriend, watching a good movie or a series with a hot chocolate and cuddle with our dogs. It is so important to have this quality time together and just relax after a busy day! Will go out in PJs to check the lambing shed before bed, and one of us will get up in the night to check lambing camera and check the shed again.

What’s great about being a farmer?

Tough one! There are so many great things to list. Of course there are always difficult days too but the good ones make everything worthwhile. I think my favourite part is spending most of the day outdoors as I have always been a very outdoorsy girl! I love working with the animals, especially this time of year with the lambs. It’s so rewarding.

Was there anything you found unexpectedly difficult — or surprisingly easy?

Unexpectedly difficult – When they say don’t get too attached to animals, don’t get too attached!

Surprisingly easy – getting into the routine of this farming lifestyle! I suppose I have always been a quite on the go person and I love keeping busy. I feel like I slotted into farm life really well and I’m proud of the progress I’ve made since living on the farm.

What’s one farm job you were terrified of at first but now feel confident doing?

Getting used to giving animals jabs when necessary. And learning the different names of medicine we keep and what they are used to treat! Needles were always a bit of a fear! And I didn’t like the thought of causing pain to the animal if I was to do it wrong! I have really pushed myself to be more confident with this – now it’s something I barely think twice about!  Also livestock handling, I never needed to be as scared of cows as I’ve always been told! Cautious, yes. Scared, no.

What are the key qualities needed to do your job?

A good work ethic, enthusiasm to learn, a lot of patience and getting your hands dirty! Maybe a little bit of stubbornness here and there 😂

What do you enjoy the most about living or spending time on the farm?

Giving my spotty sheep lots of snacks and cuddles! They are so sweet, funny and they all have their own little personalities. 

Are there any parts of the lifestyle you’re still getting used to?

Absolutely. The learning never stops – especially not for me. I’ve been so lucky to learn so much already from Connor and his dad. There is always plenty of room for growth, improvement and new opportunities.

Have you had any “learning moments” (or funny mishaps) with your sheep so far?

I’ve found out that one of my spotty ewe lambs I purchased in Oct ‘25 is a horror for getting stuck in the brambles. If someone says “Oh Ann, one of your spotty ewes got stuck” – I guarantee you it will be my Pumpkin! And you will hear her blarting before you see her! She is very talkative and quite silly! Luckily we check them everyday and if there are any issues they are quickly resolved.

Do you see yourself expanding into breeding, showing, selling lambs, or wool production?

Maybe in the future, who knows! I really enjoy going to shows and I am always wowed by the people who put all the time and effort into showing! But it’s not really something I see myself getting into at the moment anyway. I would definitely sell some of my lambs once my flock has grown a bit more! 

How do you balance your flock responsibilities with the rest of life and farm work?

As I only have a small flock at the moment it doesn’t take up too much extra time as they are currently mixed in with the other sheep on the farm. This means they get checked and fed just the same as the rest when we are on our feeding rounds. Although I will say they do get that bit extra spoilt with snacks, cuddles and scratches!

What advice would you give to someone new to farming or dating a farmer?

Busy seasons can be intense – Lambing, calving, harvest, silage can mean long hours and little sleep. But if you’ve got the drive and determination you can do anything! Show up and pay attention. And remember everyday is a chance to learn something new! 

As for dating – support matters just as much as romance during all seasons! Celebrate small wins when you can. You may not get to spend as much time as a “normal couple” would do, but I would say try not to compete with the time and responsibilities of the farm – being jealous of not seeing your farming partner isn’t helpful. Be curious and get involved! And your partner will probably appreciate the extra hand and interest in their work. It’s the small things that mean the most! 

Have you always felt supported when learning and on the job?

Absolutely. There are a lot of great people around me and a big farming community where we live. I’ve had many opportunities and experiences already and I am eager to continue challenging myself. I would one day like to be able to pass on knowledge and experience onto the next generation. 

How do you feel about the portrayal of farmers and farming in the media?

Unfortunately I strongly feel farmers have not had the best light in the media, which is unfair and I know that they are very misunderstood by the government and public. I am happy however, that farming is becoming a much bigger topic on social media and TV, and that there is more education surrounding farming being showed online – to really show what we are up against. With everything that is going on in the UK (and abroad) I hope people will understand us better and support farmers in the best way they can. Support small businesses, support local farmers and buy direct when you can – it all makes a huge difference.

Can you share a memorable story or experience from your time on the farm?

It’s got to be being woken up on Christmas Day by my boyfriend and being told there was a surprise waiting for me outside! I was taken out in my pyjamas and wellies where was shown my Christmas present – my first flock of Dutch Spotted sheep! I will never forget that day and I will always remember it signifying a special moment in my farming story. Happiest girl ever!

How do you manage stress and maintain mental wellbeing as a farmer, and what coping strategies have you found to be effective?

We find that just by taking time away from the farm one of the best ways to destress and just forget for a little bit, everything that needs to be done in the rest of the week. A day out / date night is very important to us and we try really hard to do this little and often. Often we prepare and get more jobs done the previous day to make life easier for us the day we go out! We like going out to the cinema for movie night, walking our Labrador Archie or going out for some nice food, just me and him. 

I’m also happy that Connor is part of a shooting syndicate which he really enjoys when the pheasant season comes around! Archie will go with him as he is a working Labrador. So they have a great boys day out! Sometimes I will go with them too! But I enjoy my own company very much, and I like baking, cooking, spending time gardening in the veggie patch and catching up with family and friends back home in Orkney!