Julie Helen: 'Aileen's success shows young people they can be who they want to be'

Earlier this month, my sensational sister-in-law, Aileen won the prestigious Young Farmer of the Year award and was crowned outright winner of the competition run by FBD and Macra Na Feirme.

She also picked up the Dairy Farmer of the Year award and another award for biodiversity and sustainability.

Aileen is married to my brother Philip and four years ago they started farming together on rented land in Whitechurch, near Blarney. They have built their herd to 140 cows and both have jobs outside the farm. Aileen is a secondary school teacher of Maths and PE, and Philip is an officer in the Permanent Defence Forces. Aileen juggles leading the farm with three part-time staff, Sarah, Aoife and Tadhg.

What I love most about Aileen’s win is how it shows young people that they can be exactly who they want to be, without limit.

She is the first woman to win in the 27 years of the competition, and despite that being the headline most news outlets went with as her face flashed across social media, I have the inside scoop that there’s so much more than just being a woman. It was lovely to see her story told so widely to give young people a real sense of drive about the future.

I know that Aileen’s story is not only that she is a woman, though of course it is a positive thing that women are recognised for their role in agriculture. The real story is about young people having the opportunity to enter farming, to have the supports and backing to do so, and the understanding that it is possible to be a farmer even if you won’t inherit a farm. That story is rarely told and needs to be brought to the forefront for our agriculture industry to continue to grow and thrive.

At the moment, our farmers are ageing and I think they are often underestimated in what they do. To farm effectively now, there is a lot of science involved from measuring grass to make sure animals have enough of it, to procedures to safeguard animal health.

Aileen and Philip farm together with the team of young people they have built around them. As a teacher, Aileen can spot the spark in the young people she interacts with and she fosters the idea that they can be whoever they want to be through hard work, co-operation and creativity.

We were lucky to grow up understanding the value of family business and the backup it provides. Aileen had the same with her grandparents and uncles as farmers. She was surrounded by hard-working people who have always cheered her on. I know her Granny, who she was particularly close to, would be as proud as punch of her as I heard so many stories of the same woman still working well into her 90s.

Aileen and Philip now have a young daughter Katie, who is just 6 months old. She will learn about the joy that comes with family business and a real passion for what we do in life.

Aileen started farming because she wanted to, because it was a dream she wanted to fulfil, and it was a dream her partner shared, and so they just went ahead and did it without making any excuses.

Aileen is a valued member of our family, and I’m delighted to claim her and her success.

She and Philip are the epitome of what it means to find the perfect partner and drive on together and I look forward to seeing all they do and who they inspire along the way.