BEEF, COUNTY FERMANAGH, NORTHERN IRELAND: Raised on a dairy farm, Genene now helps run her husband’s family farm in Derrydoon, on the border with the Republic of Ireland, rearing cattle for beef. Formerly a dairy farm, its 170 acres (69 hectares) combine rough grassland on the shores of Lough Erne that’s grazed by the cows, and protected woodland containing ancient oak trees. Genene has trained as an Art Therapist and one day wants to run the farm as a social farm, using it to help people with mental health issues.

Genene is working on making the farm as nature friendly as possible and is keen to record what’s in its woodland so it can be protected for future generations. To protect the farm’s soils she keeps smaller, native, breeds of cows such as Herefords and Angus, which impact the land less than larger ones, and which can survive outside on grass for most of the year and need minimal amounts of bought-in feed. She is also looking into planting trees on the farm’s hilly areas to provide shelter for the cows (allowing them to stay outdoors for longer) and habitat for wildlife.

As well as helping to care for the animals, Genene does the farm’s books and works for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds supporting a research project called Justlanz which monitors farmer’s opinions on the Government’s Net Zero policies.

In addition, Genene helps out weekly at the dairy farm at Maguiresbridge, 12 miles away, where she grew up, milking its 100-or-so cows and doing the books for various certification schemes such as Red Tractor.

Inspired by a previous job on a social farm near Derrylin, where she worked as an art therapist, Genene’s ambition going forward is to become a social farmer and open up her own farm to enable people with mental health issues to work with the land and animals. She would like to work with people who have been referred by GP practices and schools, believing that being in nature, around animals, can provide healing and purpose.