Stevie Houston

COUNTY ANTRIM, NORTHERN IRELAND

Dairy (grass-based)

DAIRY, COUNTY ANTRIM, NORTHERN IRELAND: Stevie’s family have been farming at Glarryford in the north east of Northern Ireland since the 1600s. Like most local farms, the 350-acre (142 hectares) farm used to be a mixed farm, but now Stevie and his wife run it as a dairy farm with his father and uncle. They have 220 crossbred dairy cows which are all calved in autumn. They graze on the farm’s lush hilly fields when the weather is fine, coming inside in the wet winter months.

The high-quality milk is sold to a dairy co-operative and being high in solids, is mostly turned into butter. One day Stevie would like to make his own Brie-style soft cheese.

Second of three children, Stevie helped on the farm ever since he could walk, helping mix milk powder to feed new-born calves and herd the cows. Unlike his siblings, he always knew he wanted to work on the farm, so after school he studied at Greenmount agricultural college in County Antrim and then at Harper Adams where he gained a degree in agriculture.

For eight years Stevie worked in Bulgaria and then Chile developing and managing fledgling large-scale farms (and even mastered their respective languages.) He then worked from home as an international farm consultant for an investment fund, before officially joining the family business.

Stevie loves being his own boss and working outside – at least when the weather is good. On the downside, he finds it challenging being a ‘price taker’ and being vulnerable to the vagaries of milk prices.

Contact Stevie

Stevie used to play rugby but now dedicates what free time he has to bike riding, hiking, surfing and swimming with his wife and two children. Stevie’s wife is Scottish so the family visits Scotland two or three times a year. He also enjoys the occasional trip to a restaurant to sample a decent local steak, something he says Northern Ireland excels at.

Talking Point

Stevie believes Stormont’s green agenda is “anti-farmer” and is holding back agriculture in Northern Ireland. “This is halting planning permission for new or replacement animal housing. Agriculture and food processing are a huge part of the Northern Irish economy, but they’re being held back by the new planning laws and green agenda. One gets the impression the Government doesn’t want livestock at all, despite the fact that farming and food production is our largest employer.”

Declared interests

Member of National Farmers Union

Chairman of North Antrim dairy farmers buying group

Happy to talk about

adding value agricultural machinery agritech ammonia animal feed animal health animal rights activism animal welfare antibiotic reduction antibiotic resistance antibiotic use arable arable production attracting staff badger cull badger vaccination beef beef production Bovine TB brassicas bull calves calf hutches calf rearing CAP carbon emissions carbon footprint carbon neutral carbon reduction Cereal production cheap food cheese clover cow comfort cow/calf separation crop growing crops dairy dairy production depression diet factory farming family farming farm assurance farm succession fertiliser fodder foodie culture forage grass-based dairy systems grassland management growing a business harvest healthy eating herbicides housed dairy systems individual pens indoor dairy production kale labour shortages local food local food movements low inputs manure management mental health in farming milk milking cows min till mixed farming National Grid nitrates pasture-fed livestock planning permission Red Tractor reducing inputs regenerative agriculture rural planning policy seasonal food second income slats slatted systems slurry slurry management slurry storage soil health soil management straw tractors vegan activism veganism water quality women in agriculture work/life balance working off farm yoghurt young entrants Young Farmers zero till