Having toyed with becoming a nun, pilot, clothes designer, jockey, vet and a farmer while growing up, Amii McKeever has gone on to enjoy a diverse career ranging from an equine science lecturer and pig and poultry lobbyist to her current role as editor of Irish Country Living.

She is also the current president of the Agricultural Science Association, a board member of Nuffield Ireland and is chairing the IFA diversity committee, which seeks to encourage increased diversity in the organisation.

Amii lives in Co Kilkenny with her husband Richie and their daughters Raine (five) and India (three).

1 When I was young, I wanted to grow up to be… a nun until I realised that wasn’t hitting all my career or life goals. This was followed by a palaeontologist – I was obsessed with dinosaurs and history when I was a child. There were several other career options considered, including a clothes designer, pilot (did the aptitude tests in fourth year), a jockey, vet and, ultimately, a farmer.

2 My first job was… mincing meat in my grandad’s butchers, but the first one that was consistent and I stayed at part-time all the way through school was riding out racehorses in a local yard. I toyed with the idea of a career in horses, but sometimes it’s best to accept it’s not the right path and to continue loving something as a passion before you kill that passion with frustration.

3 My worst job was… I have had a lot of jobs over the years and most of them had good and bad points. I think the worst job I had though was working in the bookies in Ranelagh when I was in college – dogs and horses all around you, no interaction with them and couldn’t even have a flutter yourself.

4 I spent my first pay cheque on… can’t remember but probably some type of shoes or bag I still couldn’t afford.

5 The main reason I wanted to pursue a career in agriculture was… I came from a farm myself, but with family circumstances it wasn’t going to be mine so I had to explore other options to stay in the sector. I put two things on my CAO – agriculture in Waterford and agriculture in UCD. My mother then applied for me to do a range of apprenticeships in case my plan A or B didn’t work out, but I didn’t end up becoming a spark (electrician) in the long run. I went to UCD and I have never looked back. Some would say that I have had one of the more diverse careers following an ag degree. After my master’s, I was an equine science lecturer, a pig and poultry lobbyist, a farming web-portal manager and now an editor.

6 The biggest lesson I learned as executive secretary of the IFA pig and pigmeat committee was… resilience – I learned to appreciate it in farmers and I fostered it in myself. I worked with, represented and fought for farmers over a 10-year period during a severe income crisis, a dioxin crisis, a feed crisis and a constant never-ending drive to secure their future viability. As they kept coming back from all of these crises, so did I.

7 The main draw of the role of editor of Irish Country Living was… I am a creative and social person who is passionate about the Irish agricultural industry. Irish Country Living hits off all the things that I like to be involved in – ag, food, fashion, people, advocacy, horses and rural Ireland and I get to do that in a working environment with people who are passionate about the same things.

8 I think the most important quality to have as a leader/manager is… bringing people with you. I believe that a vision is nothing unless you can bring people with you on the journey to achieve that vision.

9 I think the biggest challenge to Irish agriculture in 2019 is… Brexit at this exact moment. After that it will be how we continue to meet the expectations of consumers who are more separated from the food chain than ever before.

10 I think the biggest opportunity for Irish agriculture in 2019 is… everything that we are as an agricultural industry and everything that we can be. We are well positioned to meet the demands of the public, but we need to communicate that effectively.

11 The best advice I ever got when it came to my career was… “If you build it, they will come.” I appreciate that this is from the movie Field of Dreams, but this sums up the message I received. Deliver – don’t be put off by what others say you can or cannot do, do it anyway; others will come on board when they start to see results and there is nothing wrong with that.

12 The person that inspires me most is… I believe in the human condition, no one person is perfect, there are many traits in many people that I admire and aspire to be more like, but I accept that they come with sacrifice or failings in other areas.

13 The biggest challenge when it comes to balancing career with home life is... other people’s opinions and perceptions. For me, everyone makes choices about how they live their lives and everyone is entitled to do so. For us as a family, we plan carefully to ensure that we have time together, prioritise holidays and ensure activities are not missed.

14 The app I use most is… WhatsApp – I am involved in several different organisations and family/friend groups and WhatsApp is the current app of choice for communication within these groups.

15 The best book I ever read was… Gone with the Wind when I was young. It was the biggest book I had ever read, I had to read a few light and fluffy ones in between and ultimately we called our second daughter India after a character in the book. I didn’t particularly like the character, but I loved the name.

16 The book I never finished was… Fifty Shades of Grey – never made it to the good parts I am informed, but the English and grammar up to page 50 were so bad it went back to its owner with the spine barely broken.

17 Five things you will always find in my handbag are… my phone, car keys, wallet, perfume and receipts.

18 When I want to switch off, I… can find it very hard, but shopping, the cinema, walking, spending time with my family and sewing will do it.

20 One thing most people probably don’t know about me is… I wrote a diary every single day from 1994 to 2008. If you knew me during that period, pick your actor or actress: it’s going to make some movie!