Jillian Kennedy is from the small town of Aberfeldy in Perthshire where she comes from a family with a strong agricultural background.
Her home farm was where her father grew up, while her mother came from an arable farm in east Fife.
As a kid growing up on a farm there is nothing better than learning the ins and outs of where our food comes from
Jillian naturally developed a love of farming and geography while growing up on the farm. “Aberfeldy was a great place to grow up, I developed a huge interest in the environment and the outdoors in general,” said Jillian.
“On the farm lambing time was my favourite time of year when I was younger. As a kid growing up on a farm there is nothing better than learning the ins and outs of where our food comes from.
“Seeing lambs around in the spring time was one of my favourite things about living on a hill farm.”
The farm has beef cattle and sheep, with the stock consisting of 35 commercial beef animals and 25 Highland cattle. They also have a mix of Blackface and Texel cross sheep.
Jillian has spent the last year at home working locally and helping out on the farm.
Jillian said: “When it was time to go to university I ventured away from agriculture a bit, I studied Environmental Geography at Sterling University.”
Joining Scottish Woodlands last month, Jillian said: “The position is a trainee programme which will give me a wide range of experience that I’m really looking forward to. It is based in Perth but I am looking forward to being out and about and not stuck in an office.”
A sense of community
While the young farmers becomes part of many people’s lives in their mid-teens, Aberfeldy JFC holds a unique position according to Jillian. “Usually you join the Young Farmers between the ages of 14 and 30, in Aberfeldy it’s more like you join at 14 months,” she said.
“You know that when you’re an Aberfeldy Young Farmer’s member, you’re in it for life.”
Jillian is joint-club secretary this year and she has held various positions within Aberfeldy JAC.
She added: “We run various events throughout the year that involve all members of the community, from previous founders of the club in Aberfeldy to people who have nothing to do with the Young Farmers.
"Our sheep dog trials and sheep shearing this year were a great success, we had 70 dogs running. We have inherited a great way of running our club and we have great support throughout the community.”
Tattoo Dance Company
Jillian’s spare time is taken up by her passion for highland dancing.
This year she is a member of the Tattoo Dance Company and she has performed in a number of tattoos over the last year.
Over the month of August, Jillian was part of a group that performed to over 220,000 people during the Royal Military Tattoo in Edinburgh.
This was Jillian’s third tattoo and she had also travelled to Norway and Canada earlier in the year.
Jillian explained it is an intense hobby that takes time and dedication.
“When I was in college it was hard to commit to the dancing as it does take up an awful lot of time.
So when I graduated last year I made a promise to myself to commit. Every time I go away for dancing I get to see the opportunities available elsewhere, off the back of the Edinburgh tattoo I have been asked to go to Dusseldorf,” said Jillian.
Tour to California
Jillian became interested in the trip to California following an agri affairs tour to Devon where the young farmers visited several farm enterprises.
She said: “I really enjoyed the trip to Devon it was so interesting to see the different ways people utilise the land they have. I had never been on a dairy farm before I visited Devon so it really opened my eyes.”
Following the trip to Devon, Jillian heard about the trip to California and applied immediately.
“When I heard about the trip I jumped at the chance, it’s a wonderful opportunity. It will be so different to what I’m used to.
“Seeing the scale of the systems will be a big thing for me, no matter how different I think it will be, it will still be surprising and that’s really exciting,” Jillian added.