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Farming in the public eye isn’t straightforward. The hum from Harold Kingston’s milking machine can be heard in some houses in the village of Courtmacsherry.
There’s a public walkway across part of the farm. As well as having a farm in a prominent location, Harold is county chair of Cork central IFA, a job that brings pressures of its own.
His herd was locked up with TB during the autumn of 2017. When he got clear, Harold reduced numbers significantly. Now milking less, he thought he was in a comfortable position heading into spring. But the winter didn’t stop and tested him in a way he didn’t expect.
“I was very down in the first week of April and somebody notified a neighbour who was great support. Following this, I went to see my GP. I did all the blood tests and I thought there was something physically wrong but no.
“I wish there was but there wasn’t. He told me it was a mental problem causing a physical problem. It was like an injury that sucked the energy out of me completely. Concentration on paper work was next to impossible. I could milk cows because that was routine but making the decision to start milking was difficult.
“When I turned in the cows I had to sit down for a while and if I didn’t, I’d have to take a break half way through milking. Once I was milking it was fine, the same with feeding.”
Harold had fantastic support from within the IFA when he told them of his situation.
“As soon as I said I had a problem there was no hassle, they understood fully.”
Physically going to meetings was difficult.
“For a while, I couldn’t drive properly. Physically, I didn’t feel safe driving. I was thrilled when I was able to make it to Clonakilty and Bandon.”
Expectation
There’s public and peer expectation of farmers in prominent positions. Keeping this standard can be demanding and in this case, Harold got outside help.
His co-op adviser put a feed budget together and sourced fodder, while someone was hired to measure grass.
“I was able to go for the cows and bring them in but I wasn’t able to walk the farm in one go because my energy was sapped completely. I couldn’t understand it.”
Harold was beginning to make progress but the bad weather was incessant. On the morning of 1 May, he went to put the cows into a specific paddock but couldn’t because it was too wet.
“I put them in another; it wasn’t ready for grazing but I wasn’t putting them back in the house. I didn’t milk that night because I couldn’t.
“I just knew I had to get help again. I thought I was out of it but I wasn’t and like a lot of farmers I won’t be out of it for a while. When I’m seen out now I’m greeted with ‘I see you’re back to normal’. It will be next year really.”
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