Northern
By Debbie Orme
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Keeping them down on the farm..
Visitors to Slemish Farm enjoy the craic, while Rae (background) prepares some traditional Norn Iron food!
With ‘staycations’ on most people’s agendas this year, it’s great to know that the North’s Mid and East Antrim areas has plenty to offer everyone.
husband. It was while returning from a holiday to Spain, however, as she was flying over Northern Ireland’s beautiful green countryside and mountains, that Rae decided to share the beauty of the area with tourists.
The area’s beautiful landscape, with its rolling hills and blue skies has been heavily promoted over the last few years – even during the pandemic! – with a view to offering a wide range of interesting and often unique activities to both Northern Ireland’s population – and those from further afield.
Once home, Rae trained as a tour guide and began to fulfil her dream of showcasing everything she loved about home with people visiting the area. During her training, Rae conducted a tour of the farm: a tour, which proved so popular that Slemish Farm Tours was born.
The province is well known for its farming industry and at Slemish Farm Tours, visitors can embrace what grassroots farming is truly about. ‘Our farm tours really do provide the ultimate learning experience for adults and children over twelve years of age,’ says owner, Rae Kirk, who runs the business with her brother, Thomas Moorhead. ‘The farm has been in our family for six generations and Thomas, our father, and Thomas’ son still work the farm today. ‘We farm cattle and sheep, but we also have a soft spot for other farm animals, including donkeys, pygmy goats and hens. We also grow our own vegetables and trees, doing as much as possible to sustain the environment and work with nature to protect the wildlife around the farm.’ Although she’d spent her childhood on the farm, once Rae married, she became a ‘townie’, working in offices and travelling extensively with her
‘Farming,’ says Rae, ‘is more than a job – it’s a way of life – which six generations of this family can vouch for. As well as enjoying the fabulous farm tour and going out over the fields in a trailer pulled by our tractor, Thomas takes visitors on a walk and explains how further development of the environmental aspects of farming is important. The tour also provides the opportunity to see the great range of farm machinery and implements and learn how they’ve been used through the years. ‘Any visit to the farm wouldn’t be complete, of course, without meeting our four-legged family of animals. From pygmy goats and donkeys, to cattle and sheep, visitors have the opportunity pet and fed them. Then, once the tour is over, we then welcome everyone into the kitchen for the ‘yarn and craic’, where they can enjoy traditional Northern Ireland dishes of stew, shepherd’s pie or champ, while listening to stories of the ‘olden days’. Senior Times l July - August 2021 l www.seniortimes.ie 67
