A lifetime on the land.
For Keith Harrison, farming is not simply a job. It is a way of life shaped by early mornings, changing seasons, family responsibility and a deep connection to the land.
Keith runs the family farm with his sons, Andrew and Richard. Together, they continue the work that has defined so much of rural life for generations: caring for animals, maintaining the land, responding to the weather, and keeping a farm going through good years and difficult ones.
During the spring lambing season, the day often begins at 6am. It is one of the busiest and most demanding times in the farming calendar, when close attention and quick decisions can make all the difference.
The first 24 hours after a ewe gives birth are especially important. In that short window, a strong bond needs to form between mother and lamb. If that bond does not develop properly, the lamb may need to be hand-fed, adding another responsibility to an already full day.
Lambing brings moments of calm and new life, but it also requires patience, experience and constant care. Each ewe and lamb must be watched carefully. Farmers have to make sure the newborns are feeding, staying warm and growing strong, while also keeping an eye on the health of the wider flock.
Caring for sheep is year-round work. It involves regular health checks, medications and injections, as well as the daily routines of feeding, bedding, moving and monitoring the animals. Much of this work happens quietly, away from public view, but it is essential to the welfare of the flock and the running of the farm.
In June, the sheep are sheared to help prevent them from overheating during warmer weather. Shearing is another important part of the farming year, although Keith explains that the value of the wool usually only covers the cost of the shearing itself.
Like many farmers, Keith has seen the industry change over the years. Costs have risen, there are fewer hands available, and the pressures on family farms have become harder to ignore. Farming today requires resilience as well as knowledge, with practical skill passed down through families and learned through long experience.
Alongside his work as a sheep farmer, Keith also serves as a parish council chair, reflecting another kind of commitment to local life. His story is not only about farming, but about the role people like Keith continue to play in rural communities: working the land, supporting their families, and helping to keep local traditions and responsibilities alive.
Despite the challenges, the connection to the land remains central.
“It’s a different way of life,”
Keith says—one that, on a spring day like this, feels calm, steady, and deeply connected to the land.
By Juan Fitzgerald, Communities in Focus
