Finding a work-life balance is something which is becoming increasingly popular in the agricultural world.

Especially for the next generation coming through, as working long hours seven days a week, 365 days a year, no longer seems viable.

One Co. Cork farm has figured out how to make itself attractive in the eyes of farm labours, even attracting those who may not necessarily be involved in the agriculture sector.

Work-life balance in Co. Cork

Chloe McCarthy from Co. Cork grew up with no involvement in any sort of dairy farming.

However, when McCarthy was 18-years-old, she was working in an equestrian yard, where a local farmer approached her and asked if she had ever milked a cow.

McCarthy's answer was simple: "No."

The farmer collected her after work the following day and brought her to the parlour to teach her how to milk, with McCarthy stating she has not looked back since.

Fast-forward to December 2024, 21-year-old McCarthy saw a job advertisement for a herd manager role at Shinagh dairy farm, a position which she filled and has been thriving in for the past 20 months.

The farm is set up to be an attractive work place which provides employees with a satisfying work-life balance.

McCarthy noted how during the calving season, she works 12 days on and two days off.

Then come breeding, it goes to 11 days on and three days off, before moving to 10 days on and four days off during the quieter winter months.

However, the farm also provides flexibility for holidays or specific days off, as well as offering over-time and time-in-lieu.

She starts at 6:00a.m. and is out the door at 5:00p.m. in the evening as long as everything is going well.

For two full-time staff, 250 cows may seem like a lot - however, the farm contracts out all tractor work including feeding, as well as having all calves contracted from three-weeks-old.

Little things also make the work easier, such as having every gate swinging, using tools such as a milk taxi, and having proper grazing infrastructure such as good road networks.

McCarthy's love of large animals is what has kept her in the industry.

Although the farm's impressive set up designed to improve work-life balance, surely makes things easier on long, cold, and wet weeks, or when everyone is heading to festivals or matches in the summer.

The farm is also putting McCarthy through a farm apprenticeship, she started with the Level 6 farm technician course, and is now hoping to move on to the Level 7 farm manager course.

Between the attractive farm system and McCarthy's grá for the industry, the new Co. Cork farmer has managed to rope five of her friends into milking, all of whom are from non-agricultural backgrounds.

The five friends are now all regularly relief milking while pursuing various careers in college, while further college students are texting McCarthy to enquire how to get into the industry.

A farm like Shinagh is a prime example of how dairy farms can develop an attractive work place, which can nurture the next generation of dairy farms, even those who do not originally come from agriculture.