Rare Breed: A Farming Year returns to UTV for its 11th series

The year-long observational documentary series chronicling the reality of farming in 21st century Northern Ireland provides an insight into one of our largest and oldest industries.

For more than a decade, the series has taken viewers into the world of farming through the lives of farmers across the country.

Now in its 11th year, this series follows 12 families as they deal with one of the most unpredictable times in living memory.

The families featured reflect the diversity and innovation in Northern Ireland’s agri-food sector. Be it traditional beef, sheep, dairy and farm farming or social farming, alpaca and sport horse breeding, viewers will see them confronting the daily challenges and against the backdrop of Brexit, climate change and the war in Ukraine at each working weather all the time.

In the first episode, viewers meet six families. First in Rosslea, Co. Fermanagh where award winning farmer John Egerton works with his three sons William, Robert and Samuel. The family has a mother herd of 90 head and a herd of 250 ewes.​

Near Limavady, the program meets Richard and Leona Kane, who have a 750-acre arable farm. They grow a range of crops including wheat, barley, and canola. They also produce carrots and in January Richard is busy harvesting them.

The show also visits Streamvale Farm on the outskirts of Belfast, where Tim Morrow runs a dairy farm with a herd of more than 200 cattle.

Tony Curry, program editor at UTV, said, “Rare Breed: A Farming Year is a firm favorite among UTV viewers.

“Our agribusiness and the quality of its products and results are outstanding.

“The fantastic year-over-year ratings for Rare Breed show the support and pride people have for the sector.

“Rare Breed is an education in itself, and it’s great that our audience not only enjoys a behind-the-scenes look at the day-to-day life of a farming family, but hopefully learns a thing or two that they didn’t know before.”

The series is produced by Belfast-based Strident Media for UTV. Producer Cara Dinsmore said: “Me and the crew can’t complain about the occasional late night, early start or bad weather shoot considering our farmers and producers do it 365 days a year. We had lots of fun.”

UTV’s Mark McFadden is back voicing the series.

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Rare Breed: A Farming Year begins Thursday at 8:30 p.m. on UTV