Wicklow Sheep Farmer launches YouTube channel to address industry ‘realities’

Filmed on and around the family farm in Upper Calary near the base of Sugarloaf Mountain, the scenic setting provides the perfect backdrop for viewers as they join the one-man production team and knowledgeable host James on his myriad daily chores.

From spreading manure and lambing, to peeling rams’ feet to calving, James leaves no gory detail as he tends to his 40 suckler cows – split between a herd of pure Simmental breed and commercial Simmental crossbreeds – and around the approximately 300 he and his father Edward Cheviot ewes.

All the challenges farmers face are up for discussion, whether they be broader issues such as the weather, finances and the ins and outs of Irish farming, or more practical day-to-day concerns such as forage quality, sheep health, bottle feeding, re-tagging and vaccinations. Sometimes he even lets his viewers name the new calves!

Although not yet appearing on screen, James’ wife Carla, daughter Madison, 4, sons Sam, 2, and Senen, 9, and evergreen father Edward (who has an impressive 140 ewes at the age of 82 ) be sure to turn up with her two Bernese Mountain Dogs and two Pugs.

Still in disbelief at the channel’s success so far, a grounded James said he’s glad he stepped out of his comfort zone and hopes the “bizarre” experiences will enrich the lives of his young family. As he explained, it was his desire to see farming infuse into his children from an early age that led him to pursue this unlikely initiative.

“It all started with my oldest boy, Senen, who is absolutely obsessed with being a Youtuber,” James began. “He always had a keen interest in farming when he was younger, so I told him I would try to do a Youtube channel focused on that. After watching it, I was struck by how many channels focused on either machinery or large dairy farms. It was immediately clear to me that we had something different to offer, as we are a small family business with sheep and suckler cows.

“After doing a bit of research I was looking for help to get the channel up and running. See, I’m a bit stuck and technology isn’t exactly my friend, so I had a guy come to the farm to show me the basics. He spent the courage of two hours (bless him) showing me how to edit and upload and while it was a tough learning curve the more I found out about Youtube the more I realized its potential for good.

“More than anything, I want the channel to take a genuine and positive look at farming, as I feel there has been a lot of anti-agriculture sentiment floating around, especially in recent years. There seems to be a desire at the government level to limit “this” and reduce “that”. I just want to show the public what they don’t see, the realities of farming and the pressures Irish farmers are under – pressures I am under.”

Speaking frankly, James detailed how his expenses have “gone absolutely insane” lately. Using the example of the price of flour for his ewes, he said that he currently has to shell out a whopping 500 euros per tonne, while three years ago he was still paying 230 euros or 240 euros per tonne.

His fertilizer and land rental costs have also doubled or tripled over the same period, while last year he spent a whopping €13,000 more on diesel for his tractor, on top of his standard bill, which is between €15,000 and €20,000.

As James noted with a cheeky smile, he still gets the same old price for his lamb, although his costs may have increased across the board.

“The channel will aim to show such details to the public,” James said. “Not to say ‘we poor’, but to show people the realities farmers face. Some people might see the huge tractors or the big jeep with a trailer and think, “This boy must be making a huge profit.” But in most cases they are not.

“See how a farmer’s mind works: if he sees something that needs improvement on the farm, he or she will pay for that improvement rather than making a profit for himself. That is what agriculture is and always has been.

“It’s a long day of hard work. I do a fair bit of contract work and I could maybe be on the tractor three 20-hour days in a row, but that’s the point. These are the kind of challenges and realities I want to highlight.

“Despite our name, we will not sugarcoat anything on the channel. We show everything from machinery to feeding, calving and lambing – the good, the bad, the ugly! For the latter, I have the camera on my head because I use both hands. While it might be squeamish enough for some people at times, I’ll fairly warn them!”

Excited by the enthusiastic reception Sugarloaf Farm has received in the comments sections so far, James said he is even more excited about the information forum that has developed within it.

His growing community of subscribers has already started sharing their tips, traditions and views on farming practices, and James said he’s honored to facilitate this knowledge sharing.

“Farming is a constantly changing industry, it’s virtually impossible to keep up with everything,” said James. “People who watch our videos have different opinions or methods, and I enjoy learning from them and helping others learn. I think farmers have to be open-minded. Just because you’re used to doing something a certain way doesn’t make it the best way.

“While I’ve loved the overall response to the channel so far and enjoy making the videos, if I’m being completely honest with you, the biggest challenge in all of this has been the technology. It’s not easy, let me tell you, and that’s coming from a farmer!

“I spent seven hours editing three videos the other night after coming back from a day at work. We also had a few minor hiccups along the way. The first video we uploaded was 18 minutes long and took hours to upload. It wasn’t until it was finished that Youtube told us that 15 minutes was the maximum size allowed!

“In the beginning I only do two videos a week because I don’t want people to get bored that easily. I know some farming channels do four or five a week, but two is a lot for someone like me to handle. If anything special comes up I’d consider adding another one, but I might have to enlist the young lad or my wife to do a bit of editing!”

After launching Fox’s Sugarloaf Farm last month, James set a goal of 1,000 subscribers before the end of the year – a goal he thought was high at the time. Three weeks later and he’s more than halfway through, but humble James said he wouldn’t get carried away.

“Listen, I’m aware that we’ve got off to a good start and of course we’re very happy with how it’s gone so far,” said James. “I think it will do well initially because all your friends and family and everyone will subscribe and watch this video and give you likes. Honestly I would expect it to falter a little after the first few videos.

“Nevertheless, we are still very satisfied with the response so far and would definitely like to expand the channel. If we hit the target of 1,000 subscribers by next Christmas, I would take that as a sign that we’re doing something right.

“We’re just doing it on a trial basis for now to see if it works. If so, maybe we’ll link some projects to the channel in the future. I don’t have a drone yet but plan to take lots of aerial photos and video over the property. We will also soon be making a video about our Bernese puppies litter that we had in November. As you know yourself, there is never a shortage of activity on the farm, so expect lots of new content!

“Just by looking at how other farming channels have gained momentum and people tuning in around the world, it would be amazing if something like this could happen to us.

“I just want to say thank you to everyone for their support, whether it’s by commenting and liking the videos, subscribing or reaching out via social media. It’s been a lot of fun for me and the family so far and we’ll keep doing it as long as you enjoy watching it.”