Amazing Opportunity

It sounds like the run up to a great bar joke, but – have YOU heard the one about the Irish dairy farmer who went to Kenya to visit The Maasai tribe, to learn about culture, agriculture and life? That’s the experience we talk with Paula Hynes about and it is definitely no laughing matter. It is the focus of the most-recent episode of Grounded By The Farm!

I’ve known the Hynes family for years and one of the most interesting facets of their lives has comes from the time in 2017 that Paula was fortunate enough to spend time with members of The Maasai people. This interaction came to the Hynes family after they’d been awarded The Farmer of the Year title in Ireland, when they were invited thanks to a TV production company who were planning to film a three-part documentary series called “The Hardest Harvest” and definitely wanted women to participate.  The series focused on the transplantation of a fisherman, forester and of course – a dairy farmer which ended up being Paula into remote parts of Africa. (Maybe next time someone can visit Ugandan fish farmer Kaahwa Jean!)

Have you heard of the Maasai tribe? Find out more about them now with these five fascinating facts about the Maasai people.

An interesting note: Paula had never traveled anywhere on her own – nowhere not even around Ireland. Now she was preparing to hurdle towards the cradle of humankind to be in a documentary focusing on farming. Quite the segue from the rich green rolling mounds of tall grass in Ireland to raise  pedigreed holsteins, jerseys and Fleckvieh heifers collect milk to be sure.  Paula says that the choice to go was a “no brainer” but the reality is – there was so much to think about not only before going but after.

The experience was amazing, and came as a complete surprise to Paula.  She laughs saying she had so much to do to get ready that she didn’t have time to  Google what or where she was going and in hindsight, that clearly fostered the choice to go. As a focus in contrast you see – there are no paved roads. There are no bathrooms. There are no showers.

Extreme Drought in Kenya

If all of that wasn’t enough, the area was experiencing one of the most impactful droughts known to Kenyan history at the time. And the culture is very different. Whereas Paula and Peter work as a team of equals, the women of the Maasai tribe are treated much differently/lesser than most can imagine. There is a lot of water to be carried quite a distance and if a structure is to be built, the women will do that too.

And then there’s the wild animals. Hyenas. Elephants, and Zebra, oh my.

The living area was one large community that not only housed the people (men, women and AMAZING children), but all of the farm animals as well. The cows herding there would come into the compound at night to help stave off the likes of the wild animals. As Paula arrived she heard the glorious voices and music being generated by a loving people filled with rich history, culture and tradition as you can see in the video above.

Amazing Welcome, Tough Lessons

The people of the Maasai tribe welcomed Paula outright and gave her opportunities to contribute. Daily activities usually consisted of taking the cows grazing outside the small village (called a Boma) to allow them to feed the best they could inside of the sun-ravaged lands. Their “grass” looked very much like weeds, and 6-7 hours could easily be spent as the villagers guided the cattle to find more plots of grazable food. They provide on-going support for the Maasai rather than being a source of meat.

This video is something we discuss in the episode… Understand it includes sensitive visuals that may upset some, however, it’s an important piece of the story for the Maasai people who depend on cattle but rarely eat beef.

The differences with beautiful rain-fed pastures at home was beyond striking and animal care is vastly different. In Ireland, there are rarely health issues that lead to cattle deaths, but the experience Paula had with cows dying in Kenya struck her hard. In many cases, there were cattle that had to be helped up and even more that just dropped and couldn’t continue on.

When this happened, she realized that the Maasai tribe members knew that those cows – were destined to die. They were left to the elements and animals – which was an extraordinarily hard experience for Paula who understood the Maasai intensely valued the cattle but had so few choices compared to her farm at home. When water and food are in rare supply and can only be given to the cattle that are making a go of it. Sometimes there is no resource that will save them, and there are no tractors with which to lift them back to their feet. There is only time, and the sad, natural course of events to craft another day in Kenya, and that’s it.

A Chance to Prove Herself

The Maasai Chief had established a series of tasks for Paula, but – believe it or not, she didn’t actually meet the Chief for DAYS, until after Paula was already hip-deep in the experience. The morning tasks were given out each day and the Chief would watch from afar to see what Paula was doing to foster the tasks to completion.

The offering of a hunting knife to Paula caused one of the bits of strife during her experience. You see, only Masai tribesMEN are given this tool to do tasks. This was one of the many “firsts” that Paula was honored with during her journey. Another fine first was put in the books as Paul constructed her own mud hut with the women in the boma called a manyetta. She was able to achieve this after being given a machete with which to chop down the lumber to build the small rudimentary structure. Thankfully, these two tasks were able to quell any problems that the men and or women had with her and the rest of the time spent was beyond amazing.

The differences between a sage Kenyan community, and the ways of life on an Irish dairy farm are vast – but never too far to bridge when hope, knowledge, education and legacy are the ingredients swirling in a wonderful once-in-a-lifetime experience. Be sure to listen to this episode of The Grounded By The Farm Podcast to learn more about Paula’s extraordinary life lesson, adventure an be sure to connect with Paula via her Twitter account @paulahynes4 or Instagram at peterpaulahynes.

Ready to learn what Paula’s Maasai-name is and more importantly – what it MEANS? There’s only one way to find out! Listen to THIS EPISODE of Grounded By The Farm!

The post Getting a Whole New Perspective on Farming and on Life — An Irish Dairy Farmer Goes to Kenya! appeared first on Grounded by the Farm.

How did we come to talk about Irish butter?

As we’ve been doing these interviews, I have found inspiration for episodes in a range of places. The inspiration for this one? Making a grilled cheese and pulling some Kerrygold butter out of the fridge. That’s when I remember Peter & Paula Hynes, aka Twitter’s Team Hynes are Irish dairy farmers. I had to ask and sure enough, they are part of the coop that produces Kerrygold! I mean, maybe their cows were involved in my butter? Had to have a conversation about it!

For those that are unfamiliar with it (or my love of exotic butters that are clearly outside the norm), Kerrygold Irish Butter is made with more fat… so it’s one of the creamier, more yellow, and easier-to-spread-when-cold addition to some yummy toast, it is a staple and one of many that come from the farms from our friends in Ireland. I’ll talk to Paula next! We tried to do one episode with all of us but tech problems led us to go back to square one…. Besides when you hear what I’d talking with Paula about, you’ll know it required a full interview of its own.

Following Irish Farm owners parents and successful business partners Peter and Paula Hynes is easy! Connect with them on Twitter now! Peter is over this way and Paula over this way! )

Peter didn’t start in farming early like most do. Where there is almost always a family, legacy-based tie to farming that literally and figuratively plants the seeds of what’s to come when farming is involved. Peter didn’t get involved in farming until he was 36 years old. He had already done other things in town and eventually his stepfather suggested the move. While having other job experiences provided him with not only an interesting perspective and focus on a need to be successful, it also provided him with years of knowledge and drive that few farmers start off with. Additionally, Peter was actually older than most of the instructors inside his schooling! It’s not every day that you’re learning new things from people that re younger than you are, but it’s exciting when it happens and Peter took right to it.

Do you know the differences between standard butter and Kerrygold Irish Butter? Get educated and learn what kind of creamier, deep yellow dreamy experience you’re missing now!

Bougie Butter?

The worldwide proliferation and love of Kerrygold butter has not only provided another delectable addition to any breakfast, lunch or dinner table, but changed and continues to enhance the farmer’s futures across the Irish dairy farming landscape. Oddly  enough, when Irish dairy farmers make their way to foreign lands, one of their first stops is at a local supermarket to see if the glistening gold wrappings are in the dairy case.

I feel like I should make it clear, I am a butter lover of many kinds! My mom laughed when I mentioned this episode and she said the whole family loves butter. For me, I love a variety of butters and have at least two all the time. You can find Kerrygold in the fridge sometimes, sometimes I choose other “bougie butters” like Wisconsin’s Summer or Harvest or one I was lucky enough to try recently from Kansas. And I almost always have some Land’o’Lakes or something for cooking/baking.

It’s an amazing success story, but only one of many when it comes to Ireland’s dairy contributions. In addition to adding to this growing legacy, Peter and his wife have made and continue to contribute to their farm’s ability to foster the lives of their cattle, but also feature an intense focus on providing a sustainable ecosystem to bolster the environment in a time of noteworthy environmental challenges.

A Look at the Hynes’ Farm

While there are many different kinds of cows that a farmer can feature on their land, Peter and Paula currently feature primarily pedigreed holsteins (get educated on them here! ) and pedigreed jersey cows (open a door to learn about the animal dubbed “The Dairy Queen” worldwide now! ). They also welcomed the two most-recent additions: two Fleckvieh heifers (they’re amazing and you fan find out why).

When it comes down to it, Peter is looking to focus on fertility, longevity and helping to raise the most-efficient cow possible during their lifespan and production years.

One of the things that Peter shares inside this episode is the CLEAR focus that – farming IS and must be considered a business first and foremost. The improvements he looks to make need to make business sense as well as improve the environment, cow care, etc.  And they have found farming together as husband and wife is the perfect fit for their family.

From learning how all of the things grown, cultivated and sent to market interface with the world around us, to learning about life, death, relationships and even one’s own skill set interests, farming provides fertile ground that simply cannot be matched in any other industry. While it comes with times to enjoy, to learn from and to provide some of the best memories a legacy can generate, it is also hard work that is clearly something different than what most youth of today are ready to consider as their future’s landscape. The Hynes girls really love their time on the farm too. 

Active in the Community

Peter recently won Zurich’s “Farmer of the Year” and was featured on a program called “Ear to the Ground” that visits his Cork-based farming landscape to learn more. Check it out.

Peter and Paula have been lucky enough to not only build a successful farm that interfaces with many grand industry staples in the Irish farming landscape, but they’ve also been able to raise three daughters on the farm. Recently, one of them was able to take the lead in the recent birthing of twin calves, which was picked up by a variety of international news media. While the rare women and farming, a young woman, in farming, helping what is a “member of their family” deliver twins isn’t just something for the books – it’s something that fuels the hopes and dreams of many young girls living and working on farms across the world.

At the end of long days, Peter and Paula are safe in the knowledge that not only are they contributing to world on a grand scale, they are able to foster a family, a future and a legacy thanks to the business and life decisions they make during pillowtalk. What a grand way to experience, plant and grow future dreams of success and happiness – that we can all hope to one day achieve.

Be sure to check out the many links to the family’s farm, in his social media streams and be sure to check out his videos! They’ll provide you with the same satisfaction that his Holsteins, Jerseys and Fleckviehs offer us as consumers!

The post Irish Butter…. Have you tried it? Wondered who has the dairy cows? appeared first on Grounded by the Farm.