‘It’s a privilege to be farming’

Reflecting on a lifetime of farming in north Kildare, Godfrey Potterton and his story are intrinsically linked to the land adjoining the River Boyne.

Located in Ardkill, Carbury, Co. Kildare, the Potterton farm is the claimed rising point of the River Boyne, forming to a stream and flowing alongside the land farmed by the family for the past 100 years.

Working the land since the late 1970s and carrying a sheep and beef enterprise, Godfrey views himself as privileged to be a custodian of the environment: “I always had a grá for nature,” Godfrey explained when his story was captured through the From the Fields to the Boyne video series, filmed and edited by Matthew Walker.

“It’s a privilege to be farming because we are working with nature and we are producing food for an ever-increasing human population and I think we need to appreciate the lives that farmers have,” Godfrey explained.

Through the video, available to view below, Godfrey recounts the practice changes he’s witnessed, including the electrification of the farm, the installation of piping and water troughs, the establishment of a new hedge and the installation of fencing to prevent livestock ingress to the water way.

“Water is essential to life in every possible way,” Godrey added, “We need to get proud of our environment and our habitats. We need to get proud of our river.”

Watch the video: Godfrey Potterton – From the Fields to the Boyne below

For more on the above, read: Farmers’ experiences front and centre in new water quality video series

Find out more about the Teagasc Better Farming for Water Campaign here.