Farmers Guide talks exclusively to Cereals panellist Erin McNaught
8th June 2023
Hill farmer and sheepdog handler Erin McNaught shares her excitement ahead of her on-stage appearance at Cereals 2023.
20-year-old hill farmer Erin McNaught is taking to the Cereals Stories Stage on the 13th & 14th June to share her story.
The Cereals Stories Stage is brand new for this year, bringing together an unmissable line-up of influential guest speakers to share their unique stories from all sectors of the farming industry, including personalities from social media and TV. One of the guests sharing her farming journey is 20-year-old hill farmer Erin McNaught, best known for winning ‘BBC’s One Man and his Dog’ and ‘British Young Handler Champion’ in 2018.
Erin is a fourth-generation livestock farmer on ‘Pandy Farm’ near Bala in South Wales. She runs the 350-acre farm mostly herself, with occasional help from her younger siblings Mari-Elen and Robin-Mac, after taking over from their grandad Robert due to his ill health when Erin was just 18. Currently they have 350 Welsh mountain ewes and mules, along with 30 Limousin cross and British Blue cross cows for beef. They also keep nanny goats – using their milk to rear lambs-in-need and, sometimes, sheepdog puppies. The family has been rearing, training and trialling sheepdogs for four generations, and they’re very proud custodians of the 149-year-old tradition; in fact, Pandy Farm neighbours Garth Goch, where the first sheepdog trial was recorded in 1873.
Erin shares her day-to-day management of the land and livestock on social media, gathering almost 9,000 followers on Instagram. She joins the line-up at Cereals to talk about her journey into the industry and her experiences sharing farming life on social media. Our reporter Anna Louise caught up with Erin ahead of the event to find out more…
What are you most excited about, looking ahead to Cereals 2023?
“I’m a cow and sheep farmer, so I’m really looking forward to having a two-day holiday from the farm to learn something new; I’ve got lots to discover about arable farming! I’ll be taking the chance to catch up with friends from across the UK. Farming is an isolated industry – so when I get an invitation to an event like this, it’s so exciting. The chance to be out amongst big crowds is a new experience for me.”
Laughing, Erin explains that despite being a young farmer, there aren’t any of the infamous, all-night parties where she’s from in South Wales.
Why is it important for you to speak at a large event like this?
“This is a brilliant opportunity to showcase what I do. I’m a hill farmer in North Wales and Cereals is a totally different world for me, with different farming sectors coming together and different farming methods being discussed and celebrated.
“I think it’s important to give recognition to hill farmers and showcase the ways we work with our dogs. I hope to shine a light on the challenges of being a hill farmer; explain the benefits to the environment and our local community. I’ll be giving a voice to our way of life and culture. I hope that the audience will see from my talk that young farmers are passionate about the industry and that they feel reassured that the future of farming is in safe hands.”
What will you be sharing on stage?
“I’ll be sharing my journey into farming and sheep-dog trialling. When I talk about my experiences so far, there’s always funny little stories I like to tell. One that comes to mind was the time – back in 2018 – when I was adamant that I became the ‘British Young Handler Champion’ all because of the four-leaf clover I found the night before I was due to leave for Ireland to compete! I can’t wait to share little emotional and special stories like that.”
You’ll also be sharing your experiences with social media. What top tips would you give to farmers, to help them share their stories online?
“Use the schedule post feature on Instagram – sometimes you plan to post a picture but as usual, something happens on the farm, and you never get round to doing it! Also, be yourself. People follow you because they are interested in who you are!”
How are you feeling about being on stage in front of a live audience?
“I’m not the type of person to get nervous in front of live audiences; at least, when I’m up there, I don’t show it! I grew up performing at Eifteddfed (a national festival showcase of the arts), which is a very traditional event in Wales.
“I’m most nervous about having to speak English on stage. At home, I speak Welsh – which is my first language. I’m also conscious that my accent sounds different…
“I’ve heard it’s such a big deal to be chosen to share my journey at Cereals. Looking at the line-up, I feel very honoured to be appearing alongside the other prestigious guest speakers – and I’m really proud that my story will be shared with others.”
How do you feel about going solo, without the company of your four-legged friends?
“When you compete it’s a partnership, but at Cereals it’ll be me on my own on stage without my dogs! At least nothing can drastically go wrong – like at a sheep dog trial when the sheep go running down the field and you think ‘oh it’s all over now!’”
How do you cope with the pressures of competing?
“Because I’ve been trialling since a young age, I’m used to the game of winning or losing – you can’t predict anything. I don’t know what’s going to happen and I don’t know the temperament of the sheep we’re going to get. I’ve gotten used to that uncertainty. When we win, I appreciate it a lot more”.
Tell us about your sidekicks, the sheepdogs, that you’re working with?
“Sam is getting on a bit, he’s not as fast so he’s not competing anymore but he’s still working alongside us on the farm. It’s time for the youngsters to come through the ranks. I have a new bitch called ‘Pandy Ani’. She’s my next – hopefully – superstar! We’ve recently bred a litter of puppies. They’re nine weeks right now. I’ve kept a bitch and called her Pandy Tali.”
What key ingredient has played a part in your success so far?
“The bond I have with my dogs, definitely. Moxy is sitting with me now on the sofa. They’re with me all the time. When they’re so close to you, they’ll do anything for you. In farming you need a dog to perform its best, so I feel it’s important we rear pups ourselves. That way, we know the breeding; we’ll know the parents and I’ll often have trained the Mum – which means I’ll already have a blueprint for the training of the puppies! When they’re born, I’m with them from day one so I can mould their training to suit their personality as it starts to develop… And hopefully breed a champion!
How do you spot a champion when they are that tiny?
“We keep a few from the litter. This time we’ve kept three out of nine. It gives us a better chance of catching the best one. I also go for looks. Tali looks similar to Moxy (her great grandmother) so she caught my eye straightaway! I can begin to see their character and personality as pups, but they’ll really start to come out and develop as they get older.”
You’ve already achieved British Young Handler Champion 2018 and won BBC’s One Man and His Dog competition – what’s next for you?
“In terms of working with the dogs, my aim is to get into the adult’s Welsh team to compete in the internationals. Day-to-day, I’ll be continuing to build up my family farm and increase the numbers of our livestock; showcasing livestock hill farming with the NFU and sharing the whole journey on my social media platforms”.
Don’t miss ‘My Story: Erin McNaught’ on the Cereals Stories Stage at 9am on 13th June and again at 1pm on 14thJune. Erin is also part of a panel discussion alongside Olly Harrison and Flavian Obiero at 1:45pm on 14th June. Find Erin on Instagram @erinpandyfarm.
