Farmer Emily to be regular star in BBC Countryfile show

26 July 2023

KILLINCHY farmer Emily McGowan will be featuring regularly on the popular BBC Countryfile programme over the next year.

The Sunday evening programme which looks at rural agricultural and environmental issues has a new addition to the show, with Emily one of four young farmers tracked in the UK for the ‘Farm Diaries’ section..

Twenty five year-old Emily, who is a sixth generation farmer at Millbank Farm, said she will be able to film what she wants that nothing will be staged.

“We just look at what’s happening,” she explained.

“Countryfile will be coming over later in the year and cameras have already been out to film. It’s very casual, we go with the flow and whatever is going on here at Millbank. Although it’s such a big show, it’s very casual and it’s very relatable.”

Emily looks after sheep, broiler chickens and two highland cows. Vegetables are also grown on the farm and all the produce is sold in their shop in Saintfield.

Emily said she was shocked after being approached by the Countryfile producers in March, but was pleased to be recognised.

“You do work very hard and it’s nice to be recognised at that level,” she said. “At the start of every year, I do a vision board and part of that was to be on Countryfile for a year.

“It’s funny seeing your mum saying, ‘That’s my daughter on TV’. I find it really embarrassing, I can hardly watch it and pray they edited it well.

“It’s a bit nerve-racking. It’s a bit like, ‘Oh gosh why am I on this show?’ Hopefully it comes out well and promotes our brand and young farmers in Northern Ireland.”

Emily said Countryfile presenter Adam Henson checked in on an episode a few weeks ago.

“It was done via a Zoom call, but the way they filmed it, it looked as if they were directly talking to each other.

“Adam was just a normal farmer. You think these people on big shows are not easy to talk to, but it was just chatting away for half an hour. It was very easy and I was asking him questions and he was asking me. You could just be yourself.

“All the four young farmers are all so different and that’s particularly nice, there’s no overlap. It’s interesting for those that are watching Countryfile as it had lost its agricultural focus; it’s nice they’re focusing on young farmers.”

For other young farmers who are starting out, Emily’s advice is to “just go for it and be honest”.

She added: “Dad has been very good at allowing me and pushing me to do what I wanted to do with the farm.

“I’d just encourage young farmers to go in the direction they want. If it means they want to change the farm, that’s OK, nothing stays same. As long as you can say you love your work everyday, there’s no point in following a farming tradition if you don’t like it. That’s what growing and being a better at business is.

“I treat the farm as business which I think is important. Diversify the farm and make it viable.”

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