Joanne Buckley, Farmer

In 2015, Joanne was Runner-up at the Innovation On-Farm category at the FBD Women & Agriculture Awards. She was reared on a farm, and loved the way of life she grew up with. It was what she knew best, and she could never see herself doing anything else. While the freedom of being her own boss was appealing, being self-employed has its own challenges, as does working seven days a week, every week of the year.

Joanne became more and more aware of how farming as a way of life had changed, until it dawned on her that it was no longer what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. Apart from her obsession with shoes, her dream has always been to live a long, happy, healthy and interesting life. With that in mind, Joanne decided to take a break from the farm in 2017 and to travel the world for as long as she can, and cherish every minute of it.