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International Farmers Trips : Farmer's Feedback Scottish farmer Malcolm MacDonald has farmed the same 3,500 acres for the past 39 years and saw the New Zealand trip as one in a lifetime. He says: "We've had a very difficult year - one of the worst in my memory of 40 years of farming. The trip was a dream come true and we found it to be a good way of relieving the year's stresses.  It was actually very therapeutic to have conversations with other farmers about the challenges in farming - it's been truly fascinating and I've taken lots of photography to show my colleagues back in the UK." For award-winning Derbyshire farmers Louise and Steve Buckley the trip couldn't have come at a better time. Louise Buckley explains:  "This trip got us through a very dark year. Foot and mouth was devastating and then there was blue-tongue to contend with. It was fantastic to have this opportunity. It gave us a break we needed to re-fresh ourselves and although the farming climate is slightly different out in New Zealand, with much more space and more of a national focus on the industry, it was great to talk through various farming ideas with our New Zealand colleagues.  Our gallery of pictures includes numerous shots of New Zealand farms showing how they irrigate and manage the vast areas of land and run most of their farming outdoors because of the longer, warmer days. Perhaps this is something we'll see more of in the UK in the future." Gareth Hughes runs a herd of 1200 breeding Ewes and 50 Suckler cows in Gwynedd Wales. He took a colleague farmer to New Zealand and says:  "Like many farmers I've had a very bad year indeed and it's been really inspiring and re-freshing to not only see different farming practices, but also to talk to other farmers, from another part of the world about their personal experiences and ideas. |
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