If you drive into the Naul in north Dublin and ask for directions to the Whyte's, you'll be immediately asked: "Which Whyte?"
Seven fathers, seven sons and one wife all work together on a farm that encompasses 3,000 acres. And they live within a radius of about three miles from each other. This must be a challenge for the postman trying to sort letters for Jimmy, Peter Snr, Peter Jnr, Eddie, Ollie, Joey, Martin, Anthony, James, Dermot, David, Peadar, Kevin and Joseph.
Peadar Whyte said he had never heard of another family with so many members working together.
Speaking after President Michael D Higgins presented them with their award for winning the FBD/Farmers' Journal UN Family Farm of the Year competition, he said he knew of other families farming together but not on such a big scale.
“Everything we do is together,” he said. “I work day in day out in my uncles’ fields, my cousins’ fields. I look after one thing and everyone else has their own thing to do.”
It all started with his grandparents Peter and Brigid Whyte who bought 22 acres of land in the 1940s. The farm gradually expanded as their seven sons got involved and then Peadar's next generation stepped in. "I'd say it will get really interesting in the future when it comes to the next generation," he said.
Today they own 1,000 acres and rent the rest. Their work produces more than 6,000 tonnes of wheat, 2,000 tonnes of barley, 1,000 tonnes of oats and oil seed rape and 3,500 tonnes of potatoes a year.
The farms are owned separately but the families share the machinery, yards and profits. Martin’s wife Mary is employed full-time to run the business side of the farm.
He said they were a very close family. “We do get on well, and everyone has built houses on the land which is great for babysitting,” he said. “We did really grow up together.”
The family makes up 50 per cent of the Naul’s GAA team but they also find time for charity fundraising activities such as tractor runs, clay pigeon shooting and autocross racing. This was all taken into account when they won the Farm Family of the Year award.
