After 20 years as a farm vet and latterly a practice director, Iain Dick made a decision that raised eyebrows across Dumfries and Galloway. Last November, he left veterinary practice to take on a 630-cow dairy farm in a share farming agreement at Hardgrove Farm, Carrutherstown.
"It's not the norm," he admits. "People at my level don’t tend to leave the vet medicine industry in their forties.”
But for Iain, who grew up on a beef and sheep farm in Peeblesshire, despite building a successful veterinary career, the pull of farming had never really gone away.
"I worked with farm animals most days, and we had a smallholding of our own, but there was always a feeling of wanting more," he says. "Then last year, I ended up in talks with Alistair Marshall, who'd been a client for 20 years, about me coming into the business. I believed I would always regret it if I didn't give it a go, when would an opportunity like that come up again?"
A Hard Goodbye
While Iain was mentally prepared for the physical demands of dairy farming, nothing quite prepared him for the emotional weight of leaving the veterinary practice.
"Saying I was stopping was one thing, but actually finishing, saying goodbye to people who are genuinely friends - my colleagues and clients - that was really hard," he reflects. "That's probably the thing I miss the most, the varied social aspect of it."
For 20 years, Iain had been the person farmers turned to - not just for sick animals, but as a sounding board, someone to talk through problems with. Now he is on the other side. And while the transition brought challenges, those 20 years of experience were about to prove invaluable.
“Everything I learned is getting used - just slightly differently now," he says. "Understanding animal health and nutrition, spotting problems early, the diagnostic approach to issues - it all translates. I'm just applying it to my own livestock rather than someone else's.”
A Different Kind of Preparation
Despite never having run a dairy farm before, Iain came to Hardgrove Farm with a unique advantage – decades of preparation and a different perspective.
"Probably around 60-70% of our veterinary work was on dairy farms," he explains. "The animal husbandry part - I always knew that’s what I'd find easier because that was my background."
But it was more than just technical knowledge. Years of visiting farms in crisis had taught Iain how to handle stress and setbacks.
"As a farm vet, you're dealing with problems all the time. When it comes to stress, you have to be able to switch it off and be professional. That professional aspect still comes into play for me now. I probably deal with things more clinically and try not to let the emotion take over."
He'd seen farmers at their most stressed, watched them navigate disease outbreaks and market crashes. That experience shaped how he approached his own venture. "I've been involved in so many different issues on farms that I probably have a slightly different outlook to it."
The Power of Small Wins
Three and a half months into his new venture, Iain's philosophy is refreshingly simple: focus on the wins, no matter how small.
"I'm not really that driven by money," he says. "What really pleases me is when you put something in place and you see the fruits of it. See the animals doing better, growing better, with less health issues. That's the pleasing aspect and I make a point of taking notice and appreciating the success."
His first major project was building a new calf shed - something he'd never done before. Starting on his very first Monday morning, the whole team worked together to get it up and running.
"That's been the biggest achievement. The calf husbandry has massively improved, the growth rates have improved, health issues have decreased. That has been a real buzz for me, seeing that work."
This focus on achievable goals isn't just good farm management - it's good for wellbeing too.
"Life is about the small wins because that's what makes you feel good," Iain explains. "If you feel good, you'll enjoy it, you do a better job, and you don't get as stressed or down. You've got to make targets achievable. If I make a target for five years' time, that's fine, but I’ll step those targets, so I get the small wins along the way."
He's set clear goals - get calf growth rates up to a kilo a day, push milk yields toward 40 litres. Each small improvement is celebrated, each step forward noticed.
Building in Breathing Space
While Iain might be new to dairy farming, he hasn’t felt isolated. Working alongside Alistair, who remains actively involved, plus seven staff members, Iain is part of a team.
"I’m lucky that I don't feel isolated," he says. “To socially connect with others is really important for me."
However, Iain doesn’t claim to have all the wellbeing answers. "Do I look after myself as well as I could physically? No, I don't. I'm really bad for not eating lunch," he laughs.
But he's been deliberate about building a structure that allows for balance with family. Working as part of a team rather than going it alone means the farm can function when he needs to step away.
"The farm has to run without me sometimes," he explains. "Alistair gets that we need family time. I'm still ferrying kids to activities, still involved in their lives. I didn't want that to change."
His family - wife Jo and their three children - will move to the farm in the summer, which should ease the daily commute and create more flexibility.
What Iain does prioritise is mental resilience. “A former colleague at the practice would say I’m very good at mindfulness. I try not to let things get me down. I reframe what I can, move on to the next thing and focus on the good stuff. That's what keeps me looking forward.”
Following the Dream
Three and a half months in, Iain occasionally has to pinch himself.
"Not many people get to do what they want to do, and that's effectively what I've done here," he reflects. "I've left a really good job that I enjoyed. But now I'm actually getting to do what I've always wanted to do. That's quite rare, and I do feel quite privileged."
As for advice to others considering a major change or struggling with the demands of farming?
"Set realistic targets - achievable ones. Celebrate the small wins. Don't be scared to try things. And definitely don't try to do it alone. Connect with other people, have those sounding boards, and don't bottle things up."
He pauses, then adds: "And focus on the good stuff. There's always going to be challenges, always going to be problems. But if you can notice the improvements, the small wins, the things that are working - that's what makes you feel good. And if you feel good, you'll do a better job."
Trio & Tested - Three tips from Iain on maintaining his wellbeing
1. Set achievable targets and celebrate the small wins "Life is about the small wins because that's what makes you feel good. If you feel good, you'll enjoy it, you do a better job, and you don't get as stressed or down. I step my targets, so I get the small wins along the way."
2. Don't go it alone - connect with others "To socially connect with others is really important for me. Have those sounding boards around you - whether that's family, colleagues or friends. And don't bottle things up."
3. Reframe challenges and focus on the good stuff "I try not to let things get me down. I reframe what I can, move on to the next thing and focus on the good stuff. There's always going to be challenges and problems, but if you can notice the improvements and the things that are working - that's what keeps you looking forward."
