Filmed in and around the family’s farm in Upper Calary, near the base of the Sugarloaf, the picturesque setting provides the perfect backdrop for viewers as they accompany one-man production team and knowledgeable host James on his myriad of daily tasks.

From spreading slurry and lambing, to paring rams feet and calving, James omits no gory detail as he tends to his 40 suckler cows – which are split between a Simmental pedigree herd and commercial Simmental crosses – and his and his father Edward’s combined 300 or so Cheviot ewes.

All challenges faced by farmers are up for discussion, whether that be broader topics like weather, finances and the pros and cons of Irish farming, or more practical day to day concerns, like the quality of feed, sheep health, bottle feeding, re-tagging and vaccinations. Sometimes, he even lets his viewers name the new calves!

Although they’re yet to feature on-screen, James’ beautiful wife Carla, daughter Madison (4), sons Sam (2) and Senen (9) and evergreen father Edward (who has an impressive 140 ewes at age 82) are sure to make an appearance, along with their two Bernese Mountain Dogs and two pugs.

Still in disbelief at the success of the channel so far, a grounded James said that he’s glad he stepped outside his comfort zone and hopes that the “bizarre” experience will enrich the lives of his young family. As he explained, it was his desire to see farming engrained in his children from an early age that led him to pursue this improbable initiative.

“It all started with my eldest lad Senen, who is absolutely mad to be a Youtuber,” James began. “He always had a great interest in farming when he was smaller, so I told him I’d look into doing a Youtube channel centred around it. After checking it out, I was struck by how many channels focused on either machinery or big dairy stock farms. I knew straight away that we would have something a bit different to offer, as we’re a smaller, family-run farm with sheep and sucklers.

“Having done that bit of research, I looked for help to get the channel off the ground. You see, I’m a bit set in my ways, and technology isn’t exactly my friend, so I had a guy come out to the farm to show me the basics. He spent the guts of two hours (bless him) showing me how to edit and upload, and although it was a harsh learning curve, the more I found out about Youtube, the more I realised its potential for good.

“More than anything, I want the channel to present a real and positive look at farming, as I feel there has been a lot of anti-farming sentiment going around, especially in the last few years. There seems to be a desire there, at government level, to cut back on ‘this’ and reduce ‘that’. I just want to show the public what they don’t see, the realities of farming and the pressures that Irish farmers are under – pressures that I’m under.”

Speaking candidly, James outlined in detail how his costs have “gone absolutely bonkers” lately. Using the example of the price of meal for his ewes, he said that he is currently forking out a whopping €500 a tonne, where he had been paying €230 or €240 a tonne just three years ago.

His fertilizer and land rental costs have doubled or tripled over the same period too, while he spent a massive €13,000 more on diesel for his tractor last year, on top of his standard bill, which is anywhere between €15,000 and €20,000.

As James noted with a cheeky smile, although his costs may have increased across the board, he still receives the same old price for his lamb.

“The channel will aim to show the public those kind of details,” James said. “Not to say ‘poor us’, but to show people the realities farmers face. Some people may see the huge tractors or the big jeep and trailer and think: ‘That lad must be making a huge amount of profit’. But, in most cases, they are not.

“See the way a farmer’s mind works is, if they see something that needs to be improved on the farm, he or she will pay for that improvement, rather than give themselves profit. That’s just what farming is and always has been.

“It’s long days of hard work. I do a good bit of contracting, and could be sitting in the tractor for maybe three 20-hour days in a row at a time, but that’s what it’s all about. These are the kinds of challenges and realities I want to highlight.

“We won’t sugar coat anything on the channel, despite our name. We’ll be showing anything from machinery to feeding, calving and lambing – the good, the bad, the ugly! I’ll have the camera on my head for the latter, because I’ll be using both hands. While it might be squeamish enough for some people at times, I’ll give them fair warning!”

Chuffed with the glowing reception Sugerloaf Farm has received in comments sections so far, James said that he is even more delighted by the informational forum that has been developing therein. His growing community of subscribers have already begun sharing their tips, traditions and views on farming practices, and James said he’s honoured to facilitate that exchange of knowledge.

“Farming is such an ever changing industry, it’s practically impossible to keep abreast of everything,” James said. “People who watch our videos will have different opinions or methods, and I’m delighted to learn from them, and help others learn. I think farmers have to be open minded. Just because you’re used to doing something a certain way, it doesn’t make it the best way.

“While I’m loving the overall response to the channel so far, and I’m enjoying making the videos, if I’m being totally honest with you – the biggest challenge in all of this has been the technology. It’s not easy, let me tell you, and that’s coming from a farmer!

“I spent seven hours editing three videos the other night, after coming in from a day of work. We’ve had a few little hiccups along the way too. The first video we uploaded was 18 minutes long and took hours to upload. Only when it was done did Youtube tell us that 15 minutes was the maximum size allowed!

“I’m only doing two videos a week to start, as I don’t want people to get bored of it very quickly. I know some farming channels do as many as four or five a week, but two is a lot to handle for someone like me. If something special pops up, I’d consider adding another, but I might have to rope-in the young lad or my wife do a bit of the editing!”

After setting up Fox’s Sugarloaf Farm last month, James set a target of 1,000 subscribers before the end of the year – an aspiration he considered lofty at the time. Three weeks later and he’s more than half the way there, but modest James said he won’t get carried away.

“Listen, I’m aware that we’re off to a good start, and of course we’re very happy with how it’s been going so far,” James said. “I think it’s going to go well initially, because all your friends and family and everyone will subscribe, look at this video and give you likes. Honestly, I’d expect it to stall a bit after the first few videos.

“Having said that, we’re still delighted with the response so far, and would certainly like to grow the channel. If we hit the target of 1,000 subscribers by next Christmas, I’d take that as a sign that we’re doing something right.

“We’re only really doing it on a trial basis for now, to see if it takes off. If it does, maybe we’ll have a couple of projects linked in with the channel in the future. I haven’t got a drone yet, but I plan on getting loads of aerial shots and doing a video about the property. We’ll also be doing a video soon about our litter of Bernese pups we had in November. As you know yourself, there’s never a lack of activity on the farm, so expect plenty of new content!

“Just from looking at how other farming channels have taken off, and the way people all over the world are tuning in, it’d be great if something like that could happen for us. I just want to say thank you to everyone for their support, whether that be through commenting on and liking the videos, subscribing or reaching out to us on social media. It’s been a lot of fun for myself and the family so far, and we will keep going with it for as long as you enjoy watching.”