West Cork-based farms, enterprises, and parks featuring as part of the tour include: Drimoleague’s Glenilen Farm; Gougane Barra Forest Park located in the Shehy Mountains; Macroom Buffalo Farm; Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM)’s ARC (Aquaculture Remote Classroom) mobile unit; West Cork’s Gurteen Share Farm; and Clonakility Agricultural College, Clonakilty.

Led by Nuffield Ireland, as part of the global Nuffield International network, encompassing over 1,700 scholars from sixteen countries, this unique event will bring together a global cohort of Nuffield leaders alongside a substantial gathering of senior figures from agribusiness, policy, and economics. The summit will be one of the most significant global agriculture forums of 2026, attended by more than 300 delegates and featuring top level speakers from Ireland and overseas. 

Internationally-renowned economist David McWilliams has been confirmed as the headline speaker. An Adjunct Professor of Global Economics at Trinity College Dublin, author and podcaster, Mr. McWilliams is widely respected for his incisive analysis of global economic trends and their effects on societies and industries. His address will offer a macroeconomic perspective on food security, trade dynamics, and global responsibility.

The summit programme will also feature a distinguished line‑up of Irish and International speakers and panelists, including: Simon Coveney, former Tánaiste and former Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Ksenija Simovic, Senior Policy Advisor, Copa-Cogeca, Brussels; Marie Donnelly, Chairperson, Climate Change Advisory Council; Professor Rogier Schulte, Chair of Future Farming and Food Systems, Wageningen University, The Netherlands

 Speaking ahead of the event, newly appointed Chair of Nuffield Ireland and Ireland’s first ever female Nuffield Scholar, Gráinne Dwyer said: “Hosting the Agri-Summit is a defining moment for Ireland. As a small nation with a global agricultural footprint, we sit at the intersection of innovation, responsibility and opportunity. The challenges facing global food security are immense, but so is our capacity to shape real solutions.

 This Summit will confront the toughest questions facing modern agriculture with voices that challenge convention and demand serious reflection. Expect rigorous debate, uncomfortable truths, and a speaker line-up that goes beyond the usual agri circuit. Our Agri-Summit is designed to test assumptions and sharpen leadership thinking, to forge together a sustainable path for global agriculture in an uncertain world.”

 Chair of the FBD Trust, Michael Berkery, added: “As founder Investor of Nuffield Ireland we are delighted and proud to sponsor the 2026 Nuffield Agri-Summit, a groundbreaking event in Ireland’s agricultural calendar. We have long taken the view that Nuffield Ireland, and the Nuffield global agricultural leadership development programme it brings to Irish farmers and other agri-professionals, are perfectly aligned with the values and mission of the FBD Trust. We look forward to welcoming international alumni and Irish agricultural stakeholders to this exceptional event.”

 Under the theme ‘Feed the World – Our Responsibility?’, the summit will address the urgent and complex pressures facing global food systems including: the responsibilities of food‑producing nations; the balance between domestic sustainability targets and global needs and obligations; the role of multinational agri‑food corporates; how geopolitics are reshaping agri-food, as food security is increasingly recognised as integral to national and global security; and the impact of managing geoeconomic risks such as migration, labour markets, and demand patterns.

The event will conclude with a gala banquet featuring the 4th Earl of Iveagh, Edward Guinness, a significant figure in the agricultural sector, particularly in regenerative farming practices, in conversation with broadcaster Seán O’Rourke.

The Agri-Summit is the flagship event of the 14th Nuffield Triennial, which runs from May 18-26, 2026. Held every three years in a different member country, the Triennial fosters collaboration among Nuffield Scholars worldwide. 

Tickets for the 2026 Nuffield Agri-Summit, including the gala banquet, are €175 and are expected to sell quickly. To register your place, visit www.nuffield2026.com.

The 2026 Nuffield Agri-Summit is kindly supported by FBD Trust.

A dry backend to 2024 and the lovely Spring of 2025 allowed stock on most farms to graze from March onward up to late Autumn before any weather upset to what was a lovely farming year. 

Unfortunately, Spring 2026 has not been so kind: While weather has started to improve at last, work is well behind time. Heavy rainfall and wet soil conditions have delayed the planting of tillage crops, potatoes and grass reseeding; and the on-off grazing of livestock has resulted in the ground getting poached with the addition of fertiliser going out late likely to delay silage cutting. 

No year is ever the same but farmers sometimes forget that the Springs of 2023 and 2024 were nearly just as bad as this Spring. Three of the last four springs have had elevated levels of rainfall from January to April. Is it perhaps time for beef farmers to reflect and accept that this may happen more often in the future? Beef farmers will always aim to get stock out if a spring allows, but oftentimes they are left with their hands hanging after a series of rain deluges when their stock should already be out in the fields. Those blessed to have drier, free-draining soils don’t have as much of an issue but the farmers on heavier soils have not been able to take advantage of the odd dry day, as it can take anything from four to seven days for those soils to drain. 

Teagasc Beef specialists have suggested that heavier soil farms and more typical beef farms should try to prioritise some farm management decisions in 2026 to help mitigate against these weather effects, which are more common than not.

This spring, beef farmers with six months of slurry storage spent less time worrying about slurry appearing up through the slats and trying to find dry ground to spread. Investment is worth it if it is a pressure that is happening annually. A new slatted tank may not end up costing as much as anticipated. There are grants of up to 60 per cent available subject to DAFM terms and conditions, with a two-year tax write-off for farmers in the high tax bracket. 

Similarly, suckler herds that depend on straw-bedded housing had little or no livestock turned out by mid-April. Investing in adequate lie-back areas and calving pens is therefore worthwhile, as it can help reduce veterinary costs when issues like calf scours or pneumonia arise.

Silage quality is always important, but if wetter years become more common, prioritising the harvest of high-quality leafy grass in mid-May – followed by strong second cuts – becomes even more critical. Silage cut in early to mid-June is generally suitable for dry cows up to calving. However, after calving, silage should exceed 70 per cent Dry Matter Digestibility (DMD) and have a high protein content to prevent loss of body condition before the breeding season. High-quality silage is equally important for weanlings and finishing cattle, with a target of around 75 per cent DMD being even more beneficial.

To produce high-quality grass, farmers need to understand their soil fertility and maintain a strong proportion of perennial ryegrass, which can efficiently use nutrients from fertiliser to maximise growth. It’s also worth remembering what happened in 2022, when rising fertiliser prices led many farmers to cut back on fertiliser. The result was lighter crops, poorer-quality silage, and a negative impact on soil fertility.

Improving soil fertility through reseeding is another investment that can deliver strong returns for the farm business. One of the most cost-effective ways to boost soil health is by correcting acidity with lime, which helps unlock key nutrients and supports grass growth. Lime is a cornerstone of soil fertility and was widely used by previous generations of farmers, long before modern fertilisers – but somewhere along the line farmers stopped using it!

If we have finally turned the corner with the weather, this could be great opportunity to reseed old and poor-quality fields. Over the past three years there has been good results coming from farms that have reseeded silage ground with red clover swards. 

Identifying what is putting pressure on the farm system this spring and taking measures against it now will help mitigate against the stress of what will happen if mother nature decides to repeat the heavy rainfall next year!

Talking about a repeat of last year, calf prices were high again this spring, with dairy farmers scratching their heads wondering how beef farmers can make a margin with the price of calves being sold at the mart. 

According to Teagasc beef specialist David Argue, it is important for farmers to complete a budget now to understand their total cost of production. On Teagasc’s Beef podcast, he gave an example of an Angus or Hereford calf bought in February costing €460 plus the input costs, killing out at two-years-old, with Teagasc approximating costs to equal €1400, coming to a breakeven price of €1860. 

An expected target of 310/312 kg carcase weight divided into €1860, means a farmer would need to make approximately €5.98 a kilo to just cover the costs of the system. So, for a farmer to earn a €100 margin on the carcase, 32c per kilo would be required on top of the €5.98. 

Assuming a calf has had a good healthy start to life, calves that have a higher CBV value and good genetics, will return value.

We would need a crystal ball to know what way prices will go but what is known is that input prices for 2026 are already going up. Nitrogen fertiliser is up €200/250 per tonne with meal and contractor prices looking likely to go up as well. Getting grassland and animal health right to reduce costs should be a priority. Aim to graze correct covers and take out strong paddocks to maximise daily weight gain and monitor animal performance throughout the year. 

A date for your diary: The BEEF2026 open day takes place on Wednesday, July 1 at Teagasc Grange, Dunsany County Meath. It will showcase systems and technological advances that can be utilised by cattle farmers to increase production and drive income in a sustainable way.

What does organic beef farming and homeopathy have in common: Claire Hurley, the force of nature who returned to her West Cork roots in 2009 to take over the 55-acre family farm, despite its uphill challenges. Claire farms an upland hilly farm in the townland of Gortnaclohy (field of the stones) near Skibbereen. “That should tell you everything,” she tells Mary O’Brien, laughing. Determined to bypass the Industrial Revolution altogether, by pairing the hardy, ancient genetics of Belted Galloway cattle with holistic animal health principles and organic standards, Claire has built a ‘birth-to-burger’ enterprise that prioritises animal welfare and soil health above all else.

Before becoming a farmer, Claire studied and worked in horticulture before going on to study and qualify as a homeopath.

She has fond memories of a childhood with her grandfather, when they “tilled small fields of fodder beet, potato’s and mangles with a single draft horse”. Mainstream methods of farming felt unsuited to her, as she had “neither the capital or motivation to intensively reclaim or fertilise such a rough landscape or to erect a large slatted shed that would never seen a return of my investment”.

Initially Claire bought four heifers from County Clare, “raising more than a few eyebrows as the breed was a rare and peculiar sight at the time.” In 2011 she acquired a bull, and in 2013 she slaughtered her first animal and sold weanlings. The frozen meat proved a difficult sell at the time. In 2015 she completed a diploma in Speciality Food production at UCC to better familiarise herself with food legislation, labelling, safety and training. Through this course she many gained friends but also confidence in what she was producing – a quality and ethical product.

In 2017 her friend Andy was selling his small food trailer and, as she puts it, “the rest as they say is history”.

Her hot food stall is now a regular sight at the Skibbereen Farmers’ Market every Saturday, and from Easter Sunday and every Sunday until the end of September at Schull Country Market. The main attraction is the Belted Galloway organic Beef Burger on a choice of bread roll – sourdough, ancient grain or brioche – with cheddar or Gubbeen cheese, and homegrown organic onions, tomatoes, gerkins and salad. They also serve a breakfast with the same choice of bread, an organic egg, Baltimore Pig (nitrite free) bacon and homegrown organic onions, salad and tomatoes.  Claire says it’s “a great sense of satisfaction when you serve the beef burger, salad, tomatoes, onions and lettuce that you have grown and cooked yourself!” A selection of frozen meat is always available at the stall.

Claire began her conversion to organic farming in 2010, “sure of the fact that I would continue to farm the land in the way it had always been done”. Having sold the remaining animals, she researched what sort of animal would best fit the habitat, and “landed on the Belted Galloway”, a breed that thrives on a grass-based diet and natural grazing. “They have a longer gastro-intestinal tract, which gives them the pot-bellied appearance, better to extract nutrients from rough grazing and convert into a nutrient dense meat. The breed has the rare ability to marble first and then put on backfat, they do not develop much fat under their hides; instead have a double coat of hair which provides excellent protection in cold, wet and windy weather, perfect for out wintering. They are naturally polled so no requirement for dehorning.” Excess grass in summertime is baled as haylage and supplementary fed so the herd can maintain a natural life as possible. “They are easy calving and excellent mothers so need minimal intervention.”

Claire believes that it has never been more important than now to move away from large-scale, long chain food production to more local agriculture. “Where food production systems rely upon a network of small, usually sustainably-run, family farms, which takes into consideration; the soil type and climate lending to the type of crop or animal to be grown there,” she explains. In her opinion, “Organic farming has not got the dependency on artificial fertilisers, vaccines, antibiotics, vaccines or petrochemicals.”

Homeopathy –  a system of medicine that uses highly diluted substances to trigger the body’s natural healing – plays a significant role in her farming practice. “A key principle would be the observation of signs and symptoms indicating the nature of the imbalance, be that plant or animal or human,” shares Claire, who has used homeopathy in a variety of cases such as calf scour, retained cleaning and a horse with an eye injury. In 2019 she did some training with Homeopathy at Wellie Level to teach the responsible use of homeopathy on the farm, though “Covid brought this to a halt”.

Farming has not been without its challenges. Beginning in September 2024, her herd succumbed to TB. “I ended up losing just under half my herd which included my in-calf cows and heifers, along with the genetics built up over the years.” In 2025, with much reduced stock, she wasn’t sure she would continue, but in November she purchased six organic Belted Galloways from Brennus on Cape Clear. “As the seasons have rolled around new calves have arrived from the remaining herd and life on the farm has returned to normal.”

Looking back, Claire reflects that “things have progressed so far, I never set out to be producing and cooking all my own produce at the Farmers’ markets but I suppose each step borrowed another and as you try to hone and perfect each stage you realise you’re halfway through something else!”

Her philosophy on animal welfare is clear: “An animal that is reared on a natural diet, with its mother, in its family grouping – free of pain and unnecessary intervention – gives it the best chance to be as healthy as possible and without vaccines and antibiotics; and when the time comes – to be transported and handled and slaughtered humanely. I think the consumer appreciates the fact that the animal, which is consumed, is well-looked-after from birth to death, lives a relatively free and good life. As humans, if we are choosing to eat meat, that is the least we can do for the animal who gives his or her life. That every step in that journey is carried out in the best interest of that animal.”

Each stage of the process has been a huge learning curve, from the animal rearing to handling and cooking the end product. The slaughtering process, meat hanging and cutting is carried out by MJ O’Neills in Clonakilty, “whose expertise is vital and without whose help none of it would be possible”.

Farmers’ markets provide more than just income. “Farmers markets are a huge social hub and have a huge sense of community so I do look forward to starting back after a long winter just feeding and talking to cows!” She still keeps horses and enjoys regular lessons, having purchased a young Irish Draught mare which she’s breaking in at the moment. “Of course the horses give the benefit of a mixed grazing system which is very important in organic farming as it interrupts the parasite life cycle. As if I need an excuse!”

Recently Claire has joined the pop up shop at Levis’ in Ballydehob to sell a selection of frozen organic meat. It is a one stop shop for tasty local ingredients in an iconic setting from 9:30am to 12:30pm each Wednesday.

If you’ve walked the Old Head of Kinsale loop this past year, you will have passed by the McCarthy family farm and Old Head Milk shop. If you’re a daily milk drinker then undoubtedly you will also by now be a regular customer. The Atlantic ocean offers a spectacular backdrop to the cows contentedly chewing the cud on the green pastures a stone’s throw from the shop – you won’t get much closer to the ‘from farm to fork’ (or in this case ‘from farm to bottle’) experience than this. Happy cows lead to happy customers and the rich creaminess of the pasteurised, non-homogenised milk from the McCarthy herd and the consistent footfall since the coastal farm shop opened last July is testament to this writes Mary O’Brien.

The 39-acre dairy farm on the Old Head has been in the family for generations – inherited from the Dempsey’s – and today is run by Gerard McCarthy and his son Stephen. Originally operating as a dry stock and tillage farm, Gerard and his wife Anne transitioned into dairy in the mid-1990s when new entrant schemes made it viable, starting modestly with just 14 cows. “Times were very different back then,” notes Gerard, reflecting on a time before milk quotas were abolished in 2015. That regulatory change allowed the herd to expand significantly and today the McCarthy’s milk around eighty cows.

For years, the natural rhythm of a busy dairy farm meant early mornings and long days, with both Gerard and Stephen also working off farm – Gerard as a general builder and Stephen as a carpenter.

“We were burning the candle at both ends,” says Stephen, who was eager to spend more time with his young family.  The solution came in the form of a farm shop, an idea sparked by similar successful ventures in the UK and Northern Ireland.

After researching equipment and visiting other farm milk shops, the family took the plunge in 2021 once approval was granted from the Department of Agriculture. Stephen and Gerard designed the layout of the shop and started building, making a sizeable investment into vending machines and a top-of-the-range pasteurisation system. The result is a sleek, user-friendly operation that bridges traditional farming and modern convenience.

With Stephen’s wife, Louise, the creative force behind the initiative, the farm shop, which opened at the end of July last year, has transformed their operation.

Behind the scenes, raw milk travels via pipeline from the milking parlour’s bulk tank across the yard to a dedicated pasteurisation room – an immaculate space with resin floors and stainless steel fixtures. There, the milk is heated to 76-78 degrees Celsius, cooled through regeneration, and chilled to 4-5 degrees before storage. Every batch undergoes rigorous testing: antibiotic checks pre-pasteurisation and phosphatase tests post-pasteurisation to ensure harmful bacteria are eliminated. “It’s spotless,” says Stephen of the room, where data loggers track temperatures for Department of Agriculture compliance.

Front of house, customers find a self-service experience designed with sustainability at its core. Glass bottles – €3.50 for a litre, €2.50 for a half-litre – are purchased once and returned for refills, eliminating single-use plastic. The milk itself, pasteurised but non-homogenised – €2 for a litre and €1 for a half-litre – retains its natural cream line. “If you leave it settling for a couple of hours, you’ll see a layer of cream sitting on top,” explains Stephen. “Give it a shake and you’ve got that fuller consistency.” The difference from standard shop-bought milk is immediately apparent – parents frequently report that children who refuse milk at home will happily drink the McCarthys’ creamy offering, often enhanced with flavourings available via an honesty box.

The shop also serves freshly ground coffee and hot chocolate – milky and delicious due to the creamy milk – and has outdoor seating, which is particularly popular with beach-goers and walkers exploring the Old Head loop. “We get a lot of walkers,” says Stephen, noting that even on quiet winter mornings, half a dozen cars might fill the car park on a nice day. The family atmosphere extends to the business itself: daughters Amelia (6) and Shóna (4) have their own jobs, emptying bins and stacking bottles, while Louise manages the decor and daily cleaning.

The operation remains deliberately local. Unlike supplying the co-operative, which they still do with the bulk of their milk, the shop requires customers to come to the source. “We kind of want to stay around here,” says Stephen, explaining that delivery would add unsustainable complexity.

Instead, they focus on the experience: fresh milk drawn from cows grazing with ocean views, served in a spotless facility where the connection between land, animal, and product is tangible.

As the McCarthys look ahead, possibilities include school tours and expanded community engagement, though for now, the business remains focused on quality and sustainability. With the cows just metres from the vending machines, Old Head Milk offers a genuine taste of place, bottled fresh by the family who raised it.

Farming in West Cork by Cadhla Ó Conchobhair

I’m writing this in the final throes of March heading into April and down to the last five cows left to calve: The cows are out day and night. With no vet calls all season, the relief of not having to clean cow cubicles morning and evening was a pure joy. 

Unfortunately, the joy was short-lived: I had a cow that was behaving unusually while trying to calve and, after putting on my midwife gloves to investigate dilation, I soon realised a professional was needed. To cut a long story short, the cow ended up having three vets (not at the same time) and I had to make the gut-wrenching decision to have her put to sleep due to complications. The circle of life can be heartbreaking. When the vet went out to their van to get the medicine, I knelt down beside my lovely cow in the same shed where I welcomed her to life seven years earlier – now to say goodbye – and gave her a last rub behind the ears. I’m still not the better for it but, after having experienced giving birth myself, I am only too well aware of how things don’t always go to plan, despite everyone’s best efforts.

Nobody can truly prepare you for the kind of emotional decisions that have to be made in farming. They are incredibly difficult. However, being part of a farming community – one that understands the reality of losing an animal and the weight of that loss – offers a level of emotional support that often goes unrecognised and deserves far more credit.

Our farming neighbour called in the next morning to drop back a piece of borrowed farm equipment and ended up hearing my sorrowful tale. We probably stayed talking for the best part of an hour about how scenarios like this is one of the hardest parts of farming. Even though I’m sure he had plenty of work waiting for him on his own farm, he instinctively knew that giving me his time that morning would help. I think that no matter what walk of life you come from, we all need a community that understands what we need – and is there for us when we need it.

This brings me to the success of farm discussion groups. While they were originally intended as peer-to-peer learning networks for sharing technical knowledge, for many they have also become an important source of social support and a way to reduce isolation.

While the majority of farmers are male, thanks to mechanisation and technology, one doesn’t have to be built like an ironman to farm today and all systems of farming are seeing more women taking part.

When it comes to farm succession, the main consideration is now which offspring – male or female –has the strongest interest in farming, rather than their gender. Not so long ago, it was typically the eldest son who was expected to take over the farm and carry the family into the next generation, sometimes whether he wanted to or not. In the past, preserving the family name was a top priority. Now, with many farms restructuring as companies and adopting business-style names with ‘Ltd’, the focus seems to have shifted – placing more importance on the farm’s viability than on maintaining the family name as a requirement.

I chatted with Mona Concannon, the Chairperson of the Women in Agriculture Stakeholder Group (WASG), about a recent event held by the group at Bandon Mart. WASG are not a pink balloon and photo opportunity type of group. They have had their sleeves rolled up since 2021 representing the voice of female farmers at policy level and holding the state to task on farming issues like pensions, TAMs grants, education access and the lack of state recognition for work done by the thousands of ‘invisible’ women who work full- or part-time on the family farm. 

Last year WASG and DAFM co-funded three regional National Dialogues Events for women in agriculture to give these women young and old an opportunity to voice their challenges and their successes in the Agri-sector.

One of the recurring themes at these events was that attending marts can be daunting. Many women said they felt out of place or lacked confidence in their buying and selling skills in that environment. The group decided to do a pilot run of a mart event that would be practical, educational and confidence building.

Bandon Mart manager, Sean Dennehy, was approached to see If he would host the trial event for WASG; and Teagasc West Cork, which runs a female discussion group, were asked to partake. Invitations were also extended to Bandon Secondary School students studying Ag Science in order to collect feedback on the experience before similar mart events are rolled out throughout the country in 2026. 

That Monday, mart day in Bandon caught the usual clientele by surprise with women landing in from all angles. Mart manager Sean welcomed the ladies, giving a brief history of the mart and the services provided and ICBF’s Christopher Daly and Aoife Downes gave an excellent presentation on understanding CBV’s, DBI, and utilising the ICBF web-portal, as well as talking about apps for checking stock and assessing traits.

Seán then brought the ladies on a tour of the mart. He explained the mart process, starting with calf intake and finishing up at the sales ring, where the last few sales of the day were being completed. Sean explained the buying and sell procedure and how to use the Mart-Eye app and the ladies got an opportunity to test their bidding skills with a mock-up sale ringside on a Lot of four Angus calves. Some ladies used the app to bid while others raised their hands. The lively bidding created much banter with the auctioneer and a lot of laughs from the crowd. With the fall of the hammer, a student from Bandon’s Coláiste na Toirbhirte came out as the highest bidder. There was plenty of opportunity throughout the event for Q&A and WASG was delighted with the feedback received. 

Attendee Jean O’Suillivan (a full-time farmer in partnership with her parents) and Chairperson of the Teagasc Ladies Discussion Group, said the informative and confidence-building event was enjoyed by the group. She highlighted the lack of exposure to marts from an early age, which has an impact on confidence levels, and she gave credit to parents who bring their children, particularly daughters, to the mart.

The event was a resounding success and WASG received great feedback from all involved. As a result the group is now in the process of rolling out these events all over the country this year, which also happens to coincide with the UN International Year of the Woman Farmer.

It is wonderful to see groups of farmers, be it males, females or mixed groups, coming together, combining the educational and social aspects of farming. 

I hope this month’s farming article highlights the importance of finding a network that offers ongoing learning opportunities – connecting you with farm friends who support your journey. Whether you’re facing challenges and hardships or celebrating the good times, having that support makes all the difference.

Email me at Cadhla.wcp@gmail.com if there are any farming events happening in your area so I can share them here. 

I recently attended an event at MTU Cork Campus on a shared vision for agriculture and food. The workshop, called ’Strengthening Rural Life: from Farm to Community’, was centred around the role of rural communities at the heart of Ireland’s agricultural future. It brought together policy makers, community leaders, farmers, educators and innovators to explore how agriculture can remain a powerhouse of economic vitality and its role in the long-term resilience of rural areas.

Following a welcoming address by MTU’s Prof Maggie Cusack, the opening address with a European perspective was given by MEP Billy Kelleher and later the attendees were addressed by Minister Jerry Buttimer TD. 

There were three lively panel sessions, which discussed the ‘Impact of the Common Agricultural Policy post-2027’, ‘Balancing Specialisation and Diversification’ and lastly the ‘Future of Farming’.  

The panel sessions saw West Cork represented by Enda Buckley from Carbery Group and two farmer representatives, John O’Brien (Barryroe) and Vanessa Kiely O’Connor (Innishannon), all bringing their individual perspectives and agri-industry experience into the discussions. 

During the panel discussions, a point raised about Irish society caught my attention. Why do Irish consumers have an expectation that nutritious Irish food should be cheap to purchase and why are mainstream media outlets so obsessed with the cost of bread, milk and butter, to the point of insinuating that families will starve if the price of those staples goes up. Has society prioritised their income on having the latest iPhone, Sky, Netflix and a long list of subscriptions ahead of their food spend?

For days after the event this has been on my mind: Why does society think food should be cheap? Does the Irish public even know the costs associated with producing food and do they understand the work it entails to get their food to the table?

I remember laughing at a story I heard years ago about a group of school children in America who were asked where chocolate milk comes from: A child responded with “brown cows”. Has Irish society now reached this level of disconnect with food, agriculture and its farming community?

A few years ago, if you were asked to visualise a farmer, what was the first image that came to mind? Probably some stereotypical image of an older man with a peak-cap and wax jacket! We can definitely say that this image is not as popular today and has been replaced by sponsored beanie hats, sleeveless jackets and work pants with handy pockets. Thankfully the latest farmer style can be seen on both men and women farmers today so one would be inclined to believe that everyone is aware that times have changed and so have farmers and farming.

The question today is: What is society’s perception of a farmer and farming? We must remember that some people only see a farmer when RTE broadcasts snippets from ploughing championships or reports on farmers’ protests on the news. It wasn’t so long ago that many city residents had relatives or coworkers connected to family farms, people who could share firsthand knowledge about food production and life on the farm. Today, that connection seems to be gradually fading, and the gap continues to widen.

Unfortunately, we see a large disconnect with the farming community in society in general. The daily mainstream media outlets rarely have agri-rural life news unless it’s a story of some quirky person who has downed tools from their trendy office job in Dublin and has suddenly realised that they can grow a vegetable or rear an animal and sell their produce to a customer…who knew that could be done!?

I’m proud to say that our West Cork People paper has always had local farming stories and events dispersed alongside all other community news. This has not been the case with the daily national papers; in some cases the farming news has been in the form of a token farming supplement one day a week with the target audience being the farming community and agri-businesses who advertise goods and services. 

Agriculture now appears to be siloed by politicians and society and the question we should ask ourselves is not how we got to this juncture but how we, as a farming community, communicate how valuable we are to Irish society. 

It’s difficult, but farm families must look past the criticism from so-called academic experts who claim to know how farming should be done despite having no firsthand experience working on a farm.

The real change makers are the people who make their livelihoods on the land and who, for generations, have displayed resilience and a constant ability to adapt to whatever climate and environmental changes they face. One would be led to believe that farmers are incapable of changing work practices even though history will tell you that this is far from the truth. Geographical location, utilising our local resources and route to market for viability has shaped the decisions on the type of farming that farm families have engaged in through the generations. 

Yes, previous government policies steered farmers toward increasing production in certain sectors, which has resulted in the decline of others. The government must now take responsibility for addressing both the environmental and economic costs created by those policies.

Ireland should be proud that it has an indigenous industry that has consistently been exporting more than 90 per cent of dairy and beef annually. Bord Bia reports that in 2025, €19 billion was the value of Ireland’s agri-food exports. Reporting that meat and livestock brought in over €5 billion, dairy €7.3b, seafood €635m, horticulture and cereals €330m, prepared consumer foods €3.4b and drinks in the region of €2b. An ICOS (Irish Co-operative Organisation Society) report says that €1 of dairy exports represents a 90 cent spend in the Irish economy.

To quote John Donoghue from IFAC: “Feeding 50 million people every year is no small achievement.”

If that doesn’t deserve societal recognition, it is a sad state of affairs! 

The Minister for Agriculture, along with the agri-industry, farm organisations, and farmers, must find a clear and compelling way to communicate the success story of modern Irish farming. They need to highlight how today’s farming systems have evolved from the days of back-breaking manual labour through the adoption of labour-saving machinery, advanced technologies, and the effective use of science and research to support all types of farming systems.

Irish agriculture is the envy of many other countries and our high-quality products are highly sought after by consumers worldwide. Perhaps Bord Bia and a few Ministers need to do fewer international junkets promoting Irish food abroad and instead work their way around our own country communicating  our wonderful Irish agricultural story and educating Irish citizens so they understand where their food comes from and the costs associated from farm to fork.   

The decline of the bovine herd is occurring across Europe and resulting in record beef prices as supply struggles to keep up with demand. The rising prices are starting to impact a little on consumers too, as supermarkets have recently started to pass beef price rises onto consumers. I have a feeling we’ll be peaking soon, as there is only so much someone will pay before they have to consider a different option. 

That has played out in the cattle trade all spring. Farmers who sold cattle in October and November with the intention to restock in spring had a rude awakening, as prices rose at astonishing rates from January onwards. The 2022- and 2023-born stock they sold at the end of 2024 were barely covering the prices of the year-old cattle they were trying to buy a few months later. Mart managers all mentioned how they saw people drop down a level or two from what they previously bought in order to stock their farms. Some are choosing to step away now with the hope of getting something later on. They are selling silage now but still need a certain stocking level in order to access their main EU farm payment.

Other farmers ended up looking at calves as an option when they never did before. They require a different skillset than older stock so, for some, it may be a harsh lesson for one spring only. Prices in the calf rings sky-rocketed too. Prices didn’t just double for some of them, it tripled and quadrupled in some cases; taking off right through late April and May when they would usually go down. An expensive calf used to be classed as anything over €300. I’ve seen opening bids of €600 on month-old calves in recent weeks. A month to six-week-old Angus or Hereford calf weighing around 70kg, basically a close to but not quite weaned calf, has been selling for between €500 and €700 and even more over the last month. The home market is one driver but the shortage of cattle in Europe is another. 

The cattle herd decline is not just confined to this corner of the world either, as the American herd is at its lowest population since the 1950s. While policy, with a focus on reducing production, is a factor in the decline in Europe, I think the challenge of generational renewal is a worldwide issue for food production.

I’m biased, in that it’s a job that I enjoy, but it has no shortage of challenges, many of which are uncontrollable. All can be going smoothly and then a disease outbreak or changeable weather can come along and ruin the best-laid plans. There’s a big time demand too and that doesn’t always suit people. 

Think back to Covid times. Garden centres were restricted early on but the seed stands in supermarkets were emptied as people gave growing their own food a try. Those same seed packets aren’t cleared out to the same extent anymore. The reality of time commitments and how hard it can be to grow food probably hit home for many. 

Regardless of the type of production system, I think we need to do more to get people involved in food production. The global systems we’ve come to rely on in recent decades are subject to more disruptions for the foreseeable future so making more people aware of what is involved is incredibly important. 

On the home farm

For the first time I can remember on this farm there was a gap between the last cow calving and the beginning of the breeding season. It’s been a target for a long time but reality often gets in the way and, while I’ve got close on a few occasions, this May it was finally achieved.

Last year, the group that accompanied the bull to Ballinascarthy contained calves that were much younger than the ones that were there already. To avoid too much bullying of the young calves they were kept separate and bred once he was finished with the main group. As a result, those half dozen cows were the last few to calf at the end of April and into the middle of May. While it was only a week or 10 days, I was glad of the mini-break and I hope to widen that a bit more for 2026.

Breeding got underway around May 20, so I expect late February and early March to be busy. Preparations for winter are well advanced with a good proportion of silage in and a share of the yards washed. The plan, once the first few weeks of breeding is passed, is to try and take it easy for a few weeks and enjoy the West Cork summer.

Four students from Sacred Heart Secondary School, Clonakilty are presently finalists in the Certified Irish Angus Schools Competition. Lucy Kirby, Ciara O’Driscoll, Ellen O’Neill and Niamh O’Sullivan, with the guidance of their teacher Mary O’Riordan, give a run down to Tommy Moyles on what is involved in the competition and what they’ve been up to.

What does the Angus schools competition involve? Why did you decide to do it? 

The Certified Irish Angus Schools Competition aims to promote the Certified Irish Angus Brand while educating students about the care and attention required to produce quality beef for consumers. It is run with partners ABP and Kepak. 

Our school has a tradition of entering the Certified Irish Angus Schools Competition and was the first winner of the competition. Past groups shared their experiences with us and really inspired us to enter the competition. We all have a huge interest in farming and all come from dairy farming backgrounds. We were aware of the Angus breed from our farming experience and knew that they were a traditional beef cattle breed that produces beef of the highest quality. We wanted to enter the competition to be given the opportunity to promote the Irish Angus breed to both the farmer and the consumer. We thought it would allow us to broaden our knowledge of possible careers in the agricultural industry and develop our teamwork, communication and interpersonal skills.

As well as rearing the cattle, what else have you been up to as part of the competition?

We designed a mascot to promote the Certified Irish Angus Brand. This mascot is named Éire, the Angus, and is an educational tool. It makes a strong first impression, grabs attention, and is memorable. We use it to highlight eight important traits of Certified Angus Beef products. The grass that Éire is standing on highlights that Angus cattle have a grass-based diet, a plentiful food source that reduces their environmental impact. Éire’s black hair is a key recognisable feature of the Angus breed. We also use it to highlight the fact that the meat is flavoursome and tender. 

In order to promote the Certified Irish Angus Brand to our school community we had a naming competition for the calves; we brought them to school for our Trade Fair Showcase and have also had a cook-off and a beef tasting session.

Over the course of the last twelve months, we have taken advantage of many opportunities to interact with farmers and highlight how the use of DBI for sire selection can generate better CBV calves. We created a breeding checklist for dairy farmers and buying checklists for beef farmers and we showcased these at the Skibbereen Fat Stock Show and Sale. We have attended many farm walks  and events including the Carbery Farmer Welfare Conference and Bandon Co-op Dairy Beef Integration Project.

We recently organised a gala dinner ‘A Taste of Certified Irish Angus’ in Fernhill House Hotel. This event had a dual purpose; to raise awareness of the Certified Irish Angus Brand and to raise funds for Cancer Connect, a charity that co-ordinates transport to Cork hospitals for cancer patients, and we were delighted to raise over €2000. There were over 150 people in attendance. Guest speakers on the night linking with our project aims included yourself, John Appelbe, Diarmuid Kelleher of ABP and Brendan Scully and Bandon Co-Op. 

You recently were on a trip with the other teams involved. Where did you go and what were the stand out things learned?

On March 24-28, we went on a study trip with the four other finalist groups in the competition. This study trip allowed us to explore every stage of the agri-food supply chain. It began in Dublin, where we gained valuable insights at Tesco Ireland Headquarters, gaining an understanding of retail and consumer trends; Bord Bia where we learned about food branding and global positioning; and Airfied Estate, where we saw sustainable farming in action. The following day we went to Hilton Foods where we witnessed beef processing at scale; Lismullin Cookery School where we had a steak challenge and learned how to cook the ‘perfect’ steak; and in Teagasc Grange we got a glimpse of research and genetics up close particularly in relation to the Dairy Beef sector. 

The next step of the trip was Brussels, where we presented our project in the European Parliament to MEP’s Billy Kelleher and Barry Cowen. We also met with Noel Banville of IFA which deepened our understanding of agri-politics. 

Was there anything in particular that surprised you as part of this? 

The whole study trip really broadened our understanding of the agricultural industry and opened our eyes to future careers in the agri-food industry. From our trip, our knowledge of the farm to fork process in the food industry was expanded. It further developed our knowledge and allowed us to greatly appreciate the dedication from the farmers, as well as the expert processing plants and packaging companies. 

Hilton Foods really inspired us and gave us a great awareness of all that’s involved in their company. For example, we learned that it takes 32 months for a steak to be stocked on a shelf, by the time the animal has been raised and slaughtered, and the meat has been matured and packaged. This further increased our knowledge, as we had a visit to ABP Bandon prior to the study trip, and we are hoping to go for a visit to Kepak Watergrasshill, another one of Certified Irish Anguses processing partners. 

It’s been a busy month here, as good weather meant that cattle could get back out to grass, with calving getting underway and progressing nicely. There are always a few things that will keep you on your toes though. I spotted one calf drawing hard one day, so the vet was called; hopefully the issue has been nipped in the bud. 

The oldest cow in the herd had twin bulls the weekend before last. There’s always a few sets every year and, in some ways, I’d rather not see them. They’re a bonus when they go right but create work if something goes wrong, or take a lot out of a cow and she can end up slipping in calving date in the two years after having them. 

This particular set seemed ok. One was sucking while the other took a bit longer to get up, so I gave him powdered colostrum as insurance. The fact they were bulls was a welcome boost to bull calf numbers because the ratio was firmly in favour of heifers so far. Put it this way, if I was a dairy farmer using sexed semen to get heifers, I’d be delighted with the results. It’s only a small complaint, as once they’re healthy, that’s the main thing. Calving is two thirds of the way now, so there’s still hope the numbers will balance out.

They went out to grass last week and all was going well. Then I got a reminder of how ruthless nature can be. For shelter purposes, I gave the cows a run of two fields but moved them on Sunday morning. I was finishing up the jobs when I spotted one calf left behind so ended up escorting back to the main group. He was lowing for the cow and that triggered the other cows but not his own mother who kept her head down grazing. That was unusual. He finally spotted her but the cow remained uninterested; when he made three attempts to suck, he was kicked off each time.

I’ve seen this before. This cow knew her best chances of survival were to just rear one calf, so she abandoned the other twin. His hunger meant getting him in wasn’t an issue and a bottle of milk with a teat on it meant he followed me the entire way to the shed, thereby beginning a bucket rearing enterprise.

It was a small blip in what has been one of the better month’s of March that I can remember. Cool and dry, it made working in it a pleasure. Even when the bad weather came, it was in small doses, and for the first time I can recall, heading into the last week of the month, there wasn’t a calf in the shed in March.  

March’s weather was a major plus and, with an odd exception, the cow and calf pairs went out to grass within 24 or 48 hours after calving. The strong northerly and easterly winds of the weekend before last made the working side of the yard bitterly cold last week. If there were positives, it was that it dried up the heavy rain quickly, and also cows and calves were easy to locate, as they knew where the shelter was. Some of the older cows were let out hours after calving. The sun was shining and there was plenty shelter, so out they went. 

The heifers wrapped up calving around March 24,  and for the most part, they calved within three weeks. Most managed on their own and, save for one calf lost, due to a leg being down, there was very little intervention.

They remain separate at grass from the older cows and, like last year, they will remain at home for their first summer rearing calves. 

 With heifers out of the way, there’s a clear run at the cows for now, and while they’re taking a mini-break, five days with no new calf, they’re making up for it now and through the first week of April. 

Outside of finishing cattle, the only ones left in the shed are the cows due to calf, the breeding bulls and a few smaller heifers that won’t be bred. They are in the young stock yard and will be brought down home and left graze on the cow block instead. Convenience meant they were left inside until they’re transported down home. There’s grass for now where they are but it’s easier to separate them from the main group this way rather than try and round them all up at short notice. It’s a small insurance against slow regrowth in grass if conditions remain cool. 

Publishing in December, the handbook is inspired by the regular requests received at Farming For Nature from people wanting to learn how best to manage their land, big or small, in a way that enhances habitats, increases wildlife, harnesses natural processes, protects profits, and safeguards the natural environment and rural communities for future generations.

West Cork native, Brigid Barry, who has been managing the project based in Kinvarra, Co Galway since it came into being, explains to Tommy Moyles how the book came about. 

“Every year we find exemplary farmers throughout Ireland and they become our Farming for Nature ambassadors. Over the last six year they have been sharing their tips on how they improved or worked with nature on their farms and, while the information could be found on our website, we thought there was a digital overload. We felt we could distill it down to have the information condensed and available in one place and that’s where the idea of the book came about.” 

A serious undertaking, research for the book started two years ago.

““Work began two years ago because we wanted to make sure all the tips we included were backed up by science,” explains Brigid. “Whether you’re a farmer with a lot of ryegrass who is looking to make small changes to become more climate resilient or someone who wants to devote a larger portion of their land to nature, this publication will give you some pointers on how to achieve your goal.”

“It’s not just for farmers either,” she adds.

“It’s for anyone who has a bit a land. There’s something relevant to anyone, whether they have 1,500 acres, 10 acres, or even just a small bit of land near their house. It applies to horticulturalists and homesteaders too. There’s also one chapter that deals with farm buildings and what you can do for nature in them and around the yard. As well as that there is a chapter on gardens. When we were putting it together, we decided to start with the topics that would be relevant with the biggest number of farmers so the first chapter is on soil and we move on from there. Grasslands, tillage/arable are covered and there’s chapters on wetlands, woodlands and uplands too.”

“The book clearly lays out why you should farm for nature.’ Brigid explains “Why the farmer should farm for nature and how that can benefit the profitability of the farm. After the winter we had last year, farmers have to look at this and adapt to it: By putting in different species into your grassland and fencing off around waterways and creating riparian zones or growing thick hedgerows that will soak up excess nutrients. Simple measures like these will save your farm in the long term and this book helps distil down how to implement them.  

“We’re looking at profitability too, such as what practices can help a farmer reduce their purchased inputs; through this book, we’re giving them the tips to explore this. Those tips come from farmers who have done so already. The tips tell you exactly what you should do and how you can make the existing assets like soil water and grass work for you. If people want to build up soil fertility more and more, or allow pollinator strips develop and see the benefits from it, then this book allows people to explore that.”

A contractor doing the hedge cutting on farms may be used to cutting hedges back tight and this can set things back on farms where the farmer might prefer to leave the hedge go wilder. There are even tips on how to deal with that situation included in the book.

“There is a section in the book on how to talk to my hedge cutter. That’s back on the farmer and there are times when they must remind their contractor or whoever is doing the hedge cutting, who is paying for the job, and how they want it done. It takes ten minutes.”

Farming for Nature is distributing the book themselves and, while it won’t be released until early December, early feedback has been positive. Before it headed to print in late November there were over 1,400 copies sold already. For anyone with an interest in improving nature around them, be it their farm, locality, or garden, this publication is a must buy. 

The ‘Farming for Nature Handbook’ is a 256-page book published with support from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and Lifes2Good. It is available on farmingfornature.ie

The week of sunshine around the ploughing has drifted into distant memory and you’d swear we have just skipped October and gone straight into November. Southeasterly wind storms tend to be the worst here and the one on the last weekend of September left every east-facing window with a spattering of greenery blown onto them, as the winds rattled the trees and hedges on the seaward side of the house. 

All groups of cattle were given the option of shelter on the Saturday evening ahead of the strong southeasterly gales that were expected and arrived during most of that Sunday. 

There are always a few weeks in the year where the farm kind of coasts along but that just never happened at any point this year, except maybe in early January when winter routine was well bedded in and calving was still a strong month away.  

The last bit of silage was made and slurry was cleared out before the weather broke again so now I’m setting myself up for the winter routine. I’m nearly in it already as some cattle were housed in August as the growth rate wasn’t there to match demand. Since then, it’s been a case of managing the end game of this year’s grazing. 

I never envisaged being comfortably into a yard routine at the end of September but that’s the year it has been. Cold temperatures kept a lid on grass growth no matter the clover content and fertiliser used. 

Cold wet winters, dry warm summers, wet mild summers – I’d like to think I’m prepared for those; but cold dry summers were not on my radar. It didn’t even feel like it was dry either. Heavy rain and mist felt constant but northern gales meant ground conditions held firm. Those winds also made things feel uncomfortable. In hindsight, it’s like we went from winter to autumn with the length of daylight being the main difference. Jackets, hoodies and hats got great mileage this year. That was something I hadn’t figured on happening before and will have to be factored into planning for future fodder supplies.

I’d rather have them kept them out but as grass growth wasn’t there that wasn’t an option. I’d have high clover content in the fields and fertiliser was used on silage ground but as ground temperatures were lower than usual across the summer the conditions for them to aid growth just wasn’t there. 

That’s been my experience of the grazing year so far. But that’s from the prism of my own farm. Within West Cork and right across the country, it’s been as challenging, but for different reasons.

Farmers in some of the heavier soils in south Munster have got on alright. They reported the same ineffectiveness of fertiliser but the harsh winds ensured ground remained firm so they had a good year. North in the province, I met a farmer from West Clare who said he never got into what he called the money fields this year. Those were the ones that he could graze in a dry year and allow him get extra fodder from the better land he had.

Into north Connacht, it’s been a washout, while a good chunk of the country from parts of north Tipperary into the south east, have had a dry cold summer with little rainfall. As a result, silage feeding has been standard practice since August at the very least. The relatively good two-week spell of weather in mid-September gave a bit of a reprieve and contractors across the country were flat out trying to get silage sorted while the last of the grain harvest was taking place. 

The TB testing lottery is on the cards for next week so the scanning of the cows won’t take place until after that. 

The shed at home will be fairly full for the week. After that, weaning will begin for whatever groups are convenient. It nearly makes more sense to keep the weanlings in and let the cows tidy up the grazing where they can. 

Numbers were reduced on the out farm ahead of testing and the cows with bull calves all arrived home along with a few younger cows or any in poor condition. 

They will be held in until after weaning and let out on selected paddocks. Given there isn’t much of a clover cover where they are, means I’ll have to direct them to the paddocks where it’s less plentiful here too. Fields with high clover content will be grazed by the stock that’s used to them.

I’d rather react now and reduce winter forage demand than hold cull stock longer into the winter.

The map of the yard and how many cattle can go in each of the different pens have been drawn out countless times. The bale count is being watched from the start and a bit of extra straw was sourced too. 

A small trick like trying to keep the weanlings on a straw bed, for as Iong as I can, should help stretch slurry storage further too, in the event the winter is tough. 

As ever there’ll be a few tweaks to the system for next year when it comes to the grazing and calving plans. Some of the changes forced on by weather this year proved useful and may not have happened except for the year being so bad. 

Any changes or investments made on the farm, centre around where I can reduce costs or the amount of labour involved, but no finer details can be decided upon until after next week. 

A long with Eamonn Tracey from Carlow, who was crowned supreme world ploughing champion in the conventional class, Jer Coakley was paraded through Clonakilty, along with the National Ploughing Association’s Anna May and Anna Marie McHugh, to celebrate the win. There was a huge turnout to greet them, which caught Jer off-guard. 

“I didn’t expect it at all, so it was a big surprise, and I’d like to thank all the people who turned out and those who helped along the way in the West Cork ploughing and national ploughing association.  There was a huge turnout there to welcome us back.”

“I was grateful for the help at home too because we were away for two weeks in Estonia. I was part of a 25-person group that travelled out from Ireland and we had a good bit of the two weeks to practice ahead of the event.

There were little differences in the soil, like there were no stones there, but the basics were the same.”

Married to Mary, the couple have two young children, two-and-a-half-year-old Maggie and six-month-old Jerry. Jer’s mother is also home to help, as is his brother Kieran, and together they run a dry stock and tillage farm near Clonakilty. They also run a contracting business, mainly baling silage and reseeding and a small bit of slurry, spraying and cutting grain. The show was kept going while Jer was away competing. 

Being in the contracting business, along with farming, means that Jer is all too familiar with how tricky a year it has been to get work done. 

“It was a very slow start and it’s slow to finish now,, but if we had a fine week at the start of September, we’d be fine. It was very hard to plan anything and we often had to try and do a couple of days work in one day.  You could only do the best you can and most farmers know that.

Jer won the reversible competition in his Ford tractor and a Kvernland plough, which were shipped out to Tartu, Estonia, for the event ,which took place from August 16-17.

He has been competing in ploughing at a national level since 2003 when he turned 16,  and with the exception of when the event was cancelled due to Covid 19, Jer has competed at the national ploughing championships every year since. His love of ploughing started at home.

“My father was at it, so we fell in after that. There was plenty of practice involved. It’s not something you’d do overnight

“I’m 22 years at it at this stage, so there’s a lifetime of learning gone into it and I’m still learning. Even though I’m at the top now, I can see my own mistakes every day.”

Since 2008, Jer has competed in the reversible ploughing class, winning multiple national titles since then. He also won the European championships in the same discipline on three occasions over the years, ploughing in Scotland, Switzerland and Denmark. He ploughed at the World Championships in Croatia in 2012.

Jer has a short break to enjoy his victory but  the defence of his world title begins all over again in a few weeks’ time at the National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Co Laois. 

“The competition here is nearly as tough as at the world championship to be honest,” he claims. “The guy who was second to me last year at the national finals won the world title the year before so we’re competing against the best here and that helps to keep the standard up.

Ireland have won the world title for the last three years in a row. The competition is so high here, you wouldn’t find it anywhere else in the world.”