116 Events found
The Irish Grassland Association Sheep Farm Walk 2015 will take place on Tuesday 19th of May on the farm of Ned Morrissey, Dunhill, Co Waterford.
The Irish Grassland Association will hold a farm walk on the farm of Geoffrey Wycherley on Tuesday the 5th of May at 11.00 am sharp. Geoffrey has been dairy farming in Lislevane, Bandon, Co. Cork since 1989. This is a spring calving dairy herd with the majority of the cows calving in February. He is currently milking 220 cows. He is in machinery and labour partnership with his two brothers. Geoffrey is also part of the Teagasc Catchment Programme; therefore, soil samples have been taken routinely for the last number of years.
Irish Grassland Association Student Conference Review
Sponsored by FBD Trust
Adam Woods and Donal Patton, Teagasc and Irish Grassland Association Council
Adam Woods and Donal Patton
The 2014 Irish Grassland Association annual student conference was held on the Cavan/ Meath border to the dairy farm of Owen Brodie, Ryefield House, Virginia, Co. Cavan and the beef farm of Tom Halpin, Robertstown, Carlanstown,Kells Co. Meath. 265 students from UCD, Dundalk IT, Teagasc Kildalton, Teagasc Ballyhaise and Waterford IT and Teagasc, Clonakilty attended this year’s event. Conference attendees were split in two groups, one visiting a dairy farm and the other visiting a beef farm. This year’s conference had a forum at the end of the farm tours where students took part in a discussion about opportunities for both dairy and beef farmers in a post quota era.
The annual Irish Grassland Association 2015 Dairy Conference sponsored by Yara will take place on Thursday 8th January at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Little Island, Cork. This year’s event has a very exciting line up of speakers covering a range of topics. The conference will focus on dealing with the last three months of quota, growing more grass, pathways into dairying and valuable lessons learned from New Zealand. The first 130 members were entitled to complimentary tickets to the private breakfast gathering with Prof Pat Wall - this element of the day is now sold out. Book early if you wish to receive conference tickets as this event sold out last year!!!
This year, instead of the traditional Sheep conference and farm walk, the Irish Grassland Association held two farm walks in Co. Sligo and in Co. Louth. The events were sponsored by Mullinahone Co-op and Sheep Ireland and large crowds attended both events. The events focused on maximising performance from sheep enterprises through a defined breeding policy and improved grassland management.
The Irish Grassland Association Dairy Summer Tour took place on the 12th of August in Co. Laois on the farms of David and Paul Hyland and David Kerr. Over 400 delegates attended the event and lively discussion took place throughout the day.
With the advent of a quota free environment post 2015 there will be a substantial increase in milk volumes based on projected figures to date. Grazing platform is going to be the new quota and for that reason dairy farmers are looking at alternative ways to increase grass availability to support the milk production directly. One of the ways that must be given serious consideration is the ‘contract rearing of heifers. The Irish Grassland Association in association with Teagasc are running an evening event on the topic of Contract Rearing Heifers at 7.30pm on Thursday17th July 2014 at Shinagh Estates Gurteen Farm. The event should appeal to both beef, tillage and dairy farmers, as this may be an opportunity for all to benefit from potential income from contract rearing. This is a free event and is open to all interested parties.
The disparity in market power in favour of major retail chains will persist according to Alan Dukes, Public Interest Director for Anglo Irish Bank.
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