Twenty days into first-year engineering in DCU, Daniel Hawthorne texted his father to say “Dad I don’t think I like this”. So he came home and the farm in Co Monaghan was signed over to him on his 18th birthday.
Six years later and Daniel was crowned 2018 FBD Young Farmer of the Year in Castleknock last Tuesday night. The suckler, sheep and soon to be poultry farmer has a full-time job as a metal fabricator with Combilift.
“I’m totally overwhelmed to have received this award, I never dreamt of it coming home to Monaghan,” Daniel , a member of Newbliss Macra, said.
The farm was leased out when Daniel’s father, Edward, stopped milking in 2003. Some of the farm is still rented out for silage “because stock numbers aren’t fully up” and the “grassland was all reseeded and Ps and Ks all straightened out so we’re growing as much grass as we can. I buy in about 400 store lambs, between them and my own lambs and ewes I’m probably killing about 500 lambs a year.” He has 30 Angus cows, but is aiming for a better work-life balance with his new poultry unit. The near half-million investment is costing him €40/bird. The 12,000 hens will arrive in the latter half of next month and Daniel has a contract to supply Belview eggs.
“I wouldn’t be building the unit if I didn’t know exactly what I was letting myself in for,” said Daniel, who did his Green Cert in Ballyhaise. “A neighbour built a poultry unit 18 months ago and he was looking for a spare hand at the weekend to give him some time off. So I’ve been working with him.” As the celebrations kicked off in the Castleknock Hotel after the winning announcement, Daniel was wrapping up interviews to get on the road back to Monaghan for work the next morning.
His father told the Irish Farmers Journal that he had no qualms about signing the farm over to his son, but is keen for Daniel to continue working with Combilift.
“We decided if that was his desire we’d go for it and let him do the farming. He was 100% enthusiastic about it. I’ve had some serious health problems and it was important that somebody young and fresh could do that. Daniel has been doing this competition with that hanging over him and that shows a great sense of character.”
What is Daniel’s advice to other young farmers?
“Every man’s situation is different, don’t doubt yourself. I was doubting myself when I was first coming forward and I’m quite happy that I’ve come through all this.”
Name: Daniel Hawthorne
Macra club: Newbliss, Co Monaghan
Farm size: 120 acres plus 20 rented
Stock: 30 sucklers
Finishes: 500 lambs a year (400 of which bought in as stores)
Investment: Built 12,000- bird poultry unit
Off-farm work: Metal fabricator with Combilift
There were awards for several other categories, which were:
Eamonn Keevers (Dairy).Daniel Hawthorne (Beef).Luna Orofiamma (Sheep).Thomas Hayes (Other Enterprise).Maighread Barron (Land Mobility).Linda Hanbidge-Cliffe (Collaborative Farming).Louise Crowley (Best Emerging Female Farmer).Patrick Byrne (Best Emerging Male Farmer).Raymond Langan (National Rural Network Biodiversity Award). Read more
Six finalists for FBD Young Farmer of the Year named
Twenty days into first-year engineering in DCU, Daniel Hawthorne texted his father to say “Dad I don’t think I like this”. So he came home and the farm in Co Monaghan was signed over to him on his 18th birthday.
Six years later and Daniel was crowned 2018 FBD Young Farmer of the Year in Castleknock last Tuesday night. The suckler, sheep and soon to be poultry farmer has a full-time job as a metal fabricator with Combilift.
“I’m totally overwhelmed to have received this award, I never dreamt of it coming home to Monaghan,” Daniel , a member of Newbliss Macra, said.
The farm was leased out when Daniel’s father, Edward, stopped milking in 2003. Some of the farm is still rented out for silage “because stock numbers aren’t fully up” and the “grassland was all reseeded and Ps and Ks all straightened out so we’re growing as much grass as we can. I buy in about 400 store lambs, between them and my own lambs and ewes I’m probably killing about 500 lambs a year.” He has 30 Angus cows, but is aiming for a better work-life balance with his new poultry unit. The near half-million investment is costing him €40/bird. The 12,000 hens will arrive in the latter half of next month and Daniel has a contract to supply Belview eggs.
“I wouldn’t be building the unit if I didn’t know exactly what I was letting myself in for,” said Daniel, who did his Green Cert in Ballyhaise. “A neighbour built a poultry unit 18 months ago and he was looking for a spare hand at the weekend to give him some time off. So I’ve been working with him.” As the celebrations kicked off in the Castleknock Hotel after the winning announcement, Daniel was wrapping up interviews to get on the road back to Monaghan for work the next morning.
His father told the Irish Farmers Journal that he had no qualms about signing the farm over to his son, but is keen for Daniel to continue working with Combilift.
“We decided if that was his desire we’d go for it and let him do the farming. He was 100% enthusiastic about it. I’ve had some serious health problems and it was important that somebody young and fresh could do that. Daniel has been doing this competition with that hanging over him and that shows a great sense of character.”
What is Daniel’s advice to other young farmers?
“Every man’s situation is different, don’t doubt yourself. I was doubting myself when I was first coming forward and I’m quite happy that I’ve come through all this.”
Name: Daniel Hawthorne
Macra club: Newbliss, Co Monaghan
Farm size: 120 acres plus 20 rented
Stock: 30 sucklers
Finishes: 500 lambs a year (400 of which bought in as stores)
Investment: Built 12,000- bird poultry unit
Off-farm work: Metal fabricator with Combilift
There were awards for several other categories, which were:
Eamonn Keevers (Dairy).Daniel Hawthorne (Beef).Luna Orofiamma (Sheep).Thomas Hayes (Other Enterprise).Maighread Barron (Land Mobility).Linda Hanbidge-Cliffe (Collaborative Farming).Louise Crowley (Best Emerging Female Farmer).Patrick Byrne (Best Emerging Male Farmer).Raymond Langan (National Rural Network Biodiversity Award). Read more
Six finalists for FBD Young Farmer of the Year named
SHARING OPTIONS