Born on to a drystock farm in Clareen, Co Offaly, it did not take long for Ralph Haslam to reap the fruits of other enterprises. Making his first major career change into the world of dairy in the 1980s, the young agriculturalist would take on a series of developments throughout his career. To ring in the new millennium, Ralph Haslam converted his dairy enterprise to organic.
“I used to be a tillage and drystock farmer, but I was getting no returns on it so I stepped away from it and went into the parlour. I started with a small number of animals, with a plan to expand to 50 cows. We went down with TB and I lost over half my herd. I had to start leasing milk quota at that stage. Then I went at it again and got into more and more cows and that is where it really started.”
Five years after converting to organic farming, Ralph took another chance on his career while adding considerable value to his outputs: “I was supplying a co-op with my milk, but I felt that I had no control over the price I was getting. My son always had a big interest in food and set up the Organic Store in Birr. He had gotten cheese into the shop and suggested that we have a go at making cheese. So that is what we did.”
Ralph Haslam of Mossfield Organic Farm.
The next change followed in 2008, when the Haslams invested in their very own cheese plant.
“We had a lady who made the cheese for us for the first few years and then we decided to build our own cheese plant. It didn’t happen overnight. It was very difficult in ways. I thought I was either stupid or mad to make such a big change to my career, but we kept going and we are lucky that it paid off. You lose sometimes and you make mistakes all the time but the more persevering and consistent that you are the better you will get on.”
Advice
Ralph encourages young entrepreneurs to gain experience in an established business, before embarking on their own journey.
“Gain experience in the area that you are interested in, before starting up your own business. Watch and learn, whether in Europe or at home. Utilise Local Enterprise Offices for every aspect of your career venture,” he advises.
Reminiscing on some of the difficult decisions made, Ralph has proven that the easy choice is not always the right one.
“We milk all year around. Yes, we have cows calving every month, but it keeps a constant flow of milk and keeps the quality of milk stable. The solids don’t fluctuate the way they would if you had a heap of cows come into calving at once. That consistency is all the better for cheese, which is vital to our business.”
Ralph Haslam of Mossfield Organic Farm.
Economics
The recession and economic downturn posed a huge threat to Ralph’s relatively young business and the Offaly native was more than aware of the difficulty he faced.
“We didn’t know which shops were going to survive from one month to the next, or which ones could afford to pay us for our produce. Businesses were going bust all around us and we struggled with cashflow. There were a lot of concerns. But I went through it in the 70s, so I knew what to expect.”
As well as cheese, Haslam has seen his organic yoghurt and milk perform well on the market and the cheese champion admits that his current success was not expected when he started out as a dry stock farmer.
“Surviving was all I was interested in. Like any farmer I was trying to make ends meet. But you need to be profitable to stay in business and have a return from your work. I am at the age now where I need to see a return for my work and the cheese has done that for me.”
Ralph Haslam of Mossfield Organic Farm.
Ahead of his talk at the 2019 Agri Careers Expo, Ralph shares some of his top employability tips.
“You start at the bottom and work your way through a career. I look for someone who is very practical and quick to learn. They would have to be enthusiastic about their work and the product. I wouldn’t want somebody coming in just because it is a 9-5 job. Usually, if someone is enthusiastic about their job, they will bring things to the table,” he explains. “The longer you stick at your idea, the more likely you are to see returning customers and they are a sign that you made a good decision,” he concludes.
With time, change and perseverance, Ralph’s award-winning organic produce, fresh from his fields in Clareen, continues to sell worldwide.
See www.mossfield.ie for more info.
Read more
Careers: Maximising the food chain
An organic career in Kilbeggan
Born on to a drystock farm in Clareen, Co Offaly, it did not take long for Ralph Haslam to reap the fruits of other enterprises. Making his first major career change into the world of dairy in the 1980s, the young agriculturalist would take on a series of developments throughout his career. To ring in the new millennium, Ralph Haslam converted his dairy enterprise to organic.
“I used to be a tillage and drystock farmer, but I was getting no returns on it so I stepped away from it and went into the parlour. I started with a small number of animals, with a plan to expand to 50 cows. We went down with TB and I lost over half my herd. I had to start leasing milk quota at that stage. Then I went at it again and got into more and more cows and that is where it really started.”
Five years after converting to organic farming, Ralph took another chance on his career while adding considerable value to his outputs: “I was supplying a co-op with my milk, but I felt that I had no control over the price I was getting. My son always had a big interest in food and set up the Organic Store in Birr. He had gotten cheese into the shop and suggested that we have a go at making cheese. So that is what we did.”
Ralph Haslam of Mossfield Organic Farm.
The next change followed in 2008, when the Haslams invested in their very own cheese plant.
“We had a lady who made the cheese for us for the first few years and then we decided to build our own cheese plant. It didn’t happen overnight. It was very difficult in ways. I thought I was either stupid or mad to make such a big change to my career, but we kept going and we are lucky that it paid off. You lose sometimes and you make mistakes all the time but the more persevering and consistent that you are the better you will get on.”
Advice
Ralph encourages young entrepreneurs to gain experience in an established business, before embarking on their own journey.
“Gain experience in the area that you are interested in, before starting up your own business. Watch and learn, whether in Europe or at home. Utilise Local Enterprise Offices for every aspect of your career venture,” he advises.
Reminiscing on some of the difficult decisions made, Ralph has proven that the easy choice is not always the right one.
“We milk all year around. Yes, we have cows calving every month, but it keeps a constant flow of milk and keeps the quality of milk stable. The solids don’t fluctuate the way they would if you had a heap of cows come into calving at once. That consistency is all the better for cheese, which is vital to our business.”
Ralph Haslam of Mossfield Organic Farm.
Economics
The recession and economic downturn posed a huge threat to Ralph’s relatively young business and the Offaly native was more than aware of the difficulty he faced.
“We didn’t know which shops were going to survive from one month to the next, or which ones could afford to pay us for our produce. Businesses were going bust all around us and we struggled with cashflow. There were a lot of concerns. But I went through it in the 70s, so I knew what to expect.”
As well as cheese, Haslam has seen his organic yoghurt and milk perform well on the market and the cheese champion admits that his current success was not expected when he started out as a dry stock farmer.
“Surviving was all I was interested in. Like any farmer I was trying to make ends meet. But you need to be profitable to stay in business and have a return from your work. I am at the age now where I need to see a return for my work and the cheese has done that for me.”
Ralph Haslam of Mossfield Organic Farm.
Ahead of his talk at the 2019 Agri Careers Expo, Ralph shares some of his top employability tips.
“You start at the bottom and work your way through a career. I look for someone who is very practical and quick to learn. They would have to be enthusiastic about their work and the product. I wouldn’t want somebody coming in just because it is a 9-5 job. Usually, if someone is enthusiastic about their job, they will bring things to the table,” he explains. “The longer you stick at your idea, the more likely you are to see returning customers and they are a sign that you made a good decision,” he concludes.
With time, change and perseverance, Ralph’s award-winning organic produce, fresh from his fields in Clareen, continues to sell worldwide.
See www.mossfield.ie for more info.
Read more
Careers: Maximising the food chain
An organic career in Kilbeggan
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