Travelling for a Nuffield scholarship, it is unthinkable that you would not get to North America.

Its status as an agricultural powerhouse is undeniable. And first among the US states when it comes to agriculture is without doubt California. This single state accounts for over 10% of all the agricultural production in the US, which is something I was completely ignorant of as I flew into Los Angeles in late August this year.

This trip was the first leg of the individual travel for my Nuffield scholarship. I was now seeking out farmers, industry experts, advocates and policymakers in my area of interest; animal welfare.

I’d chosen this subject because in recent years it’s become more and more common to hear someone on the radio or TV decrying livestock farmers as inhumane, barbaric and unnatural.

Defending my industry

Having grown up on a dairy farm, surrounded by dairy farmers and genuinely loving our way of life, this attack on our culture could not go unanswered. That’s how my Nuffield journey began, wanting to defend my industry from those who would like to see our way of life become a thing of the past.

An 80,000 head calf ranch in California.

However, I was constantly warned to keep an open mind, be prepared to be challenged and to change my perspective. Within three days of landing in California, that perspective had shifted 90 degrees.

Animal welfare

I was initially drawn to California by one simple thing; a lead. An international animal welfare expert from California had been called in to review the Greenfield Farm in Kilkenny back in March following the unseasonable snow.

Unfortunately, I was unable to meet with him during his short trip to Ireland but he invited me to Skype call him or visit if I happened to be in California.

And so I would happen to be in California. Jim Reynolds is a vet by training and practice.

He now teaches in a veterinary college and has worked for years as a welfare auditor. As a “welfare expert” he has been called on by farmers, processors and even animal rights advocates to comment on practices or audit facilities.

Activist groups send him their undercover videos to get his professional opinion before releasing them to the public.

Eye-opener

Visiting an 80,000 head calf ranch with Jim was an eye-opening experience. Row after row of individual calf hutches stretched out before us.

On this ranch, calves from all over California and the western US are reared to four months of age. They spend the first 80 days in a single calf hutch.

The staff here were generous with their time, allowing Jim and I to view and interrogate every aspect of the calves' welfare.

Although the ranch was incredibly impressive in terms of efficiency and productivity, I would not be happy to send my calves here. I’m very glad that the Irish dairy industry does not have to defend operations of this scale and magnitude.

Next, we visited a 5,000-cow dairy farm, which was very similar in terms of its calf-rearing practices.

I can honestly say that the majority of calves in Ireland have a much better environment in which to live.

Undercover farm videos

Jim invited me to stay with him and his wife. They were incredible hosts and teachers.

We spent a full evening in his office watching undercover videos and discussing different husbandry practices which could be improved or modified so as to improve animal welfare.

Jim was frank in saying; “thank god for video exposés”. He genuinely believes that there would be little or no progress in welfare standards in the US without the public pressure created by welfare exposés.

He also said that, in his experience, these exposés are not taken out of context or made to look as bad as possible. If this is the case then I, as a farmer, want to change it.

We should absolutely not tolerate any farmer mistreating or abusing their animals.

On one farm, Jim and I witnessed a staff member lift a calf by its ears.

Without hesitation, Jim corrected the worker and demonstrated the correct way to lift the calf. In that instant I knew that I had come to the right place.

On one farm, Jim and I witnessed a staff member lift a calf by its ears

If every farmer, adviser or vet spoke out the way he did when they saw bad practices on farm then we would be in a much better place.

I reflected that at home I would have felt very uncomfortable (foolish even) correcting a colleague or peer in this situation.

As an industry we have to correct this situation and be our own most vocal critics. If farmers won’t do it, then someone else will.

Impressive

After just four days, I left California. The state was incredibly impressive. The huge dams built in the Sierra Nevada mountain range collect the winter rains and provide irrigation to the central valleys, allowing Californian farmers to grow an abundance of crops in a dessert.

Driving up to see one such dam I also visited the world’s second largest tree, General Grant.

2018 Nuffield scholar Colm O'Leary beside the world's second largest tree; General Grant.

It seemed everything in California was big; farms, trees, dams and also the challenges ahead.

Water rights were being highly politicised ahead of the recent mid-term elections. The trend towards plant-based proteins and the subsequent boom in almond nuts is hardening California’s water demand.

Increasing animal welfare and environmental concerns are likely coming down the track and have already caused serious upset in the poultry sector

Immigration is hugely topical in the US and the California farmer is exposed to increasing immigration restrictions due to their reliance on migrant labour.

Increasing animal welfare and environmental concerns are likely coming down the track and have already caused serious upset in the poultry sector.

It’s hard to imagine California’s dairies and feedlots avoiding the same heightened scrutiny and regulation. Once again, I left with a desire to come back and see how it all pans out.