Two weeks ago, grass measurement on our farm predicted a plateau for several days. Sure enough, it has come to pass – but not as the shortage envisaged.

Sufficient rain has fallen over the last two weeks to grow grass. It is only when you measure grass that you understand how suddenly growth can come or stop. The skill is in knowing how to respond. But more than that, it’s understanding at what pace to react.

Having learned from previous droughts, we’ve ended up with surplus grass on the farm. This time, Tim was ready to respond. He had the added bonus of having had a conversation with Abigail Ryan, Teagasc, Moorepark, and grass manager extraordinaire during the drought.

The Greenfield Farm in Kilkenny also suffers drought conditions, much like us here in Cork. Abigail warned Tim that when the rain came it was time to pull the supplementary feeding of silage immediately.

We’ve waited too long in the past. So, once there was sufficient rain recorded in the rain gauge, the loader stopped. The row was on between farmer and his cows. They went to the paddock and promptly walked home again! As they came in for milking, they lined up in front of the head-feed.

The grass responded and so did the girls. The tension that goes with waiting for the grass to grow and the rain to fall abated.

Colm is breathing a sigh of relief from Vietnam. He’s due back from his holiday this week and happy that the drought has ended.

The cows’ milk solids were not affected during the drought, because the silage being fed was just good grass taken off when there was surplus. So the cows were receiving the same diet, but in a different format.

TULLAMORE FARM

So with life on an even keel in Woodside, Tim and I headed off to visit the Irish Farmers Journal open day at Tullamore Farm. It was supported by IFAC, so we both had connections to the event.

There is no doubt that the level of research that goes into dairying and the resultant information that ensues from Teagasc, Moorepark, serves us extremely well. Livestock graze grass and – whether it’s a dairy cow, a suckler cow, beef animal, ewe or lamb – the quality of the grass and its management are important. The ability to make profit lies in the utilisation of that grass.

Now, I’m not a beef farmer, but we did do it for long enough to know something about it. From the outside looking in, it is clear that there is a deficit in information for beef farmers.

Beefing up production

The production of beef is hugely valuable to Ireland in terms of exports, but it must also return a profit to the farmers who are involved in it. The model in Tullamore will hopefully demonstrate that a decent living can be made from intensive beef farming and/or sheep farming.

For the many part-time farmers out there, it will encourage them to learn to utilise the grass in a better way.

The targets that Irish Farmers Journal editor Justin McCarth set out on the day are certainly inspirational.

Are they realistic? Well, time will tell. It wouldn’t be much of an exercise if all involved were not trying to achieve above and beyond the norm, thus hopefully proving that incomes can be improved for beef and sheep farming families.

GROWing great GRASS

As we drove into the site, the new grass pastures resembled our own new reseeded paddocks at home. There was one huge difference, though. When I stepped out, the heel of my boots sunk into the ground. I quickly shed them in favour of the runners.

Now that is typical of a lot of the ground in Ireland. They were heavy fields, but they can grow grass as well as anywhere else in the country. Farmers say to me: “We can’t grow grass like ye can in Cork” – but I beg to differ. Many parts of the country can grow grass just as well as we can – or better.

Tullamore Farm has been set a target of producing 14 tonnes of grass dry matter per hectare. We grew 13t last year and were mighty proud of ourselves. But we want to do better this year – and next year, and so on. We must never stop pushing.

The farm belonging to the Grogan family is lovely. I know Padraig and Joan, and they are very proud of what has been achieved. The infrastructure that has been put in place is of an exceptional standard. It is noteworthy that most of the expenditure has been on fencing, grass pastures, roadways – and not on buildings.

The roadways will enable the animals to access the entire farm and reduce damage to the grass from poaching in wet weather. The animals will inevitably utilise more grass.

Of course, most farmers could not do the amount of development that has been done in Screggan. Farming is a lifetime occupation, and every investment in growing and feeding more grass delivers profit.

It will be interesting and informative to watch the development of this project over the next 15 years. I know that the Irish Farmers Journal team will do its utmost to deliver valuable information for livestock farmers. I know too that the information will be delivered in its totality, warts and all.

Sometimes the warts – “an infertile bull, a mad heifer” – can deliver more information in safeguarding family farms from dangers and pitfalls than all the theory in the world.

Every bit of money saved or unnecessary expenditure avoided is profit in the farmer’s pocket. I wish my Irish Farmers Journal colleagues every success with Tullamore farm. One thing is sure: we will learn from it. CL