In 2004, John O’Neill purchased approximately 35ac of land in Co Kilkenny and built a new home with his wife, Siobhan, and their four children. Though he had grown up on a farm, John and Siobhan spent many years working abroad. When they settled into their “forever home”, John had aspirations to farm, but was realistic about what his marginal land could provide.
“I looked at all the different schemes and considered what the best use for this kind of summer-grazing farm could be,” he recalls. “At the time, the REPS schemes were in operation and I thought going into a rare breed of cattle could be an attractive option. At that time, the only rare breed available in sufficient numbers was the Dexter.”
So, it was for practical reasons that John began his farming journey. But as we walk the wild meadows to visit his herd, you can tell that after 20 years of working with Dexters, John has become attached to the breed and this way of life.
Soon after buying his first Dexters, he entered into organic conversion. “It made the most sense for this ground,” he explains. “This land could not be farmed intensively and I needed to focus on the best way to make farming work for me.”
The Dexter
Dexters are an ancient Irish heritage breed and have written records dating back to the late 1800s. They are much smaller than modern cattle, but what they lack in size they make up for in robustness. They are easy calving and, although they are a dual-purpose breed (meaning they can be used for both milk and beef), today they are mainly used for beef. Ideal for marginal land, they prefer foraging wild herbs and grasses. For these reasons, they are often considered a go-to breed for conservation grazing.
“When I first started farming Dexters, I brought in two loads from England as there were virtually none here at that time,” John says. “If you go back in history, there was a Dexter-Kerry Cattle Society which operated until about 1910 or 1915. Then, the separate societies were set up, but the Irish stopped registering Dexters. The Kerry and Dexter are essentially the same, but as they separated, the societies listed attributes for the future of each breed. This has caused them to veer slightly, over the years.
“All of these breeds began with standards based on whatever people thought was appropriate at the time,” he continues. “Then they would find animals which fit those standards and would breed them. The Dexter and Kerry cow survived because they had sufficient numbers and enough preserved historic information.”
John appreciates Dexters for their relatively narrow set of characteristics – in other words, they have retained many of the ancient features of their forebears. This, among other things, offers a high level of intelligence.
“They don’t mind us right now because they can sense we aren’t trying to herd them,” John says as we walk amongst his herd. Indeed, I always believed Dexters were wary of strangers, but having been grazing John’s land over a few generations, these animals are calm and measured (though the new mothers are keeping a close eye on me).
“If I was coming to get them into the crush, they would immediately scatter,” he adds, laughing. “They are that clever.”
John is certified through the Organic Trust and says his cattle are never given any concentrates. They graze outdoors year-round and calve in the field, rarely needing medical intervention. Once their annual TB tests are complete, they are left to graze and forage.
“When you think about it, this breed really makes sense for this kind of land,” he says. “Land which isn’t suitable for finishing heavy stock.”
Dexter beef is highly prized for flavour and quality and demand for Irish Dexter beef currently exceeds supply. It is low in saturated fat and high in essential nutrients. For a breed raised largely on natural grasses and marginal land, the beef is nicely marbled and contains both Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. That said, the smaller size of the animals means smaller carcase weights.
A striploin steak from a Dexter will look exactly the same as one from a Hereford, but it will be smaller in size. This isn’t the only challenge facing the breed – processing can be problematic and for this reason, much organic Dexter beef is “leaked” as it is processed through conventional means.
“Dexters don’t fit into modern factory systems,” John explains. “The machinery and set-up has been designed for larger cattle. A Dexter will kill out at an average of 170kg [compared to up to 320kg for a Hereford steer]. If we went through an organic beef processor, they would be graded against the EU system and downgraded for their size, even though the animal has been well-finished.
“Because of this, the Irish Dexter Beef Society has a long-term ongoing relationship with ABP [one of the country’s largest processors],” he continues. “Once a month [during the summer months], they adjust their equipment and take in Dexters. They pay us the equivalent of what you would get for an Aberdeen Angus, so we get a little bit of a premium. Of course, the animals must be properly finished and we still get graded [for quality], but this way, our cattle aren’t pushed down for their smaller size.
“This has been incredibly important to us,” he adds. “This system has been in place for 13 or 14 years now, and it has allowed for the expansion of the breed. Because we’re still getting a bit of a premium, we don’t mind not getting the organic premium.”
Niche product
If there was an outlet for processing organic Dexter beef, John says he would avail of it, but he understands that Dexter beef is still considered a niche product. However, with the launch of the new Heritage Herd Irish Dexter Beef brand, the Irish Dexter Cattle Society is working to promote Dexter beef to consumers abroad and within Ireland. They would love to see more farmers investing in Irish Dexters.
“Dexters are suited to part-time farmers and marginal land,” John says. “There is so much room for expansion, simply because there are so many Irish farmers in those situations.”
Beef sold under the new Heritage Herd Irish Dexter Beef brand is subject to strict genetic “parent-verified” testing to ensure full traceability and that the high standards of the society are met. The members’ herds also need to be approved under Bord Bia’s Sustainable Beef and Lamb Assurance Scheme and classed as Dexter on their animal passports. See heritageherd.ie.
Despite the Irish organic sector experiencing significant growth since the launch of the Organic Farming Scheme in 2021, logistical challenges remain for organic farmers like John O’Neill, who need access to organic processors and routes to market.
Organic leakage is the result of organically farmed or grown foods being processed and sold conventionally – meaning farmers who are organically certified do not get an organic premium price. In 2023, 70% of organic lamb was sold conventionally.
Declan Pyne is an organic farmer in Co Clare and is also a certifier with the Organic Trust. He is involved in a new EIP (European Innovation Project) which aims to reduce organic leakage, improve supply chain coordination and strengthen the overall market. The EIP, called the Organic Beef and Lamb Innovation Group (OBLIG) is a five-year project and hopes to achieve their objectives through practical, community-focused methods.
“We started [the EIP] at the end of last year,” he tells Irish Country Living. “Teagasc, Ifac, NOTS [the National Organic Training Skillnet] and Leitrim Organic Farmers are all involved. We have 25 pilot farms set up for our first tranche and we are going to be looking for 100% organic sales at the end of the project. We have different supports in place to help on the advisory side of things.
“The biggest problem we see is the fact that many organic farms are located in isolated areas with a land type not suitable for finishing animals. Their animals generally end up as organic leakage. They get sold at the local mart and aren’t finished on an organic farm. We are working with farms in the midlands; basically match-making farms and working with local marts to set up specific sale dates. We’re setting up a network and a group for farmers where they can link in with each other. It’s early days but we are already seeing some stock moving.”
The EIP is also working with abattoirs to encourage organic processing in areas where isolated farmers are most affected by organic leakage. They will cover their certification costs for the first year and provide support with organic processing regulations.
A second tranche of farms will be taken in this autumn and interested farmers can visit the OBLIG website (oblig.ie) for specific contact information and dates. Ultimately, this project is not about reinventing the wheel; it aims to use existing pathways and relationships to the advantage of farmers who would otherwise be affected by organic leakage.
“It’s a relatively simple solution to a big problem,” Declan says.
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