BETTER farm: 100 attend spring management event in cold Co Waterford

A crowd of approximately 100 people attended first of two Teagasc/Irish Farmers Journal BETTER farm beef challenge walks on Thursday.

The walk, which was hosted by Dunmore East-based suckler farmer Maurice Hearne, gave attendees a thorough run-through the farm’s projected physical and financial performance, as well as technical advice on area of herd health, farm infrastructure, soil fertility, growing silage and reseeding.

The event even had a machinery demonstration which showed the difference between ploughing, power-harrowing and discing for reseeding cultivation.

The table below details the farm's projected physical and financial performance, which was presented by Teagasc BETTER farm adviser Tommy Cox and local B&T adviser Austin Flavin.

Twitter

Live coverage of the event was posted on the Irish Farmers Journal’s @FJbeef twitter account.

BETTER Farm programme manager Alan Dillon kicking off today’s walk on Maurice Hearne’s farm in Waterford. Strong crowd. KT approves event. Discussion to include farm performance, grassland management and reseeding. @farmersjournal @TeagascBeef pic.twitter.com/2vTE0navkA

— FJ Beef (@FJBeef) April 4, 2019

Previously there has been a lot of respiratory disease problems on the farm -even though Maurice was vaccinating ! Ventilation was a major problem. “When building sheds, please put up four walls! When you build onto a shed, you are loosing an air inlet!!” @farmersjournal @teagasc pic.twitter.com/Thd0U26uGC

— FJ Beef (@FJBeef) April 4, 2019

Maurice says “for me, time and labor are the main reasons for installing roadways”. Also, “average paddock size on the farm is about 2-3 acres but reels are nearly always used to sub-divide.” @teagasc @farmersjournal pic.twitter.com/DFqbP47Tyf

— FJ Beef (@FJBeef) April 4, 2019

Teagasc BETTER farm advisor John Greaney discussing the nutrient requirements for growing a silage crop this spring. “100 units per acre of N is required to grow a silage crop on any soil type” @teagasc @farmersjournal pic.twitter.com/NnFHX70gZX

— FJ Beef (@FJBeef) April 4, 2019

That’s all from today’s farm walk. Big thanks to Maurice and family as well as all the speakers for a very informative event. The next BETTER farm spring walk takes place on Ricky Milligan’s farm in Kildare on Thursday 11 April at 1pm. KT approved. @TeagascBeef @farmersjournal pic.twitter.com/iP16XzLYWr

— FJ Beef (@FJBeef) April 4, 2019

The next Teagasc/Irish Farmers Journal BETTER farm spring walk takes place in Kildare on the farm of suckler and calf-to-beef farmer Ricky Milligan. It takes place on Thursday 11 April at 1pm and is KT approved.