Dairygold has announced four finalists in its malting barley competition from different regions.
The competition examines malting barley from across its suppliers and those with the highest-quality grain make it through to the final.
The finalists are also judged on other things such as sustainability and positive environmental actions taken on farm.
The finalists are:
Tipperary – John Murphy.South/mid-Cork – Gordon and John Bryan.North Cork – John and Mary Jones.East Cork – Declan Kenneally.
Séamus O'Mahoney of Dairygold pictured with John Murphy, the Tipperary finalist in the Dairygold malting barley competition for 2021, and Ger Hanley, Dairygold.
John Murphy farms near Ardfinnan, Co Tipperary, with his wife Breda. The malting barley crop yielded 3.5t/ac on the farm in 2021, met protein standards for malting, had a high bushel weight and low screenings.
Rotation is important on the Murphy farm. Spring and winter barley, winter oats and fodder beet make up the rotation and soil pH, phosphorus and potassium levels are all corrected when fodder beet is established.
John has loyal customers for his beet and does all of the work, including washing and delivering, himself.
Dairygold noted John’s attention to detail in the fields, from timings of sprays to good care of headlands. He harvests his cereals crops with a Claas Senator combine, which delivers a nice clean sample to Dairygold.
Gordon and John Bryan - south/mid-Cork
John and Gordon Bryan are the south/mid Cork finalists in the Daiygold malting barley competition. They are pictured with Timmy McCarthy of Dairygold.
The Bryans farm in the Carrigaline and Crosshaven areas of Co Cork. They have a good mixture of crops on the farm from roots to cereals, but also malting and seed crops.
Cattle are finished on farm using their own forage. They feed a mixture of beet, silage and grain and purchase some protein to complete the diet. Beet is also grown on contract and sold to local farmers.
In recent years, they have invested in automatic shut-offs on their sprayer and fertiliser spreader to save on inputs and ensure inputs are being applied where they are needed.
Soils are tested every three years and managed according to soil test results. Hedgerows on the farm are maintained every three years.
John and Mary Jones - north Cork
Mary and John Jones are the north Cork finalists in the Dairygold malting barley competition. They are pictured with Michael English from Dairygold.
John and Mary Jones farm in Churchtown, Co Cork. They have been supplying Dairygold with high-quality malting barley for many years and grow their spring barley on continuous tillage ground.
There is also a calf-to-beef enterprise on the farm and these animals are fed barley grown on the farm. This is balanced with soya bean meal and maize meal.
Soil samples and a nutrient management plan are essential tools on the farm to keep soils at optimum performance levels.
John and Mary are in the Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS). Hedgerows vary in height around the farm, while bird and bat boxes have been placed in different areas. Cover crops are also planted on the farm and grazed depending on weather conditions.
Declan Kenneally - east Cork
Margaret and Declan Kenneally are the east Cork finalists in the Dairygold malting barley competition. They are pictured with Frank Hayes of Dairygold.
Declan Kenneally farms outside Killeagh, Co Cork. He grows beans, spring and winter barley and fodder beet. The fodder beet is fed to about 60 cattle, which he rears on the farm’s calf-to-beef enterprise.
Declan grew KWS Joyau winter barley last year to try to reduce the risk of barley yellow dwarf virus.
He uses a two-spray fungicide programme on his spring barley and is vigilant on weeds. He has even managed to eradicate canary grass from his farm.
Declan generally spreads the slurry from the beef enterprises on the grassland and applies the farmyard manure to the tillage land.
He plants 3ha of wild bird cover each year as part of GLAS.
Dairygold has announced four finalists in its malting barley competition from different regions.
The competition examines malting barley from across its suppliers and those with the highest-quality grain make it through to the final.
The finalists are also judged on other things such as sustainability and positive environmental actions taken on farm.
The finalists are:
Tipperary – John Murphy.South/mid-Cork – Gordon and John Bryan.North Cork – John and Mary Jones.East Cork – Declan Kenneally.
Séamus O'Mahoney of Dairygold pictured with John Murphy, the Tipperary finalist in the Dairygold malting barley competition for 2021, and Ger Hanley, Dairygold.
John Murphy farms near Ardfinnan, Co Tipperary, with his wife Breda. The malting barley crop yielded 3.5t/ac on the farm in 2021, met protein standards for malting, had a high bushel weight and low screenings.
Rotation is important on the Murphy farm. Spring and winter barley, winter oats and fodder beet make up the rotation and soil pH, phosphorus and potassium levels are all corrected when fodder beet is established.
John has loyal customers for his beet and does all of the work, including washing and delivering, himself.
Dairygold noted John’s attention to detail in the fields, from timings of sprays to good care of headlands. He harvests his cereals crops with a Claas Senator combine, which delivers a nice clean sample to Dairygold.
Gordon and John Bryan - south/mid-Cork
John and Gordon Bryan are the south/mid Cork finalists in the Daiygold malting barley competition. They are pictured with Timmy McCarthy of Dairygold.
The Bryans farm in the Carrigaline and Crosshaven areas of Co Cork. They have a good mixture of crops on the farm from roots to cereals, but also malting and seed crops.
Cattle are finished on farm using their own forage. They feed a mixture of beet, silage and grain and purchase some protein to complete the diet. Beet is also grown on contract and sold to local farmers.
In recent years, they have invested in automatic shut-offs on their sprayer and fertiliser spreader to save on inputs and ensure inputs are being applied where they are needed.
Soils are tested every three years and managed according to soil test results. Hedgerows on the farm are maintained every three years.
John and Mary Jones - north Cork
Mary and John Jones are the north Cork finalists in the Dairygold malting barley competition. They are pictured with Michael English from Dairygold.
John and Mary Jones farm in Churchtown, Co Cork. They have been supplying Dairygold with high-quality malting barley for many years and grow their spring barley on continuous tillage ground.
There is also a calf-to-beef enterprise on the farm and these animals are fed barley grown on the farm. This is balanced with soya bean meal and maize meal.
Soil samples and a nutrient management plan are essential tools on the farm to keep soils at optimum performance levels.
John and Mary are in the Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS). Hedgerows vary in height around the farm, while bird and bat boxes have been placed in different areas. Cover crops are also planted on the farm and grazed depending on weather conditions.
Declan Kenneally - east Cork
Margaret and Declan Kenneally are the east Cork finalists in the Dairygold malting barley competition. They are pictured with Frank Hayes of Dairygold.
Declan Kenneally farms outside Killeagh, Co Cork. He grows beans, spring and winter barley and fodder beet. The fodder beet is fed to about 60 cattle, which he rears on the farm’s calf-to-beef enterprise.
Declan grew KWS Joyau winter barley last year to try to reduce the risk of barley yellow dwarf virus.
He uses a two-spray fungicide programme on his spring barley and is vigilant on weeds. He has even managed to eradicate canary grass from his farm.
Declan generally spreads the slurry from the beef enterprises on the grassland and applies the farmyard manure to the tillage land.
He plants 3ha of wild bird cover each year as part of GLAS.
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