I did my Leaving Cert in 2000. My performance in those exams has had very little bearing on anything I have done in the subsequent 20 years.

The same cannot be said of the farming operation that I was also working on at home at the time.

The years 2000 to 2002 look like they could have an impact on my entire farming career.

Who knew when those years were chosen as reference years that they would have such a long-term effect on European agriculture?

There have been a lot of changes to both farms and society in general over the intervening 20 years

Bureaucrats can dress it up in whatever words they want, but there is no getting away from the fact that by the time 2030 comes into sight, what happened on farms at the turn of the century will still have an impact on farm incomes by then.

There have been a lot of changes to both farms and society in general over the intervening 20 years, but the link to those years remains a constant.

The discussions finalising the latest incarnation of CAP are completed in Brussels and as fractious and complicated as that was, the next steps will be tougher. Settling on a definition of what an active farmer is alone is no easy task. The potential it has to drive further wedges among Irish farmer organisations means it requires careful handling.

Despite some agri commentators dismissing the fact that there are issues with water quality in the country, the science provided by the EPA proves otherwise.

ASSAP is a positive step in trying to rectify the situation

Two weeks ago, I had my initial farm visit as part of the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP), a free advisory service aimed at improving water quality. Two of the blocks of land I farm are included in a Prioritised Area for Action (PAA).

There’s been an increase in housing in the area since the 90s and agriculture isn’t the sole cause of a downturn in water quality, but when it comes to nitrates there is no hiding place for agriculture.

ASSAP is a positive step in trying to rectify the situation. The visit involved an adviser coming on to the farm and looking at any watercourses, slurry and effluent control measures around the yard. Afterwards, they highlighted areas for improvement, if they were required. It’s one of a number of measures aimed at trying to improve the overall environment.

Some people involved in farm organisations are finding that out the hard way

Like most things in agriculture, it will take time for the results to filter through. That can be a challenge in a social media dominated world, where everyone expects instant results.

Society has evolved faster than many in farming have realised and social media is in the driver’s seat.

Some people involved in farm organisations are finding that out the hard way.

That instant demand for change makes for a difficult mix when it comes to farming. The nature of it is slow moving for the most part – many participants are conservative and slow to change until they need to. Financial incentives have acted as a catalyst for change in the past, but unfortunately the coming CAP expects farmers to do more from the same funds.

A proportion of the environmental work, such as hedge planting and maintenance, is very hands on.

How that will work for part-time farmers would be an area of concern I’d have, particularly those on more marginal land. Being asked to work harder physically for the same returns will certainly pose a challenge when it comes to succession, especially on farms where dairy isn’t an option. It’s something to factor in when it comes to going through the final details of what is expected of farmers.