FTMTA member, Zero Grazer, has provided a zero-grazing machine on demo to Gurteen College to aid with preparations for the FTMTA Grass & Muck event to be held at the college on 17 May.

Gurteen College runs the largest agricultural college farm in the country and farms close to 1,000 acres. Even on an operation of that size, the allocation of the large area required to host FTMTA Grass & Muck which this year encompasses in excess of 100 acres in the demonstration and exhibition areas alone is not without challenges.

The dairy herd at Gurteen has grown substantially in recent years and the college is pleased to have the use of the Zero Grazer to meet its fodder requirements using grass from land that it is not practical to graze directly. This facility is especially welcome this year due to the difficulties nationwide in relation to fodder.

In excess of 120 firms, including many major international and Irish farm machinery manufacturers, will exhibit in one way or another at the event. There will be demonstrations throughout the day in the grass harvesting, reseeding, silage pit, slurry spreading and farmyard manure spreading areas. A large trade village area featuring numerous exhibitors will be located in a central position on the site.

Approximately 40 of the exhibitors will be active in one or other of the demonstration areas. Demonstrations of various types and brands of silage making equipment will be conducted by more than 20 firms on in excess of 100 acres of grass with a number of loader brands demonstrating at the silage pit.

There will also be a number of exhibitors demonstrating a variety of slurry and dung spreading equipment on grass ground with a number of other firms demonstrating reseeding equipment on a plot of tilled ground.

Online tickets sales are available from a link via the FTMTA website at www.ftmta.ie . FTMTA encourage all visitors to avail of the savings offered with the online tickets available at €15 each until the Friday prior to the event, May 11th, which is a saving of €5 on the price after that date and on the day.