Siobhán Ryan,
University College Dublin
I am a 23-year-old beef farmer from St Mullins, Carlow, currently in my final year studying animal and crop production at University College Dublin.
I was brought up in farm life, surrounded by cattle, sheep and horses and have always had a deep-rooted love for agriculture.
It was clear from an early age that this was the path for me.
Our family runs a dairy calf-to-beef system, rearing 50 calves annually, which are sourced from neighbouring dairy farms.
The selection of breeds on the farm are Charolais, Belgian Blue, Angus, Hereford and Simmental. The farm also runs hand in hand with our proud family business JML Plant Hire, which complements our system well.
Over the last year, I have also developed an interest in dairy farming and I began milking for a local farmer.
I travelled to Idaho, USA for an eight-week placement to Donley Farm, where I learned about their 700-head beef herd and 1,000-strong dairy herd with 85% of the cows being Holsteins and 15% of the herd being Jerseys.
The cow shed on the Donley Farm.
Goal
It had always been a goal of mine to gain farming experience outside of Ireland, and this opportunity has given me a fresh perspective on how systems abroad operate.
The dairy enterprise was particularly interesting, being an indoor system milking 800 cows twice daily, in a 14-unit herringbone parlour, with all year round calving with roughly 56 calves per month. I was eager to learn how such a large-scale farm is managed.
Placement has, without a doubt, been the highlight of my college years. Each experience brought something new, and no two placements were the same. I was fortunate to gain hands-on experience across a wide range of agricultural sectors here in Ireland.
My time in Idaho was the standout moment of my placement journey.
It opened my eyes to the scale, systems, and mindset of farming abroad, and gave me a new perspective on how American agriculture is compared to Irish agriculture.
I trained with some of the very best at Donley’s, where I had the opportunity to learn advanced skills such as AI and herd health.
Travelling to the US really pushed me to think differently.
Seeing the large-scale and efficiency of there gave me a whole new appreciation for how innovative farmers can be.
Siobhán Ryan outside Donley Farm.
It also made me realise how important it is to be open-minded, continuously learn, and not to be afraid to ask questions.
The biggest takeaway is that no matter where you are in the world, farming is built on hard work and passion.
After completing my placement, I am returning to college with so much more knowledge on agriculture, both at home and abroad. I have learned hands-on skills like health management and crop planning.
Siobhán Ryan,
University College Dublin
I am a 23-year-old beef farmer from St Mullins, Carlow, currently in my final year studying animal and crop production at University College Dublin.
I was brought up in farm life, surrounded by cattle, sheep and horses and have always had a deep-rooted love for agriculture.
It was clear from an early age that this was the path for me.
Our family runs a dairy calf-to-beef system, rearing 50 calves annually, which are sourced from neighbouring dairy farms.
The selection of breeds on the farm are Charolais, Belgian Blue, Angus, Hereford and Simmental. The farm also runs hand in hand with our proud family business JML Plant Hire, which complements our system well.
Over the last year, I have also developed an interest in dairy farming and I began milking for a local farmer.
I travelled to Idaho, USA for an eight-week placement to Donley Farm, where I learned about their 700-head beef herd and 1,000-strong dairy herd with 85% of the cows being Holsteins and 15% of the herd being Jerseys.
The cow shed on the Donley Farm.
Goal
It had always been a goal of mine to gain farming experience outside of Ireland, and this opportunity has given me a fresh perspective on how systems abroad operate.
The dairy enterprise was particularly interesting, being an indoor system milking 800 cows twice daily, in a 14-unit herringbone parlour, with all year round calving with roughly 56 calves per month. I was eager to learn how such a large-scale farm is managed.
Placement has, without a doubt, been the highlight of my college years. Each experience brought something new, and no two placements were the same. I was fortunate to gain hands-on experience across a wide range of agricultural sectors here in Ireland.
My time in Idaho was the standout moment of my placement journey.
It opened my eyes to the scale, systems, and mindset of farming abroad, and gave me a new perspective on how American agriculture is compared to Irish agriculture.
I trained with some of the very best at Donley’s, where I had the opportunity to learn advanced skills such as AI and herd health.
Travelling to the US really pushed me to think differently.
Seeing the large-scale and efficiency of there gave me a whole new appreciation for how innovative farmers can be.
Siobhán Ryan outside Donley Farm.
It also made me realise how important it is to be open-minded, continuously learn, and not to be afraid to ask questions.
The biggest takeaway is that no matter where you are in the world, farming is built on hard work and passion.
After completing my placement, I am returning to college with so much more knowledge on agriculture, both at home and abroad. I have learned hands-on skills like health management and crop planning.
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