I farm: “With my father PJ and mother Fiona. We have about 67ac of summer land and about 120ac of winter ground. The winter ground would be a rougher rock area. It’s been in the family for generations.”
Sucklers: “We’re suckler farmers, running a mainly calf-to-weanling system. We sell the majority of the weanlings through Clare Marts, in Ennis or Kilfenora.”
Limousins: “We have two Limousin stock bulls and for cows would favour a Limousin cross out of the dairy herd. The cows need to have plenty of milk and be hardy, because they’re all outwintered. We have about 45 cows in total.”
Aoife with Limousin cattle on her family's farm in the Burren, Co Clare. The Forde's are one of the farm families taking part in the annual Burren Winterage cattle drive this year. \ Willie O'Reilly
Calving: “We have some cattle crushes and a slatted shed, but everything is calved outside. We have very little difficulty. The cows are fit from moving around all year and the calves have plenty of ventilation so we have very little disease.”
This week: “We’re hosting the annual Burren Winterage cattle drive. Every year, farmers in the Burren move cattle up the mountain, because the limestone absorbs the summer heat and gives a dry, warm lie-down for the cattle. It gives people the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of our ancestors and take part in a very special and unique community event.”
Environment: “Cows have gotten an awful lot of bad press recently, but they have shaped the Burren landscape and those flowers wouldn’t be there without them.”
Education: “I did Agricultural Science in Waterford IT and I’m now a Walsh Fellow, doing a Masters in Agriculture, Innovation and Support with UCD and Teagasc. I think it is important we find sustainable ways of supporting farmers in the Burren, because without the farmers there wouldn’t be a Burren.”
Quotable quote: “When I first went to WIT, the other students couldn’t get over the system we had in the Burren and would pull my leg that the cattle ate rocks.”
Registration kicks off at 11.30am on 27 October at Carron primary school for the annual Burren winterage walk hosted this year by Aoife Forde and her family.
I farm: “With my father PJ and mother Fiona. We have about 67ac of summer land and about 120ac of winter ground. The winter ground would be a rougher rock area. It’s been in the family for generations.”
Sucklers: “We’re suckler farmers, running a mainly calf-to-weanling system. We sell the majority of the weanlings through Clare Marts, in Ennis or Kilfenora.”
Limousins: “We have two Limousin stock bulls and for cows would favour a Limousin cross out of the dairy herd. The cows need to have plenty of milk and be hardy, because they’re all outwintered. We have about 45 cows in total.”
Aoife with Limousin cattle on her family's farm in the Burren, Co Clare. The Forde's are one of the farm families taking part in the annual Burren Winterage cattle drive this year. \ Willie O'Reilly
Calving: “We have some cattle crushes and a slatted shed, but everything is calved outside. We have very little difficulty. The cows are fit from moving around all year and the calves have plenty of ventilation so we have very little disease.”
This week: “We’re hosting the annual Burren Winterage cattle drive. Every year, farmers in the Burren move cattle up the mountain, because the limestone absorbs the summer heat and gives a dry, warm lie-down for the cattle. It gives people the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of our ancestors and take part in a very special and unique community event.”
Environment: “Cows have gotten an awful lot of bad press recently, but they have shaped the Burren landscape and those flowers wouldn’t be there without them.”
Education: “I did Agricultural Science in Waterford IT and I’m now a Walsh Fellow, doing a Masters in Agriculture, Innovation and Support with UCD and Teagasc. I think it is important we find sustainable ways of supporting farmers in the Burren, because without the farmers there wouldn’t be a Burren.”
Quotable quote: “When I first went to WIT, the other students couldn’t get over the system we had in the Burren and would pull my leg that the cattle ate rocks.”
Registration kicks off at 11.30am on 27 October at Carron primary school for the annual Burren winterage walk hosted this year by Aoife Forde and her family.
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