I farm: “250ac of mostly leased land with my father, Tommy, in Corrandulla, Co Galway. We’ve a mixed farm with dairy, tillage and beef.”

Dairy: “We started milking in 2021. We have 40 cows, a mix of crossbred Holsteins and British Friesians for the higher yield and smaller cow. We have a 12-unit secondhand parlour. We had two great years to start. This year has been eye-opening with the costs and cut in price. We’re getting half the price now compared to last year. This is not a time to expand.”

Derogation: “We’re not in derogation but if we were to increase numbers it would have an impact.”

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Tillage: “We’ve a mix of winter barley (40ac), spring barley (40ac) and spring oats (40ac). Harvest was OK at the start. The winter barley was straightforward. The spring crops were smash and grab. We still have some oats to cut. We sell our grain to Flynn’s of Lackagh.”

Beef: “We keep all of our own bull calves and buy-in some to sell as stores. We AI all of our cows. We had all Friesian calves last year. This year we used all beef sires; Belgian Blues and Limousins.”

Weather: “The weather is a challenge, but it’s no different. We’re used to it. People are hung up about the weather. You have to take it when it comes, as it comes.”

Inputs: “Input costs aren’t coming back down and the diesel is having a big hit for the tillage farmer.”

Ploughing: “I’m competing in the intermediate conventional next week. I’ve been practising the last couple of weeks. I’m ploughing 25 years and won the junior A conventional class last year. Dad won it with the horses in 1994.”