Next week the overall winner of the NDC/Kerrygold quality milk awards will be announced. I had the pleasure of travelling with Professor Patrick Wall and Dr David Gleeson the length and breadth of the country during July to meet the farmers and walk the land they work on.

This year the standard once again has moved to a new level as farmers adopt new technology, new science, and new advice. When you stand back and see some of the changes from what was common practice and best advice only a few short years ago one can get a sense of how quickly farming evolves.

Some farmers are only using antibiotics on 10% of cows at drying off, some are using 60% to 70% protected urea, some are getting close to optimising soil nutrients so that only a very small percentage of the area farmed is below optimal soil fertility. Herd EBIs are ranking in the top 10% in the country, quality AI-bred replacements are entering herds, clover is more and more front and centre compared to a short few years ago.

The pace of change has to be admired and this is before we talk about the investment on these farms to better manage nutrients. Year after year most contestants had increased slurry storage and collected more and more nutrient run-off to recycle so they could reduce dependence on purchased inputs.

On all farms the level of infrastructural investment was detailed year by year as farms evolve to manage increased stock numbers. Clear evidence of better-quality milking facilities on all farms to make dairy farming more socially acceptable and labour friendly.

The industry gets a hard time from those who think milk comes from a supermarket. Often they know little about the hard work, dedication, attention to detail and monetary and personal investment that goes into running a dairy farm.

Farmers and how they farm has constantly evolved. They haven’t always got it right and some still disrespect the resources they have on the farm. However, the majority are quickly coming to realise the mistakes of the past and how consumers and non-farmers view a changing world.

Farmers aren’t all to blame and often our own Irish farming policies developed by the Department of Agriculture have sent the wrong signals about what is right and wrong. Scrub and quality space for nature was once deemed ineligible and area-based payments could not be claimed on it. Now it’s the most valuable space on farms. It’s all about balance and sustainability must come in commercial, environmental and social forms to make a valuable contribution to Irish dairy farms and the industry. Well done to all for getting this far. For many it is the pinnacle of a long and dedicated journey.