I farm: “Organically in Mourneabbey, north Cork. I have sucklers and sheep, and tillage the odd year. The farm is self-sufficient, everything is produced inside the farm gate, there is no ration purchased in.”
Organics: “I’m farming organically for the last almost 17 years now. I started looking at organics in 2008. I was a pedigree sheep breeder at the time and costs were very high. Organics appealed to me, but it was another 12 months before I decided to go down that road.”
Sucklers: “The main breed of cow here is Angus. It’s 100% AI, a completely closed herd. I breed heifers at 24 months. When I’m selecting sires, I base them on carcase weight, daughter’s milk, docility and calving ease. The cows start calving at the end of February into mid-April, around a six-week calving season.”
Beef: “The cattle finish off a grass-based system, there is no meal fed on the farm. They are outwintered on redstart, a cross between kale and red. They have red clover silage and multispecies silage. This would have a [dry matter digestibility] of 75% plus, with protein close to 19%. I will be finishing cattle between 16 and 18 months this year.”
Sheep: “I have a small number of sheep. When I converted to organics, the pedigree sheep had to be sold, but I retained a flock of commercial ewes. The ram is the only animal purchased in. It is also a closed herd. Sheep lamb at the end of January, early February.”
Drought: “Grass performed poorly this year. I saw it in 2018. That year I grew a small amount of multispecies, and I was sorry I didn’t grow more of it. It performed brilliantly. For me, it is the plant that keeps giving.
Awards: “I won the EU organic female award for 2026 in Brussels on Wednesday morning. I’m a bit stunned to receive it. It’s brilliant for female farmers, it’s brilliant for the organic sector.”
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