Five farmers made the cut for Joe Schmidt’s rugby world cup team, with Angus cattle farmer Rory Best captaining the squad in Japan over the coming weeks.
Also in the mix is Wexford farmer Tadhg Furlong and dairy farmers CJ Stander and John Ryan. Rob Kearney is also still in the mix, hailing from a farm in Louth.
Speaking of Best, I see he has teamed up with Herdwatch to simplify everyday tasks on his farm. I also spotted that former Irish rugby stalwart and farmer, John ‘Bull’ Hayes is to become a brand ambassador for IFA telecom.
In between the usual cups of tae and ham sandwiches at the Ploughing this year in the media tent, The Dealer spotted some very exotic fare – vegan sandwiches with humus and falafel, no less. I thought I might have to get out a crucifix to stave off the offer of almond juice instead of real milk in my mug of tea.
Ploughing queen Anna Marie McHugh once famously called vegan adoptees “snowflakes”, but even snowflakes have money to spend at the Ploughing.
Almond and soya milk.
What happened to the Young Farmer of the Year?
It struck The Dealer recently that the 2019 Young Farmer of the Year should have been unveiled by now.
The competition is usually done and dusted before the Ploughing.
Macra assures me that the competition is going ahead, it has just been moved back a bit on the calendar due to a few “logistical issues”.
No date has been finalised yet, but I hear the plan is to make it a big affair this year to coincide with Macra’s 75th anniversary celebrations.
I am assured it has nothing to do with the departure of a few key staff over the last number of months.
Incidentally, I hear that Jennifer Keegan is leaving her role as ag-policy officer to take up a position with Quinns of Baltinglass.
October deadline for Ornua five
I understand that five members of the Ornua board have been flashed with the “black” card – asked to step down, but someone else can take their position by 25 October.
The five members are Dairygold chair John O’Gorman, Dairygold boss Jim Woulfe, Glanbia chair Martin Keane, Glanbia chief executive Jim Bergin and Lakeland’s Michael Hanley.
Like the rolling Brexit deadlines, the Ornua exit deadline may change but, as it stands, all five have been informed in writing that Friday 25 October is the deadline for new board representatives from each of their respective companies.
I’m sure all three are arguing that other members are also conflicted (trading inside and outside Ornua).
I understand that the consensus seems to be that the unlisted PLC model floated by Dairygold is not going to succeed, however. The wait goes on for an alternative proposal.
ICOS, I’m told, is working hard on options. The last thing dairy farmers need is fractured dairy marketing outside of Ireland. It’s bad enough some of the other agri sectors are doing that.
Ploughing a long way from the ploughing
There is always something that becomes a focus of disgruntlement at the Ploughing. Some years it’s the traffic, some years it’s the car parks and in other years it’s the weather. With the sun shining and access superb, there seems nothing to complain about this year.
But wait. Some people are remarking on the distance from the exhibition area to the actual ploughing events. “It’s a second commute,” one farmer said. “You’d want to bring a drone or hire a quad,” said another.
Land
It’s understood the journey is worthwhile, as the competition site is excellent land in good heart, making for superb ploughing.
Firefighters dodge semen projectiles
I hear firefighters in had a torrid time fighting a huge fire at a cattle breeding facility in Australia.
Apparently at least 100 cylinders containing bull semen were destroyed in the blaze at Yarram Herd Services in Gippsland, Victoria.
Fire crews had to be careful of “projectiles” coming
at them while they tackled
the blaze, according to Newsweek.
“The liquid inside the cylinders was rapidly expanding and essentially the lids of the cryogenic cylinders were just popping off the top and projectiles were being thrown from the building,” a firecrew boss told ABC.
No serious injuries or pregnancies were reported.
Five farmers made the cut for Joe Schmidt’s rugby world cup team, with Angus cattle farmer Rory Best captaining the squad in Japan over the coming weeks.
Also in the mix is Wexford farmer Tadhg Furlong and dairy farmers CJ Stander and John Ryan. Rob Kearney is also still in the mix, hailing from a farm in Louth.
Speaking of Best, I see he has teamed up with Herdwatch to simplify everyday tasks on his farm. I also spotted that former Irish rugby stalwart and farmer, John ‘Bull’ Hayes is to become a brand ambassador for IFA telecom.
In between the usual cups of tae and ham sandwiches at the Ploughing this year in the media tent, The Dealer spotted some very exotic fare – vegan sandwiches with humus and falafel, no less. I thought I might have to get out a crucifix to stave off the offer of almond juice instead of real milk in my mug of tea.
Ploughing queen Anna Marie McHugh once famously called vegan adoptees “snowflakes”, but even snowflakes have money to spend at the Ploughing.
Almond and soya milk.
What happened to the Young Farmer of the Year?
It struck The Dealer recently that the 2019 Young Farmer of the Year should have been unveiled by now.
The competition is usually done and dusted before the Ploughing.
Macra assures me that the competition is going ahead, it has just been moved back a bit on the calendar due to a few “logistical issues”.
No date has been finalised yet, but I hear the plan is to make it a big affair this year to coincide with Macra’s 75th anniversary celebrations.
I am assured it has nothing to do with the departure of a few key staff over the last number of months.
Incidentally, I hear that Jennifer Keegan is leaving her role as ag-policy officer to take up a position with Quinns of Baltinglass.
October deadline for Ornua five
I understand that five members of the Ornua board have been flashed with the “black” card – asked to step down, but someone else can take their position by 25 October.
The five members are Dairygold chair John O’Gorman, Dairygold boss Jim Woulfe, Glanbia chair Martin Keane, Glanbia chief executive Jim Bergin and Lakeland’s Michael Hanley.
Like the rolling Brexit deadlines, the Ornua exit deadline may change but, as it stands, all five have been informed in writing that Friday 25 October is the deadline for new board representatives from each of their respective companies.
I’m sure all three are arguing that other members are also conflicted (trading inside and outside Ornua).
I understand that the consensus seems to be that the unlisted PLC model floated by Dairygold is not going to succeed, however. The wait goes on for an alternative proposal.
ICOS, I’m told, is working hard on options. The last thing dairy farmers need is fractured dairy marketing outside of Ireland. It’s bad enough some of the other agri sectors are doing that.
Ploughing a long way from the ploughing
There is always something that becomes a focus of disgruntlement at the Ploughing. Some years it’s the traffic, some years it’s the car parks and in other years it’s the weather. With the sun shining and access superb, there seems nothing to complain about this year.
But wait. Some people are remarking on the distance from the exhibition area to the actual ploughing events. “It’s a second commute,” one farmer said. “You’d want to bring a drone or hire a quad,” said another.
Land
It’s understood the journey is worthwhile, as the competition site is excellent land in good heart, making for superb ploughing.
Firefighters dodge semen projectiles
I hear firefighters in had a torrid time fighting a huge fire at a cattle breeding facility in Australia.
Apparently at least 100 cylinders containing bull semen were destroyed in the blaze at Yarram Herd Services in Gippsland, Victoria.
Fire crews had to be careful of “projectiles” coming
at them while they tackled
the blaze, according to Newsweek.
“The liquid inside the cylinders was rapidly expanding and essentially the lids of the cryogenic cylinders were just popping off the top and projectiles were being thrown from the building,” a firecrew boss told ABC.
No serious injuries or pregnancies were reported.
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