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Signpost Demonstration Farmers Cork East

Dairy farmers | Future Beef farmers | DairyBeef 500 farmers | Tillage farmers

Dairy Farmers

Tom O' Connell, Inniscara | Joe Morrissey, Rostellan | O'Riordan Family, Mourneabbey | Sean Moher, Mitchelstown | Tim Leader, Rathcoole, Mallow | Kearney Family, Rathcormac

Tom O'Connell. Gurteen, Inniscara 

Tom, a Dairygold supplier is farming 182Ha and is stocked at 206kg N/Ha. In 2021 he milked 320 cows. The EBI of the herd is €168 & the heifers are €188. Soil type is free draining. Facilities on the farm include a 36 unit rapid exit parlour, good housing and good grazing infrastructure throughout the farm.

Current farm update

Joe Morrissey, Rostellan

Joe, a Dairygold supplier is farms 66.4Ha with his Dad, Tom. They are stocked at 201 kg N/ha. In 2021 they milked 120 cows. The EBI of the herd is €166 & the heifers are €191. Joe started grass measuring in 2021. Soil type is grey/brown podzolic free draining loam. Facilities on the farm include a 12 unit parlour, good housing and good grazing infrastructure throughout the farm.

 Current farm update

Tim O'Riordan, Mourneabbey, Mallow

Tim farms 92.9Ha in partnership with his parents John and Breda. They are currently farming 92.9Ha. They are stocked at 162kg N/Ha. In 2021 they milked 121 cows. The EBI of the herd is €129 & the heifers are €164. Soil type is brown podzolic soil. Facilities on the farm include a 16 unit parlour, good housing and good grazing infrastructure throughout the farm.

Current farm update

Sean Moher, Croghmore, Mitchelstown

Sean has a dairy and calf to store enterprise on a 75.8Ha. He milks 89 cows and supplies DairygoldOverall stocking rate was 159kg organic N/Ha in 2020. EBI of the herd is €169 & the heifers are €189. Soil type is free draining loam. Facilities include a 14 unit parlour with cubicle space for 89 cows. Teagasc Advisor is Padraig McCormick.

Current farm update

Tim Leader, Glenleigh Upper, Rathcoole, Mallow

Tim milks 138 cows on 85.64Ha with help from his wife Mary, daugher Aoife, son John and a full time employee. Overall stocking rate was 184kg organic N/Ha in 2020. The EBI of the herd is €152 & the heifers are €184. Soil type is loam. Facilities on the farm include a 14 unit parlour with cubicle space for 156 cows. The paddock system has a central roadways and water supply to all paddocks. 

 Current farm update

Jack, Larry and Annette Kearney, Barnshash, Rathcormac

Jack and his parents Larry and Annette are farming 78Ha in Rathcormac, Co. Cork, of which 44Ha are owned. The calving interval is 376 days with a 91% six week calving rate.

Current farm update

Reseeding May 23 Jack Kearney Co Cork

Teagasc Tirlan Signpost Future farmer Jack Kearney, Rathcormack, Co Cork chats to Sandra Hayes Teagasc on how he incorporates white clover into his farm by reseeding at least 10% per year. This reseeding programme ensures that Jack increases the percentage of clover on the farm with the aim of reduces chemical fertiliser.

View Video Below

Teagasc Tirlan Signpost Monitor farmer Jack Kearney outlining importance of doing the 1st grass walk of 2023 and the decisions he makes from it.

View Video Below

Future Beef Farmers

Kay O'Sullivan, Mourneabbey | Ed Curtin, Newmarket | Ger McSweeney, Milstreet 

Kay O'Sullivan, Garrynagearagh, Mourneabbey, Mallow, Co. Cork

Kay O'Sullivan, Garrynagearagh, Mourneabbey, Mallow, Co. Cork

Kay farmed 34.83ha organic in 2021 with additional organic lands coming in to system in 2022. There is also 11.16ha forestry. Good Loamy type soil on farm. She runs a suckler to store/beef system along with a lowland ewe system. Farm stocked at 110kgs/Ha in 2020 (includes ewes). There are currently 25 cows, 11 heifers & 75 ewes. Selected paddocks are resseded each year. For the past 2 years herbs & chicory are also included in the mix. All farms building a relatively new. Excellent handling facilities. The plan is to improve grass production, animal performance & biodiversity.
Ed Curtin, Meelin, Newmarket, Co. Cork

Ed Curtin, Meelin, Newmarket, Co. Cork

Ed Curtin farms in partnership with his mother Breda near Meelin, Newmarket, Co. Cork.They are farming 45ha in total with 34ha at home and a further 11ha leased 25km away. The land at home moves from heavy loam into peat soils, while the leased farm is drier. Ed is a participant of the Hen harrier scheme on the home farm. The Curtin’s have 24 autumn calving suckler cows and use 100% A.I. All progeny except breeding heifers are sold for export at approx. 12 months. To increase stocking rate, Ed buys in 32 spring born dairy bred calves and brings them through to finish.

Ger McSweeney, Tooreenbawn, Milstreet, Co. Cork

Ger McSweeney, Tooreenbawn, Milstreet, Co. Cork

Ger farms full-time with his wife Karen & daughter Ella. He farms 25.31ha adjusted (38.6ha non-adjusted) in 4 blocks. Soil on the farm is a heavy mineral soil. He is stocked at 168kg N/ha on adjusted land area & 110kg N/ha on total land area. He runs a suckling to beef system consisting of 35 spring-calving suckler cows. Males are finished as under 16mth bull beef, while heifers not retained for breeding, are finished at 23-24mth. Ger's plan is to get to 40 suckler cows and to increase the efficiency on farm. Local Advisor is Aisling Molloy.