David Mitchell

Address: Shantonagh, Castleblaney, Co. Monaghan

Farm Size: 51 ha – 6 ha of which is leased

Farming system: 43 cows, finishing all stock on farm, steers at 26 months and heifers at 20-22 months

Farm Plan: David is aiming for a €1000/ha gross margin. David generally achieves a 320kg carcass on heifers and a 400 kg carcass on his steers. Most of the liveweight gain on his stock is from grass with the expensive indoor finishing period kept to a minimum. David plans to improve his grassland management skills by measuring weekly, incorporating more paddocks and reseeding a percentage of his land annually. Output will be driven up by rising stocking rate but at a cautious level given the heavy nature of the land in the area and susceptibility to long winters.