Environmentally Sustainable Farmer of the Year 2024
Overall and Dairy Enterprise Winner
John & Brendan Walsh (Dairy)
About
John and Brendan Walsh are dairy farming in Ballylooby, Co. Tipperary.
Currently 65% of the farm contains clover with some paddocks receiving no chemical fertiliser in the last two years. Chemical N use has been reduced and GPS equipment is used to reduce waste.
Hedgerows are managed to allow individual white thorn trees to grow up.
John & Brendan are also using buffer zones to protect water quality.
Key Farm Actions:
- Reducing chemical N
- Growing clover
- Allowing hedgerows to grow for wildlife habitat and carbon sequestration
- Established required buffer zones
Dairy Beef Enterprise Winner
Aidan Maguire (Dairy Beef)
About
Aidan Maguire is dairy beef farming in partnership with his son Luke near Navan, Co. Meath.
Aidan has built a relationship with his calf suppliers and has a significant input into the bull choice for the dairy herds he works with, ensuring top quality calves.
The incorporation of red clover silage on the farm has been very successful with high yields and quality silage produced, helping to reduce age at slaughter.
Key Farm Actions:
- Reducing age at slaughter
- Incorporation of red clover silage
View a video of Aidan at the link below
Suckler Beef Winner
Shane Keaveney (Suckler Beef)
About
Shane Keaveney is operating a suckler farm near Castlerea, Co. Roscommon.
He has switched to 100% protected urea where soil indices permit, and 18-6-12 fertiliser where the indices need enhancing.
Heifers are calved at 24 months on the farm.
Shane has used the ASSAP service to generate a plan for protecting the waterways on his heavy farm and has implemented actions including buffer zones, bunding the dungstead, bunding at field level and riparian margins in critical areas.
Key Farm Actions:
- Using NBPT protected urea
- Improving breeding performance
- Established required buffer zones
A video of Shane can be viewed at the link below
Sheep Enterprise Winner
Brian Nicholson (Sheep)
About
Brian Nicholson is a sheep farmer, farming near Johnstown, Co. Kilkenny.
Brian's farm is part organic. Brian has done extensive work on the farm to improve soil fertility with 41 % of soils optimum for pH, P & K.
He is also incorporating agroforestry into the farm system to protect water quality and provide an additional income stream.
Key Farm Actions:
- Improving soil fertility
- Plans to incorporate agroforestry
A video of Brian can be viewed at the link below
Tillage Enterprise Winner
Tom Barry (Tillage)
About
Tom and Cathy Barry live in Killavullen, Co. Cork where they run a tillage farm.
Tom has specialised in replacing artificial fertiliser on crops with pig and dairy slurries, particularly in springtime onto growing crops for better N use efficiency, which has improved the soil fertility and reduced artificial fertiliser use by 50%.
Tom also grows a sizable area of winter beans in rotation, which have a zero N requirement.
There is an emphasis on soil health on this farm with the spade regularly used to check the status of the soils.
Key Farm Actions:
- Making better use of manures
- Growing legume crops
- Maintaining soil health
A video of Tom can be viewed at the link below
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Category Winner
Edwin Thompson (Dairy)
About
Edwin Thompson is dairy farming near Golden in Co. Tipperary.
Edwin has reduced chemical N use by up to 40% in the last few years through good soil fertility, incorporation of clover (74% of milking platform is medium and high clover) and better use of slurry.
High DBI bulls are used on the cows to ensure good quality calves for sale to the beef farmer.
Key Farm Actions:
- Reducing chemical N
- Growing clover
- Making better use of slurry
- Improved dairy beef genetics through high DBI bulls
A video of Edwin can be viewed at the link below
Enhancing Biodiversity Category Winner
Ken Gill (Suckler Beef)
About
Ken Gill's organic suckler farm near Edenderry, Co. Offaly is an example of a technically efficient farm while also looking after the environment.
Ken puts an emphasis on the Signpost 12 steps to improve technical efficiency on the farm while also reducing GHG emissions. He is managing hedgerows to grow up and out to maximise biodiversity and carbon sequestration potential while also managing rotation to help maintain soil biodiversity.
Ken has a large semi-natural woodland along with a newly planted native woodland. This is an oak woodland managed for natural regeneration after thinning.
Key Farm Actions:
- Following the Signpost 12 steps to improve technical efficiency
- Managing hedgerows and woodlands for biodiversity and soil health
View a video of Ken at the link below
Improving Water Quality Category Winner
Martin Crowe (Dairy)
About
Martin Crowe is dairy farming in Doon, Co. Limerick.
Martin participated in the Mulkear water EIP in recent years and with the funding provided, he has since implemented a number of actions to improve water quality, including bunded drains and riparian margins.
Other measures taken include increased slurry storage, creation of a wetland pond and lowering N surplus/ha on fields at risk for nitrate leaching.
Martin has also established a number of new hedgerows on the farm.
Key Farm Actions:
- Established required buffer zones
- Bunded drains
- Increased slurry storage
- Reducing chemical N
A video of Martin can be viewed at the link below
Improving Soil Health and Carbon Category Winner
James O'Keeffe (Tillage)
About
James O'Keeffe is an organic tillage farm operating near Kells, Co. Meath.
James is growing and marketing Miscanthus as an alternative animal bedding source. He installed a large 49kw PV array in 2023 to produce renewable energy for self-use and for sale to the grid.
A bespoke FYM slab was constructed in 2023 to store compost imported FYM on.
James is managing soil health through the application of FYM, straw incorporation, use of short leys, cover crops/sheep grazing, and diverse rotations.
Key Farm Actions:
- Growing and marketing Miscanthus as an alternative animal bedding source
- Producing renewable energy
- Enhancing soil health
A video of James can be viewed at the link below
Other Finalists
Alan & Cheryl Poole (Dairy)
About
Cheryl and Alan Poole are dairy farming near Gorey in Co. Wexford.
While operating an efficient dairy unit, the Pooles' have allowed hedgerows to grow up and out on the farm providing shelter and food for wildlife and increased carbon sequestration potential.
The Pooles' also have conservation programmes on the farm helping to protect the swift, sand martin and other species.
Key Farm Actions:
- Allowing hedgerows to grow for wildlife habitat and carbon sequestration
- Running conservation programmes for species protection
View a video of Alan & Cheryl at the link below
Blatnaid Gallagher (Sheep)
About
Blatnaid Gallagher is organic sheep farming near Ballinasloe, Co. Galway.
Blatnaid has the diversified the farm in East Galway into social farming, wool and lamb production. She is also passionate about the preservation of Galway sheep and is currently working on setting up a lamb producer group.
Key Farm Actions:
- Diversifying into social farming, wool, and lamb production.
Preserving Galway sheep and establishing a lamb producer group
A video of Blátnaid can be viewed at the link below
Eamon & Donnchadh McCarthy (Suckler Beef)
About
Eamon and Donnchadh McCarthy farm in partnership in West Waterford while also working off farm.
Good breeding management in their suckler herd has helped reduce age at slaughter on the farm while increasing carcass weight.
A liming programme has increased grass yields in recent years without an additional increase in chemical N use.
Key Farm Actions:
- Reducing age at slaughter
- Use of lime
A video of Eamon & Donnchadh can be viewed at the link below
John Murphy (Dairy Beef)
About
John Murphy operates a dairy beef unit at Aghabullogue, Co. Cork.
John sources all his calves locally and direct from local dairy farmers. He is using the CBV when buying calves to ensure good genetics.
Steers are finished at 21-22 months and heifers at 19 months, achieved through good breeding, grassland management, herd health planning and producing high quality silage.
Key Farm Actions:
- Improving calf quality
- Reducing age at slaughter
- Producing top quality silage
View a video of John at the link below
Michael McGuigan (Suckler Beef)
About
Michael McGuigan established a suckler beef farm near Longwood, Co. Meath, 7 years ago.
Michael is using 100% AI and sexed semen to improve the genetics of the herd to maximise daily live weight gain and reduce age at slaughter.
Michael is measuring grass and records on PastureBase with 42 walks per year on a paddock system helping to maximise grass utilised.
Key Farm Actions:
- Improving beef genetics
- Reducing age at slaughter
- Better grassland management
View a video of Michael at the link below
Richard Starrett (Dairy)
About
Richard Starrett is dairy farming near Lifford, Co. Donegal.
All straight chemical N applied on the farm is protected urea.
Richard has invested in extra slurry storage to give him the flexibility to use slurry when he can get the best value from it and protect the water courses on the farm.
Richard also breeds high EBI animals to improve his herd quality.
Key Farm Actions:
- Using NBPT protected urea
- Increased slurry storage
- Improved herd quality
A video of Richard can be viewed at the link below
Shane Fitzgerald (Dairy)
About
Shane Fitzgerald is dairy farming with his fiancée Kate and father John in Portlaw, Co. Waterford.
Shane has reduced chemical N use, created riparian buffer zones and a road sweeper to help maintain water quality.
Shane has also used methane reducing feeding additives to reduce methane emissions in his dry cows.
Key Farm Actions:
- Reducing chemical N
- Established required buffer zones
- Use of methane reducing feed additives
View a video of Shane at the link below