Beef 2022 is Supporting sustainable beef farming
Come along to the Beef2022 open day at Teagasc Grange on July 5th and meet Teagasc specialists, researchers and advisors who will provide you with all the latest on all things Beef. Paul Crosson, Head of Beef Enterprise and Pearse Kelly, Head of Teagasc Drystock Knowledge Transfer outline more here
The theme of BEEF2022 is ‘Supporting Sustainable Beef Farming’.
Best practice and latest research findings in relation to grazing management, animal nutrition, beef genetics, reproductive management, animal health and farm planning are the main focus.
Key questions to be addressed include:
- What is the most suitable beef production system for you and your farm?
- What are the key performance targets for efficient beef systems?
- How do you meet these performance targets?
- How can beef farmers farm profitability in the context of extreme price volatility?
Technology Villages
The core technologies and management practices for efficient beef farms will be covered within ‘Technology Villages’. These will include:
- Environment, including Signpost Farms: An overview of the pathways to carbon neutrality and broader aspects of environmentally sustainable beef farm systems.
- Sustainable grassland: Latest research and best practice in grassland management.
- Suckling systems: Including participants from the ‘Future Beef Programme’ and updates from the Derrypatrick and Newford Herds.
- Dairy-beef systems: The Grange dairy-beef systems experiment, the ‘DairyBeef 500 Campaign’ and key elements of successful dairy calf-tobeef systems.
- Growing and finishing cattle village: Grass-based and indoor finishing systems, including nutrition, genetics and health.
- Meat quality: Including a large presence from Bord Bia highlighting the importance of grass-fed beef and Quality Assurance as unique selling points for international customers.
- Advisory and education: An overview of the pathways for a career in agriculture, issues around succession and inheritance and the implications of policy reform.
- Farming lifestyle: Beef farms are overwhelmingly family farm business and therefore health and safety and achieving a good work-life balance is critical.
Live displays
There will be live displays in relation to low emissions slurry application, grazing management and health and safety throughout the day. Livestock from various suckler and dairy-beef studies at Grange will be on display.
Workshops
There will also be workshops on calf rearing, anti-microbial and anthelmintic resistance, drafting cattle for slaughter and two-year-old calving. In the afternoon, there will be a forum on the sustainability of Irish beef farming.
Irish beef is known globally for its high standard of production and nutritional benefits. It is predominantly grass-fed, pastureraised and fully traceable from farm to fork. Irish beef has a very low carbon footprint and farms are audited every 18 months, with the aim of lowering it further.
Family-run beef farms are the backbone of rural communities in Ireland. In the afternoon, a panel of experts will address these credentials. BEEF2022 is your opportunity to see first-hand the results of Teagasc’s comprehensive research an innovation programme and to meet Teagasc research, advisory and education staff. We look forward to meeting you on Tuesday 5 July
BEEF2022 on Tuesday 5th July in Teagasc Grange is a free event and is a day not to be missed.
Further information www.teagasc.ie/beef2022
This article was first published in Today's Farm - May/June 2022 where you can read more articles like this one.