Dairy calf to beef: It’s good to talk
Discussion groups specific to dairy calf to beef farmers are now running in Teagasc regional units across the country. Teagasc DairyBeef 500 Advisor, Gordon Peppard tells us more in this article from Today’s Farm.
The membership of the new discussion groups comprises farmers within a fairly close geographical area who operate dairy calf to beef systems. They meet regularly (every one to two months) on a participant’s farm and typically have 10-15 members. The meetings are facilitated by the local Teagasc technical beef advisor in conjunction with a DairyBeef500 Campaign advisor. As with all discussion groups, the idea is to share first-hand experience and adopt new technologies.
What are the benefits?
Problem solving
As with most discussion groups, there is a range experience and knowledge present. Depending on the time of year, different technical topics arise. Challenges encountered by individual farmers have generally been experienced previously by their colleagues. Current topics are discussed by group members and Teagasc facilitators.
Information at the right time
The aim is greater efficiency, sustainability and profit. Hearing the details of new technologies from facilitators and or participating group members, allows individual farmers to complete tasks and adopt the technologies quicker.
A social network
Many farmers work on their own, sometimes in isolated parts of the country. When coupled with difficult weather conditions, poor market prices and other challenges, this can make farming a difficult occupation. Getting out of your own yard, sharing experiences, seeking solutions and realising that many others often face the exact same challenges can be reassuring.
Find out more about the Teagasc DairyBeef 500 Campaign here.
The above article first appeared in the September/October edition of Today’s Farm. Access the full publication here.
Also read: Expressions of interest welcomed for dairy-beef course
Diary date - Teagasc National Beef Conference
The Teagasc National Beef Conference 2024 takes place on Tuesday, 19 November at 5pm in the Landmark Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim, N41 N9W4.
The theme of the conference is 'Sustainable Beef Farming: Pathways to a greener future'