Redefining the image of organic beef farming
Ken Gill, an organic suckler farmer and a participant in the Future Beef Programme, was posed an interesting question as part of the ‘Securing your future in beef farming forum’ at the recent BEEF2024 Open Day in Teagasc Grange – ‘Do you get a lot of interest from other farmers?’
Ken’s response was telling and it painted a clear picture on how perceptions on organic beef farming have changed, moving away from the images of old to an era of profit and technology focused organic beef farming, while still doing what’s best for the environment.
“They drive past, they are expecting to see the place full of weeds or expecting poorer quality cattle because that was the older image of what organics used to be. It very much isn’t the image anymore.
“There is no reason why organic cattle can’t be of the same quality as anyone else’s and within a slightly reduced [stocking] rate, you can still grow a lot of grass organically,” Ken told forum chair, Maeve Dineen.
Ken added: “It doesn’t have to be about producing more and more. It’s about producing as much as you can for as little as you can without doing any harm to the environment and that is something that I’ve always lived by here and it’s really working for me.”
Farming 90ha in near Clonbullogue, Co. Offaly and with 10 years’ of organic farming experience under his belt, Ken’s system centres on a herd of 65 autumn calving suckler cows, with all progeny brought to beef at two years of age.
The conversion to organics didn’t hinder Ken is his adoption of key technologies; in many ways, they have contributed to the development of a profitable and sustainable system. Paddocks have been installed, white clover is included in grazing mixtures, red clover silage forms the base of the winter store diet, heifers calve at 24 months of age, and 100% AI is used on the farm – all technologies to improve the profitability of a suckler beef system - whether organic or conventional.
In the below video, Ken shares key insights into his organic suckler farming system, while also identifying the area which provided him with the biggest return on investment:
Fear of the unknown and future plans
Sharing insights on his organic farming journey, Ken noted that the fear of the unknown was the primary barrier to overcome when making the switch from conventional farming, adding: “It was a leap into the dark” but “you’ve got to know your own place”.
He added: “If I knew then what I know now, I would have gone organic 10 years earlier. I haven’t regretted it at all.” Ken added.
Although happy with his system overall, Ken has further plans to perfect his system. A herd of 100% 5-star cows is one potential avenue, along with improved grassland management and the possibility of adding more tillage into his farming system.
Upcoming open day
Ken Gill will host a farm walk in Clonbullogue, Edenderry, Co. Offaly. Eircode: R45 HT67, on July 12 at 6:30pm.
The upcoming open day will focus on demonstrating profitable organic suckler beef farming. Topics to be covered on the day include: beef profits and organic payments; breeding strategy; birth to finishing performance; and red clover management. The event will also feature stands on organic farming, water quality, biodiversity, forestry and more.
In the below video, Ken previews the event:
For more information on Ken Gill’s Future Beef Programme Farm Walk, click here.