Cathal Moran's Teagasc/Glanbia Open Source Future Farm Walk
A farm walk with Cathal Moran, farmer participant in the Teagasc Glanbia Future Farm Programme took place on Friday, 1 October on his farm in Skeoughvasteen, Co. Kilkenny. See first-hand in a series of 8 mini-video clips how the day went and download the event proceeding here
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Cathal is a farmer participant in the Teagasc/Glanbia Future Farm Programme and is farming 177Ha in Co. Kilkenny. In 2019, he milked 328 cows with 100 replacement units. His plan is to increase this to 390 cows and near 100 replacement units. The calving interval is 367 days and the six week calving rate is 93%.
Topics discussed during the farm walk included:
- Carbon footprint explained
- Water quality
- Biodiversity
- Grass and cow performance update
- Animal Health
You can view the event proceeding here or watch the videos below to get an insight into the steps he is taking to reduce the carbon footprint on his farm.
Welcome
In this short clip, Richard O'Brien, Teagasc Kilkenny/Waterford gives an overview of the topics that will be discussed at the event.
Introduction to the Farm
In this clip, Cathal gives an overview of the farm operation and how he is using KPI's to reduce his carbon footprint.
Water quality
Cathal's farm is a typical nitrates scenario. He is reducing his dependency on chemical fertiliser by using clover & also more focus on soil fertility. TJ Phelan, Glanbia ASSAP & Deirdre Glynn, Teagasc ASSAP outline the steps Cathal is taking.
Biodiversity
10% of Cathal Morans farm is dedicated to habitats that are beneficial for biodiversity. In this short clip Aoife Leader, Teagasc tells us the steps Cathal is taking to protect natural habitats for nature on his farm.
Soil Fertility
One of the big aims on Cathal's farm has been to improve soil fertility and increase grass production. Michael Fitzgerald, Teagasc advisor runs through what Cathal has been doing to get optimum soil fertility.
Animal Health
In this short clip, Joris Somers, Glanbia Veterinary Advisor ran though the steps being taken on this farm to control animal health.
Carbon footprint
In this short clip, Jonathan Herron, Teagasc gives an overview of Cathal's carbon footprint. Cathal has adopted available mitigation strategies such as LESS, protected urea & use of EBI to improve milking performance & herd fertility
Living Proof
Living Proof is Glanbia Ireland's commitment to farming, food and the future. In this short clip, Thomas Ryan, Glanbia Sustainability Manager outlines what Living Proof consists of.