Championing environmental sustainability – what set the Walsh family apart

John and Brendan Walsh, a father and son dairy farming duo from Ballylooby, Co. Tipperary, were crowned the overall winners of the Teagasc/FBD Environmental Sustainability Awards earlier this week.

In this article, Signpost Programme Communications and Engagement Specialist at Teagasc, Dr Siobhán Kavanagh identifies four key reasons why the Walsh family won the overall Teagasc/FBD Environmental Sustainability Award 2024.

1). Efficiency and profitability

Sustainability is a three-legged stool, and a sustainable farming business needs the three key elements of economic, environmental and social sustainability working in tandem. Ticking the economic sustainability box through their efficient and profitable farm, John and Brendan milk a herd of 165 cows on a milking platform of 63ha, with the overall grassland area stretching to 107ha.

No doubt aiding the delivery of a profitable dairy farming system is the Walshs’ focus on breeding – prioritising the use of the Economic Breeding Index (EBI) and sexed semen when breeding the next generation of cows and furthering the benefits being witnessed on the ground from their herd average EBI of €245. The farm’s breeding policy also encapsulates a key element of social sustainability, as once sufficient sexed dairy AI has been used to meet heifer requirements, they switch to high Dairy Beef Index sires to deliver animals with a high Commercial Beef Value for sale.

This breeding policy, along with the Walshs’ resolute commitment to grassland management, which we will delve into deeper below, resulted in the production of 503kg of milk solids per cow in 2023, achieved from an average concentrate input of 750kg per cow. Such a level of performance not only had benefits for the farm’s coffers – achieving a gross margin of 51.18c/L in 2023, with variable costs at 20.73c/L - but it provided environmental benefits as well, namely the carbon footprint of the milk produced. Per kilogram of fat and protein corrected milk - the functional unit used for carbon foot printing dairy output – the Walshs’ carbon footprint is 0.81 kg CO₂eq/kg FPCM, while total emissions is 1,011 tonnes CO₂eq on the farm.

2). Reduced chemical nitrogen usage

Farmers nationally are being tasked with reducing chemical nitrogen (N) input while, at the same time, still maintaining sufficient pasture production to meet the grazing and silage needs of their herds.

John and Brendan’s approach to this really stood out to the judges of the Teagasc/FBD Environmental Sustainability Awards. Not only have they reduced chemical nitrogen use by 48% since 2020, they have maintained grass production. On-farm chemical N use has been reduced from 220kg N/ha in 2020 to 115kg N/ha in 2023. At the same time, the farm produced 14.9 tonnes of grass DM/ha in 2023, demonstrating that a reduction in chemical N use can be achieved while still maintaining or increasing output. 

Brendan is most proud of this achievement, which has also generated benefits in terms of nitrogen use efficiency. Nitrogen use efficiency, an indicator used to highlight the proportion of N retained in the farm system, was 45% in 2023, compared to a national average of 27.7% in 2022. 

John and Brendan’s steps to reducing chemical N use:

• Optimising soil fertility - 65% of soils are optimum for pH, phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), with 82% optimum for pH, 89% with Index 3 or greater for P and 84% Index 3 or greater for K.
• Extensively incorporating clover into the farm system over the past 5-6 years. 65% of the grazing platform now has a high or medium clover content, with the majority incorporated from reseeding. Red clover has also been incorporated into the silage swards. The fertiliser regime for white clover swards is:
  • Paddocks with good clover - zero chemical N; slurry/parlour washings to provide the P, K and sulphur (S) requirement + chemical K + S where needed;
  • Paddocks with some clover - 60-80kg N/ha of nitrogen applied until late March/April;
  • Grass-only swards receive 220-230kg N/ha;
• Making better use of slurry – slurry is analysed and targeted to specific paddocks using LESS equipment. It is targeted in the right place, at the right time, at the right rate.
• Reducing waste – GPS is used on the farm to increase the accuracy of spreading for chemical fertiliser and slurry. Buffer zones are also used to ensure fertiliser is applied where most benefit can be achieved and to protect water quality. 
• Some 87% of chemical N was applied as protected urea in 2023; having soil fertility right has allowed the Walshs to do this.

3). Extensive focus on biodiversity over many years 

There has been an emphasis on biodiversity from Brendan’s grandfather’s time. Topped hedges are managed differently now, being allowed to grow up and out. John does the hedge trimming himself so that he can get it right.  A whitethorn is allowed grow up every 50m in each hedge. 

There are groves of trees dotted around the farm, including a 3ha forestry block which is gradually being converted from spruce into natives, including oak and alder.  They plant trees every year on the farm.  There are barn owls and herrons nesting on the farm and recently they spotted a curlew.  Brendan suggests: “That’s a good indication that they are encouraging biodiversity on the farm”. 

Maria, John and Brendan Walsh pictured receiving the inaugural Teagasc/FBD Environmental Sustainability Award.

4). Nitrogen surplus

Nitrogen surplus is the nitrogen left over after producing grass and milk, and it’s the nitrogen that potentially could leach into watercourses. John and Brendan have managed to lower this figure considerably by carefully reducing reliance on chemical N, but only when all the building blocks outlined above were in place. The nitrogen surplus on the farm is 80kg N/ha. The lower this is, the better. According to the Teagasc National Farm Survey data, the average nitrogen surplus in Ireland in 2022 was 158.6kg N/ha.

Along with having a lower nitrogen use efficiency, other elements in play on the farm to protect water quality are: extensive buffer zones along waterways and the use of GPS technology to reduce the risk when spreading fertiliser and slurry; and 15% surplus slurry storage, giving John and Brendan the flexibility to spread slurry when they can get the best value from it.

For more insights on the Walshs' farming system, watch the video below:

Take homes

The Walshs are a family with a plan and through its execution, they have developed a sustainable dairy farming business. Like so many of the other 16 finalists in the Teagasc/FBD Environmental Sustainability Awards, they are willing to share their learnings in order to promote and protect the future of farming in Ireland.  For other farmers embarking on such a journey, their key message resonates: “Try something and try it small” – starting with small steps before rolling it out across your farm. “Try everything, but don’t be afraid to fail,” John added, with Brendan suggesting: “Surround yourself with good advice from Teagasc and other farmers. Speak to those that are positive.”

Find out more about the Teagasc/FBD Sustainability Awards here.