Teagasc Signpost Programme Newsletter November 2022

In this month’s newsletter, Tom O’Dwyer, Head of the Signpost Programme, presents the Signpost Sustainability Results 2021, the baseline year. We have our usual climate actions as well as an article from Karl Richards explaining carbon sequestration.
Issue 16 - November 2022
We have a number of videos from Signpost Sustainability Week and we would encourage all partners to share these videos on your own platforms. We want to congratulate Belview Eggs who have received the Lidl Ireland award for establishing a carbon footprint for free range egg production in Ireland and being part of the Signpost Programme has demonstrated their commitment to sustainability. The Environment Edge podcast discusses derogation farming and what the future holds for farmers with higher stocking rates.
Establishing the Baseline
In the Nov/Dec issue of Teagasc Today's Farm, Dr. Tom O'Dwyer, Head of the Signpost Programme discusses the performance of the demonstration farmers involved in the Signpost Programme in 2021 using data gathered by the National Farm Survey farm recorders.
Signpost Sustainability Results 2021
In this webinar Tom O’Dwyer presents the progress of the Signpost farmers in Year 1 of the programme. 2021 is the baseline year for the programme and the results set out the environmental metrics for these farms including total emissions, emissions footprint, ammonia emissions as well as nitrogen use efficiency and phosphorus use efficiency.
Climate Actions for November
Each month, we present climate actions that farmers can take to reduce gaseous emissions. These actions will be practical and timely. See below climate actions for the month of November.
Read the full Climate Actions for November here
Soils Carbon Sequestration
Soil carbon sequestration is an important mechanism that removes carbon dioxide from the air and storing it in the soil, improving a number of aspects of soil health.
Increasing Farm Biodiversity
One of the objectives of the Signpost programme is to achieve 10% biodiversity on all the farms. In this clip, Signpost Dairy Farmer, Tim Leader, and Teagasc colleagues explain how to manage a new hedge to help meet this target.
Steps to Reducing Emissions on Your Farm
In this video Siobhan Kavanagh, Communication & Engagement Specialist to the Signpost Programme, outlines the first steps to reducing emissions on your farm.
Why Farmers are Engaging with Climate Action
In this video we meet some of the Signpost Programme farmers who are actively engaging with Climate Action. Francis & Bernie Gonley, sheep farmers from Sligo, Michael McGuigan, suckler beef farmer from Meath, Dermot Walsh, dairy farmer from Cork, Peter O'Hanrahan, dairy calf to beef farmer from Kilkenny, Matty Moore, pig and tillage farmer from Offaly and Kay O'Sullivan, forestry and organic beef farmer from Cork.
Signpost Sustainability Week
Rosarie O'Connor, Munster Bovine talks to a group on Signpost dairy farmer Conor O'Briens farm in Galway on the 18th of October during Sustainability Week
Signpost Climate Action launched during Signpost Sustainability Week
Thomas Ryan Michael Hassett Tirlan, Aoife Leader Sandra Hayes Teagasc , Host Signpost dairy farmer Steven Fitzgerald and his wife Catriona, Stevens mum and dad Noirin and Richie and Richard O Brien regional manager of KK/ WD with Eanna Loughrey Teagasc, picture taken during Sustainability Week
During this webinar which took place on Friday the 14th of October, as part of Sustainability Week, Mark Gibson discusses with Seamus Kearney, Signpost Training & Development Specialist and Deirdre Hennessy, Researcher Moorepark the steps to reducing chemical nitrogen use on farm.
Lidl Ireland Climate Supplier of the Year 2022
from left to right: Dermot Herlihy, Rachel Johnson and Rebecca Tierney - Teagasc Poultry Adviser to Belview Eggs
Lidl Ireland recognise Belview Eggs for establishing a carbon footprint for Free Range egg production in Ireland and Ireland’s first poultry farmer to be part of the Teagasc Signpost Programme. Belview Egg Farm are Teagasc’s poultry Signpost Farm with Rebecca Tierney as their poultry adviser. The company was established in 1978 by Dermot & Nicola Herlihy with a mere 5,000 hens and has since grown to Ireland’s fourth largest egg packing centre and the largest egg packer and producer in Leinster. The company is currently run by Dermot Herlihy and Rachel Johnson. Belview supply eggs to Lidl, Musgraves, Iceland, Applegreen, BWG, Glanbia and Tesco. The packing centre employs 30 staff and additional 10 staff on their two poultry sites.
Sustainability Week Photo Competition
The Environment Edge Podcast
Derogation farming – are you aware of the current situation in Ireland? And what does the future holds for farmers with higher stocking rate?
Teagasc Environmental Specialist, Tim Hyde, joins Deirdre and Cathal on the latest Environment Edge podcast to discuss just that.
Signpost Programme Partners
New Partners Include:
Diageo - Heineken - Irish Distillers Limited - Tullamore Dew