Tipperary Poultry Farmer wins Newbie New Entrant Competition - Kylie Magner
Kylie Magner from Magners Farm in Moyglass, Co Tipperary has been selected as the winner of the second Newbie project new entrant competition. Kylie and her husband Billy purchased the 20 acre farm in 2004. They subsequently worked abroad for 7 years working before returning to Moyglass where Kylie set about farming the land while Billy worked off-farm.
Tipperary Poultry Farmer wins Newbie New Entrant Competition - Kylie Mager
Kylie developed a free range poultry enterprise on the farm selling eggs at local markets initially. During Covid-19 a farm gate collection and online sales have ensured a market for the eggs produced on the farm.
On her announcement as the winner Kylie said; "I’m absolutely delighted to accept the award from Newbie (Horizon 2020 project) and Teagasc. The past few years have been busy setting up our pasture range egg business and we are really looking forward to developing further income streams on our farm with Mobile Hen. It’s great to be involved in farming at the moment, there are some really positive initiatives around regenerative agriculture which we’re very proud to be associated with.”
As licenced egg packer Kylie can sell her egg direct to consumers as well as packing eggs for other farmers, a potential revenue stream that can be utilised in the future. Kylie has developed a portable hen coup called the “Mobile Hen” that facilitates rotational grazing of the free range hens around the farm. This is being developed as another element of the business.
Cattle and sheep have been added to the farm to graze ahead of the hens and add new products to the farms offering of produce. Kylie has also added a chicken broth product that is produced from spent hens eliminating waste from the system.
John Moriarty Newbie project advisor with Teagasc said; “Kylie is great example of new entrant to agriculture achieving a good income from a relatively small farm. Kylie has innovated to grow the business adding new products and income streams. This competition has seen a number of excellent entries and finalists, it was a great achievement to come out on top.”
The Newbie Network is an EU Horizon 2020 funded project with 10 European partners. Newbie offers a unique platform by bringing together new entrants, successors, advisors, researchers, important regional and national actors and relevant stakeholders in national networks, with the aim of enabling new entrants to successfully establish a sustainable farm business in Europe.
New entrants are defined in the Newbie network as anyone who starts a new farm business, or becomes involved in an existing farm business at any stage of their lives. New entrants across sectors and regions face common barriers such as; access to land, capital, knowledge and labour. The Newbie Network will identify and highlight new business models that overcome some of the barriers faced by new-entrants through 90 case studies and a video library available to new entrants across Europe. These will be shared through a range of European and national activities including; national discussion circles, videos and bilateral exchanges.
To join the Newbie network and keep up to date with all the latest news, register at; http://www.newbie-academy.eu/membership/
Information on all the case studies across Europe can be found at; http://www.newbie-academy.eu/word-map/