John Hurley - Organic Farm Walk
Type Event Proceeding
Event booklet from the Teagasc Organic Suckler to Weanling and Sheep Farm Walk of John Hurley, Castle Hill House, Knockalaughta, Ballintubber, Castlerea, Co. Roscommon, which took place on Wednesday, 1st June.
Download Publication (PDF)
On Wednesday, 1st June 2022, Organic Suckler to Weanling and Sheep farmer John Hurley hosted a Teagasc Organic Farm Walk to which anyone with an interest in the organic sector was invited.
Before going organic, the Hurley family had been eating organic food for many years. They realised the’ benefits of organic food for human health as for the earth’. At the time, they kept 58 suckler cows and had ‘a massive feed and fertiliser bill’. They felt ‘production costs were too high’ and the numbers of stock were not sustainable.
After careful consideration, the farm entered conversion in 2015 with full organic status for the land and produce being achieved in 2017.
On the farm today, there is a suckler herd of 23 cows with weanlings sold in autumn. There is also a sheep enterprise of 100 ewes.
Topics discussed at the farm walk included:
- Suckler Enterprise
- Sheep Enterprise
- Livestock Health in Organic Farming
- Animal Health on the Farm
- Organic Animal Housing Standards
- Soil Fertility on the Farm
- Grazing, Fodder and Feed
- Financial Performance
Find all the details in the booklet at the link above.